Six-hill-sucking Sweaty Miles With My Sweetheart – And New Goals

Friday & Saturday Activities: Between yesterday and today, both my wife and I are ready for a rest day tomorrow. Yesterday, in early celebration of our 13th wedding anniversary, we sent the kids to stay with grandparents and went to the U.S. National Whitewater Center where we kayaked the morning away. In the afternoon we walked the grounds of the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens in Charlotte. After going home for a quick bite for supper we headed to downtown Salisbury to walk the town for Arts Night Out.

By the time we hit the bed we were ready for rest. But, with the kids still away the next morning, we took advantage of the opportunity to go for a rare run together. So, with it being Saturday, we completed a scheduled long run of six miles. What made this morning’s run such a beast, though, was the hills of which were non stop. We planned to just do an easy six, but, we ran streets through neighborhoods that we weren’t familiar with.

Distance:	6.00 mi
Time:	1:06:11
Avg Pace:	11:02 min/mi

New Goals:

• Running – My wife and I are planning to register for our second half-marathon! After completing the Country Music Half in Nashville in April, I think we’re ready for another! This one will be much closer to home though: The Greensboro Half-Marathon. After completing my first in a time of 2:28:08 (11:19/mile), I would like to finish this next one with a minutes/mile pace under 11:00 which, if I’m able to do so, would have me finishing in 2:23:53 or better.

• Weight – It has been over two years since I tipped the scales at 260 pounds. Now, much lighter, I’ve been hovering between 210-214 for the last month and a half. By mid August, I’d like to break the 200 pound barrier. Certainly by the time of the Greensboro Half, on October 26th, I expect to be under 200 for good.

A GREAT New Addition To My iPod Running Playlist: “Unstoppable” by Disciple. I just picked their latest album, O GOD SAVE US ALL, because I know they’ll be touring with one of my favorite bands, Audio Adrenaline, later this year. But, from the first time I heard this song while running with my iPod, I knew that it would be a new staple for my hard run playlist. View the lyric video below, take note of the words, and you’ll see/hear what I’m talking about.

Friday 6/21

Weight: 212.8  Blood Sugar: 92

Morning snack…who am I kidding? I can’t remember. That was yesterday. What I do know is that it was a pretty standard day with the follow exceptions: small bowl of mac & cheese as a side to my turkey wrap for lunch at the U.S. National Whitewater Center where my wife and I spent the morning kayaking. Beyond that, I had a fruit/nut/yogurt bowl for breakfast and a smoothie in the evening for supper, along with Odwalla bars and fruit for snacks throughout the day.

Saturday 6/22

Weight: 214.2   Blood Sugar: n/a

Pre-run morning snack: banana, spoonful of peanut butter

Post-run breakfast: blueberry/raspberry/banana/apple/pear/chia seed smoothie

Snacks: apple, trail mix granola bar, almonds, raisins, Odwalla protein bar

Lunch: 2.5 slices of pizza

Snacks: pear/apple/peanut butter/Cool Whip bowl

Supper: rotisserie chicken, green beans

Snack: bowl of cereal with red grapes, milk

Less Than Three Weeks To Go!

4/6/13

Pre-run: For today’s long run, with only two more (including the taper-week) to go before the half, I woke up at 4:30 AM, ate one of my Performance Energy Power Bars, a banana, a cup of yogurt, a spoonful of peanut butter, and drank a cup of double-shot espresso. Unfortunately, though, I think it will be the Friday eating, prior to the Saturday long run, that could have a negative effect. Last weekend we’d gone out for Mexican the day before (refried beans!) and yesterday I ate with a friend at a new burrito place in town (black beans!). I just finished my last sip of coffee as I’m typing this and thinking that, perhaps, an extra cup of hot tea might be in order. It would be nice to have this all out of my system before I leave to run at 6:40. Perhaps I didn’t get up early enough. Man, I really need to get this down before Nashville!

Beards Hands & Feet Project: Day 155 – 24 Days to go until the Country Music Half Marathon in Nashville!
The generous support of each of the donors to the Beards Hands & Feet Project got us this far: $1520. Please help us reach the $2000 mark for the orphaned and abandoned children who have nobody to turn to in Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere.

