Tonight, Tonight

"Tonight, Tonight will not be just any night." - Song Tonight from West Side Story.

Well tonight lots to do. I have to go home and find my garmin. Yep I moved and now its lost. I guess that forces me to unpack my room. I got alot of stuff done when it comes to unpacking last night.

Tuesday it was cool because I could wear my chicago half marathon shirt from last year again. I felt bad wearing it because of my boycott and all. My goal for end of the year was to be able to wear my chicago marathon shirt but I do not know if that will happen now. Its ok I done really well this year. Well one weekend a month next year I should ride with the BCLC's singles ride. It will not only get me on the bike more but maybe met some nice girls. I need to get on the bike more. Maybe next paycheck I will go out and buy myself a bike trainer. There is a place close to work where you can have you and 7 other people all on a computrainer for fun riding in place but you know what. Do I really want to tempt myself like that.
April 14th next year I am going to the Chicago Bike show looking for a bike.

Tomorrow I get to sleep in and not have to worry about running or bagels or anything. I thought about just going to hang out but so many people either do 20, running chicago half, or doing milwaukee I bet no one will even be there. Then again you never know. Tomorrow I need to have garmin in the morning and get my butt to Milwaukee so I can pick up my stuff. Unlike everyone else I am going home that night. Maybe I should stay in a hotel closer to there if its cheap just so I do not have to drive all the way there in the morning. its 4:30 for me otherwise but then again is maybe saving 30 mins worth it?

My knee has no pain at all this. I also got a knee brace with a nice big hinge for the race. It says it should releive symtoms for my type of knee injury. I think I will wear that can carry my small brace with me for when the big one becaome so ingorning I have to take it off. So much to do and so little time to do it.

I am about 30 pages into the Paleo diet for atheletes. Its pretty interesting so far.

Now a word from our editor

Talk from last night at Yogis. No real details but this does pretain to everyone I talk to on the blogs.

http://www.slate.com/id/2149867/?GT1=8592

Ok read it first before reading the blog. Did you read it yet? no go and read it.

Ok Basicly people like me are ruining marathons for everyone. Yep little old me or big old me. I am too slow and I am destorying the sport. Honestly I think I am not destory it but making it bigger. I think he is not upset about slower people but upset that its becoming so big and that .5 millon people run a marathon a year. Honestly if Sunday goes well I will have done same amount of marathon's as the writer. Marathoning become apart of you and yes I do want to get faster and better. Maybe I have started too quick and done too much but I do it and that is my point.

I would say that if marathons dropped off or they worked hard to keep people like from doing them that many races will fall apart. People like me help keep the numbers up. When you finish chicago at like 5:45:00 you still have 3 to 4 thousand people behind you. Honestly you do not ahve 40k 3 hour runnners because the course would just be so jammed up. Maybe the streets of chicago are not the best place for slower runners because of traffic needing to be let through but it is an amasing experience. I do admit my friend struggle and he did not train for it. Plus the slowest finishers at chicago tend to start way up front and that bugs the heck out of me. I figure if your slow go to the back and deal with the more distance. I also do not like the people who carely can not make the cutoff and do not even try to make it. Those people do not have the right to be out there in my opinion. Its like the Mainre corp issue. I do not think anyone should be allowed to cut the course short nor do I think people should sign up for a race they honestly know they can not finish. I have no problem with unsure people going for it and trying it. 1 big reason I switch to the half at the game games because I did not think on that day I could finish the marathon in decent amount of time. They had a 6 hour time limit and I respected it. Milwaukee has a 6:30:00 so I will be out there for 6:30:00 but no longer. I will run if I ahve to get back on pass. If I can not makie it I will drop out. No sense injuring yourself over something as silly as a marathon.

