tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41055382566494139422024-03-05T11:43:35.704-07:00Another Day. Another Run.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger252125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-89186832043975989982014-05-18T20:47:00.000-06:002014-05-18T20:47:11.491-06:00One Chapter Ends, A New Chapter BeginsThis post has been far too long in coming. I started this blog when I was serious about my running and racing. I felt like I could add a little humor to my running commentary. It's been a lot of fun. I have met some really neat people because of my blogging and running.<br />
<br />
Since the time that I started blogging about my running I have run 14 marathons, too many to count half marathons and only a handful of 5k or 10k events. I never felt like a 5k or 10k was "my thing". I would start out too fast and never could quite get into a good groove. I like the feeling of finishing 26.2 miles, but I love the half marathon and the fact that I'm not so completely exhausted after.<br />
<br />
I used to loathe running on the treadmill. That was before I discovered the Cinema Cardio at Gold's Gym. Now, I put in 6-7 miles on the treadmill while watching a movie on a wall sized screen with surround sound. It's not so bad anymore....<br />
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Somewhere along my running journey I started organizing events and working behind the scenes. I started with my children's local charter school, then moved into a city-wide event and then into actually getting paid to organize events.<br />
<br />
This is where my new chapter begins. I took an opportunity/leap of faith and became a race director for Color in Motion 5K. They do color 5k events all over the country. As a race director, I get the opportunity to make sure the event happens, that all the bases get covered and at the same time I get to meet amazing people. I also get to travel to new places. Whether this will lead to something bigger and better, I don't know. At the moment though, I'm enjoying the journey.<br />
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So what now? Will this blog officially stop or will it just change form and I'll comment about being a race director. I'm not sure. There are a few posts I'd still like to do. I hope to get those complete in the next week.<br />
<br />
Until then, as a good friend always signed his letters.<br />
TTFN (ta ta for now)<br />
Blaine<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-58256438546818665852013-10-01T17:29:00.002-06:002013-10-01T17:29:28.360-06:00My Car Repairs are Keeping Me in ShapeA funny thought occurred to me as I ran today. My van repairs are keeping me from totally succumbing to the enticings of my couch.<br />
<br />
In 2012, I was putting in between 50-60 miles each week. I was in great shape and enjoying the ability to run a marathon one weekend and then turn around and run another one the following weekend. Lately, i've been priding myself on keeping my Fat Boy Ice Cream sandwich intake in the single digits on a daily basis. I still am able to crank out 5-6 miles at a reasonable pace, but it's been many months since i've run more than 6-7 miles in a given stretch.<br />
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I tell myself that these are maintenance miles. By running 2-3 times a week at 5-6 miles each time I am preventing the couch from sucking me in for good. Sometimes though the motivation to get out the door and put in these maintenance miles just don't offer the motivation I need. Lately though, <strike>the guilt from my pants fitting tighter</strike> my trusty van and auto mechanic have devised a necessary intervention. I'm sure one day I'll thank them for it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnvt7JXW29f_mWa1XH2WCa0xLAZAVl6gd2zHeS5meLK-HtEKWs8mJL_3kOgSi8oOQTFTRI1Gy5eVjIScKd_VoqkmuLhSm3zDk9CkDaPVm3oYQjO_jIYwu0dnFe0zexKFOQkjmu1bjFYw/s1600/Got-car-repair-deal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnvt7JXW29f_mWa1XH2WCa0xLAZAVl6gd2zHeS5meLK-HtEKWs8mJL_3kOgSi8oOQTFTRI1Gy5eVjIScKd_VoqkmuLhSm3zDk9CkDaPVm3oYQjO_jIYwu0dnFe0zexKFOQkjmu1bjFYw/s320/Got-car-repair-deal.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exactly how I felt when I saw how many calories i've burned</td></tr>
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My van has been in the shop a lot lately. My wife works away from the house and as such I can usually count on her for a one time drop off at the house or ride to work. The shop happens to be a 4 mile run from my house (although I have successfully gotten lost and done it in 7 miles before). In the past three months, i've had the CV joints replaced, the oil pan gaskets replaced (twice), brakes done, catalytic converter replaced, O2 sensors replaced, vacuum hose fixed, oil change completed, and a drive rod replaced. Some of these were done together and others were a one time deal.<br />
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Here's where i'm going to do some math. Let's say 10 repairs total. Figure my wife taking me one way 80% of the time. That's 8 out of 10 times, I had to get back home on foot (4 mile run) and 2 times where I had go both ways (8 miles). 4 x 8=32 plus 8 x 2=16 miles. That's 48 miles. In calories burned that is 9,540. That's equal to almost 3 pounds worked off or kept off. I'd say that's pretty good.<br />
<br />
So thank you to my van that keeps going into the repair shop for keeping me off the couch and on the road. I'm going to go get a combo meal now. After all, it's only 860 calories which compared to the 9,540 I just worked off is totally justifiable.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-3263948186767013252013-06-11T22:56:00.000-06:002013-06-11T22:56:47.435-06:00Am I a Second Class Runner Because I Pace?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiER42U3G6eoMExgs9bQtDldn-tNGF1F5wuKgA5w6eg3jcnIjR_-xYXhOaeb49SSGsGr0u8BFAwWNEFjAHtd2D_c_OrDZNdbPYn6mMjGzH80uYp2U8bKyvfkzQpCWbYshGyqXXxdhFUN6w/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-06-11+at+10.36.43+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiER42U3G6eoMExgs9bQtDldn-tNGF1F5wuKgA5w6eg3jcnIjR_-xYXhOaeb49SSGsGr0u8BFAwWNEFjAHtd2D_c_OrDZNdbPYn6mMjGzH80uYp2U8bKyvfkzQpCWbYshGyqXXxdhFUN6w/s320/Screen+shot+2013-06-11+at+10.36.43+PM.png" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My P90X enabled me to carry that sign<br />for 26.2 miles.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On Saturday, I finished my 11th marathon. I'm a little in awe about that. In fact, I paced the 3:50 finish<br />
time for the race. This is only 5 minutes slower than my first marathon that happened only four years ago this fall.<br />
<br />
I've had a few friends comment on all the recent marathons that I have done. The question is something that usually starts with "So, did you run this weekend?" At which point I say something like "Yeah, I did the Utah Valley Marathon..." In turn the comment from those who know I run a lot say, "Did you race it or pace it?" When I tell them that I pace it, they tend to not be as interested.<br />
<br />
It makes me wonder if the fact that I pace a lot gives the impression that I'm not putting in the work for a marathon. It has me a bit baffled as to what a good response would be. Since I'm rather mild mannered and haven't chewed anyone out over the comment, I'll justify it a little here.<br />
<br />
The facts of pacing:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>I get in for free. Most races in my area running around $85 for early sign up. Multiply that by three or four races and it starts to add up quick.</li>
<li>I am timed, get a bib, shirt, medal, etc. just like everyone else.</li>
<li>A marathon is 26.2 miles regardless of whether I am pacing or racing.</li>
<li>I get the opportunity to give advice to those who are running with me and get to cheer people on to the finish.</li>
<li>I have to be in marathon shape to run a marathon. This means that I'm putting in the training miles just as much as the next guy. </li>
<li>Running slower isn't always fun. I paced a 4:30 finish the first marathon I paced. I hurt for days after because I was exerting a lot of energy into running slower than is typical.</li>
<li>I get to be super conscious of my time/energy because others are relying on me. My goal for each race is to be 0-30 seconds under the target time. For example, Utah Valley Marathon I finished in 3:49:41.</li>
</ol>
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That's it. I enjoy the opportunity, but I also find myself wondering if I'm really pushing myself to get faster or if I'm just doing it for the free entry. I definitely feel as though there is a motivation to train if I am signed up for a race versus just pacing, but in the end I still have to be physically and mentally prepared to race.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-72593111262734929932013-05-27T15:07:00.000-06:002013-05-27T15:07:36.942-06:00Out Running....I get on a roll with my blogging and then I fall off the wagon. My best and most fun ideas come to me while I'm running. I then finish my race and forget what I was all about. I'm going to get you all caught up on what's been happening from a race point of view and maybe share some of my more creative thoughts while I'm at it.<br />
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<b><u>Salt Lake City Marathon (4:00 finish time pacer)</u></b><br />
This was the marathon's tenth anniversary and as such they decided to make the race more interesting by making it <u>rain</u> the entire time. They also lowered the temperature so that runners were wet and cold. I planned accordingly though and wore two shirts and a jacket. For the marathon, they had two pacers for each time which makes pacing a whole lot more enjoyable. It rained steady for the first 18 miles and then on and off to the finish. I packed an additional set of clothes to change into once I finished. I'm glad I did, because it was cold and wet. This year they changed the course of the race and finished in a local city park. I'm sure when the weather is nice, the park will be a nice change, but this year it was just wet and muddy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3g4IsNIdY2sNuGY_Vgb436gCUeYEC9BNZHEdtCCbR95jKmz7mOEohhQN_UDDMpR-7cAlp0cLFv4z4es1gFbruFRw2hXItydhWpFzCWuoF2pqV02Pi-mbPQ_6VOwhvbN275dMQtSDE8Fo/s1600/5486_10201105789312435_1297463891_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3g4IsNIdY2sNuGY_Vgb436gCUeYEC9BNZHEdtCCbR95jKmz7mOEohhQN_UDDMpR-7cAlp0cLFv4z4es1gFbruFRw2hXItydhWpFzCWuoF2pqV02Pi-mbPQ_6VOwhvbN275dMQtSDE8Fo/s320/5486_10201105789312435_1297463891_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
A couple things stand out about this race. First, Adidas was the race sponsor and as such, each pacer received a pair of shoes and a pacing shirt from them. I chose the Adidas Adios shoes and they have been AMAZING. At the time of this writing, I've put in more than 100 miles in the shoes with ZERO blisters. The fit is just perfect and they are super light weight. The only downside to the shoes is that they got rather muddy after the marathon and just aren't as nice looking. If some kind Adidas rep finds this, I'd be very grateful if you could send me a new pair that are clean–thank you!<br />
