Hellllloooo, December. Remember me?

Three weeks, six days. That is how many days between the New York City Marathon and today - the first time I have run since the marathon.

Big Dry Creek-Sheridan Green 5M by kbomb71

I am happy to admit it now so it doesn't sound so much like and excuse, but my body was broken after NYC. I caught two colds and pretty much something or everything ached or hurt each day. Everything finally felt normal this week, and five miles this morning felt just fine.

December will be a month for some maintenance runs and some cross-training, if I can find time. After almost four weeks off - and six weeks since my last long run at altitude - I was a bit winded. It won't take too long to get that back to normal.

And then December 27, it all starts again. Sixteen weeks of training with the prize at the end being the 115th Boston Marathon on Patriot's Day - April 18, 2011.

Next!

Next stop - Hopkinton, Mass.

I've taken a two-week break to let my body heal up.  Now it is time to start thinking ahead to April 18, 2011 and preparing for what will be my fourth marathon in fourteen months. 

My training grid will officially start on December 27 so for the next five weeks, I'll spend my time just keeping up some maintenance miles.  I also need to figure out how to mix some cross-training in.  I don't have a bike and I don't like to swim so I'm not exactly sure what that means yet.

Despite all efforts to the contrary, I've also managed to maintain roughly the same weight I was at in New York, which means it won't be as difficult to reach an optimum racing weight by April. I did not train as hard for New York as I did for San Diego in June, and my diet was not as consistent for New York either.  The difference between June and now of plus-eight pounds undoubtedly took a few minutes off my New York time.  That was fine because I wasn't trying to kill myself for New York, but I want to get back that for Boston.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to need every advantage possible.  Can't really phone that one in.

I am going to repeat the same training plan I used for San Diego, and I am currently reading "Racing Weight" by Matt Fitzgerald.  While I think I know what my optimum race weight is from my San Diego experience, I also don't have the most professional diet even when I am serious.  I am probably not going to change in that regard, but there are enough changes I can make (and I have enough time to do it) that I at least should not be able to blame any problems in Boston on my level of fitness.

The hard part will be, as it has been recently, keeping my body from rebelling and avoiding any injuries.  My ankles still are as knobby looking as the day I got the MRI's on them both, but there hasn't been any pain.  The shoes I trained in that were to help alleviate the strain on the anterior tibialis tendons made my feet feel like they had been smashed with sledgehammers by the end of the New York marathon.  I may continue to train in those, but I will not be racing in them.

For now, I'll just start on my easy runs and get back up to speed again through the holidays.  Sometime on or around January 2, 2011, I be posting: "Week 1: Boston."

Happy Holidays!

2010 New York City Marathon

2010 ING New York City Marathon...finally!



Staying warm in the Start Village
before the start of the marathon.

 45,000 people.  That is how many entrants there were lined up on Staten Island in the cold, dark morning hours of November 7, 2010.  Yet, for all of the people that were there or arriving by the hundreds, it was very quiet.

I don't have a lot of running experience with which to compare my New York experience, but this one was different all the way.  From the first day of training until the moment I crossed the finish line, this marathon was truly something special and I learned something about myself in the process.

After I qualified for Boston with my marathon time at June's Rock 'N' Roll San Diego Marathon, I had it in my head that I should hold back a bit and not wreck my body for New York. I thought I should save something for Boston in April 2011, since that will be my fourth marathon in fourteen months.

Before I even mention the marathon, I have to say that one of the best parts about the trip was to be able to see new things and go places with Christy and Gabriella.  Gabriella in particular has been very patient and supportive with all of this marathon nonsense, and I really don't think I could do it without her.  The entire week leading up to Sunday, I was thinking about how cool it was going to be to be able to see her and Christy out along the course somewhere.  However, it turns out that the best parts of the trip were all the things that we did together.  (Something to be learned from that)

Race day
Not wanting to be a real-life example of the Seinfeld episode, I had a small amount of paranoia that my alarm wouldn't go off and I would miss my ferry to the start.  Luckily, between two BlackBerries and two alarm clocks we found in the rented apartment, I was able to sleep with confidence that I would up at 4:05 a.m. without any drama.  As it turned out, my eyes opened a minute before the alarms went off.  I got ready, kissed my bride, and headed for the subway on time.


En route to Staten Island...a little inspiration.



Getting to the start village on Staten Island wasn't difficult - it just took a while. I exited the subway in Lower Manhattan at 5:30 and walked a couple minutes to the Staten Island Ferry. After only a short wait there, the rest of the zombies and I boarded the 5:45 ferry and were soon on our way.  Previously, I wasn't sure if there would be any light or not, and I'm glad there was not.  En route, we picked up a little inspiration shining in the dark.  At the other end, we walked to buses and headed the final three miles to the start villages.

To say it was cold would sound like complaining.  Of all the days we were in New York City, Sunday was the best of all them.  It either was pouring rain, was gray and cold, was windy, or was all of the above on each of the other days we were there.  However, it certainly was not comfortable like it has been for every other race I've run, and there was nowhere to go to get out of the chill.  I arrived at the start area at 6:30 and had until 8:10 to turn in my gear bag and move to the start corral, at which time I would have only the sweats I would discard as layers to cover me.  The only thing to do was to burn energy and keep moving around, and have a little hot coffee and hot water.

A little after 9:00, after sitting in the start corral for 40 minutes, we began moving to the start.  I discarded my sweats and had only a beanie and my gloves in addition to my t-shirt and shorts.  With the sun now out and the crowds breaking up the breeze, it actually wasn't as cold as I thought it would be.

The start

After all the pre-race formalities, the cannon went off at 9:40 and the race was underway to Frank Sinatra (and most of the runners) singing "New York, New York."

It turned out that I crossed the start line about 3:20 after the gun went off - right as the song was ending.  I could not have planned it better if I wanted to!

The much-anticipated climb off of Staten Island up the first mile of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge was (for me) much ado about nothing.  There were too many runners to go out too fast, and the slope up the 160-foot vertical climb was gentle and steady - certainly not as severe as any of the slopes I've trained on.  As I climbed and especially when I got to the top, I moved to the side so I could take in the amazing views with an eye toward Manhattan and the eventual finish.

Brooklyn
Coming off the bridge, it didn't take long to arrive into the middle of thousands of cheering fans hollering and clapping.  I think I high-fived most of the people along the right side of the course for about 6 miles and waved at the rest.  I was conscious of my pace the whole time, noting that I was going faster than planned but feeling good - a decision I would question later.  Brooklyn was wall-to-wall people all the way to the halfway point of the marathon, the Pulaski Bridge.  In retrospect, all the support was inspiring but the emotion of it was also overwhelming enough to take something out of me somewhat.  As I crossed the bridge headed for a quick trip through Queens, I thought that I might have to be careful to keep my emotions in check.