The big city.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Schlemeel, schlemazel, hasenfeffer incorporated." - Laverne and Shirley tv show title song

When I was a kid we would go to Milwaukee about once a year. It was very cool going into the big city. It was about 1 hour south of where we lived. It seemed like it took forever to get there. There were so many roads and the buildings were so tall. I get that same feeling even now when I go there. I guess parts of your childhood just never go away. The highway system there I think is more complex than Chicago. Milwaukee just has ramps over ramps over ramps. I have to drive through there on come Chrismas days and I worry about icey condistions on those interchanges. I wish I was in better condition for the marathon but hey I want to get wisconsin in even though honestly with Lake Genveva and ice age ultras the chances are I will do a marathon+ distance there very soon. ultras count towards your 50 states. Sunday will be about 6 weeks into my injury so I may very well be better by Chicago. I know I have reinjried it several times but only delays the healing. I have not gotten worse.

Last night I did Yoga for the first time in a long time. The new floor does help with it since being a wooden floor its much easier to get a grip on the floor vs carpeting. As for the idea of leaving the Alpine runners will I do not think I will do anything until atleast end of winter. Winter makes travel tough and less people to met. Nothing worse than making new friends who live 50 miles away that you can never see.

Marathon Week

"Marathoning is like cutting yourself unexpectedly. You dip into the pain so gradually that the damage is done before you are aware of it. Unfortunately, when the awareness comes, it is excruciating."
- John Farrington, Australian marathoner

Welcome to another edition of marathon week. Unlike shark week on the discovery channel this is this years 3rd marathon week and have a couple more coming up.

Well last night I had a little freak out. I was watching my old videos from past marathons. I used to watch my first marathon video on days I did not want to train and it would get me to go out. Now I see teh video and I get so worried about the pain. Interesting not since the first marathon I do not think I have not had some pain going into the week before the marathon. Like last weekend I am going to take this week easy and ice alot. good news is my knee is not hurting to the touch but I can feel tightness in the muscle itself. Its getting better as well as my sickness. I just hope I am better by saturday. I need to be able to breathe otherwise sunday will be a long day.

For sunday my goals are simple. Finish at 6:28:00 and get 20 mile in hopely if I do have to drop. if I hurt too much I may drop out but I will try not too. I have never dropped out of a marathon and never dropped in a non loop course. only DNF 1 race and switch to the half mnidway through another. switching is not a DNF :). I knew I went out too fast and a 6 hour cut off time is hard for me. I like to go over. I will not even try to pr anymore this year. Now its just about finishing unless my knee is just feeling that good even then I do not think I will push it because well I do not want to injury myself last time I pred and did not train enough. Atleast my heart is string enough and I am lighter so that helps alot.

This week I am going to walk and take it easy once I feel up to it. Icing alot and streching is key.

Hate

"Hate makes you powerful gives you focus." - Cancellor Palatine.

OK maytbe the quote was about angry and more cool things about it. I decided to let everyone know that I really hate Lora and not in love with her as people may thing.
Lets review. I want to beat in her every race we run together. I like to run with her because by running with someone you can make sure you maintain there level of edurance as well as know exactly where they are and there weaknesses. I bought the book "The Paleo Diet For Athletes: A Nutritional Formula For Peak Athletic Performance" because well Lora used it to lose weight and well I need to also if I am to beat her. I like to do the same types of races she does but I always do more of them. I alos sing to her while we run because well it keeps her from opening her chatterbox mouth and of course gives me a harder workout so when it comes to race time I will blow her away. I study every inch of her body so I can find any weakness I can exploit. Ok maybe I had a few more reasons I since forgotten. So now you all know the truth. So all these rumors can be finally be put to an end.

Me and Dean make 3

Lora is right. I am resting. Resting is crap btw. Its really overrated. Last night all I did was move stuff back into my room and watched the TV show House. I love that show. yeah House. I wish my doctor like that. Brash in my face, House would never see me but would fix me up. I still wonder why my Doc thought I have Asthema. yeah you have a chest cold or something worse but I will assume chest cold. Since you have said cold and have a hard time breathing I will assume it must be an Ashemic problem. I mean you would think about 20 - 30 miles of running a week + swimming and biking (rarely biking) would cause me to have breathing problems. ONly time I have trouble breathing while running is when I am at about 95% of maxium heart rate.