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The next thing that I took away from this race is everything I took away from this race. What do you get when you have race sponsors who have been out in the rain all morning? Sponsors that are very anxious to give away all that they have so that they can get out of the rain. Dannon Yogurt was a big sponsor and had tons of supplies. I left the race with multiple cases of yogurt.<br />
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<b><u>Thanksgiving Point Half Marathon (2:05 finish time pacer)</u></b><br />
This is one of my favorite races in the area for a few reasons. The course is not a typical downhill course. It's hilly and challenging, but not overly steep. The course start is 10 minutes from my house so I don't have to wake up super early to get there. The race team and director put on a fabulous race. I was originally going to be pacing the 1:55 group, but a last minute change put me at 2:05. I was okay with it because I wanted to rest my legs after the previous week's race.<br />
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At the expo the day before, I told everyone who stopped by our booth to expect a good course, but to take it easy. Because a lot of the course was on a golf course, the elevation chart didn't show all the rolling hills. I had a few people stick with me until mile 9 then I was on my own. The weather for the race was fantastic. The previous three years of the race it has been rainy and cold.<br />
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<b><u>Provo City Marathon (3:50 finish time pacer)</u></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyu6UKeJWppkTvEz9cseSizq7VtUvcszF5K0wSY1Uxf7_0zf7XWH-g10kmv1U6GGZSGDr2jzfZZbNQebAWhm2H8LzbB7sWj2VF19mJExl1zsja4DJ2MiTjLZAjOXRucExF6FmoNdsIElI/s1600/262540_10201193062934221_1667996219_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyu6UKeJWppkTvEz9cseSizq7VtUvcszF5K0wSY1Uxf7_0zf7XWH-g10kmv1U6GGZSGDr2jzfZZbNQebAWhm2H8LzbB7sWj2VF19mJExl1zsja4DJ2MiTjLZAjOXRucExF6FmoNdsIElI/s320/262540_10201193062934221_1667996219_n.jpg" width="240" /></a>I would love to like this marathon, but I just can't say that I do. The race company that puts it on does a good job and it's well marked, but I just don't enjoy the course. The first 13.1 miles of the course is fine. It starts up Provo Canyon and then descends down the canyon for 7 miles. The last 5 miles have a gradual downhill to the half finish. The hard part about this course is that the marathon participants have to run by the finish line knowing that they still have 13.1 miles to go. You have all these cheering people and lots of energy and then it becomes a whole different course. The remainder of the race is relatively flat and ugly. The support for the back half is pretty lean and there aren't a whole lot of volunteers on the course or spectators. This year I did have an additional pacer with me and that made things more fun, but overall not a great course.<br />
<br />
At the finish line they did have a sponsor that had an oxygen booth set up. They had a 10 minute <br />
session for free and you could choose the "flavor" of oxygen you received. When my brother in law (he paced the 4:30 group) and I got to the booth they just let us stay as long as possible. We took a self portrait of us looking tired and needing oxygen and sent it to our wives. The wives didn't appreciate us telling them that we needed oxygen.<br />
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<u><b>Vigor Cottonwood Half Marathon (1:50 finish time pacer)</b></u><br />
The director of the pacing group I belong to told us after the Provo Marathon that we were invited to pace a new event and he was giving priority to the full marathon pacers. I jumped on board and paced the 1:50 finish time. We got to be at the bus loading no later than 4:00 am which meant that we left my place at 3:00 a.m. Getting up at 2:15 a.m. to get ready for a race is not my idea of fun.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSkjT-ZV5FdXhFctXi9Xm8XqDVYo0L7okgrdaQGT9nTQxT3X14ZOFxjoTnxs6HVJZAGuPaC_zRedljhJ3tFXqTHeHYvjg-opXBvCHemybLBNKNrIrh1kE612ph8K-TuxU9Gg0e0kQeSo/s1600/finish+line+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSkjT-ZV5FdXhFctXi9Xm8XqDVYo0L7okgrdaQGT9nTQxT3X14ZOFxjoTnxs6HVJZAGuPaC_zRedljhJ3tFXqTHeHYvjg-opXBvCHemybLBNKNrIrh1kE612ph8K-TuxU9Gg0e0kQeSo/s320/finish+line+01.jpg" width="320" /></a>The course was steep and fast. I think I could have paced the 1:40 finish time group without much problem. The coolest thing about this race was that people were with me until mile 12 when I told everyone to speed up and finish as fast as they could. One man had been with me at Thanksgiving Point, but had crashed at mile 9 so this was exciting for him to be under 2 hours and feeling great at mile 12. A fellow blogger, Whitney from <a href="http://itswhatmovesme.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">It's What Moves Me</a>, was with me the entire time so we caught up on the racing scene a little. As I was approaching the 13 mile mark, the pace director ran by me and told me to stop or slow way down because the course was about 1/4 mile short. I stopped and cheered on runners just before mile 13 to wind down my time and finish within 10 seconds of what my 1:50 finish time.<br />
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That's it for now...next up Utah Valley Marathon, HOMM Half Marathon and more....Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-91486533514979331392013-04-20T19:44:00.001-06:002013-04-20T19:45:36.447-06:00Mid-Michigan Running Group<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ILdVUxgjB3DE40RpRBZKa6qPNkWGTXDU13Do5Gq9T_71Lfe2_zuEgjz_pZph5wIx2qgU_3PlU-5gVtfTWtds7Ho4NSGu4mfUC11DEHvV0ZNiUGoN_cFfmcZfIQ1bPyCA8IqY6RE6ooU/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ILdVUxgjB3DE40RpRBZKa6qPNkWGTXDU13Do5Gq9T_71Lfe2_zuEgjz_pZph5wIx2qgU_3PlU-5gVtfTWtds7Ho4NSGu4mfUC11DEHvV0ZNiUGoN_cFfmcZfIQ1bPyCA8IqY6RE6ooU/s200/Unknown.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
While I was in Michigan, I needed a long Saturday run to keep my training on track for the Salt Lake City Marathon. I did a google search for running groups and came across the Mid-Michigan Running Group. They have their own event page and were doing a 15 mile run the Saturday we would be in town. The run started only 5 miles from our hotel and less than 2 from my wife's Grandmother's house.<br />
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<b>Mid-Michigan Running Group</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kLsQICw-cwksDOszDXhtpMWA1bUfdX8pfl_tYsjyrJl0I7brct1TuCzr0zSz_2PPR6lr51hja2szzX2ayqQZAr6E6xRfK6889TXTb82tb9FAhNLBn2I4jkIETvpQKC_-JPFLDplq4Ys/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-20+at+7.21.29+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="48" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kLsQICw-cwksDOszDXhtpMWA1bUfdX8pfl_tYsjyrJl0I7brct1TuCzr0zSz_2PPR6lr51hja2szzX2ayqQZAr6E6xRfK6889TXTb82tb9FAhNLBn2I4jkIETvpQKC_-JPFLDplq4Ys/s320/Screen+shot+2013-04-20+at+7.21.29+PM.png" width="320" /></a>This group has figured out the secret to any runner's heart–food. All their runs meet or end at a local food place. The run on Saturday met at Bake N Cakes–A local cake shop that is the pride and joy of those in the area. On Sunday's after a long run, they meet at a local cafe. On Tuesdays they meet at a cupcake shop, on Wednesday's they meet at a local tavern and Thursdays are at pie shop. When I spoke with one of the group members she said they get better attendance when they meet at food places. These are my kind of runners.<br />
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There were two different meeting times for the Saturday run. Those who wanted to do 15 met at 8:00 am and those who only wanted 10 met at 9:00 am. When I arrived at the start at 8:00 am they had just started running and I had to do a little catch up. Only a handful of people joined the 8:00 group so I had the opportunity to visit with most of them. As we were running, I asked them where the best local places to eat were. I knew I was in good company when they all just started asking me about food preferences. The list got narrowed down to one or two places that got the consensus vote on favorite.<br />
<br />
At 9:00 we looped back to the start and met up with a few more people running in the group. During the next ten miles, we looped around the MSU campus and I was told about some of the goals each runner had. Some members were training for a half and others a full and a few had done multiple marathons. I even discovered that one of the members had moved from Colorado recently and he favorite race is the Top of Utah Marathon which I have run twice. AMAZING!<br />
<br />
We finished our run, I shook hands and wished them all well. They extended to me the invitation to join them again any time and that there were doing a recovery run the next day at a local cafe. I smiled and wished them well.<br />
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<b>Fork in the Road Restaurant</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbizK1h4Kn1PQ7rwXBdcrWcRM8zUN4NE5eS2qWE1n8Mb9yPKb0NqorjXuO7DWtXKyRbXiV64uZOZvrfuazdUKhAg4_4K4X49L_9H84baaKukvMSAMfOCmgelQOyl4jIcbooFYN9jaKtk/s1600/Fork_in_the_Road_Local_Artisan_Diner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbizK1h4Kn1PQ7rwXBdcrWcRM8zUN4NE5eS2qWE1n8Mb9yPKb0NqorjXuO7DWtXKyRbXiV64uZOZvrfuazdUKhAg4_4K4X49L_9H84baaKukvMSAMfOCmgelQOyl4jIcbooFYN9jaKtk/s200/Fork_in_the_Road_Local_Artisan_Diner.jpg" width="200" /></a>This little place was among the top of local places that were close to where we were staying. We almost missed it. We arrived at the right time because the wait time got longer and longer as we waited. The menu is very simple. It's updated regularly and printed on a chalkboard. You order your food, then find a place to sit and then you have a waiter come over. Since we were new, we asked about their specials and then ordered. We decided on dessert which was intriguingly called a "Backward Rootbeer Float". My wife had the fried chicken which was fabulous and made me very envious. Whereas I ordered the meatloaf sandwich which was ok, but not like the chicken.<br />
<br />
But the hit of the night was the Backward Rootbeer Float. It consisted of Sasparilla Ice Cream in Vanilla Creme Soda. The taste was amazing. I'm used to the flavor of vanilla followed by the flavor of rootbeer when having a traditional rootbeer float. With it reversed, my mind and tongue didn't quite know what to do. I kept expecting the vanilla first and when I got the rootbeer it was almost a shock.<br />
<br />
The Fork in the Road restaurant was a hit.<br />
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Thank you to the Mid-Michigan Running Group for accommodating me.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-83986385538088377632013-04-04T20:49:00.001-06:002013-04-04T20:49:09.767-06:00We Interrupt This Michigan Trip for a Product ReviewFree Swag! I love free swag! I love it when it's running swag....!<br />
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I'm pacing the Salt Lake City Marathon again this year. It's the 10th Anniversary of the race and I've run it four times. I like the race. I like that fact that they have taken out a big hill that was at mile 25 of the course. I like the fact even more that Adidas is the sponsor and they are giving all the pacers a free pair of shoes to run in on race day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgaJiV9_VSDbmRYVELU9CTtiuOtquxM3lZsLqlh_08klZRLti2ncFIuMcfvZEfEZKxpD0lD3ev4YGIUEMrJPOXd7n4lbMhSVScsDo9u9f7vGVsUcdn4RjLUIyMMt1L5PMbY5Rkk3gOL4/s1600/cardinals-vaticanjpg-d1a77c7ca6970538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgaJiV9_VSDbmRYVELU9CTtiuOtquxM3lZsLqlh_08klZRLti2ncFIuMcfvZEfEZKxpD0lD3ev4YGIUEMrJPOXd7n4lbMhSVScsDo9u9f7vGVsUcdn4RjLUIyMMt1L5PMbY5Rkk3gOL4/s320/cardinals-vaticanjpg-d1a77c7ca6970538.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Did you see how fast Blaine went by in those shoes?<br />Holy Smoke, they are fast"</td></tr>
