Sentimental Me

Well here it is almost Christmas. There is snow on the ground and cold outside. I am on vacation too! So much has happened it seems in the past month and since I have posted anything on this blog. I have wanted to write but just didn't know what to say. Some of it was quite depressing. Each time I post I feel some pressure to entertain or offer some tid-bit of wisdom.  I can be very preachy and even quite sentimental when the mood hits me. You have been warned.
The road race season ended with the Reindeer Romp. Love that race! This year my achilles was aching and Dr. Murer advised I not push the pace. No worries there doc. It was snowing and cold. I enjoyed the race even though the pace was so slow. Most of my enjoyment came from getting to be with Amanda. Season over. Another Mag 7 championship. I'll take it. At 47 I will gladly find my glory anywhere I can get it.
Life has a way of slapping you in the face and causing you to step back and take a good hard look. A hard look at yourself and what is important. I love running. I love Amanda. At times I am at the top of the mountain and feeling better than I thought I ever could. Then suddenly I am in the depths of despair, in pain and crying out for some small comfort. Running and relationships are similar sometimes. I cherish both and want only the best from both. But just wanting it isn't enough I have found. Along with the good is bad, with joy there is also sadness. I wish we didn't have to suffer so much in order to appreciate what we have. I will admit I have taken much for granted. Not on purpose or with any ill intent. I am ashamed and sorry when I do. I want so much more from my running and in my relationships too. I guess I have to take the good with the bad and keep forever on course and true. I am quite stubborn and do not lose faith easily. I keep learning more about life and myself the older I get. I am still learning about running too. Maybe I should have eased back into running 3 years ago. Maybe my achilles would have been spared? It is so difficult for me to ease into anything competitive. I can promise you one thing I am loyal and determined. I will get well and add miles. Miles on the road, the hills, the grass, the trails, and the track. I will also add to my character and try my best to become the person I want to be. Someone who can do for others, who can be an example, someone who has the courage to do what is best and right. Isn't life wonderful!?
I have ran 3 times in the past 2 1/2 weeks. My mind has wondered and questioned. I am tired of wondering. I will make things right and in the end I hope to be stronger and wiser. I already miss racing. But I think this is a lesson for me. A lesson in patience and perseverance. Good things come to he who waits? I guess so but maybe there is more to it than sitting idly by wishing things will get better. I believe each of us has to take some personal responsibility for our lives, for what we have become and will be. I have thoroughly enjoyed the racing the past 2 years. Now that I am resting and attempting to get well I look forward to being with the loves of my life forever. My Christmas wish: spending the rest of my life with Amanda and running my Griffy run while it is snowing. That isn't too much to ask Santa for is it?    

Tis the Season

Here it is almost the end of road race season. It is November. I have not raced for a couple of weekends. I feel weird, like I have lost my edge (if I ever had an edge). I was hopeful that a little rest would not only help my always aching achilles but also rejuvenate me so that I could finish the year strong. Instead it hurts even more and I feel sluggish. It is amazing how my dark side has caused me to now question my fitness. "Trust your fitness." How many times I have read that phrase in running magazines! I think I believe it but I cannot help having some doubt. A side note: I attended a two day conference in Atlanta on "Transforming School Culture." It was awesome and I came away from it now knowing I am not an idiot. Everything this PhD told us is exactly what I already know and believe. Now the hard part will be using this at my school. Wish me luck. Okay where was I? I have the Mag 7 locked up and I shouldn't care but I love to race so much. Tomorrow is the Y double and the race in Nashville. I think I will try one and see how it goes. The weather will soon get cold which is not my favorite but maybe in December, January and February I cannot race and just focus on easy miles. I am going to try some of the Breeden training method. We will see. To try to lift my spirits I bought another pair of racing shoes. Adizero Rockets. Pink! Have ran in them once. I like them. Usually when I find myself in a period of crappy running and low confidence one good run can bring me out of it. I am trying to be patient. It will happen. It always does. Looking to the spring half marathon in Sarasota, FL again. Maybe by then the dark cloud of despair will have given way to the energizing glow of the sun. Meanwhile I need to find support from my running friends and training partners. This rough patch won't last forever. I am very proud of Oscar and many other runners who are getting faster and setting PRs almost weekly. And my Indiana Running Company teammates are all doing quite well and I know will continue to be an inspiration to me and many others. There is a reason running is addictive.
 