Interesting news if want I can run with Dean. That would be so cool. I may do it for a mile or 2 at the Chicago Marathon. He runs slightly faster than I can for a marathon or even a half marathon but it would be cool to run with him for lets say 1 mile or 2 :). The reason I say that makes 3 because I am sure Lora will want to run with Dean and then make him pay and beat him. Lora likes to beat people and that is why I never joined her in chicago. I would be jealous when she is beating other people and not me. :). jk she does not beat people that I know off except in races. I used to beat her and now she beats me. Well that is going to change but it may take some time.

I did get a piece of fan mail today. Now some of my stats are wrong but still makes me feel good. No idea who wrote that first part though, and I was hoping we decided to move to to A so you get 2nd for the 170 - 185. there is no adavantage to running with more weight. :). I do think unfortuately it is a guy and not some cute 50 year old lady. I guess only girls I remmeber there were the other 2 girls listed in the race results. Oh well it would be fun to have dated a girl and then go to Julie B and go yeah your just too young for me. Honestly Julie B is too young for my older woman fantasy as well as Lora or Juli A. Anyways here are the quotes

"BTW there is a guy from the Alpine runners that I ran with once. I weighed him in on Sunday. He was 293 pounds. Look at his time! He has run SIX marathons. Just knowing a guy that weighs a lot more then and has completed a marathon gives me great comfort. Now if he was 20 years older....
4 D-TODD M 30 LAKE ZURICH IL 0:31:32.0 78 / 44"

Ron Lawson replied with
"Not only has big Todd run six marathons, he thinks he's an ultra-marathoner and has run 50K's and 50 milers, also has his sights set on a 100 miler !
You can't deny his enthusiasm, in addition to the 293 pounds, he's also 6 foot 8 inches in girth ! A true CLYDESDALE !"

Wow they love me they really love me. Lawson is my Cyldesdale mentor and well wants me to become super skinny. when I am as skinny as Tom but have the muscles of a triathlete I will kill as a Clysdesdale D.

Back to work

America what a country. I had to use my only sick day I had hopely and a vaction day also the only one I had. I am back to work but not by choice. I would have liked another day but oh well. It is what it is. I was running late. Sitting here at work for 5 minutes and you can hear 4 different being coughing but a storm. No wonder people always getting sick because hey we go to work sick and we are all trapped in these small rooms together. I have not been sick in 2 years. One reason is because during th height of cold and flu season I was unemployeed. heck I think I got more sick days a year as an intern that I do at this job. I only really get like maybe 3 this year. 4th I earn right on or right after the last day of year. 6 a year is missleading because you only get 1/4 a day every day check. ITs better than nothing.

Good news of all of this is it forces me to rest my knee. I am sure Lora does not mind hearing that news. Lora and I have several dates coming up. No that kind of dates. Running dates. come on still not kinda of date but date for races. Man some people. Only way I will be able to fully enjoy the races coming up is if I am healthy and well maybe something to slow Lora down. She has always been faster than me. I am working on changing that. :). No not by slower her down but speeding myself up. like Milwaukee I am going to take nice and slow but I can not take it too much slower. I like to be a 4 hour marathoner. better yet a 3:59:00. marathoner. :).

Other good news is I mostly have my room back. I get to finally move back into it minus I do not have a bed in that room so my pc might not be moved for awhile since well I want to be able to lay down and watch a movie and the wood floor does not help with that. But I can start doing Tai Chi or Yoga again. That would be helpful with my cold potentially. My friend suggests I do not do Yoga until I am better but that is more because of senis drainage issues. Tai Chi would good. Actually more thinking about Chi Gung which is better for me actually. needless to say while I am out from running I might as well work more on loosening up my body. Nothing worse than running Milwaukee and getting hurt again since well Chicago is the race I want to do again. It will be my 3rd year in a row.