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Two posts ago I talked about the new shoes I bought because of my inability to control myself in a running store and how I had gone in with the intention to try on a pair of Adidas. I chose the Adidas Adios. In Spanish, Adios means goodbye which I am interpreting this to mean that I will be so screaming fast that people will be saying "Adios" to me when I put them on.<br />
<br />
They arrived while we were on our trip to Michigan. I had my brother in law (who also is pacing) pick them up and care for them while I was gone. I gave him implicit instructions to speak about running in positive terms and he could even put his Adidas next to mine at night so mine wouldn't get lonely. He rejected my suggestion that he carry them with him as he was running in his. I would have completely shunned him at our family events because of this, but he did give up his shoe box since mine got damaged in shipping. That sort of sacrifice goes a long way in my book.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbzUESo4fdw1746TxSmxXdGXGK_7U-RRsLAtDpvAZ4YF6QcsC4T7QyEcPj1KIPBerzB1EI6Wq6Wc5ytCO4V8hyphenhyphen4F8kk9Gmc6pVwl7YfDnyrt16wj7JVDNAL7CmtHDUe7Ppz1b2LY3lK8/s1600/G64415_02.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbzUESo4fdw1746TxSmxXdGXGK_7U-RRsLAtDpvAZ4YF6QcsC4T7QyEcPj1KIPBerzB1EI6Wq6Wc5ytCO4V8hyphenhyphen4F8kk9Gmc6pVwl7YfDnyrt16wj7JVDNAL7CmtHDUe7Ppz1b2LY3lK8/s200/G64415_02.jpeg" width="200" /></a>I've been able to take them out a few times this week and let me tell you–I'm impressed. They are very light and minimal like the Kinvara's, but the toe is narrower. I appreciate the narrow toe box because I have narrow feet. Wider shoes tend to give me blisters, but these ones feel really good. My calves and shins have been a little more sore than normal, but this is pretty typical whenever I get new shoes.<br />
<br />
And they are yellow....!<br />
<br />
Adidas has a new shoe called The Energy Boost that is supposedly going to revolutionize running shoes. When we were at our pacer meeting choosing our shoes, the Adidas Rep gave us all the details of them. It's a good thing they are hard to get right now and very limited in stock or I would have been having to check into a rehab for buying yet another pair of shoes.<br />
<br />
Sum it all up. I like these shoes. I've never done a full marathon in a minimal shoe before, but i've done plenty of half's in minimal shoes. I'm looking forward to the race. Now I just need to get training... :)<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-43283062225491493202013-04-02T18:32:00.002-06:002013-04-02T18:33:21.573-06:00Michigan Journey Part 1: Rest Stops, Honeybuckets, and Gas Stations...oh my!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNOYgbvJejAvZsd7OjVYIOictYYsgQourK7iTSQ5wx8nV55-Pv7gAgMmaHnqtACYZtGfpSjs3rt1thADPvPVUgNUTV481Pzc7-2gkpn0BHB4EptFMhuv40AVH08fPKrd29AdR8SvjfTs/s1600/rest-area-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNOYgbvJejAvZsd7OjVYIOictYYsgQourK7iTSQ5wx8nV55-Pv7gAgMmaHnqtACYZtGfpSjs3rt1thADPvPVUgNUTV481Pzc7-2gkpn0BHB4EptFMhuv40AVH08fPKrd29AdR8SvjfTs/s200/rest-area-2.jpg" width="151" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>**Caution**</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This post has everything to do with bodily functions. I'm posting this solely as a courtesy in case my wife (who rarely reads my blog gets told by one of her friends or a relative or someone on the street that I'm writing about this) sees this. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
As a runner, I've developed a pretty high tolerance for rest stops. You can't be too picky when you are six miles into a 15 mile run and you get "the urge" and it's a "RIGHT NOW!" and not a "in 9 miles when you've fully recovered from your run and had a bite to eat..." I do have my standards and that involves only using facilities meant to capture what I am releasing. I'm not one of those "stop and drop" type of people that I see in races.<br />
<br />
So, what does that have to do with a drive to Michigan. Think through this with me.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>24 hours of actual driving (30 hours if you included stops)</li>
<li>2 adults</li>
<li>3 kids</li>
</ul>
<div>
Since I never made it past Algebra in High School, I asked my son who is signed up for AP Calculus if there were some formula he could give me that would calculate the possibility that we would be making an urgent stop at some point in our travel. He just rolled his eyes at me and walked off. I'm sure someone has done a study. If not, maybe I'll apply for a grant. What is boils down to is a lot of stopping. Sometimes that stopping just meant gas, but if there's one thing I've taught me kids about traveling is that the chance of being left by the side of road diminishes greatly if you take the opportunity to hit the restroom while we're getting gas then when just filled up 10 minutes before and you were fine.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'd like to think that I know a thing or two about cleanliness and sanitary conditions. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Again, I am married to a marvelous women who has gone to great lengths to rid me of my bachelor man ways and converted me to the putting the seat-down-after-I-go ways of being. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Combine that training with my knowledge and experience with all the public places to go in a 5 mile radius of my house and I'm here to give you a breakdown of rest stops from Utah to Michigan. I'll break them down state wide West to East. If you're on the East Coast and traveling to Utah, feel free to scroll to the bottom and work your way up.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKdPoCYrHuatbilMmx9tc3OSeoIe3_BmJ8kCVEJfvhVR-bIhb0RBZNIorYuYO7iVnDb7CDRTiop3xk5VKitCpO-rFVFFv1pd_OPi5Txjs-89WyLupNnfKlFFGad1qxJD5A1YJJPxd9sE/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKdPoCYrHuatbilMmx9tc3OSeoIe3_BmJ8kCVEJfvhVR-bIhb0RBZNIorYuYO7iVnDb7CDRTiop3xk5VKitCpO-rFVFFv1pd_OPi5Txjs-89WyLupNnfKlFFGad1qxJD5A1YJJPxd9sE/s200/photo.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the rare rest stops <br />
in Utah</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div>
1. Utah- Despite the pride and respect I have for my home state, I have to say that Utah ranks just slightly higher than the public restroom at Starbucks in New York City that I waited an hour in line to use. First, finding a true rest stop in Utah is virtually impossible. Most have been shut down and boarded up. Your next resort is the gas stations that simulate rest stops. Your chances of finding one where you don't have to read about "Bubba and his exploits" or wonder if maybe "Bubba" may have just left are slim. Grade: D+</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2. Wyoming-In Wyoming, there are a few options. Rest stops are available. We stopped at two during our journey out and back. The first was when we crossed into Wyoming and they had a sign about not petting the buffalo. Another option is the Little America stops. About 150 miles from the Little America I started seeing signs advertising it. By the time I got there, I was convinced that it was one of the many wonders of the world and if we didn't stop it would be life-ending. On the trip out, the Little America in Wyoming was well kept, clean and l<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFSpSBWLSL0CEEGDs3LN4IVOwS6OUi-umZmFBuLDKWadvfWeqNTBYPEWZBPDZ60V9eX1KYDz6xnuGNE3BZniTJsAkrZ5HJhzGMVfF5PaQv7O01yVLUoa8lmHCd-BFerQzbjA836bSsGdY/s1600/3889080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFSpSBWLSL0CEEGDs3LN4IVOwS6OUi-umZmFBuLDKWadvfWeqNTBYPEWZBPDZ60V9eX1KYDz6xnuGNE3BZniTJsAkrZ5HJhzGMVfF5PaQv7O01yVLUoa8lmHCd-BFerQzbjA836bSsGdY/s320/3889080.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
iving up to the cleanliness the billboards claimed. On the journey back this same stop must have had a truckers convention come through not more than 5 minutes before we got there. Rest Stop Grade: C+, Little America: B</div>
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<div>
3. Nebraska-This section of our journey is like that nightmare that never ends. The endless miles of nothingness. The rest stops were above average comparatively. You could tell that someone had put some thought into making it nice. One of the places we stopped had a neat diagram showing how the stop had been built to absorb the sun in the winter and warm the place while being cooler in the summer. The smell was reasonable. Rest Stop Grade: B-</div>
<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw6ihbcIuo7P9vY8ZMF_Z4Y8g_ARZAw8zAVKhSsuO6Z62C6BT1_SQejSv7PlEaQy3PcVhd3r3jyZyKr00DMDtYB-wMuyMUzVrSgXInIT7F5HVkK2x2zNIRVy5Qs7KAxsKwnQWbJ32D_aQ/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw6ihbcIuo7P9vY8ZMF_Z4Y8g_ARZAw8zAVKhSsuO6Z62C6BT1_SQejSv7PlEaQy3PcVhd3r3jyZyKr00DMDtYB-wMuyMUzVrSgXInIT7F5HVkK2x2zNIRVy5Qs7KAxsKwnQWbJ32D_aQ/s320/image.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IOWA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
4. Iowa-Someone in Iowa really put some thought into their rest stops. I've stayed at hotels that were not as nice as their rest stops. The buildings were attractive, the landscaping was nice. They even had free Wi-Fi. My wife commented that she could still smell the bleach and cleaner used in the bathroom. I had a boss who said he could tell how well a restaurant's kitchen was by the cleanliness of the bathroom. I've got to say that Iowa gets top marks. Rest Stop Grade: A</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
5. Illinois-Illinois is the land of the toll roads. I didn't realize they had these little things called Toll Oasis'. If you are unfamiliar with this, it is just what it sounds like. You're on this endless stretch of highway, you've successfully burned through $20 in change in various increments at various toll stations and you come upon this big complex that looks like someone uprooted a min-mall and stuck it on the highway. The bathrooms were comparable to what I would find at a min-mall with a lot of traffic. Rest Stop Grade: C</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
6. Michigan-By the time we reached Michigan I was in such a daze I don't even remember where we stopped. Since nothing stands out, i'm assuming we stopped at various gas stations along the way and depending on which one we chose it could have been pleasant or scary. Rest Stop Grade: C+ </div>
<div>
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<div>
For the non-runner, this probably would be a very odd subject. For the runner however, this makes perfect sense. My wife will probably fall somewhere in the middle. She puts up with me as a runner so got to give her good marks for that. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-27959465943449991772013-04-01T20:20:00.000-06:002013-04-01T20:20:01.760-06:00Michigan JourneySunday March 17 started out as any other Sunday. It involved me anticipating an easy day filled with things like being with the family, attending church, talking with some friends, etc. Toward the end of the day, we received word that my wife's grandmother in Michigan was close to dying. That's enough to turn a Sunday upside down.<div>
