SuperDaves Running Away

where the hell

2009-06-11T13:29:00.000-04:00

I'm sure you guys are wondering why I dropped off the face of the earth. I bet you are thinking that the dude has gained back all of his weight or maybe he broke his leg and is out of comission or maybe you're thinking, "I don't give a crap!" Most of the time when weightloss/runners/healthy "bloggers" stop blogging is because they fell off the wagon and start shoving food in there face. Not here friend! I just had a bit of burnout on training and blogging about training and needed a break. Nothing personal.
Maybe I am loved because I recieve continuous emails saying, "where are you Dave?" Thanks for the love!
So, I'm still eating healthy, I'm still running, still training for the occasional race. In fact, I have run in 3 races in the past 6 weeks and PR'd all of them. I've lowered my 5K by 30 seconds to the 27ish.., and my 10K by 2 minutes to the high 56's . When 10 min/miles used to be a BIG goal ,now it's about breaking the 9 min barrier. There is some progress there, but still slow and cumbersome. haha I also ran my first trail race. Wow, what a challenge! 4 miles of sliding-feet, hopping, skipping, and jumping of glorious fun!
Life is busy, summer is here. A few smaller races are in order, but I don't have any bigger race plans until Disney World half marathon in Jan 2010(already signed up). I am contemplating running the ING Philadelphia Distance Run in September or the Baltimore Half in October. Those last 2 are big maybe's?
Since I have declared my blogging is back in order, I am looking forward to visiting "ya-ll" to find out what the heck has been going on.
Peace

The Winner Is

2009-04-28T17:02:00.000-04:00

The Winner of the Zen's are :

Kelly who is in Tri training and kicking butt on her bike rides.
Leslie who has been training and will run "Broad Street Run" in Philly this upcoming weekend.(Sun)
I used random.org to generate 2 numbers for me and they were #6 and #28.
Starting with the April 21st post I counted down posts.

I flipped a coin for colors and Kelly wins the black and Leslie wins the pink.

Sry Kelly , I only had 1 pink one..

This was fun and I'll have to do this again.

If you are like me, I just love receiving packages in the mail. Who cares what it is as long as it is a package for me. ;)

My email is respdave@yahoo.com. If you will send me your addy I'll get them in the mail ASAP.

Nashville Half Marathon Race Report

2009-04-26T18:07:00.008-04:00

Good and bad on this one. Good Race, Bad Me.
Nashville which is part of the Rock N' Roll Marathon Series was definitely a hit! They did everything right from the Expo to the downtown run to the Starting Line to the Finish Line. It was well organized with plenty of water stops, cheering sections, and bands. BTW I only heard 1 country song - phew.. Thank -You! Mostly Rock N Roll! Nashville is a beautiful city.(not dirty like most.)

state capitol

symphony center

Athens Parthenon replica

Friday afternoon I hit the Expo along with a 100,000 others - Ughh!

placing time chip on shoe

The Stick

Me being silly

yep me being silly again

Now to the race. Race went off @ 7am for the elite. I was in corral # 17 out of #35. I hit the starter mat @ 7:33. Wow! If you don't already know,but the temps were 80deg @start and 89deg @ finish and full of sun! We've all been complaining about the lack of warm temps and BAM we get hit with HEAT!! in April!! It was trouble.

before race, all smiles

the kenyans

My goal was 2:15 and I stayed with the pace leader for most of the early race. I was pacing where I wanted to be, but mile 6 was where I noticed the temps . There wasn't any shade coverage since we were running through town. By mile 8 I was feeling queasy and finally allowed the pace team to catch up with me. We were avg 10:15/mile to that point and had hit the majority of the big hills. I just kept thinking if I could make it to mile 9(15kish), then there would be a hill repreave. As I passed the 15K mark, my stomach couldn't take it anymore and I jumped off course and behind a building and preceded to vomit/barf/upchuck/lose my guts(you get the picture) for the next 10 minutes. Every time I would get up to start again, the "dry-heaves" would start. I swear everytime I would "throw-up" I looked at my watch to see how much time I was losing. The overwhelming disgust set in. I finally got up and noticed I was 9 1/2 minutes behind. I started back slowly and stomach felt a little better. The 1/2 mile split was 14.75 minutes. I knew I lost any chance at a PR back at "vomit central" so I tried to make the most of the remaining race. My legs felt great, my stamina felt good, but I struggled with my stomach until the end. I managed to finish in 2:24:28. Which is precisely 9 and 1/2 freakin minutes off of my goal. This is tame today, you should've heard me yesterday.

You can never anticipate the weather. From 50 deg to high 80's in 2 days, go figure, just my luck... By mile 11 there was people lying all over the course, ambulances were scrambling. There was easily a couple hundred people lying on the sidewalks waiting for help, it looked like a M.A.S.H Unit. My neighbor who won the Knoxville Marathon 2 years ago said that she ran 25 minutes slower than last year.

tuckered out

enough energy to sneak a smile

TN Titans stadium

mile 26

I ran my second - half marathon in 5 weeks and am happy and feel accomplished for that. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't dissapointed. I trained for this, hit the hills often, and ran longer tempo runs. It just wasn't meant to be. Unfortunately I won't get the opportunity at another half until the Fall time. That sucks! I want redemption!!!

Stats:

4800 feet of elevation change!!

Splits Elevation HR

m1 10:13 +167 151

m2 9:46 + 91 156

m3 10:30 +436 158

m4 10:45 +160 161

m5 10:49 +162 162

m6 10:07 +96 162

m7 10:22 +413 165

m8 10:33 +120 167

m9 19:43!! +71 165 You would think my HR would've dropped after 9 mins down.

m10 11:52 +57 168

m11 9:58 +173 169

m12 9:50 +170 170

m13 10:00 +190 171(91% of max)

13.22 miles in 2:24:28

Taper just a little

2009-04-21T23:26:00.000-04:00

Wasn't that a great marathon yesterday. Too bad "our" guys didn't finish higher. Both Hall and Goucher were in it to the very end. I remember watching the Boston Marathon when I was younger and not being very interested in it. Nowadays I wouldn't miss it for the world. One of the great things about running is that it doesn't cost a darn thing. How often can you go to a major venue and not pay a dollar and be able to come close to the superstars. One of these days I will get up to Boston to watch a race or maybe when I'm 105 , I'll be able to qualify for it with my 100 hour marathon.
I supposed to be tapering this week, but since I only run 3 days a week(maybe 4) it doesn't feel much like a taper. By the time of my race I will run 3 times; albeit less mileage.

This race seems to have a little more excitement with it than last months half marry. -

Last months was a training run with no goal
I signed up for it many months ago with anticipation ever since
This is a long, hard race - not long, easy
25,000 runners with 100,000 spectators and a few superstars(other -5,000 w/ 6 spectators, yeah just 6)
First time traveling to a race(Knoxville to Nashville 4 hours)
Meeting one of my blogger buddies - Shosh
I'm really nervous - no kidding. First time for any of my races.

Yes I'm meeting Shosh for the first time. Now if I can just get her to update her blog. She is deep into Tri training right now and refuses to come out of the water.
I set a goal for 2:15.(10:19 pace)[no chuckling from the sub 2 hr people] It's reaching a little for me. I haven't been able to run that pace in any of my training runs(best 10:50) and even in my 15K race last Nov. My pace versus my goal is 25 seconds slower. I've been able to keep my pace "up" to the 8 mile mark, but for anything past 8 miles is a big question mark. This last month I 've been running my tempo's harder(9:55-10:00 pace) , but I'm spent afterwards. *My mind aimless wanders at pace vs projected pace vs vomiting pace vs pass out pace* Nervous are we?????
Enough of that crap, I'm driving myself crazy!
Oh yeah, I did buy one of those pacetats dumalahickies.

Of course it is "sdrawkcab"

No turning back on this one - it's like the "voo-doo, evil eye" if you take back your goal time after buying one of those.

For those of you that still want in for the giveaway. There is still time. I'll be drawing names this Sunday(26th). You'll win one of 2 , yes 2! shiny, new, cool gadgets, state of the art, top-o-the-line, mp3 player. All you have to do is post a comment and send me $1000. I do realize that most have Ipods and winning a 2 GB Zen is like winning a Ford Pinto when you already have a Mercedes, but maybe your kids or a friend may just need a Pinto since they their 1978 Moped smashed into a tree and killed the tree and the poor little robins that were nesting in it. You see a brand new Pinto is looking real nice right about now.

More nervous talk to come later.

Satan girl

2009-04-14T20:38:00.007-04:00

A few of you are new to my blog and don't know my story. Don't hit the back button this could be a little interesting - okay downright boring, but listen anyway. For the rest of you bear with me. In the past I was a good athlete, somewhere along the way of life I become a slug and allowed my parents bad "genes" to have their way with me. I started on my journey of rediscovery in July of 2007. By the end of last year I had lost 100 lbs and began showing remanants of a runner. I rededicated my healthy lifestyle and set some new goals for 2009. As of yesterday, I 've lost an additional 25 lbs to make a grand total of 125 lbs lost! I signed up on a website at the beginning of the yr as a goal to lose 25 lbs by April 25th (Nashville half.)
Goal accomplished!! The equation is simple. Healthy diet + exercise = Joy (no, not that one.)
I had another killer workout with Satan girl today. I don't think it was a good idea to make a deal with the evil one's daughter. She's alot like her father. She lulles you into thinking that everything's okay then slaps you in the face with pain. After the pain is unbearable she says, it's okay take a break. So then you take a break. She shutters, " Did I say you can take a break? Give me 5 nonstop minutes @ 4% and 7.5 mph!" Then she stares around the room with her sheepish evil eyes and grins. "Does that hurt? Are you gonna die?" *I say to myself, I'm dying* "I'm good" I say. She says, "What did you say?I'm good!?" *Oh no* "Everyone. He says he's good. Up your speed to 8.0mph!" *holy mutha* After the killerworkout, she says, "see you next week?" *Ummmmm* The devil is at work here. Beware of his daughter.
1/2 mile warmup, 7 miles @ 9:28 pace avg @ 3 - 15% incline, then 1/2 mile cooldown.
CONTEST
I have 2 items to give away. All you have to do is make a comment on my blog over the next 2 weeks. I will draw 2 names randomly and announce the winners. The contest ends on Monday April 27th(after my race.) If you win, you will have to give me your address so that I can ship it to you. Easy right?

1 black and 1 pink ZEN Stone

These are much like the Ipod Shuffle. They are each 2 GB's of memory. They come with earphones, USB cable, and a mini speaker built in. They are small-about the size of your car's remote lock/panic. 20hrs of battery life - rechargeable.

Here is the direct link if you want more info. Creative Zen Stone

I'm hoping that my drawing will be for one guy and one gal. If 2 guys are drawn?(someone is getting pink..) haha

If you know anyone else that can use a mp3 player then kick them over here.

Peace

Happy Easter friend

2009-04-12T18:34:00.001-04:00

Good post Lily!
I hope you are all having a good day and for some an extended weekend. The sun has peaked it's eyes out today. Rain all last week, sun today, and rain the rest of the week. ughhh But today IS a glorious day! IMHO...
I read an interesting article in Running Times that long runs should not take up more than 50% of total mileage for the week. After looking over a few other training plans for various distances(10K, half, full) it seems that all have the same info.

6-10 mile LR should be running 12-20 miles/week
Half marathon 13-14 mile LR should be running 27-30 miles/week.
Full marathon 15-20 mile LR should be running 35-45 miles/week
Most plans are 4-5 days of running.

If you are not doing this then you are setting yourself up for possible injury. When I read this, I realized I was breaking ANOTHER running rule. (That would be rule 10 or 11 that I have broken now.) Since I only have time to run 3 days a week, maybe 4 then I have difficulty achieving <50%. My long runs are 13-15 for training and I am hitting 22-24 mileage for the week. I guess I could try to increase one of my days. Difficult too though... I would think the runners that were training for a marathon would have the most difficulty getting their total mileage up there.
With only 2 weeks before the Nashville Half I needed to get in another 13+ miles before my taper. Todays goal was 14 miles with the last 3 of those @ half marathon pace. I was cruising until the 11 mile mark then my body said, "I quit!" Needless to say that the last 3 miles were hard. I finished 13.61 miles in 2hrs 29mins 35seconds.(10:59 pace.) So much for 1/2 m pace, but darn I tried! The last mile was complete feet shuffling. I normally feel accomplished after a long run, but my confidence in hitting my goal of 2:15 for Nashville has hit the floor. Don't get me wrong - I'm happy that I ran over 13 miles, but I'm drained now. My 2:23 a couple weeks ago left me feeling like I had lots left in the tank. I wish I had another week to get in a 13+ miler. Next week is a taper week and no long run. We'll see...
This long run may not have gone like I wanted it too, but Tuesdays tempo run went great! It was the best I have run in terms of mid distance and pace.
It was run on the treadmill(rain!) at the gym. I had planned on running intervals/speedwork that day. I was 4.5 miles in and just about to cooldown when an instructor walked into the cardio theater area and started to yell "Cmon class kick it up a notch!" Class? Am I in a class??! I was too embarrased to walk out so I kept going. After being yelled at a few more times and about to pass out , the class ended. After all said and done, I completed 8.5 miles with 8 miles @ 9:20 pace then cooldown. Holy mutha was that a workout! It just goes to show you that when a cute little girl walks into a room and her head spins around and she spews out words from satan that you'll do anything that she says. I love you Satan girl. I'll see you again on Tuesday..
Last thing.
I finally have my first giveaway contest and it is for anyone to join. "They" just came in yesterday by UPS. I need to unwrap and take a couple pics before I post. I'll try to get a post up tomorrow. Haha I'm not telling...

Happy BD you weak ribs

2009-04-07T15:57:00.003-04:00

Isn't it great that the weather is getting better! Just awesome to be running outside on a regular basis. Minus today - freakin snow?! What's up with that!! I hoping that this will be mother nature's last crap fest.
Thanks for all the well wishers on my first half marathon. It was a blast and I can't wait until the end of April (25th) for my 2nd half - the Nashville Marathon . I didn't anticipate just how sore I was going to get after the race. I took a couple days off afterwards and started back with an easy 2 miler. Last week, I decreased my mileage to about 2/3 of total to recover and left out my weekend long run. This weekend I'll run 13 or 14 miles for my long run if my ribs can handle it.(I'll get to that..)
I managed to log over 100 miles last month. It was my first since last December and I'm on goal so far to hit 1000 miles for the year. Of course it is still early and many, many miles to go before I get there. Maybe I can keep the injury bug away and .. oops too late! I broke my ribs again!! This is starting to drive me crazy!! This is #3 and almost #4 in the past 15 months. The first was last June , the second was last August and the almost # 3 . Yesterday I was lifting a big tub into place during a bathroom remodel and POP! Instant pain! Today it has been difficult to move my upper body. Gratefully it wasn't any part of my legs. phew.. Does running require breathing? Maybe I don't have to breathe to run? hmmmm...
As of today I am officially 39 ....... and holding... Oh crap, one more year and the dreaded 4-------0. This is the last year that I'm telling the truth about my age. ;)
I signed up for a sprint Tri in June. When the ribs heal, it'll be time to hit the pool. I did ask for a new bike for the BD - just need to help picking one out. Any suggestions on a good bike? - not too expensive..

Haven't been blogging much due to "my world," but I still read and comment. Congrats to all of you runners that have knocked out the early races. That's why we love Spring!
For you people on facebook feel free to add me, we have a good running group on there and I seem to update that a little more often than on this blog. If not, no harm done. If you add me then you won't think that I'm stalking you.. ;)
David Sandstrom

Knoxville Half Marathon

2009-03-29T17:20:00.001-04:00

I finally conquered my first half marathon. I feel like I finally accomplished something with my running. (not sure what but something). Every one of us have different personal goals that we set when it comes to running. First run a mile without puking, 5K, 10K, then faster 5K, faster 10K, half marathon, then.... just good to get this one checked off. I'm sure you all remember the first time you notched a half - pretty good felling, huh?
I literally didn't sign up for this race until a month ago and now I'm glad I did. Today's race was strickly training run at a comfortable pace. I was supposed to be running with a friend, but that backfired on me when I couldn't find him before the race. 5000 bodies shoved into a small place makes it difficult to find a farting elephant much less a person. No matter, it gave me the chance to run at my own pace. The weather wasn't nice. It was the worse weather that we've had here in 3 weeks- remnents of this weeks blizzard that dropped snow out west. 38 degrees with a 17-20 mph nonstop wind. It was cold and brutal. I ran in shorts, underarmour layer and a short sleeve technical shirt - not a good choice...
I ran at a comfortable pace with my HR staying consistent between 70-74% max for the first 10 miles. The last 3.1 miles my HR climbed to the 80-82% range at the same pace. I wanted the race to copy a basic long run at home. For the most part it did minus the brutal hills. The Knoxville Marathon is known for its hills. No PR's on this course! Mile 1, 3, 7, and 11 were big hills and numerous smaller hills. I finished the race in 2:23:02.
Even though I didn't push hard my legs still felt like lead the last couple miles. I hoping a few more long runs will fix that problem. That's probably why my HR climbed toward the end. Conditioning.. Do you 13+ milers' have heavy legs toward the end of your long runs?
Running these races is just another reason why I love running. You don't have to kill yourself for a PR to enjoy races. Just run them for fun!
I've said this before, but I'll say it again. You marathoners are the bomb! I couldn't but feel bad as I was entering the stadium to finish and watching the full marathoners turn a corner just to run another 13 miles. Holy Crap!!! I was very much releaved to know I was finishing. I felt anguish for them - of course they have trained for nothing less..
Did I tell you that I got a medal too? They even give them to us slow people.

(Can you tell that I have no energy?)