Post-run: I was a little late getting out the door due to the need to get everything out of my system before the run. Next week I’ll get up at 4:00 instead of 4:30. It was in the mid-30’s when I walked out the door this morning and never got out of the 30

’s until after the run was over. So, it was a bit cool at the outset, but, after a mile or so it, it became a pretty comfortable run. The sun was out and it was beautiful. I purposely ran my long-run route in reverse with the intent to seek out hills to include in the beginning, middle, and end of the run. It was a loop, so, my net elevation was minimal, but, there were some good climbs totaling 344 feet. Beyond some extra aches in my toes (perhaps from working them more than usual on the inclines), I felt great during th

e run and finished with the fastest average pace I’ve recorded so far for anything six miles or over with a 10:57/mile pace. After the run, however, almost immediately once I transitioned from a run to a walk, my right hamstring started throbbing. This c

ontinues a pattern going back the two weeks prior, but, in both of the earlier weeks the issue was slight cramping during the run. This was after. So, I spent some extra time with the foam roller at home after the run.

Next week: I’ll include my two normal 3-4 mile weekday runs this week before hitting my peak training distance next weekend with a planned eleven mile run. I think I’ll lay off the hills a bit this week and, certainly, on the eleven mile run. I feel strong enough and I don’t want to further aggravate the right hamstring. After next week I’ll begin my taper with a long run of only 6 or 7 miles the weekend prior to the Half in Nashville.

Less than 3 weeks to go for the Half and the beard!

Learn about what the beard has to do with the half marathon I’m training for at The Beards Hands & Feet Project page

Double Digit Miles!

My first dress-rehearsal long run went relatively well yesterday, though, next week I need to be a bit more intentional about the day before. For supper the night before, without thinking twice about it, I had a meal that had a good portion of baked beans included. I got up at 4:30 and had a cup of coffee, a yogurt, a banana, and a slice of toast with peanut butter. I was able to use the bathroom before leaving for the run at 6:30. However, I felt like I could’ve used it again (#1) before starting, but, knew I’d just have to hold it.

My training schedule has been focused on slow mileage build. After completing a nine mile run the week before, I was scheduled to do a cut-back 8 mile run yesterday. But, I had been talking with a friend who just finished her first Half a few weeks ago about how having done an eleven mile run leading up to the half helped her to have more confidence. So, at the beginning of yesterday’s run I decided that, if I felt good as I got toward the end, I would go for a full ten for the first time.

My concerns about having to go #1 at the beginning of the run simply evaporated. I forgot about it until I was done. However, at two precise times, I remember feeling the more severe of the two bathroom callings. Fortunately, both were held at bay.

Bathroom issues aside, toward the end of the run I did feel good, so, I went the full ten and I feel really good about it. This leaves me a cutback week next week before attempting an eleven mile run the week after and then doing 6 or 7 one week before the 4/27 Half in Nashville.

My pace yesterday was 11:25/mile which is right around where I need to be to finish in under 2:30 which is my goal. I’ve lost 50 pounds since I started running in January 2011, but, at 210, I’ve still got a ways to go. Simply completing the full ten miles yesterday was a huge boost for my confidence.

Learn more about why I’m doing this Half Marathon by visiting the Beards Hands & Feet Project page

 

Just Under One Month To Go

Wow. Its been almost a month since my last post! Not good. Since the last post things have gone relatively well. My long runs have begun to resemble runs that an average person might actually consider to be “long.” This past weekend I completed a 9 mile run for the first time. This weekend I’ll cut back to 8 and then, hopefully, be ready to bump it up to ten next weekend. Last weekend I also had a weigh-in on Saturday that dipped below 210 for the first time at 209.8. Now, my weekly average still has some work to go to get below 210, but, I expect that to happen soon.

With less than one month to go until the big day when I attempt to take this still-overweight, aging, spare-tire-equipped body the full 13.1 miles, I’m starting to obsess more and more about what I need to do to give myself the best chance to make it through without stopping for any reason. This means spending time over the last couple of days reading up and asking about night-before and morning-of eating/sleeping routines.