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkWR15PqsOdI2rL9H6877cECJBWreoeFi_GFLotqm5AGb_Gfr2RSbYYQXL5M81e4xU6NKXd8L4bXSazPVplihxpP0aauQgZmOl436_ASO92knCt_O_ldRDihdn90LVlqQWi-SfnkpIUs/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-01+at+7.55.43+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkWR15PqsOdI2rL9H6877cECJBWreoeFi_GFLotqm5AGb_Gfr2RSbYYQXL5M81e4xU6NKXd8L4bXSazPVplihxpP0aauQgZmOl436_ASO92knCt_O_ldRDihdn90LVlqQWi-SfnkpIUs/s320/Screen+shot+2013-04-01+at+7.55.43+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
After some debate, discussion and pondering we decided to drive out. We have worked to follow a philosophy of "family first" and this fit into that category. It also involved the kids missing the last week of their term and the first week of the new term. It also involved about 30 hours of total drive time one way.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Our thought was that we would get there in time to say goodbye or to attend a funeral. The first being our preference, but the latter would be ok too. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I plan to chronicle a few of the more interesting events that occurred over the 8 day trip. Some of it involved running, a lot of it involved eating, most of it just involved a runner experiencing a road trip. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-84112178678202134332013-03-10T20:02:00.001-06:002013-03-10T20:02:07.390-06:00I May Need a 7 Step ProgramSometimes I wonder if maybe the title is more interesting than the post will be. If you read this and feel that way, feel free to just go back and focus on the title and disregard what I am writing.<br />
<br />
I'm opening up my heart and soul here. I'm being "vulnerable" as my wife puts it. I'm bearing it all, holding nothing back....<br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>My name is Blaine and I think that I may need a 7 step program.</b></h4>
<br />
You see, I'm a running store addict. I have about as much control as a compulsive gambler has to not hit the blackjack while at The Mirage in Vegas. It's hopeless. I have no willpower...zero! I walk into a running store and I am instantly drawn to the wall of shoes or rack of socks or or...yes, I'm going to even admit it..............I love the clearance rack.<br />
<br />
It became clear to me that I have a problem last week. As a pacer for the upcoming Salt Lake City Marathon, Adidas is outfitting the pacing team in Adidas gear. I went to a local running store to try on a couple different pair of Adidas shoes to figure out which one would be best for me to wear while pacing. I told my wife that I would be in and out fast.<br />
<br />
I told the salesperson that I just needed to try on the Adidas shoes because I was pacing and had a free pair coming to me. He brought out a couple pair for me to try on and then we got talking about my current shoes. I'm currently running in the Brooks Launch and the Saucony Kinvara. Both are starting to show their wear. I'm sure my eyes were starting to glaze over at that time as we talked running and the salesperson knew he had an addict on his hands. His commission would look good for the day.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXjRlwcMGrBdsR_ChDiPFcpnh5kUN12jvN4gBqTNJryl054bz4X300JsBaZhlsFC7GnccpDHMffAkH2MrGH1JhIkRtM1EZ_SUnkR1ORS7_OCTVY1R3HJItLl2i_aotuWaoCZkUBuPtys/s1600/Connect-1m2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXjRlwcMGrBdsR_ChDiPFcpnh5kUN12jvN4gBqTNJryl054bz4X300JsBaZhlsFC7GnccpDHMffAkH2MrGH1JhIkRtM1EZ_SUnkR1ORS7_OCTVY1R3HJItLl2i_aotuWaoCZkUBuPtys/s320/Connect-1m2.jpg" width="320" /></a>As he brought out a variety of other shoes, he suggested I run around the outside of the store in a couple different pair. I was a goner by then. I had started the justification process of how I would explain to my wife the box of shoes that I would be bringing out. I thought about hiding the box under my jacket or something or maybe telling the salesman that I'd swing back by and get them later.<br />
<br />
In the end, I sucked up my utter lack of willpower and walked out of the store with my new pair of Brooks Pure Connect shoes.<br />
<br />
I know..I know...I already was getting a new pair of shoes, but look at them? Can you see how I couldn't pass them up? Yeah and they are red...i've never had red ones.<br />
<br />
I'm open to good therapist recommendations.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-12279217167256018562013-02-13T17:52:00.000-07:002013-02-13T17:52:10.479-07:00The Ultimate Long Run Contemplation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6iFZsEtfnfMsD38tDjYhyphenhyphen74qfqQcFRaf_DUal6CKw5mphcrK1IqrmSN9xHeJmXJbXkUKPsS04c02smRsCodJ02VASD6fmEW4Q3J2pzpKaYG7zFq_euVaRzZypswyByFqMWJfgXtD4yo/s1600/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6iFZsEtfnfMsD38tDjYhyphenhyphen74qfqQcFRaf_DUal6CKw5mphcrK1IqrmSN9xHeJmXJbXkUKPsS04c02smRsCodJ02VASD6fmEW4Q3J2pzpKaYG7zFq_euVaRzZypswyByFqMWJfgXtD4yo/s320/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
As a self-employed individual who spends more time talking to his dog during the day than he does to others, I enjoy the opportunity to run with other people. In fact, I'd rather do an agonizingly slow run with a good friend and catch up than I would like to go to to the track for a speed workout by myself. Of course, the latter is purely hypothetical thinking that I would even think of doing a speed workout, let alone by myself.<br />
<br />
Thus, when a friend invited me to join her for a 33 mile run on her birthday, I didn't hesitate to respond in the affirmative. She's training for a 50K in March. I'm training for a marathon in May. But the question is whether I go for the gold, throw out all my conventional wisdom and just see if I can actually run 33 miles. It's as daunting as the thought of running a marathon was 4 years ago as I contemplated my first.<br />
<br />
I begin to wonder whether or not I have hit a new level in my running. Is a marathon no longer good enough? Am I no longer feeling that a marathon is a challenge? Am I looking for the brag factor that comes from running 30+ miles at one time. After all, you should see the "likes" and comments I got on Facebook after the lake run. Could I be looking for that type of self-gratification? If that is my reasoning, then I think I have issues...ok, additional issues.<br />
<br />
If my reasoning is because i've never done a run over 27 miles than maybe it's worth looking at.<br />
<br />
There is also a rational part of me that says "You haven't run anything greater than 26 miles since September..." But, I remind that part of myself that came up with that quip that I did rock 12 miles today on a really hilly course and I did do 10 miles on the track last Friday which should be the equivalent of a 30 mile run in terms of "wanting to die" before I finished the run. All of these are very valid points.<br />
<br />
It also solidly reflects that I spend way too much time talking with the dog...<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-18070351372767590662013-02-07T22:11:00.003-07:002013-02-07T22:11:55.566-07:00The Most Memorable RunI've spent the past week working on how I could write about a run that I will remember for years to come. Have you ever had a run or race that is so memorable that you wish you could capture it and relive it again? That is what happened to me on Feb. 2. Here is how it all started.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's How it All Started</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxCX17KOe9OMKmUqgBf0X8savW2eT4DCc9rt62FS9RkuJ5YRWzhDwNXBkUShRH1YoTIYbWK-x2RehaB7cp3tueIlj1K_62yhLM4XMhC9bZ44vBNAlX0MrLW7qNfPBVAy3iwLG3JOFchY/s1600/555129_10200478952000856_513255482_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxCX17KOe9OMKmUqgBf0X8savW2eT4DCc9rt62FS9RkuJ5YRWzhDwNXBkUShRH1YoTIYbWK-x2RehaB7cp3tueIlj1K_62yhLM4XMhC9bZ44vBNAlX0MrLW7qNfPBVAy3iwLG3JOFchY/s320/555129_10200478952000856_513255482_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a bit cold in the middle of a frozen lake.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In my area is a large fresh water lake. As a kid growing up, the word "fresh water" was used rather loosely because a large steel mill in the area used to dumb their waste into the lake. The mill is no longer and the lake is slowly getting better. I was reading the local news when I came across as story about running across the <a href="http://www.ksl.com/?nid=1010&sid=23800857" target="_blank">frozen lake</a>. I had never heard about this and was instantly intrigued. I knew that some of the lakes in the mountains in the area froze and had ice fishing, but I never thought this lake which is in the valley would freeze over. Apparently it does.<br />
<br />
After reading the article, I was intrigued enough to start asking around among my running buddies if anyone had done it and if anyone was interested. The comments ranged from "You are crazy" to "Bring it on." A little more research led me to a few other blogs <a href="http://www.crockettclan.org/running/utahlake.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://bloodytoe.com/2013/01/the-2013-utah-lake-10k-a-report/" target="_blank">here</a> that talked about their experience.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDhQRESbGSGljoHLd572ZTdU3CSufE4zqsikxbd1ZyROHnCSGDKd0r04Fljar8ZtUjl2ojUUurrtGlDOyIhW-Aqf0CWU89sBmWPs2zHS8QARD-BdPRNy1Lizlu71kFEsXTnjafjoguRs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-02-07+at+9.48.50+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDhQRESbGSGljoHLd572ZTdU3CSufE4zqsikxbd1ZyROHnCSGDKd0r04Fljar8ZtUjl2ojUUurrtGlDOyIhW-Aqf0CWU89sBmWPs2zHS8QARD-BdPRNy1Lizlu71kFEsXTnjafjoguRs/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-02-07+at+9.48.50+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice how smooth our course is.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
A local expert who has run on the lake many times offered some advice. After I convinced him of our desire to run and that I'd done my research on being safe he offered to come with as an unofficial tour guide.<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Plan</span><br />
After a little research, I mapped a 6 mile route. Another option was 11, but I didn't think I could go that far after being out because of my toe injury. I arranged to have my son meet us on the other side of the lake and take anyone back to our starting place for those who weren't doing a round trip.<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Morning of the Run</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtZwspfQVYixpMYITpU3kzxwseun55VQwvEQUEIdRTaYz03SyfkikbtK6mDLgUxmi9PpMEyOy9XRDzrxlQFgzsZ2VgWsJZmRNT2FBX-iu4LixzNXO7UG2ijEMw06OW_-kVJGL8zt9W9A/s1600/798221_10200471808542274_987006905_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtZwspfQVYixpMYITpU3kzxwseun55VQwvEQUEIdRTaYz03SyfkikbtK6mDLgUxmi9PpMEyOy9XRDzrxlQFgzsZ2VgWsJZmRNT2FBX-iu4LixzNXO7UG2ijEMw06OW_-kVJGL8zt9W9A/s320/798221_10200471808542274_987006905_o.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where two layers of ice meet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first of January in this area, we had temperatures that were below zero. The days leading up to our run the temperatures were close to 40 degrees. Normally, I would be jumping up and down to have temps in the 40s, but when we're talking about the difference between thick ice and thin ice, I'd rather have it cold.<br />