Back in action

2009-03-22T19:46:00.001-04:00

Thanks Guys for being patient with me. Not a whole lot to blog about other than work and you don't want to hear about that, I assure you! With the sun showing it's face, it's even been hard to sit down in front of the computer to blog. Thank -You Spring!!
Let's start @ the new kicks - okay maybe the old style new kicks would be better to say.. I never like buying the same pair of shoes, but I'm too chicken to experiment with new shoes. It's always been about the look of the shoe, but since I took up running a year and a half ago it's all about the feel. I tried on a half dozen pairs of shoes - Mizuno, Brooks, Saucony, Nike, and (my fav)
Asics. I keep going back to the Asics. I didn't get the chance to try out the Asics Kayano 15's because they didn't have my size, so when Bill bought a new pair of Kayano's I wanted to get his input. He pretty much sold me on them, but I still wimped out and went with another pair of Asics Gel Nimbus 10. No change - same color. I'm a big risk taker, aren't I?
I finally did it! I bought a new Garmin 405. It was the continuous thrashing by you "garmey junkies." (You know who you are) My Polar watch stopped uploading my runs online. I'm rather tech-savvy and neither tech support or I could get it working plus my dog chewed the bottom half of the band off, so I think it was a good time to retire my trusted Polar. I've been using the 405 for about 2 weeks and am liking it. I just need to get more familiar with it and figure out all the buttons. The 405 came with a HR band and I've used that once with success. The Garmin's software is light years ahead of Polar's with multiple web site uploading to display better stats. If Garmin's GPS is accurate I'm one slow SOB! haha Ever since I've used it my avg pace is slower. Of course we talked about how "off" the Nike + system is, but my Polar has been calibrated so that it is spot on. I look at my pace and it feels like I'm running faster than what the Garmey is showing. I need to run with both watches and check accuracy. Does the Garmin have to be calibrated in any way? I wouldn't think so since it has GPS. Or am I really that slow!!! hahaha

Last Sunday, I decided to run a full 13.1 miles at a leisurely pace to see how running a half marathon felt. It was one tough bugger! I finished in 2:28:50.(11:30/mile) This was at an easy pace and I didn't feel tired persay, but my legs felt heavy. This run was my first time using the Garmin and was the slowest and longest of my Long runs days. I was hoping that since this was my 7th long run of over 10+ miles that it was going to feel easier especially since this was at an easy pace. No way Jose! My conditioning is not where I want it to be yet or maybe I had a bad day of running - not sure. The good thing is that next week's Knoxville Half is a training run with my buddy @ a 2:45 pace.
Last week run: 3 runs with a long of 13.1 miles (22.5 total)
This past week: 3 runs with long of 6.5 miles due to taper(15 miles total)

Happy Spring to everyone! I'm catching up right now on zee-old blogs.
Have a great week!

not really a post

2009-03-19T14:04:00.004-04:00

Hey guys.
Sorry I haven't posted in over a week, but just when you think we medical people are getting a break. Bam! a late flu epidemic hits. This crap is supposed to start in Nov, not March.
I'll tell you what's going on this weekend.
Hint: new gadget, new kicks, and a case of goodies(free stuff) delivered by a juice Co. because of my blog. Maybe there is more than 2 of you reading this blog...

Edit: I'm not the sick one, just taking care of the sick - had to correct that misunderstanding.
:)

Too be young again

2009-03-10T23:41:00.003-04:00

I've been enjoying the beautiful 70 deg weather the past few days. I've been off work since Saturday and have been catching up on yard work, my never-ending house projects and hanging with the fam. It's been great! In fact, I'm sure that I am working harder at home that at my job. You guys know how that is.
My training is going well for my half in April and I did finally sign up for that half marathon on March 29th. Thanks for all of your input on "running both races." I'm going to stick with using the race in March as a training race. Don't care about the time, just looking to log miles and get a shiny new medal. LOL!
Last weeks runs: 3 runs- 21.02 miles

5.0 miles in 47:23 - (9:28 pace.) Speed/Pace run. One of my faster 5 milers.
3.14 miles in 31:56 - (10:10 pace) Easy Run
12.88 miles in 02:16:43 - (10:36 pace) Long Run. Stopped x 2 for water and bathroom. 58deg at start, 70 deg at end. Tough Run - hit the wall @ mile 10.5 - not used to the hotter temps yet.

Today was a neat day. Golly-gee Dave, was it swell? I feel so much younger, stronger, healthier than I can remember. It's the simple things that make me fill this way. My day started with a long walk with the dog then to 3 hours of landscape/yardwork then progressed to 5 hours of bathroom remodeling then another long walk then to multiple basketball games with my son then back to the bathroom remodeling. Just a full day of activity and I feel great! That is my day, nearly everyday and to have the energy to do. The last time I remember feeling this good was back in my early 20's. Too be young again....

The fountain of youth isn't a mystery.

;)

Questions

2009-03-05T14:29:00.004-05:00

Midweek up date - not had one of those in a while. Woohoo on the weather right now. We are in the 60-70's in the Tenessee Region, but sadly I am at work and have to look at the sun through the glass of the concrete jungle. (aka work) I do have the weekend off and it looks like the weather will stay here until sunday. - I hope.
Couple comments, questions to ponder - facebook and running stuff. First of all, I am going to make a comment about facebook. I've pretty much been "shunning" joining the internet craze until a couple weeks ago. I wish now I would've joined earlier. It allows you to hook up with old high school friends,long lost relatives, and new friends. High school was so much fun when we were young and I have rekindled my friendship with many of my old classmates. Same thing for relatives. As we get older we go to college, get jobs, and move off to never see each other again. How often do we see our relatives? Our lives get in the way. I loved the post by Laurel about her longtime friend and it make me realize just how important friends are. Even our crazy cookoo family. Reason I bring this up is because I have hooked up with my old pal from high school(via Facebook) and we are trying to organize running a couple races together.
Running question:I have been training for the Nashville Half Marathon on April 26th and am ahead of my schedule. Most programs call for 10 miles before the race, but I have run over 12miles twice last month and will probably be up to 14 miles by the end of the April uncluding taper time. There is a half marathon in 3 weeks on March 29th that I would like to run with an old high school buddy. Is a month too close for races? Mind you - My friend from HS runs 30 sec - 1 minute slower than I( I think). I plan to finish with him no matter what my time, so even though this is a race it'll be more of a training run. This will be my first half marathon. My ultimate goal is to peak at the end of April. If I run both, do I still need to taper for the first one or continue with my original plan and use as a training run? Is this advisable? Have any of you done this before?
One more thing - Give my girl a "get well" for she still has a broken toe that won't heal and it is killing her! Sry Michelle :(

Angela put this quote up the other day and I thought it was cool.
“Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you.” ~William Arthur Ward

Isn't that cool! Peace

Beautiful muck

2009-03-01T16:12:00.000-05:00

Well guys, as long as it is "still "sick season at work, my posting habits are going to remain the same. No time or energy to blog, but lurking and visiting.
I'm sorta bummed that I only got 3 runs in this week and only 1 strength/core workout. I've been doing good to get in 4 & 2. I can't wait to "Spring forward" next week in anticipation for more daylight for early/late running. It is a chore to zoom home from work then change clothes to look presentable to stand around and wait for an open treadmill at the gym. That bites! Not much choice though...
3 runs: 19.84 miles

3.04 miles in 29:32 (9:42 pace) Easy
4.65 miles in 44:55 (9:39 pace) Intervals 5 x 800 @ 8:45
12.15 miles in 02:12:53 (10:56 pace)

My long run today was in sucky weather. It was 31 degrees with a 10 mph wind at the beginning of the run, then cold rain, then sideways cold rain, then the rain turned to "pelting" sleet, then to big beautiful snowflakes, then to "oh my" nothing for approximately 30 secs, then it went completely in reverse order ending with 33 deg and wind. Blach!
As I was running, I couldn't help but think of how good I felt for not giving up on my run today. Man I had every reason to quit. Along with me feeling good about my run, I was also thinking that everyone that saw me running thought that I was a nut - either that or I was an escaped convict. haha
My pace was slower than last week, but that's okay considering the conditions. I underestimated the importance of long run base building and slow pace. The slower pace is not effecting my ability to run faster, ie intervals/ speedwork/ races.
If it wasn't for the weekend long runs this month my mileage would be lacking. Winter is the time when running production is down for many due to the weather, but for me it has been just the opposite. I complain about the cold, but the reality is that I would rather run in 30 deg instead of 85+. We all remember last years heat wave. phew.....
February Wrapup:

75+ miles
4 runs of >10 miles
10K PR

That's it for now. Peace

Hot and Cold

2009-02-21T22:48:00.001-05:00

Man I am so glad that the weekend is here. We've been so busy at work and today couldn't have come any quicker. Our weather has been weird here in TN. Hot one day, cold the other. Today was a sweet, sunny, mid 50's day. Tomorrow will be another cold, windy, chance of snow day. I'm over it!!!
I took advantage of the weather and decided to do my long run today instead of the blustery Sunday. I bumped up my mileage a little more to 12 miles. Another great run! It's fun achieving these new milestones. Even though I was much faster and ran longer in college, I don't even count that now. I'm sure when I am in my 50-60's I will change my goals all over again. I finished with 12.02 miles in a bit over 2 hours. It sounds surreal to hear me say, "I ran for 2 hours.". I felt like I could've ran another couple miles. Feels good to be in a running groove right now.
I know a few of you have the Nike + sensors that you use for logging runs. I'm pretty much "fed up" with mine! The sensor gets all screwy when I change my stride. When I'm running easy and my stride is shorter it says that I'm running fast and when I increase my stride for speed it says that I'm running slow. Anyone else have that problem? Example: 10:30min/mile shorter stride - registers 9:45 pace. 9:00min/mile longer stride - 10:30 pace. It's all about stride - no matter how many times I recalibrate. Any suggestions?
I still run with my Polar watch and I have it calibrated so that it is "dead on." Stride length doesn't matter. Last weeks 6.21 mile(10K) race - Polar : 6.29 miles. Nike+ : 5.45 miles. I'm so close to buying a Garmin that I can taste it! haha
Insurance stuff is finally over. Bought a new truck - much nicer than than my other. Haggled 12K off the price. ;)

10K RacePR and FFFK and pics

2009-02-15T01:14:00.001-05:00

Phew..What a busy day! Started out early and ended late. I had a 10K race, car shopping,Valentines dinner and a hockey game all on the schedule today.
I'll start with the car shopping. I finally received my settlement from the insurance co. today after 2+ weeks after my wreck. I didn't buy anything, but I got the chance to look at quite a few vehicles and figure out costs. Due to the economy, car prices are down and rebates are up which is good for me! Went to 5 car lots - argued with 2 salesman, punched out another, and entered into hostile negotiation with the other 2. Just kidding, but real darn close. I hate cocky, know-it-all, lying salesman. Why can't buying a car be as simple as buying bubblegum? Needless to say, I will only be visiting the last 2 before I buy a car/truck on Tuesday.

Today I had a 10K race on the schedule and I dedicated it to Nancy as did a multitude of other runners. Poor girl needs surgery due to a torn labrum caused by basic running. You never know when the "injury gremlin" is lurking!

I ran the StrawPlains 10K. This was the same race that I ran last year in 1:02:35 and injured myself by my inexperience(2months running.)
This race is a challenge due to its elevation changes(big hills), but I still had a goal to break an hour. My previous 10K was 59:42 on a flat course. I couldn't have run this race any better. I finished in 58:59 clock time and 58:50 chip time(9:29 avg). A new PR by a full minute on big hills!! My long run days have been on hills for the past 2 months and boy did it make a difference. I surprised myself on this one.

The last part of my day finished with Dinner and a hockey game with the fam.

Very busy day it was - 1AM as a blog this. Happy Valentines to you ladies because we know that this holiday is not for us..
I will try to catch up on yall's(TN slang) blog this weekend.

Just Sayin

2009-02-10T23:55:00.023-05:00

My normal babble - no need to comment.
This is one of those deep posts again but I'll be quick this time. (Yeah right?) You can always count on one of these posts at least every 3 months from me.
Reveal the secret..
I have you hooked, don't I?
Start off by saying that I weighed in on Monday and gained a crappy 2.5 lbs. What the heck happened? I ate pristine last week watching everything . Along with 20+ miles of running and another 2 hours of upperbody and core workout. Doesn't make any sense. Oh well.... keep on keeping on.
Secret Dave? get on with it already!
Of the many blogs that I read week by week the staple of all blogs is family life. It's who we are, it's what we live for. Not our jobs, not our friends, but our families. Of course the other things are important, but it's our fam's that keep us going. Even though this is your blog, I pretty much know if you have kids and if you are married and EVEN their names. I think it is great!
Hell one of these days(you just don't know it yet) I may be in your area running a race with you, going for a hike or maybe you'll be at my house eating supper. When you are going South on vacation and have a 15 hour drive and you have to pee real bad whose house are you going to use. Mine you fool - you don't want to use that nasty old gas station, do ya? I'll even let you borrow a towel to wash your hands.
I often talk about my 3 wonderful kids. I've shown many pictures because I am proud but a certain question has never been brought up before. So what Dave, get to the freakin point.
Are you married? Is there a Mrs Dave? You killed her, didn't you?

Yes I killed her. This is my confession.

You guys aren't stupid, so I won't go into details, but I am married and have been for 17 years and we are a couple again. There you go.

Is that the freakin secret? Holy crap Dave. Is that all? You suck! I thought we were going to find out if you were the second shooter on the grassy knoll.

Her name is Beckie.

And of course the rugrats

Family's are a blessing. I am proud! Mine and your's..

Next deep post will be sometime in May. Stay tuned.

Please wash your hands after you go pee in my bathroom.

Confession:

I did kill her. I just dug her back up and put some makeup on her. I did a good job didn't I?

Good weekend running

2009-02-08T19:56:00.008-05:00

Thank You so much for the kind words after my wreck. Things are moving very slowww with the insurance. It sucks!! Still don't have the stupid accident report from a week ago. Frustrating... No report, no new car.. The truck doesn't look that bad, but then again it is 5000 lbs. Everyone elses was much worse! What you don't see is the underneath- bent frame, broken axle, broken transmission, broken exhaust caused by driving OVER the second car and guardrail. The insurance deemed this a total loss. I was going to buy a new vehicle anyway and give this to my son when he turned 16, so much for that... sry, can you tell I'm aggravated? :)
Moving along....
What do you think about this weather? 50 to 60 and sunny all week! oops at least in the Southeast of US. "It's a site for sore eyes!"
I hadn't planned on running on Sat due to my long run on Sunday, but it was too pretty outside not to. I completed a nice 5 mile tempo run and even got a little sun during the run. Going into today, I was afraid that I was going to be too tired to run 10 miles. I made sure to prefuel before the run for fear of bonking. Another gorgeous sunny 60 deg day. I've been so accustom to running in 35-40 deg that 60 deg felt a bit too hot. haha (listen to me complain about sunny and 60.) I took off and the first 1/2 mile was so damn tiring , but by the 2.5 mile mark I was cruising. I made sure to run 30 seconds slower this week than last. At the 45 min mark I ate a bag of sports beans-(love those things) and at the 70 min mark I ate a Gue gel(chocolate mint.) I was getting tired at the 7.5 mile mark, but then I passed a girl running group of 5 that were rather giddy. All 5 lined up and put out their hands and "high-fived" me as they were running and gave shouts of encouragement. You can tell that they had "fresh legs" and were having a good time. It reminded me of playing basketball back in high school/college and slapping hands at the beginning of a game. haha That's why I love running and the camaraderie that goes along with it. That encounter left me with a pep in my step. It took my mind off my body hurting (It's all between the ears!) and the next 4.5 miles went great! I finished with 11.34 miles!!!! 1hr 57 mins 30 secs. for a 10:22 avg. Minus last years Cades Cove runs this is my 3rd longest run this era in time and distance. Feeling good right now about it!
Questions/observations
Up to the "silly girls" encounter I was avg 11min/mile (long, slow) but the last 4.5 was at 10min/mile. There was an article in this months Runners World magazine about whether you are a "waver" or a"nonwaver." I am definitely a "high-fiver, "doing great", nodding smiling fool. Yes and I wave too. I had an encounter like this last year that really helped me get through a run and also an encounter that helped a guy get through his run. What do you think? Are you a waver or not ?

Tomorrow is weigh in time and my fingers are crossed.
Have a good week!

Crash Bang Boom

2009-02-02T14:15:00.145-05:00

I've had a crazy week - good and bad in many ways, but a week I would not like to relive. I'm always a bad news first kinda guy.
I was in a horrendous traffic accident. I'm obviously okay or I wouldn't be posting this, but my truck is toast and a few others. Driving down the highway approaching a stoplight which was green. A car darted across my path-STUPID!! I didn't even have time to hit my brakes-KABOOM!! My vehicle struck the mid-back of the car cutting it in two. There was a car merging onto the hwy that my forward momentum brought me into. After plowing through the second car and taking off the entire front end of it ,I came to rest on top of a guardrail after I took out the entire guardrail. The intial vehicle went into an uncontrollable spin taking out 2 other cars. 5 cars in all! It was one of the scariest moments in my life! Can you believe noone got hurt? A matter of inches is the difference between life and death. It was that close! God was watching out for all of us. I am thankful to be alive. I'm posting this a few days after the accident as my nerves are now calmed. I have played the scenario over at least 100 times in my head. You had to be there to see the carnage- it was devastating! The most important thing is that everyone is okay. If I get the opportunity, I will post a few picks (when I get em.) Also, very sore - but back to normal..
Running - Yesterday my soreness disappeared and I went out for my long run. It was unseasonably warm (50deg) and I was able to wear shorts and a long sleeve technical shirt during my run; nice change.. The run went great! I ran 10.02 miles in 1:42:55, a full 7 minutes faster than last weeks 10 miler. Last week I had to walk multiple times and stop to stretch my lower back and hamstrings. Yesterday went so much smoother. Only once for about 10 seconds did I have to stretch.
Weigh-IN/Eating - Of course we all know what yesterday was - The SUPERBOWL! Wasn't that a great game?! I wanted Arizona to win, but I knew that Steelers were a more rounded team. I wasn't dissapointed in the game one bit. I hosted a small get together party and served a ton of fattening, high calorie, unhealthy food . I quote my brother, "Dave I swear if you serve that fat-free, green, healthy crap, I'm not coming over." "Just because you are a health nut now, doesn't mean that we have to live it to!" ahahaha. After eating crap yesterday, I was a little weary about by weigh-in today. Then again, other than yesterday - I've have been watching everything that goes into my mouth.

My motivation is strong(feel the force young skywalker) and nothing is going to sway me right now(okay maybe some hot wings and a beer, but nothing else.) Just kidding - don't drink... but the wings , hmmmm? I lost another 2.5 lbs! - WOOT! WOOT!!
January Review - I managed 66 miles this month after the first week of only 9 miles - good recovery. 14lbs lost for the month.. I finely got consistent about strength training and haven't missed a workout yet. Lastly my food choices have gotten so much better. I'm eating a small countries worth of vegetables a day. Moderation and refocus on my goals is the key.
So bad, ends with good and it's ALLGOOD....

