Running Through Life

Tyranena 1/2 Marathon

2010-11-14T12:01:00.000-08:00

I made the 2 hour drive with my wife Terri and friend Billy on Saturday morning. It was cold but the sun was shinning & I was feeling good. They had a large tent set up with tables so after the race you could get out of the cold. After we picked up our race packets and walked around a bit it was time to go to the starting line. It was a small race with only 1,500 runners.

We started out and I was running with Billy. We hit the first mile at 8:45, which was fast for me considering I had 12.1 to go. We kept the pace going and started to hit some pretty good hills. I slowly climbed uphill and ran like hell down. We paced between 9:10 to 8:45 for the first 6 miles. After the 6th mile Billy started to kick it up and I was running solo. Somehow I managed to keep the pace going for my first sub 2 hour 1/2 marathon. I finished with 1:58:46. I have come close but never broke the 2 hour barrier before. Needless to say I was very excited. Billy finished at 1:53 and Terri 2:07. A PR for both Billy and myself. Terri was only seconds off of her PR as well.

After the run we went inside for a lasagna lunch and to sample some Tyranena beers. We had sampled a porter which was great, a pale ale, amber alt and a honey blonde.

After we ate and had our sampling we went inside for a tour.

All in all a great race. I will be back next year for sure.

Crazy Summer

2010-10-29T08:28:00.000-07:00

I wonder if anyone is still out here since I have disappeared from blogging. I'm not sure where to begin. I have been busy running and with life all summer. I did run and complete my first marathon on May 30th and ran a second marathon on September 17th. In addition I ran 2 half marathons, five 5k's and a 10k. I have another 1/2 marathon next weekend in Lake Mills, Wisconsin at the Tyranena Brewery. That will conclude my racing schedule for the year unless I find a Turkey trot or something else presents itself.

I have to say my first marathon experience was a bit brutal. It was the Madison Marathon and the weather was not my friend. I did struggle and had to walk towards the end. I did finish, but not with a time I was happy with 4:57. Since I had trained and was in decent shape, I decided to try another one to redeem myself. I found an inaugural run in St Charles,Illinois called the Fox Valley Marathon. This was the best supported race I have ever seen. There was aid stations at every mile and just a well thought out and put together race. I struggled a bit with knee pain after mile 20 and ran walked the rest of the way in. I think I went out to fast and that hurt me later in the run. I hit the 1/2 marathon point at 2:01 and that was a PR for me. I have not run a 1/2 that fast before.Nonetheless, I finished with a time of 4:38. I will definitely run this event next year, weather it's the 1/2 or full I'm not sure yet. I have to say I have never been so proud of myself when I crossed the finish line at these races. It was the hardest thin I have ever done, but I feel so accomplished.

I certainly have tons of respect to all of you marathon runners out there. It isn't easy and I know what kind of effort goes into it.

I have been reading about everyone's efforts and endeavors, even if I don't comment. Finding time has been my biggest problem. I have not been a very good friend and for that I apologize.

Now that summer is over, I have closed my place in Wisconsin for the winter. That means more projects at home. I am currently redoing the master bathroom. New mirrors, toilet, vanity, tile and ripping out the tub for a big shower. I am actually procrastinating the demo by typing right now.

I will continue reading all your posts and I thank those who have reached out to me over the past months. I hope to be able to get back and post more often.

Happy running!

Wisconsin 1/2 Marathon

2010-05-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

Fist off I want to apologize for not being around to support you who have been there for me in the past. I have been extremely busy, but am not making any excuses. A new firewall went up at work and I can’t access anything related to Blogs there. Not that I only did this at work, but with training and my train commute, I am really short on time lately. I also have a friend who is going through a divorce and we had opened our home up to him for the past few weeks until he could find a place for himself. I need to get a new smart phone so I can use my time on the train to catch up with everyone. I promise to be better, please don’t be mad at me.

Marathon training has been going well, with the exception of a self diagnosis of foot/toe pain I have been experiencing. I think I may have Morton’s Neuroma. It is a painful shooting pain that feels like electrical impulses shooting through my toes and often feels like a tingling sensation. After the marathon, I need to have this checked out and diagnosed by my doctor for sure. In the mean time, I loosened my laces in the toe box and am hoping for the best.

This past Saturday I ran the Wisconsin ½ Marathon in Kenosha. I was hoping for a sub 2:00 time but it wasn’t in the cards this time. I am proud to say I finished officially with 2:02:16. I ran with a running buddy of mine, Billy, who ran his first ½ marathon. He has been training with my wife and I over the past months and we talked him into running the Madison Marathon with us since he was doing all the training runs anyway. He did very well and finished with 1:57:34. The course itself was a little rough on some of the roads and I don’t think I have seen so many potholes ever. It made a great obstacle course trying to avoid the bigger ruts and not get injured. The weather was a little warm and pretty humid for this time of year. The wind coming of Lake Michigan helped cool things down but also caused another challenge.

One of the highlights of the race was that I got the chance to meet Kim and her husband Steven. They both live pretty close to me in the suburbs and ironically we both work in downtown Chicago. It was really great to meet them both. Kim had a rough go at the race, but she pulled through and ended up doing great!

I have a 20 mile training run this weekend and then I am in taper mode. This week I will end up running 40 miles. I call this hell week, but am keeping my eye on the big picture. I know this will help me get used to the pounding it will take for the full marathon in Madison on May 30th.

Again, I truly am appreciative for all your comments and support. I promise to be better at reciprocating.

I'm Still here

2010-04-14T03:31:00.000-07:00

I think work and training has gotten the better of me lately. I have fallen of the face of the earth. I have found it difficult to keep up with everything lately. I suppose I need to get better at time management.

It has been a while and I am unsure of where to begin. On Saturday the 3^rd, Terri and I went to see Michael Buble. I purchased the tickets a while back and was pleasantly surprised to have such fantastic seats. We were in the front row off to the side. It was great concert and a welcome relieve from training.

The past two weekends have been my longest runs to date. I now have 2 new distance PR’s (15 and 16 miles). The 15 miler was hard, but it was cool and raining the whole run. Last Saturday’s 16 mile run was sunny and a bit warmer which turned out to be brutal for me. I had been experiencing some toe pain and when we stopped for a break to use the porapotty at the park, I took my shoes off to stretch my toes out. I was getting an intense pain and not sure why. It seemed that they were cramping, but when I stretched them out the pain went away.

The 16 miler started to go downhill around 10 miles when the guys I was running with decided to pick up the pace and Terri and I were continuing on the same pace as we had started with. When we started to run as a group we said we were going to stick to a certain pace.However, after 10 miles into the run two of my group decided to slowly kick it up and after a while they had gotten so far ahead that were not even in site. Anyway, I was a little perturbed that they just took off without asking if we would be ok. My wife runs with music and therefore doesn’t talk while we run. To me, talking helps make the time pass by much faster and I don’t even think about it. After they took off, I was a little ticked and I started to feel negativity take over my thoughts. I thought if we were running in a group and we agreed upon a pace, we should stick together. At this point, I was thinking I would have better off if I had run this alone, because I wouldn’t have the negativity creep into my head. The negativity really threw me off my game. Maybe I am wrong and this is normal in group running. If so, I need to accept this and not let it bother me. I am hoping you guys can enlighten me on the acceptable etiquette for this type of training.

Around mile 13 I had to stop and stretch my toes again and I motioned Terri to keep going. I was only stopped for about 30 seconds and was back at it. I could still see Terri and she was looking back to see that I was there. We got to mile 13 and there were the other 2 guys waiting for us at the park. I was still upset and just kept running past them. I also had run out of fluids at this point and was starting to tank quickly. I was short with my responses to their questions and didn’t feel like conversing. The more I went on the more sporadic the pain seemed to shoot into my toes. We soon were all split up again, but this time, it was my own doing since I was not keeping the pace. I didn’t expect anyone to wait, if I wasn’t keeping up. I still had Terri in my sight and followed her since we had not planned an official course. We all had GPS watches and knew when we hit 16 miles so it wasn’t necessary for a course. I got back to my house, where we all met and there everyone was waiting.

I decided not to say anything and let it go. Terri took a quick shower and then made pancakes for all of us. These are good friends and I did not want to cause a scene. For all I know, I may be the one who is in the wrong with my thinking.

Sunday we ran a local 5k race (Run Thru the Hills) in our town. One of my training partners, 2 of my poker buddies, Terri and my son Dante ran as well. I came in 6^th place out of my age division but was pretty tired from the 16 miles the day before. It was no PR but I was ok with 26:35.

This week we scale the mileage back a bit and the long run is 12 miles. I never thought I would be relived for a 12 mile run, thinking that was a break.

Thursday evening after our 5 miler, Terri and I are off to an Elton John concert. I was planning on taking Friday off and making a late night of it, but I have a meeting at work I have to be at.

I hope I figure out or get passed my toe issues, but training is going pretty good despite my rough run last Saturday.

A Day late and Dollar Short

2010-03-24T09:07:00.000-07:00

I have such trouble keeping up with posting lately. Between work, running, maintaining the house and reading everyone else’s wonderful stories and anecdotes, I seem to be running out of time. Oh well, I can only do so much.

Last weekend, the Chicago area was blessed with a round of more snow. Enough snow to keep me running my 13 miler in the gym again last Saturday. I managed 7 miles on the treadmill then jumped on the indoor track for 3 miles (27 loops) and back onto another treadmill to finish with a 3 miler. I think it helped break the run up by jumping around, but I would rather have been running outside. The good news is that the weather has warmed up and there is not a trace of snow left in site.

Saturday evening Terri and I had dinner plans with some friends and had people over at our house later in the evening. I was a little worn out from the run and cleaning the house afterwards that I ended up falling asleep pretty early Saturday night. I left Terri to entertain our guests while I was sound asleep. Luckily she didn’t say a word to me and hopefully understood I was just wiped out. I also had a few glasses of New Glarus Stone Soup, but that had nothing to do with it, I swear.

Sunday morning Terri and I were pretty tired and we did not do any cross training at the gym as Hal Higdon said was on our schedule. Instead we swapped our rest day with Monday. On Monday evening after work we both headed to the gym and I lifted and rode the bike while Terri did the elliptical and bike.

Tuesday was quite nice when I got home from work and the temps were in the low 60’s. I ran my 3 miler in shorts and a short sleeved shirt. Amazing that just a few days prior it was snowing like crazy. I know I shouldn’t be shocked and this happens every spring but I am so ready for winter to go away. Tonight I have a 7 mile run scheduled and tomorrow a 4 miler. We are also on a taper week and only running 10 miles on Saturday. I think my legs are going to appreciate the break.

Earlier this week, I was talking to a few of my friends who signed up for the Chicago Marathon, scheduled this fall on 10-10-10. I was actually contemplating running this with them, even though I haven’t even completed my first one yet. I knew that the race would fill up fast and I needed to decide soon to secure a spot, but it closed yesterday. I know there are charity spots available but I would have rather just paid my entry fee and trained by myself. I was a little disappointed because it would have been nice to run in Chicago, but I kind of think I need to get one marathon under my belt before I think about running a second. I guess if I still have the bug, I could search for another fall marathon, but I was kind of looking forward to running Chicago. Maybe it’s for the best and I should focus on my current goal before I go looking for trouble elsewhere.

I hope everyone has a splendid week of running!!

12 Miles, Sushi and New Glarus

2010-03-16T13:02:00.001-07:00

I ended up having to run my 12 miler indoors on Saturday. The weather was to crappy and I didn't feel like going outside in the rain and cold. I know it rains and can be cold on race day, but I just wasn't feeling up to it. My wife came to the gym with me and I used one of the 6 guest passes they gave me. Family hours at the gym weren't until later in the day and I wanted to run in the morning so I had to use the pass.

I ran 6 miles on the first treadmill with no problem. The machine only would allow you to run one hour before shutting off so I moved to another location in the gym for a change of scenery. I ran 3 miles on the different treadmill and the last 3 on the track. It was actually nice to break things up and it didn't seem to bad. My wife did 6 on the treadmill and 6 on the track. It is 9 laps for a mile and I didn't feel like making 54 turns around the oval.

After our run, we went home and Terri jumped on the computer to see if she could get Elton John tickets that went on sale earlier that morning. We actually were able to get 2 tickets that weren't too expensive and decent seats. So we are going to Michael Buble in 2 weeks and Elton John next month.

Staurday evening Terri and I headed out to some friends for a party. It was a wine & sushi party. They did it to raise money and/or donations for their local food bank in their town (Wacounda). They have had this party for the past few years and I think it is an awesome concept. They are very generous to host this every year. I actually tried sushi for the first time ever. I do like fish, but didn't think I would like sushi. I liked the spicy tuna roll and the sashimi. They also had other items besides sushi and they had other things to drink besides wine but I wanted to try it anyway. I was the designated driver this time so I had one glass of wine for the evening.

I have previously mentioned that my friend, Jeff lent me his snow blower earlier this year. We actually made a swap. I made him oak window cornices and he gave me the snow blower. Sunday morning after waking up an hour later, due to the time change, I headed out to his house to install them for him. After the installation we went to lunch and I had a couple of Boddington's and a burger. Jeff lives near the Wisconsin border in a town called Rockford and since I was that close, I headed up to Madison after lunch for a new 1/2 barrel of New Glarus beer. I was hoping to get the newest brew, Moon Man, but they did not have it in 1/2 barrels. I ended up taking home Stone Soup. By the time this runs out, they will be brewing one of my other seasonal favorites, Totally Naked for the next keg. I loaded up on a few other New Glarus product and made my way back to Illinois. After the beer run, I went home, picked up my wife and son and we went to the gym for family hours. I lifted weights, Terri rode the bike and Dante played basketball and ran a few laps on the track. Afterwards we all went swimming in the pool and Dante played on the indoor water slide.

Last night I came home from work and was feeling the onset of a little cold. I went to bed earl;y to get some extra rest and today at work, I was taking daytime cold medicine. Luckily I only have a 3 miler to run tonight and I plan on getting to bed early again for some rest. I think I just have been running myself around so much and not resting.

Almost no Bull!

2010-03-10T17:54:00.000-08:00

I had a nice dinner last Friday with my fellow Alumni and professors from my college (EIU). It was starting to get late and I needed to head out to catch the 10:30 train. I said my goodbyes and promised to visit the campus soon, when one of the professors approached me and asked if I liked basketball. I said sure and didn’t know why he would ask, but he then asked if I would like tickets to the Chicago Bulls game to take my son to for that Saturday night. I said thanks and told him my son will be thrilled. I called Dante on my walk to the train and told him about the game and pulled out the tickets to give him the seats location so he could look it up online to see where they were located. I put the tickets in my coat pocket and looked at my watch and realized I needed to hustle to get to the train on time. I arrived at the station with about ten minutes to spare and felt in my pocket and the tickets were gone. I had a few options at this point, get on the train and forget about it, retrace my steps in the hopes of finding them and miss my train or run like hell to try and find them and try and catch the 10:30 train. I chose the latter option and ended up running three blocks to discover the tickets sitting on the sidewalk. I was incredibly lucky that they were still there. Now I just needed to make it back to the station before the train took off otherwise it was another hour wait for the next one. I sprinted back with everything I had and run up the stairs into the station and onto the platform. I just made it before the doors closed and grabbed a seat. I was all gross and sweaty and I am sure looked like hell, but I made the train and had the tickets securely in my pocket this time.

The next morning I had a seven mile run and I was still a little sore from sprinting in dress shoes the night before. I managed the seven alright but it wasn’t my best run by any means. After the run I had an appointment to go to speak with my Dr. about my recent blood test. I was the last patient of the day and the doctor was very casual and took all the time answering questions that I needed. That was a welcome change. My doc told me that the cholesterol medicine was not causing my increase in the kidney BUN test, but asked if I was taking a supplement with Creatinine in it. I said no, but told him I was training for the marathon possibly running more and that I joined the gym and had started lifting weights. He thinks that could be the cause for the extra creatinine in my blood but wants me to take another blood test to be sure. I can’t work out for three days and need to have a blood draw to see the level. I worked it out with a morning run 2 rest days and then an afternoon run so I only am missing a cross training day. I also asked if I could stop taking the expensive non-generic medicine (Zetia). He said it was not the reason my numbers went down and told me to stop taking it. I was thrilled as this will save big $$$. I have my fingers crossed that the extra muscle building is the cause for the increased creatinine.

After the doctor, I had my son’s All Star basketball game and then we went to dinner and into the city for the Bulls game. After finding reasonable parking accommodations of $18, we walked to the United Center. We found our seals, first row in the club level and sat down. Down on the floor in front of us was Lovey Smith (head coach of the Chicago Bears) and the three new players they just drafted. My son was in sports heaven. The Bulls lost to the Mavericks, but we had a great time nonetheless. It was a nice way to spend the evening bonding with my son. Dante is 10 years old & I know these days are numbered.

Sunday I did taxes and afterward Terri, Dante & I all headed to the gym. I did a little lifting and biking, Terri biked and used the elliptical and Dante ran 2 miles on the track. Afterward we headed to the pool to relax. It was a busy weekend, but I enjoyed it.