<br />
We decided to meet at the lake before the came up in case it warmed up. We could be on the lake as little as possible if the temperatures got above freezing. I packed a change of clothes wrapped in plastic sacks and a length of rope.<br />
<br />
The temperatures the morning of the run were cold. Originally the forecast called for lows in the 20s and highs in the low 30s. Instead the temperature was 9 degrees. As we were driving, the weather became more and more foggy. We arrived at the starting point with the visibility down to 100 yards. Many of us had programmed the route into our Garmins and also carried GPS on our phones. But with the visibility so poor it was going to be hard to stay on course.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBDx_stee0oTwHdlYHKzIqI_N2mZMhA6Gm0XrUps8MCzn9uzA_aX4_fDxdvlrYEZW1hpaRxX6u2Zw5j4E7gh6M2BCnlCA_jFCtP0NWy2zF4yIJsVaqq5_M_03mRUKBQf4NyqnexRQ7rg/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBDx_stee0oTwHdlYHKzIqI_N2mZMhA6Gm0XrUps8MCzn9uzA_aX4_fDxdvlrYEZW1hpaRxX6u2Zw5j4E7gh6M2BCnlCA_jFCtP0NWy2zF4yIJsVaqq5_M_03mRUKBQf4NyqnexRQ7rg/s320/photo.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This would make an awesome Runner's World photo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Running on Ice</span><br />
Running on ice was a surreal experience. It was more of a mental experience than it was a difference in feel. There was 3-4" of dry powder on top of the ice which made running hard. I had Snow Trax on my shoes, but they did little good with the snow. We ran spread out so that no one would be putting too much pressure on the ice. Within a short distance from the shore, all sounds disappeared. With the fog, it was utterly silent. It wasn't spooky silent, but rather peaceful. We stopped often to check our route, make corrections and of course–to take pictures.<br />
<br />
At one point in the run, I felt like I was running on small rolling hills. I realized that the slight waves from the lake had frozen. It made for an interesting feeling. During the course of the run, we came across a few long cracks in the ice. They weren't wide, but they were very long.<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finishing</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnaFifMr-1-J0zHPhB4ZgZXIkJR3_449sJ-bvcTWmwbwt8Db5kICm8Ne3Sc1rnhx-tPCat3QIro2x6I5NHnD17HQDAGG6uuKQAmXYxO8FoT7IAwD2qxlIv_KwLV3MYS6UHDPkBOmxC1Nc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-02-07+at+9.51.09+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnaFifMr-1-J0zHPhB4ZgZXIkJR3_449sJ-bvcTWmwbwt8Db5kICm8Ne3Sc1rnhx-tPCat3QIro2x6I5NHnD17HQDAGG6uuKQAmXYxO8FoT7IAwD2qxlIv_KwLV3MYS6UHDPkBOmxC1Nc/s200/Screen+Shot+2013-02-07+at+9.51.09+PM.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken from a friend's Garmin. The length that looks like<br />a drunken runner is our initial course. The smooth route<br />back was after the fog had lifted....or we sobered up.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We were able to run a 6 mile course in a little over 7 miles. :) It was an amazing experience. Since that time, the weather has warmed up with several days above freezing. The lake is not extremely deep. The lake website says that after about mid-February extreme caution is advised when doing activities on or around the lake. It would be fun to run the lake again this season, but I think the window of opportunity has passed. What an absolute amazing experience.<br />
<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0_2FjrqVW7b58oWQlwlhIXmJ5VEjNLv8LprgyWGAvuVlm340pGiIyGLcxGq272JO3ZHOJrouNv2gvLXZLJ2EvzJvHtBjEYiNVFaCMqP2jXBhi7NW-37ZTWbg9ITz_lZxpkdGula8K28/s1600/150884_10200555564117149_2042183762_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0_2FjrqVW7b58oWQlwlhIXmJ5VEjNLv8LprgyWGAvuVlm340pGiIyGLcxGq272JO3ZHOJrouNv2gvLXZLJ2EvzJvHtBjEYiNVFaCMqP2jXBhi7NW-37ZTWbg9ITz_lZxpkdGula8K28/s320/150884_10200555564117149_2042183762_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a few of the group at the other side<br />of the lake. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-81478461422586773522013-01-20T16:46:00.000-07:002013-01-20T16:46:33.321-07:00Worse than the TreadmillWhat is it about stationary exercise equipment that drives me nuts? Why do I enjoy being outside in 10 degree weather with frost on my face, sucking in the inversion filled air of January more than a run in climate controlled space with a tv in front of me? After all, I like sitting in front of the tv. It shouldn't bother me, right? It does.<br />
<br />
I have a stationary bike. My wife got it for me for Christmas. She wanted to get a treadmill, but the ones she wanted to get were out of her budget. But she got the bike for a great deal. It's a great machine and works really well, but I hate it too. I'm no biker. I have a mountain bike that is currently involved in a study to see how long it would take the environment to reclaim an unused bike. I would get it out and ride it, but far be it from me to interfere with science.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, the stationary bike is just an evil cousin to the treadmill. I get on it and the only thing that consumes my thoughts are 1. how slow it is taking and 2. how long until I am finished. I get a good workout on the bike and can see how it will be effective in my training. It also takes pressure off my toe which is still healing (although I am now able to run as long as I have it taped). The thought of getting on the bike fills me with dread as much as running on the treadmill.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih99TYCf0UhABwgmaGBYVcVR9m0aGyH2N1chx82BalpuZYrJx2OUwAbeN6bQNVCmKWliqOU3ANoWesRL4olRiRfT1VigPIOsf8dt6H3BMXg2QmFMM7H5psK8GizBiXiBUwjiKGGX2m-6k/s1600/Zombie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih99TYCf0UhABwgmaGBYVcVR9m0aGyH2N1chx82BalpuZYrJx2OUwAbeN6bQNVCmKWliqOU3ANoWesRL4olRiRfT1VigPIOsf8dt6H3BMXg2QmFMM7H5psK8GizBiXiBUwjiKGGX2m-6k/s320/Zombie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I know people who love the treadmill and the bike. They loath to be outside. They enjoy the climate controlled environment. They don't enjoy to be outside. In fact, today I was talking with a friend about it and he was amazed that I would even attempt to run in this cold weather. We compared notes and I couldn't understand why he would enjoy going to the gym every day when he could run outside. I guess we're just two different people. Although, I feel like when the Apocolypse happens and the zombies come after me, I'll be in a better position to escape because I will be used to running outside. My friend sadly will be lunch as he can only run in one spot.... it was nice to know him. :)<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-84526241243693509292013-01-08T10:39:00.003-07:002013-01-08T10:40:14.725-07:00An Injury to Start the Year and an Amazing KidYou know it's time to get back on the blog when the amount of Spam posts from "Anonymous" outweigh the few followers that are left and people who do know me tell me that I either get a post up or they will delete me from their blogroll. If I were famous, it wouldn't be so hard. All it'd take is a few risqué self shot photos "accidentally" tweeted out to my 1 million followers to keep me in the light. If there isn't some shock value then it's just vanilla. Same old flavor every day. So let's get this on....here it is...what you've waiting for....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeDEd0pxmEGgCU-KNEbtaYN-YwlJ-W7VLo-VNqZKqjG64tF7J6nxoCopyf580Si_UvVUomWypnggflo2qa3YQ99YHX6I_TIRcig3u_dZS-w7X1d0Syz2ZI5sRFZmwQboj9ytfPeOFsXFI/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeDEd0pxmEGgCU-KNEbtaYN-YwlJ-W7VLo-VNqZKqjG64tF7J6nxoCopyf580Si_UvVUomWypnggflo2qa3YQ99YHX6I_TIRcig3u_dZS-w7X1d0Syz2ZI5sRFZmwQboj9ytfPeOFsXFI/s320/image.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The results of my New Year's stumble.</span></b></div>
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The plan for January1 was to get up, spend some time with the family and then gear up and go for a mid afternoon run when the temperatures were warmer. </div>
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Mid morning I was coming back up my house stairs after letting the dog out when I slipped on the stair. I landed funny and twisted my toe. Hobbling up the stairs, I thought I had just stubbed my toe. Within the hour though, the pain increased and the swelling started. Although, it wasn't broken it had a good strain on it. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to run on it since that day. The pain and swelling has gone down so that the discoloring is only on the toe now and I can walk normally, but I cannot yet run. I'm hoping within the next week I can get back out on the road. In the meantime, I will be spending time on the stationary bike.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>One Amazing Kid</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lXFKMbSG-SXcw97b_Fn5AtdZ7IvvnEFB5OEMKw3Bwz8BAoEkJZYqPkRD2NAtYaLzWQOYKntjGMY_E6EJ8GjuIOo0VwqQHzYLzxHY583kqRzwLmvG1zkxe9CMY3SEhjbOkhXN_0r8AXY/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lXFKMbSG-SXcw97b_Fn5AtdZ7IvvnEFB5OEMKw3Bwz8BAoEkJZYqPkRD2NAtYaLzWQOYKntjGMY_E6EJ8GjuIOo0VwqQHzYLzxHY583kqRzwLmvG1zkxe9CMY3SEhjbOkhXN_0r8AXY/s320/photo.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is him about 5 minutes after finishing<br />
race. He said he couldn't smile because<br />
his face was frozen.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
I have a son who runs cross country and track for High School. Around Thanksgiving, I invited him to join me for the New Year's Half Marathon I have done the past two years. I thought he'd turn me down like he had done the previous times I invited him to run a long race with me. He accepted the challenge though and joined me on many of my Saturday long runs in an effort to be ready.</div>
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We have been hit hard by a strong inversion since Christmas here. The temperatures have rarely been above 20 degrees and the low has been below zero on many days. We were hoping that the inversion would break in time for the race on the 5th. A storm was supposed to come in, but the high pressure in the area eliminated that possibility. The low on the morning of the race was -4 degrees. With the weather being so cold and a strong inversion in place, the race director allowed anyone to shorten their race if they wanted so as to avoid any injuries. My son opted to run the whole thing. He finished in 2:10:29 for his first half marathon which also was in sub zero weather for most of it. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2013 Plans</b></span></div>
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I have plenty of races on the schedule for 2013 and hope to come ever closer to that magical 3:15:00 mark which will qualify me for Boston. Ideally, I can get my son to jump on board another half marathon with me. One that will be warmer, of course. </div>