Fumagation

2009-01-28T02:01:00.135-05:00

I'll start this post by woohooing for my weightloss this week. A cool 4.5 lbs for my weigh-in on Monday. After last weeks 1 lb lost and dissapointment, it was nice to see the bigger loss. Total loss so far is 11.5 lbs.
After watching "The Biggest Loser", It seems that the contestants weightloss flipped flopped from week to week. One bigger then one smaller. So this next week probably won't be as much as this week. Not concerned.. Keep on doing what I'm doing. Even as I sit here blogging, I don't have the normal "munchies craving" that I usually get. I 'm not sure if it is physiological or mental, but I guess a little of both at this point.
I forgot to mention that it was my oldest son's BD this past Sat. He turned 15, OMG I'm so freakin old! We had a party of (15) 14-16 yr old boys. I swear it smelled like a moldy gym locker at my house! Boys with teenager stink! And whatever happened to short hair? The theme this year was Xbox party. They had 5 Xbox's hooked up on 5 Tv's and sucking the internet bandwith from the city so they could all play online against each other. I'm guessing my electric bill will be outrages this month. After they left, I fumagated the entire basement. My son had a blast and he pocketed a cool 500 bucks in cash and gift cards. What!? $500! That's some serious "jack!" Times have changed haven't they? Dang, I'm so old!
One thing that I've noticed over the last few months with my lifestyle change is the abundance of energy that I've had. My 14 hour work days don't kill me like they use to and I find myself not liking sitting down. I used to watch lots of TV, while sitting in my recliner and my weekends were all about relaxing and taking it easy.

Don't get me wrong, I do take breaks and relax - just not as much. Over the past month I have found myself doing large home projects just to keep busy. A couple weeks ago, I laid hardwood through out my mother house and this week I gutted one of my bathrooms to start remodeling. What's up with that?
Who knows, next week I may just chisel up the driveway and repave it. LOL! I must say, it feels good!
Easy 5K yesterday and an upperbody workout. Tomorrow(oops today-time has flown...) is a 4-6 miles with intervals/speed - maybe tempo- who knows?

Weaning or Weinie either one

2009-01-25T20:33:00.001-05:00

As of last week, I've had to wean myself from my addiction of blogging once again. Much the same as Joy, even though I don't get hounded as much as her. LOL! Not much going on this time a year that I can't jot down in a few lines. I'm still active visiting sites though - can't get away from that addiction quite yet.
I feel like I'm in a "healthy eating zone" right now, which is a great thing to be in. Going back to the beginning of the year, my rededication to eating healthy is going well. I've picked up the good habits that helped me shed my intial weight and am moving in the right direction. It's a complete mental thing for me. When I'm locked in, I can turn any "bad" food down. When I'm not, anything can sway me. Just have to remember that this is a lifestyle change and not another failed diet to be. I am a big eater without a doubt, so for me its about substituting foods to get filled up. For example: Oatmeal for breakfast w/ banana -very filling..; Subway chicken breast or Veggie Sub; Lrg eggwhite omelet w/ tons of veggies. Again it's all about choices...

I only lost 1 lb last week, but it was a loss and I ate good. I weigh in tomorrow and I'm crossing my fingers that I will lose again. It's weird how weight fluctuates. First week I lost 6 lbs and didn't exercise all that much. Last week I ran 20 miles and lost 1 lb. With food staying constant, I probably should have lost a bit more. Damn water weight! I see how you gals get frustrated by that "mean monthy bloat monster." haha Sry , but that was funny...

On a running note: I ran my first 10 miler of the year today and hope the first of many. I'm not going to lie by saying the last 2 miles was easy because they weren't. In fact, it felt like I was running in slow motion for the final 2, but long and slow right? Since I don't have a ton of free time lately, I have been working on the quality of my runs.

In addition to running this year, twice weekly I've been consistent at upperbody strength training and core workouts. I'm sticking with the high reps, low weight strength training approach. If I can't lift a weight in 15 reps then it's too much weight for me. If time allows, I'll kick in a third day a week.. Then again I'll kick in another day running, then again I'll start swimming, then again I'll add biking to the mix, then again I'll..........

Hope your Monday kicks off a good start to your week.

Peace. ;)

Pacing

2009-01-18T18:45:00.005-05:00

I left a voicemail on Mother Nature's answering machine today and told her unless it warms up that we weren't friends anymore. She called back and left a message that said, "bite me!"
I really can't complain much because I'm not having the extreme cold like you peeps in the North. It's really starting to suck and sadly we won't see warm weather until March at the earliest. Spring where are you??
I know that everyone has a different philosophy on running and training. I loosely use Mcmillan's running paces to calculate my paces for the day. Along with a mixture of various plans that I have read. The most important aspect that I "try" to do is listen to my body. Easier said than done! I have a hard time doing that due to my competetiveness and my "hard-headed no pain-no gain." My thinking stems from playing football and basketball in high school and college. There was days that I didn't want to do anything, but when practise time came you just had to "suck it up." Hard to lose that mentality. For example: Long run days. They are designed to be slow and steady while working on form and keeping a lower HR. Most of us screw those up! I refuse to run 12 min miles - don't care what plan I'm following. (stubborn aren't I?) Here's my plan that I try to follow from week to week.
The pace ranges are calculated from my recent 5K, 5 mile, and 10 mile races.
Estimated VO2 max: 32 {my VO2 max at age 19: 69!}
Easy Run: 11:15 - 11:45 pace Ain't gonna do it!
Long Run: 11:15 - 12:15 pace [>8 miles] Upset if over 11min pace
Tempo : 9:48 - 10:15 pace Okay with that...
Speed(800m): 4:15 - 4:26 pace Okay with that..
Goal: 1 easy, 1 long>8 miles, 1 speed or tempo,1 medium length of 5-8 miles per week. Anything more than that is an easy run.
I 'm already slow as a snail, so anytime I see >11 min pace I hate it!
I found a neat little website for running paces. It's called runningforfitness and it has various running calculators. There is a calc where you can input your weight and recent race time and it will estimate a pace that you can run if you lose lbs. cool huh? Nice for people trying to lose weight. I figure if I cut off both arms, both legs, and chop off my head that I'll surely be able to run a 3 min/ mile.

Weigh-in is tomorrow. I hate scales! Fingers crossed..

WDW here I come

2009-01-14T20:30:00.001-05:00

I finally signed up for a half marathon, bout time Dave.. Now don't get all giddy now, you crazy runner people - You know who you are.. Oh that's me , isn't it? hehe
I signed up for the 2010(yes 2010) Walt Disney World half marathon. You have to sign up now because the race fills up so quickly. I heard in less than 2 weeks. Yikes! It cost me a cool $128.50. Double Yikes! I plan on taking 20 of my ~~cheering crowd~~ family members along with me. Triple Yikes!! Tell you all about at a later date..
I still have high hopes for running the Nashville Country Music Marathon on April 25th - just got to get my work schedule "worked out." Hang in there Shosh, I'm trying.. ;)
If you've read my blog then you know that I started a 13 week "Healthier You" challenge created by Robert @ runninghoosier.com. This couldn't be a better time for a challenge. Hoping to get weight off before the 1/2 marathon in April. (Yeah, the one I haven't signed up for yet...) After my first week weigh-in this past Monday, I managed a 6lb weight loss. I've been eating good, healthy foods along with logging my meals and keeping the "crap" out of my mouth.

Even though I haven't signed up for WW(weight watchers) like many here have, I've been reading and following their wise council. Big high-five to so many of you!
Along the lines of living healthy, I would like you guys to visit a pal of mine. Angela runs http://ohsheglows.com/ . She currently has an honest foods contest to give away health bars. I'm hungry just thinking about em! (I'm always hungry..) Angela is health, run nut like us. She has quite the speedy feet too. For you gals - she has a beauty section w/ fashion, makeup, and dress-up ~~this is my favorite~~. I've been trying to eat better foods recently and I find myself going to her site to find out what new brew she has made. I swear she can make dead plants look appetizing. For the guys - (shhhh... she is a blonde bombshell - keep that to ourselves.) don't challenge her in a race, she may just smoke you..
Peace

poof its gone

2009-01-11T18:42:00.002-05:00

Can you believe how quick this weekend went. I vote for a 3 day weekend from here on out. haha 2 days aren't enough!

I managed a whopping 2 days of running this last week.

>25 miles over the past 6 weeks to 9 miles this week. Work is killing my energy level! While at work this week all I could think about is me NOT logging miles. Is that addiction or what?! Do you guys feel bad when you miss runs or workouts or is it just me? Saturdays 3.5 miler did go well - my HR stayed low even though I kept a faster pace. Maybe my body needed the break? hmmmm... Today I was only able to get in a tad over 5 miles. This week, I'll have more opportunites to get out and run.

I'm loving my Ipod Touch! It does so many cool things. It has the ability to download apps that can make your life so much easier. Besides the Nike+ that is built in and the many games, the coolest features is the health and fitness apps that can be downloaded. Workout routines, running, swimming, biking routines, GPS'ing for your routes, calorie counting, food logging, weightlifting, BMI and weightloss logs and calculations. The list is endless. Do I sound like a commercial? haha
As far as the Nike+ goes it logs your miles, but not much more than that. It doesn't keep good track of pacing and the software lacks a ton. I'll still continue to use it to keep track of total miles. My Polar watch does 10x what the Nike+ does. I'm sure the Garmin does 10 x what my Polar does.. Don't we just love our gadgets! One of these days you are going to see me running down the road w/ an antenna on my head, a watch on each wrist, gadget on each arm and shoes w/ springs. haha
Hope everyone has a good week!

Day Of Reckoning

2009-01-05T19:07:00.003-05:00

Can you believe how quick 2008 went by? Here and gone..
Well I believe 2009 will be a great year. I've been thinking how I'm going to plan this year and plan I will. I've always been a "fly by the seat of your pants kinda guy", but this year I'm going to try to be a better planner and to not procrastinate as much. I'm not perfect, so try I will. I've got my calendar next to me and I've already jotted stuff down for the year.
My first race of the year will be the Strawberry Plains 10K on Feb 14th, Knoxville 5K on March 29th, and Greenway 5K on April 5th and possibly the Country Music 1/2 marathon on April 25th. Not sure about the 1/2, but we'll see?
Besides the racing, I also have an early goal of 750 miles this year. My super-duper ultimate goal would be 1000 miles, but 750 for now. That should be doable. If my running goes well in the Spring, (barring the injury bug that seemed to hit every running soul this past year) I will sign up for more races and maybe another 1/2 marathon.
Now the Day of Reckoning!
On Andrew's blog the other day, he posted a weight loss challenge hosted by Robert . Since this year will be the year that I drop more poundage(I will, darn it!), this is just the motivation I need to get my butt moving or should I say stop feeding my face.
So glad the holidays are over! One of the tell-tale statistics that I noticed from my post the other day was the amount of calories I burned while running. 40 lbs worth! If I would've ate properly, I would be at least 20-30lbs lower than I am now. Right? Not upset because it was a good healthy year, and it really was in so many ways. I weighed in today for the 13 week challenge and am highly motivated. I actually turned down my mom's homemade potato salad and cookies today. hehe
Wish me Luck!!!!
This is going to be a good year guys!!
Peace

2008 Year in Review late as usual

2009-01-03T19:45:00.002-05:00

For any of you that have been reading my blog, I think you know that I have checked a few things off on my life list so I won't bore you with my long thoughts. But I will bore you with stats - haha
The weight thing - 100 lbs lost and maintaining.
Running: I put a few statistics together from buckeyeoutdoors.com on my running for last year.
Runs: 164
Avg. HR: 153 (80% of Max) oops wasn't I supposed to be 65-75%
Avg. Time: 46 mins per run
Total Time: 5days 6 hrs dang it felt like three months :)
Avg. Speed: 5.7 MPH
Avg. Mi Pace: 10:34 I'm a speedster alright..NOT!!
Avg. Dist.: 4.3 Mi
Total Dist.: 706.2 Mi Schwingggggg...
Longest Run: 13.1 miles Not a race though
Biggest Month: December - 107 miles!
Total Cal. Burned: 139468 or 40 lbs!!
Races - 5K: (4) 1st- 30:15, 2nd - 29:20, 3rd- 27:52
5miler 47:45
10K: (2) 1st - 1:03:20, 2nd - 59:42
10miler (9.8miles) 1:39:21
Okay are you asleep yet? I nodded off a couple times typing this stuff in..
Of course this is only my running stuff and weightloss.
Running - In January I couldn't run 1/4 mile, but I can run a half marathon today. I had an injury due to my noob running(Feb/March) that put me out of commision for 6 weeks, but yet I managed over 700 miles for the year. I finished a strong December with 106 miles and running 26 out of 31 days. In relative terms I've got faster.
What I take from all of this is my change in my lifestyle. I went from a slug to an active lifestyle, a procrastinator to a doer, and somewhere along the line I turned into a runner. I can focus on the negative things that happened to me this past year, but I choose not to. I'm 38 years old, but I feel 28! I can kick my former 28 year old butt!!
Next post will be on my plans for 2009.
Thanks for encouraging me to do better when I didn't want to.

Mini Vacation

2008-12-29T21:02:00.000-05:00

It seems to have calmed down a bit from the Christmas holiday. phew...
Back to work for most on this Monday; not for me, I am in the midst of a mini vacation. Yahoo!! I had to work on Christmas , so I was granted a few days off afterwards - up through the new year.

I mugged a few running gifts from Santa this year. Let's see.. Hydration pack water reservoir for my long run days(not sure if I want to lug extra lbs on my back running?), Nike winter running gloves, Apple Ipod Touch, Armband for Ipod, Nike +sensor, and some of those cool running socks.

The cool thing about the new Ipod Touch is that it has the Nike + built into it. All I have to do is attatch my Nike sensor to my shoe and voila it records my running and workouts. I purchased a shoe pouch for the sensor off of the internet since I don't have Nike + shoes. Now you guys will have to be bored with more running data from me. hahaha!!

I hit my 700 miles for the year on Sunday. I am pumped! This was my first year running since the mid 90's. I would've never thought back in January that I would be posting that kind of mileage. WOOT!WOOT! Still slow though..haha

Last weeks runs:

Mon 4.5 miles

Tue 3.1 miles

Fri 3.1 miles

Sat 6.0 miles

Sun 9.8 miles

I recorded some good mileage this weekend. Mother Nature was good to me and I decided to run outside. Nice change...

I managed to sneak away from the kids on Saturday.(They are out of school for 2 weeks!ahhhhhh!! kidding....) I traveled to the mountains and visited Ober Gatlinburg Ski Center. Because of the 70 degree weather the snow was slush.

I really wanted to go skiing, but didn't bring ski gear. Maybe in Jan? I went ice skating instead. It was so much fun! I haven't been since I was 12. I use to be able to skate well, but not anymore. It was scary watching me - felt like I was learning to walk again. LOL!

BTW, Thanks Shosh for the ski/iceskate idea.

Gonna take the boys to a movie tomorrow. Any ideas?

Peace.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-23T19:28:00.002-05:00

Hope everything is going well in your neck of the woods. I suppose everyone has been busy getting ready for CHRISTMAS!!!!! A few of you will probably be traveling tomorrow. Please be safe.
Holy crap is it cold out there! We had 10 degrees last night as a low - very weird weather - 8 inches of rain for December. Not use to the cold temps and rain in good ole' Tennessee.
Sorry that I haven't been visiting blogs lately, I am actually having withdrawals - LOL! Been very busy @ work and home. My day is up @ 4am - work - home 8pm- run for 35mins on TM- sleep. Exciting huh?
On the running front, I have logged 81 miles for the month(5 days a week.) - WooHoo! My biggest month was 70ish miles before now. I'm doing alot of easy runs with strides and intervals intermixed. I dearly miss running outside and I'm admiring you brothers and sisters in the North that are still kicking the pavement in the freakin cold!!
I'm celebrating on Christmas Eve this year due to having to work on Christmas.
Just want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! Enjoy the good food, friendship, and family. I'll get back with ya after the holidays..
Peace
This is what my exciting life does to me:

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Naughty or Nice

2008-12-16T22:25:00.001-05:00

As Christmas quickly approaches us, have you got your shopping done yet? I think I'm finally finished as of yesterday including stocking stuffers. This year is the first time EVER that I planned early and bought my large gifts before the rush. It has worked beautifully and the hecticness(is that a word?) has not been here this year. One thing I have noticed this year is the lack of spirit in the holiday. The economy seems to have a big part in that. My neighbors haven't decorated like they usually do and the malls aren't spilling over with people. My wish is that this recession we're in makes people think more about love, family and kindness.

I normally don't ask for much and I would much rather give a gift than recieve. I love watching my kids open gifts - nothing better in the world. This year I am hoping to recieve a running gift - any running gift, darn it! LOL!! even if it is a pair of socks, man those running socks are expensive!!!
Questions:
1)Is your shopping done? (Dec. 16 - tick,tick,tick..)
2)What did you ask for yourself for Christmas?
3)Home or Away for the holidays?
4)Runners - What running item/items did you ask for this year? Looking forward to your answers..

On the running front: I worked-in an 8.76 mile long run Saturday. It felt great! Need to try for a 10miler in the next couple weeks. I don't want to lose my long run stamina. I took Sunday off from running and ran a easy 5K Monday. Got a late start on tonight's workout, but I managed another 5K. My energy level was high throughout the day, but by the time I hit the treadmill tonight my legs decided that it was time to rest. I finished the run and then did 1 hour of a upperbody lifting. I did manage 51 miles this past 2 weeks, so "on track!"

Streak is over

2008-12-13T10:45:00.002-05:00

Phew, I haven't posted in a week. I work in the medical field and from November to March there is no rest for the weary. When does everyone get sick ? Now! When do you see your Dr? Usually now. So, it's survival time for me. 15 hour days are not fun.. Blah!! I'm lucky to see the bathroom once a day, and food ... sadly you just grab it when you can - not to good for watching your weight. Blah,blah,blah Dave.. get over it!
:)
My running streak ended yesterday. I was on my feet all day yesterday - actually all week and didn't have the energy to run/talk/walk so instead of needlessly pushing myself, I didn't. It was fun while it lasted. I ran 11 days straight which was over double my longest streak(5), so I am proud! My legs are strong, I am in good shape, and I never felt tired throughout the 11 days. The last 2 months have been a breakthrough in my running. I've built my self up to running over 10 miles and I feel proficient at running at any distances in between. I laugh now when I read this post!!!!! It gives me good hope for next year and my running. I know many have already set plans for races next year. When I get a free moment I will do the same. I am actually excited about it, especially since I have my new 2009 Runners World Calendar.

Of the 11 days - 8 days were easy, 1 tempo and 2 speed/interval sessions, so I was smart about not pushing myself. This weekend will be my first long run since my 15K race and I'm looking forward to it, now if the weather will cooperate? BTW, I still am shooting for 102 miles this month and I'm still on track for that.

Now it's time to play catch up on some blogs.