When the the Doctor today

I forgot the Dr. only costs me $15 now. It used to be like $90 + the cost of the day off. Man how sweet is life. Well Dr. says I have a virus going around. Also susspects that I have asthma, and I need do do something about my high blood pressure and my dad who smokes in the house but not around me and only a 1 room I rarely go into is causing my chest problems. I guess I should start to feel better by saturday or so. It could take up to next wednesday.

Needless to say I have to go back to work tomorrow since well I had to use a day of vaction today because I only had 1 sick day I could use. You can not go negative into sick days. No way I can be off for 1 week from work. If I am I probably be off perminately. Resting now while I can. Also sucks I have to move back into my room by saturday. I have no choice in that one either.

As for swimming I to wait until I am healthy again before I enter a pool otherwise I will just get everyone else sick. Pools suck that way.

Lora and I are doing the crazy ultra. It has been decided. I am not too concerned. It will be like march madness. That race can have a really warm day and other days they run it in a snow storm. Being in Kanasas Chance are it will be above 0 and that is a big mark. I do not thinnk I will every run below 0 again. It was -10 one day and I ran about 2 miles outside but it was just too cold for me.

One Alpiner jsut had a baby. She is excited because she should be able to still run Chicago Marathon if she wants too. She stopped running the last week of the pregnacy.

I been having fun watching movies this week though. I learnt alot also. Movies I watched are

Spanglish: It is possible to deeply love someone and not to be with them.

Stanford Wives: Robotic wives kick ass.

Signs: Even Mel Gibson can lose his faith.

Austin Power: Internal man of mystery: yeah baby

The days of Yore

video from when life was easier and times were simpler. Life without Alpine Runners. Before Reen hurt herself. Maybe even before Lora started to run. A day when a 100 miler was just in the eyes of crazy Juli A. When a little race was going to be my first and probably my last race.



Sunday I was good and I followed a very special woman's advice. She told me I needed to run a 50k so I did and life could not be better. jk. I rested. In fact I rested so much I caught a cold. I stayed home from work and been in bed all day. In fact I could not even sit up for too long. This is not my first blog of the day but I jsut could not write anymore.

I do not think I will walk or run today but starting maybe tomorrow I can start to tretch and do Yoga again. My room is almost ready for me to start to move back in. Ateast the important things like teh pc desk and the tv. I will not be able to sleep in my room until saturday night when I get my new bed. If I can I will only walk for awhile maybe not run until milwuakee but walk to keep up my endurance. Saturday I may have over did it but I did feel good about it how I felt.

Alpine Bunch

"All I ever hear is Lora. Lora, Lora, Lora" - Julie Bane

Today was fun and sad and just alright. It started at 5:00 am. Since I went to sleep at around midnight I did not get much sleep. I had fun with my charge coffee though. Mmm Mmm charge coffee. nothing like running with Coffee in your hand. Well I did 5 miles before everyone elese even got to the high school. I was having some foot and Ankle problems but I work on my form and that helped alot. I walk/ran the 5 miles. taking it easy.

I then ran with John until well either I did 13 more miles or my knee started to hurt. Well sure enough my knee started to hurt 3 miles into the run with John or my 8 over all. I then walking back when it occured to me that Pat, John C, Julie B, and shannon were going to be coming around the courner. So I ended up walking with Julie B for about 2 miles and then the others for another 2. That was nice. Ran into John again and my knee was hurting from the walking at mile 9 but was feeling good at mile 12. Pain while walking came and went about 3 times while walking so I stopped at 14.5 miles. 3.5 miles short of my goal. I figure better to miss miles than to miss the race. Plus I think Sunday I will go to some trails for atleast 10 miles of walking. That would be good. Yes I iced as soon as I walked into the house.

Good news at 14.5 miles I was not even tired so I am not too worried about Milwaukee that way but I am concerned about it when it comes to strain on my knee. My goal is to finish in 6:30:00

That is a 14:58 pace or with the clock time it is about 14:30. Its a little fast to walk even though I trained to walk my first marathon at a 13:45 pace. I may have to run some but not alot. If I keep my running down I should be ok. I do not want to DNF but I do not want to miss my chance. Espically now that I know Lisa will be there. ok Lisa is not my secret love but still she is cool. My secret love made me feel sad today since she does not love me back.

