I just don't know

I think I have peaked 2 weeks too soon. Up until 2 weeks ago I was getting better and better every week and running with little pain. Since then I have had foot problems, hurt my back, and missed run after run. This past weekend my body felt good but the mind just didn't let me run the distance I wanted. I set out to run 10 miles and I was walking before I hit 3 miles. I completed a 5 mile run/walk and felt beaten. The good thing was that the body held up, I just could not shut my mind off.

Today was the first chance I had to run since this weekend and I wanted a good run. I didn't need a great run but I had to have a positive. I hit the parking desk because it was flat and gave me a good shot at a good run. I did 4 miles at a good pace and best of all I kept going when I wanted to stop. I'm on the right track to get the mind back before the big day. I think the body will be fine as long as I can stop thinking.

Random thoughts: Spirit of the Marathon was NOT a good movie. I was looking for some motivation and this was not it at all. My wife said I need to watch Run Fat Boy Run.

I got an email from the husband of my niece last week and I almost didn’t even open it because I thought it was junk mail and I never get mail from him. It turns out that he and a few others a walking to raise money for ALS. This is the disease that recently took the life of Kim, my sister in law. I’m sure the reason they choose the cause. I wish I could walk with them but it’s on the same day as the race. It pleases me that they are stepping up and I can’t wait to give. I will surely think of her and my dad on my run.

The email got me to thinking: When I started exercising it was for my health, then it was for a cause (Team in Training) and now it’s just for me. Just for me is not working. I know longer have a reason to run and I think that is what I’m missing. I don’t enjoy it anymore. It feels like a job and that is not right. My wife is going to kill me but I think I need to go back to Team in Training or find other ways to get me excited. I may look in to doing tris for ALS though this guys team:





If you have ever seen someone with ALS then you would know what a true effort he put in to finish.

I can't Wait!

I can't wait until this is over. I haven't enjoyed running for some time now and it's getting harder and harder to train. I just want some time off. I got my wish. This past weekend I was moving a stupid piece of exercise equipment that my wife bought and I hurt my back. I have been walking around like an old man and laying on a heating pad for days. Today is Wednesday and it finally does not hurt, it's just stiff. I'll give it until Saturday to heal. I think the break is good for the mind.

Don't Call it a Comeback!

Last Long run was this weekend. I have not had the best week or 2 running and my mind seemed to be talking me in to walking or even worst, putting off runs. I knew I had a 20 mile run planned on Saturday but I just did not want to run. I managed to drag myself out of bed and eat Saturday morning and then I looked outside. It was cold with drizzly rain and wind. That was all it took for me to give up. I crawled back in bed with my wife. When I woke later I could see that the weather turned pretty nice and I felt like a big loser. I just kept telling myself that my feet hurt and that I didn’t need to do the run.

Sunday morning rolled around and I once again got up and got some food in me. I looked outside to see a crappy day. This time I packed up the car and went to the park. I wanted to get 22 miles in but I had decided that I would take anything at this point. I ran and ran. My foot that has been bothering me for 2 weeks stopped hurting at about 10 miles and still feels good today. I tried to fuel myself but still don’t have it right. I just get slower and slower and if I stop to do anything (eat, drink, go the bathroom) it takes me all I have to get the legs moving again. In the end I went 20 miles. I left the park with mixed feelings, I wanted to go 22 but I did grind out 20. First 4.4 miles were at just under a 9 miute per mile pace and the last 4.4 miles were at a pace just under 11 minutes per mile. I'll take it.

I loved the new music I put on my MP3 player and one song is my new theme song. Here is a little blast from the past that kept me going.



HOW ABOUT THOSE FALCONS?

Good and Bad.

Last week was a bad week. I ran in pain and just hoped it would go away. After running in pain for 3 miles on Saturday I just stopped. I could not run another step. A 3 mile walk home had me thinking the worst. I was so close to my goal and now I can’t even run a step without pain. I just decided to call it a week and hope things would get better.

I was nervous to run yesterday but after a few steps I was smiling again. I felt just the usual soreness in my legs. I only ran for 40 minutes but it felt good. This weekend will be my last long run and I want to get it right. I hope to go over 20 miles. I have been on the lookout for a better place to run and I just can’t find it. My nutrition has also been a joke so I want to get something in place.

This weekend my mom turned 70 years young. At what age do you stop saying years old and start saying years young? As I get older these milestone years don’t seem so old. I guess that means I’m now officially an old timer. I got to see most of my brothers and sisters and that was really cool. I come from a family of 8 kids and 6 of us were at the party. My older brother Andy has started running and is doing well. Better then he knows really. He is past the part where your body yells at you to stop. He’s up to running 3+ miles a day and looking to go further.

My oldest brother has a fake leg that he was charging as he sat and visited. The leg actually had a computer that knows how mush to swing the leg as he walks based on something. What a rewarding job some people have, the person that made this leg changed a life. How cool!

Now I just have to run it!

I finally did it. I registered for my first marathon, The Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon on November 8th. I also went out last night and got some new running shoes. My old shoes stink so bad that my son had to move my bag with the shoes to another room so that he could do his homework. I wanted to get the same shoes that I have now but they did not have them so I went to the next model. I hope they work out. I have also decided that my IPod is due for some new songs and I need to get rid of the ones that I just skip past. I went old school and found some LL Cool J, MC Hammer and old Prince. I’m just putting upbeat songs to see if I can pick up the pace a bit.