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And of course....to post more on this blog. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-44363192893154695452012-07-01T21:22:00.000-06:002012-07-01T21:22:15.323-06:00Lehi Roundup Celebration 5k/10kWhat have I been doing since the Utah Valley Marathon. Here are some stats:<br />
<br />
Days running: 1<br />
Distance run: 4 miles<br />
<br />
Pretty impressive, huh?<br />
<br />
After the Utah Valley Marathon, I have been consumed in getting ready for the Lehi City celebration. I race direct the 10k/5k races for the celebration event. Here is just a glimpse into what the past few days looked like. If I do bullets, it will make the list look even more impressive.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Wednesday June 26: shirts finally arrive at 5:00 pm. I take all the packets and shirts to Fleet Feet in anticipation to the packet pickup June 27-28. We've exceeded our numbers from last year and I'm a little nervous that I didn't order enough of everything. </li>
<li>Thursday June 27: I have bribed my son to be in charge of packet pickup all day at Fleet Feet. I'm at a client's all day. We've decided that we'll do a second order of t-shirts if we run out. This in turn is a blessing in disguise because a lot of people who registered late asked.</li>
<li>Thursday June 27: I picked up 650 cartons of chocolate milk, brought them home and put them all in my freezer. Next year, I'll plan the chocolate milk storage better.</li>
<li>Friday June 28: I got enough volunteers from the high school kids to cover packet pickup for the day. The HS Cross Country team is volunteering at the race in exchange for a contribution from the city to their team. My son and I spend the rest of the day doing all the small things in an effort to not be as swamped on Saturday morning. We packed up the leftover packets/t-shirts and dropped off all the other supplies at the starting location and were finished about 8:30 pm.</li>
<li>Saturday 3:00 am. I drag myself out of bed and get in the shower. I debate it, but decide I may not get a shower until late and the temp is supposed to be in the mid-80s before 11:00 am. The countdown clock starts. </li>
<li>Saturday 4:30-5:30 am. We need to be completely set up by 5:30 am. I'm stuck on the course getting last minute directional signs up and I'm not back until 5:30 am. The city is supposed to be dropping off my tables and stuff by 5:30 and they don't come until 6. </li>
<li>Saturday 6:00 am. Registration and packet pickup is finally up, but its rather chaotic.</li>
<li>Saturday 6:30 am. We get the music started and things start to chill.</li>
<li>Saturday 7:00 am. 10K starts. 15 minute countdown to the 5k start.</li>
<li>Saturday 7:15 am. 5K starts. I have a few minutes to chat with some of my vendors who came before it's time to get the post race food out, tables set up for awards, etc.</li>
<li>Saturday 8:30 am. We're giving out awards, prize giveaways, awards, etc.</li>
<li>Saturday 9:30-10:30 am. We clean up fast, pack the jeep</li>
<li>Saturday 10:30 am - 11:30 am. We watch the parade as it goes by. We'd rather leave, but we're boxed in at our location.</li>
<li>Saturday 12:00 - 3:30 pm. Finish tearing down the course, dropping off supplies, picking up our table, etc.. It's been almost 13 hours.</li>
</ul>
<br /><br />
Here is a list of what we had for 600 runners.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>600 runners</li>
<li>25 gallons of water along the course</li>
<li>900 cups of water</li>
<li>1200+ Fat Boy Ice Cream Sandwiches</li>
<li>Smoothie King samples</li>
<li>50 pounds of bananas</li>
<li>25 pounds of oranges</li>
<li>900 bottles of water</li>
<li>650 pints of chocolate milk</li>
</ul>
<div>
All in all the race was awesome. The participants had a great time. It's been an exhausting time and I feel as though I just finished a marathon. I'll do it again though...in an instant. </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-83340523108492378562012-06-12T23:12:00.002-06:002012-07-01T20:41:00.719-06:00Utah Valley Marathon...Pain You Enjoy!Here's my recap of the Utah Valley Marathon. I had set up a A, B, C goal.<br />
A: 3:15:00 or better finish thus qualifying me for Boston<br />
B: Under 3:30:00 for a rocking new PR<br />
C: Finish the race in one piece because if I am pushing for C, something seriously wrong happened.<br />
<br />
In a nutshell, I missed A, but hit B. My finish time was 3:28:14.<br />
<br />
Now, you can either click on to something else or read my marathon of a race report. I figure after 6 mos. of training for this thing, I have the right to be a bit long winded.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
******</div>
<br />
To an outsider, running must be one of the ultimate forms of self-torture. I must be doing some serious penance for the amount of time I put on the road and the pain involved in that process. And yet somehow, I keep returning again and again to this process. My wife has commented that she thinks I lose more and more brain cells the longer I am involved in running because I keep returning to it.<br />
<br />
She may be on to something......wait, what were we talking about?<br />
<br />
It's been long in coming, but the Utah Valley Marathon is now behind me.<br />
<br />
A little background on my training.<br />
<ul>
<li>Miles ran in preparation for this day: 1000+ I don't have an exact figure because my Garmin died at the first of the training and I had to ship it off to get the battery replaced*.</li>
<li>Pairs of shoes that succumbed to my many miles on the road: 2</li>
<li>Number of discussions I had with the wife about where my priorities are: 2 </li>
<li>Number of other races I have done in preparation for this one: 3</li>
<li>Likelihood that I'll return to run this course again: High. Although next time I'll just pace it.</li>
<li>Number of days after a long run that I waddled around pretending that I was purposely walking slow to enjoy the scenery: Too many to count.</li>
</ul>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGvWj6669CFHR5hDmrlaeBDZsAzQtiMKJfRN8Wk7BVSp-khlKpPqLCjpKyOhHbXoBbu3aq6s6Y9F9Bv811XfclSssIYmfy4KMqCgju6nmbkrP_OArXnSImX-Mcyu8ucHcotSjAf6tHFUg/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-06-12+at+11.10.14+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGvWj6669CFHR5hDmrlaeBDZsAzQtiMKJfRN8Wk7BVSp-khlKpPqLCjpKyOhHbXoBbu3aq6s6Y9F9Bv811XfclSssIYmfy4KMqCgju6nmbkrP_OArXnSImX-Mcyu8ucHcotSjAf6tHFUg/s320/Screen+shot+2012-06-12+at+11.10.14+PM.png" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, I stole this off their website, but this gives<br />
you an idea of how packed it is.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
3 weeks prior to the race, a group of us ran 21 miles of the course just so we could get a sense of how to best prepare for the race. We were not a lone in our idea. We passed (or were passed) by many different runners along the course of the run. It was a good mental prep for what was in front of us.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The days leading up to the race involved the following:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Stressing about and checking the long range forecast for the weather at least 5 times a day</li>
<li>Chatting with various elite runners that I know about race strategy</li>
<li>Talking to running store owners about hydration, nutrition, strategies, etc.</li>
<li>Waking up in the middle of the night thinking that I had missed my wake-up time for the race that was days away</li>
</ul>
Here's what it was like:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Temperature at the start of the race: 48-50 degrees. This normally would a pre-cursor to a hot day, but a cold front was moving in so it kept things from getting above 70 at the finish line.</li>
<li>Number of runners crammed into a small side street in a small town up a canyon: About 3,000</li>
<li>Time I needed to qualify for Boston: 3:15:00</li>
<li>Number of hills: A helluvah a lot more than I remembered. There was the "roller coaster" at mile 8-10, another at 12, another and another and another at 16 and then another after that...</li>
<li>A headwind of anywhere from 10-25 mph for about 10 miles of the course</li>
</ul>
<div>
The weather was gorgeous and the run through the canyon is very scenic and nice. Unfortunately my mind was focused on keeping pace and wondering where these new hills came from. I had a strategy to take a GU every 5 miles and suck on some Stinger chews periodically.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I originally started with the 3:15 pacer, but realized after about 2 miles that I just wasn't up to the pace knowing that many runners start way too fast and then crash at the first set of hills from 8-10. I backed it off and kept my pace at about a 7:30 pace. The pacer was running about 20-30 seconds faster knowing that the hills would slow things down. It's a common strategy. My strategy was to just maintain the 7:30 pace as often as I could and keep my cadence steady up the hills. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I kept the pace as long as I could knowing that 3:15 wasn't an option, but maybe 3:20 or 3:23? At mile 22-23, the 3:25 pacer passed me. Looking back, I probably could have kept up with him, but I felt rather deflated when he went by. Coming into the finish chute knowing that I was under 3:30 was an incredible feeling.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, what's next? I have a couple ideas. For now, it's try to rest and recover.</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br />
Note: If your Garmin battery every dies, don't ship it to Garmin. I found a place that does it for 1/3 as much and the turnaround is a couple days. Just search on ebay.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-42482391431571361482012-05-08T09:28:00.000-06:002012-05-08T09:28:04.029-06:00Mission Accomplished<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtfNwPiNrmsMD3EYEPsdZc0IIjyGY9GLwRtz_O3XIyX2k3ZGKQJGMOsnTKtKge0gdUb00FUcXZCaD5L1OapO-E2xXYTP1ADBDusR5g-uU7S9WPIyWtVvy7pV-lWBysiaY2H1NfjbSefs/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-05-08+at+9.25.14+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtfNwPiNrmsMD3EYEPsdZc0IIjyGY9GLwRtz_O3XIyX2k3ZGKQJGMOsnTKtKge0gdUb00FUcXZCaD5L1OapO-E2xXYTP1ADBDusR5g-uU7S9WPIyWtVvy7pV-lWBysiaY2H1NfjbSefs/s320/Screen+shot+2012-05-08+at+9.25.14+AM.png" width="214" /></a></div>
Everyone has a bucket list. Even the people who claim they don't have a bucket list secretly do. I didn't realize until this last Saturday that I had checked one off my list.<br />
<br />
With the completion of the Provo City Marathon, I had just completed two marathons and a half marathon in a 3 week period of time. My bucket list item wasn't necessarily to complete this multiple, but there was always a longing to see if I could do multiple races in a row. The answer is a definite YES. I learned a lot from these past three weeks which I'll share in another post, but first here is a recap of the race.<br />
<br />
The Provo City Marathon was a good finale. My pace time was a 3:55 finish time which was much closer to where my current level of fitness is compared to the 4:30 finish for the Salt Lake City Marathon two weeks before. I was a little apprehensive about the race, but it all turned out good.<br />
<br />
We boarded the bus to go to the start line around 4:00 am. They were giving out some free swag to people who took the bus early. I ended up with some free coupons for Yogurt and a 2XL shirt from another race the group sponsors. The best thing about getting to a race start early is that there is no waiting for the honey buckets.<br />