Talked to Dorn today and he was like Physco Wyco is not good for rookies and that 50/50 is perfect no extra training required. For once I agreed with Dorn. If only someone else would agree with me. I hope my knee is strong enough to do 50/50. It is 8 weeks away so it should be if I do not keep screwing it up.

Dream a little dream

Well frustrated by the lack of weight lose I am going to start to do something radical I have not done in a long long time. Basicly I am going to count my calories. yeah I do not want to do it but you got to do what you got to do.

Yesterday I was tired and I just walked for 3 miles. Honestly though I think my heart is too strong now that walking does me no good. For me ideal weight lose is around 124 hbm and I average 101. Looks like I need to run more. I did do some weight training on the way home. I carried anti freeze and 5 qts of oil home from wal amrt for a mile. I need to change out my oil this weekend and redo my anti freeze. Keep the car in good shape and I will get alot more use out of it. I think I need to work out more and eat less. Maybe I need to work out more and eat more but its hard to say. I hit a platue and I need to break it. I would love to be able to get into the 270s by chicago and 260s by 50/50. If I got into 260 by november then well I think competeing at 250+ chicago oly will be gone but honestly I think geting down to 225 would be worth it in the long run. enjoy the pun. :). I just need to be healthy and happy.

Change at the Alpine Races. do to the cold and the rain they are thinking about a cut off time for the Alpine Races. to be a circuit race like it will next year they need to keep it open I guess for 2:37. Beth asked me if I could make it in 2:45 and I told her I can do that now and I should be able too barring some unforseen issue. It is sweet of her to think of me and make sure I can run the race. IT really comes down to screwing a Alpine Running named Janet. She did the Race on sunday in 3:20:00 and did not even say thank you. Second to last palce person was in at 3:07:00. With the cold and the rain she kept everyone out there and they thought it was unfair. Really it is an issue that most people wait extra 30 - 40 mins to help 1 - 2 people. Being a BOP I do not know how I feel on this issue since well There was a time I jsut hoped to break 3:00:00 and I did Cary the first time not knowing if I would be able to finish in the time given. Heck I worry about Chicago Marathon that way. Milwuakee will be a real good test for me.

The Tale of 2 Julies

Last night it was interesting. It was 2x julie fun. Now I absolutely love both Julies. They are both great and wonderful people. I learnt they are a great team. Juli A will tell you so many wonderful things and dreams where Julie B will keep it real and warn you of what you are trying to do.

Juli A was recommening Ice Age 50 miler. She seem to have forgotten she recommended it too over something like the 50 miler with the chicago 50/50. Julie B was like I would not do it. 12 hours and she barely made it. Last year Mary Ann barely made it. Juli A said she would give me her belt buckle if she made it and I did not make it in the time limit. Juli A what a wonderful woman. Plus how many belt buckles to the same race do you need?

I told Juli A of my training plan and she really do not help too much but did give me some good advice. It was more that she liked some of my ideas and proved them than to give me new info. Beth would be better for this but I do not think Beth has done a 50 miler either. Beth though did suggest speed work since she thinks I am ready and I should be out running with the 9:30s so I can run with the 3 sisters. I am not quite ready for the sisters yet but I have thought about doing more speed type work during the week but only after I am healed.

I told Juli A about Lora's plan for the 50k. Julie B quickly came in and was like is Lora insane. She mentioned how it was her hardest race she ever ran including the ice age 50 miler and the ice age 100k. Dorn who she was dating at the time is like a 3 hour marahtoner and took him 6:23:24 to do it in. She had to pull herself up on tree, it was cold and the ground was all icey. She was like I should not do that one unless I am really prepares. Juli A was like can I go with you? I really want to do that one.

Julie B did think about alternate 50 milers for me one of them being sunmart or sunmark 50 miler. She thinks that one would be better. She may be right. I am not worried about the distance at ice age but the cut off. Plus Julie B was worried about me and winter training since the hardeest part of ice age is running alot in winter.