Stay cool!

Gotta love the momma

2008-12-07T19:09:00.003-05:00

The stars have aligned for me this week and my running. I achieved a daily 5K and 7 days in a row. A little tired from work on my 4th day and didn't want to run, but I battled through. I haven't had any soreness or pain or even leg fatigue, so I will keep the streak going for now. I have rethunk(like that word, huh?) this plan through and even the slightest hint of pain and I am ending the streak. Overzealous I am! Sadly I am not the planner that Cyndi is. I'm a "flash fire" waiting to happen and it usually gets me into trouble. haha One thing I didn't do this week was plan a long run. Gotta get one in next week...

I had the best day with my mother yesterday. It was her 59th Birthday and she celebrated at my house. We usually take her out to celebrate, but she wanted to stay home. I begged her to come to my house and I promised to cook dinner for her. She agreed. I planned and prepared an extravagent 5 course meal for her. The meal went great and then we watched 2 movies - "Fred Clause" and "Wall-E." (Of course the kids picked the movies, but they were good.) I couldn't have been blessed with a more wonderful caring mother. There are quite a few of you mom's on here - You mothers rock!!
Here she is:

Oh yeah, one more thing. We got snow yesterday!!!!! Loved it!!!

Note to self: Tell Ty to drop the snowball, get a jacket on, no sandals, and for gosh-sake get a haircut!!

Tell Dave(not me) its not okay to be bearfooted when out in snow, and stop "mooning" the neighbors. Your CRACK is showing!

Thanks

2008-12-04T18:21:00.001-05:00

This is my 100th post! Wow, time has flown by and I talk way to much. haha
I've had the chance to reflect over the past few days and have come to the realization that I need to be honest with myself more. I can't tell you how many times that I almost took down my last post due to my insecurities. Also, you are a great bunch of people. Tuesday I came away with a smile on my face, rejuvenation,confidence and a rekindled soul. Every comment that I read was awesome, and I can't believe the amount of love that I felt. You go homies!!! You are the best!! Thank-you. Enough of this mushy stuff.. *(in my rough, tough voice)* * belch* How bout those Giants? *belch* You got hemi in that thing!? *belch*
Michelle and I have officially decided to streak. No really! We started Monday and have been streaking everyday since. *Get yo mind outta the gutter* Michelle pledged to run everyday in the month of December. What a great idea! Since I've been sorta struggling with my diet lately, I thought I would join her and maybe I'll lose a little weight or at least keep from gaining any through the rest of the holidays. That's a lot of running at least for me. The most I days I have run consecutively this year are 5, and I was a tired afterwards. Michelle ran 36 straight days earlier in the year, so she is a tough girl! That's not all! I have decided to up the ante for myself. What the hell are you thinking DAVE???
I hit 598 miles for the year on Nov 30th. So what's another 102 miles for the month? I want 700 miles! The 2nd challenge is partly inspired by that silly girl Marcy . That is tall order for myself, but I am up to the challenge! Anyone dare equal Michelle and I for running everyday this month? In the cold December air. cmon, join us....
PS: you guys rock!

Being honest with myself

2008-12-01T20:55:00.003-05:00

It seems that everyones back to work after the extended Thanksgiving holiday. I love the holidays, but it gets me out of my groove. Sleep gets messed up, healthy eating gets messed up, exercising gets messed up, and laziness sets in. Not to mention its getting colder, the weather seems gloomy more times than not. Just makes you want to jump into bed, "pig out," and watch movies all day. Does anyone else feel that way?
I don't have any races on my schedule unto next year. In fact, I'm sure not too many are racing until early January, Feb or March. I need to try to keep logging miles Dec through February to keep in shape. Maybe I need to sign up for something to keep me motivated. Yeah that's the ticket! :) Any of you runners racing before the new year?
My blog is about running and my weightloss journey, but more about my weightloss. I sometimes forget that. Running is my passion, but weightloss is my battle.
I realize that I am going to have to lose alot more weight in order to get faster. You all can see by my pictures in other posts that I am not a small guy. I look more like an offensive lineman than a runner. In fact, I have yet to see anyone bigger than me at any of my races. Sometimes it gets me down, then other times while I'm running I think ,"At least I'm trying." When I was running in my 8K and 15K races this past week, it felt great to know I was passing people fairly easy, but somewhere deep inside I was thinking that I was being laughed at when I passed people. Many of you wouldn't understand what I am talking about, but a few will.
We live in a world where our appearance is everything. Sorry for all this jib-jab, but I would still be blogging this even if noone was listening. It's my personal counseling- it beats paying for a shrink.
One of these days I just want to be the smaller guy.
I've been holding this back partly due to my "shyness,"(yes believe it or not, but I am) embarrassment (for getting here in the first place), and the many years of being overweight and sadly scarring that I have endured (Holy crap Dave this is really deep), and finally because I have a long way still to go on my journey. I read many weightloss blogs, and when I say I feel your pain I mean it!
Without further ado : Here is what I have been holding back..

There is a big part of me that wants to hide behind the coach. I look at these pictures and I cringe!!!! That is me at 350+. Wow! Even I'm shocked. I can't find many pictures of me back then. Frankly because I would hide when photos were taken.

50lb down!

80lb down!

You've seen my recent pictures. Still got lots to go, but I'm getting there.

100 lb down!

OOH...

AHH..

I took those last 2 after my run tonight, so maybe I'll lighten up.

So there it is, all of me. I think I just saved myself $500 for this therapy. haha

Peace

Happy Thanksgiving and Turkey Trot Report

2008-11-27T18:50:00.002-05:00

I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving, I know that I did!
This year has been one of the most difficult years of my life and I can sit here and lament on the rough year I have had, but I won't. I am alive, am healthy, have a home, have a good job, have good friends, have a wonderful family, and a good future ahead. So many people don't. I am thankful for all of these things and more. That's what Thanksgiving means to me.
On to running:
Still a little sore form my 10 mile race on Saturday. I've had mixed feelings about running the 8K Turkey Trot Race I signed up for 2 weeks ago. Just didn't want to run 2 races in less than 6 days. After debating last night, I decide to run it and run it as an easy pace. I figured I needed to simply because I was going to pig-out on some good food later in the day.
About 500 people showed up to a sunny 30 degree morning. I started at the back of the pack to keep it slow and steady. After the gun went off, it took about 15 seconds to get to the starter mat and another 45 seconds to open up a stride. I passed the 1 mile mark @ 10:41-what?, then the 2 mile mark @ 20:40. Yes, slow and steady and feeling good. Then I realized how good I felt and decided to run this as a race from here on out. mile 3 - 29:57, mile 4 - 39: 17, Finish 5miles in 47:45. This was so much fun! Even though I have run faster 5 miler's than this during basic runs, chasing and passing people for the remaining 3 miles was a blast!! mile 1-10:41, mile 2-9:59, mile 3-9:38, mile 4-8:59, mile 5-8:28.

Didn't you just wear that in last week's race?

Suck it in Dave, your on camera

The race was a good start to my day,then I went over to my brothers house and celebrated Turkey Day with all of my family. I gobbled up great food and desserts, then went outside afterwards and played tackle football with the guys. A great ending to a great day!

Good luck to you Black Friday people, you'll need it! haha

10 mile race report

2008-11-22T17:24:00.000-05:00

But Dave, I thought you were running a 15K race(9.3 miles)? Yes so did I - sneaky shitz...10 miles?
I arrived on scene about an hour early to get a good parking space and to survey the route. When I walked down to the race site, the directors were packing up the race gear. Oh great!, I'm thinking they cancelled the race due to the cold. Come to find out that a water line busted and they are moving 3/4 mile up the road. The site was on a hill and the water ran down and iced the starting point and everything else for a 1/4 of a mile. That's what 18 degrees will do for you. It was miserably cold!! Heres a pic of a cool statue at the original starting point. Anyone recognize who he is?

I wore underarmour as a base layer and 2 coolmax shirts over the top, basic running pants, hats, gloves, and earmuffs. I froze my a** off! I had a very loose plan of keeping my 5k splits @ 32 ish. I set my watch with parameters to alarm if I ran too fast or too slow. Race started, and my damn watch wouldn't stop chirping for the first mile -too fast. I eventually slowed down to shut my watch up and managed to run the first 5K in 32:30. By this time, I was sweating and had to yank of my hat and ear muffs. Only I can sweat in 18 degree weather...
The course was beautiful, it was run on the greenways through Knoxville, TN. There is some 40 miles of greenways, who knew? My watch started beeping(too slow) quite often through the 2nd -5K portion. It was the hillier portion around the University of Tennessee campus and I just couldn't keep pace. I clocked 1:06 @ the 10K(33:30). Blah!! The positive was that noone passed me after the 4.5 mile mark - meaning that the faster runners had blasted through.
My 10K time really dissapointed me. I picked up my pace and set my eyes on people that I was going to pass. I passed 36 people(yes I was counting!) after the 10K mark until the finish line. I clocked 1:35:30 at the 15K mark(29:30 15 k split!) Backing up - The 8 mile mark was gut check time. I was tired! I was nauseous! My body said slow down!!!!! So my last 15K split was 4 minutes faster than the previous!
After I passed the 9.3 mile mark(15K) and knowing how badly I knew I was going to vomit, I couldn't help but to be quietly cussing the race people for pushing the start line back another half mile! I managed to pass 2 people in the final 30 feet and jump into the chute before them, we were all sprinting. I kind of felt bad for getting by them because they didn't know I was that close. Ok not really- ahahaha!!!
Final time - 1:39:21 - 9.83 miles - (10:09 pace) NEW PR! (this era...)
Cold and windburn face after the race.

Sadly I have no more pics than this due to no one wanting to get out in the bitter cold and snap photos.

I'm glad that I was able to run this race and I hadn't planned on running a long race until next year, the race "popped up" at the last moment. Minus the 10K split, I ran according to my plan. Not too bad for not knowing the course. Heck if I ran my 10K split faster, I may not have had the ability to "kick" at the end. Races are fun and exciting and I'm a sucker for a free tshirt, but the cold and nausea can stay away! And yes I would do it all over again...

Peace.

2008-11-19T20:03:00.000-05:00

Work week is over half way through. Yah!

I'm running in the CrossKnox 15K this Saturday and my nerves are showing already. I've only run this distance a few times and it's taken all the strength that I've had to finish. I don't anticipate running this at a fast pace. My conditioning is getting better, but it seems when I run anything over 6 miles my pace declines rapidly. Also, pacing may cause me trouble. I'm not sure how fast to start out at, but I do have a rough estimate. I just don't want to "poop out" midway through. All of this uncertainty is driving me crazy. The temp is supposed to be around 28 at the start. I hate the feeling of that cold burn on your lungs. I've not been able to find much info on elevation, but I've been told that the majority is hilly.

Come on, you darn race, so I will stop thinking about ya! I'll try to post something Sat. afternoon after the race.

The big Philly race is also this weekend, so I can't complain about my 9.3 miles. 26.2 is a much stronger adversary. I know have said this before, but I have high esteem for anyone that has run or is training for the "big one." Good luck to those racers!! Joy, Laurel and Jeremy, Progman, flyers26, Ted, Denise. Looking forward to how it went.

Great Morning

2008-11-17T08:28:00.000-05:00

Alarm goes off @ 4am - ho hum. Another glorious Monday of work, how exciting...Not!
As I'm walking out the door, my phone rings, I pick up and the secretary tells me that I get the day off from work- scheduling error. I argue with here that I'm losing money and I WILL be in today. NOT!!
So I getting my running gear on and plan to run in the frigid air of 32 deg- Not!
I'm going back to bed - oh yeah. After 10 mins of looking at the ceiling and pondering how nice it would be to go sleep, it wasn't happening. Now, I get the running gear on and head to the gym. Much more pleasant running in the gym in the morning. Less people, cooler air, and no prima-donnas. I did some intervals on the TM for an hour and then decided for the first time to swim some laps in the pool.
I came to the conclusion while swimming that my arms, shoulders, stomach and back were rather wimpy. Man that swimming is quite a workout! It could've been that I just ran for an hour, but either way I need to do some upper body workouts. Ever since I took up running again, I have had the urge to start the TRI training. Running, Biking, and Swimming with eventual plans to enter a triatholon event.
I figure if I start training now by running, swimming, biking, upperbody workouts, full work schedule, and family that I may be ready to enter an event sometime in the year 2040!
Run: 5.75 miles in 60 minutes(10:25pace); 1/4 mile to 1/2 mile intervals @ 8:35 pace with 1.75 miles of warmup and cooldown respectively.
Swim: (15) - 50 meter laps
Just to think that I did all of that before 6:30 am. Tomorrow I will get up @ 4am and do the same. NOT!!!
Enjoy your manic Monday!

November Rain

2008-11-15T12:58:00.001-05:00

My updates seem to be more periodic than usual.
Besides the stress relief in general, running helped to calm my angst today. Had a bit of a "tat" with someone this morning and I left for my run with frustration and dissatisfaction. If you were on the road this morning and seen a man barking at the air, that would've been me. I can picture someone driving down the road and saying, "Why is that guy talking to himself?" haha. The run didn't solve the problem, but it damn sure helped me calm down and relax and think things through. That's why it is so important to back off during a dissagreemeant and breathe - yelling never fixes anything . After 2 miles into my run, I was in the "chill zone" and felt better.
Now to the run: I left the house to a chilly 48 degrees with a non-stop 20 mph wind. I wore 2 coolmax shirts, jogging pants, and gloves and also brought my mp3 player for the first time in a few months. Plan was for 8 miles at a leisurely pace. The main goal today was to simply log miles! Around mile 5, the rain started and within a few minutes the big gusts and sideways heavy rain hit. It was difficult to keep my head up due to the stinging rain. Don't think that this was a bad run, because it wasn't. I felt refreshed after and the rain was suprisingly nice. Cold, stinging at times - but weirdly nice. Okay maybe it was that I just needed to RUN! Run Dave Run! :)
I knocked out 7.75 miles in 1:21:15. (10:29 pace)

Ramblings

2008-11-11T10:42:00.001-05:00

Why Do I Blog?

Interesting question. I'll start by saying that I stunk @ my creative writing courses back in high school and college. "My Ramblings" start with poor punctuation, unfinished thoughts, run - on sentences, poor vocabulary, and many phrases ending with .......(yeah, I like ......). I've never been a writer, I rarely have the time to pick up a book, but yet I type away at this keyboard and read feverishly at the many blogger sites out there. What gives?
I started this blog to record my weightloss, active lifestyle, and to journalize those moments to look back on. Somewhere along the way, Joe the plumber read an entry (How'd they get here?) and commented back. Whoa?! The addiction started.
I love the fact that I jot a few lines down and get a quick reaction back. I love when someone else sums up what I have to say better than I ever could said it. I love the fact that I get a pat on the back, a pick - me - up, and a good slap in the face when I need it. From YOU - yes YOU! My homies, my blogomites, my bloggie peeps, my digital folks, my friends.. :)
So if you are here for running - I understand why you shoot snotrockets( gross)
So if you are here for weightloss - Boy Do I Know!
So if you are here for healthier lifestyle - so am I...
So if you are to vent - Vent away!
So If you are here to say Hi! Hello..
If you are here for encouragement, I am your friend...
Stay cool!

Need a shot

2008-11-09T17:54:00.004-05:00

Haven't been able to post in a while. This time of the year is "sick time" and requires many long hours, so the first thing that goes is the blogomatic. Hope everyone is doing well and if I get the chance I will try to visit others. Time,time,time..If only there was more of it.. :)

Speaking of sicknessess or at least prevention. Have you got your flushot for the year? It's that time! If you have never had the flu before, I pray you never see it, Nasty bugger! Wash those hands too - #1 prevention.

I finally got a day off and decided to rest. I did manage to find time for a run though - 5 miles in 48:45 ( 9:45 pace.) The temperatures are definitely cooler which is very nice for running, but cool + wind = suckola! haha. It's gonna take all my will to get me out the door this cooler season. I mentioned in a earlier post than I am running a 15K Sat. Nov 22nd. I'm not going to get much chance to log miles before the race, so I decided to just run at a leisurely pace instead of race it. I think it'll be more fun that way, but we'll see.

Thanks for all the well-wishers out there. Stomach is back to normal. Yes, I tend to push myself way too hard - stubborness , but then again I am a man and stubborness goes with the territory.. (I see all you gals shaking your head up and down. ) :)

Have a great week everyone!!

Just my luck

2008-11-04T13:24:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone has taken their American given right to vote today.

Don't be like the sad person on the internet that tried to sell his vote on EBay - dummy, class 4 felony(18yr old.) This is not a political blog, so I won't give you my "2 cents."

I sorta figured out what my stomach prob is. In medical terms it is called "Gut Rot!" LOL!!!

(That was funny if I do say so myself). I was not feeling sick one bit until after my Sat. run, then I ate some pizza and a little bit of pasta without drinking much of anything including no water during my run. I guess I wasn't paying attention. 2 hours after, I felt a pain and a lump in my abdomen, then nausea, then vomiting. Anyway, I got an X-ray of my abdomen yesterday and it seems that I have "Diverticulitis." I am on 2 antibiotics now, the nausea has subsided, and I am a bit better. Thanks for asking guysies. :)

Before I tell you about my run today, I must tell you about one of the antibiotics I am on - Cipro.

2 things about the drug.

It can make you sensitive to sunlight. Avoid sun if possible.
Cipro can cause tendon rupture. The FDA has issued a "blackbox warning" about tendinitis and tendon rupture. 1 in 20 - 30,000.

So, while on my run I couldn't help but to think that I may be harming my achilles tendon while running. Just my luck I'll be the "1" who ruptures their achilles while taking the meds. I'm not that paranoid, but it makes you think...Also, this is funny - I got a sunburn while running. My face feels tight and is "red." Again, only "I" can recieve a sunburn in Fall - just my luck... :) damn drugs!!

Okay the run, it went disastarious. I wanted to "catch up" on running, since I didn't run Sun or Mon. Since I signed up for a 15K on Sat.Nov 22nd, I decided to run the same distance of 9.3 miles. The run went well until the 5 mile mark, then gloom and despair. I lost all energy, HR climbed, I "bonked!" I managed to finish the run with multiple walking sessions of 30-45 seconds. I drank plenty - 20 oz before, 30 oz during, 10 oz after. I ate a small banana and 1 pack of instant oatmeal before. Just to much mileage to soon after being sick. Lesson learned. BTW, I did an out and back so I would be forced to finish the run. Smart huh?

9.3 miles in 1:42:48 for a blazing 11:03 avg. The first 5 miles was in 52 mins(10:24 pace), the last 4.3 in 51 mins( 11:50 pace). phew..... Well I did finish, and it was a long run for me and I'm still within my pace range for long runs, so not all lost.