Last night the weather was unseasonably warm (45 degrees) when I got home and I decided to run outside. I grabbed a flash light, put on shorts and headed out. I ran a quick 3 miler and then back home for dinner. I have 6 miles to complete tonight and I hope the rain stays away long enough for another outdoor run. I really miss running in shorts outside.

We are up to a 12 mile run for this Saturday’s training run. I haven’t run that distance since the last ½ marathon I did back in August. I am sure it will be fine.

Holy Cholesterol!

2010-03-05T03:43:00.001-08:00

I went for my blood test last Saturday before my ten mile run. On Tuesday, I called the doctor because I had not heard anything yet. They said they did not get my results but would check into things and get back to me. I was surprised when they actually did what they said they were going to do and got back to me the same day. I was prepared for them to tell me that there was no real change and that the past 2 months of ~~nonexistent~~ limited alcohol and caffeine did no good. That wasn’t the case and I was pleasantly surprised for the nurse to say, everything looks fine. I said hold on a minute; I have been trying different combinations and doses of medicine to get my numbers down for years and everything is fine. What does fine constitute, I asked. The numbers are:

(Insert drum roll)

Cholesterol:

HDL 38 (HDL above 60 is optimal)

LDL 64 (LDL below 100 is optimal)

Total Cholesterol 131 (Less than 200 desirable)

Triglycerides 144 (Below 150 is normal)

Kidney Function 21 (normal range is 10-20)

Needless to say, I was ecstatic to find this news out. The cardiologist told me there is no reason to come back here and call my regular Dr. to go over the results. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from me. I certainly now realize that I will have to consume alcohol in moderation, compared to my use prior to this test. That will be to be the most difficult thing, since I do love beer. I can live with cutting the caffeine down. Lack of caffeine didn’t seem to bother me so much. While my results may not compare that great to some of you, for me it is a tremendous improvement. My last testing, I believe my cholesterol was at 255. I never realized what an impact that alcohol and caffeine can have on this. As far as the kidney function being elevated, I read that it can be due to a high protein diet and further read that the cholesterol medicines can breakdown skeletal muscle tissue which can affect the kidney. Of course, I am consuming a high protein diet and I need to talk with my doctor further to discuss minimizing some of these medicines. I think my genetic make up may also play a role in the low HDL number. But the overall cholesterol is good and the ratio is more important than just the HDL number. These numbers are with me on medication. I am taking Zocor and Zetia for cholesterol and Toprol-XL for high blood pressure. My blood pressure has been in check for years with the medication and exercise.

Back in college I was economics major. Every year, the Economics Dept. from my Alma matter (Eastern Illinois University) brings ten students to Chicago for the weekend. They take a tour of the Federal Reserve Bank and other cool things in the city. This Friday, the alumni in the area get together with the group of students and professors for drinks and dinner in Chicago. It is a nice way to meet the students and reminisce of old times and catch up with old friends. I was fortunate enough to develop friendships with two of my professors and when they make the trip, I always try to attend. This year they have asked me and a few others to be mentors to the existing students. I am honored and have offered to help out in any capacity I can. In years past, I have always stayed with my professors at the hotel so I could take in the night life after dinner. This year, I will be taking a late train home and running in the morning. These are some of the lifestyle modifications I will need to get used to.

Sorry for the long winded post. I hope everyone has a great weekend and good running.

Ten Miles and Some Tile

2010-03-02T07:10:00.001-08:00

I signed up at the gym Friday evening after work. My son, Dante went with me. After I paid for the first month, they took my photo and gave me an ID an we were set. The cool thing about this gym is that they have Family Hours, even though the membership is for me only, you can bring family members with at certain times to use a segment of the facilities. Each day the schedule is different. Friday night was pretty much an open family night and all areas were being used. Dante and I went to the basketball court and were able to shoot around a bit. Saturday, I had my 10 miler and I ran outside with my wife, Terri and poker buddy, Chad. It was a little windy, but we tried to hit routes that minimized the wind as much as possible. The 10 was not as easy as my long run last Saturday, but no so bad.

After I returned from my run on Saturday, my father in law was at my house waiting to help me grout the new tile. Grouting is a messy and nasty job. It took two of us to accomplish. One was spreading the grout and the other was constantly cleaning the tile off with a sponge and dumping the dirty water out and refilling. This was not exactly what I wanted to do after I got done running 10 miles. Of course I showered first, then grouted. This process took a about 3 hours to do, actually a little longer than I expected. After the grout was on and tiles fairly cleaned off, we needed to wait for the grout to dry for 24 hours before I could wipe the tiles down again.

After grouting, I took another shower and we were out the door for my uncle Jimmy's 70th Birthday party. The party was at the Schaumburg Golf Club. It was dinner, open bar and music. Kids were invited and the dress was casual so it was a relaxing evening for everyone. I forgot to mention, I was the one who had to do the music. I prepared a play list during the week to try and satisfy a wide range of ages from 70-teens. Luckily, I have a large library and was able to prepare something to please most. Of course the older people would tell me to turn it down, while the younger people would be telling me turn it up. You can't please everyone. People were dancing and having fun, so I figured it was good enough.

On Sunday, I woke up and started cleaning the tile for the last go round and then applied a stone sealer. This protects the stone from any cooking grease etc. and enhances the color of the stone. I need to do this annually, but it is extremely easy. After that I started prepping the walls for painting and installed the new cabinet hardware and outlet covers. Needless to say, my day was spent working. My wife had been given tickets to the Chicago Wolves hockey game for Sunday, but I told her to take Dante and my nephew Shane instead of me going with. They went and had a good time and I was able to finish everything while they were gone. Below is the finished product of my hard labor. I am happy the way it all turned out and looking forward to the next project I dream up. I am sure it wont take me too long to figure something out.

Lat night was a rest day, but since I didn't get to the gym on Sunday, I decided to head up anyways. I ran 3 miles on the treadmill and did some free weights for biceps and chest. Terri and Dante went with for family hours (6:30-9:00) last night. Terri rode the bike while Dante played ball and ran around the track for a mile. I told him he needs to start running if he is going to run the local 5k (Run Thru the Hills) with us next month.

I feel great today and will be heading back to the gym for a 3 mile run tonight. If I still feel good, I will try some more lifting afterwards.

Gym Rat

2010-02-26T13:29:00.000-08:00

Well I am off to the gym tonight to sign up and see how it goes. There is a February special with no initiation fee and a monthly fee of $66. It has an indoor track, pool, classes for spinning, yoga and even tennis courts. I am not sure how much I will use it but I will give myself a month or 2 and see if I can get my monies worth out of it.

My wife and I have a ten miler planned for tomorrow morning. The forecast looks like it will be a high of 31, so not too bad. One of my poker buddies, Chad is training for the Illinois Marathon and will be running with us in the morning. He is much faster than us, but he just needs to get the mileage in and wants the company. It will push me to move a little quicker as well.

My Father in law finished installing my tile back splash in the kitchen yesterday. It turned out great and the only thing left is to grout. I hope to have some photos of the finished project to share after this weekend.

I am going for a blood test before my run tomorrow to test my cholesterol and triglycerides. As I have posted before, I have a long history of bad reading of these in my blood work. I was told to give up caffeine and alcohol for the past 7 weeks and to retest to see where my numbers are. I did not give those things up completely, but had limited my consumption drastically. I have not had alcohol for the past week. This is no easy task, As I keep a 1/2 barrel on tap at my house. I played poker last night and was the only one drinking water. On a side note, I ended up winning for a change. I guess it was just luck, right? Anyway, I have my fingers crossed that the numbers have gone down and that things are getting somewhat under control. If not I curse my Italian ancestors for giving me such shitty genetics.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and wish Jamoosh good luck at Gaspirilla distance classic tomorrow.

Feeling Good with No Rest

2010-02-22T12:47:00.000-08:00

Saturday’s nine miler went better than was expected. The weather was around 30 degrees and overcast, but the miles seemed to flow by effortlessly. My fastest pace was actually mile 8. In fact the run went so well that my wife and I went out again on Sunday, our rest day. The weather forecast was predicting snow on Sunday evening so we wanted to get another outdoor run in before the dreadful snow came. Well that snow came and it wasn’t so bad. I only saw a few inches of accumulation at my house. Still it is enough to prevent clear pavement for running for a few more days.

The good news is that my friend is still asking if I want to be her guest at the gym. I have a 3 miler for Tuesday, which I can run on my home treadmill but have a 5 on Wednesday that I will probably take her up on the gym offer. After running on the indoor track last week, I was having some pain in my ankle and inside shin. I self diagnosed my issue as Tibialis Posterior Tendonitis. After a rest on Friday evening and a Saturday run the pain seemed to have gone away. I think running so many laps on the track and having to pass so many walkers may have aggravated something. All I Know is that I am thankful the pain is gone and I am still running. I think I am going to use the treadmill at the gym and maybe a warm up and cool down on the track. Maybe it has nothing to do with the track, but I am too scared to test it out.

I was just in touch with an old college friend and he invited me to come to Champaign for a visit. He informed me that he is running the Illinois Marathon and he is going to do his first ½. I remember Max ran a little in college but not too much. I guess running to the bar was as good as it got. Anyway, I told him that I would have run the ½ with him but unfortunately, I signed up for the Wisconsin ½ Marathon for the same day. He has not been running regularly and is just thinking of starting his training this week, which gives him about 10 weeks to prepare. He said a few different people told him to run 3 miles for 6 days a week and a little longer on Saturday. He seemed really clueless on what it will take to get him ready for this. I forwarded Max the Hal Higdon ½ marathon novice program and I hope he will try and follow some training regime other than listening to clueless people. I hope he enjoys the journey and accomplishes the goal but as of right now I am a little skeptical. I guess too many people watch the Biggest Loser and assume anyone can run a marathon or ½.

Now that we have our appliances installed, we went tile shopping at Lowe’s for a back splash. We found a nice slate tile and bought all they had at our local store. We had to drive to another store to get the rest of the tile we needed. While we we re there, we decided to change the cabinet hardware, outlet covers and re-paint the kitchen. I seem to always create a good amount of work for myself, but I hope in the end it will be worth it. Luckily my Father-In-law is retired and has offered to install the tile. I think he is really excited to help out and who am I to get in the way of that happiness. He just did a back splash at his house and it turned out great. It also helps that his best (retired) buddy was a tile guy, who will probably accompany him for moral support.

Back in Business

2010-02-17T12:28:00.000-08:00

It seems I have resolved my technical problems. I apologize if I have not been too responsive to anyone, but I assure you, I am reading your posts. It’s amazing how far behind you can get with just a short time away. Anyway, I am glad to be back and hopefully will not have any future computer issues.

Training is going well and I have been chugging along on my Hal Higdon 18 week program and incorporating a few extra miles in just to keep up with the level I was at anyway. I know this will change in a short time and I will wish I had rested up for the upcoming miles.

I have been going to the local gym lately with a friend of mine. She has a membership and they offer family hours but her husband chooses not to go, so I check in as him. They have an indoor track and it helps break up the monotony of running on the dreadmill. During the week, I have to run on the treadmill because it is dark and icy when I get home from work. I have also been able to incorporate a little lifting into my routine as well. I have been toying with the idea of joining the gym, but can’t seem to decide. They are offering a special for February with no initiation fee. The monthly fee is $65 and I don’t know if I will get my moneys worth. I am an outside runner, except for at night with icy conditions. I still have a few weeks to decide.

I have a nine miler scheduled for this Saturday, I haven’t run that distance since December and I am actually looking forward to getting out and putting some bigger numbers down. I took Monday off for President’s Day since my son was home from school and I was able to do a nice five miler in the morning, while it there was daylight outside.

Saturday, I had the new appliances delivered and I spent the rest of the day installing everything. I had a few issues with almost every piece but managed to get it done. The fridge had a leaking water line for the ice maker so I replaced that, the dishwasher required a part that didn’t come with it and I had to modify the Microwave install over the stove. Luckily with one trip to Home Depot I had everything I needed to complete the install. I have to say we are happy with the end result and it looks nice.

I have noticed a few new readers to my blog and I welcome you. I appreciate everyone’s comments and support.

Technical Difficulties

2010-02-09T17:29:00.000-08:00

I have been experiencing technical difficulties lately and have not been able to post anything. I have been keeping up with all of you but feel badly that I haven't been able to leave comments on your posts. I am trying to figure out a solution so that I can fix my situation. Please know that I am keeping up and am with you in spirit, even if I don't comment much.

Training has been going well and according to my 18 week plan. Last weekend was 7 miles on Saturday in the snow and wind. I know I am not alone with this horrendous weather.

I signed up for the Wisconsin 1/2 marathon for May 1st, but couldn't talk my wife in joining me. Instead, I will be running with a friend. I signed up for my first race of the year for April 21st as well. I decided to run my local 5k (Run thru the Hills). My wife and son will run this as well, so it can be a family tradition like we did last year. My wife and son both got placed in their age groups and received medals last year.

I've got a busy weekend lined. Saturday morning long run with my wife, appliances delivered in afternoon, surprise B-Day party Saturday night. Sunday I am coaching my son's basketball team because the coach and asst. coach can't make it. Lucky the kids know what they are doing more than I do.

I hope to work my issues out soon and get back to normal.

Ten Things and a Cheese Head Medal

2010-01-28T13:14:00.000-08:00

The weather still sucks in Chicago and I feel like a wimp for retreating to the treadmill after reading Marcia's blog today. She toughed it out and ran outside this morning. Anyway I will continue my first week of training tonight on the treadmill and head outside, rain or shine on Saturday for my 6 miler.

The Blue Moon is in and I'm still working the Wisconsin 1/2 Marathon angle with my wife. Heather told me I should because they have a cool cheese medal for finishing. I agree with her.

I have been tagged by Julie to list ten (10) things that make me happy.

Ten (10) things that make me happy!

The most obvious is running. I am happy for what running has done for me, what is has made me and the feeling of health it provides me.

Having Poker night on Thursday’s in my garage and the chance to BS with my buds makes me happy.

The sweet nectar that New Glarus Brewing Company creates makes me very happy and sometimes buzzed!

My wife and son always ~~sometimes~~ make me happy.

Spending 3 day weekends in Wisconsin during the summer make very happy and relaxed. I am grateful to have a getaway for my family and me to spend our summers at.

I am happy to have a steady job and to be employed. Some of my friends haven’t been as blessed as I have in that regard. It’s something I try not to take for granted.

Friends make me happy. Both the ones I see physically and the Blog friends I communicate with in cyberspace.

Building things make me happy. Back when I was going to college, I worked for custom furniture company and developed many valuable skills. I currently have a nice workshop and have built many pieces in my home and endless home improvement projects.

Being able to run with friends make my day. I don’t often get running partners so when I do, it’s appreciated.

Going to Wrigley field makes me happy. Nothing beats a cold beer and a ball park hot dog. Go Cubbies!

Training Day 1

2010-01-26T11:22:00.000-08:00

Today officially starts the 1^st run of my 18 week marathon training program. The weather is kinda crappy so I will be kicking it off on the treadmill in the basement. I, like many others, have a love hate relationship with the treadmill. It’s nice to be able to run in the comfort of your home but I sure miss Mother Nature. I guess I need to suck it up, deal with it and be thankful I have an option.

I have been looking at my planned long weekend runs and found that there is the Wisconsin ½ marathon on May 1^st which is the same day as I have a 13 miler scheduled. My wife doesn’t want to run it, but I think it would a great way to train. It would be nice to have the crowds and water stations along the way. I am not sure if she is opposed to this race because of the $$$ or just because the preparation of getting there and logistics. I have a friend who is planning on running this (his first one) and it would be nice to be there, but I don’t want to cause animosity and leave my wife behind. I think this may be one of those damned if I do and damned if I don’t scenarios.

Since my doctor advised me to cut back ~~eliminate~~ alcohol for my upcoming blood test, I have graciously allowed my wife to choose the next keg for the kegarator. I am sorry to say that New Glarus will have to wait a while longer before I can return. She picked Blue Moon and it is supposed to come in today. I will go pick it up, pour her a glass and then try to persuade her to run Kenosha with me.

To Race or not to Race?

2010-01-19T08:41:00.000-08:00

With the weather being in the positive digits, I have been able to run outside a few times since my last post. I was off yesterday for the Martin Luther King Holiday, so I was able to head out for a morning weekday run, which is never possible with work.

My official training plan starts next week, and I am a little nervous. The first few weeks are actually less running than I am doing now, but I keep peeking ahead in the schedule and see that 20 miler. I know I need to take one step at a time, but 20 miles is a long run.

I have a dilemma and need advice. There are a few upcoming races that I normally like to participate in such as the Shamrock Shuffle 8k and our local Lake in the Hills, Run thru the Hills 5k or 10k. The problem I have is they are both on days for training that indicate cross train and after runs of 13 and 16 miles. Should I run these for fun or skip all together and cross train? The Run thru the Hills is a race in my town and my son wants to participate in the 5k. He ran the 5k last year and I did the 10k and I have a few other buddies running in as well. I’m just not sure what to do.

I did my part yesterday to spur the economy. We purchased new appliances for the kitchen. We have been talking about this for a year or so and finally decided to do it. We are upgrading to all stainless steel from our current white. The current fridge will move to the garage and the rest we will donate to charity. They are in working order we are just looking for a more updated look.