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The weather was cool, but the wind was calm unlike the 30 mph wind at my house when I left. The race started 7 miles up the canyon with the marathon start time at 7:00 am and the half marathon at 7:15 am. The course started on the road, but after a mile it turned onto a bike path that wound down to the bottom of the canyon. My group was about 5 miles into the race when the top half marathon finishers past us.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiInmRoJpaKRasWGtFgKhZUq6F6aGbOOmfkMcBQ2D-QXuqLWUsXk7I6BqvENm7y1_frZgouyRSPe67lKdt8uuACNeSp3_BU6CIdNbvBBo44XyngWhWPqssN4JtBc6n3NZidcIbF6IaR1ws/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-05-08+at+9.24.46+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiInmRoJpaKRasWGtFgKhZUq6F6aGbOOmfkMcBQ2D-QXuqLWUsXk7I6BqvENm7y1_frZgouyRSPe67lKdt8uuACNeSp3_BU6CIdNbvBBo44XyngWhWPqssN4JtBc6n3NZidcIbF6IaR1ws/s320/Screen+shot+2012-05-08+at+9.24.46+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
From the bottom of the canyon until mile 13 the course was a gradual downward run. At the 13 mile mark, the race changed. The marathon and half marathon started at the same spot and ran together until the half marathon finished and the full marathon continued. The rest of the course was relatively flat. From 13 until 18 the course was uninteresting–just roads. At 18, the course turned onto a trail that followed the river which was a nice change from the boring road. At 23, the course looped back onto the road until the finish.<br />
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Overall the race was good. It was nice to put this race behind me so I can focus on the Utah Valley Marathon.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-87474676833430755242012-05-04T14:01:00.000-06:002012-05-04T14:01:22.228-06:00Marathon Pacing AnxietyI'm pacing the Provo City Marathon tomorrow. After tomorrow, I will take a short break (a few days off) and then make my final push for the Utah Valley Marathon. I've worked to keep up my training while at the same time pacing some races. My mileage went as follows for the weeks of each race.<br />
<br />
Salt Lake City Marathon: 56 miles<br />
Thanksgiving Point Half Marathon: 48 miles<br />
Provo City Marathon: 38 miles (26.2 of that comes from the marathon itself)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHbXHvdYoKkz9oq162ch98kNKMV1KslT2v3bQUJIBY9E_am9vp_W9zK7lpElJ4YBr5ST-G0heTlTjtx9FUfm5RKjoN3936QiFYwrV200t-QPf6sd4zc0V2njoTCusD87sL9b4r3G8HnU/s1600/worry.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHbXHvdYoKkz9oq162ch98kNKMV1KslT2v3bQUJIBY9E_am9vp_W9zK7lpElJ4YBr5ST-G0heTlTjtx9FUfm5RKjoN3936QiFYwrV200t-QPf6sd4zc0V2njoTCusD87sL9b4r3G8HnU/s200/worry.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
It has been harder and harder to keep my miles up and still do a big race at the end of the week. Without any context, my desire to keep putting in the long miles flies in the face of traditional marathon training. Normally, I would take a two week taper leading up to the marathon and at least 5 days off after the marathon and then build back up slowly for the next 4-5 days.<br />
<br />
In pacing however, I have treated each of the races as training runs. The Salt Lake City Marathon I ran a 10:17 pace. Thanksgiving Point I ran a 9:32 pace. Both of these are slower than what I would have run these had I not been pacing. I am however, slightly nervous about tomorrow. Why?<br />
<br />
Because I am pacing the 3:55 marathon finish time. This equates to a 8:57 pace time. While I have been training to run at a faster pace than this and the course is mainly downhill, it still has me nervous. Why?<br />
Last year, I ran the Salt Lake City Marathon in 3:55. Of course the Salt Lake City Marathon was more hilly and my training sucked.<br />
<br />
I'm playing mind games with myself. The ones that go like:<br />
<br />
• Should I wear my fuel belt or not?<br />
• Will I burn myself out on the downhill despite the fact that I ran a 1:50 half last year on practically the same course as a pacer?<br />
• What if you burn out and finish slower than 3:55? Will they kick you out of the pace group?<br />
• Which GU should I bring?<br />
• You only ran 12 miles this week before the race. Will it be enough?<br />
• etc..<br />
<br />
The best I can do is run, stay steady and finish in 3:55. My training has been strong, i'm in better shape than ever. This will be a good prep for Utah Valley though.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-8012017762425689422012-05-03T14:47:00.002-06:002012-05-03T14:47:58.957-06:00An Unbelievable Feat with Photographic EvidenceIf I was going to list of the best and worst photo categories, here is where I would put them.<div>
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<b><u>Top</u></b></div>
<div>
Glamor photos</div>
<div>
Nature photos</div>
<div>
Classic once in a lifetime sport photos</div>
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Candid shots of the family that are timeless no matter how often you look at them</div>
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<b><u>Bottom</u></b></div>
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Mug shots</div>
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Driver's License</div>
<div>
Passport photos</div>
<div>
High School Year Book photos</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Where would you put race photos? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After the Thanksgiving Point Half Marathon, I'm wondering when there are great race photos. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFQt5j7MqcuaNB0pMlpCiLu8JF_15sEbC8NktNwu_fKd-PLY_xoRk1k52CgMOUJ6IHY5sl8bJkwgY9p033oWWX-jX8gSWQDNCxGOe38eXZQadBennieWoPI3XhnVr6QbZ6mE0veqI32Y/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-04-23+at+7.34.21+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFQt5j7MqcuaNB0pMlpCiLu8JF_15sEbC8NktNwu_fKd-PLY_xoRk1k52CgMOUJ6IHY5sl8bJkwgY9p033oWWX-jX8gSWQDNCxGOe38eXZQadBennieWoPI3XhnVr6QbZ6mE0veqI32Y/s320/Screen+shot+2012-04-23+at+7.34.21+PM.png" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Probably the best photo I've ever had<br />during a race.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
The closest that I have ever had was at the Salt Lake City Marathon a few weeks ago. I was at a comfortable enough pace that I could enjoy giving high-fives to the kids and prep for the camera.</div>
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<br /></div>
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On the other hand, at Thanksgiving Point I was having wardrobe issues that got caught on camera. Here's how it went down with a little pre-story so you get the full picture.</div>
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Race Day Temp when I left my car: 36 degrees warming up to low 60s for the day</div>
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Skies: Clear and sunny</div>
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Race Day Apparel: Long pants with my shorts underneath, long sleeve top with pacing singlet on top, gloves, running jacket that I tossed into the clothing bin at mile 1.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Race Strategy: Thanksgiving Point is generous in their aid station and GU. They have 4 aid stations with GU for the course of the half marathon. I'm a 1-2 GU type person and I <i>ALWAYS</i> bring my own so that there are no surprises. I will usually grab a couple and stash them for when I am training. Thanksgiving Point is a great race to grab a few extra. I planned on this, but forgot one simple logistic....my shorts (which have pockets with zippers) are under my pants. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm running along, chatting with runners and doing my pacer thing when we get to an aid station with GU. I grab a couple and just have them in my hand for the next mile or two. They got hard to manage after a couple miles so I opted to put them in my short's pocket. Had I been thinking, I would have stopped, put them in my short's pocket and kept going. Instead, I thought I could manage getting the GU in my pocket, while holding a sign, while running without stopping. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtArqWCdoZyjWR9f86iUmVxDr0ecv7yZHipkcBNoxe5HYnDmyYRKHzGpcfjUPTwR1uQj7dq3Z1dXmMdzoVI740u-yY7q5l9IqsA82MTuYE9YXf6TKOiCpEi9nZRJuYCKI8VTM6mY7YtU/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-05-03+at+1.52.47+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtArqWCdoZyjWR9f86iUmVxDr0ecv7yZHipkcBNoxe5HYnDmyYRKHzGpcfjUPTwR1uQj7dq3Z1dXmMdzoVI740u-yY7q5l9IqsA82MTuYE9YXf6TKOiCpEi9nZRJuYCKI8VTM6mY7YtU/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-05-03+at+1.52.47+PM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wonder what runner 821 is thinking when <br />she looks at her race photos?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">AND I DID IT! </span></div>
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I even have the photo to prove it!</div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-37642767106826336662012-04-26T10:02:00.001-06:002012-04-26T10:02:38.747-06:00Runners' StoriesI've been pondering on some of the conversations I had with runners during the Salt Lake City Marathon. I asked the question of why people started running and what their goals are.<br />
<br />
One runner commented that this was his way of letting go of the past. He had recently gotten divorced and then a few days before the race, he was laid off from work. He told me that he'd had 26 years of a crappy life and he was letting go of each year with each mile he passed. He had battled a bunch of injuries in training for the race and was ready to move on. He finished the race just a few minutes after me.<br />
<br />
Another runner in our group had run more than 10 marathons and was from Texas. He told me that he considered making a goal of running 100 marathons, but then decided it was easier to do the 50 marathons in 50 states.<br />
<br />
Another runner was running his first marathon. He was just hoping to finish. He started running on a whim and it stuck.<br />
<br />
It got me thinking that every person has a reason to run. My friend who is training with me for the Utah Valley Marathon in June trained with me for my first marathon in 2009. When we finished the race, I was excited and ready to sign up for another. He finished 10 minutes before me, but felt complete. He didn't have a desire to do more. 3 years later, he's back on the road.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_e5syidQ2epfSNYUsszaVIgXnZh-TrGNfWRck2eDrya4Mq4qe8Ksnfabe0Y_3Fw45SOnnOB8_74GCpqhQ42_wUjAA4HKisnI8-Xvv5IR3CISuEqbQe4s0nQrPs0FV8iWmsaIYHMQX5k/s1600/thoughtful-bonobo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_e5syidQ2epfSNYUsszaVIgXnZh-TrGNfWRck2eDrya4Mq4qe8Ksnfabe0Y_3Fw45SOnnOB8_74GCpqhQ42_wUjAA4HKisnI8-Xvv5IR3CISuEqbQe4s0nQrPs0FV8iWmsaIYHMQX5k/s320/thoughtful-bonobo.jpg" width="243" /></a><br />
I started running because of a conversation I had with a vendor who took us to lunch. He was training for a marathon and it got all of us who were at lunch excited. Our vendor never ran the marathon, but many of us at lunch that day took up the charge. I've wondered why I continued running when other around me have let it go. For me, it boils down to enjoyment.<br />