AWOL

2008-11-02T18:24:00.001-05:00

Just a quick post. Been sick with nausea & vomiting today. Unable to do much of anything. It started last night and has never left. I managed 3 hrs of sleep and have tried to nap throughout the day without avail. There is nothing worse that nausea..
I missed todays long run..RATS! Always look on the brightside though- I may just lose a little weight.. :) :( I did manage to slurp down a little Lipton soup,,thats about it..
Enjoy your Monday.. nah noone enjoys Mondays!
Stay cool..

I've lost my

2008-11-01T19:50:00.001-04:00

Hope everybody had a great Halloween! My youngest had a blast!
Man, I haven't blogged in 4 days. Getting killed at work, so no chance to browse "what's happening." Don't know what's worst, my running addiction or my blogging addiction. haha. Any blogger anonymous meetings...
I had a good week of weightloss with 3.5 lbs down. Probably due to ,"no chance to eat" the past 2 days. Honestly, I've been watching my food intake, and staying away from crap - especially all that darn Halloween candy. My coworkers will be happy because I'm dumping the rest @ work.
Has this happened to anyone? (I can't believe I'm admitting this..) Went to Walleyworld today (aka Walmart) to catch up on some shopping, walked to the parking lot to unload my groceries. Can't find my car! hahaha Damn if I didn't walk around for a couple minutes looking for it. A ton of cars were there and I had a "brain-fart." This old man says, "Lost your car?" Chuckling, " I thought just us old people do that." Thanks for making light of my situation you old -fart, now take a jap *slap*
haha If you tell me that that's never happened to you, I'll die. Oh My Gosh - I'm losing my mind....
Playing catch-up on running this weekend. I got in 5 miles today after the "someone moved my car" incident. *wink* *wink* I decided to tackle the hills since I haven't run in 3 days. Overall the run was at an easy pace and I tried to concentrate on good form and even tempo as I ascended the hills.
5.0 miles in 52:19 (10:27 pace)
I have those transient running pains again. Left achilles sore again at the start, felt better after 1 mile in. After the run, my left outstep of my foot began throbbing. Unfortunately running on hills on the roads means "banking" curves in the road. For about a mile, I had to run with one foot higher than the other around a curve. I'll be sure not to run that route again...
I signed up for another race. My hospital is sponsoring a 5K fun walk/ 15K race. This will be my longest race ever @ 15K (9.3miles.) I'm nervous just thinking about it....

Dreadmillin it

2008-10-28T18:36:00.001-04:00

Gotta work the next 3 days, so I forced myself(yes forced - kicking and screaming) to get out to run since there will be no chance of it the next 3. Today was the kind of day that makes you want to lay in bed, watch movies, and eat hot soup. Cool(cold), dark, dreary, blustery weather - I guess it must be Halloween cuz that's the kind of weather that goblins like.. :0
Took off to the gym to hit the dreadmill which was the first in nearly 6 months. Completely against it. No matter how cool it is outside you can bet that it is tropical weather inside. I remember reading somewhere that the average temp of a packed gym is around 80 degrees with the humidity nearly 80% due to "hot, sweaty" bodies. I must admit that today going to the gym was a nice change. My run went great but it took a bit to get in a groove on the TM. I started out @ 5.5mph warmup and gradually increased until I hit my groove around a half mile. The run felt so good that I decided to run intervals. I forgot how good treadmills were for doing intervals/ speedwork.
My run went like this:
m1 - 10:30, m2- 10:00, m3 - 9:13, m4 - 8:45, m5 - 9:32. 5 miles in 48:00(9:36 avg). I jumped back and forth between 5.5 mph(10:54pace) and 7.0 mph (8:34 pace).
Alright.. so maybe I was too hard on TM's and I guess I'll give it another try.

Darn

2008-10-27T20:10:00.011-04:00

Not much to add in the running world. Not as exciting as yesterday at least - darn... Took off today, will run tomorrow. Or maybe I should've ; the forecast is supposed to be cold, rainy and windy. Darn..
I'm starting to get the hang of this planning meals thing. Also the journaling keeps me honest with myself. I look up my calories/ nutrition/ fat content at the end of the day to see if I can have that Big Mac before bedtime. To my surprise it says . NO!! Darn..
My boys are loving my eating choices because that means they get lots of homecooked planned meals. They can care less if it is healthy, just as long as they get full stomaches. The full stomach sounds good to me. I made some awesome fajitas tonight with 4 different- colored bell peppers and onions, and steak, chicken and shrimp.

(darn.. sry for the raw meat pic, should've cooked it then took pic, oh well)

edit: cooked pic, rest is on stove..
After supper we finished decorating the yard for Halloween. We made some cool gravemarkers with some funny sayings.

Darn out of time. Enuff for now...

Beautiful Fall Day

2008-10-26T17:20:00.002-04:00

What a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day in the neighborhood.. I've always wanted to have a neighbor just like YOU!*hum* *hum* haha. I hope you all remember that or are you too young? cmon.. Mr Rogers!
Sunny 60-65 degrees, faint wind - great day to be out in my neck of the woods. Had a busy day this week at work like many of you and had to work on Saturday so I slept in a bit today. Wasn't a lazy Sunday like a few weeks ago. Did a little grocery shopping and picked up lots of healthy fruit and veggies. Unloaded the bags, ate a bite, then headed out for my run. I didn't get out on the road until early afternoon. Today I decided to run through town instead of the normal Sunday trail runs. Nice change..
The reason I was humming the Mr. Rogers tune is because I seen and talked to so many people I knew while running. Lots of runners and bikes out today, rather nice. Running can be lonely for the most part, but when you have a partner to run with or at least some fellow runners out there it makes the runs so much more enjoyable. I did manage to hook up with a gent that was at the end of his 20 miler for the day. I caught him at his 15 mile mark and you could tell he wished his day was over. We ran together for 2 miles and told me that I helped him get through the rough part, he gave me a high 5 , turned the corner, and went on his merry way. I managed to see many more throughout my run including - (Please don't judge this old man.) a rather cute(ok hot !) young lady whom I caught up to around mile 8. Picture this: I'm toward the end of my run, I'm a little tired, a little sweaty and she is running about the same pace(maybe a little slower) than me.
Do I :
a) zoom by her, scaring the crap out of here
b) slow down and run behind her so she thinks I'm a perv
c) stick out the chest, flex the muscles, and pretend I'm not "winded" as a I am
d) ran casually by her like a dork and say "hey, great running!"
e) all the above
Yes, you guessed it. E) all the above LOL!!!!!
I stayed in behind her ; she turns around (oh crap she thinks I'm a perv), then zoom by her and she gives out a big OH! ; as I'm passing I stick out my chest, flex my big toe(only muscle I have), and pretend I'm not winded; then she giggles and I say," Oh I'm sorry for startling you? Great running!" I'm such a geek, dork, loser, you big dummy...
as I'm passing she says, "I saw you about 30 minutes ago running up the road and I was hoping you would catch up. I hate running by myself." Yowsa! I am such a freakin STUD!, a chic magnet, I am so cool and suave, the girls just can't stay away..
Ahahahaha. She was a very friendly, sweet 25 yr old girl who just made this 38 yr old guy feel like he was 25 again. hehe I am so freakin old..
Anyway knocked out 10 miles in 1hr 47mins. I've been able to get in some very nice long runs lately; albeit slow, but I guess they are supoosed to be.
Hope you got a kick out of that story.. :)
and I will leave you with this gem:
Studly guy!
That is just the kinda thing I would do.

2008-10-23T20:03:00.003-04:00

For some reason the comment boxes are not working on some blogs including mine. I tried to comment on a few of you today with no luck. Maybe they will fix it tomorrow? BTW I didn't block any of you.. or maybe I did. Muhaha..
Doing good on the eating this week, just gotta keep it up.
Well I am bummed about "dark" finally moving in. I love the temperatures, but it is dark by 7PM now.. I have been trying to run once or twice a week after I get off work, but it looks like that has officiallly ended. I think it may be time to hit the gym again. Gosh I really dread running on the dreadmill, I mean treadmill. Nothing more exciting than running in place , while smelling hot sweaty people next to you at the gym. LOL! I think I am talking about myself. I get bored very easy on the TM and it seems to mess up my stride. Not to mention, the fashion accessories you have to wear in order to fit in and not look like a dweeb. (LOL - dweeb, I've not said that word in 20 years!) Sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice..
Running so far this week 2 runs totaling 7 miles. Probably won't get the chance to run again until Sunday.
I'll leave you all this thought about treadmills.

Stay cool!

Alright Alright

2008-10-21T21:45:00.002-04:00

Did I tell you how great you guys are? I've just adopted you into my family. You just make a girl wanna cry.. ;)
Too bad you' all didn't live closer or I would buy you a big juicy T-bone steak with a big baked potato filled with butter, sour cream, bacon bits and.... errrrr ' a light, healthy salad with a touch of light raspberry vinegarette. LOL!
You've given me some great ideas on how to conquer this! The last 2 days I have journaled my food, and planned my meals for the week. I even read the damn labels on the side of the boxes. Are you happy? haha Holy crap, Can a man eat any more celery?
Legs are still a little sore from my big run Saturday. Ran an easy 4.5 mile "recovery run" yesterday. Achilles felt tired and a mysterious shin pain popped up.. Oh no, I hope not the dreaded shin-splints! Took today off to be on the safe side.
Torrow I am heading to the big city to do some Christmas shopping. Can you believe it is only 9 weeks away?? Maybe some shopping will help get me out of the "I just lost my entire 401K retirement" funk I have been in. If you only knew.. haha
Thanks again, You are the best!
Signed Dave aka. 'He-Who-Runs-With-Elks' LOL, Cyndi!

Dissapointment and Disgust

2008-10-20T14:24:00.003-04:00

****WARNING****
*This is a b*tch session*
*Please cover your childrens eyes*
This is more for my motivation that anything, so ignore this post. If you can't then ,Reader Beware! This is not my normal demeanor, but I must open a can of "whoop a**" on myself..
Now that my weekend runners high has wore off and Monday is here. I have this overwhelming feeling of disgust and dissapointment in my weight.
I wonder how much I have really "learned" about my big weightloss when I find myself going back to the "old crappy eating routine." When I weighed myself today, I had a 1 lb weight loss from last week. Great right? Look deeper.. In the last 3 months, I have been averaging nearly 20miles a week of running. There is no excuse as to the reason why I should not be losing more weight! I have been at a 6 month plateau.. LOL, there is no such thing!! maybe 2 weeks, not 6 months! Stop eating garbage Dave!
I love running, it is my drug.. BUT, I have taken away too much attention from my intial plan which was weightloss. I've given myself the excuse that since I run I can eat whatever the hell I want to. (Can you tell that I am angry!!!?)
Do you know what my BMI is? 34! I am just a hair under the "excessively obese", and am currently in the "obese" category. If I lose 35 lbs I get upgraded to the humbling "overweight" division.
With my intial weightloss there was satisfaction, mucho compliments on my appearance, new clothes, new outlook. Now it just reality.. Long way to go.
This weightloss thing is such a daunting task. It takes my full attention, attention to detail. Yes pain, yes suffering, yes agony. Anyone tried to lose weight and not felt hunger pangs?
Am I setting myself up for failure again, dont know? But I will keep trying...

I feel motivated today to eat good. Today I will be a rock!

Fun Weekend

2008-10-19T22:31:00.004-04:00

Great day yesterday in the "Great Smokey Mountains." It was my second longest run of the year @ 11.5 miles. A mild 50 degrees and overcast. It did climb to 54 degrees by the end. I arrived an hour and a half later than expected due to the traffic. It seems that every vacationer in the United States decided to go to the Smokey's this weekend for the fall colors. My normal 1.5 hours of driving turned out to be 3 hours!! The 11 mile loop is closed to cars until 10 am for bikes, hikers, and runners. I didn't arrive until 11am, then I drove for another 20 minutes trying to find a parking spot.
The run went great, but there were so many vehicles on the loop that I was dodging cars "left and right" and often I had to stop to walk around cars. I turned my ankle twice; very minor - no pain whatsoever; while running through brush. Besides the cars, I really can't complain much because I had so much fun! I finished with a slow time compared to last - 11.5 miles in 2:11:15 (11:24 avg.) It did seem that there were more, steeper hills this time around. LOL!! Even though the cars were-a-plenty, the supportive people made it very enjoyable. I have found my favorite running place. The fall colors were nearly at their peak and the roaming wildlife is great.( Minus the Bears). I did get to see an Elk up close. It got to within 100 feet, which I have to say was scary as hell..hahaha They are huge!!! I sorta positioned my body behind a tree until he went the other direction..
Sadly, I brought my digital camera and forgot the damn memory card for it. No pictures!!
That sucked! After the run, I met up with my coworkers for some good grillin.. Nothing like a fat, fattening, juicy hotdog after a run. No guilt at all..
Congratulations to Shosh for running her 2nd half marathon in 7 days and a new PR! OMG! *jaw drops* You read that correctly 2 in 1 week!!!
Joy set a new PR in Atlantic City half marathon in a 20mph headwind! Then she went to work her 12 hour hospital shift!
Congrats to Lisa for knocking out the relay leg of the Baltimore marathon.
Morgan ran her first ever marathon in Kansas City. Pretty amazing gal, great story to tell!
Last one, "my man" Matt ran his first 5K ever!

TGIF

2008-10-17T08:56:00.001-04:00

TGIF! At work right now, have a couple minutes. Thanks everyone for your comments, they were nice. Just to inform you all again. I am in a new era of running and those times I use to run with are far, far away from what I can do today. I think when I get below 200 lbs, I may be able to run between 7-8min/ miles on a regular basis, but then again maybe not. Of course I am much older(38) and weigh much more so we'll see.. Just got to get the weight off..
Speaking of weight, Many of the bloggers here use Weight Watchers and have sucess with it, so maybe I'll give that a try. I've always been against "weight-loss programs" , or at least I don't do well with em. I've done well with" the burn more calories than I take in method." But I am open to anything at this point, just got to get motivated.. Arghh..
Heading to "The Smokies" again this weekend to cookout and fellowship with my co-workers. Looking forward to it. Specifically to Cades Cove; where I ran my first half marathon distance back in September. I won't run that far this time, but maybe at least 10 miles, we'll see - depends how I feel..
So far this week, I have run 11 miles. (2) - 2.5 mile runs and (1) - 10K run. My 10 K run I decide to run @ 2pm , which coincided with the hottest part of the day(84 degees.) It was almost disasterous(sp?). I started out at an easy pace of 10min/mile , then by mile 4 I was feeling it. My HR started to get the 85-90% range, so I back off by 30sec/ mile without much change. I eventually had to walk twice. This was a hilly run and I drank plenty of fluids, just to hot!!
I ran again last night with my son. I'm finding this to be good for my soul. How often do you get to spend quality time with your kids? Not as much as you like, especially as they hit the teenage years. So I'll get to look back at these moments in my life and cherish them. Very cool...
I'll try to post Sunday and tell you if I survived the "big run." I'll take some pics too...
Hope your weekend goes well.. :)
PS sorry for the spelling errors and run-on sentences. hehe

I've been tagged

2008-10-13T21:35:00.011-04:00

I've been tagged by Progman 2000. Thanks buddy! I have to give 6 random facts or interesting things about me. Okay maybe boring.. :)
I'm officially "tagging" Cyndi , Steve , Andrew, Lori , and Matt.

Here we go:

I've been on a weightloss/ lifestyle change since July 2007. I've lost over 100 lbs since then. Wow, yeah I know.. What happened to get me there though? :( still with 60 to go. Yikes!
Don't ask me how to fix your running injuries, Cuz- I don't know a damn thing.. Now if you want me to describe the consistency, color, smell(gross), texture, viscosity, specific gravity of the mucus in your nose - "I can hook you up."
I have 1 tattoo on my ankle, and probably will get another. Just need an inspiration.
I use to be a "fast" runner back in the day.. I am so freakin old.. mile of 4:19, 5K of 15:02, 10K of 31:50. 50-75 miles of running a week through college yrs. Played basketball in high school. Hard to keep the grades up while playing ball..had to quit after freshman yr.

I met Peyton Manning when he was a senior at UT with a knee injury before the Citrus Bowl in 1997. Also had the opportunity to "workout" with him while he was in the hosptal. @ 3am he couldn't sleep , so he went to the gym in the hospital to work out. I was there doing the same. We jogged a bit, then lifted weights, He is the most down to earth dude. Very cool guy.
Since I've already talked about my kids earlier and have pics scatterd around this blog, I'll talk about the #1 inspiration in my life. That would be GOD! There is no shame when I say that God is my rock. He is the reason I live and function every day. I screw up daily, but when I am "zeroed in on Jesus" , not as much. : )

Good luck on the next "tagged" group.

Worldwide Festival Of Races

2008-10-12T15:00:00.010-04:00

Today I ran a 10K race for the Worldwide Festival Of Races, formerly the "The Zen Run 10K." On the weekend of 11-12 October 2008 runners from around the world will 'virtually' come together to celebrate their passion for the sport they love by running The Worldwide Festival of Races Half Marathon, 10K and 5K distances.

I really wanted to run the half marathon distance, but didn't have anyone else to run it with, but the 10K was fun anyway.

My goal was to beat my previous 10K and the "1 hour" barrier. I ran my first 10K back in February in 1:02:35 in a hobbling mess. I started out @ a 9:45 pace and stayed consistent with my 5K split @ 30:10. I felt very good at that point and fought the urge to run faster and "tanking." I would have to pick up the pace "a little" though on the last 5K in order to beat 1 hour. The run and race went great, with me finishing in 59:42 (9:36 pace). A new PR!!! Never felt that I was killing myself throughout the entire run. You are supposed to be dying in races.. haha. So the cool thing is maybe, just maybe I am getting "into shape."

Doesn't it just make you sick

2008-10-07T20:45:00.006-04:00

Now when you see this post, you are going to think there is something wrong but there isn't. I went for a late run again, this time just 3 miles. As I was walking out the door, I yelled, "Anyone want to run with me!?" waiting for the normal chuckles. Reply - "Yeah Dad, hold up.." *What? Did I hear that correctly? Someone said yes?? maybe I yelled too loud and the neighbor responded* "Give me a sec Dad, alright?" Holy crap my son wants to run, with me.... :)

Background: 3 boys ages 9,13,14. The 13 and 14 yr old's stand over 6 feet tall - Now you know why I have to work all the time; to pay for the large grocery bill!

That's Ty with the slingshot pointed at my face,

can't you feel the love?