I know I was going to post some photos of my garage I finished but have not. Here a re a few. Oh well, better late than never. This is a continual work in progress, as long as my wife doesn't kill me.

Happy running!

On the Wagon

2010-01-12T09:25:00.000-08:00

I know I have disappeared for a while, but I’m back. My knee healed up after a week taking it easy and I was back to my normal routine in no time. Thanks for all the comments and support.

The Holidays were relaxing and I was able to have a few weeks at home to spend with my son while my wife worked. Along with the relaxing holidays came a few unwanted pounds from a few too many beverages and unnecessary grazing. Now I need to get rid of about 8 pounds to get back to my summer weight.

I have researched a few training programs for my upcoming Marathon and decided upon Hal Higdon’s 18 week plan. I have about 2 weeks until I start my program, but I am excited to begin this journey.

I have been having cholesterol & triglyceride issues for some time and have been working with my doctor over the years to get the right balance of medicines that don’t tax my liver but are getting my numbers down. Unfortunately, my last blood test was not good enough and my doctor has referred me to a cardiologist. I think this is in part due to liability issue on his part, but nonetheless I went last night. I was told that the cardiologist thinks my numbers may not be as bad as they are showing on the testing. He feels that a false reading may be occurring and wants me to start new medicine and go for another blood test in 6 weeks. On top of the new test, he wants me to give up all caffeine, alcohol and limit sugars so we can see if the test is accurate. This is going to be tough as I start each morning with a cup of coffee and on occasion have been known to enjoy a nice cold beer or two. It will be tough, but I will give it my best to adhere to the Doctors orders. The only saving grace of it is that I start my training program in a week or two, so I can shift my focus to that.

Once I have cleared my body of sugar, alcohol and caffeine I am supposed to get retested and hopefully this will divulge the real numbers at a much lower level. I hope this is the answer, because after years of watching my diet, exercising and taking medications I am starting to get a little frustrated.

Last weekend my wife, Terri and I went to our local running store (Dick Pond) for a first of the year fun run. We have never done this before and thought it would be a nice way to start the year as well as try and meet others with similar interests in our own area. We were the first two at the store on Saturday morning at 8:00 and the temperature of 0 degrees out. For a second, I thought no one else was going to show. It turned out that five others strolled in and all first time to the fun run as well. It was a nice eclectic mix of ages and running skills and we only went for a short 3-4 mile run. Afterwards they made pancakes on a griddle right in the store and had pastries and coffee from Caribou. They even had four raffle prizes. Terri won a pair of gloves. When we were leaving, after Terri picked up some additional running stuff on clearance, they gave us a bunch of food to take home. My son was pleasantly surprised that we brought him breakfast. Aren't we thoughtful?

Good news is the weather here in Chicago is starting to warm up. We will be in the upper 30’s this week and hopefully for the weekend. Running in 0 degree weather sucks!

Happy running and hope to post again soon.

Knee Jerk Reaction

2009-12-17T12:37:00.000-08:00

Since I signed up for the Madison Marathon I have found out the friend I was supposed to run with might not be able to run. He has a serious injury that may require surgery and will be out of commission for a few months. I am not going to let this deter me.

I have been able to go for a few longer runs on the weekend 10.5 and 9,5 the past few weeks and felt pretty good. Monday I was at the back door grilling and stepped backwards into the house and onto the dog who was behind me. I stepped on her paw and immediately jerked my leg up smashing my knee into the door frame. I still am feeling a bit of pain especially when I go up and down stairs.

I feel like a slacker, but I haven't been running since Sunday. I know I should rest it, but I feel very guilty for not running. I don't know what I can do that doesn't impact the knee. By the way the dog was fine. I never hurt her, she's pretty quick for a 13 year old Jack Russel Terrier.

Anyway I am frustrated that I can't run and don't want to push it to injure myself. On the other hand, this is the worst time of year to not be able to get out there with all the extra calories that I will be eating and drinking.

I also made another road trip to Madison this past weekend for a beer run. Unfortunately, I can't buy New Glarus Beer here in Illinois and I have to go to Wisconsin. I made the trip worth it since things are cheaper in Wisconsin compared to Illinois.

Any suggestions about the knee would be appreciated.

I Took the Plunge!

2009-12-04T13:27:00.000-08:00

I can’t believe it but I just signed up for my first marathon. I am registered for the Madison Marathon May 31, 2010. I am excited, happy, nervous and scared all at the same time. I know many of you seasoned veterans out there have run this sacred 26.2 before, but frankly I never thought that I would be here. I have a long road ahead of me for training, but in my mind the first step was registering and now it’s for real. I verbally committed to do this with a friend of mine a month ago and I signed up first. I am going through with it even if he doesn’t. Call it my bucket list or what have you but I need to do this for myself and prove to myself that I can do it.

Whew! Did I mention I signed up for a marathon today?

Seriously, I have been non existent out here but have been training still. I have been getting around 18 hours/week for the past month. I know I need to kick it up big time to prepare for what’s ahead, but I feel confident that I can follow a plan and get it done. I will certainly be keeping all of you in mind while I’m training. You will be that voice in the back of my head telling me to keep going, when I feel like giving up or slacking. I do appreciate all your input, advice and stories you share through your own blogs and it makes me feel as I am there with you. Although I would feel more like I was a participant if I could attend Jamoosh's 12 Beers of Christmas, but unfortunately not this time.

On the Garage front things have progressed wonderfully. I have the floor painted, walls done, molding installed and flat screen installed. I have some touch up painting on the molding to do and then I will post some photos.

Even though I haven’t posted forever, I have been trying to keep up and post on everyone’s blogs. Having trouble finding spare time to read everything and post myself. I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend.

Vet-Run 2009 Race Report

2009-11-09T06:18:00.000-08:00

I have been nursing a cold (hopefully not H1N1) the past week but still managed to drag my but out for a few runs. I figured I would try and sweat the cold out of me by running. Unfortunately, I couldn't shake it and am still taking cold meds this morning again.

Last week I managed to get out Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday prior to my Sunday morning 10K. I managed to get in 20 miles for the week, which is great since I have been slaking throughout the month of October. I feel like I am getting back on track. It 's funny how I can run this mileage sick, but last month being healthy, I had problems. I think motivation and burnout were my bigger issues, hopefully past me now.

We have had unseasonably great weather in the Chicago area the past week and the weekend was no exception. Sunday morning was the most perfect running conditions you could ask for. My wife , Terri and I headed out to the race Sunday morning and picked up my friend Billy to join us. We also met another couple at the race. I always enjoy running when you have a great group of friends there. I love having the support and being able to support them as well. Anyway, the race was to support Veterans and they had a whole series of events to pay homage to our Veterans. They had opening ceremonies before the race with military present and even a flyover with a WWII plane. They even had the moving miniature Vietnam wall on site. What an impressive site to see.

The race went off without a hitch. They ran a 5k and 10k simultaneously so things were a bit bunched up at the start. It took a good 1/2 mile for the crowd to break into their pace groups and from there everything was fine. Like I said, we had spectacular running weather with blue skies, sunshine and temps in the 60's. Unfortunately I knew I wasn't going to PR since I was on dayquill, but nonetheless I still felt good. It really felt great to be out in the sun and running in November in Chicago. I ran the course with my friend Billy until the split where the 5k and 10k separated. Billy was itching to get moving a little quicker and I told him to go and not let me hold him back. I slowed down during miles 4 and 5 but picked it up again from there to finish strong. I unofficially had a time of 55:45. This is about 3- 1/2 minutes off my PR time but I am still happy. When I crossed the finish line my two friends were there to greet me and we stayed and waited for my wife and my other buddy's wife to finish. Everyone in our group crossed within minutes to finish under an hour.

Last year when I ran this race it was my first 10k ever and longest distance run to date. I feel like I have accomplished a lot since this point last year. I have completed 2-1/2 marathons and numerous 10ks and 5ks throughout the running season in 2009. I look forward to 2010 and what it may bring. I think I am going to try the Madison full Marathon this May and see what I can do. I know I need to get my ass in gear and stay the course for some heavy duty training, but I think I may be ready for this next step. It is encouraging reading everyones journey in blog land and seeing how you progress in your own training and racing. I hope I can keep motivated through this great support network of people out here.

My buddy Wes had his camera and her are a few photos.

Missing in Action

2009-10-22T08:23:00.001-07:00

Where the hell have I been? What happened? Let me tell you. I have been missing lately. I have been running but not nearly as much as I should have or wanted to. Like most runners we have Type-A personalities and become focused on a goal, project or whatever the task at hand is. I have been obsessing over a project that I have spent too much time, effort and money into. I have been fixing the garage (man cave) up. I hung drywall, taped and mudded, primed and painted and even put in crown and base molding. My wife thinks I have gone over the deep edge. I do host a weekly poker game and we play in the garage so we do get use out of it other than parking the vehicles in it. It is also heated so even in the coldest of Chicago weather we stay toasty. I have also hung cabinets (from our old kitchen) and have a fridge and kegaerator. There is a TV and stereo as well. My project doesn’t stop here it just has begun. I plan on painting the floor with the epoxy coating and basically minimizing all the other items I have kept in it by cramming it into the shed. I don’t think it’s obsessive but more like focused.

Now as far as running goes, I have been feeling severe guilt as I have basically cut my mileage in half of where I would like it to be and where it should be. I went out last night, before working in the garage and had a great run. I almost forgot how much I enjoy fall running with the cooler temps, leaves crunching under foot and the awesome smells wafting in the air. I am making a promise to myself to not be so ~~obsessed~~ focused on the garage thing and put my health as a priority. I will run because I enjoy it, need it and want it!

I will post pictures once the Garage Mahall is completed. If you have any additional ideas that I could incorporate into my project, please feel free to share.

Hanging Around

2009-09-28T07:02:00.000-07:00

I haven’t felt like I had anything worthwhile to say lately so I have been keeping a low profile. Running has been going well. This past Saturday, I did a nice 10 miler with a friend of mine who is doing the trail ½ Marathon. I declined on running this due to my inexperience with the trail side of things. I wouldn’t mind trying to do some trail running but I think I should set my aim for a few miles before I commit to anything such as a ½.

I haven’t signed up for any races in October. Partly because I haven’t found anything that is of interest and partly because I seem to have quite a few weekend social obligations for the month. I still am trying to get my 20-25 miles during the week in so I don’t feel so guilty for indulging in too many Octoberfest brews. There are some mighty tasty beers that I am coming across as well.

I am closing up the summer place next weekend and it seems somewhat bittersweet. I will surely miss spending weekends at the lake, but I need to catch up on the projects at home I have been putting off for the summer. I know April/May will be here before I know it and the cycle will start again.

Friday Night PR

2009-09-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I ran a local 5k in my neighborhood, the Lake in the Hills Sunset Fest 5k. Terri, Dante and a group of other friends I badgered into, ran as well. Some of the group I talked into running are new to the scene and I thought it would be a nice jester to host a post-race get together at my place afterwards. I even talked a Face Book friend (John) that I haven’t seen since high school to make it out for the evening. From looking at his pictures my friend John was a bit heavier a few years back and took up running to control his weight. I tell you he is in great shape and very fast. I was certainly impressed; he ran 22:06, his first 5k ever. He runs 5 or 6 days a week at home but not so many official races. I think almost everyone in the group PR’d or it was their first race. My son, Dante came in second place in the 10 and under group, my wife Terri had a PR of 26:32 and I had a PR of 25:16. I think we ended up with about 20 people showing up afterwards for the get together. I can’t think of a better way to end a Friday evening race than with a cold beer and some food.

The week prior to the 5k I barely ran. I think I was still trying to let my body recover from the ½ Marathon the week prior. I felt a little guilty but when I started running the 5k I was feeling the effects of the longer run the week before. On that note I didn’t run the entire Labor Day weekend and yes I did feel a little guilty about it.

We spent the weekend in Wisconsin, as we do almost every weekend, to celebrate the end of summer. We managed to go boating, tubing and swimming in the lake and in general just hung out, cooked and sampled a few good beers.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the New Glarus Staghorn Oktoberfest at the store on Saturday. Staghorn was just released as their fall seasonal beer and was just available starting September. I only picked up a 6 pack just in case I didn’t care for it, but it was damn good. So good in fact I ended up driving to Madison on Monday before we were going to leave and picked up a ½ barrel of the stuff. I called the liquor store to see what they had in stock for New Galrus in a ½ Barrel and was surprised to find the new Staghorn. I jumped all over it and now have it sitting at home in the kegerator. I need to put a warning sign since Staghorn is 6.25% alcohol by volume.

I find myself without another race until November. I am not sure if I should take the time to wind down or if I should look for another race in October. A friend of mine is trying to persuade me into a 13.1 trail run in Madison but I am inexperienced in trail running and think that would be a long distance for my first attempt.

Madison Mini Marathon Race Report

2009-09-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Friday afternoon Terri and I went with two of our friends up to Madison to pick-up our race packets. We had to pick up from the student Union at the University of Wisconsin campus. Unfortunately the packet pick-up and freshman move in day coincided on the same day. Traffic was a little hectic, but we made it to the union on Lake Mendota and even found parking. I was a little disappointed that they just handed me my bib, timing chip and a shirt. There was no race swag to speak of but the shirt was a short sleeve Brooks technical shirt so I shouldn’t complain.

After getting our stuff we put everything back in the car and walked outside at the Union. The temperature was almost 80 degrees and I was surprised to see such a beautiful place on the water. There were tables everywhere and a path that ran around the lake. The path had boat docks with sailboat and canoe rentals as well as the paths full of runners and students and the docks were full of sunbathers. How can this get any better you ask, the Union even served beer. Back when I was in college, my Union was nothing like this, I was truly impressed. So of course we had to have a pre-race beer for carbo-loading purposes.

Race day came early and the temps were quite a bit different from the day before. The morning temps were in the high 50’s to low 60’s and overcast. The weather was perfect for running but not so much for the post race party they had at the Union waterfront. I was supposed to try and meet Heather prior to the race but unfortunately the crowds were pretty hectic and we had planned to meet at the bathrooms and did not clarify which ones. Even though we did not get to meet, I thought I saw her driving out of the parking garage and later got confirmation it was her. I guess I should have said something, but did not want to seem like a stalker or something if it wasn’t her.

Terri and I started off running together. That lasted for about ½ mile when she waived me to go ahead and I started to make my move through the crowd. The course turned out to be really beautiful. We went through so many different areas and got to see a real sampling of Madison. We ran through campus to downtown around the capital building and by lake front trails and quaint neighborhoods. For this run being the inaugural race, I think they planned well, had plenty of water stops and volunteers to man each station. I also enjoyed the support from the crowd, they seemed to really show up and support everyone out there.

Previously I had said that I hadn’t been training as hard for this run as I did for the last ½ I ran so my expectations were nil. I also woke up Friday with the start of a head cold. I guess you know where this is going excuses, excuses. I actually PR’d this race by 2 minutes and 40 seconds off my last time. I ran the race in 2:02:00. Once I was running everything felt good and I seemed to be running well. I really was pushing to try and break the 2 hour mark, but unfortunately started the push a little too late. I still am happy with the PR and have 2 minutes to shave off for the next time. Terri finished slightly longer than her last ½ but a good effort nonetheless (2:09:23). This was a great course and I will definitely run this race again next year, I had a great time!

Taper Mode

2009-08-26T09:37:00.000-07:00

I am in taper mode for the Madison Mini Marathon this upcoming Saturday. Last Saturday was my last long run (10 miles) and Sunday was a 17 mile bike ride. This past week I received a note from Heather, who decided to sign up for Madison this Saturday. She just made it before the race closed and we are going to try to have a blogger meet up this weekend.

I am glad that this is my last long race of the year. I put to much pressure on myself this year with hopes of being ready for a full Marathon. I just don't know if it is in the cards for me. I would sure like to put it on my bucket list, but I don't know if I can commit to what it takes to train for it, let alone run 26.2. I sure give all of you who have kudos. I guess I will be sticking with the 1/2 for a little longer and see where that takes me.

I am running this weekend with no time fame in mind and plan on running a comfortable pace so I can take in the scenery and the crowds. On my 10 miler last weekend, I ran with my wife and a friend of mine. We talked the whole time and before I knew it 10 miles were done. I enjoyed that run and would like to be able to not worry about my pace, time or anything else and just enjoy a run just like last weekend.

This has been a great summer and today was back to school for my son. I feel like I have been on vacation the whole summer, I took every Friday off, a week in July and a few other days here and there. I sure can get used to that. Next week is may last Friday off. I now have to stretch the rest of my time off (7 days) until the end of the year. Luckily we have Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years to help out.

Breaking out of the Funk

2009-08-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

It’s been so long I don’t know where to begin.

I had a wonderful 40^th B-Day party on the 9^th. I celebrated by spending the evening with family and friends. My wife had dinner catered in and we had plenty of food and drink on hand. Funny thing is I don’t feel older, or even old for that matter. I am glad that I am able to run and be in the healthy condition I am. I am sure that has everything to do with how I feel. I even feel this way despite the fact that my wife plastered the lawn with fake tombstones and “Over the Hill” signs everywhere. I’ll take the good and the bad as long as I can still feel as healthy as I do at this time in my life.