Queens, Queensboro Bridge
It was only two short, very turny miles through Queens, but there were still a lot of people.  I feel like I missed a lot of the atmosphere of Queens, though.  All I could think about was getting across the Queensboro Bridge to Manhattan and "my people" waiting for me on the other side.

Just after Mile 15, I began the climb up the bridge.  It suddenly got very quiet, and I instantly missed all the noise that I thought was tiring me out before.  Now all I could hear was the sound of struggle around me as some runners began to test their limits.  I was reminded of the last few miles of the Rock 'N' Roll San Diego Marathon out on Fiesta Island.  It was warm, there were no spectators, and people were dying out there.

All I wanted to do was get off that damn bridge.

Manhattan, The Bronx, and Manhattan again
I could hear the crowd before I saw it.

After a nice downhill descent back to ground level,  I reached Mile 16 and left the bridge to even more people than were in Brooklyn.  Six to ten people deep along the sidewalks, the crowd was screaming and hollering and cheering.  I waved and they cheered louder, and it filled me up with emotion and energy.  Thousands of people cheering for me (and, yes, I know also for the other runners, too).

A couple of minutes later, I looked at my Garmin and noticed I was running a sub-7:00 pace.  Holy crap!!  Combined with the downhill of 1st Avenue, the emotions lit a booster rocket about 9 miles too early!  It took me the better part of the next mile, but I finally got myself slowed down where I needed to be and started counting down the blocks to the northeast corner of 1st Avenue and 85th Street.

Luckily, the crowd was all running on the left side of 1st Avenue - I have no idea why.  However, it was perfect.  As I passed 83rd Street, I moved to the right with no one else around me and began to search for the hot pink scarf wrapped around Gabriella's neck.  There they were!  I coasted to a stop and said my hellos, dropped off my hat and gloves I had stuffed into my pockets in Brooklyn, and got a kiss before taking off again.

That was the best part of the entire race.

Within a couple miles, I was crossing the Willis Avenue Bridge into The Bronx.  Mile 20 was ahead, and I was now beginning to feel pain which was gently masking the exhaustion.  The people of The Bronx were loud and proud did everything they could to push us on.  It wasn't their fault I didn't want to see them at all...I just wanted to get to Manhattan and get to the finish line.  I crossed the Madison Avenue Bridge and Mile 21, pleased to have my feet back on the ground in Manhattan.

It was about this point that a few doubts were creeping into my head.  My feet were in pain.  I knew I had a blister developing on one of my toes.  My legs were screaming.  The damn European runners kept cutting me off on the turns.  I actually thought about how good it would feel to stop, and quickly realized that I would still be in pain and would have failure piled on top of it.  I pressed on, but allowed my pace to drop a bit.  I was ahead of schedule and could afford to do it.



Smiling or just in pain???



At Mile 22, I ran around Marcus Garvey Park and could finally see 5th Avenue stretched before me.  It is a straight shot down 5th Avenue and into Central Park.  I was getting close, right?  In the distance, I could see the Plaza Hotel at the southeast corner of the park and knew we had to get to that point before we went around the south end of the park after Mile 25.  The Plaza looked as far away as Pluto...and it was uphill.

Pain.

And I knew then that I need to walk for 15 to 20 seconds to get my head back in check.

 I started again....legs screaming, people cheering.  We got to Central Park and shortly thereafter passed Mile 23.  Just a 5k from here...no problem.  A mile later, we entered the roads of Central Park and its rolling hills, and I knew I needed one more break before pushing through.

Just before Mile 25 is a vicious uphill.  I had seen it a couple days before and knew it was coming, and I picked that spot for my final gut-check.  After about a 30 second walk, I neared the top of the hill and took off.  Running around the south end of the park, the crowds got even louder and more thick.  Runners were struggling trying to feed off their energy, and I just pointed my gaze straight ahead.

We turned north and reentered the park.  Mile 26 was just ahead on a downhill stretch, and I passed it and started running as fast as I could.  The last 0.2 miles was going to get everything I got because there were grandstands full of people waiting for all of us to come through as fast and as hard as we could.  I couldn't even feel the uphill into the finish line as I waved and acknowledged the support from the stands.

3:27:52 after singing "New York, New York" on Staten Island, I was crossing the finish line and stumbling through the finish area.

Mission Accomplished.

NYC: Weeks 12, 13 & 14

The New York City Marathon will be my eighth running event this year.  Eight...  Ocho...  Whoa...

It will be the third marathon.  Combine that with two 10k's, one 10 miler, a 7k, and a half marathon and it might appear to some that I've become an addict.  I know, thanks to my Garmin, that those races plus training and recreational runs total 119 runs spanning 894 miles for an average of about 7.5 miles per run.  And its October.  Depending how much I run after New York, I might break 1000 miles this year.

The last three weeks were filled with some ups and downs caused both by running and outside factors that affected my plan.  Some of the downs were self-inflicted, which makes it easier to figure out who to blame.  I leave for New York in a few days, not really sure where I stand but taking solace that I am not going there to try to get another PR.  More on that below.

Week 12 was fantastic.  Where I otherwise would have had a long run on Sunday, I backed off a bit during the week and ran the Fans on the Field 10k on Saturday, October 10.  I was not planning to set a 10k PR, but I felt great and ended up shattering it by 2:22 by running a 6:56/mile pace.

On the road for most of Week 13, I got a total of 13 miles in but then thanks to some bad planning, bad luck, and bad decisions I got sick and wasn't able to complete my last long run of 20 miles on Sunday.  I was feeling pretty low for that and lots of other reasons and it affected (and is still affecting) my confidence.  However, I can change it...I can only vow to not repeat it.  Any of it.



Central Park, New York City



Week 14 should have been the first week of my three-week taper, but I had to get that 20-miler in or I would have gone crazy.  Even though it meant two-week taper, I'm glad I did because it was a grunt and I was a bit sore for a couple days.  As long as I allow my body to heal a bit and help it as much as I can, that extra endurance could be the difference between enjoying my run on November 7th and contemplating a jump into the East River.