I’ve gotten some good information from the topic thread I posted in the Runner’s World Forum. The most common advice is to not try anything new, to get ample sleep in the nights leading up to the night-before, and to get up early enough to eat, get things moving (digestive system included), and arrive at the starting line with time to spare.

With advice in my back pocket I’m attempting my first dress rehearsal long run tomorrow morning. This means that I’m going to attempt my race morning routine for the first time:

• Have my gear all laid out the night before
• Get to bed on time (if not a bit early)
  

  My wife would appreciate it if I matched half as well on normal days.

• Get up around 4:30-5:00
• Eat (still working on making a decision as to what! – maybe a banana, a yogurt, and some almonds or peanut butter?)
• Getting to the park by 6:00-6:30 to warm-up
• Run

With four weeks to practice before the real thing, hopefully I’ll have it worked out in time.

All that being said, the original reason for doing this was to run it as part of a team of folks running to raise money and support for The Hands and Feet Project. From the start, it has been the generous donations, encouragement, and statements of support given by so many that has fueled its continuance.

Due to various leg issues related to my weight and a weak muscle core, there have numerous times in the last few months when I was sure this just wasn’t going to happen. But, again, the advice, encouragement, donations, and support have buoyed me from one run to the next. The Beards Hands and Feet Project provides purpose for me at this point in my life and it is a purpose with a critical importance that can’t be overstated. The children who will benefit from the expansion of The Hands and Feet Project children’s villages in Haiti will experience an overwhelming influx of hope for their future – the likes of which they’ve likely never known before, thanks to the willingness of the Beards Hands & Feet Project donors to support the work of The Hands and Feet Project.

So, with a month of training still to go before I even attempt to complete the full 13.1, I know that there is a lot of work yet to do. I haven’t accomplished anything yet. But, I have confidence that there is a brighter future ahead thanks, in large part, to the support of those around me and their generous compassion for those to which Jesus referred to as “the least of these.”

To borrow from the words of Paul the Apostle:

“…Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14

Woo! A Good Weekend To Lift A Rough Week

Last week was characterized by the fact that I missed three days – one run and two strength/core workouts – due to being sick. But, I did start this week off with a new PR distance for a long run: 6.25 miles on Sunday with my wife. It was good, but, I was beat by the end and stumbled the rest of the day feeling that way.

Per my schedule, I’ll do a three-mile run tomorrow, lead the walk/run group after school at running club on Wednesday, get a strength/core session in Wednesday evening, and a four mile run Thursday. I’ll probably do some light upper body work, along with some light core and stretching on Friday. Then, I think, I’ll make the switch from doing my long runs on Sunday to doing it on Saturdays from this point on. The Half in Nashville is on a Saturday at 7:00 AM, so, I think I’ll start working toward that schedule from this point on.

As of this evening I did learn that it really isn’t a great idea to do anything the evening after setting a new distance PR. I went upstairs with the intent of doing some stretching, but, somehow tricked myself into my normal 105 crunches, along with some light upper body lifting and some leg balancing exercises. In the process I think I tweaked my back a bit and, while stretching, came to the realization that I simply wasn’t going to be able to stretch to the extent that I normally do. My muscles are simply too stiff and sore, still, to push any further. Its pretty clear that tomorrow’s three-miler needs to be treated as a light, slow recovery run.

On the health front my blood sugar continued its weekly decline and I dropped a half a pound from the week before making for a two-pound loss in the past two weeks. I’ve made a decision to go back in the direction of including a moderate amount of whole grain back into my diet after minimizing for several months. I just feel like it keeps my system a bit more regulated and, also, that it well help me to replace some of the other items with a higher percentage of saturated fats that have become more routine in my diet over the past several months.

Finally, for those out there with long run experience, as of this week’s long run, I’ve started the process of experimenting with on-the-run energy gels. What has worked for you? What would you recommend? What hasn’t worked? I had a PowerBar vanilla energy gel with no incident and do actually feel like it provided a little extra in the last mile and a half of the run. But, I’ve got plenty to learn, so, I’m all ears!