I have 10 days until the Madison Mini (1/2) Marathon. I have to admit I haven’t been training as much as I should have been and I am getting a little nervous. Ever since vacation last month, I seemed to have been slacking a bit and not running the longer distances I should have to prepare for this. I do get motivation from reading a lot of wonderful blogs out there and it really seems to help, but for some reason after my 12 hours days of working/commuting, I seem drained. I know exercise gives you energy and all and I have been running just not like I should have. Lately my body has been aching more than its normal pains. I am not sure if has anything to do with running a few miles on concrete everyday to get to the paths I have near my house or worn out shoes or psychological. I changed my shoes, tried staying off the concrete as much as possible and tried to get my head out of the funk I was in. I read a great post over at Runner Dudes blog yesterday that seemed to help. So last night I started off my evening run and ended up doing 7 miles at a quick pace (quick for me). I left right after I got home from work at 6:00 and didn’t get home until 7:45. After my return and showering, I was exhausted and in bed by 9:00. During the week I don’t normally have the time to commit to these longer runs, but I just felt I needed to get the cobwebs off and needed to break out of my routine. I was sore but felt great afterwards. Today, I assumed I would be feeling a little beat up but not a bit. I hope to get out tonight for an easy three and then cut the grass. I have 10 days to get my head and body in the right place. I have come to terms that I am not going to worry about a PR and just enjoy the race as much as I can. I have a long run scheduled with a friend of mine for Saturday morning and I am off work for a 4 day weekend so I hope to get a few quality runs in preparation for the upcoming ½.

Last weekend we had some college friend visit us up in Wisconsin for the weekend. We had a great time and a friend of mine took us all out in his boat for the afternoon. We docked at a sand bar and were able to let the kids swim and enjoy the day.

Summer seems to be coming to a quick end. My son starts school next week and for me that signals the end of summer. I am ready for some cooler and less humid weather for running anyways.

Over the Hill

2009-08-04T06:42:00.001-07:00

This past Thursday evening I ran a 5K downtown Chicago, or so I thought. The weather was perfect, but the organization of the 2009 Race Judicata sucked. Not to mention the 5K turned into a 3.41 miler. Seriously when you move the starting line you know that the rest of the course will be affected. My Garmin told me something was wrong by mile 2 when there was no split time around. The timer was much farther away as well as the water stop. The crappy part of the whole thing is that I was running my fastest 5K pace ever. The final approach was under Columbus Avenue and uphill. Unfortunately when you are pacing the finish line to be .31 miles closer, it adversely affects you. I know it was only a 5K, but this still pisses me off. Not to mention this little race cost $38 to run. You think they would have gotten it right.

I digress from my ranting. A few good things happened out of the whole thing: (1) I have a new PR for a 3.41 Miler (2) There was cold Goose Island 312 beer waiting for me at the finish line and after each one I seemed to be less annoyed about the whole thing (3) A friend of mine drove me home, so I didn’t need to worry about that aspect of the evening.

On Friday I played in a golf outing with my uncle and his buddy's. We played at Evergreen Golf course in Elkhorn Wisconsin. We had a great day, beautiful weather and didn't play to terrible either. I only play golf a handful of times a year so I was elated when I got a birdie on a par 3 hole. Of course I started to fall apart on the back nine, I am not used to swinging a club around for 4 hours. I was pretty tired after that. After golfing they cooked steaks over a large grill and had door prizes. I won a bottle of merlot and my uncle got a Tasmanian devil head cover. He gave it to me to give to my son for his clubs (he loved it).

I am approaching the colossal milestone of turning 40 this weekend. We are having some friends over at the house to help celebrate my old age. I honestly don’t feel different physically, but I do have to admit, there is a bit of a mental thing going on for me. I can’t exactly pinpoint what it is, but maybe I have to recognize I am no longer a kid and officially an adult, or should this have happened already?

I am trying to stay focused and keep up with training for my ½ at the end of the month, but my knees have been a little sore this week. I ran a few times over the weekend after the Thursday night race and my legs felt heavy and sore. I took last night off from running and took the dog out for a walk around the neighborhood instead. Maybe my body is getting ready to shut down at 40 years old. I guess I will just keep plugging along, I would feel too guilty otherwise.

Vacation & a 10K PR

2009-07-22T07:08:00.000-07:00

I seemed to have fallen into a black hole lately. After vacation, I have found it difficult to find time for everything. Anyways, I am still out here and still running.

Vacation was wonderful. Having eleven days away from work was refreshing. I did however find myself overindulging in food and drink a bit too much. The fun thing is that there are a group of friends that take vacation the same week that have summer places by us so we have the option to do things with friends if we want. I did run on vacation, just not the miles I probably should have. I did find a 10k race on the morning of the fourth of July. It was a great way to kick off Independence Day. My last 10K back in April, I managed a 55:41 and this time I was hauling ass (for my standards) and finished with 52:16. That is 3:25 faster than last time. I don’t know why, the course was hilly and out in the country running past corn and cows and other animals but something snapped and I broke my plateau I was stuck on. I hope this continues through my next races. Anyway I was stoked to have improved my time by that much for a 10K.

In addition to the 10K there were a few scattered runs, varying in distance, not pushing myself to hard, after all I was on vacation.

One of my trip highlights was going to New Glarus, Wisconsin to tour one of my favorite breweries, the New Glarus Brewing Company. They had just opened their new hilltop brewery, so new in fact, the varnish on the woodwork and paint on the walls still smelled wet. We walked into the brewery and immediately proceeded to get a pint to sample & walk around the brewery with. I was surprised that they gave you us a glass and let us wander around with it. The building was an impressive display of copper kettles and stainless steel pipes traversing throughout the building. Each area was open to view by a glass wall as to see the operation & each brewing process. I ended the tour with a visit to the gift shop to load up on souvenirs. Next we headed to the lower level where all the beer was. New Glarus is only sold in Wisconsin, so I tried to get a decent sampling for the rest of vacation and to share with my poker buddy’s back home.

A few days after the brewery tour, a group of us went tubing down the Wisconsin River in a town called Spring Green. Spring Green is also famous for the home of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin House. We actually floated right past the house on the river. It was a real treat to see, especially if you are into architecture. There were sand bars all along the river; we stopped for lunch and then just to let the kids run around and play. A good time was had by all.

The rest of vacation was spent visiting with friends and spending time with my family and just relaxing. I often feel I need a vacation to recover from my vacation once I get back. And don’t get me started about catching up at work!

Vacation Preperations

2009-06-30T11:36:00.000-07:00

Things have been going well, despite the fact I have been a no show on the blog world lately. Last Saturday I went for a run with a ~~faster~~ friend of mine who pushed me during a 6 miler. We started out at a 9:30 pace, which is my normal speed for this distance and by mile 5 he was pushing me at 8:45. I was having a hard time keeping up, but glad I did. When I downloaded my Garmin, I realized that I had run at an average pace of 9:13 for the six miles. I was happy with my progress and albeit out of breath thanked him for pushing me.

The rest of Saturday, I helped him finish installing/building a screen porch on his deck. I figured he had a few hours of work left but found myself still there 8 hours later. I was late to dinner at party my wife and son were already at. I showed up late, apologized and they were kind enough to keep everything out for me. I was glad to help my friend finish and look forward to breaking the porch in some time in the future.

Sunday I didn’t run but played tennis with my son. I got him 2 rackets for his birthday a few weeks ago and had not had the opportunity to play. We just tried to volley the ball back and forth, as neither of us are very good. It was nice to spend some time together and I did manage to get a little exercise in chasing the tennis ball all over the court. I was just reading they have different size tennis balls that have different compression to bounce slower and faster for practice. I need to investigate and find some that have a slower bounce so we can practice a bit.

I am looking forward to the upcoming holiday weekend, especially since I will be on vacation and away from work for 11 days starting this Thursday. We are heading to Wisconsin for the week and a few other families we know will be up there vacationing at the same time. We are trying to coordinate a few activities such as tubing down the Wisconsin River past Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin, a Brewers game, the Madison zoo and just hanging out at the lake and pool. I am planning on taking a day trip to New Glarus, Wisconsin, home of the New Glarus brewery. New Glarus is only sold in Wisconsin and I can’t get it anywhere in Illinois. I am planning to stock up on my trip to the brewery. I do plan on keeping up with my training. That is why I signed up for another ½ marathon in August to keep me accountable and on track.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Fourth of July celebration!

Father's Day Weekend

2009-06-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

I had quite a busy weekend. After spending Friday morning watching a movie in the basement while the tornado warnings passed, we headed up north to Wisconsin for the weekend. My son got a new bike last week for his birthday, but we had to return it because it wasn't put together very well. We returned it at the Target in Wisconsin, so I knew it was put together by a different person. Luckily this one worked and we picked up a new hybrid for my wife as well. Of course we had to go on a ride Saturday morning so they both could try their new rides out. We went 10 miles on the trail and everything was good. I attempted to do a run immediately after biking and that is such a strange feeling. My legs felt like rubber bands. I didn't go far, I just wanted to know what it felt like.

I washed my golf cart for the first time this year and it was cleaning up nicely. That is until I cleaned the tires and found out that 3 of the valve stems had dry rotted. I lost air in all three tires as soon as I touched them. I am glad it happened while I was cleaning it and not driving. I had to remove all the tires and put the golf cart on blocks so I could have new stems put in the tires. I thought the picture looked a little funny, like I had just gotten my rims stolen. Anyway, I returned home with 4 new valve stems and was cruising around. At least it cleaned up well and no one was hurt.

After spending the afternoon fixing the wheels, I headed to the pool where my wife and son were all day. I did get to relax and have a little fun at least.

On Sunday, my son & I went and golfed 9 holes. It was our first time out for the year and we both were a little rusty. The course was packed for Father's Day and we were waiting at every hole. I should have picked a less hectic day for our first outing of the year. Hopefully the next time we go, we got the cobwebs out and will play a little better. It was nice to spend the time together with my son, nonetheless.

On Sunday afternoon, we headed home and went to my sister's for a cookout. It was nice to go to someone else's house while they did all the cooking for a change. Terri and Dante were able to relax a little as well.

All in all it was a busy weekend, but I enjoyed myself. Oh and by the way, my official time from Thursday's race was 25:44. A new PR for me by 1 second. Now I need to buckle down and sign up for my next race, the Madison mini marathon on August 29th and see what I can do about a sub 2:00 time.

Thursday Night at the Races

2009-06-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

Last night I ran the Jim Gibbons 5k at Chicago's lake front. The weather was humid and quit muggy, but there is nothing like running along the lakefront after work. Like most races this was for a good cause, leukemia research. I talked one of my buddies I ride the train with to run with me and in turn he recruited someone from his office as well. I have not been able to find my official time yet but my Garmin indicated it to be 25:47. If that is the case, I missed my PR by 3 seconds. It is motivating to see so many peole running and I really enjoy running these Thursday races after work in the summer. Now that I have been running longer distances, I found it hard to pace myself effectively for a 5K.

I am looking into another 1/2 marathon in Madison. They are having a mini marathon in August and I think it will keep me on track to keep my weekly mileage up.

Go Cubs!!

2009-06-16T07:10:00.001-07:00

Last Friday was my son’s 10^th birthday. We surprised him with tickets to the Cubs game that day. He opened a box and it had the tickets in it for the game that day, he was so exited and it was great to see his reaction. We also gave him a bunch of sports gear, because he is a sports nut. He got two tennis rackets, golf shoes, a bat and a bunch of miscellaneous smaller stuff. We took the train down to the city that morning to see the game and stopped for lunch in Wrigleyville. We went to a bar & grill called Moran’s and $70 later we were off walking around at all the vendors outside the stadium. My son was looking for a youth fitted hat and we finally found a vendor that had them for $21. At this point I knew this was going to be an expensive outing for the day. Inside the stadium beer was $6.50 and soda $4.50, hot dogs were $4.25 and it goes on and on. Don’t get me wrong I am not being a whiny cheap ass, but these prices are a little over the top take your family to the ballgame. Once inside I drank a few beers, relaxed and enjoyed the day, knowing how much my son was enjoying his B-Day. At that point, I knew that I couldn’t put a price tag on any of it.

On Sunday, my town was hosting a Sprint Triathlon. My wife, son and I got up early and headed out to the driveway, as the running portion was running down our street that morning. We saw the lead guy run by with a police escort and all the others soon to follow. We encouraged and cheered for every one of the participants. It was amazing how many said thanks and I really needed that. We had so many encouraging comments back, I was so amazed. I truly can’t believe how a few words can give someone that extra boost when they are struggling to complete their race. Since my family has been on the other side of the running, we knew how important it was to encourage every last one of them. It was an amazing thing to watch and inspiring to see. So inspiring that my wife and I went out and ran 7 miles after the runners went by.

Onto the next one

2009-06-09T06:49:00.000-07:00

I seem to be slowly getting back into my grove since the ½ marathon. I ran almost 20 miles last week and biked as well. After the race I became a little lax on my eating and have gained about 4 or 5 pounds. I am not too happy with myself about that and need to focus on getting rid of the extra weight. Those damn carbohydrates!

My wife and I were looking into running the Chicago ½ marathon in September. I was first looking at the Chicago Rock and Roll ½, but it is sold out already. I can’t pull the trigger on a full marathon just yet. I am not confident enough in my ability to complete such a task. The good news is that the race in September will put me in the 40 year old group. On second thought that group may be better than the previous age group, crap.

I think I need to do this to keep motivated in my running. Why can’t being healthy be motivation enough?

No More Rest

2009-06-02T11:06:00.000-07:00

It has been a week since I last posted, I seriously seem to have fallen off the blog world. Since the 1/2 marathon on Memorial Day weekend, I have been pretty tired and I did my first run this past Sunday for 4 miles. I feel like a big slug, but I just needed to rest. I shouldn't have waited so long and need to get my ass back in gear. What is a reasonable amount of time to recoup after running the 1/2?

I received an e-mail with my race photos, except one of the photos is not me. The only photo isn't very good and I think I will pass on buying it.

I signed up for the Jim Gibbons 5k race in Chicago on June 18. This is on a Thursday evening so I can just walk to the lake front after work and be ready to go. This is my first 5k race of the year. Last year I ran mostly 5k's with the exception of my first 10k in November. With running the longer distances, I need to try and remember how to pace for the 5k. My PR last year was 25:45 last year, but I think I may have gotten slower with the longer distances.

I realize how important it is to write about my training because it actually makes me think about what my goals and training need to be. I also like signing up for races because it keeps accountable and doesn't allow me to slack off, or at least as much.

I am also feeling guilty that I haven't been biking since early spring. When I got my bike last year my intention was to cross train on my rest days from running. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten into that yet. I need to map out my game plan and start sticking to it.

Madsion 1/2 Marathon 2009

2009-05-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

Madison was awesome and of course I PR’d since it was my first ½ Marathon. My official chip time was 2:04:40, which I am happy with, even though I was hoping to be closer to 2 hours. I am proud of my wife Terri who finished right behind me with a time of 2:08:40, which is incredible because this time last year she was still smoking. The course was beautiful, we ran past the University of Wisconsin, the capital building, and were able to take in beautiful lakefront scenery along Lake Menona and Lake Mendota.

I have the utmost respect and admiration for anyone of you who have run a full marathon. After experiencing the ½ I can only say you guy’s rock! What dedication that must take to complete 26.2 miles.

I started out running and Beth’s mantra kept running in my head, “start out fast lose your ass”. I tried to keep the pace between 9:30–10:00 for the first few miles. We ran with another couple, Wes & Jen. Wes and I started out running together because he wanted me to pace him for the first few miles using the Garmin. We ran together for about an hour and he took off. Wes finished just under 2 hours with 1:59:20. Jen and Terri started out together but Terri needed to hit the porta-potty shortly after we started so they parted ways early on. I was amazed that when we went through the area where the college kids lived they were passing out Bloody Marys and beer for the run. They were only filled up about a 1/3 full but of course Wes took a Bloody Mary and I opted for the beer. I am not sure if this hurt, helped or was indifferent but was something I remembered to say the least. Around mile 12 I was tiring. And again Beth’s mantra of “Shut up and run” was wailing in my brain. My feet were hurting and I just said screw it and kept going. I am still a little sore but feel good about
myself for the accomplishment. I don't know if a full marathon is in my future or even possible for me, but I am feeling the high after this race and can't wait to get back out there again.

Track Discovery

2009-05-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

I am on my taper down starting after tonight. On Tuesday I ran an easy 5k and luckily everything was still in working order and didn't feel any pains, except for the normal old age. Last night (Wednesday) I had to take my nephew to baseball practice at his middle school and noticed a track in the distance. I went home and changed into my running gear and ran at the track while he practiced. The track is really nice because the school is only a few years old. I just found my perfect place to do speed work. I brought my nine year old son (Dante) with me. He was pissed because they had a one (1) mile run at school the other day and he didn't do as well as he would have liked (9:15). I told him he has to practice if wants to get faster. We did a fast run around the track and then a fast paced walk for a lap. I just wanted to stay loose and help him get some practice. We did this for a few miles and then I finished with another 1.5 miles by myself. I am taking Jamoosh's advice from Das Mixture and making Thursday my last real run for the week.