Man vs. Wild

Okay, so this past summer I am out on my favorite run. My Griffy Lake out and back 10 miler. It has everything. Running out 46 gives me a variety of experiences. I get the usual comments from drivers about how short my shorts are or how skinny i am. Sometimes on very special days i hear questions about my sexual preferences or i am told to go home and put on some clothes. It is heart-warming to know that so many people care about my well-being to let me know their thoughts and concerns without me even asking. After all I don't want to catch cold or get badly sunburned. I also do get some beeps of the horn or thumbs up which usually results in me picking up the pace and even trying to keep up with those who are encouraging me. Soon I realize that 45 mph is not possible even with the speedwork on the track. I also love running to the lake, especially when it has water. If it is snowing all the better. It is so beautiful to run to Griffy during a snowstorm. Of course coming back up Griffy hill is tough. But after doing that every week other hills seem like bumps. I need that! There are also other runners and cyclists too on this route which is always fun and encouraging. The last two miles is mostly downhill and I can let it fly. These two plus miles when I am tired is good for me. Maybe if I did more of that I would be stronger at the end of races? So I am on this run this past summer minding my own business, nearing mile 6.5 when I see an animal up ahead in the road. I think nothing of it and keep running, getting closer. I assume this thing will scamper into the bushes and cause me no worry but as I get about 20 feet away this groundhog does an about-face and stares at me. I quickly notice it's mouth is open and I can see teeth. I think to myself, why is this thing showing me teeth and standing it's ground in the road. I want to go around but I am not sure what a groundhog is capable of. I must have missed that episode on Animal Planet. So if it is a bear make yourself big and noisy? That is all I could think of. Where is a bear when you need one? But this as a football with teeth and fur. What do I do? I could maybe punt the thing but what if I miss and it bites my foot off? So I decide instead of taking a chance on being bitten and ending up with a series of painful rabie shots, the best I could come up with is to pretend I am going the other way. I am of course counting on the fact that the groundhog is smart enough to watch me getting further away and assuming I am no threat. It worked. It disappeared in the bushes and I very quickly run past. I did look about to see if anyone is seeing this or even worse taking video to quickly post on Youtube. I have not seen or heard about it so far. Obviously were it not for my superior intellect I would not have survived to be telling this story. I still love the Griffy run but I do run a bit faster on that section of road each time. You take motivation wherever you can get it to run fast.  Oh I ran the Towpath half this past weekend and I do have a funny story that goes with that and I will write about that later.

An Interesting Day

Yesterday was an interesting day. Two races on the schedule, three counting Octoberfest in Seymour. The night before I had struggled to decide what I should do. The Towpath half being a week away I was not sure I should race at all(ha ha). Once you stop laughing please read on... Got up early Saturday morning, got the gear on and drove to Bloomfield. Of course got there, weather great, got in line to register out of habit i guess. I had a flashback of winning this race last year and the door prizes were cool so why not? At the start line looked around, Tim was there along with two other guys who looked fast. Okay maybe this was not a good idea, maybe first place was not going to happen. But off we went. Start was downhill. I expected pace to be fast. I was 5:08 at mile last year. But 200 meters into the race I am watching 3 guys pulling away! Tim looks at his damn GPS and says we are slow at 5:40 pace. I have learned to ignore this by now. Tim catches them before the first turn, which by the way the cop car did not take. Instead car takes a right and goes wrong way. Luckily we knew the course and went the right way. Before first mile Tim and I together, some college guy Andrew too far ahead. Young kid volunteer yells out 4:56 which really pumped me up. Knew it was fast but that was unexpected. Don't get too excited, he was calling out mile split before the mile marker? We were actually 5:06. But then the hill, back down and the incline to the finish. Second place with a decent time. Then the standing in the rain for at least an hour! Door prizes galore. I had my eye on some apple crumb cake or maybe some apple cider. I got nothing. I am starting to think there is a conspiracy and my name is never included. I  will find out. Finally little after noon we head to get food, then down to Springville to maybe do a 10k. Super nice race director, long sleeve shirts and some of the usual Mag 7er's. I know I really should not have ran but my plan was to do the first 5k easy and then the last 5k as a tempo run. But then the horn sounds and something happened. The same something that happens instinctively I think at each race, and sometimes during "easy days." My legs were heavy and tired but first mile was 5:45. I can run this 10k at 6:00 pace and be okay the next day I thought. At the turnaround Justin is flying. I thought, "he's trying to catch me!" Shortly after I had to jump to the grass to avoid the wonderful car who would not move over. Thanks for keeping me alert jerk! At each mile I was under 6:00 pace so I put it on cruise control and finished. 10 points for Mag 7 series. Another win for team INRunCo. 16 plus miles for the day. Most ever in one day. Fast forward to now. My heel and achilles swollen again, hurts to walk. Oh well I am an idiot. One week to rest, get the swelling down and do this half, which I know I can do at 6:00 pace or better. We will see. By the way, soon I will tell the story of my altercation with a groundhog on a training run  this summer. You won't believe it.