The best news of the week, though, is that, as of this past weekend, my beard is now fully funded through the 4/27/13 Country Music Half Marathon in Nashville. Generous folks have sponsored its daily safety from the razor at a rate of $5/day from 12/1/12-4/27/13 in order to benefit The Hands & Feet Project which provides care for orphans in Haiti. Besides providing a significant contribution to the care of these kids in Haiti, the generous donors have provided a good deal of inspiration for me to actually follow through on my end of the bargain and complete my first half marathon on 4/27 in Nashville – BEARDED like Forrest Gump with nearly five full months of having gone without even a trim. Full-on grizzly Gump style.

If you’d like to learn more about the Beards Hands & Feet Project, please visit https://www.facebook.com/BeardsHandsAndFeetProject

Sideline Chatter

Sunday is the day of the week that I’ve been doing my weekly updates of late, but, this one, I’m afraid, is not a great one. Since yesterday morning I’ve felt energy-depleted and achy all over. Its been a victory to simply get some papers graded and lesson plans done. I’m hoping that, by staying in all weekend, my body will kick back into a higher gear tomorrow so that I can get my workweek on track and, also, put my running shoes back on.

Today was a scheduled five-mile run, but, it’s looking like it might be a good idea to do two four mile runs this week, with a three-miler Friday. This way I’ll keep my weekly total miles where they should be and I can still, conceivably, at least, bump up the long run to six miles next week, as scheduled. We’ll have to see how quickly I can get out of this achy, energy-vacuum funk first, though.

Blood sugar for the month of January went down as hoped for. My weekly weight average, after being stubborn for a good three weeks, also went down from 219.5 to 218.2. I can most likely attribute this to two main factors: 1-I significantly cut back on the number of nuts I ate in the past week. Yes, almonds are good for you, but, they’re also high in saturated fat. 2-I made an effort to get my heart rate up on my non-running days using high-rep/low-weight free weight exercises as opposed to just focusing on core/strength exercises like I’d been doing. Hopefully, this flu-symptom-type-thing will release its grip on me so that I can continue making progress.

Just under 12 weeks to go until the Half!

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2013 Beards, Hands & Feet Country Music Half Marathon iPod Running Mix Update:

LOCKS:

• “Until My Heart Caves In (live)” – Audio Adrenaline
• “Beautiful Day” – U2
• “Hands and Feet” – Audio Adrenaline
• “Kings and Queens” – Audio Adenaline
• “Everyday Is Yours To Win” – R.E.M.
• “Let Jesus Lead You” – Josh Harmony

CANDIDATES:

• “Walk On” – U2
• “True Love Will Find You” – Josh Harmony
• “Overcome” – Travis Taylor
• “Be Still and Know” – Travis Taylor

Learn more about the The Beards, Hands & Feet Project

 

Woo! What a Lady! What a Run! Grateful…

I’m in a great mood as I write this because I had the rare chance to run with my wife. Normally she is off on a pace far beyond what I can handle. While I know she was holding back at times, I kept up with her for the full five miles! I hadn’t run a five-miler since October ’12, so, the distance in and of itself was something to feel good about today.

It was the next step up for my weekly long run en route to April’s Country Music Half Marathon in Nashville. But, to do it at a 10:57/mile pace?! For real runners, that is a sleep walk, but, for a long run when I’m consciously trying to rein it in, for me, to run five miles at a pace faster than any 4+ mile run I’ve run before, this was fantastic!

So, I’m thrilled with the run, the distance, and the pace. And I’m thrilled with the fact that “quality time” for my wife and I now, sometimes, is characterized by enjoying a good run together. Running it quickly and getting to spend the time with her while doing so makes me a happy man. I’m also thrilled with the fact that I was able to take a step forward in my plan to complete my first half marathon without my hamstring didn’t objecting.

Looking back on these things, in combination with a great morning spent visiting a friend’s church in Greensboro with my wife and kids and it makes for a great Sunday evening.