Julie B also looking all sweet and serious was like you really do like older women don't you. She was talking about Lora. What that I go and run a 50k with her? Well yeah since she is the only one who will really run with me. Lora is an incredible woman. So is Julie B and I do not have the guts to let her know that. She is quite the beauty.

So for now I will continue on my Ice Age 50 miler journey but I will head Julie Bs advice. In all honesty Julie B is sometimes too levelheaded and Juli A is too high in the clouds. Julie B really looks out for me to the point of maybe over protecting me where Juli A wants me to do amasing things perpahs too quickly. If I only had a 3rd Julie who was about 26 - 27 who was a beautiful as both Julies but was also the middle ground. That would be the perfect woman I think. Not to say I would trade in either Julie in for the world. I am lucky I have them on my side.

Swimming and Lora

"You can hit your legs really hard, you can get very, very sore from training and I love that, but, the one I'd feel most on stage is legs. But, the thing that happens is once the adrenalin kicks in, that's the trigger." - Warren Cuccurullo of Duran Duran

Today I am sore from Sunday. I swam for a good 30+ minutes last night. Funny I was watching a young girl doing her laps and well she was doing all these weird things and make some big splashes. I am like does she know what she is doing or is this a case of being self trained like I was. Well when I finally got into the water I could see her from under the water and I was even more confused by what she was doing. She was so splashing and what not I thought maybe she had only 1 arm and had some other physical problems. She was going free style with only 1 arm and kicking like a dolphin. I still do not get it. I am a slow swimmer but I decide to see how I do matched up against her so when she was free syling I start out and see if I could beat her. She still beat me in 25 meters but not by much. I felt good about what my "coach" says and will keep it up. I will admit when I put in my 1/2 mile in I stop alot but when a cute girl enters the pool its hard not to keep going. There was a girl waiting and I was trying to stay in the pool until after she got in. Interesting thing about watching her after I got out and she took my lane was just how good her form was. She jsut glided through the water and made it all look so simple. I was impressed. My form is getting better but I need to drill more. I know like running drills are important but the least fun.

I also learnt the 1 key about swimming. That is do not ever weigh yourself when you first get out of the pool. Looks like your body absorbs water and your weight can really be up. I noticed this when I got out of the pool I weight over 300 lbs again. I got home and was down to 298. I felt so bad and depressed until I ate dinner watched some tv and weighed again and I was down to 294. I felt so much better. I just need to break the 289 ceiling. I swear getting into a new decade is tough. I always get close and then go back up.

Really good news is my knee feels alot better since I got the brace so I think I will be back running regularly again. This should kick my weight lose back into high and I may be able to run with Lora this weekend. I am sure she would like that. I know she is just using me for my body ( to help pace her) but I do not mind. Tonight and maybe thursday will be the real test. I want to take it slow but if I am going to do like 18 miles I need to speed it up a little more and make sure my knee can handle it.

Do you remember when?

"We will not tire, we will not falter and we will not fail." - George W Bush 9/12/2001

Do you remember 9/11? I sure do. it was a hot day. Sweet beading down my face. I was really tired. I had all these horrible thoughts going through my head. All I knew is I had to press on and overcome this struggle that was laid before me. Today on the anniversary of first Alpine Races where I came in 2nd in the Half Marathon for the Clysdesdale D division. It was a hot 86 degree day and I could not keep hydrating. All I knew is I would probably place if I just finish so I pressed on. Those words really reflected 9/11/2005 for me.