Beginning of Fall

This weekend was the long-awaited Persimmon Festival 5k. Always known to be a fast course, whether by virtue of it's flatness or 3.09 distance(Tim Ryder GPS), I am choosing to see it as a just a fast 5k. Perfect day. Sunny and in the 50's. My goal was to be at 5:15 for first mile and near 10:40 at the two and then just cruise in the long straight finish. Well I think I accomplished all that. First mile 5:15, 10:30? at the two and 16:49 finish! Faster than last year and a good confidence boost. Cross the finish line and off to Elettsville to do another. Felt great, recovered very quickly after the first race. First mile 5:24 and I was ready to be done. My legs were so heavy. Tim and I ran together for a while as we did in the earlier race. He and his newfound Newton power pulled ahead and I could not bridge the gap. You know that gap that is only about 10-20 meters and only amounts to about 5-8 seconds. That gap that should be just a small burst of speed to close. That gap that is so small that a car could barely drive through it. Anyway, just as in the first race Tim and I both watched Scott easily win while we take second and third. Great day for team INRunCo! And post-race chocolate milk was awesome as we sat at elementary school tables. Memories. As  I called it a day Scott of course was off to do another 13 mile training run with Emily. Today(Sunday) I forced myself to not run at all. That in and of itself is difficult enough but there was another Mag 7 race today. McCormick's Creek 4 mile trail run. Awesome fall weather today. Great turnout. Amanda made this her 3rd race this weekend! What is she doing? Scott and Emily took first place honors. Good job teammates. Now I am sitting here relaxing with my traditional Sunday night Jiffy Treet milkshake. An important part of my end of the week training and racing. Full of thick chocolaty goodness and replenishing nutrients. Looking forward to an easy two weeks to recover and give my aches and pains some time to heal before the Towpath half. Should i race this next weekend?

What's In A Shoe?

