Motivation

From the website of the Detroit Freepress Marathon

The marathon, half marathon and relays are international events crossing US and Canadian borders twice. It is imperative that you accurately complete all information on the registration form, including date of birth, citizenship, and green card information (if applicable). The half marathon run and walk starts at 7:15 a.m. You must be able to make it to the entrance of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel (less than 8 miles) by no later than 9:45 a.m. Pacers will be provided and will maintain the pace needed to make it to the tunnel entrance on time. If you do not make it to the tunnel by 9:45 a.m., your race is over. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS BORDERS WITHOUT A NUMBER. Both borders will be heavily secured and patrolled. Anyone attempting to cross the bridge or tunnel without a visible number will be arrested. Crossing borders illegally is a federal offense. Such a crime will remain a part of your record.

How's that for motivation?

I'm Bummin' but this picture makes me happy

Surfing the Gold Coast
Originally uploaded by Ed Roth.

Man has it been hard to run. I was doing well - getting out doing the maintenance, speed, and long runs right on schedule. The weather turned crappy - it's rained at least this whole week if not last week as well and work..........well, what do you say? It's back to 12+ hour days plus time with the Karen and kids .....I haven't worked the schedule out yet. I better get my crap together - Detroit's 13.1 miles are looming.

Per Half Mile

OK, so there was a little misunderstanding on my last post. When I wrote that I was run 3 800m laps and needed to do it in a 5:10 pace, some of you thought I meant I needed to run at a 5'10" per MILE pace. No no people - let's get real. I needed to run the 800 METERS in 5'10" which means I would have roughly been running a 10'20" per MILE pace. So anyway, I ran them last night and did fine. It was a little bit of a struggle, but not anything overwhelming. This is what was on the training schedule for this Sunday in an attempt to run the Detroit Half-Marathon in 2 hours and 20 minutes. Galloway mentions in his book that if you're not able to complete the 800m runs in the assigned time, your time goal is probably too ambitious. Does this mean I'm on track for a 2'20" half-marathon? It's not likely - in fact highly unlikely. One reality check will be a 5k scheduled in two weekends. The training calls for a <29 minute race time which if my calculations are correct would put me at a 9'20"/mile pace. I don't see it happening - running is not like a team sport where there's always a chance for a suprise last second field goal or walk-off homerun. You get what you train for and sometimes not even that. I guess I won't make any predictions and just run this 5k and try to hit the 29-minute or better finish and see where I wind up. I still need to get new shoes - my shins can be really problematic - not splints, but just uber tight!! Happy running. :)

Per Half Mile

OK, so there was a little misunderstanding on my last post. When I wrote that I was run 3 800m laps and needed to do it in a 5:10 pace, some of you thought I meant I needed to run at a 5'10" per MILE pace. No no people - let's get real. I needed to run the 800 METERS in 5'10" which means I would have roughly been running a 10'20" per MILE pace. So anyway, I ran them last night and did fine. It was a little bit of a struggle, but not anything overwhelming. This is what was on the training schedule for this Sunday in an attempt to run the Detroit Half-Marathon in 2 hours and 20 minutes. Galloway mentions in his book that if you're not able to complete the 800m runs in the assigned time, your time goal is probably too ambitious. Does this mean I'm on track for a 2'20" half-marathon? It's not likely - in fact highly unlikely. One reality check will be a 5k scheduled in two weekends. The training calls for a <29 minute race time which if my calculations are correct would put me at a 9'20"/mile pace. I don't see it happening - running is not like a team sport where there's always a chance for a suprise last second field goal or walk-off homerun. You get what you train for and sometimes not even that. I guess I won't make any predictions and just run this 5k and try to hit the 29-minute or better finish and see where I wind up. I still need to get new shoes - my shins can be really problematic - not splints, but just uber tight!! Happy running. :)

Magic Jelly Beans

So Heather's first day went fine - she loved it - and when I asked her how her 'Friday' went she said something like "really, really, really, really, really, really, really great!"

So my ten miles last weekend turned into eight. Not that I ran out of steam - eight just seemed more appropriate as my previous long run was 5 miles and to doulbe it seemed like poor judgement and just asking for some kind of injury. So eight was great! I took an anti-inflammatory about 20 minutes before I went out and also brought along so Goo-beans, which I now call magic jelly beans. Never once did I have any significant tightness anywhere, I was fresh almost the whole way through the run (the last mile I could feel fatigue setting in a bit), and had negative (which means I got faster I think!!) splits every single time the whole way through the run. There was no blazing pace - surprise! - but every mile I shaved at least 13 seconds off the previous mile and in one case 45 seconds - so it was a good run overall.

This Saturday's training manual calls for 3x800's at a 5:10 pace per 800. I've never done this before so I'll be really curious to see how this plays out and post it when I knowst it (sorry, it's early and I haven't eaten breakfast yet!)

My Baby is Going Kindergarten :(.......

Childhood Friends
Originally uploaded by Ed Roth.

Well, the day has finally come. Our little girl is going to Kindergarten and I can't help but mourn the loss of innocence. I did it when Eddie went to Kindergarten also, and like that situation, I'm sure I'll get past it, but I hate the thought of what's about to happen. As far as Heather knows right now, she's smart enough, pretty enough, nice enough, etc. etc. ....as far as she knows, she's perfect without any need for improvement. There is something so beautiful about that state of being - "I'm fine the way I am" - and next week Wednesday, will be the beginning of the end of that. After that it will be; 'write your letters better, stay inside the lines, you take too long to come up with the answer....' And well beyond all of that, I used to love coming home for lunch (I only work 2.5 miles from home) and seeing this little girl. It (almost) always made my day. And the days where she was upset or frustrated or angry about something, I cherished being able to come home and make it better - a father should be able to do that you know. Anyway, I can't say much more about it - things will be wonderful and beautiful, but there is a loss in this metamorphosis, and it has me a little down right now. We took her to meet her teacher and see her new class the other day, and when we got to the school, and she got out of the car, she shrieked "Yipppeeee!!!". She's excited - I'm less enthusiastic, but not in front of her. There's a far more beautiful post of someone else who is going through the same thing right now who is a world class runner - check out Joan Nesbit Mabe's post "Tuesday's Gone" here

On the running side - things have been going well. I've been out this week doing my maintenance runs and tomorrow will be my long run - a 10 miler - I know I sound like a wuss to a lot of you, but I'm a bit nervous about a run that distance. I've only done it once before, and it was a race, and I got a stress fracture in my foot during it. Say a prayer.