I want to thank everyone for all the comments and support you have provided me. I am very appreciative and happy to have discovered such a wonderful community of people out here in blog land. As I am running on Sunday, I will be thinking of you and look forward to sharing my experience with you after the race.

8 Mile Advice

2009-05-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

I headed everyones advice and ran 8 miles on Saturday at an easy pace of 1:15. The run felt pretty good and the foot and knee were not hurting and felt fine afterwards. I ran on the trail in Wisconsin I spoke about previously. The trail is a combination of blacktop and limestone so I think it was less impact on my body.

After getting up on Sunday, I felt like I wanted to run again, but stayed closer to home and just ran locally for 3 miles. I was a bit sluggish.

After sitting at my desk at work on Monday, my knee started to tighten up again. I can still feel a little discomfort if I move it a certain direction. Apparently it has not healed all the way. I took Monday evening off from running and just took it easy. I will attempt a 3 miler tonight just to make sure everything is in working order.

I am getting nervous and excited for Sunday. I need to make a trip to Madison on Saturday to pick up the race packets and visit the expo. There is no race day pick up but luckily Madison is only 30 minutes from our summer place so it isn’t too bad of a drive.

I'm Back

2009-05-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

I can happily say that my knee is good. I think I just may have hyper extended it and needed a few days rest. I ran last night for the first time since Sunday and I went for an easy 4 miler with no problems. I am anxious to get out again, but I have to go see my son 's play at school tonight after work. After the play it is poker Thursday and our beer tour continues to England tonight. Since we started the beer tour at cards our weekly number of players has steadily increased. I am anticipating 8 -9 people for tonights game.

My 1/2 marathon is rapidly approaching on the 24th and I am unsure of how I should taper down or if I need to at all. The past couple of weeks I have not run as much as normal and feel like I need to build my mileage back up again. Any advice from you seasoned pros is appreciated.

Da Coach

2009-05-11T11:42:00.000-07:00

After I hurt my foot last week, I took most of the next week off from running. I got back out on Wednesday for 3 miles, Thursday for 3.75 miles and then again on Saturday for 6 miles. Not a high mileage week to say the least. I did have thoughts that it might be plantar fasciitis, but it started feeling better and I hopefully dodged that bullet. I think I just had some lingering affects from a twist and compounded by continued running. I appreciate the help I received from the Runner Dude with the information about plantar fasciitis.

Last Thursday, Mike Ditka, former Chicago Bears head coach, was at the grand opening of our local Binny’s liquor store. My son is a big sports fan and wanted me to take him. I picked my son up on my way home from work and we headed out. When we got there the line was about 100 people deep and some of them appeared to have been there for a while. Luckily my neighbor and his two kids were among the crowd. They were announcing that Ditka was running late, a couple hours late and luckily for me, my neighbor offered to let my son wait with him and his kids and said he would bring him home later. My son wanted to stay and I hadn’t even gone home yet so I left him with the neighbor to wait. I gave Dante my camera and a Bears football he had brought just in case he could get it autographed. A few hours later, Dante showed up back home and got his picture taken and the football signed. I am glad things worked out for Dante and I managed to get a run in.

This weekend we were quite busy. On Saturday my wife and I ran in the morning and we had a communion party to go to at 12:30. The party was at a local reception hall with lunch and a magician for the kids. The reception lasted 4 hours and I was really ready to go after that. Later that night we had a party to go to with my group of friends that I ride the train with. In between parties we had to go shopping for the cookout we were having for Mother's Day. I am glad we ran in the morning because there was no time after 12:00 to do anything else but run around.

On Mother's day we had family over for a cookout. There were 12 adults and 5 kids so we had a pretty good crowd. I know I shouldn't have done that to my wife but of course I helped out as much as possible. I hope she didn't mind to much. We had a nice afternoon and I was wrestling around with my son and nephews in the basement. I felt my knee move in a direction it wasn't supposed to and woke up in pain this morning. I just started to run again and I do something stupid and somehow tweaked my knee. I walk a few blocks to work once I get off the train and it was very stiff. As the day progresses it seems to be getting better, but not good enough to run on tonight. I seem to be trying to sabotage my half marathon race in a few weeks. I am hoping I just did something minor and I can be back to normal after a few days of rest.

Foot Injury

2009-05-04T11:08:00.000-07:00

This weekend flew by and was way to short. The weather finally cooperated and was quite awesome. I left work early and headed North to Wisconsin on Friday and it was nice. Friday night was low key and we ended up having some friends drop by and we just visited with them for the evening.

On Saturday morning, my wife and I went for a run together. We headed out to the trail and proceeded to get a ten (10) miler in. Neither of us had been on the trail that far and we were not sure what the trail was like at that distance. We ran to the Rock River in a town called Fort Atkinson and turned around shortly after we hit that mark. Even though the trail is marked with 1 and ½ mile markers, I found that my Garmin is more accurate and that their marks are off. Anyway, we hit 5 miles and turned around for 5 more back to the car. I maintained a 9:36 pace for the run and was satisfied with effort.

After we got back and showered, we had yard work to complete. I cut grass, even though it was very wet, I had no choice since I was not going to be back for a few weeks and it was already long. I also noticed my neighbor had not been there yet this year and his grass was getting long as well and of course I cut his too. My wife raked leaves and sticks and burned them in the fire pit. I also had to get on the roof and clean out the gutters, how fun. At this point, I was pretty damn tired from all the day had to offer. I finally had a chance to sit down and enjoy a cold beer (New Glarus Spotted Cow) for all my efforts. I just sat there and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon.

After I while I started to feel a pain in my left foot. It was actually becoming painful to walk. My arch was really sore and I have never had this happen before. Unfortunately, it is two days later and I am still feeling a bit of pain, albeit not as much. Not sure what this is or what I did to cause it.

We drove home on Sunday morning so we could do more chores at home. Of course the grass needed cutting and my wife wanted me to put new mulch in around the place. I had also been eyeing a screen gazebo to put on the back deck. I never get to use my deck in the summer because of the heat and mosquitoes. With the new gazebo, I hope we get some more use of it. After returning from the store with 16 bags of mulch and the gazebo that needed to be put together we put the mulch down and it went quickly and easily. I recruited my wife and son to help with the gazebo; I needed all the extra hands I could get. After 1 ½ hours we had it together and it turned out pretty good.

I will be taking today off from running in hopes of a quick recovery from whatever I have done to myself.

Just Cutting Grass

2009-05-01T09:08:00.000-07:00

I don’t know about where you guys live, but Chicago has had the crappiest weather lately. We have had so much rain lately that I am thinking of trading my car in for a boat.

Running has gone well so far this week:

Monday 4 miles

Tuesday cut grass because it is growing crazy from all this rain

Wednesday 4.5 miles

Thursday 3 miles

Friday rest

Saturday planning to run 10 miles

Sunday planning to bike

For last night’s poker game we continued our tour around the world of beers and choose Germany. We had a sampling of five (5) different German beers. Most were hefeweizens and one pilsner. I have enjoyed taking this tour, it is fun to discover different beers I normally wouldn’t have tried on my own. We just had a new store called Binny’s open up by us and I was like a kid in a candy shop. The only thing I didn’t take into account was that the German beers we choose had a higher alcohol content than most American brews I am used to. After consuming my sampler, I was feeling the effects of what 5.5% alcohol means. I went to bed at 11:30 while the rest of the group continued the tour without me. I actually overslept this morning and ended up taking a later train into the city.

I am going to take an early train home from work today so I can get a jump on traffic and head north to Wisconsin for the weekend. Unfortunately, I have more grass to cut up there. I hope to use my new bike rack this weekend and haul my bike with me so I can ride on the trail we discovered. I will be without internet so I will have to catch up with everything on Sunday when I get back. That is, after I cut my grass again.

Just Do It!

2009-04-29T06:47:00.000-07:00

I feel like such a slacker lately. I have been super consumed with work and am having difficulty keeping up with my normal routine of things. I keep having Beth’s influence run through my head with “Shut up and…” run, blog, get living and stop complaining.

Enough of the excuses and I will try to get back to normal ASAP. Running has been going well and I am getting exited for my first ½ marathon in about 3 weeks. I am feeling good about the distance but concerned of my time. I know this is my first one and I should be more focused on completing this and getting it under my belt, but I would love to be close to the 2 hour mark. I guess I should just “ shut up” and focus on having fun and enjoying the race.

My wife and I went out this past Saturday for our long run. Unfortunately the weather was a little iffy. We had hoped to get 11 miles in, but it started raining after 8 ½ and I was concerned because I had my cell and mp3 that I did not want to ruin. It turns out it only was a drizzle, so we could have kept going, but my paranoia made us stop. On our way back, I broke my hydration belt and ended up carrying it for the last mile.

We have had so much rain here lately, my grass needed to be cut badly. I figured I would get the grass cut and go for a run last night. Unfortunately, my plans were foiled by a non-cooperative weed trimmer and blower. After sitting in the shed for a year, it took a little coaxing for everything to start up. After putting in new gas and taking 100 pulls to start, all the equipment was up and running, except for me. After all that I was a little tired and did not make my run. Now that I have that chore out of the way, I will be out there running tonight and the dog won’t get lost in the jungle of a back yard anymore.

To quote Andy Dufresne from one of my favorite movies, the Shaw Shank Redemption: I need to “Get busy living, or get busy dying”.

A little Surprise Visit

2009-04-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

I have been having trouble finding time to get all my stuff done lately. Work is getting a little hectic and thus requiring more of my time than ever. I feel so behind. Anyway, last week at poker, we did the inaugural beer tasting. We started with Mexico and the samplings ended up being Sol, Dos Equis Amber Ale, Modelo and Chili-Beer. The beer actually had a chili pepper in it. Someone got confused and brought Murphy’s Irish Stout, they thought we were doing beers from around the world and that Mexican beer was being covered . I even broke out a bottle of Cabo Wabo tequila I had been saving for a special occasion. Normally we have around 5 or 6 people show up, which is normally good enough for a game. We had a great turnout with 10 people for this night. The table only can hold 10 so we were pushing maximum capacity. You may say ten people, no big deal, but this is on a Thursday night and most had to work the next day. The thought of the tasting going on without me got the better of me and I was easily persuaded to postpone my blood test to another day. I know I ‘m weak, what can I say. All in all everyone had a good time. I think we may try to continue this once a month and see how it goes.

Well Friday morning I wasn’t feeling the best and actually felt guilty that I postponed my blood work for such a silly thing. Anyway I dragged my ass out of bed and mustered up enough strength to get dressed into my running gear. It was a beautiful day (sunny and 70’) and I had no excuses not to go. I ~~stumbled~~ walked out the door and commenced my run. I have to say it was a difficult 4 ½ miles, but I needed it. I was able to rid my body of any leftover toxins from the night before.

After school let out, my wife and I picked up our son and headed north to Wisconsin. We left early enough to avoid any traffic and were at our destination in no time at all. I unlocked the door, not knowing what to expect, since we hadn’t been there for 6 months. Everything appeared to be fine and we began to clean everything. I turned the water, gas and electricity on and my wife started to vacuum and wipe everything down. I filled the dog’s food and water bowl up and went on my way. We were outside for a while cleaning the yard up and went back inside and I noticed the dogs food was gone. This is unusual as my dog can go for three or four days before finishing the bowl. I thought she must have been hungry and filled it halfway this time. We proceeded to unpack and had everything put away and soon it was bedtime. I was awoken at 3:00 am to the sound of something eating. My dog was sleeping next to me in the bed, so it wasn’t her. I guess we had a mouse in the house. Gross! The mouse had stolen the food and hid it under the couch for later

The next morning, I had a run planned with my buddy and we hit the trails while my wife and son went to the store to get mouse traps. I did a nice five miler at 7:30 in the morning and when I got back my wife had just arrived before me with about 10 traps. She bought a brand of trap that you don’t see the mouse after it is caught. The trap has a sensor to tell you if it is full or empty. We put some peanut butter in one of the traps and set it. I loaded up the bikes and we went back to the trail and my son and I rode while my wife ran. Since this was a new trail to us, my wife was not so comfortable running on it by herself, so we accompanied her for her six miler.

When we returned home, I checked the trap the second I walked in and sure enough we got it. What a relief. I am not so keen on sleeping with a mouse in the house. We had to tell our son that mice can’t climb stairs and that he would be safe sleeping upstairs the night before. Thank goodness he is still young enough to believe that.

3 Day Weekend

2009-04-16T13:20:00.000-07:00

The weekend is starting early for me, I decided to take Friday off for a long weekend. The weather today in Chicago is what we have been waiting for all winter (60’s and sunny). As I went for a walk at lunch today, the masses were leaving their offices and doing the same as. As you can see in the photos, the sky is blue and the Chicago River is a lovely shade of green.

Running has been good so far this week.

Monday - Rest

Tuesday - 5 miles

Wednesday - 4 miles

I plan on riding the bike tonight and running with my wife Friday morning. I also have a Saturday run scheduled with a friend of mine who is will also be running the Madison 1/2 marathon with me in May.

Tonight is poker night and we decided to do something a little different. We are going to be picking a country/region each week and doing a sampling of different beers from each area. I know Jamoosh from Das Mixture is always good for suggestions in this area. Each guy will bring a six pack of a different beer and we will have an eclectic sampling. Tonight’s inaugural run will be Mexico. I hope to stay away from more well known stuff and try to explore a more exotic sampling. Anyway, I think it will be fun. Unfortunately, I have to have a blood draw taken in the morning for cholesterol, blood sugar and all that good stuff, so I will not be participating tonight. However, I hope to participate next week with a vengeance.

This weekend we are opening up our summer place in Wisconsin. We have been away for 6 months and I am looking forward to finally getting back up there. The reason we are taking Friday off is so we can get up there and clean everything and make sure the place had not been inhabited by any animals over the winter. My run for Saturday will actually be in Wisconsin since my friend also has a place in the same area.

Weekend Recap

2009-04-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

Friday night I met up with my old college professors, alums and a few graduate students that they bring to Chicago every year. It was nice to see some of them and reminisce about old times. For economists, they can sure throw the drinks back. In fact, I ended up staying at the hotel in the city Friday instead of making my way home to the burbs. Unfortunately, I missed the 10:30 train on Saturday and had to wait 2 hours for the 12:30. The train schedule is not so good on the weekends. But alas, I made it home around 2:00 Saturday. My wife was not all that pleased with me, as I did not make these arrangements in advance. However she knows the people I was with so it was not too bad.

Saturday evening, we had plans for dinner with another couple, I know from the train so we made arrangements for my son to stay at my sister’s for an adult night out. After dinner, we swung by my sister’s and picked up Dante. Before dinner, we hid his Easter basket and plastic eggs filled with money throughout the house so he could hunt for them in the morning. After the hunt ensued and everything was found, my wife & I headed out for a run. She had run on Saturday, unlike me, so she was only going for 4 or 5 miles. After 2 ¼ miles, she turned around for 4 ½ miles and I continued running, out of guilt. I also was trying to detoxify my body of all the things I consumed on Friday and Saturday. I ran for 9 miles and felt good afterwards. I had worn my new technical shirt from the Run thru the Hills race last weekend and so did every other runner outside Sunday morning. I kept having people run by and say “nice shirt”.

Today the weather is not so nice, cold and wet, so I may take a rest day or the dreaded treadmill. I haven’t had to use it in a while so I am sure it has cobwebs on it.

Keeping Pace

2009-04-09T06:25:00.000-07:00

Last night I went out for a nice 4.5 mile run. I was able to clear my head and came back feeling mentally refreshed. I went out on Tuesday for a 3 mile run by myself and went back to the house to meet my son for a run, We ended up going an additional 1.5 miles, however he was all over the map from a pace standpoint. I tried to set a pace for him, but anyone with kids can attest, parents are idiots and nine year olds know everything. I just kept quite and ran his erratic pace for the duration. Patience is not one of his virtues at this stage in life. I guess, I probably was the same way at his age.

Things have been a little crazy at work. I have basically been given a new job, with little or no direction on what is to be done, as well as oversee my old responsibilities being done by someone else. I am trying to figure this out as I go along, but am becoming mentally exhausted from it all. Thanks goodness for running to clear my head and keep me grounded.

Run thru the Hills

2009-04-06T12:19:00.000-07:00

My wife (Terri) & 9 year old son (Dante) ran a 5k and I did a 10k this Sunday in the town we live in. It was cold (25-30 degrees) and overcast. It appears that spring weather is still quite unpredictable this early in the season. At least it was a little better condition that last weeks Shamrock Shuffle run. Terri and I ran 7 miles on Saturday and I wasn't sure if that was a mistake for me. This race is called Run thru the Hills for a reason. I ran the 5k last year and thought it was a tough course, but for some reason, thought I would challenge myself with the 10K. I figured it would be good training since I don't get enough hill work in anyways. Terri finished the 5k with a time of 27:20 and Dante with a time of 32:15. Dante managed to beat one of my poker buddies who decided to run this year. I finished the 10K with a time of 55:41, not my best, but considering the course conditions, I was pleased.