My shoes, old shoes from days gone by and new shoes. I love running shoes. I still have my first pair of running shoes that I have talked about before. Nothing better or at least that is how I choose to remember them. I keep wondering how long it will take before some forward thinking shoe company will make a retro shoe that will rival my first pair. The teenager in me is anxiously waiting to once again effortlessly glide down the road, although I do worry that my 47 year old feet and legs are quietly scared for that day when it comes. I even have my spikes from cross country and track. I liked bright shoes even back then. I have worn them once or twice in the last year. I'm not sure if I did them justice and I am ashamed I did not run as well as someone should wearing such outrageous shoes. Thankfully I have since added some newer shoes to attempt my comeback. I have settled mostly on training in Adidas Adizeros which fit my foot so perfectly. I would like to fill my closet with enough pairs to see me through but I usually get distracted and end up trying others. I do like my new Saucony racing flats but I cannot seem to wear them for anything longer than a 5k without limping for the next couple of days. I also have some Nike zoom streaks. I love how they look but I have not made up my mind yet if they are going to remain in the arsenal. They are a bit big but I can't seem to bring myself to trade them in or give them away. Maybe soon. I just bought the Saucony Kinvara's. My plan was to train in them, maybe do some tempo runs. The first day they wanted to go fast. The next day my calves were sore. That week  for some strange reason I increased my mileage and by the weekend I was wondering if my Kinvaras were a good idea. I still refuse to think otherwise but I have shelved them until after the half marathon Oct. 10(just to be safe). Back to the tried and true Adidas Adizeros. Have to get in one or two tempo runs and then taper. Maybe rest a little too so I can actually see how that may feel to race while being rested. Dare I even not race for one weekend? Right now my aches and pains desperately need some relief but my ego keeps wanting more. Speaking of more...how many shoes do I have to have to be considered compulsive? Confession: I have had to get rid of clothes and regular everyday shoes just to make more room for running gear. I currently have no more space and need to brainstorm how to resolve this rather quickly. Why? Because I already have my eye on the green and black Brooks Silence as well as more technical shirts and singlets. You never know when you may need more colors to match the psychedelic colored shoes that seem to end up in my closet, especially when I need motivation or if I blame "those damn shoes" for my poor performance.
By the way HOC this past weekend was as always fun and thousands attended for such a good cause. The course was the best for a campus course with the usual down Indiana and out 10th to Jordan. Good ole Jordan. Up Jordan. Up to 17th. Although I always feel like I am jogging when I go up hills, Jordan isn't really too bad. Just too long! Down the other side is always sweet. Seemed like the last .1 went on forever and the finishing times were nothing to brag about. No one under 17! I insist course was long. INRunCo teammate Tim Ryder lead for a while and got second. Good job Tim. I got third. Considering 3 years ago I was 55th, I am happy with that. Next year maybe better.

Achilles

Yes, that Achilles. As the story goes Achilles the mighty warrior was dipped into the river Styx when he was a baby in order to make him immortal. However he was held by his heel and that part of his body was not dipped into the river. During the Trojan war after Achilles killed Hector and dragged his body from behind his chariot, Paris, Hector's brother who was quite cowardly shot an arrow into Achilles' heel and killed him. I love Greek mythology, although Brad Pitt as Achilles in "Troy" was not to my liking. Nor did I enjoy seeing Orlando Bloom as Paris killing the greatest fighter of all time. Oh well, what do I know?
Fast forward to now and reality. Today was  my "short run" to Griffy, which is now a dust bowl if you haven't driven by there recently. We need rain! I did a 2 mile warm up and then decided to do a few miles at half marathon pace. Mission accomplished (sort of): 3 @ 17:16. Now for the return trip back up Griffy hill. I wanted it to be slow but come on! I swore I saw a caterpillar pass me on the way up. By the time I got to mile 7 my plans had changed. I wanted to throw in another 3 @ faster than 18:00 but my achilles had other ideas. Yes my achilles once again, worse than usual, started to throb. I don't think you are supposed to feel your heartbeat in your heel are you? (A positive note: 10 miles seems like around the block now.) Thanks Andrea. I hobbled the last 3 miles to home disgusted and angry. 4 weeks and counting. Not worried about the pace. Got that covered. Endurance good and will be better by then. But this damn achilles problem has to get better. Ice not working. I am stretching more, maybe that will help. I am rotating shoes to see what happens too. I think my conditioning is there, has been. I always need more hill work for strength. That is a given and everyone who has ever run with me can attest to that. But my one weakness since I have started running again is my Achilles. Let me state the obvious: my Achilles heel is my Achilles heel. I know. But I wrote this whole thing just so I could use that line.
By the way Bloomingfoods 5k Saturday was interesting. The rain was crazy and ran through some nice puddles. Enjoyed the first mile with the big group, although the first mile was so slow that I am not sure how any of us ended up running as fast as we did. Congrats to Scott Breeden once again for making the win look so easy. Tim Ryder passed me, I passed him, then he passed again on the hill moments before he charged threw the finishing chute to get 3rd! Good job Tim. I ended up 5th. Not happy but the time was okay considering the weather and turns. And another teammate Emily Weisbard got 4th and a PR before she and Scott did their workout for the day. Team INRunCo did well and can't wait until the next time.

Are you serious?