I personlly do not like 9/11 as a date. Not because of 2001, but because of 2002,2003,2004,2005 and now 2006. I will admit at that time I was full of confusion, hatred and many other emotions. By next year I was over it and I had to really think about why such things happen. I remembered the tragty of Columbine and I really felt sorry for the 2 gunmen. I mean I remember being in high school and being the butt of so many jokes and laughter that honestly I felt there pain. It takes alot of pain and hate for a person to do such a horrible act. If you are going to give up your life willingly for something then you have to really beleive in it. The idea that we need to continue to hate and live in fear because it could happen again is real tradegy of the event. I do not mean to belittle the loss of family of 9/11 victems. The problem is angry and hatred do not solve the problem but only make it worse. If we want to prevent future events killing the people's family who did this would prevent this because there friends would be outraged by it and seek revenge on us. Jails do not solve crime they are only a quick solution on how to deal with crime after it happens. There really is no easy solution though since people are so imperfect. Its our imperfections that makes everything in life interesting and gives us all our drama but it also causes all our problems.

I beleive the Buddha said it right when he mentioned how people cause most of there own suffering needlessly. Even today as people remember that Half Marathon relive all the pain and suffering they had on that day, we really do not need it and it does us no good to do it. What is past is past and hopely we all we have left to remember the day is the hardware in which we won.

Alpine Races

How cute is that. Yep Stephanie is an Offical Race Offical and Ron is helping her get her sign on. I guess a girl who loves to bike will bike than run. :). I wonder if that was the thing Pat needed to talk to Stephanie about.

How did I do? Well I got 4th in Cylasdale D

Pace max speed mph Calories Avg Heart Rate Max Heart Rate
Mile 1 9:25 8.9 312 171 182
Mile 2 10:16 6.8 317 178 184
Mile 3 10:46 7.3 301 176 184
Mile.14 1:03 9.5 54 183 191
Total 10:03 9.5 984 175 191

Total time 31:32. offical pace is 10:10 since its 3.1 miles.

It was cold and raining. I had a great pace and I am proud of it. Sad thing I am the only Cysdale or Athena that did not get an award. How frustrating you PR by like 7 mins and yet you only one who does not place. Oh well there is always next year. Once I drop 70 lbs I should I ok.

38:48 was my past pr so was 7:16 time off it.

How Ironic. I just learnt there were no 30 - 34 old who ran the race. In fact there were 2 but we both ran as Cyldesdale Ds. So if we were both in the A/G instead of 3, 4 we would have had 1,2. How crazy is that? Is it too late to switch to A/G?


I did Elicpical for about 16 mins but my legs where so tired. then I biked for 15 mins but it was hurting my knee so I stopped and swam for about 30 mins. I took it nice and easy no idea how far I went.

Trust

There are alot of things we life we need to trust.

Trust that my dear sweet Reen will get better.

Trust that if I run 5k I will not screw myself up more. I think I will buy my first knee brace ever. That should fix the problem. Its very miniumal problem right now. Rarely hurts until I press down on it or ran the day before and even then its pretty minial. I think my next run after the 5k will be Milaukee marathon. You may be asking but Todd don't you need to train for Milwuakee. I will but I will walk. Its much easier on my knee but harder on the feet. Its ok. I have my nice cushioning shoes for my training. I decided running shoes is not the way to go while I am walking since well it hurts the feet since they are not made to be on your feet for so long. When I run my feet glide off the pavement.

Trust that Juli will get me through my 50 miler. She knows alot about Ultras and I can always get Beth's opipinions on the subject. I trust Beth with training issues also.

Real question though I used to fix pcs and printers for 4 years and yet people do not trust me that I know what is wrong with the printer. I do not get it. Software Engineers may be smart but they do not have the mechiancal experience I have.

Well I am also about halfway out of my room at home. I do not have to be completely out jsut mostly out. I have to get out by tonight.

Knees who needs them

Why do I need the knees?

Well this morning my knee hurts again to the touch but its not bad. It does not hurt on stairs but I can feel it. I say its in a threating state right now. not sure if I should run or not. Its really hard to say. thinking maybe I will be good until sunday for the 5k but do I run the 5k? I am not sure. I have a shot of beating Ron since well he just had knee surgery. I could be good and volulineteer but then again if I can beat Ron I may get first in the 5k in the A/G and even beat someone to get it. :).