My total mileage for the week was only 9 miles, instead of the scheduled 10, but, this was due to the fact that we had a pretty good sleet/freezing rain storm Friday afternoon – my scheduled run day. We had early dismissal from school and, by the time we got home and had lunch, driving anywhere was a bad idea. Not only that, but, even jogging around the neighborhood was out of question because of the ice that coated the roads. So, I resorted to my Garmin’s ability to keep track of my distance while I did laps around my yard in a 23 degree sleet/freezing rain downpour. Instead of the scheduled three I stopped at two miles and, when I came in, I had a clear, solid coating of ice on the brim of my hat as well as on parts of my sleeves. I was happy simply to have gotten that run in.

My weigh-in average for the week added on to the 219.5 pound plateau that I’d already been riding for two weeks. Unfortunately, my blood sugar average for the week also went up for a second straight week.

I simply need to be more disciplined and careful in what I’m eating this week: less carbs. I’m also going to try to cut back on my nut consumption. I’ve become a bit of an addict – especially to almonds. Finally, I need to break out of the non-running day rut that I’ve been stuck in of late that finds me doing strength/core workouts that have very little value in terms of cardio. I’ve got to start cross-training with some activities that keep my heart rate up. If I can be a bit more disciplined with my intake and more aggressive with the cardio aspect on my non-running days, I think I’ll start to see some positive returns.

Last, but, not least, if you haven’t already read it, please check out the post I put up yesterday on my other blog about some neat things that are happening in my life, in memory of my Dad, thanks to the gracious kindness of The Hands And Feet Project, the organization that I am fundraising for through my Beards, Hands & Feet Project effort. Check it out!

Finally: A lock for the iPod mix that will provide the soundtrack to my first half marathon effort at the Country Music Half Marathon in Nashville on 4/27/13 – “Until My Heart Caves In” by Audio Adrenaline

Constant Redirection

I’ll be posting my normal weekly reflection tomorrow, but, tonight I wanted to take the opportunity to share some great news that has a good deal to do with the motivation that I have in growing unruly facial hair for months before attempting to complete my first half marathon. Please take a few minutes to jump over to my other blog and check it out. Much thanks in advance for doing so!

Head Colds & Hound Dogs

Yes, this is my typical running/dying face.

And the beat goes on! We’ve wrapped up two weeks of the official half marathon training schedule. I started last week out with a four mile “long” run and progressed through the week with some core/strength training at the house and a pair of quicker three-mile runs. I started this week with yesterday’s four mile “long” run and plan to do another pair of three-milers this week, along with the strength/core workouts. Next week, per the training plan, I’ll bump up the “long” run to five miles.

This week’s long run was an improvement over the last one since my problematic left hamstring wasn’t throbbing at the end of the run like it was last week. I ended the run with the same routine as last week, though, using my Stick to massage the back of my left leg as part of my stretching cool-down routine.

The only thing I can even begin to complain about during that run, in fact, is the head cold that I had. It left me pretty drained for the rest of the day after the run and I’ve been just hanging around the house under the weather all day. The head cold, in addition to the dog that chased me on my Friday 3-miler, marks the beginning of my official list of things that ruin a good run. I’ll keep you updated on that from time to time as new inconveniences pop up.

I will say that I’ve been experimenting with the use of compression shorts and socks while running and that I truly think they benefit me. See, at 218 I’m a bit of a chunky runner and my extra carry-on baggage (I’m talking about leg fat! Get your mind out of the gutter!) flops around quite a bit and I think that, after a couple of miles, that excess random movement becomes a real drag in terms of running efficiency.

But, with the compression socks and shorts, everything stays in line and I really seem to feel better toward the end of the run than I think I would without it. I haven’t even tried keeping the stuff on for a while post-run to experience what most of the research out there is suggesting the real benefit of compression wear comes from – post-run recovery. That will come, though. I just ordered my second pair of compression socks and they should be in by next weekend.

Both my weight and blood sugar went down this week. We seem to be headed in the right direction!