Long ago I was a serious runner. Actually I didn't know I was a serious runner. I lived in a small Indiana town of about 1,000 people. I liked to run even before I became a "runner." I ran when I played tag, I ran when I played baseball or kickball. I even ran to the store.  I wasn't a runner though, was I? I remember one day when I was a sophomore this new kid in History class asked me if I wanted to run with him after school. I hesitated, after all I wasn't a runner. I had no running shoes. I had by that time given up on my dream to  be a professional baseball player. I was a pitcher and not too bad. He convinced me to stay after school and we searched the PE/coach's secret closet and found a pair of Onitsuka tigers. They were blue, had a thin strip of rubber on the bottom and were a bit worn. I slipped them on with no socks and they were wonderful! My first pair of running shoes. The most "minimal" shoes I have ever owned and that was before minimal was a word even used to describe running shoes. My first run went quite well. I kept up and fell in love with running and with the idea of being a runner. I began my training as a serious runner. I ran 75-100 miles each week. I bought training shoes, racing flats and spikes(I put up hay to earn money). I loved running. I loved being good at something and having others around me who understood and felt the same... Off to Ball State. Joined the cross country team. Trained all the time, always tired. Racing never went well. I never won anything. Running wasn't fun anymore.  I quit running, threw the shoes in the closet. I tried to pick it up again and after a lap around the block(less than a mile) each time , I would throw the shoes in the closet again in disgust. Finally about 3 years ago I entered a 5k race, maybe finished in the top 50. I was embarrassed. After all, at one time I had been a runner, a serious runner. But now I was in my 40's. Maybe that was the reason, maybe I could no longer be a serious runner. I did not know anyone over 40 who was a serious runner, who trained year-round, won races. But I decided to keep running. I'm not really sure why. Maybe I needed to prove I wasn't old? Maybe I needed to relieve stress? Maybe I was blindly getting myself into something that I should leave to younger, more talented people? I have now been training for 3 years. I have made many mistakes and have learned from each. I know I have gotten better. I no longer shoot for top 50, 40, 30 or such. I have realized that I cannot do 75-100 miles without suffering greatly. I ache daily but I run through it. I even wonder, "what would it be like to race without feeling pain in my left Achilles?" The serious young runner has now become the serious older runner. I still think I'm a runner. I still want to win(although I have to settle for age group at times). I have goals to get better, to maybe be a great masters runner. Who knows? You know running is running, no matter your age. Run for the fun of running. Running is natural. It is what we humans are built to do. When you start thinking in terms of age, you start limiting yourself. We all  know our mental preparation is half the battle.  Becoming the runner you want to be first starts with believing you can be.  I have to admit when I first started back I surprised myself but now I am looking to the future and becoming a better, wiser serious runner.

Time to rethink

Okay, approximately a month before the Towpath half marathon and I don't feel ready. Not a good feeling. Tonight was track night and Oscar and I decided to do an easy run, in part because my achilles was aching and sore to the touch. Even the run over to the track was slow and painful. Watched Thomas Chorny do a few hard laps. He was flying. After talking with Thomas we got in an easy run on campus. Dodging students is a workout in and of itself. I have decided that I will continue to do my long runs on Sunday but I will actually run easy two Sundays each month and the other two will be more of a tempo run. Since I can't seem to resist the urge to race every weekend the races will have to count as a speedwork day. This leaves maybe Wednesdays to do something else, like track or hills. The other days will be easy, recovery or rest. New plan starts tonight. Wish me luck. By the way i don't think I've mentioned that my new goal is to meet or surpass the Master's standards for my age group in several distances. I am 3 seconds from meeting the 5k standard, I have already met the 8k standard, would like to meet 10k but I don't race enough at that distance. I REALLY want to meet the half marathon standard. This may take some doing but I think I am made for this distance. The half seems to combine speed and endurance and doesn't require 70plus miles per week. Speaking of mileage, I increased my mileage last week and will do the same for a couple more. I'm not talking a significant amount but enough to count. Live and learn. Seems I am always learning and adjusting. I really think each of us has to do the same no matter what your age. Do what works for you, experiment and find out. Above all, have fun running.