As my middle son ( Ty ) and I are driving down the road, I was laying out the running plan for him as to not "scare him off." " Ty we will start off at a slow pace and pick up a little about mid ways in and if you need to walk just say the word." Ty hasn't run since last December, which is about the time I was reintroducing myself to "running."

We took off running @ a 10min pace, then to a 9min pace and never let up. The last mile he said wanted to speed up a bit more. Throughout the run I kept thinking he was going to slow down, but he never did. We finished the last mile in around 8 mins. Frankly I was "working" just to keep up with him. Final time 27:25 (9:08 pace).

I have been running for almost a year now and it has taken me that much time to build up to a 9min pace. My son comes along completely "out of shape" and runs it on his first day! My pride and ego have just been flushed downed the toilet.. haha BUT; for my son, I am proud! Just gotta love it. I was young once. HEY, I still am! LOL!

Those young whipper-snappers.. *In my old man voice* :)

Sunday stroll

2008-10-05T20:35:00.004-04:00

Another weekend gone, but it's been a good one. Falltime is a great time of the year. Today was sunny, 70-75 degrees - can't get much better than that. :)
I sort of "vegged" around the house until the evening time when I decided to do an easy 2.5 miles. When I started off, my HR got to 140 pretty fast and by the time I hit the 1/2 mile mark I felt like doo-doo. This was going to be a tough run, which is probably lingering effects of yesterday's "hard run." By the time I hit the 2 mile mark, my body seemed to shift into auto-pilot. When I passed my truck at the 2.5 mile mark, I felt so good that I just kept going. 8 miles of running later, I decide to quit. What a satisfying run! If it wasn't for me running out of light, I would've kept going.
Run: Easy, 8.0 miles in 1 hour 27 min 55sec (10:59 avg). HR avg 146(77%)
So what would've happened if I let my laziness get the best of me? I would've missed one of my most enjoyable runs to date go to waste..

Can you here my footsteps

2008-10-04T19:23:00.009-04:00

Thank God the weekend is here!
Another running story to tell, but first the dogs!
This "running loose" dog sh*t has to stop. It is becoming very frustrating to run on side roads with all the non-chained dogs roaming around. This is the 4th time I have had to change a route due to "DOGS!" Today as I turned a corner a pack of 3 came running out of a yard. They were a good distance off, so it was easy just to turn around. My frustration is boiling over. . (Can you say leash law?) I love animals and I may have to start running with some kind of dog repellant. That sucks - Do you hear me Farley ?
Now to the run:
I had a great run today(Of course after the dogs)- an exciting hilly 5.2 mile run. A gorgeous day - sunny, 72 degrees, low humidity, a faint touch of wind. I was at about the 5K mark when I turned a corner and seen a runner in front of me. He was coming off a side road to the main road about a 1/4 mile ahead. My 5K split was 31:46, so around a 10:15 pace. I got the silly idea that I was going to try and pass him in the final 2.1 miles. hehe.. I picked up my pace to around (9:45) and noticed the gap getting larger. Sped up to (9:30) and the gap evened. He looked back at me with about a mile and a half to go and I think he noticed that I was keeping pace. He sped up, then I sped up. LOL! A quick glance at my watch and we were @ (9:00) pace. "It was on like donkey kong!"

Little by little I was gaining on him. With a mile to go my pace was @ 7:45, but he was still 1/4 mile ahead. My lungs were burning, my blood was pumping and it felt good! The rush of adrenaline "kicked in" and I was in the midst of a runners high. My watched " beeped" to signal the last half - mile and I was within 50 feet of him. As I was passing him, he waved and a big grin was on his face. I gave out this sad, breathless "Howdy!" We ran for another minute or so, and I could still hear his footstrikes behind me. We finally finished and he was only 10 feet behind. He patted me on the back, and said ,"good run, huh?" as we both bent over in agony. We talked for a bit and he admitted that he was trying to keep me from passing him. haha. He said, "Do you know how fast we ran that last mile in? 7 mins!" My reply, "Wow, really. No way!" Not quite a 7 min/ mile..
Anyway, here are the stats: m1 - 10:25, m2 - 10:20, m3 - 9:59,m4 - 8:37, m5 - 7:39!, 0.2 - 1:22. I have another 2 mile PR Old : 17:19 , NEW 16:16! 5.2 miles in 48:18 (9:17 avg) WOOHOO!!
Moral of the story: If you want to break your short mileage PR's , hire a dog named Farley to chase you or hire a man to pace you.

September Wrapup and Marathoners

2008-09-30T17:37:00.005-04:00

Officially the last day in September. I'm glad the cooler weather is here - it makes running more enjoyable to say the least. Running is doing good, but the diet isn't. 1 out of 2 isn't bad haha..
Got a couple runs in this week so far. This afternoon I did some intervals on my 4 miler.
It went like this. : 4.02miles (10:03 avg)
m1 - 10:37 HR 139
m2 - 10:07 HR 149
m3 - 9:55 HR 153
m4 - 9:42 HR 158 My pace quickened with each mile and my HR stayed in a nice range. I think my HR peaked at 177 for the hill on mile 4. Good though.
September has been good to me in terms of "PR" running in this decade. I had highs of 70+ for the month, a 27 mile week and a 13 mile run . Very happy with that since I work a ton..
The more marathoner blogs I read, the more respect I have for the time and dedication it takes to train for these events. My weekly mileage is knocked out in 1 day by marathoners. That is crazy!! Wow!! 26.2 miles!!! Anyone that runs any kind of distance knows how difficult that could be. I can't even fathom that. I love reading the recaps on Sunday or Monday after their "long run days." You'll here things like; exhausted, tired, dehydrated, sore, can't eat, can't crap(LOL), bloody nipples(yes, LOL), can't sit, can't walk, chaffing(everywhere that you can possobly think), and the best ( I FEEL GREAT!) . That what it is all about. I think.. LOL!!
Here are a few that are training right now:
Flo , Andrew , Tim , Joy , Flyers 26 , Tina , Jula , Progman2000 , ncrunner12 , Kai ,Bruce , Reid , M*J*C*
There is a few more that I need to add, but don't have the time right now. Give them a shoutout on their blogs, Boy do they need it!!

Sluggin Around

2008-09-28T14:26:00.001-04:00

I hope everybody's Sunday is going well. Good luck on your long runs today.
I guess I need to to adjust my font size due to it's smallness.. I have a big 24' monitor and it works great for me, but not others..Thx for that tip from Mizfit. Sry :)
My beloved TN Volunteers are sucking this yr. They lost again - this time to Auburn yesterday.
Just not feelin it today. I laid out of church to sleep in - bad! bad! Dave! Then I laid in bed all morning and watched 2 shows on TV while I ate healthy Count Chocolate cereal. bad! bad! Dave! Do you remember the Goonies? - I watched that one, funny as hell! Then I reluctantly decided that I needed to run today. Only 2 runs this week- 11 miles in all.. Knocked out 6 miles today. Before the run, since I didn't eat healthy enough I ate the even more nutritious Klondike ice cream bar. bad! bad! Dave! Ok well let me see,, BAD DAVE!

What would you do for a Klondike bar?

I guess I am even at my calorie intake for the day. 600 calories in, 600 calories out. Great food choices , huh?
My run- 10K (6.2 miles) in 1hr 8 mins . I did run, so I guess that is good. My HR stayed in the 65-75% range. Gotta pack in the miles in a short time. Life is a busy..
Hmmm.. Let's see what's for supper - maybe some more chocolate.

September PRs

2008-09-24T17:15:00.005-04:00

Quick post here. I just want to say that I enjoy the blogging life and it's cool to have a "connection" to others around the US and other countries. I find when I have a "moment" of free time that I like looking up other people's blogs. Kinda addicting.
Running- Going for a 5 miler in a few minutes. Running in the cooler weather is so much more enjoyable now that fall is here. This month must be PR month. Lori kicked butt on her 5K this last weekend. Matt keeps shaving time off of his 5K's. Philly obliterated his under 2 hour half marathon goal at PDR. Progman2000 was 2 seconds off his PR at the same half marathon- PDR. Ted clobbered his half marathon PR at Rochester. Michelle and Kate just ran new long distance PR's. Cyndi knocked out her longest time running ever. I just did my longest run of 13.1 miles. Lisa ran her first 5K last Saturday. September has been a good running month for many. Good job everyone!!
Running is a way of life..

Hurray for the weekend

2008-09-20T18:14:00.000-04:00

Can you smell "Fall" in the air? Had a good run today. The temperature was a sweet 70 degrees at 11 am before my run - low humidity/sunny. I got dropped off at Walmart in a town next to me and decided to run back home - frankly I didn't have any clue of the mileage, I just thought it would be a good challenging run. This was a medium distance, hilly run with big elevation. I logged my starting and ending points on map my run after the run and noticed just how hilly this run was. I started out at 1100 feet and ascended to 1550 at the apex which was at the 5.5 mile mark. Holy Crap! It was a non-stop climb. On the drive there, I noticed there were some big hills, but it isn't until you start running on them that you notice just how big they are. I ended up running 8.4 miles in 1 hr 28min 45 sec. The avg was 10:34/ mile - not too bad for a hillier run. Also managed to get another 2.5 miles last night after work.
Running relieves stress!! I can't tell you just how much I needed to run today. I feel so much better!
After the run, I did about 4 hours of much need yardwork. Yard looks marvelous...haha
Luckily I stayed away from the TV today because my Volunteers got the "snot " beat out of them!
I wanted to mention that I ran 26.9 miles last week which is my biggest post college run ever.

Im draggin

2008-09-18T17:04:00.001-04:00

Unfortunately, I've put in 60 hours of work in the past 4 days with 1 more day to go. Looks like the same for next week too.
When I put in big hours at work, my eating and running go South! I find myself daydreaming of running while at work. My job doesn't allow me to run on a lunchbreak, because most of the time I don't get one. Eating on the run is the way it is most days and generally that means that I eat like crap. Weighed in nearly 2 weeks ago and lost an early 6 lbs, but I haven't been making good choices since then with food. For example, I eat a quick breakfast, then snack on junk throughout the day until whenever I get done seeing patients. Then on the way home; it is already 7 pm, which means eating a late supper- usually fast food. Most of the "girls" are always baking wonderfully good cookies and cakes at work which sabotages any chance of losing weight. Ugh... Weight loss is a daily battle and it is kicking my a** hahaha

I managed to run 2.5 miles yesterday after I got off work. It was difficult run due to fatigue and eventually I ran out of light. Sounds like my runners high from my big run the other day officially wore off..
Looking forward to this weekend- looks like we are going to have good weather. Another weekend catchup on running. It can't get here quick enough..

Ran Half Marathon 1st in 15 years

2008-09-14T13:39:00.002-04:00

As the title says, I ran my first 13.1 miles in 15 years!! I got a late invite by my buddy to go camping in the Smokey Mountains. Arrived on Friday and ran 2.5miles before I went to bed. Most of the camping crew wouldn't be in until noon time Saturday, so I thought I would go for another run before everyone arrived.
While I was stretching, the entire University of Tennessee track team unloaded from 2 buses into the parking lot. They were there to run and train on the hilly 11 mile loop of Cades Cove. I had no intenions of running more than 5 miles Saturday morning, but their presence inspired me to try to run the shorter 8 mile loop. The ranger told me that one of the cutoff points was closed and that you had to run/walk/bike either 8 miles or 11. Before I took off to run Cades Cove, I warmed up 2 miles around the campground and then shot over to the loop. After a bit, I passed the closed cutoff point and continued running. I reached the other cutoff and noticed 2 roads. I asked the ranger which road was the 8 miler and he said, "Son, the 8mile loop was back 2 miles ago. You are on the 11 miler." *Gasp*, What?? I looked at my watch and I had already run 7.5 miles! Stupid me - I forgot that I had already run 2 miles warmup to the loop, AND I missed the cutoff. I was enjoying the scenery so much that I didn't notice that I had passed 2 turnpoints instead of one.
Predicament: Largest run this year was a 10 miler back in March, Longest run of 8 miles was 2 months ago, I still had 5.5 miles left to go with only 16 oz of water left.
A little fear set in, but then I thought that I could always start walking if I got tired and hitch I ride by a tourist if I really had to.
I finished talking with the ranger and off I was again. I only had to walk for 2 big hills for a total of a minute. You know what really got me through the run? No less than 40 people that passed me in their cars, gave me shouts of encouragement as I ran. As I approached the last hill that finished off the loop, I looked at my watch and I was at 12.95 miles. No way was I going to stop at anything less than 13.1 miles!!!!! A half marathon distance.
I ran back to the campground and the rest of my buddies were there. When I got within 100 feet, they began clapping and shouting. How cool is that?? I hit my watch and my final time was 2hrs 20mins 20 seconds.
I did it!!
This was the longest that I've run in total time EVER! Earlier this year , I remember thinking that if I was to run a half marthon race that I wanted to do it in less than 2-1/2 hours. I am excited that I avg'd less than an 11min mile(10:51 to be exact.)
Later in the evening, I started cramping so my buddy and I ran another 2 miles. It felt good. I also stretched for another 20 minutes. 15+ miles for the day.. It was a good day...

Small Town Goodies

2008-09-10T18:19:00.003-04:00

5 days in a row of running, how great! After my grueling "dog" run Monday, I decided to do 2 easy "no goal" runs. I still don't have any major race plans on the books, but I may enter myself in a couple for the fall.
I live in a small town in Tennessee, which is a far cry from where I grew up - Chicago. I very much enjoy living here, but I often wish I was in other places; at least for a little while. Today was one of those days...

There isn't a whole lot of runners that I see in the area and there is defintely isn't a "running store." When I need "stuff," I have to go to the big city - Knoxville. LOL!! (I almost spit my drink out!) So to say that I get excited when I am able to browse or buy things at a running store, that is an understatement. I bought a new "handheld" water bottle because the dog ate my other (Post about that), another running magazine, and carb refueling for longer runs. I am "pumped!" How easily I am pleased.. Here is the "stuff."
Do you get as excited as me about stuff?

Farley you son of a

2008-09-08T22:08:00.004-04:00

Has anyone besides me been chased by a dog during their run? I don't mean like barked at threw a fence. I mean literally chased!
Story( bare with me - I never tell anything quickly)
I waited until the evening to run beacuse it was cooler, temp 76 deg, beautiful evening. Started out running at a good pace. My achilles was very sore this evening - I noticed it after about 1/4 mile. My intentions were not to run fast tonight. Easy run that turned into "FREAKIN" strides/intervals/speedwork. Feeling good around mile 2, when I heard a dog barking. Looked over and about 200 feet away was a 60 lb boxer charging and barking. Have you ever seen the muscles in these dogs?
The owner is screaming, "FARLEY!! FARLEY!!" at the top of his lungs. Then the guy yells, " He will bite you!!" My pace slowed a bit when I heard a dog barking, but after he said, " He will bite you!" I ran with all my ****** life! Usain Bolt has nothing on me. LOL! Have you ever tried to run sideways fast while looking behind you? I figured out that the dog wasn't use to running fast for longer than 300 feet. He got within 10 feet of me before, he gave up the chase. You SOB!!!! I did notice that the owner had a look of relief on his face, as he "beat" the dog back into submission. Yikes! My 4 miler turned out, m1 - 10:15, m2 - 10:01, m3 - 8:03 --- m3(1/2mile split) was 3:31!!!(that would be 7:02 pace ,yeah baby!), m4 - 9:16. Since I was already doing speed work, I decided to keep going. LOL!
I have a new 2 mile PR - 17:19(8:39 pace)!!

Dark Scary clouds from heaven and dead dog

2008-09-06T15:49:00.001-04:00

Finally got a day off or two. Didn't get out to run until 11 am due to me "catching up" on some sleep. I started out with a humid, bright, sunny day, and then this big, black scary cloud blocked the sky. At first, I was afraid it was going to rain or a huge lightning bolt was going to shoot out from that ugly cloud, but instead it turned out to be a blessing. It blocked the hot rays of the sun, and made my run much more enjoyable. Since I didn't get much running in earlier in the week, this weekend will be "catchup."
I decide to do 2 - 5K runs. One at an easy pace and one at tempo pace. First was in 33:15(10:43 pace) with 2min recovery and second was 29:55(9:40 pace.) I finished with another recovery run of 0.8 miles. With runs, recoveries, and 1/4 mile walking I managed 7 1/4 miles in 1:16:30. Very happy with this run since I did my tempo at the backend instead of the more manageable frontend. Much more challenging. As I blog this, I am a little sore.
This morning I searched all over for my amphipod. I asked my youngest son if he knew where it was and he hesitantly told me that the dog had it a couple days ago. My son brought it to me and I inspected it. The dog ripped the top off and put bite marks all throughout it.

Well, that sucks! So needless to say, I had to stash water on my running route today. I guess that I'll have to buy a new one.

Fireworks Show

2008-09-06T13:46:00.001-04:00

I am a few days late on the cool firework show I went to. Boomsday is done every year on the river and next to University Of Tennessee. 2 videos I shot.

Opening couple minutes ( Turn Down your volume!)

Grand Finale!

Weigh In and work

2008-09-04T08:58:00.001-04:00

Can you tell that I am back to 70 hour work weeks? Suckola!! Luckily I am off the weekend.
Went to Boomsday on Monday, I'll post a few pics this weekend. I've been way to tired to run after work, but I did manage 2.5 miles yesterday evening, ran out of light though. I feel like I am in a running deficit for the week- catch up this weekend?
One good thing about work is that I haven't thought about eating too much, too busy to. Weighed in and I'm down 6 lbs- yahoo!!! It's about what I expected, but something deep inside hoped to have lost more.

August MIR and hot wings

2008-08-31T13:51:00.003-04:00

First of all run, my run today. Trailed it - did 5.6 miles in 1:01:02, which is my fastest trail run to date. Since I hadn't run in 3 days due to work, I wanted to run at a quicker pace and I did. The humidity in the forest was awful, it had to be in the 95-100% range. The ground was still damp from the rain 3 days ago. I wanted to run at least 6.5 miles, but just couldn't. I downed my 20 oz amphipod by mile 5. Fall where are you???
Month in review: 2nd largest run month - 60.5 miles in 16 runs. Very happy with that, since it is August. I looked up my mileage for the year on buckeyeoutdoors and I am at 405 for the year. Wow, I had no idea. That is an avg of 50 miles a month for the year. Not to bad especially since I had a 2month nagging injury that eventually put me on the injured reserved list. hehe. I signed up for the 500 mile club on buckeyeoutdoors at the beginning of the year - looks like I just may pass 600!!
Luckily it is Sunday, and I am officially off the hook for eating clean. Last night I ordered 15 hot wings at my brothers restaraunt. I absolutely love hot, spicy food! My brother thought it would be funny to give me the "911 hot" instead. After I took a bite, I noticed that my mouth was on fire!!!! But, I kept my cool and slowly looked around the restaraunt to see if someone was playing a joke on me, and yes they were. My 2 brothers and the waiters/waitresses were all laughing at me. I pretended not to see them and continued to eat. I was dying - sweat was forming on my brow, my neck was bright red, and my mouth was shooting out flames. Believe it or not, I finished those wings and "played the joke off." Now to today - what goes in, must come out. My a** is on fire - 'Enuff said about that.' LOL!!
Watching fireworks tonight at Boomsday!!!