 Most of all, I am lucky to have my support team coming with me.  My girls are the best - and although I know we are all going to love New York, my guess is that they probably would love it more if we were going there purely for fun and not because I was running the marathon.  Of course, they may end up at Bloomie's and I'll see them sometime after the race is over!  :)  But just knowing they are there is what got me through my first marathon in the desert in January...and to my PR in San Diego in June...and will no doubt power me out of the Bronx and into Central Park in ten days.

Not to get too far ahead of myself, but I'm registered for Boston on April 18, and I now have my travel and airfare arranged.  Training starts on December 27.

NYC: Weeks 10 & 11

Week 10....well, it bit.  While it started off well, and I was able to get in a great 10 mile run around Craig, Colorado after a work trip, I got the crud after that and wasn't able to do my long run on Sunday, September 26.  After stressing out about it for a couple days, I was reminded that:

1. I am running the New York Marathon for fun -  and not trying to set a PR, and;
2. Running is supposed to be fun no matter what...and not something to be stressed about. It mostly defeats the purpose!

Advice taken.  Attitude checked.

Week 11...I was still feeling a bit cruddy, but got in four miles on Tuesday in Alamosa, where I met one of the largest dogs I have ever seen in my life out on a county road in Dumpsville, Colorado.  I seemed to want to nibble on my hip pocket so I conjured the Dog Whisperer and gave it a strong "SHHHT!" sound.  Stopped it dead in its tracks.  When I pointed back to the trailer from whence it came, it turned around and when back, leaving me free to start breathing again.

In Montrose, Colorado on Thursday I got in 9 more and got back in schedule today with 18 miles.  It occurred to me this morning that I have seem some beautiful things in my runs around the state over the last couple years - things I never would have seen had I not started running in the first place.

That's the kind of stuff that makes it fun.

*****

I now know that in New York, I will be wearing Bib #9578.  I'll be in Blue Wave #1, Corral #9, and will start at 9:20 a.m.  Estimated finish time around 12:50 p.m. EST.  I'm bummed I won't be in the same wave as Erin and Kathleen (both Green), but we have to travel to Staten Island separately anyway.

34 days, 18 hours, 35 minutes......check out the course map!

NYC: Week 9

Climbing the ladder

"There is a very fine line between hobby and mental illness. Many a runner has crossed it."   -Dean Karnazes

On Sunday - and for the next three out of the next four Sundays - the long runs get longer, maxing out at 20 miles in Week 13.  Nothing feels better than wrapping up that last long run before the marathon, but there are still a lot of miles between now and then.

This past Sunday, it was 14 miles, and it was the longest one since I had to pull up in the 14th mile of a planned 16-miler a few weeks ago and then battled a tight Achilles tendon and related calf muscles all the way up to Labor Day.  This time around: no problem.  The last three miles were a grunt, most likely because it was warm, and I also wasn't fueled quite enough and may have even been a tad dehydrated.  I've gotten better at stamina during warm (70+ degree) runs, but after a long football Saturday I wasn't 100% ready for a long run before a long football Sunday.

****

When I was out this time, I started trying to keep track of all the random things that were going through my mind so I could break it all down later and try to figure out why I was thinking most of them.  It is odd, but it seems like by the time I turn the last corner at the end of my run I have some sort of amnesia about almost all of it.  I think I know why.

There is no way that I could spend the whole time evaluating how I feel during long runs.  If I did, I'd probably feel like turning around to go home and have a beer and cheeseburger.  Unlike a lot of people, I don't have a running partner - someone that can kick me in the butt if I started complaining or dragging.  That is more of a blessing than a curse, though, and I am not complaining about it.  I have to find the motivation from within to keep pushing on, as I have had to do during the two marathons.  (The added bonus at marathons is having crowd noise and loud music)

I also am lucky to have a very supportive family - especially Gabriella and Christy, who have been at the finish line for both marathons.  Although, I'm afraid that they have had to deal with my one-track mind most of the time and general lack of ability to talk about anything else.  They are troopers.

So I guess I'll just take the random thoughts during long runs for what they are...chewing gum for the mind.

NYC: Week 8

Food coma

Week 8 started off on Labor Day with the Park to Park 10 Miler.  Halfway through the training is a great time for a half-marathon or something close to it.  Given all the previous issues I had been having, I wasn't planning on it being very memorable.  It seems like every time I think that is precisely when I surprise myself.

I was cruising early - maintaining about a 7:15 pace - but most of that was downhill and through City Park.  Once exiting City Park at about Mile 3, there is a long slow decent down 17th to Mile 4, which is where the climb begins.  My pace dropped to about 7:20, but I still felt pretty good.  Miles 6 & 7 after Cheeseman Park are downhill, and i was able to recover.  At Mile 8.5, I entered Washington Park and was still cruising, but with over a mile to go I didn't want to kick too early.

I can only blame myself, but I was goaded into picking up my pace by a guy I had been jockeying back and forth with the entire race.  I knew the last mile was fast, but as we sprinted the last quarter mile, I didn't realize we were doing it at a 6:50 pace.  I crossed the line in 1:12:09 - a PR by about three minutes representing a 7:12 pace.  Definitely in the New York Groove. (Run details: Garmin Connect - Park to Park 10 Miler)

Personal plans often make it hard to stick to training plans.  I only ran one time the rest of the week, and that was a five mile run in high heat and humidity in Seguin, Texas.  I was schedule for a 12 mile run Sunday, but all the food and beer from a weekend trip to watch Wyoming play Texas almost put me in a food coma.

I'm not too concerned about it, as I'm afraid even if I would have been 100%, I couldn't have lasted long in the heat and humidity.  The only disadvantage is that I am behind on my long, endurance runs and have to jump from 10 last Monday to 14 this coming Sunday in order to start climbing the ladder before New York City.

I'm halfway to New York City.  8 weeks down, 8 weeks to go.

NYC: Weeks 6 & 7

Back in the New York groove

I'm late on week 6 but early on week 7 so I thought with the holiday weekend upcoming, I would combine the two and get on with Wyoming's season opener in Laramie tomorrow.

Basically, I struggled the first six weeks.  Between the heat, some nagging injuries, poor sleep and diet, and just general malaise, I was dragging.  This week was a turn-around week, though, and just in time.  I have the Park-to-Park 10 Miler on Labor Day and then all my long runs on Sunday start getting longer all the way until week 13.  I've eaten better and slept better, for the most part, and finally feel like I'm back on track.

Next weekend's long run will be in Texas, since I'll be there for Wyoming vs. Texas, and I'm quite sure running at 450 feet above sea level will feel pretty darn good!

NYC: Week 5

Holy COW!