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On a side note, I would like to mention the fact that part of the reason I’m taking on this half marathon is to benefit the work of The Hands And Feet Project which provides family style care in homes for orphans in Haiti. Please check out their official page and my Beards Hands & Feet Facebook page to find out how you can help (you’ll find out what all that stuff is on my face in the picture above, too!).

 

14 Weeks and A Taper To Go

After taking a conservative course with my left hamstring/pes anserinus bursitis issues through the holidays, I officially commenced my half marathon training the first week of 2013 with three runs totaling 8 miles. My plan is to work up to a three run schedule in which my two weekday runs are each three or four miles long and my weekend long run builds progressively from week to week so that it is up to 10 miles with 3 weeks to go until race weekend. From there I’ll taper for the last two weeks before, hopefully, arriving at the starting line in Nashville fresh, healthy, and ready to give 13.1 miles all that I have.
Just two weeks in, though, the expectation that this would be a learning process is proving to be well-founded. I’ve probably tweaked my weekly mileage schedule for the 16-week plan three or four times now. I can only guess that my last tweak won’t turn out to be the final one.
One thing I am confident of, though, is that the principles behind my training schedule will remain the same:

• Progress in weekly mileage and weekend “long run” distance in a conservative and gradual manner
• Employ frequent cut back weeks allowing my legs time to recover from each new step in the plan and, hopefully, avoid further injuries
• Employ core training exercises on non-running days to improve stability and strength

Additionally, I intend to maintain a consistent weekly schedule:

• Sunday – long run – focused on a slower pace, longer distance, and a heart rate consistently below 80% of my maximum heart rate
• Monday – rest day
• Tuesday – weekday run of 3-4 miles at a 10-11 min/mile pace on a local trail or, occasionally, a treadmill at the local Y
• Wednesday – elementary school running club – leading a group of students who, at this point, are covering about two miles using a walk/run ratio of 3:1 over the course of approximately 25 minutes after school each Wednesday – core strength training exercises in the evening at home
• Thursday – core strength training exercises in the evening at home
• Friday – weekday run of 3-4 miles at a 10-11 min/mile pace on a local trail or, occasionally, a treadmill at the local Y
• Saturday – light strength core training exercises at home

One of the keys to making this plan successful is going to have to be making adjustments as I go. For example, I made the foolish decision to include core exercises that targeted my hamstrings (including one that I’d never tried before) yesterday, one day before my long run. While it didn’t bother me during the run, I could feel a throbbing sensation in my left hamstrings that I know wasn’t good as soon as I started my cool down walk at the end of four miles today. I have to be more cautious and conservative with my hamstrings by more sensitively managing the timing, amount, and intensity of hamstring-specific exercises throughout the week so that they have a chance to be challenged and then to become progressively stronger over the course of this training plan.

On the health front, my blood sugar average for the week continued to improve coming down to 91 from last week’s 96. While my weekly average weight was static from the week before at 220.9, after a rough start to the week, my Saturday weigh-in was a welcome sight at 218.2. I strongly believe that I’ll be back to my pre-holiday low of 214 in a couple of weeks. Then I will continue chipping away at this excess shell that I’ve been building up and adding on to since I graduated from high school.

In terms of my fundraising effort for The Hands And Feet Project, I’m happy with the progress. So far, due to the generous support of a number of friends and family, I’ve raised $475 to benefit an increase in capacity for The Hands And Feet Project’s orphanages in Haiti. I’m so thankful to each person who has agreed to fund my “no-shave November” facial hair’s continued growth at a rate of $5 a day and I’m feeling optimistic that more will step forward in order to ensure that the whiskers keep growing until April 27 when I run in the Country Music Half Marathon in Nashville, most likely resembling Forrest Gump, more than myself. If you’d like to learn more or to just jump on board, please check out some of my posts on the topic on my other blog and, also, to  check out The Beards, Hands & Feet Project page on Facebook.

All proceeds will be sent on to The Hands And Feet Project to support their mission on providing family-style care, education, and shelter for orphans in Haiti. Each donation is a major boost of inspiration for me to keep doing whatever I can to train and make sure that I can complete the Half in Nashville. Thanks for your support!