There was a pancake breakfast after the race at the Village Hall that we attended. We were sitting at a table eating when they started announcing the top finishers in each age group, when we heard them announce Terri's name. She couldn't believe it, but she took second place in her age group and won a medal. She placed 2nd out of 25 people. She still doesn't feel her time warranted a medal, but I am proud of her nonetheless. I am also proud of Dante for getting out there. He was one of two 9 year olds who ran, but was placed in the 19 and under age group.

This was a pretty tough course for me. The second leg of the run was very challenging with large hills up and down. I ran with my neighbor's 23 year old son for most of the race, up into the last mile. I told him to go and not let me hold him back, with that he took off. I saw him in the distance but couldn't catch up to him.

All in all it was a nice day and I enjoyed the fact that we didn't have to travel very far for a race. I am looking at the lists to find the next race we can do together. I think my wife and son are on their way to becoming addicted to running as I have. Maybe some day I can win a medal, until then I will keep at it anyways.

Sunday's Chicago Shamrock Shuffle 8k

2009-03-30T11:34:00.001-07:00

I woke up Sunday morning to a boatload of snow in my yard, driveway and everywhere else.

My wife and were supposed to run the Shamrock Shuffle Sunday in Chicago. Since we live about 50 miles away from the city, I figured it might not be so bad on the course. We got ready, loaded the Explorer and headed out. The moment I pulled onto the road, I knew we were in for a long drive into the city. The roads were only partially plowed and the stoplights could not be seen because they had been iced over. You couldn't tell if the light was green or red. I proceeded cautiously until we got to the highway, which had not been plowed all that well either. I put the car into four wheel drive, just for extra precaution and went along as fast as the weather would allow. We finally made into Chicago, and the next trick was to find parking. I drove along Michigan Avenue and found an open garage just a few blocks from the race. I love Chicago and the parking rates $26 for a few hours.

We suited up with our layers and headed out to the course. At home we had about 6 inches of snow, but it had only snowed a few inches downtown. The problem is that the streets and sidewalks were covered in a slushy water, that quickly left your shoes completely wet. We arrived at the lineup for my corral and I wished my wife good luck as she proceeded to the open start. Inside the corral, it was cold and windy and started to snow in a blizzard like condition. The corral quickly filled and it seemed like forever before we started moving. By this time my feet were frozen and I could barely feel anything. I was wearing a hat, headband and mask on my face to keep warm, but couldn't do anything about the water and cold feet.

We were off and luckily the movement started to warm me up quickly, although I still could not feel my feet. We were running through water 3-4 inches deep and a slushy snow. This was the most brutal conditions I have ever run in. If I was at home, I would have been thankful for the treadmill. After a the first mile, I was getting into my grove and was doing the best I could, considering the weather. I pushed through, just wanting to finish and get out of the messy road. I finished with a time of 45:13 and an average mile pace of 9:06.

Once I finished, I waited for my wife to come across the finish line. She crossed the start line about 20 minutes after I did, so I knew I would have to wait at least that long. There I was wet, cold and no where to wait but in the open. I stared to get really cold and was starting to get concerned that I needed to get out of the weather. Finally after 25 minutes, she appeared. We did not stay for any festivities and just jogged back to the parking garage and into the car. I did not bring any extra shoes, but luckily dry socks and a dry shirt. I changed and proceeded to crank the heat and drive home in my socks. There were 32,000 people signed up for this race and only 13,294 actually ran. We did have some other friends that were supposed to go, but they bailed out the night before. I told my wife, I was going regardless if she did or not. She toughed it out and completed the race at 49:34 and a 9:59 pace.

I don't know if I would endure these conditions again, but I am proud to say that I ran it. I somehow feel stronger knowing that I did it.

Father Son Bonding

2009-03-30T11:14:00.000-07:00

This past week my son, Dante was off school for spring break. I took off work on Friday so we could spend some quality time together. I had to go to Chicago (Navy Pier) to pick up my race packet for the Shamrock Shuffle 8k on Sunday, so I decided to go on Friday and make a day of it with Dante. We took the train into the city, which I do every work day, but to a nine year old there is something special about riding the train. We arrived in Chicago and headed to Navy Pier. I like to walk, so I figured that we would start out walking and take a cab when he got tired. We made there, three miles with no problem. We stopped at a few stores on the Magnificent Mile (Michigan Avenue) to warm up and browse. Dante is a big hockey fan so we stopped at the Blackhawk’s store, where he got a new hat. After arriving at Navy Pier and swimming our way through the sea of people, we headed to the packet pick up and health expo. This section was located in the farthest end of Navy Pier so we had to fight crowds all the way there. I was picking up race stuff for myself, my wife and wife’s friend which required me to wait in three lines for each envelope and then I was directed to the other end of the hall to get our bags and shirts. We waited in three more lines for shirts and bags since there were three different sizes. After that, we walked around looking at the booths for freebies and to see if there were any deals on running stuff. I did end up purchasing a new pair of sun glasses for $30, which wasn’t too bad. We were standing at the Wrigley Gum table getting a brochure and free gum, when a lady asked us if we wanted tickets for the Chicago Bulls (basketball) game on Saturday. We said sure and she handed us two tickets. She said they were donated at their office earlier in the day and she gave them to us. My son was so excited, a train ride to the city, a new hat and now this.

After we left Navy Pier, we stopped for lunch across the street from the Trump Tower, where he proceeded to call mom and explain what had happened. After lunch, we headed to Millennium Park to see the Bean (see photo below) and other touristy things at the park. We walked the whole way and by this time, I estimate we had logged in about 7 miles. What a trooper, I am proud of him for going so far. He was getting tired so we took a cab back to my office, where we took a little break and then proceeded to the train home.

I enjoyed spending the day together and it made me feel good to see how much fun he had.

We did end up going to the basketball game the next day on Saturday. It was an afternoon game, so it was no problem driving into the city and finding parking at a reasonable rate $13. We parked about 2 blocks away and were inside sitting in our seats in no time. Dante was still in awe that a complete stranger had given us these tickets the day before and we were actually at the United Center watching the Bulls game. Again, I was thrilled to see all the excitement in his face, as this was his first pro basketball game. The bulls played the Pacers and ended up winning 112 to 106. I think he will remember this day for a long time, I know I will.

Work Woes

2009-03-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

I seem to have been feeling a little discouraged this week. We have had a major restructuring of the company and things have been a little stressful. I seemed to have acquired more responsibility, without additional compensation, yeah me! I know, I should feel lucky to be employed, but I still feel a little slighted. Enough of the pity party, I promise.

I have continued with my lunchtime walking program this week. I have been getting about 2-1/2 miles each day. I ran on the treadmill last night for a mediocre 3 miles and plan on running outside today, in hopes of a better quality run.

I am getting exited for my first race of the season, the Shamrock Shuffle 8k in downtown Chicago this Sunday. I will be one of 32,000 people running in this event. I am also anxious, as this is my first race where I have been placed in a seeded start. I have qualified, based on previous area runs, for corral C, which starts fifteen minutes before corral D and the open class. The weather is supposed to be fairly crappy, so I am trying to plan on what to wear and what to bring to change into afterwards. Please no snow or rain. I have never run with so many people before and I assume that it will be crazy, before, during and after!!! There is post race party with a band and beer tent, but I am sure it will be mobbed. I will try and sneak in immediately after my run since I will have the fifteen minute head start. I am also looking forward to running this race with my wife and a few other friends.

Flat Tire

2009-03-23T13:06:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning my wife and I headed out for a run together. The temps were in the 50’s, the sun was shining and it was shaping out to be a great day. I forgot to download my Garmin from Friday’s lunchtime walk so I was pushing buttons to try and clear the information so Saturday was the only data I saw, but no such luck. I would just have to subtract 2.33 miles from everything. We started out at a nice 9:30 pace and went a total of 10 miles at 1:40 for a total of a 10:00 pace. This was my wife’s farthest distance to date and she had a goal of ten miles and wasn’t mentally prepared to go any farther. All in all it was a nice run and best of all we were outside in the sunshine, what else could you ask for.

On Sunday, I had a great idea that I wanted to get a bike rack for my vehicle so we could load up the family bikes and head to the local trail. I went to Dick’s Sporting Goods and found what I wanted and checked out. I assembled the pieces that required assembly and looked at the piece that was supposed to fit in the hitch receiver on my Explorer. That’s right, I said supposed to fit, I have a standard truck hitch and the bike rack was made for a smaller car hitch. I have never seen a hitch on a car, so I didn’t even think there was going to be an issue. After going to two automotive places and numerous phone calls, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to find a hitch adapter going from 2” to 1-1/4” today. I did find some on the internet, but that wasn’t going to help me for hitting the trail today. My wife suggested we try and fit the bikes in the back of the Explorer, I was skeptical, but tried nonetheless. Unbelievably they fit. I did have to take of my tire and carefully maneuver everything, but they fit and we headed for the trail.

We unloaded the bikes and headed out. We had no particular goal in mind, but I brought my Garmin to track our mileage. I even remembered to download the data out of it so we were good to go. We started out in Crystal Lake and continued ten miles following the Fox River to East Dundee at the Dairy Queen. My wife and I had a small cone and my son had the mint Oreo blizzard. I was amazed that we had gone that far considering my nine year old was riding a single speed bike. After our ice cream and rest break, we continued back for the return 10 miles. About a mile and a half away from the car, my wife got a flat tire. I gave her my bike and proceeded to run, with a bike for the last part. This was not what I had hoped to do after riding that far, but I had no other option. We all made it back in one piece, some of us a little more exhausted than others, but nonetheless we had a nice day. I need to remember to get a new tube for the bike and get that hitch adapter and I will be all set for next time. I love the warmer weather and the outside activities that go with it.

2 Miler

2009-03-20T13:25:00.000-07:00

Last night after work I planned my normal routine of trying to squeeze a run in between, dinner, spending a little time with the family and of course the Thursday night poker game. Before running, I decided to do push ups (100 total) and bicep curls. After my pre-run work out I decided to stay inside, it was a little cold and I didn’t feel like putting all gear on to deal with the weather and so I jumped onto the treadmill for my run. From the beginning, I was feeling sluggish and my legs felt heavy. I have felt like this before but always have been able to push past it. Last night I just wasn’t able to do it, so after 2 miles I was done. Two miles seems pretty lame. Was it the treadmill or me? Earlier in the day at lunch I walked farther than that. I don’t know what to make of it, I guess I need to move on and forget about it and focus on the weekend. Oh yeah, the weekend is here!

I am still debating weather to rest tonight and go for a long run tomorrow, or get a few miles in tonight as well as tomorrow. This may fall into the category of junk miles. I guess I will see how I am after the train ride and decide. Hopefully, I can avoid the pitfalls of riding the train home on Friday evening. The group I ride with will be stocked with plenty of cocktails for the ride home. This is a weekly Friday thing for most and daily for some of the train group.

Have a great weekend!

Getting out of the Office!

2009-03-19T12:15:00.001-07:00

Since Monday, I have logged in 9.71 miles of walking during my lunch break at work. I have recently felt that I could capitalize on time that I normally wouldn’t be doing much with anyway. I even gathered a couple of other recruits from the office to join me. I have been using my Garmin to track mileage so I can accurately see what kind of distances we are actually going. In addition to my walking, I have been keeping up with my normal running schedule, so this is just an additional way to burn a few extra calories I didn’t need anyway. I also get to see different parts of the city that I wouldn’t normally go to. Here are some addition pics of my lunchtime walks this week.

With the warmer temperature, the neighborhood has come to life. It seems to have been desolate all winter and it is great to see the flurry of activity outside. My son (in the blue shirt) and some of the neighborhood kids were on my driveway playing basketball. I was even able to wash my car from all thee salt and winter grime. Even my dog was wanted to come out and play.

On the running front, things have been going well. The unseasonably warm temperatures have made outside running very nice. Monday we were up to 74 degrees, however today the temp is only around 40. I have officially gotten my bike out for the first ride of the year and went on a bike ride with my son last night for a little trip around the neighborhood. I hope to take advantage to use the bike to cross train as to not injure myself with too much running.

Work has been hectic this week and I am looking forward to the weekend already. Tonight is also poker night, so that will be a nice break and a chance to catch up with friends. Tonight’s game will be back to our regular low stakes so if I loose, it wont be like last Friday’s game at my friends house.

Another Busy Weekend!

2009-03-16T13:07:00.000-07:00

Friday evening I accomplished what I had planned and ran a quick 5k once I got home from work. I ran faster than I have in some time and finished with a time of 25:59. After my run, quick shower and dinner, I was off to play cards. I had a great time playing, unfortunately walked away with $80 less than arriving. I had a good time and as long as I don’t do that too often I can stomach the loss.

Saturday morning I was off to the doctor’s to talk about my blood test results. My numbers did not look so good so we have doubled my cholesterol medicine to 80 milligrams of Provachol. My HDL cholesterol had gone up, unfortunately not enough to counteract my LDL so my doctor confirmed my inheritance of bad genetics. He told me he could see that I was working out from a physical standpoint as well as the increase in my HDL but that is not enough in my case. Sorry to bore with the cholesterol talk but I am at my wits end and hope the increase in medicine helps without killing my liver in the process. The doctor was running a little late on Saturday (an hour and a half late) so I was surprised when they took my blood pressure and told me that it was 110/70. I would have assumed that it was through the roof as I was a little perturbed at the time frame. I understand that things can run late, but an hour and a half, give me a break.

After I got home and had lunch I went out with my wife for a run. The weather was sunny and warm (60 degrees) and I was able to wear shorts. I ended up with 7 miles and my wife kept going for her longest run of 9 miles. We spent the rest of the day running errands (oil change, car wash 2 vehicles, haircut, running shoe shopping and dinner). We had dinner before our wine/sushi party and certainly glad we did. There were other things at the party but nothing I cared to eat so my decision to eat beforehand was a good one. I was the designated driver for Saturday, so I only had a few glasses of wine throughout the evening. The party was like a wine flight with Champaign, whites and then onto reds. There were about four different types of each category and multiple bottles of each. There was also a variety of single malt scotches to try, but I was driving so stayed away. We left around midnight and I was ready for bed after the long day.

Sunday was equally as busy. I was running around doing everything from putting air in bike tires, dropping my air compressor at my sister’s, cleaning up and grocery shopping. I then put out the basketball hoop so my son could play on the driveway and proceeded to shoot around with him for a while.

Today is equally as nice, weather wise and I went for a couple mile walk at lunchtime. I am going to try for 4.5 miles after work tonight. They are predicting 70 degrees for tomorrow, so I am debating taking the day off or should I be good and go to work. I leave you with a photo of my lunchtime walk.

Busy Busy!

2009-03-13T09:30:00.001-07:00

This week has passed by rather quickly for me. I have been busy this week at work with meetings and other work related stuff. On the running front, I have done ok, but not as well as I would have liked.

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 4.5

Wednesday: 4

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Planning on 3

Weekend: Longer runs- 7 Saturday and 5 Sunday (hopefully)

I canceled my normal Thursday night card game because a friend invited me to play tonight in a different game at his house. His kids and my son are friends and they can hang out and play while we play cards. The bonus is that I didn’t stay up late last night and got a good night’s sleep.

My wife and I were also invited to a wine & sushi party on Saturday. I don’t necessarily enjoy sushi, but I am going to go for the company anyways. I guess I should eat something before we head out.

I have the potential of a few stumbling blocks this weekend, cards on Friday and party on Saturday, to sideline my running goals for this weekend, but I will do my best to avoid the pitfalls.

Looking out my office window, the weather appears to be great and I am just itching to get out there and run. The good news is that it is still light when I get home from work and will have no problem with my planned 3 miler.

Happy Friday the 13^th and have a great weekend!

Rainy Weekend!

2009-03-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

I didn’t run on Friday (rest day) and the weather was crappy on Saturday, it was raining since Friday night. I finally saw a break in the weather and decided to run. About a mile into my run, it started to drizzle. I thought no big deal and continued on my way. The drizzle was no problem, until it started coming down a little heavier. I am sure you know what happened next, it soon was pouring and I was miles from home. My headphones must have gotten wet and they didn’t work after a while. I was concerned that my phone and MP3 would also get damaged so I covered them up the best I could. Needless to say my run was shorter than anticipated, and I made a turn to head home. I was about a ½ mile from the house and my wife pulled up to alongside me, apparently she was out driving around looking for me to check if I was ok. I told her thanks, but I would just see her at the house since I came this far, was already soaked and so close to home. I changed out of my wet clothes and took a hot shower to warm up. I guess I should have seen it coming, but I really didn’t want to get on the treadmill.

Since I only did 4.5 miles of my planned 7 miler on Saturday, I decided to hit it again on Sunday. It was still raining on Sunday, actually had not stopped since Saturday, so I chose the treadmill. I put in a Netflix movie (Wanted) and started my run. I only did 3 miles; I just couldn’t get into it. After my run and finishing my movie, it was time to go to my son’s All Star game for basketball. After b-ball we headed shopping. My wife had a 30% coupon for Kohl’s where I picked up a few new running shirts and then we headed home.

Total miles for last week:

18.1. A little less than I hoped for, but will work on it this week.

Today is looking so much nicer, the rain has stopped, the sun is peaking through the clouds and temps are in the 40’s. I plan on running outside, now that it will be light out, when I get home tonight.