It turns out the cramp in my calf that cut my long run short last Sunday was a bit more than a cramp.  Readers' Digest version: I'm convinced now that the "little twinge" I felt in my Achilles during the San Diego Marathon was a bit more than a twinge and has never actually healed up.  From the base of my heel to my calf is sore and tight as a drum.  Between that and having a 10-k on Saturday, I took a slower week than normal and with fewer miles.

Moo.

Last year, I had done basically nothing after my first ever half-marathon in June - the Rock N' Roll Seattle.  I decided I would run the City of Westminster's Holy COW Trail Stampede since it happens literally in my backyard, and it kicked my butt!  I was not in good shape, and it was a motivator to get in gear for my first marathon in Phoenix four months after that.

I haven't exactly been tearing it up the last few weeks, which is just fine, but I definitely wanted to do better than last year.  I also didn't want aggravate the calf strain.  I stretched it out for a good twenty minutes before the race, and I had a little extra boost since Gabriella was there with me to do the 5-k. :-)

My first step off the line, I felt a lovely little pain shoot up the back of my leg but fought it off.  It got a little better as it warmed up some more, but it definitely slowed me down.  It was also hot and sunny again so I took a measured pace and knew right then there would be no PR's.  It was a good run, and even though I thought about stopping to stretch a couple of times, I gutted it out.  Turns out I finished 12th overall and brought home a silver, second place cowbell for my 30-39 year old division.

Not bad for a gimpy, almost-40-year old man.  This week, I'm taking a couple days off to let things heal and shortening the Sunday long run.  It's early in the training grid, and I do NOT want to screw up NYC.

NYC: Week 4

Since when is finishing not a goal?
I think I am pretty much over the "lack of a goal" thing, as I realized yesterday just how lucky I was to have finished two marathons, let alone qualify for Boston in the second.  It is not that came easily, but I may have taken in for granted in by getting greedy and wanting more.

Yesterday, I was scheduled to do a 16-miler to get caught back up on my training program.  I missed my 10-miler in week one, and did it in week two in place of a 12-miler, etc.  I had a pretty good week and thought I would just get back on track.  I ended the day asking myself, "How is it, exactly, did I make it 26.2 miles - twice?"

Blazing hot sun

Actually, it was a good run - but I started late and started getting very hot by the 8th mile.  I was going through my Cytomax pretty quickly and still feeling pretty dehydrated.  By the 10th mile, I was starting to develop a small but noticeable cramp in one of my calves.  I stopped and stretched, but it stuck around.  I slowed down a bit and pushed through to the 13th mile, but I was out of gas and cramping.  I pushed on through to the 14th mile and called it a day.  With 12 weeks to go to New York, I can't fathom any reason why getting hurt would solve anything.  However, as a matter of pride (as well as the fact I still had two miles to get home) I walked a mile and jogged the last one.  So, in a way, I guess I still got my 16 in.  It wiped me out for the rest of the day, though.

I am reminded of a couple of pretty important things, as I gimp around on Monday morning.

1. Get your butt out of bed and run before it gets too warm!
2. Hydrate or die
3. It is an achievement to finish any run, and maybe that ought to be a good goal for NYC. (The time will take care of itself)
4. Pat yourself on the back for stopping when there is no rational reason not to.

The timing is good. I've got a bit of a recovery week that is capped off with the Holy COW Westminster Trail Stampede right in my backyard on Saturday.

NYC: Week 3

Suffering from lack of a "goal"?

It dawned on me this last week that I am training for the New York City Marathon without a clearly identifiable target or goal and that might be hurting my motivation a bit. After all, the goal in Arizona was to finish and to try to do it under 3:30.  Mission accomplished.  The goal in San Diego was to finish under 3:21 and qualify for Boston. Mission accomplished.

There is no doubt about it, though.  All those miles training and only short break after Arizona before I started training for San Diego left me a bit dinged up.  New York is just going to be about experiencing the atmosphere and soaking up the flavors of the five boroughs.  But maybe that is not enough.  And setting a goal time that is slower than either of the two marathons I've already run seems like going backwards.

I might have a problem...

There is no way that I could continue to improve on my times each marathon I run. That might have been realistic had I started at 23 and not 38.  While breaking three hours would be an outstanding goal, that is a goal that is outside my capabilities now and probably forever.  Ten years ago, maybe....today, not a chance.  So for now, I have to try to figure out what it is going to be to motivate me to train right for New York.  I have not figured it out yet.

This was a good week, nonetheless.  While I had to push things back a day and missed a short 4-miler that would have otherwise been on Friday, I made up for it with 12 miles and hills on Sunday. Running west from my house on the Big Dry Creek Trail leads me on an 350 foot climb over 6 miles to the top of Standley Lake Reservoir.  Throw in warm temperatures and humid conditions, and I got a great workout.  It also felt better than last week's ten-miler, which gave me some comfort.  So far, the feet and ankles are holding up...I hope that is a trend that continues.

NYC: Week 2

Week 2 was a much better week.  I have new shoes with a different structure, and I got all my scheduled runs in for a nice 25 mile total for the week.  Early in the week, I spoke to the orthopedist who said that changing my shoes, stretching better, and icing after every run is about all that she recommends at this point and that there was no reason to stop running.  Only if things start to hurt to I have to stop, but I have intentionally chosen a much less rigorous training schedule this time around.  I've already qualified for Boston, and I'm not going to be setting any PR's in New York.

On my Sunday long run, I was shocked at how tired I got.  Granted it was much warmer and humid than I am used to running in, but I had to grunt out the last couple miles to make it 10!  It is amazing how fast you can lose your base after just a couple of weeks of goofing off, like I did after San Diego.  However, I came to the conclusion that I needed that break not just mentally but also because I did injure myself in that marathon.  I have aches and pains I didn't have before San Diego that I can trace to "twinges" and "tweaks" I felt as I was running San Diego.

With 14 weeks to New York and a less intense training plan, I'm not too worried.

NYC: Week 1

Week 1 is in the books, but I'd probably do better to refer to it as "weak one."  The week started off well and on schedule, but some long days and then a very strange weekend culminating in an MRI on my ankles all conspired against me.  I failed to get my Sunday long run in, which is not a tragedy but weighs on the mind.

With no more planned travel or extraordinarily long days planned, I intend to get the fire lit and peel off a few good weeks of training.  It is amazing how fast one's body can betray him.  It has been seven weeks since the San Diego Marathon, and at this moment I feel like I am starting at the bottom of the mountain.  I've been here before, though.  I know what to do.