I heart running

Today I walked run. I ran and walk and I walked every hill because I did not wwant to push it. Tomorrow morning will be the real test on my knee.

to give you an idea of how I did.

mile 1 15:31
mile 2 13:28
mile 3 11:56
mile 4 13:55
mile 5 13:47
mile .15 1:13 the .15 I avg 8:55 :) with a max speed of little less than a 6:00 min pace. I was running as hard as I could.

more details on how I feel tomorrow. I saw juli but she did not come to Yogi;s so I have to wait to find out my training scedule.

I heart Juli A

"Motherfucking cocksucker motherfucking shit fucker what am I doing? What am I doing? I don't know what I'm doing. I'm doing the best that I can. I know that's all I can ask of myself. Is that good enough? Is my work doing any good? Is anybody paying attention? Is it hopeless to try and change things? The African guy is a sign, right? Because if he isn't, than nothing in this world makes any sense to me. I'm fucked! Maybe I should quit. Don't quit! Maybe I should just fucking quit. Don't fucking quit! I don't know what the fuck I'm supposed to fucking do anymore! Fucker! Fuck shit!" - Albert Markovski from I heart huckabees

That quote from the movie is really something that I love. It really very much how I am like in my life. Many times I am lost looking for truth of the world and I just feel lost.

Why do I heart Juli A? Not only because she is beautiful and very sweet to me, but because she is helping me with "The Plan". The plan to run 50 miles. Thanks to my triathlon coach he says I need to really focus on my running up until Ice Age. That I should do some light recovery workouts with swimming and biking but use them to basicly move the body and not to use them to gain speed or distance in those areas. I agree with him and figure I will do most my biking this winter on a trainer so I can use it too avoid the really cold weather and snow. Now I just need to come up with a weekly millage plan. I will turn to a couple of 50ks I have between now and ice age 50 miler as well as hal higdeons training advice. Once I get it I will ask the approval of 1 Juli A. She has been one of the closest people to me in the running club for quite a time. I just love her for all she has done and has given me. She has supported me so much. This summer I been closer to her than to anyone. I have not ran with reallyanyone this summer but Johjn about once. I feel bad since she keeps wanting me to run with her but I keep turning her down. Good news is I think I am back and this wekend I am planning on running a 5k. If that goes well I will run about 13 more miles.

I heart Lora

"Why are you guys wasting all of your time fighting each other? I mean, come on, seriously. Put the egos aside for a second, guys, please. Deal with the issues, okay. We have a deadly petroleum situation, not to mention -- SHUT UP! SHUT! -- Cystic Fibrosis, civil war in Africa, toxic fish. You have children in your own community who are going to prison. Father Flavin doesn't have the money to help them! Ma'am, listen to me!" - Tommy Corn from I heart huckabees

Yes there is politics in running. There are politics in every social setting. It is simple why. We are social creatures who have a need for a heirarchy. People are constantly fighting control of it. Now people can and will screw other people over, and do things other will not like. One of the biggest things I promise no matter what happens I will not allow the politics to get in the way of my runs and between me and my running partners.

The greatest problem we all have is the inability I think to see things from others perspectives. We all love to judge people and we do like to take the moral high ground and yet when faced with the same situation we may follow the same path others would condemn. Life is never black and white. I been told several things about Beth and Pat that frankly has upset me. Still I support Beth and PAt in there in enduverous and I still like them. Even though I guess they have done things to upset people at the same time I know they have done alot of good things also. We are all flawed people who make mistakes. We deal with the issues in our lives the best we can. One problem with being in a club is there is so much history we do not know and did not experience that to get an accrurate view of past events are impossible.

I will tell you one of my biggest pet peaves is hypocracy. We all do it and I know I have done it myself. Like my cousin who said English government is doing my in-laws wrong since they will not allow them to visit England from Packastain because of people who abused it and seeked assylum. Now my cousin wants to do the exact same thing. Maybe Packastain there are some big problems going on there but to complain how we do not want to abuse it and then 2 months later say they need to do it just bothers me. I do not want to see his inlaw to die I just want people to be honest with there attention instead of misleading people jsut to try to gain sympathy.