The incident at Creekbend

What a beautifully perfect morning to race! As we drove to Creekbend vineyard this morning the sun was just coming up and it was a one of the first, of many I hope, crisp mornings to run a race. I will be honest I don't like to race trails or anything other than roads. I do not remember(too long ago)how and why I loved cross country in high school. Younger legs then I guess and lots of practice and maybe stronger? Who knows. But we ventured to the vineyard today. As we pulled in I immediately imagined retiring and owning my own vineyard. But first things first, I have a race to run. Now I say "run" but I am not sure I would call what I do on the off-roads running. It resembles running and I seem to be working my leg muscles but it is never pleasant or comfortable. I mean sometimes when I run I can get in a groove where I feel like I am floating effortlessly. Not today! The course was actually quite awesome and planned well. Along with the already challenging terrain there were 3 hills that each in their own way hurt like hell. After "jogging" the first 2 plus miles just for fun they surprised us with a hill called, "the hill of death." Doesn't sound good and wasn't. I attempted to run up, then modified that to jog up, then at just the moment I convinced myself that walking would be just as fast and use less energy, I hear an onlooker to this inhumane punishment say, "are you okay?" Do you believe that? At just the worst possible time, when I need encouragement, I hear that. Meanwhile Oscar passes me RUNNING the hill! Of course after cresting he let out the "F-bomb." There were children there. I caught back up to Oscar and we ran together for a while. At this point I am reminding myself of the beautiful grounds and this is just for fun, right? The finish thank goodness was downhill. My time, depending on the actual length of the course(4.3 or 4.1?) was not good but I recovered quickly and ran the course again, backward so i could see the hill of death from the other side. I love doing warm down and seeing runners and encouraging them. All in all the race was well organized and I am glad I did it. Got 4th overall. Scott was awesome and wasn't even sweating afterward. Showoff. Looking forward to next weekend's Bloomingfoods 5k on the roads. Next year I will be back at Creekbend and I hope to spread the the legend of the hill of death and challenge others to conquer it.

It's about time

Well today was the second day running with my new Saucony Kinvaras. Super lightweight and I hope to use them along with my awesome Adidas Adizeros for training. Indiana Running Company group run tonight which turned out to be Oscar and myself. Went to XC course for some hills. I never do enough hill training despite the fact that I always feel great afterward and usually race well shortly after. Oliver Winery trail run this Saturday. I am not fond of racing anywhere other than the roads but I think it should be fun. When you are addicted to the Mag 7 points it is difficult to pass on a series race.
The Towpath Marathon/Half is fast approaching in October and I need to do some more Griffy runs to prepare. Not too worried about speedwork as the 5k training and racing should be enough. My goal is to be faster than my first half in Sarasota, FL back in March(1:20:27). If weather is cool I feel pretty confident that I can PR. I am back in the groove at school now and feel less exhausted each day during my runs. For the first two weeks I was worried I was losing my edge. My training seems to work best when I do:
Sun-long run usually Griffy 10-12 miles
Mon-easy run 6-7 miles
Tues-track/speed 8 miles
Wed-easy run 6-7 miles
Thurs-tempo/hills or ? 6-8 miles
Fri-day off or 4-6 miles easy
Sat-race 8-10 miles 

A day at the track

Another Tuesday workout at the IU outdoor track. The last two weeks I struggled a bit more than usual. Went home feeling older and slower, not sure sure if the track was for me anymore. Not sure if I could get faster but others are! Tonight we did 400's. The slow distance runner should hate these. But they felt great! Had to shorten the workout so I could recover a little quicker. Seems although I have managed to get back into pretty descent condition, it does take me longer to recover from a hard workout. Usually I just focus on quality now more than miles. Back in the day I would sometimes do 100 per week. Of course I was always tired, seldom recovered. Hence my reason for hating running and quitting by the time I was 21. Now I average 40-45 per week including a 10 mile run on Sunday. Sometimes I have to force a rest day or my harder workouts are a waste of time. My last 400 of 67 tonight has renewed my love of the track workouts again. Maybe I'm not washed up yet? I guess I will keep running and see what happens...

This is it I'm livin it baby

Figured out how to create this blog to record my running/training adventures. I am pumped! Met with Ben last night and I am excited to represent the Indiana Running Company in the community and elsewhere. The old man is still running and loving the training. I hope to journal my thoughts daily/weekly and encourage others to be active and fit.