Hopefully, the MRI results won't suggest any need to restrict my training.  I really don't have time for that in my life.

110 days but a different mindset

It's almost cheating to start a new training grid on a "rest" day, but that is what Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays are for on my grid...rest or light cross-training.

Nonetheless, today is day one of a 16-week grid that ends on November 7 with the New York City Marathon.  Unlike my first two marathons, I'm starting off this training cycle a bit banged up and with concerns about my feet and ankles for the first time.

During San Diego, my left achilles tendon tightened up a bit.  I didn't think too much about it at the time, other than to shorten my stride a little bit.  I didn't want to obsess about it during the marathon because I didn't want something minor to take over my mind and make me lose focus on everything else.  Afterwards, I stretched as good as I could - considering it was hard to stay vertical in the first place - and then pretty much forgot about it.

When I ran in Seattle a couple weeks ago, there was tightness in the calf and achilles noticeable, but I stretched it a little afterwards and then shrugged it off.  Last week, I ran two times - only four miles each time - but the second time my calf tightened up big time.  Five days later, it is just now loosened back up but not 100%.

I also finally got the knobs on the front of my ankles checked, and the orthopedist is calling it anterior tibialis tendonitis for now.  However, she hadn't ever seen anything like it before, and I get the unmitigated joy of MRI's on both ankles to verify what is going on.  That tendon "almost never ruptures," and I'd like to verify that "almost never" doesn't transition to "might not" or "probably won't" or "it's a crapshoot."

For New York City, I am not going to try to set any records. I qualified for Boston.  I'm in.  There's no need to be a hero and hurt myself so I intend to run at a comfortable pace and soak up the Big Apple's atmosphere.  Therefore, my training regimen is not nearly hard as the last one.  Fewer miles and less aggressive pacing.

I'd like to keep doing this a while.  I hope my body cooperates.

Back in the saddle

One month has passed since San Diego, and I've enjoyed my time off.  I've run a grand total of 29 miles in 31 days and tried valiantly to eat all of the seafood in the Pacific Northwest while on vacation in Seattle.  18 of my 29 miles were last week on vacation so I feel a bit better about that, but according to my calendar it is now 122 days until the New York City Marathon.

I set a goal of 3 hours and 30 minutes for New York - slower than San Diego but still an 8:00/mile pace.  I don't need to try to break any records in NY and want to enjoy the sights and the crowds.  But I still need to be in shape for it.

July 19 is Day 1 of my new 16-week training grid.  Time to get back in the saddle.

The Price

There is always a price to pay, even if you are trying to do something better for yourself.

I have had "special needs feet" ever since I was a little kid, and thanks to my dad - from whom I inherited the feet - he got me to a podiatrist in Idaho Falls when I was 11 or 12.  I've worn custom orthotics ever since.  My feet are ridiculously flat and roll inward - or pronate - badly without support.  The orthotics provide that support, and I got new custom orthotics made last summer as I started to increase my mileage.

However, even with the orthotics, my ankles still roll inward.  Over the course of two marathons, a couple of smaller races, and a few hundred miles of training, the constant rolling has stretched the tendon that connects the "shin splint" muscle to the foot.  In spite of ice, stretching, and a whopping total of 11 miles in 3 weeks since the marathon the swelling is still as much as it was before.  I guess if anything makes me feel better, it is that both left and right ankles are affected equally

So I guess this is the price I get to pay for my recently-adopted passion.  I'm not too concerned because they generally don't hurt, and from what I have read "the anterior tibialis tendon almost never ruptures."  Woo-hoo!  Nonetheless, I am headed to see an orthopedist next month and will see if some orthotics that are beefed up even more will help.

It doesn't hurt most of the time, and even when it does it doesn't slow me down.  It isn't getting any worse and it isn't getting any better.  Hopefully, the doc will have some helpful ideas.

In the meantime, I will continue to run.  I mean, c'mon...it almost never ruptures!  :)

What a difference a year makes

For a few years not so long ago, I slogged along through each day, month, and year - and while not necessarily miserable, I most certainly wasn't happy.  A lot of things happened to turn the tables on that trend, not the least of which was making the decision to get off my fat a**.  I met my beautiful bride not too long thereafter and we started our quite memorable journey that brought her and Christy here just over a year ago.

A few months prior to that, I made a decision (in the form of another good reason to go visit the girls in Seattle) to enter the inaugural Seattle Rock 'N' Roll Marathon and Half-Marathon and run my first half.  It turned out that was to be the trip that started with a flight to Seattle and ended with several hundred miles in a moving van bringing all the girls' possessions back to Colorado.

Half-Marathon Course

This much I can say for sure...if it wasn't for that decision, that trip, and that half-marathon I would not be going to Boston next April. One year ago yesterday was the half-marathon.  I trained, and I knew I would be able to finish it, although I wasn't totally sure (until I did it) how fast I would be able to run it.  Two marathons later - and upcoming trips to New York City and Boston - I'm not even sure what the world would look like had it not been for Gabriella and the decision to go to Seattle.

What a difference a year makes.  :-)

When is it "Enough"?

When is enough enough? I was thinking the question to myself as my beautiful bride asked me almost the same exact question.

The quick and unrehearsed answer in my head is: “When I’m dead. Which will be a lot longer from now than it would have been because I running…”

The question was asked after I broached the subject of a half marathon four weeks after I finish the New York City Marathon. The half marathon happens to be in Las Vegas. (Obligatory “Vegas, Baby!!”) Before a friend had asked me if I had considered doing this, I thought perhaps I might go back to Arizona to run the Rock ‘N’ Roll Half Marathon there before the legislative session and as a tune-up race for Boston in April. It was appropriately pointed out to me that vacation plans of the recent past, present, and discussed future have all seemed to revolve around a marathon or half-marathon event – at least when I bring them up, anyway. That’s fair…and I’m quite sure we’ll find a compromise.

However, the question still remains – when is it enough? And why has running races become such an obsession? And when does self-challenge become pure selfishness?

Right now, the marathon list is short, and I wouldn’t do more than two in 2011, even if I could:

• New York – November 7, 2010
• Boston – April 8, 2011
• Indianapolis – November 5, 2011

But sneaking in half marathon here and there is good training. Race situations are good. The challenge is good. It keeps me sharp and gives me a purpose, as opposed to just slogging out the same miles alone on the same trails all the time. I just need to figure out balance, I suppose.