2 Runs today Woohoo

2008-08-27T21:37:00.001-04:00

I don't normally blog this much, but I have a 6 day stretch off at the hospital and it has offered me a great chance to write a few things down. Additionally, I have been able to run 5 out of 6 days. During tonight's run; which was my second of the day, I was thinking how cool it would be if I was able to devote more time to running. It is definitely a passion of mine right now. Of course I am living in a dream world because my heavy work schedule (14 hour days and 70 hrs / week) goes back into effect in September. Then I will be cussing and complaining.. hehe
I have been doing very good on my eating this week. Avg - 2000cal/day, 30 fat grams and no goodies Lori. Weigh - In on Friday.
2 runs for the day. First 2.25 miles in 33 mins. (with dog, post below). Second was an easy run of 4 miles in 41:15. Got faster with each. m1 - 10:38, m2 - 10:35, m3 - 10:21, m4 - 9:41. Again, what did I take from this run? My HR. I've been staying well within the aerobic zone of my predicted HR (75-85%). My avg - 154(81%). That tells me that I am getting in better shape. I wasn't doing that before. I've also been able to wean myself from my mp3 player during runs(3 weeks now.) Long discussion about the mp3 player later -big debate going on in the running world right now!!
Lastly, I wanted to post my technology goodies for the runners out there. I use the Polar RS200sd running/biking watch. It tracks my HR and a few other things. That's how I am able to know my paces/distance/HR's/etc.. 3 items are included - watch, HR band, footpod(attatches to shoelaces.) It is not the best out there, but it is semi-affordable.

If you have the money to spend, I would go with the Garmin Forerunner 405. That will be my next watch I buy. All calculations are by GPS, not a footpod. You still have to purchase a HR band though.

Did That Dog In

2008-08-27T15:36:00.005-04:00

We finally got some well needed rain yesterday, so I decided to take the day off from running after running 3 in a row.

I am going to try and take my camera with me on the occasional run so you all can get an idea of where I live and my surroundings. This morning I took the dog for a hike/run and snapped some photos and shot a few 5-10 sec videos.

I ran 2 miles in about 30 minutes, which included the occasional stoppage for "snapshots" and the dog stopping to sniff every other tree. One of the things that I find exciting is the fact that my dog can't keep up with me!! After the intial 1/2 mile sprint by the dog, he had to stop frequently. Few photos:

Can you tell that I am breathing harder on the last video?

Zoom Zoom and Do I have to all week long

2008-08-26T00:28:00.000-04:00

I'm writing this @ midnight, so officially it is Tuesday morning.
My blogging pal Lori over at findingradiance is eating clean this week, so I pledged the same. What were you thinking Dave? All week. So no crap for me at all, which includes no sweets or fatty foods or any other thing that my be bad for me - darn. Healthy it is. I haven't weighed myself since last Thursday with my next weigh-in on Friday. We'll see if this pays off..After running Sat and Sunday, I decided to take Monday off. I sat around the house most of the day doing NADA!! I have 6 days off in a row, don't go back until Friday(perks of the job.)By 8 PM, my skin was crawling - I had to run! Glad I did. After reading what Andrew and Tina did Sunday, I decided to push myself this run. My goal was to run a fast 5K. Again "fast" being a relative term(I always put that disclaimer in. LOL).

The temp was about 78 deg and the humidity was at 85%(muggy.) After a 1/2 mile warmup, I started at a 9min pace. Normally I would have to back off on that pace, but I felt very good. As I progressed throughout the run, I noticed my HR was mid 150's. Normally @ 9min pace , my HR is 170(my max is 188.) After 2 miles my time was 17:41, So I pushed it a little harder. My final 5 K time was 27min 54 seconds . That is exactly a 9:00 pace.
My 5K PR is 27min 52 sec. Knowing I was so close to a PR, I would've ran harder. 2 seconds! The run felt great and my HR avg'd around 160 which is even better.
After my whining session 2 weeks ago, my running has become fun again. What a difference having time off from work does. The question is, Do I take today off from running?

Wipe Out

2008-08-24T14:13:00.009-04:00

Edit: Somehow my other pic(old Asics) got deleted and I deleted from my computer! oops

So far I've had a good weekend of running - sort of..

Saturday I knocked out 4.0+ miles(4.08 to be exact.) in a "hair" less than 10min/ mile.(9:59 to be exact. LOL!) Yes, when it comes to my running I am "anal" like that. hehe.. I did a 11min warmup mile then picked up the last 3 @ 9:30 pace. Felt good until the last 0.5m, then tired.Still kept up my pace though. I think it was the heat. 88 deg and a horribly hot 15 mph wind. It was weird. I think the wind was from the reminents of the Tropical Storm.

Today ;like my usual Sundays ,I hit the trails. I am really liking this trail running. It is so different from road running - challenging hills, beautiful scenery, dirt(easier on the body,) wildlife, sounds, cover from the baking sun! In fact, most running plans outline at least 1 hilly course per week.

Good and bad run today. The Good - I ran for an 1hr 15 mins - 6.48 miles avg 11:37. A little faster pace than last week. The bad - Around mile 4 I was starting to get tired. I guess I was starting to shuffle my feet and whack! Into a tree root and "tumble city!" I skidded on the trail and rolled a bit. LOL!! Picture This: Spray your shirt down with a hose, now roll in the dirt. That was me! YUCK!! Got scraped up arm,leg,back..

Picture after the run:

Luckily I hit and rolled on the opposite side of my broke ribs(which are doing much better I might add.) I picked myself up and finished the run. Funny though, is that I had to pass at least 8-10 people while I was covered in dirt/mud.

Trail Running -

I recommend running with trail shoes. Girls, this will give you another reason to buy some more shoes. OR use a pair of your older running shoes. They definitely will get "dirtied up."

Lift your feet while running, no shuffling like me.. Don't elephants shuffle?

Keep your eyes looking ahead

Cob-webs taste horrible

Keep a little extra "tank in the gas" when that bee decides to chase you for a quarter mile.

Dirt attached to sweaty legs looks sexy!

Bears do bite (Towards the bottom)

Deer know karate (Post toward the bottom)

Trail Bike tires leave marks on the body when getting run over

Now that everyone is "psyched up!"
Let's go run some trails!!!!

Weigh in and Grief

2008-08-21T09:47:00.001-04:00

You can proably tell by the title that I wasn't too happy with my weigh-in on Wednesday. I put back on 12 lbs over the last few months. I haven't been eating too bad, but a few bad choices and my fear of the scale has caused it. I just need to weigh myself at least every 2 weeks and remember to be more diligent with my food choices. I'm glad that I have stopped the bleeding and have refocused my attention to my diet.
Weighed in this morning and have already lost 2 lbs. The early few pounds is usually water loss, but I don't care - I'll take it. I have never had a problem losing weight when I have been consicious of it, but gaining it back has been the problem. I love food - all kinds. You name it and I'll eat it. I think if I just remove the portion of my brain that likes food., I'll be alright.. hehe
I admire people that are able to stop eating when they fill that "full" sensation. One of my problems has been the inabitlity to stop when full. Our society encourages it. Look at all of the buffet restaraunts out there. 75% of the people at a buffett will say when done, "I shouldn't have ate that much."
Good run yesterday evening. My legs have felt light lately - hope it is a trend. Over the last few months I have been running for enjoyment with no set goals in mind and consequentily have gotten slower on my runs because of it. The running with "no pressure has been nice, but the dissapointment after the run due to lack of pace hasn't been. The last week was fun due to 2 days of "no pressure" easy runs and 3 days of goal oriented runs. I'm gonna stick with that plan.
I had 2 days off of running due to work obligations, so yesterday I decided to speed it up with intervals. Even though I was on my feet for 14 hours yesterday at the hospital, I ran rather speedy for me. I avg'd a 9:25 pace over 3.5 miles(33mins) with a warmup mile and a cooldown 1/2 mile with my fastest mile @ 8:36. I also did 3 strides of 30 seconds within the intervals/ no breaks though. Almost felt like I was in a race. I hope to do intervals at least once a week and throw in more strides from time to time. Enough for now..

Just 1 more cookie

2008-08-19T13:47:00.005-04:00

Tomorrow starts with my new diet. I have already conquered the lifestyle change, but a decrease in my calorie intake starts tomorrow. Im looking for a 1-2 lb. per week loss. Starting @ a 500-700 calories a day drop from norm. I haven't officially weighed in yet, but I'm guessing I'm @ 252-255 lbs. (At least I hope.) It's been nearly 6 months since I have actively tried to lose "more" weight; Even though there has been a 30lb weight loss due to my activity(primarily running.) in that time.
Is anyone else afraid to weigh themselves for fear of what it is going to read? I've been exercising, but the scale still has power over me. That " fat" person still looks back at me in the mirror. That's a whole topic within itself.....
Goals:
First is to break 250 - intially done a few months back. Probably weigh more than that now?
2nd: 245
3rd - 230 something ( now that would be nice!)
4th -229.999 lbs ( just to say that I'm in the 220's) LOL !
These are short term goals. How long? Until Christmas or later if I can stick with it.
Maybe I can find something online to help keep me sticking with it?

Trailing It

2008-08-17T16:10:00.007-04:00

This is my 2nd post of the day. I didn't want to take away from Michael "The Man" Phelps.
I just going to comment on my good trail run today. After the last 3 weeks of "lousy running", I couldn't be happier with my running this week. I almost got to 20 miles for the week - 19.15 to be exact. I had 2 easy, 1 medium, 1 tempo, and 1 interval run. I've not been able to do that in a while. When I got more chances to run, my attitude, my strength, my patience, my energy is so much better.
I ran again in Panther Creek State Park while knocking out 6.65 miles in 1hr 19 minutes. That's a 11:52 avg. Well normally I would be upset with that kind of pace, but the massive amount of hills that I have to ascend makes it okay. In fact, my HR pretty much stayed in the 170's the whole time. When I run the mountainous trails, I shoot more for a time running than a mileage. Lots of pliometrics during these runs. Tomorrow the quads, hammies, and gluteus maximus will be sore. LOL!!
Finally, took my youngest after church to another park (Fred Miller) and let him play in the water. Whilest I walked another 1.5 miles. My son is such a stud!

Michael Phelps 8 golds His Diet and Mine

2008-08-17T15:26:00.000-04:00

Need I say more!!

Yes, I do!

It is pretty awesome to say that I got to see with my own eyes the best Olympic athlete of our time. 8 golds 16 overall 7 World Records 1 Olympic Record. Phenominal!! If your eyes didn't "well up" after watching the medal ceremony there is something wrong with you. I'm proud to be an American. Go USA!!

I'm sure a few of you have heard about Phelps diet/ eating habits. It's been all over the news. Phelps says that he eats about 10,000 calories a day to maintain his 190 lb weight while training. He says he eats lots of pizza and pasta(carbs.) It doesn't sound like the stuff of champions. A few dieticians have analyzed what he eats and it is more like 6000 calories. "To consume 10,000 calories a day, he would need to be eating all day long." Anyway we all wish we could do that!

I am going to give my take on that. I use to run between 60-75 miles a week while I was in college and I would play basketball for at least another 12 - 15hours a week - sometimes as many as 6 hours straight . I use to eat like crap, tons of junk food, supercarbs, fats, soda's and I estimate that I would eat 5000 calories a day. How much did I weigh?? 170 lbs on a 6'2" frame. I was lean and muscular. My body fat % was around 14. Not a problem then. My eating like crap then is a direct result in the way I eat now (or at least over a year ago.) That's how I gained all of my weight. When the exercise stopped, my eating didn't! I went from a lean 170 to about 220 in 6 months. Boy I wish I was a young lad again.. LOL!!

Plan - again

2008-08-13T15:23:00.008-04:00

I did it again. I didn't save my blog again!!! 3rd time is a charm right?
Its been a little over a year now and I have lost a big chunk of weight. I am at a plateau. The past 6 months I have lost about 30 lbs with only 5 of that in the last 3mo. The majority coming in the intial 6 months. Crystal clear, right? hehe.. Due to active lifestyle and healthier eating I was hoping to have lost more. The weight is coming off healthy though and that's the most important thing. I still want to lose another 50 lbs. Yikes! I remember reading an article about big weight loss and it stated that you need to give your body 3-6 months of "no weight loss" to rebalance everything. - skin, muscles, tendons and ligaments, bones, and of course your mental adjustments.
To be honest, I am a little discouraged. Just a little though.. I have found encouragement and inspiration through the many blogging sites that I visit. Up to now, I have ventured to lots of running blogs. I have found many new, great sites for weight loss and healthy living. It's nice to know that I am not the only person struggling with their weight and weightloss. There for a bit, I thought it was just me....
There are so many people our there that are willing to open up their lives to others to help and to be helped. To encourage and be encouraged. Thank you all!
Here are a few that I try to read on a almost daily basis.

Yes I know! I will get one of those sidebar thingies.. Enuff for now!

Good Running and Olympics

2008-08-13T14:18:00.005-04:00

First of all,

Freakin awesome game last night between the Indians and Redsox.

Second, Michael Phelps Rocks! It makes you proud to be an American and proud to know that he is one of us.
5 golds(so far) and 5 World Records!!! SWEET.................4 x 100m Free Final was worth watching!
Final:
I had another great day of running. That would be 4; yes I said 4, straight days of running. It was one of those very few great days when you have tons of energy and you can go fast and run forever. Remember "fast" is a relative term.
LOL. I did 5.0 miles with strides and intervals intermixed. My overall time was 48:50( 9:46 avg.) I did (2) - 1/2 mile intervals @ 8:00 min pace. My HR did climb high today - MAX of 184. It was hot 84 deg.
After the run, I still had energy so I went to the park and hiked the trails for about 45mins. If I could just bottle the small amount of energy I have today and use for other days. My ribs still hurt, but it seems after 1/4 mile the pain seems to ease up.

The Plan - New Inspirations

2008-08-11T22:05:00.002-04:00

Stupid me!
I blogged here for a half an hour and somehow I lost it all. That stinks!
LOL!!! Maybe tomorrow...

Sun does come out

2008-08-11T21:19:00.004-04:00

First I'll start with my running. (Ok B*tch session - *I know* I don't like that word either, but I have to. ) Lately, my running has felt horrible. It's not been fun, it's been exhausting, my miles keep getting less and less, the heat sucks, and my reinjury of my ribs has cost another setback - I have to wear a restricting chest binder. I may just be in a "burnout zone." I've been working a ton of hours this summer. I guess all those things put together have made me a little "whiny." If I don't get to run through the week, I literally get depressed. (Ok done) It gets brighter paragraph by paragraph. The sun does shine though :)

Had a great run this evening. Ran only 2.5 miles, but it felt great! - was in the zone. My ribs hurt, but I tried to put that in the back...Way back.. I eecked out a little less than a 10min avg. I did 3 strides and knocked out the last 1.5 miles in 13mins 20 sec (8min53sec avg.) I haven't ran fast in a while. (Fast for me.) Yesterday I ran 2.5 miles. What? Back to back days of running. Holy Cow! I am on a roll. hehehe...
Well unfortunately; until my ribs heal, I had to stop the 100 pushups challenge. I was ready to start W4D1 of the program. It looks like I will have to start fresh. My kids are happy though. I was dragging them through the program with me. *I think secretly they are glad that dad's ribs are broke*
Next post - I have a plan...hmmm

Reinjured Ribs

2008-08-06T20:02:00.004-04:00

Sucky news.
Went to the waterpark on Monday with my boys and reinjured/rebroke my ribs. It happened without much incident. Hopped on a float to go down the lazy river. Heared a pop, then felt extreme pain - voila hurt ribs. If you have ever hurt or broke your ribs, you know that breathing can be; uhh let's see; PAINFUL! Jumping on a float, go figure - How wimpy is that? LOL!!
I tried to think of a good story, but just couldn't come up with one.. :)
I took pain meds all day while at work and it helped. I decide to run after work since the pain eased up. Stupid move, just like last time. 1st Act Of Stupidity! I ended up running 4 miles. I had to slow down a couple of times due to the pain. I am going to try to not run or do pushups until maybe Saturday. I'm guesssing my ribs weren't quite healed up the first time.

Asics Gel Nimbus 10

2008-08-03T22:37:00.008-04:00

Got some new Asics Gel Nimbus 10 shoes today. I did a little researching about shoes and this was one of 4 shoes that I was going to buy. This is the second pair of Asics I have owned. My first pair was the GT 2130. I mistakenly took my other shoes on the trails and pretty much dirtied them up. It was a good time to swap shoes , they had over 400 miles on them anyway.

Just got the new Runners World Magazine yesterday. I am like a "giddy" kid every time a new one is in my mailbox. LOL!!

Luckily I was able to get in over 5 miles this evening. The sun was going down and for once the humidity wasn't >75%. This past week it has been the normal hot thundershower with lots of wind/lightning in late afternoon/ evening.

I don't have time to post now- going to bed. But earlier in the day, I ran across some pretty inspiring and informative blogs. I'll try to get them up tomorrow if I have time. Heading to the waterpark tomorrow. WOOHOO!!