Bad Genetics!

2009-03-06T11:43:00.000-08:00

Friday is upon finally upon us, what a long week. I played cards last night (Didn’t win) and had a great evening anyways. Prior to cards, I went out for a quick run, as I promised myself. I did a quick (for me) 3 miler at 26:26. The weather last night was awesome, I was able to wear shorts and no jacket required.

I went to bed at 11:45 last night and as I sit here I am feeling a little tired, but happy to have had a night out to spend with friends. I think I need to get a café Americano at Starbucks. They seem to have a Starbucks on every corner in Chicago.

Oh Joy! I just received word from my doctor regarding my blood test results from Saturday. I have to say I am a little disappointed in my numbers:

Cholesterol 224

HDL 42

LDL 139

Triglycerides 214

I am actually more than disappointed, I am pissed off that I have been busting my ass with exercise lately, last month I ran 84 miles. Shouldn’t that help these numbers? Maybe I am just blessed with horrible genetics. I need to go in next week to my doc and discuss increasing my current cholesterol meds. At least my liver function is normal so I can handle an increase of meds. This sucks!!!!!

I guess I can’t wallow too long about things I can’t control. I can control my diet and exercise, which I am doing. Anything beyond that is out of my hands. No more negativity, I promise. I just got back from a nice long walk (2 miles) at lunch today and seemed to have calmed down a bit over my #’s. The weather is gorgeous again today and in the 60’s. I am trying to appreciate the positive things and not dwell on things I can’t control.

Have a great weekend!

Feild Trip!

2009-03-05T11:51:00.001-08:00

Well its Thursday and that means poker night again. I am promising myself to get a good run in tonight before any shenanigans begin, no really, I mean it. I managed to get out last night (in the dark) for a 4.4 miler. The temps were around 40 degrees last night and I think I overdressed for the run. I had a long sleeve shirt, ¼ zip pullover, lightweight jacket and gloves. In hindsight, I should have lost the jacket. Oh well, at least I was able to get outside and off the treadmill.

Chicago is blessed again with mild temps (60 degrees) today and I can’t help but be in a great mood. Work allowed me to be out and about the city today and I snapped a few pictures of Chicago, which I thought I would share. I even managed to get a couple miles of walking in while I was out and about. I like taking field trips away from the office when the weather is good, funny how field trips get planned to coincide with nicer weather.

I plan on a long run for Saturday morning and then we are off to a ST. Patrick's Day parade in St. Charles to meet up with some old friends. I took my son last year and we froze our tails off. The weather forecast isn't bad for Saturday, just a chance of rain. I can handle rain rather than freezing temps.

Well I hope I win big tonight at cards and get plenty of rest for Friday (we will see).

Warm up Wednesday!

2009-03-04T08:59:00.000-08:00

The sun is shining and temps are climbing in Chicagoland today. I feel the warm sun on me as I sit at my computer typing this blog. I feel positive energy of the day and I am so ready for spring.

I took Sunday and Monday off from running to recover from my long run on Saturday. However, I jumped back on the treadmill last night for a 3.5 mile run and finished my workout with push ups. As I sit here, I am getting anxious to get home and run outside today in the 40 degree temps we are expecting. I tell you this work thing is such a nuisance.

Seriously, I am grateful to be gainfully employed, especially in these turbulent times. I try not to take anything for granted; it’s just that work interferes with my desire to run in the daylight. I guess I will have to hold out a little while longer and quit my bitchin. I am exited and anxiously awaiting the time change happening this weekend.

With spring approaching I am also looking forward to being able to cross train with my bike. I bought a new hybrid (GT Transeo 4.0) at the end of last year and didn’t get many opportunities to use it before it got cold. I am hoping to be able to get out and ride with my wife and son this year. I need to get a bike rack to mount in the hitch of my SUV so we can drive out to trails that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to get to by riding.

I hope everyone has a great day and that the temps and sun in your neck of the woods are as energizing as they are here.

Going the Distance!

2009-03-02T08:30:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning I went to the lab to get a blood test so I could see how my cholesterol, triglyceride and liver function is. I am on medication for blood pressure and cholesterol so I periodically monitor these things to know where my levels are at. After the test, I headed out the door for a run. My plan was to possibly do an 8 miler but would have been happy with 7.

As soon as I got outside, the wind hit me in the face and combined with the 18 degree temperature, I questioned my sanity. Nonetheless, I trudged on, after returning to get some hand warmers and face mask. The temps seemed to be a distant nuisance as I trotted on my merry way. The funny thing is I didn’t even see another soul out there, I think I was one of the nut jobs that people comment on when they drive by in their cars. I was feeling pretty good still around mile 6 and thought that I might try to go for a longer run than anticipated, so I took some Jelly Belly sports beans. I have never used these or any other types of aid, as I normally don’t do long enough runs that require this. I have to say, they went down easy and seemed to not bother my stomach, as I have read as a common problem from others. I am proud to say that I ran 13.1 miles in 2:14. I was pretty exited, I have only accomplished this once before on my treadmill. I wanted to see what it would feel like actually running outside. I think I may be ahead of my training schedule for the Madison ½ Marathon in May but feel a little relieved that I ran it and can now focus on other things like improving my form and increasing my speed.

Just this past month, I started to keep track of my runs online. My total for February is 17 runs for a total of 84.2 miles.

I took Sunday off as a much needed rest day and will see how I feel tonight when I get home from work to determine if I will run or not.

Fabulous Friday!

2009-02-27T09:15:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! Last night was my usual poker night and I told myself that I wasn’t going to stay out too late this week and was going to get a decent amount of sleep for the night. Well, a few beers later and that idea went out the window. I went to bed at midnight and got up at 5:00 this morning. Surprisingly, I feel pretty good today after five hours of sleep. I did exercise some self control and dragged myself away with six people still playing cards. Since the game is at my house, I feel obligated to stay up, but over the years I should realize that it doesn’t matter to anyone else if I am there or not. When the guys are finished playing, they clean the place better than I would myself.

I woke up this morning and headed into the, heated garage, to get my car and realized we played cards in the garage last night and my vehicle was outside (sh@#). It rained all night and the temp had dropped below freezing so my car was a sheet of ice and the door was frozen (fu%*). After a few good tugs, it opened and I was able to start scraping the windows. Luckily, I made it to the train station on time to catch my normal 6:04 train.

Prior to cards last night, I did a 3.1 mile run on the treadmill. I found it difficult to get motivated, but was trying to tell myself positive thoughts”Running never takes more than it gives back” and other motivational stuff like that. Of course, I was glad I decided to run and felt better afterwards. I plan on doing my long run on Saturday, hopefully 8 miles. I am hoping that the weather is going to cooperate with my schedule, as I don’t want to be on the treadmill. I am anxiously counting down the four weeks left until to my first race of the 2009 season, the Shamrock Shuffle 8k in Chicago.

What a Difference a Day Makes!

2009-02-26T08:47:00.000-08:00

What a difference a day makes. Today is overcast and foggy, unfortanately no sun in sight. The god news it is still around 45 degrees. The photo above was taken out my office window today. There are 3 guys washing windows on the building acrross the way. That is one job I could not, nor have a desire to do. The building to the left is the Sears Tower, you can see that the fog is pretty thick and visibility is only up to 25 floors or so.

I did manage to get my ass out to run last night after work. I did go outside, in the dark, but enjoyed every minute of the warmer temps. I seemed to quickly run 4.5 miles and shaved about five minutes of my normal treadmil time for the same run. I only saw one other person as I was starting out. The rest of my run was in solitude by the moonlight and stars (very peaceful). I am not sure if I will venture outside again tonight or will be stuck on the tradmill. I will have to see how the weather is later on.

Sunshine at Last

2009-02-25T12:23:00.000-08:00

It is a great day in Chicago today! The sun is shining and the temps are in the mid forties. It is only going to last a day or two, but I am thankful for it anyway. Today at lunch, I took a nice walk near my office building. While I was out, I snapped a few photos as I was in shock to see the sun and any activity outside. I think I walked about 2 miles and was gone for 45 minutes. It was hard to think about returning to the office, I just wanted to go home and run.

Last night I was still tired but managed to coax myself into getting dressed into my running attire and headed down into the basement for the treadmill. I seem to have a love/hate relationship with this thing lately. I started out with a few sets of push ups (100 total) and then jumped on the treadmill for a 3.5 miler. I even managed to complete 4 sets of curls afterwards. Really, the hardest part is to get dressed and get going, once I can do that, it seems to be fine.

I hope the sun light keeps me in good spirits by the time I get off work and take my train ride home. I leave the office at 4:15 and pull into my driveway at 6:00, so the commute really can wear on you after a while.

Slacker!

2009-02-24T07:28:00.000-08:00

I am felling a little guilty this morning as I took Sunday and Monday off from running. I got home last night and just wasn’t feeling it. I had a slight pain in my knee and did not have the energy and/or motivation to get on the treadmill. I suppose this is normal, but why do I feel so guilty. I feel like I am cheating myself somehow. I know I feel better after the run, but just couldn’t motivate myself to do it.

This morning I feel refreshed and rearing to go and would love to leave work and go run. Unfortunately, that is not an option at this point. I went to bed early yesterday (8:30) and got up at my normal time this morning (4:50). Perhaps that is why I feel so refreshed, maybe I just needed to catch up on sleep and give my body some rest in general. I hope I can carry this energy I have today into the evening after I get home. I gotta get on the treadmill tonight and run.

I often wonder if I could get up earlier in run before I get ready for work. I think that would entail me getting up around 4:00 am. I don’t know if that is even possible. I just seem to lack motivation at the end of the day lately and am looking for alternative ways to fix it. Maybe it is just winter taking its toll on me and things will change when it starts to warm up and daylight is longer.

Garage Door Dilema Tackled

2009-02-24T05:49:00.000-08:00

Well, the garage door turned out to be a minor problem, whew!!! My friend Marc stopped by Friday evening and five minutes later it was back together again. It turns out the belt had separated and just needed to be screwed back together.

We did get snow, as predicted, on Friday evening. Saturday morning, I headed out to clear the driveway and sidewalk. I tried to get my snow blower started but it did not sound right. I proceeded to shovel my driveway and sidewalk, by hand and try to start the damn snow blower again. I couldn’t believe it, the snow blower started right up. At this point, I decided to do the neighbors driveway and sidewalk as well. I guess I can chalk it up to more exercise that I needed anyways.

After the driveway I headed into the basement for a run on the treadmill. My wife, Terri was finishing up, so I started out with a few push ups. I warmed up with a set of 10 and then for set two I was able to kick out 50 push ups. I was happy with 50 and continued with 2 more sets of 20 for a total of 100 for the day. By the time I finished, Terri was done and I hopped on the treadmill for a nice 6 mile run.

Later in the day, my son, Dante had his last basketball game for the season. He played a great game and scored 8 points. His team won 24 to 2. By the way these are nine year olds, hence the low scores.

Treadmill Bliss?

2009-02-20T09:20:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! The weekend is upon us and the forecast is predicting 6”- 8” of fresh white powder starting tonight for the greater Chicago area. I guess I can count on running on the treadmill for a little while longer.

Seriously, I have been having a good week of running, all of which occurred on the treadmill. I have been starting to embrace the treadmill and use the positive aspect of being able to easily track my intervals. I have a simulated red blip that circles around a 400m track, so you can identify to actually running on a ¼ mile track outside. It actually seems to help me with my speed work and I am trying to remain positive, with hopes of the weather breaking soon. I guess it helps that I was able to get out last weekend for an outside run to break the monotony as well. Nonetheless, I feel strong, positive and rearing to go, for some reason this week. It could be that I have been closely watching my diet and have stuck to my running schedule. I have a scheduled rest tonight and will also partake in a few liquid refreshments later on with some friends.

On a sucky note, I received a call from my wife this morning while I was on the train and she on her way to work. It appears my garage door has decided to breakdown. I just replaced the thing a year ago with a quiet drive belt instead of a chain drive, in hopes that it is a better unit. Luckily one of my poker buds used to install garage doors for a living so I was able to recruit him to help me. By help me, I mean install the whole thing while I watched and fetched tools. I called him this morning and he told me he would be over later this evening to check it out. I feel a little more at ease and can relax a bit, but still wonder how these things can happen after the opener is just one year old.

I will try to remain positive and hope that it is a minor fix and hope to carry this positive attitude into the weekend while it lasts.

Tuesday Night Speed Work

2009-02-18T14:01:00.000-08:00

Running has been going well, despite the fact I haven’t written about it lately. Last week, Friday, I had a night out with old school friends that I reacquainted with through Facebook. The get together was nice, but I just seemed to have not only lost touch with a lot of people, but our interests seemed to very different as well. I am concerned with trying to maintain my health, while it seems others are more consumed to partying. I did my fair share of that back in college, but now that I am almost 40 years old, I have a different direction in life. I am not saying their choices are wrong and mine right, I am just citing the difference in our existence. I am happy with my lifestyle choice and feel the wonderful affects that running and exercise bring me and would not change that for anything. I do enjoy going out once in awhile and a nice bottle of wine or a good beer, but try and limit this to moderation.

On my running front, I took off on Saturday, due to a late Friday night. I had every intention of running Saturday morning, but by the time I got going, I had to take my son to his basketball game and the rest of the day was just consumed by errands. I did get out for a great run on Sunday morning, albeit a little on the cool side at 18 degrees. I went out with no particular goal in mind but did a little over seven miles. That left me at 18 miles for the week. I probably should have had a little more in but I will try this week to be good.

I did start my speed work last night on the treadmill and it seemed to go well. I did 400m intervals and it was a little more difficult than I had thought but I felt great after four miles worth of this. I guess you’re never too old to learn new tricks.

Friday the 13th Night Out

2009-02-13T09:34:00.000-08:00

I have run on 3 days so far this week, for a total distance of 12 miles. Last night I was having pain while running, so I took it easy and only ran for 2.25 miles and did bicep curls to complete the workout. I think I need to alter my training to incorporate more spaced out rest days as well as work on my speed training. I plan on taking today (Friday) off as a rest day and do some quality distance this weekend. I would like to finish around 25 miles for the week.

I have been spending way to much time on Facebook lately. I did however, manage to arrange a Friday the 13^th meeting tonight with a group of friends that I haven’t seen or heard from in quite some time, so I am happy for that. I am heading out to a couple of drinking establishments, so I must try and be good so I can get a morning run in. I am also going out solo, which means I even have to be more careful since I won’t have any telling me otherwise.

Since going away to college, many moons ago, I seemed to have lost touch with so many people and I have become intrigued with Facebook. I think my wife is starting to get annoyed with the amount of time I spend on it.

Father/Son Run

2009-02-11T06:53:00.000-08:00

Well I did get home earlier than normal, but not as early as I was planning. I made the 3:40 train, which got me home around 5:15. The temperature was still nice at 55 degrees. I ran in the house and changed into my gear and was finally able to wear shorts outside. My wife was already out running and my son was across the street playing basketball with some neighbor kids. I had finished getting dressed and was going to gather my music and water belt, until I heard my nine year old son, Dante call out “Dad, are you in here” I said “yes, why”. Apparently he had decided that he was going to run with me. I thought to myself, great, what a nice way to get some quality father/son time in.

We headed out and I pushed the start button on my Garmin and we were off to the races, or so I thought. Dante had run a 5K with me last fall and finished in about 30 minutes, so he was able to run at a 10 minute pace before. Unfortunately a winter full of inactivity had made him a little slower and not ready to keep any kind of speed. I asked him how far he planned on going and he told me to the rock, which is the 1.5 mile point, one way. I just couldn’t do it. I had come home early to specifically get a good run in with some sunlight. I told him we were going back and he started to get sad and angry with me. I tried to explain that I needed to run for my health and that I was training for a specific goal. I told him that I would love to run with him anytime, as long as he mentioned it to me in advance so I could plan my workout around our run together. I felt like a real a-hole for making a 9 year old cry, but needed him to understand that I was serious for my training and health. It did not mean that I didn’t love him or that I did not want to spend time with him, just that I have a plan and was sticking with it. I still feel bad and am not sure if I was wrong in my thinking.

I headed back out after dropping him back at the house. By this time, the sun was starting to fade quickly. My head was consumed with me trying to determine if I had just been the biggest ass in the world or if I did the right thing. I choose not to put my headphones on and just listened to the passing cars on the road and think to myself. It was nice to get out in the warmer weather and I ended up with a 5.6 mile run, albeit in the dark. Later that night, my wife told me I did the right thing, however I still feel bad.

Making a Break for It!

2009-02-10T11:00:00.001-08:00

I went out for a walk today at lunch and did not want to return. The temperature is in the 60', which is unseasonably warm for Chicago this time of year. I am trying to figure out how to take an early train without causing to much attention to myself. I feel like I am stuck in the ivory tower of my office and can't get out. I took yesterday off as a rest day and I am itching to get out there and run!!!

As you can see, it is an awesome day. The streets were full of people who had been hiding in their offices all winter long. Some were having lunch outside, some running and others just out for a walk.I managed to get out for a short walk and take in the sun and warmth, which has been nonexistent the past few months. I think I am going to make a break for it and take the 2:30 train home so I can get a daylight run in this afternoon. All right, here I go!!!