When is it enough? Only when this purpose on my life negatively impacts the other purposes in my life…and those of others. That’s the “balancing” part, and no doubt it will be subject to discussion and negotiation. But it isn’t going to end…at least not as long as I can keep doing it. I sat on my fat ass for far too long, and now I can make up for lost time by doing things that I could have been doing (much faster, no doubt) when my body was young.

Future marathons? An unedited list with the month of the year in which each marathon occurs might include:

• New Orleans – February
• Nashville – April
• Big Sur – May
• Vancouver - May
• Missoula - July
• Twin Cities – October
• Chicago - October
• Long Beach – October
• St. George - October
• San Antonio – November

I know I can’t do all these and others I might add to the list – or maybe I can. Well...at least I know I don’t have to do them all… :-)

Mission Accomplished

San Diego – a city I had good reason to have mixed feelings about – is now my new favorite place in the whole world. That is where I climbed the mountain, not only setting aside the past but also reaching a monumental goal and cementing part of the future.

The past is the past, and I’d just as soon leave it at that. However, it isn’t hard at all to get me to talk about the 2010 San Diego Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon and qualifying for the 2011 Boston Marathon.

I wasn’t totally impressed with my training, but I knew that the shortcomings were not a lack of desire or any amount of laziness. 16 weeks to focus on one morning’s race can be a grind, and sometimes it seemed like a long time away. Somehow, crossing the finish, shattering my only other marathon time, and qualifying for Boston brought everything back into focus. A couple of miles before the finish, I was actually thinking about my last long run where I intended to run 22 and struggled to get to 20 at an 8:00/mile pace. It bothered me at the time, but was easy to shrug off when I knew I could damn near walk to the finish line at that point and qualify for Boston.

The first part of the marathon was a little challenging mentally. While I thought I had given myself plenty of time at the start village to turn in my gear bag and make my final visit to the porta-pottie, I forgot to account for the throngs of half-marathoners – something I didn’t have to contend with in Arizona, since they had a different start. I waited in line for about 15 minutes and realized that I was not going to have enough time. So I headed to the start knowing that I was going to have to make a “pit stop” along the way. Actually, once I made that decision, I was calm about it.

The start was disorganized. The corral bosses basically just dropped their ropes and everyone started pushing forward, instead of separating the corral starts by a couple of minutes like they said would occur. As a result, there were lots of bodies to weave through once I got my pace. 7:15/mile to start out…it was a little fast, but I knew it was safe for a little while and that I could ease up on the drop into downtown. Of course, I didn’t really remember to do that and ended up running Mile 5 at a 6:53 pace. After my “pit stop” just before the end of Mile 7, I was able to settle down and focus on the long climb out of downtown that would last through Mile 11. In the meantime, I was able to enjoy the downtown scenery, buildings, and landmarks. There is still a lot to go back and see.

The climb out of downtown wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be, and I found myself at the top of the hill, looking at a two-mile drop to the halfway point and sitting at around a 7:20 to 7:25 per mile race pace with a lot of gas still in the tank. That is about the time I started thinking I had a good shot at my Boston Qualifier time. When I crossed the halfway point in 1:36:44 and knew I was running at a 7:22 pace, I remember saying out loud to myself, “Oh yeah – I f**king got this bitch.” And the sun was still behind the clouds.

Not too long after this point, I caught up with the 3:15:00 pace group. That was the first time it occurred to me that I might be going too fast and wouldn’t have enough left for the last few miles. I hung with them for a few miles, daring myself to think that I could break 3:15:00, which is the next highest standard for BQ times for men…not that I needed it. The Boston Marathon is on April 18, 2011, which is 9 days after my 40th birthday. I needed only to break 3:20:00 – the qualifying time for a 40-year old – because Boston requires you qualify based on the age you will be when the marathon is run. Still, the thought of breaking 3:15:00 was running as a pack right in front of me. And then the sun came out…

Instantly, everyone warmed up. About as fast as the sun came out, I intentionally dropped my pace because I knew this was a game-changer. The 3:15:00 group slipped further ahead, but I focused on one single purpose – 3:20:59 or better. Keep it simple and don’t get greedy.

I’m glad I did that because it turned out that the last 10 kilometers was the hardest stretch I’ve run to date. Just after Mile 17, the course reached Mission Bay and went north for about a mile and then turned back south. At Mile 19, I was directly west of where I entered the Mission Bay area and continued south from there. I was starting to get very warm, and my legs were screaming at me. I found a salt packet I had in my pocket and because it was wet, I just chewed it until the salt was gone and then I spit out the paper wad. At Mile 20, I reached a water station and decided to walk through it to get fluids and drench my head. After a couple hundred feet, I picked up the pace again, crossing the 20.5 mile split point at 2:31:49 – a 7:24/mile pace.

Quick math told me that I could do the entire rest of the way at around an 8:30 pace and still come in under the wire, but I had no desire to cut it that close. I pressed on and crossed the entrance on to Fiesta Island at Mile 21. I covered Mile 20 in 8:02 (that included the walking), Mile 21 in 7:35, and Mile 22 in 7:34.

At this point, I was headed north on the leeward (east) side of Fiesta Island. It was a hot, humid desert of misery. Many runners were stopping, walking, groaning, or struggling; and there were no crowds to cheer on runners like there had been most of the rest of the course. It was hot, lonely, and demoralizing. My legs were cramping a bit and I was dead tired. I knew I would finish in time, but I needed a moment. I stopped next to a steel drum trash barrel and stretched for what seemed like 20 minutes but was probably more line one minute. I retied my right shoe, even though it probably didn’t really need it. I started going again, knowing I had just about a 5k to the finish, and completed Mile 23 in 8:50.

I don’t know where the strength to finish came from. I don’t even really remember much of the last three miles. But I know I wasn’t content to come in just under the wire so I pressed on, finishing Mile 24 in 7:50, Mile 25 in 7:44, Mile 26 in 7:31, and “sprinted” the last 0.2 miles at a 7:16 pace.

3:17:51. A PR by 10:25 – almost 24 seconds/mile faster.

And a Boston qualifier by 3:08.

Mission Accomplished.

And now...into the breech

One week to go before San Diego. It is hard not to let that be everything I think about.

My training has gone well, but not perfect. I don’t worry about that too much because I remember reading (in more than one place) that a training grid is set up assuming 100% of everything…available time, health, effort, lack of injury, perfect weather, etc. Life gets in the way once in a while – and it did. I am comfortable looking back knowing that I didn’t like missing workouts, as opposed to just blowing them off and forgetting about it. That at least tells me that I have the right attitude.