July Wrapup

2008-07-31T09:22:00.004-04:00

I haven't blogged in a few..In fact my running has really suffered this month due to the heat and work. My final talley for the month is 45 miles. Not so good. I have actually sat down a few times at my computer to blog, but I keep getting sidetracked. The heat index for this upcoming week is @ 100 degrees. Even getting out in the early morning to run is still undesirable. I remember reading in Runners World magazine a few months ago that the ideal temperature for running is 52 degrees. Anything above or below causes pace to decline.
The heat is really getting to me. I went for a simple 5 mile run the other day. Temp 84 deg/ humidity 95-100%. I felt great when I took off. Started out at a 10min pace for the first 2 miles. I realized that I couldn't keep up at the pace for long so I backed off. By mile 4, I was exhausted. I nearly finished off my 20 oz bottle of water. I had to walk for a short time up a hill. I never have to do that!! It took over an hour to run 5.5 miles. Whats up with that?? Discouraging! I decided to run yesterday after work. It was still 88 degrees @ 9 pm. Sun was going down. I didn't run. Frustrating.....
Now that I got that out, Let me tell you about the good hike that I had the other day. Since I have started trail running recently, I have found many new exciting and "difficult" trails. The boys and I hiked a new difficult trail with lots of elevation. The hike was 3 miles up and down a mountain. We seen a few deer, but the best part was at the end. It finished at the lake with a great beach area. We yanked our socks, shoes and shirts off and jumped in. It was nearly 90 degrees and then water was great! We swam and cooled off for a bit, and then took off to finish the hike. Secret hideway..
Me and the boys are on week 3 Day 2 of the hundred pushups challenge (8 weeks or more total.) We are up to 88 pushups in 5 sets. It is getting tougher and tougher. The most we have to do ina row right now is 25 with 60-90 seconds breaks in between sets. By the end, we are at complete exhaustion. I'll be up to 100 hundred by the end of the week.. Remember it is 100 pushups straight, not 100 total.

Trails here I come

2008-07-20T18:14:00.002-04:00

I was able to get another great day of trail running in. With the heat @ what it is and my lack of ability to get up before 9 am on my days off, I find that running under the cover of trees is the best way to run. Rather hot today - 85 deg/75% humidity/sunny. I tried 3 new trails today, ran a little bit farther, and on a better pace. 6.05 miles in 1hr 10mins 17 seconds. I stopped a few times to drink water. I wasn't concerned about my pace at all, but I was looking to get in at least an hour of running. The amphipod has saved my life.
The time goes by so much faster while running in the park. I find myself looking around and enjoying the scenery. For the second time this week, I didn't bring my mp3 player. Very enjoyable. I also felt a little more confident about opening up my stride - I was afraid the other day, for fear of twisting an ankle. You see, I have bent my ankle over on so many occasions( at least 20,) that my tendons and ligaments in both ankles are like loose rubberbands. Why? That would be due to many years of basketball.. If you have played any "real" basketball, you know that it is inevitable.
I really need to start carrying my camera whilest I run. I see much wildlife on my treks.

Whitewater Rafting

2008-07-18T17:09:00.006-04:00

I didn't get the chance to post this earlier, but I wanted to add this to my page since it is my new active lifestyle. Or rephrase - "my new accident waiting to happen!" LOL!!

I went Whitewater Rafting for the first time last week in the Great Smokey Mtns . Me and a group of coworkers went rafting down the Pigeon River. There was 5 - 'class 4 rapids,' and a few 'class 3 rapids.' I had a blast!

You can tell by the pic that I just came down a rapid. That's me with my mouth open and the pink helmet. Don't ya just love it! If you have never done it before, you need to! I can't wait to go again.

My crew

Trail Run

2008-07-16T20:30:00.003-04:00

I haven't posted in over week. Sometimes in becomes difficult to post if I don't do it after an activity. I sorta lose my momentum..
My running has suffered lately due to the heat, work, and family summertime. Each are good causes, but they are still excuses - I can always find time, a little tired lately. Less than 10 miles, each of the past 2 weeks. I did go on a great WhiteWater Rafting trip last week though!
About today : I had a great trail run today in Panther Creek State Park. I had no plans as to where to run. I just hit trail after trail. Very challenging trails to say the least. Rolling terrain with many hills of 20 - 200 feet. A few steep grades. I ended up running for approx. an hour - a little bit over 5 miles. I took it slow, for fear of a twisted ankle. Even @ the slower pace, my HR climbed many times into the 170's. I was exhausted afterwards. I chose to run in the park instead of the roads because of the heat. The trees protected me from the sun, for the most part.
I did meet a friendly deer while running. I past in once and it jumped into the woods. On the last mile of the run, I ran into it again and this time it let me get close. About 5 feet. I kept thinking it was going to turn into " Samurai Deer."
LOL, but it never did. Work the next 3, probably won't run until Sunday.
I am doing well, with 100 pushup challenge. I am @ the start of "Day1 of week 2." I'm up to about 15 @ a time, with 5 sets. TOUGH!!! Can I do a 100 straight? We'll see.....

One Hundred Pushups Challenge

2008-07-07T17:24:00.007-04:00

I found a great site and challenge through browsing other runners blogs.

The 100 pushups challenge!

My middle son and I officially signed up for the 100 pushups challenge today.
I haven't done pushups since I was in college. This is a fairly simple way to build up to doing 100 consecutive pushups - it's free and you can download the whole program onto your computer.

First, you start by seeing how many pushups you can do in a row without stopping. It doesn't matter how many. You do 5 sets of pushups, 3 days a week according to your intial pushup test. Each week gets harder.

Why pushups? Steve Speirs, says "Push ups are one of the basic and most common exercises for the human body. Push ups are not only great for your chest, but do a tremendous job of defining your abs, triceps, shoulders and torso."

My intial was 15. Ughh! Well, here it goes...

1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

2008-07-06T13:25:00.005-04:00

Okay, So what does that big chart up there mean?

Well, I started my lifestyle change exactly 1 year ago yesterday. If you started reading my blog a couple months ago, you wouldn't know where I began from. I am excited to know how far I have come , but also ashamed and somewhat embarrased in getting myself in that situation. My starting weight on July 5th was 352lbs. Yes, (not a typo - 352!) I have changed so much about my life in the past year. I just turned 38, and I feel so much younger than that number. I have energy, excitement, enjoyment, strength. It feels great! I have lost over 100 lbs, so far (250lbs currently.) Yes, that is alot of weight. I have at least 50 more lbs. to go before I reach my final weight. @ 6'2' I can carry a little more weight than most people. I'm sure if I can get to 200 lbs, I may even want to lose a few more. We'll see.. The last 50 will take me another year, since I am doing this the healthy way. I eat so much better than I use to, not to mention the exercise aspect of it all. I give all the credit to GOD on this !!!! It's not by my own power that has got me here. I put all my faith and prayers in Jesus.

The biggest thing I have learned from my journey so far is - when you are failing in life, and all that comes with this life : Send your prayers, thoughts, griefs, and praise to the one that can change it...

Hiking in the Smokey's

2008-07-04T16:32:00.007-04:00

.
Happy 4th!
2 days late on posting. I had a great time camping in the Great Smoky Mountains. The boys and I went camping in the true wilderness - no electricity, showers; just tents and a slingshot. LOL! Monday we setup the tent, ate ,then went on our first hike to Laurel Falls.
Tuesday, I got up early and went for a 5 mile run. I must admit , it was alittle scary @ times due to my seclusion in the woods. I was always checking my up/down/front/back for any wildlife. My paranoia was well warranted after a copperhead snake crossed my path, and a wild turkey flew over my head. I don't know which was scared more- me or the turkey. I nearly sh*t myself after the turkey came within inches of my head (jumping out of the woods), in fact the turkey almost crapped on my head. Luckily it missed. Also the bear(tell later.) Back to the run - the last 2.5 miles was + 400 feet of elevation. Tough run, but enjoyable.
Got back from the run, ate some grub, then went on a 5 mile hike to Abram's Falls.

I must admit that after my busy day, I was "bushed!" The elevation change made a huge difference in my stamina. 5 mile running, 15 miles of hiking on my short getaway.
I have been blessed to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Less than an hour, I am @ the Smokey's.
Oh yeah, the bear. We had just left Cade's Cove - ( an 11 mile loop that is filled with wildlife.) A black bear was waddling up the road, heading for the Little Pigeon River, to eat I guess.. Yes, the same road that I did my 5 mile run on in the morning . GASP!!!!!
Sidebar: The Cade's Cove 11mile loop is a runners paradise. The rangers don't open it to cars until 10am, so that runners and cyclists can enjoy it without getting run over

Running Blind

2008-06-29T22:44:00.003-04:00

Nice to finally get some rain after our couple week drought.
Got in 13 miles for the week, 52 miles for the month. And quite a few walks ( hikes.) Not too bad.. Especially for my work schedule. I'll take it.
I had a couple of 2.7 mile runs earlier in the week then a nice 8 mile run today. I forgot my Running watch today, so I had to run " blind." It turned out to be a blessing. I didn't pay attention to miles or pace or HR. I just ran for the enjoyment of running. Ran a new route and it felt great. I checked my time and it was 1hr 22 mins. I figured I had gone about 7 miles. Nope. 8.1!! Checked the mileage with the truck. I avg 10:07, which is great for me. I could've gone another 2-3 miles, but it began to rain.
I only seen 2 other runners today while I was out, but very interesting. Two fairly amazing runners. 1st person was a gentleman that I had seen @ a couple of races. He was over 70 years old ( body looked like a fit 40 yr old), tan, and wearing a "little" pair of shorts (Ewww). He had won his age group races. He could clock sub 50, 10k's. The second person was a girl - I couldn't figure where I knew here from ; then it hit me! She was the winner of the Knoxville Marathon last year, and I also found out that she was my "new" neighbor. A few doors down - cool huh?
Anyway.. Both are equally great racers. You see, I like running- I am defintely not a racer, at least not anymore. Those days are long gone. I use to race in college. Actually pretty fast..
15:02 5K and 4:19 mile were my fastest. *Sigh* Yes they are longggggg goneeee.................
Heading up to the Smokey's for the next couple of days to camp and hike. Really looking forward to it!!!

Splash Country

2008-06-23T20:22:00.008-04:00

Was going to run this morning, but chose instead to take the boys to the water park. There is something about playing in the water and sun that just absolutely exhausts me! ( And chasing 3 kids around ) I'm more tired now than yesterday's "all - day'er."

All of this running is defintely paying off. Just think about this. If I don't keep in shape, my kids will leave me in the dust! I love aggravating my kids.. With a "ride innertube" in my hands, I sprint up the 6 flights off stairs and run by all of the gasping people trying to get in line. I love it! I use to be one of those people huffing and puffing climbing those stairs. SATISFACTION!!

Try to run tomorrow..

Salvaged the week

2008-06-22T18:44:00.000-04:00

Salvaged the week and got in ten miles yesterday. Finished with 12 miles running and 5 of walking after my big work week.
I started a little late; around 10am, and I paid for it too. I ran 5 miles in about 85 deg/ 70% humidity/ no wind. It was a tough run. I got overheated and had to walk a couple of times; no more than about 15 seconds. I was very happy to get in that many miles and very happy for it to end! After the run, I took the boys to the park and we hiked another 5 miles over an hour & a half. Good active day. Crashed hard in bed..

Uninteresting week

2008-06-20T10:15:00.002-04:00

Well another small week in running. It is killing me!! I am going to try run after work today if I'm not too tired. Another 60 hours of work this week. If I can get through Saturday, I actually have 3 days off. Yippee!! I swear to you if I didn't work, I would be running every day. Every time I get up to 10miles on my long runs or 15 miles for the week something seems to push me backwards and keep me from moving forward.
My ribs are feeling better, I got in a 5 mile run after work 3 days ago. I t did feel good.

Fx Ribs

2008-06-13T21:53:00.002-04:00

Another injury of sorts. While I was on vacation, I rambunctiously broke 2 ribs! A hairline fx in 1 and a large 4 inch break in the other. The larger is displaced from the cartilage. How? BoogieBoarding @ the ocean. Wave , pretty much slammed me into the ground. LOL! Ouch! It didn't hurt for the first couple days, but now the pain is excruciating. Since it didn't hurt too much early on , I decide to run 4.5 miles.. After the run, it really started to hurt. I guess it wasn't displaced until the running jarred it loose. I only slept 2 hours last night. I had to sleep in one position, which wasn't boding well. Tomorrow is Saturday and I planned on running 6-10 miles as my long run day. It looks like that idea is probably squashed, We''ll see... Only 1 run this week ...poo poo!

My new Tat

2008-06-09T18:23:00.005-04:00

Alright, so I've been thinking about getting a runner tattoo for a month or so now. I know some people think that tattoos are silly, foolish, sac - religious(sp?), and a few other things. I use to be one of those people! I've gone through sort of a rebirth in my life - some may even call it a early midlife crisis, but it is defintely not a "crisis." I've been running on and off throughout my lifetime - Jr. high, College, post college, and now. Running is one of those things that I will be doing for the rest of my life. I know it! There are only a few things for me that are worthy of branding my skin for. They are run, my family, and God - Jesus. I thought about it early on in my twenties, but I'm glad that I didn't do it then. I probably would have gotten something with no importance back then.

So even though the "tat" may not look cool to some, it is cool to me. I searched over the internet for runner tattoos and couldn't find many. The one that I seen often was the winged foot. I chose something original that encompasses me. I usually have a smile on my face most of the time, so my "silly" tattoo fits me to a tee..

Here it is:

Vacation

2008-06-08T14:47:00.003-04:00

I just back from my vaction. I left for Myrtle Beach, SC on Wednesday morning for a very quick "breather" (too short.) I got back yesterday afternoon (Saturday.) What a wonderful time I had. I got in 3 days of running while at the beach for a talley of 5 days . I have not run 5 days in one week since February. I logged 22 miles( 2.5 ,4.0 ,6.9 ,5.0, 4.0) plus another 8 miles while walking the beach. My legs and knees feel great! I feel refreshed, strong, energized.
Back to the grindstone on Wednesday. I hope to run the next the next 2 days if the heat doesn't melt me. It topped out @ 94 deg yesterday.

End Of May

2008-05-31T14:35:00.000-04:00

The heat is really here.
I ran 58 miles this month..This was a healthy month.My knee is hanging in there. It feels great to be back in the "groove." I did quite a bit of speed and tempo runs also.
I don't know just how much running I will be able to get in this summer due to work and the heat, but I will not give up..

TN Expo 5K/10K

2008-05-24T16:38:00.002-04:00

Another great race. I ran the 5K on this one. I really wanted to do the 10K, but maybe next year I will do this same race with the larger distance. Lots of runners, approx. 1200. The race started out very slow after the gun went off. It took nearly 15 seconds to get to the starting line, then another 15 seconds to get to the be able to actually run. Over 1 min before I was able to open a stride.

Before every race, the directors tell the slower runners to start toward the back. I always line up middle to 3/4 back to not slow anyone up. This race there were way too many people that lined up toward the first 1/3 of the pack that should've been toward the back! A large group of girls that were running together wouldn't let people pass - frustrating. ( They were right in the middle). I know I would've been @ least 20 seconds faster if it wasn't for that group... My final time on my watch was 27:52. This was not chip timed or anklet timed so my time that I finished on the clock was over 28mins.. I beat my previous time by 23 seconds!! I averaged 8:59 for the 5K. WOOHOO!! I would've never thought that I could avg less than 9 min mile. (Yes barely <9..)

Sunny but Windy

2008-05-21T16:57:00.002-04:00

I had 2 really good days of running, they were actually enjoyable. Tuesday I felt great so I decided to push it a bit and do intervals in "ladder fashion." It was 70 deg, sunny, with 20mph winds. First I ran a 1mi warmup, then 1mi @ 9min, then 3/4 mi @ 8:45, then 1/2 mi @ 8:15, then 1/4 mi @ 8:00 pace with a 2 min recovery jog in between. I made sure to keep running and not completely stop to catch my breath. I finished up with 1/2 mile jog to top out @ 4.4 miles in 42:28.
It felt good and I wasn't zapped the rest of the day for once. I wish more runs were like that..
Today I decided to run easy. I had the day off and did quite a bit of yard work - mowing, weedeating, pulling weeds, pruning, you name it.. Yard looks great! LOL!! My run got started late and I had to run in the heat. 78 deg., sunny, 20+mph winds, 2:30 in the afternoon. I ran 4.02 miles in under 43mins. The last 2miles were a little hard. The wind was directly in my face and pushing against me. Luckily it kept me cool with the heat.
Yesterdays "hard run" seemed easier than todays "easy run." Either way it was 2 very good days of running!!

Hill Run

2008-05-17T21:30:00.003-04:00

Great day for running. About 60 degrees, sunny, 5mph wind.
Today I ran from my house to the church. My son Michael was playing soccer this morning and decide to run to the game instead of driving. I'm definitely crazy because I would've never thought of doing that in the past.
The road I live on is a rural road with a few subdivisions on it, so the traffic is regular but no shoulder to run or bike on. I have never run on it before, and after today I probable won't do it again. Traffic was continuously having to stop for me, and I could feel the pressure. Not safe at all. Some people would drive completely around me, but others would come real close to brushing me( or at least it seemed that way.) So much for the 3 feet running/bike law...
The elevation is nothing but up hill from my house for the first 1.5 miles, levels out for a bit , then back to elevation again. Tough run, good hill training run. I ran 3.6 miles in roughly 37 minutes. My HR peaked at the 95 % range during the last mile. I felt very comfortable, I could've pushed it harder early on but I decided to enjoy the run. Some days are meant for enjoyment, some days are for "panting."

The Wall

2008-05-13T15:05:00.005-04:00

I only had the chance to run twice last week because of work. UGHHHH. less than 7 miles. UGHHHHH
I was afraid when I got out to run today that it would be "rough." Luckily it wasn't. I did something original and not so smart today. I ran a new route that was very hilly( 1250 - 1510 feet of elevation); a route that I often drove that looked challenging, but rewarding. I live in Tennessee where hills and mountains - yes mountains - are part of the landscape. For the most part, there are no flat level areas that I can run. This route was an "out and back." I made sure to run over 5 miles out so that I would be forced to have to run back - no wimping out and leaving it short. Not a problem, right? hehehe Stupid me, forgot to take water and my "shotbloks or gu."
(I often stash water on my routes so that I don't have to carry it. Am I the only one that does that?) Started to run @ a slow pace keeping my HR in the 75% range, building up to the 85% as I hit the hills. Good run. Got a little tired around mile 6( around an hour) , but still chugging along. By mile 8, the legs were heavy and my HR was showing it. I needed water! I hit the "wall" at 9.5 miles. Wave of nausea set in and I slowed to a " crawl" at the 12min/mile pace. Finished @ 10 miles with a time of 1hr 47 mins. Approx 10.5min/mile avg.
I just didn't prepare well for this run, but it was still a good one. It is the longest I have run since my initial knee injury. I will try to throw in a long run every 2 weeks or so as time allows and concentrate more on the shorter runs of 2-5 miles. I have to work the next few days and probably will not run again until Saturday.
One of the coolest things about being a runner is the opportunity to run and explore new routes, and enjoy the wonderful beauty that god has given us. Being on foot allows us to see things better and have the time to really look at things close up and enjoy them as opposed to "zooming by" in a car . Through a runners eyes we are always looking at the lay of the land to see if it would be a good route, wheter in the city or the country.