Treadmill Free Weekend

2009-02-09T06:51:00.001-08:00

It felt good to get out on Saturday morning after my zombie like state on Friday from the Thursday night activity. The temperatures have been so frigid around here lately, we were ecstatic with the forty degree reprieve. Terri and I went out running together Saturday morning. The sun was shining and there was a flurry of other walkers out. We ran a new route on the street this morning because the usual path was still covered with patches of snow and ice and did not want to get hurt. We had to avoid numerous puddles as the snow was melting at a rapid rate but it felt great to be outside and off the treadmill. My wife’s Garmin died at the 2 mile mark, but I still had mine and announced the miles. As we got back closer to home we split up and she headed home and I finished with a comfortable seven miler with a 9:45 overall pace for the day.

After our run, Terri and I took Dante to school for a fun fair and then to his basketball game. His team won and he had 8 points for the game. We ended the day by going out for an early dinner at Famous Dave’s. I love the ribs and brisket combo platter.

On Sunday, I got up before anyone and made coffee and read the paper. I was finished and Terri and Dante were still sleeping so I got dressed and headed out with no particular goal in mind. It was a bit colder at 30 degrees and overcast, but nonetheless, I was happy to be outside and not on the treadmill again. I started out on the same course as we ran Saturday and enjoyed the new scenery. I enjoyed my run with my wife yesterday, but seemed to get into a good zone running by myself this morning. I was able to push myself a little faster without worrying about someone else keeping up. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy running with others, but sometimes you just need to get out by yourself. I finished my 5.75 miler with a 9:15 pace. My new goal is to start to work on my speed.

All in all, I was happy with my progress for the week.

Back Into the Grove

2009-02-06T06:30:00.000-08:00

I took off on Wednesday because I was just too tired. I got home from work and changed into my lounging attire and chilled out watching TV.

Thursday I felt energized and apparently benefited from the much needed rest from Wednesday. I got home from work and did five miles on the treadmill, with a little speed work for the last mile. I recently discovered that this helps me overcome some of the boredom of running on the treadmill. I need to try and incorporate speed work and hill work on a more regular basis to my running to step up my game.

Thursday evening is reserved for poker night and we had enough available participants to form a game. The poker table was in the basement, because of the frigid temps lately, so we had to carry that thing upstairs and back into the garage. What a pain in the ass that is. I don’t think it was worth the effort to put the table inside, lessoned learned for next time. Last night was in the 20’s so the garage heater worked well and was at a comfy 70 degrees without any problems. Starting time for cards is set for 9:00, originally 7:30, but has slowly crept up for some reason. Here I was at 9:00 promptly and no one to be found. These guys know I have to get up at 4:50 in the am for work on Friday. Finally at 9:20 the guys stared to roll in, A few beers and rounds of poker and it was 12:15 and I said I was done. I host the game in my garage so the guys can continue without me and I can lock up the rest of the house and go to bed, but they all stopped at 12:15 anyway.

Here I am on Friday, a little tired to say the least. I had a cup of coffee for my hour long train ride to work and still feeling the effects of a few beers and serious lack of sleep . I headed to S-Bucks for another cup of motivation to get my day going. I hope this helps or I am going to close my office door and curl up under my desk for a nap.

A kick in the Ass

2009-02-04T09:18:00.000-08:00

I guess I just needed some motivation last night, like a kick in the ass from my wife. I came home yesterday feeling sluggish and declared I was tired and sore and was not going to run. My wife kindly mentioned to me that I took Friday and Sunday off and that I really should get my ass on the treadmill. I certainly couldn’t argue after she had just run 4 miles herself and was heading to the shower. I certainly couldn’t take the night off and feel good about it. After all, I never have said to myself after a run, I wish I hadn’t done that. Not to mention my wife, who just started running a few months ago, and was a smoker until last summer, just ran four miles. On a side note, I am very proud of Terri for this accomplishment, which was all done on her own accord. Although I like to think she may have seen me going through a metamorphosis, racing, excessively talking about running and having a better attitude about my health and the obvious benefits that go with it and felt that she wanted to do the same for her own health. My son and I are happy she has chosen this endeavor and support her in her journey.

With that being said, I humbly changed into my running gear and headed to the basement. I put in a movie (My Best Friend’s Girl) that I was watching on Saturday during my run, that I hadn’t finished yet. I started out at a slow pace for a quarter mile and proceeded to pick up the speed until I reached my normal pace. Before I knew it, the movie was over and I had gone 4.25 miles. I was happy with the results, especially since I hadn’t planned on any mileage last night, and felt energized and refreshed. I guess I just need a little kick in the ass once in a while to keep going, thanks Terri.

Feeling Unmotivated

2009-02-03T06:35:00.000-08:00

Not much going on, I just seem to be moving along in a zombie like state. I have been running, I just seem to be going through the motions and not feeling it. I feel more motivated in the day at work, while I am supposed to be working. By the time I get home from work, I am tired and push myself to a mediocre run. I guess a mediocre run is better than no run at all.

I just signed up with Runner’s World to track my work out progress. I think if I can see it written down in front of me, it will help to achieve a goal, which I need to set for myself. This winter is really starting to get to me, however it is supposed to warm up into the forties this weekend and I anticipate getting outside for a run and change of scenery with some daylight.

I logged in a total of 15.2 miles last week, a total of 39 flights of stairs up and 54 down and did push ups (total of 258) four days last week. I see a lot of people in the 100 push up challenge; I am not ready to commit to that quite yet, however I was able to do 41 at on time.

Although incredibly tired from the weekend, on Monday I managed to climb stairs at work (16 floors up and down), get a 3 mile treadmill run in last night, a total of 65 push ups and some dumbbell curls. I felt recharged and energized after the run and slept soundly through the night.

I went to the library a few weeks ago and picked up a few books on running: 50/50, The Complete Book of Running and the Encyclopedia of Sports & Fitness Nutrition. I just finished the 50 Marathons in 50 Days on Monday and found it to have some great tips and motivational for me as well. I read on my train ride to work and it motivates me in the daytime, however the day takes it toll on me and I just don’t seem to have the same enthusiasm at night.

I am just going to keep pushing along and see what happens.

How I got into this Running mess

2009-01-29T13:56:00.000-08:00

It started a number of years ago when I needed to go in for surgery on my ear. I needed to have a tumor removed from my ear drum, subsequently various blood tests were performed relative to the procedure. At the time, they discovered I had high blood pressure & high cholesterol. I had the ear procedure done, called a mastoidectomy, where they removed the tumor by drilling through my mastoid bone in my ear to remove the sucker. Unfortunately my ear drum was pierced during the operation, which I now live with reduced hearing in one ear. Shit happens!

Since my blood pressure and cholesterol were noticed, I needed to follow up with my primary doctor for further testing. They stuck my arm for more blood a few times to verify that I have shitty genetics, lack of exercise and poor eating habits.

When I was younger, I was always active and participated in sports and weight lifting, even running on occasion. However, it never lasted long and I soon reverted to my normal unhealthy routines of too much booze, fast food etc. My College years (8 years, crazy I know) were spent perfecting these habits.

Shortly after I had become a father, I said to myself, I want to be a part of my son’s life and not just watch it happen in front of me. I also wanted to be there for my wife and for us to enjoy us seeing our son reach the milestones in his life together. I decided enough is enough and started running.

My running had been on and off for a number of years until I became determined and consistent two years ago. I have managed to loose 25-30 pounds (currently 160) and still successfully maintain that loss. With the help of medicine (because of my crappy genetics) and running, I have lowered my outrageous cholesterol number from 800+ to a normal range of 100 and have my blood pressure under check as well. I watch what I eat, exercise regularly and try to live a healthy lifestyle. As a result, I have more energy, look and feel better about myself and have a confidence that I was lacking before. I feel like a new person and am in better shape at the age of 39 than I was 20 years ago.

Bump Up in Starting Coral

2009-01-27T12:16:00.000-08:00

I recently signed up for the Chicago Shamrock Shuffle, an 8K being held in March,running through downtown Chicago. I am excited, as it runs past the building I work at in the south Loop and has a cut off of 30,000 people. I have never run with so many people in a race before.

I ran a handful of races last year and had times good enough to qualify for an upgrade to a seeded start, as opposed to the open corral. I was pretty stoked when I received the e-mail after I registered, as this means my hard work from last year is proving to me I really am a runner. I know this is probably no big deal for most, but this is encouraging to me and has given me a boost to continue training hard. I often find myself needing motivation, especially in the dark, long and cold winter months, every little bit helps.

I am on the corporate running team at work and the Shamrock Shuffle will be the season’s first event to count in the Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA) corporate circuit this year. These races consist mostly of 5K and occasional 10K runs. Our team took first place in this circuit for the past two years. However I did not place in any races last year to provide points for the team, other than help to make the minimum number of runners required from each corporation. However I do find it encouraging running with a group and have appreciated the camaraderie it offers. I live 50 miles from where I work, so getting together on a regular basis with others from the team is not easily accomplished. I also take the train into the city so I am tethered to the train schedule.

Nonetheless, I am excited about the bump in my starting group and plan to push my training along to my goal time of 2:10 for the Madison half.

Ski Trip Weekend

2009-01-26T12:54:00.000-08:00

The family (Wife Terri and Son Dante) and I went away to Galena, IL for a three day weekend. We went with another friend of mine, Jeff and his son Sam as well as met up with another family that Jeff knows. We had a total of five adults and four nine year old boys.

If you haven’t been there, Galena is a quaint little town located near the Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois border at the Mississippi River. The rolling terrain and picturesque views were something to behold. This area is generally a golfer’s paradise in the summer but it was quite desolate this time of year. There are various places for cross country skiing, sledding and a down hill ski hill called Chestnut Mountain.

We arrived on Friday afternoon and went to the three bedroom house we were staying at in a resort called Eagle Ridge. After we dropped our stuff off, we headed into town to grab lunch and walked around a bit. We headed back to the house so the kids could look around outside and explore the wooded setting. Later that evening the other couple that was joining us arrived and we sat around and chatted and got to know each other a bit. They were very nice and we discovered the wife (Linda) was a runner. As we sat up into the wee hours of the morning, we decided to head over to the workout facility and try to run in the morning. The other Dad’s took their kids and Dante sledding while Terri, Linda & I ventured to the gym in search of treadmills. I would have run outside but it was -5 degrees outside (no thanks). We got there and there were exactly three treadmills and were all were able to run side by side. We all did about the same distance, five miles for me. I also did some other machines and we headed back to the house.

After the boys got back we had lunch and then headed to go skiing. I hadn’t been skiing for twenty years or more, but was exited to go. This was Terri and Dante’s first experience, so I was exited for them also. I purchased the lifts tickets and got the ski rentals and we were off. After a quick trip down the bunny hill we realized that it was to remedial and needed to try the next one up. We headed to what they call Rookie Run, where my wife and son spent most of the time at. This run actually had chair lifts to take back up, which was much better than the tow rope on the bunny hill. After a few tries they were doing well and getting the hang of it and I ventured to the larger hills.

It is amazing how quickly remembering how to ski came back. I guess it is like riding a bike, once you learn, you never forget. I think I was a better skier now than I was in my teens. I was anticipating that I would fall several times, but to my surprise, not once.

After four hours of skiing in zero degree weather, the cold was starting to get to everyone and we packed it in and went to dinner. We went to a little bar & grill in the downtown area and had a few beers and food. After that, I stopped to get some more beer to bring back to the house and we played cards and talked, while the kids all crashed watching a movie.

Sunday morning came early and it was time to pack up and go. After we packed we headed out and ventured home. After we got home I did laundry and we all lounged around watching television and later Kung fu Panda. A nice relaxing evening to end a great weekend with family and friends, new and old and the chance to meet a new runner who is planning on running the Chicago marathon this year (Good luck Linda).

2009-01-22T12:05:00.000-08:00

Luckily, I was able to fix the treadmill last night (crisis adverted). Through my internet research I discovered that the deck slipping is often caused from the belt slipping on the motor, whereas, I thought the belt that you run on was the problem. The solution: take the cover off and expose the insides, then loosen the bolts on the motor mount to move the motor unit forward (it had an adjustment for this), thus tightening the belt. I reassembled everything and was back in business after 30 minutes or so. I am going to order a new belt to keep on hand, because I know it is a matter of time until it stretches out further and I am at the maximum adjustment for the motor. I am happy I decided to try to fix it myself. I figured if I was going to buy a new one, I couldn’t screw it up any worse than it was at that point.

After the fix, I jumped on and ran 2 miles to test it out. It was late at this point and I needed to get ready for bed. I also did the stairs at work again, 21 floors up & 16 down.

I learned a valuable lesson (don’t panic). I now feel better prepared to handle a treadmill crisis in the future. Hopefully it will warm up soon and melt the snow, so I can start running outside again. I am ready for a change of scenery and pace.

Treadmill Dilemma

2009-01-21T06:21:00.000-08:00

I broke a new distance record on Saturday. I achieved my goal of 13.1. I am preparing to run my first ½ Marathon (Madison, WI) in May, but for some reason felt compelled to run this distance prior to see if I could make it. I think I need to start demanding a little more from myself and maybe I am getting a little complaisant in my running routine. I find myself running on the treadmill at the same pace and just varying my time. When I am outside I feel I can shake things up a bit by running different routes and elevations, however with the weather as cold and snowy as it is, I am on stuck on the treadmill for now. I took Sunday off and ran 4 miles on Monday morning.

Back to Work on Tuesday (fun!). I got home from work Tuesday night, motivated to run after perusing the new issue of Runner’s World on the train ride home, only to have my wife tell me that the treadmill is acting funny. It turns out the belt is slipping, causing it unsafe to run on. I tried to make adjustments to the roller moving it back farther to tighten, but no luck. I bought this treadmill (Pro-Form 775 EKG) about seven or eight years ago so I think I have gotten my money out of it.

In a panic mode, I rushed out looking for a replacement. I headed out to a store called Second Wind and found the treadmills to be a little expensive for my taste. The one I liked was going to cost $1,700, but I did not want to spend that much on the treadmill, I also didn’t want to buy something of cheap quality either. I then headed to Costco, where I found a decent looking machine for $800. This actually had a larger motor and deck than the more expensive treadmill. I am now in a conundrum of what to do. Can the current treadmill be repaired? Do I suck it up and get a new one? Is the more expensive one worth double the cost? How do I run in the meantime?

I have some research to do today. Hopefully I find a positive solution to my dilemma, without breaking the bank.

Another Day @ Home

2009-01-16T10:50:00.000-08:00

Due to frigid temps, school was canceled again. I stayed home with my son while wife went to work. I didn't mind to much since Thursday evening is poker night. It is hard to play cards on Thursday and get up for work on Friday because we don't play until 9:00 pm. Unfortunately this seems to be the only day/time that works for the group. My 4:45 alarm clock buzzes pretty early Friday morning but I suck it up because I enjoy playing and the company of the group. We usually play in my heated garage but there is no way the heater would have warmed the space to a comfortable temperature so we moved the game indoors to the basement last night.

I feel like I'm on vacation with taking Thursday and Friday off and having Monday off for MLK Day. I am going to work on Tuesday and taking Friday off for a long weekend to Galena. I kinda like those three day work weeks.

On the running front, I have not run yet as of today. I am still feeling good from my long run yesterday and have hopes of a short run later in the evening.

New Personal Distance Record

2009-01-15T10:43:00.000-08:00

Since I am home from work since school was called off for my son, I decided to get on the treadmill. I started off slow, but kept going and ended up with a new personal distance best of 10.25 miles. Funny thing, the treadmill shut off on me after 100 minutes and it started to keep the distance a little goofy, hence the 10.2 reading on the distance in the picture. I was watching the laps, so I knew where I was at. The balls of my feet started to hurt pretty bad so I decided that I was happy with my achievement and hit STOP! Prior to this my longest run was 8 miles, which I accomplished a few weeks ago.

Since my son was home, I figured my nephew would be home also since he lives a few Miles away. I went and picked him up, in 12 below zero weather, so they could hang out together and play the Wi and PS2. It is nice to have them both here so they entertain each other. I guess I can catch up on Facebook and some other surfing

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Schools Closed

2009-01-15T05:38:00.000-08:00

I just checked the temperature outside and it is -16. Due to the extreme temps, school is closed so I am staying home with my 9 year old son. I did manage get 3 miles in on the treadmill last night and 80 push ups. Looks like today will be another treadmill run.

I prefer running in the morning rather than waiting until I get home from work, but usually I don't have a choice because I get up so early for my morning commute anyway. Hopefully today I can motivate myself to get it over with this morning.

Bitter Cold Evening

2009-01-14T12:04:00.000-08:00

With temps in the negative range today, I will be on the treadmill tonight. My goal is to eek out 3 miles or more. I am still sore from running the stairs at work. I did 20 floors up and 16 down yesterday and my legs are feeling it. I hope it will be a good way to add strength training without having to join a gym. I am training for a 1/2 marathon at the end of May. To date, my longest run was 8miles. I have completed numerous 5K's and one 10K.

2009-01-14T11:53:00.000-08:00

Well here it is, my first post. This is a way for me to relate issue of my running woes and other ramblings.