This morning, I sat down with the course map and Google Earth and visualized the course and the challenging parts of it. With my goal pace in mind, I thought about the parts of the course where I am going to have to push and the parts of course that I can recover. I have a strategy for attacking the course, and I feel good that it will give me the best shot to hit 3:20:59 or better. A good plan is one factor…and of course, I am well aware there are always factors that might impact that plan. Weather, injury, bad fueling, or any number of other factors may come into play…as well as good things like sea level, tailwinds, or just a flat out “good day.”

I’ll take the bad with the good because ultimately, I don’t really care if I qualify for Boston. I’m going to be in San Diego…running through some of the prettiest parts of the city…with my lovely bride and cute, giggling step-daughter….among friends and people in the crowd I don’t even know that will be cheering for me. There will be sunshine, music, and good vibes anywhere.

How can I not have a good race?!?!

The Goal

It's good to have a goal.

It was a pretty easy decision, actually - given the magnitude of the effort that will be required and the preparation that will be needed. Yet, in the end, it seemed so simple. Qualify for Boston.

In order to qualify for the Boston Marathon as a 40-year old - which I will be for the next one in 2011 - I need a time equal to or better than 3:20:59. No exceptions. I have two marathons left to do this year: the San Diego Marathon in June and the New York City Marathon in November. Even if Boston 2011 is not sold out by November (and it probably will be), qualifying for Boston in New York would be challenging.

That leaves San Diego...in June...less than two months from now. If I don't qualify for Boston there, then I have to look to a marathon or two in 2011 that give me the best chance to qualify for the 2012 Boston Marathon. While I am certainly okay with that, if that is the road that I have to take, I want it this year. I want the streak of improvement to continue - and I want to get to Boston while my body seems to be holding together for the most part.

So that is the goal. I have about 5 weeks of hard training left for San Diego, and I am going to make the most of it. I have had a harder time sticking to my grid this time around because of work - albeit a much harder grid than my first - and I have not maintained what I would refer to as a "champion's diet plan." However, a couple weekends ago, I blew the doors off the Platte River Trail Half Marathon with 1:34:48 (7:15 pace), which was an ENORMOUS shot in the arm. Yes - it was downhill - but I smoked that course. I had negative splits the last 6 miles, 7:00 pace for miles 10-12, and a 6:49 pace for the 13th mile before a sprint to the finish. If I can back that off to a 7:35 and sustain it for 26.2 miles, I will qualify for Boston with room to spare.

It won't be easy. I may have come as close as I am going to in my first marathon. I might not qualify...
...but I sure feel like I've got it in me.

Halfway to San Diego

Today is the end of Week 7, which is the halfway point of "hard running" (training time not including the taper). The first part of this training grid - a very aggressive schedule I set for myself - has been a struggle to say the least.

There are a few reasons I set a high bar:

1. To ensure that if I slipped a little bit, I wouldn't fall right off the edge.
2. To build more miles for greater strength and stamina in June.
3. To try to set myself up for a shot to beat 3:20:59, the maximum time to qualify for Boston as a 40-year old (which i would be for the 2011 Boston Marathon)

I may be a victim of my own success. If I had finished PF Chang's Arizona in 3:45:00, I wouldn't have even thought about Boston. However, 3:28:16 - while far from the 3:15:59 I would need to qualify until I am 40 - is not too far away from 3:20:59 I need once I am 40. That is the equivalent of running 17 seconds per mile faster than I did in my first ever marathon, and any marathon I run in 2010 can be used to qualify for Boston in 2011. Given the sea level San Diego course in June, with only one significant climb, it may be my best chance. If I get into New York in November, which I'll find out in a couple of days, I doubt I can run that fast there. If I don't get into New York, I might have a shot to qualify if I ran the Rock 'N' Roll San Antonio in mid-November.

All of this is well and good, but it dawned on me this morning that I may be trying to do too much too fast. I looked back at the training program that led me to finishing Arizona about 15 minutes faster than I though was achievable, and realized that at this point in my grid I hadn't even run 12 miles yet for my longest run! The mileage ramp up that led me to 3:28:16 took place in weeks 11-13. Combined with the frustration of missing runs (or just being out of gas) because of work demands, it feels like I am slacking when I am actually doing as much now as I was in that training plan.

Today, I am sitting down with the old grid and the current one, and I'll design my own plan for weeks 9-16 that will balance my time on-hand with realistic expectations and increases in mileage that aren't so aggressive that I risk injury. Just getting to that point made me feel a lot better about things. I was also 7 pounds heavier in week 8 last year than I am right now. My training diet could be better, but I am definitely starting from better place.

Do I really think I might want to try for Boston???

Speed

I am finally on track to get in all my workouts this week, although Thursday may prove to be a challenge. Yesterday was speedwork, which is something new for me in this training cycle. It seems to be over pretty fast...just 30 minutes last night, but everyone keeps telling me that I'll be able to tell the difference, particularly in the last few miles of San Diego. It also doesn't hurt that the weather is perfect. Sunny and 50's today as I try to get out for an easy 5.

New Challenges

I guess I like the structure that training for a marathon gives me. Without it, I don't think I could motivate myself to get my runs is, and MAN am I motivated. I know I would have been dead meat in Phoenix if I hadn't trained, and yet I know there is more I can do. Right now, I know I'll be in San Diego on June 6 for the San Diego Rock 'N' Roll Marathon, and I am entered into the lottery for the New York Marathon in November.

I am now starting the second week of my 16-week training grid for San Diego. It is a much more aggressive plan than the beginner plan I used for Phoenix, and I am hoping to improve my time. The first week didn't go that well. Work and the weather were tough to manage, but it is a base to start from and I'll be able to improve upon it. I can't wait until daylight savings time starts in a couple of weeks, which will give me more time in the evening. It will also be helpful when it warms up past 13 degrees.

Today is speedwork, and I hope to get it in when I get home from work.

Rock 'N' Roll

Seattle Rock 'N' Roll Half Marathon - 6/27/2009

In June 2009, I traveled to Seattle for the main purpose of moving my then-fiance' and my now-stepdaughter to Colorado. First things first, though. I had my first half marathon to run.

The day started VERY early in the morning, and Gabriella was sweet enough to drive me down to Tukwila to the start. I was not nervous, which surprised me. I had run the distances at altitude so I knew I could finish the 13.1 miles ahead of me. I had no idea if the 8:00/mile pace I was planning was going to be too fast or not, though, and I resolved to just run smart and slow down if it wasn't going well.

As the race got underway, I settled into a pace just around my target. The first couple miles went by fairly fast, as I took in the surroundings and the initial climb to Lake Washington. I felt fantastic and picked up my pace. Within a couple miles, I was running along the west side of Lake Washington on a perfect day and with many more people than I expected cheering on all the runners. My pace quickened a bit more.

Once past Lake Washington, the course turned west along the express lanes of I-90. This was a fairly uninspiring stretch of the race, although I did get a kick out of the band playing at the opposite end of a long underground portion of the express lanes. The music echoed loudly through the tunnel and took my mind off the surroundings for several minutes.

As the express lanes emptied into downtown Seattle, I felt my legs beginning to tire. However, with only about two miles to go, I knew I was in great shape and running much faster than I had hoped for. And the crowds in downtown were amazing. They cheered loudly for all who passed, and I found that energy necessary to push me up the slight uphill grade before I turned once, then once again to head down the final stretch toward Qwest Field. As I turned into the last .2 miles, I picked up my pace and caught a glimpse of Gabriella out of the corner of my eye amongst the crowd.

Finish time - 1:40:01 (7:37/mile pace)

PF Chang's Rock 'N' Roll Arizona Marathon - 1/17/2010

I had always said I would never do a marathon...until I finished the half-marathon. From that point, it was all I could think about. The training I had done for the half-marathon was acceptable, but I knew I could do more and I knew that meant I could run faster and/or farther.

With all of the traveling over the summer moving Gabriella and Christy to Colorado, followed by my class reunion, and a trip to California for Christy's birthday my running was sporadic but adequate. Early in the summer, I found a beginner's marathon training plan and set my mind to stick to it. It was a 16-week program, which meant my start date was September 28, 2009, and it culminated at the marathon January 17, 2010.

With the exception of days with bad weather and one week when I was sick, I stuck to the program. That included some pretty interesting long runs on weekends that were snowing or a lot of snow was already on the ground, but I got them all in and felt good going into the taper time leading up to the marathon.

26.2 miles. That's a long way to run. I'll never forget the course...both what I knew about it from the video of the whole route and what I experienced when I was out there.

I remember getting started in downtown Phoenix and being distracted for the first mile getting through the crowd to the extent that I didn't feel like I would get tripped up. I was familiar with the downtown from the second Phoenix 10k I ran with Dad, and I recall thinking how far I had come since that time. On the turn north out of downtown, I settled into a comfortable pace and noticed the crowds on the streets. I knew that I needed to try to stay on an 8:00/mile pace to hit my target time of 3:30:00. The crowd thinned out fairly soon and it seemed like little time at all passed before I reached the 10k mark. By this time I had turned east and had Camelback Mountain in my sights. I knew I'd be running toward it for a while, and by the time I finally turned away from it I would be heading south toward Tempe and the finish line.

Around the 10k mark, though, I was aware that my stomach was not settled and there was building pressure. Not good. Through the next few miles, I contemplated whether I was going to be able to make it to the finish line without making a pit stop - and that if I did stop, how much time I would lose if I did. At mile 12, I couldn't take it anymore and veered into a portable toilet. In 40 seconds or less, I did my business and was back on the course and ran the next mile in about 7:40 to make up the lost time.

That didn't solve all my problems, but it solved them enough to allow me to keep going. After I made up the lost time, I locked in on my pace again and noticed that each time I passed a gun clock that I was ahead of my goal pace. I tried not to look at my Garmin too much because the miles don't go by as fast that way. So I focused on my surroundings and running all the tangents I could. After passing through Scottsdale, I was nearly to 20 miles and still feeling okay. I went on through the 20-mile wall and pushed on.

Within a mile, it hit me. I was tired and my legs were hurting. "Less than a 10k," I told myself. "So close. Don't give it up now." And I pressed on. About a million years later, I crossed under I-10 and painfully climbed a bridge over the Salt River...and there it was. I was only about two miles away, but I could see Sun Devil Stadium and the finish. My pace had dropped a little in the two previous miles but picked back up again. About a mile from the finish, I distinctly recall someone yelling, "Lengthen those strides, pump your arms, and push it all the way in!" "Screw you," I thought. "Real easy to say from the sidewalk."

I made the last couple turns and there was the finish. I pushed across the line and made it...and then the waves of pain and emotion washed over me.

Finish time - 3:28:16 (7:52/mile pace)

Next Steps

After the first race in Phoenix, I was hooked. Since I knew I could run a 10k and live to tell about it, I set my sights locally - the Bolder Boulder.

I didn't run much after Phoenix...I let the weather talk me out of it. As silly as it seems, I got a charge out of signing up online for the Bolder Boulder. It was a big deal, and I did it about four months before the race - always on Memorial Day - to ensure that I would not talk myself out of it. By the time March rolled around and daylight savings time kicked in, I restarted my running regimen. By the end of the month, I had a Garmin (thanks to my sweetheart, Gabriella!) and the geek factor of being able to track progress and distances online began.

I established a self-imposed program of about three runs per week for around 15 miles per week. As April gave way to May, I kept up the program but didn't ever run over 7 or 8 miles for my longest runs. On Memorial Day, I ran my first Bolder Bolder - the second race of my life - in 46:07 (7:25/mile pace).

I spent much of the summer traveling and let my running drop off. My weight crept up as a result, and I found myself over 200 pounds again. Only as summer gave way to fall did my dad come to the rescue again with an invitation to the Phoenix 10k in November 2009. I started running again - but not with the same frequency I had before the Bolder Boulder - and I paid for it during the race. I fought my way through to a 49:12 time (a 7:44 pace) with my heart and lungs about to blow out of my chest. It was very clear that I was going to (again) eat less and run more if I was going to be able to survive races on a regular basis...and I knew I needed to keep running for my overall health.

Although this was reconfirmed at the Colder Bolder 5k in December 2008, I did not run much at all as the 2009 legislative session wound up and got very busy. By this time, I was 215 pounds - 25 pounds more than the lowest I had achieved, and I was mad at myself. As Gabriella (who was still in Seattle) and I made our plans for our future, I made a commitment to enter my first half-marathon and dedicate myself to a training program to achieve it.

After struggling through the Runnin' of the Green 7k around St. Patick's Day, I knew I had a lot of work to do. By the time the Cherry Creek Sneak 5-mile race at the end of April, I was back up to about 20 miles a week on average and ran that race well. I ran the 2009 Bolder Boulder feeling very strong and finished in 45:44 (7:21 pace).

By the week before the Seattle Rock 'N' Roll Half-Marathon, I had shaved ten pounds and was ready to rock and roll!