<br />
I enjoy the way my body feels as I am running consistently (aside from the aches and pains of course). I like crossing the finish line and knowing that I accomplished something that most people will never experience. I like getting a medal at the end of a big race. I like being fit enough now that I can pace people who are working to get a new PR or wanting to finish without injury.<br />
<br />
Since I have the opportunity to pace more and more, I will be asking the question of what motivates people to run and why they continue to do so. I wonder if there are patterns in the responses I get.<br />
<br />
I'll post their responses on my blog. I'll have the opportunity to visit with a few more runners on Saturday as I do the Thanksgiving Point Half Marathon and then on the following Saturday when I pace the Provo City Marathon.<br />
<br />
I'm interested and excited to see where this lead. Feel free to share why you started running and why you continue.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-51104984301250714782012-04-23T19:44:00.000-06:002012-04-23T19:44:32.803-06:00Pacing, Pacing, and more Pacing...Remember how a few months ago, I was wallowing in my desire to race without anything on the books until June? That changed with the email from my pacing group asking if I wanted to pace the Salt Lake City Marathon. Hmmm...it took me exactly 1 nanosecond to respond. Yeah!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Ev0bT1sx5V77CiVEpjdtH94qizqrsrt49gya1cknqkiyXHRmoVtt1itTJwt86yXq0UQ64Cn8ewHo3CrmtjMVFLnhj-4wxbf8nVjByavrCRwbTd0LBRDTjuy3_KHZHZry68JhykNdXSI/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-04-23+at+7.34.21+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Ev0bT1sx5V77CiVEpjdtH94qizqrsrt49gya1cknqkiyXHRmoVtt1itTJwt86yXq0UQ64Cn8ewHo3CrmtjMVFLnhj-4wxbf8nVjByavrCRwbTd0LBRDTjuy3_KHZHZry68JhykNdXSI/s320/Screen+shot+2012-04-23+at+7.34.21+PM.png" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gotta give the high fives out! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Shortly after that email, I received another email. Do I want to pace the Thanksgiving Point Half Marathon the following weekend after Salt Lake City. Then answer? Yeah.<br />
<br />
Then about a week after that, I received yet another e-mail. Do I want to pace the Provo City Marathon the week after Thanksgiving Point? The answer? Umm...do you think my legs will fall off if I do? The pacing leaders reply: "I don't know, I'm running 3 marathons and a half in a span of 4 weeks, but I think you're in good enough shape to pull it off." So, of course I agreed.<br />
<br />
My mileage has been between 50-60 miles per week which is the most I have ever done...ever...ever. A few times in the past, I topped out at 40+, but never hit 50.<br />
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Last Saturday was the Salt Lake City Marathon. This is the marathon that almost didn't happen. The previous owner of the race was in hot water with all former vendors, many former racers, upset police agencies and city officials over the way he has handled the past races. I guess some people don't like it when you don't pay them...go figure.<br />
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When the previous owner announced the sale of the race, everyone waited to see what would happen. The new owner took over vowing to make the Salt Lake Marathon great again. They pulled off a marathon in 60 days and overall it was a great race. You could definitely see where the organizers were working to be frugal this year, but the essentials were in place and even better than in the past.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdsbtJASl2VMEG6jjLDr3T9_fVnt87hXVDBs53ay3VhMDEc_C0p8bDtqIibOh1TGbfvRnM7DGgnhv8cMLQKMnLczAkbPwj0t_VIDsPaIEGCBKwWAoCmP6TN-aWgEuf8XyNc7qN9DTAVCA/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-04-23+at+7.36.26+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdsbtJASl2VMEG6jjLDr3T9_fVnt87hXVDBs53ay3VhMDEc_C0p8bDtqIibOh1TGbfvRnM7DGgnhv8cMLQKMnLczAkbPwj0t_VIDsPaIEGCBKwWAoCmP6TN-aWgEuf8XyNc7qN9DTAVCA/s200/Screen+shot+2012-04-23+at+7.36.26+PM.png" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I came upon this runner just before the<br />finish chute. No way am I going to let him<br />fall behind. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was assigned the 4:30 finish group. The pace was set to be 10:17 which is slower than I would normally run. Pacing though, is not about personal bests or PRs. It's about being the support system so others can accomplish their dreams.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHrfC_x0xVwh2f2NMTpsPmJ8yn6Mg0crUOvszb71z1SYU41PZCqZZ3P0m5pSlPn8hEUDzzi8AqnYgkVPRGgY9oGg3suI09mhOlgatYNHiIK-bamfhkpwvygOeCOX5ua-GuYI_bWn213Y/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-04-23+at+7.35.13+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHrfC_x0xVwh2f2NMTpsPmJ8yn6Mg0crUOvszb71z1SYU41PZCqZZ3P0m5pSlPn8hEUDzzi8AqnYgkVPRGgY9oGg3suI09mhOlgatYNHiIK-bamfhkpwvygOeCOX5ua-GuYI_bWn213Y/s320/Screen+shot+2012-04-23+at+7.35.13+PM.png" width="211" /></a>The race was good. I had a group of about 6 that stuck with me throughout the first 18-20 miles and then they slowly dropped off. The last 6 I had people off and on that would finish with me. In the end, I finished in 4:29:51. I treated the run as a training run, but with a medal at the end. I finished the week with 56 miles which is about average.<br />
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Next up is the 2:05 finish group for the Thanksgiving Point Half Marathon followed by the 4:00 finish time for the Provo City Marathon.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-37925319178786156402012-03-25T17:54:00.001-06:002012-03-25T17:54:09.745-06:00Fantastic Mileage WeekDo you ever have a perfect week in running? This was a perfect week in terms of overall mileage on the road and my overall perception of the week. Since being selected to Pace the 4:30 finish time for the Salt Lake City Marathon i've been extra motivated to meet my BQ goal in June. This past week we added our 4th day to our training.<br />
<br />
We've been working on building our endurance to the point where we could comfortably add a 4th day to our training regimen. A lady in our neighborhood asked if she could join us on our long runs for the week. Up until this point, our long run was on Monday. This worked best because of schedules. It was easier to take off mid-day on monday for a 3 hour run then working one in on Saturday. The guy I run with is also a Boy Scout leader and he's gone at least one Saturday a month on a camp out.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsp0YSlGkK9KZvrpE8WNPdu31KpsTTce9sifsoqwS-Q-h78HrDfB5WCm1Xrap0qAhcrGudn4diJmr9VV9UdLmjI6CDd3pe9sfRPGWBvkULxVJxi2UW0A1pfwtK3fXHYElxNxwFJZ_gg4/s1600/man-my-feet-are-exhausted-61941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsp0YSlGkK9KZvrpE8WNPdu31KpsTTce9sifsoqwS-Q-h78HrDfB5WCm1Xrap0qAhcrGudn4diJmr9VV9UdLmjI6CDd3pe9sfRPGWBvkULxVJxi2UW0A1pfwtK3fXHYElxNxwFJZ_gg4/s200/man-my-feet-are-exhausted-61941.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
Here's how the week went:<br />
Monday: Long run of 18 miles. It was quite a change from the week before when we ran 16.5. One thing we both noticed was how important some sort of caloric intake is needed during a long run. We didn't take a GU until about mile 13 which was probably 5 miles later than we should have. By mile 14, we were both struggling.<br />
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Tuesday: off<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCeAFaK6hNDLa-M6fAWU96EAx__p3TSEIf5D1AblcC29d_XxbQZe75kkjwWRxbvIwGkbE-GTBMBeDX3QZGlm0RGyqGrMI9p7y4Qb_kQGWRMo-AfvMhnPI_3VkCo51WM6anBkvy0bW8kM/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCeAFaK6hNDLa-M6fAWU96EAx__p3TSEIf5D1AblcC29d_XxbQZe75kkjwWRxbvIwGkbE-GTBMBeDX3QZGlm0RGyqGrMI9p7y4Qb_kQGWRMo-AfvMhnPI_3VkCo51WM6anBkvy0bW8kM/s200/images.jpeg" width="200" /></a>Wednesday: 8 mile suncrest hill. This is the hill that make novices wet themselves. It's a steep climb up and a fast down. If you want a long climb to prep your calves, this is the hill. We parked toward the start of the climb so we wouldn't have all the preliminary miles to go before starting the climb. It was hard. I was dying. It was worth it.<br />
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Friday: 8 miles flat. The goal was to stay close to an 8:00 pace the whole time. I don't know if I was still recovering from suncrest or if I was just off, but it was awful. My shins burned the whole time. An 8 min/mile seemed to be near impossible. I wasn't thrilled with the run.<br />
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Saturday: 18 miles with an additional runner. After Friday, I was wondering if I would make it even 5 miles. It took about 4 miles to get the muscles stretched out and ready for the run, but it turned out well. We added a lady from our neighborhood who is running the same race we are in June. She asked for something between 16-18 for this run. We chose 18 thinking that it might be a stretch for her, but not too bad. About 6 miles into the run, we found out that her longest run in about 4-5 months has been 12. Oops! By the end of the run (which turned out to be 19 because we dropped her off and then ran back home) she was pretty spent.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21_bHrcuQ-MrEYkr6qoDyyknJ-oeyPjz57dUFvMp-sb54REuNztuIUPTn7wTNF-gOPNk7x2ld3e2HtAD7X1E6cMQIzlD21EHDOHwJwNAkqDOjYC2xvd0KBwIOfPXqWWafvUm_-Vyblcw/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21_bHrcuQ-MrEYkr6qoDyyknJ-oeyPjz57dUFvMp-sb54REuNztuIUPTn7wTNF-gOPNk7x2ld3e2HtAD7X1E6cMQIzlD21EHDOHwJwNAkqDOjYC2xvd0KBwIOfPXqWWafvUm_-Vyblcw/s200/images-1.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
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53 miles for the week! That is a major accomplishment. I used to wonder what it would be like to hit 50+ miles and now I know. It requires a lot of time on the road.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfW0BtHxfuLK6HSIPW_lixRzreqAssRyca_AGD_So6u8Xo7R9qyK-Qf5dqgam1m53vbKlJHAhTqjEv2tFOMWSgdA6sL0BNa5Sg2byJHWDnK08fVkftTyDV5aJArT-kAXlDwWLhUqxwQw/s1600/426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfW0BtHxfuLK6HSIPW_lixRzreqAssRyca_AGD_So6u8Xo7R9qyK-Qf5dqgam1m53vbKlJHAhTqjEv2tFOMWSgdA6sL0BNa5Sg2byJHWDnK08fVkftTyDV5aJArT-kAXlDwWLhUqxwQw/s200/426.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
As a reward for my massive miles, I picked up a new pair of shoes. The ones I had for the 19 mile run are looking more and more like racing flats. I probably won't retire them, but they will get significantly less miles. Welcome Brooks Launch to my running regimen.<br />
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This week, my running friend is in Cancun. I'll pull back on my miles a little, but still get in four days. I'm actually really excited for the next few months to see what I can do to increase my miles from here.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-70063643139181094662012-03-14T20:51:00.000-06:002012-03-14T20:51:29.518-06:00I HAVE A RACE!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHBtnVrXJp26I3GMFnE5O9t4bmsmp_8oSkFJOxfE20PAwrR_PjBs2Wl5beYRsTNNhEJmi_e8ID5KEEC6DzO_GzgS7mG3TC3IA_VcLbjiNHPfi0qvTsWO7IQVstMy4tmZuQbCIFPn2LG0/s1600/1210789432uekNre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHBtnVrXJp26I3GMFnE5O9t4bmsmp_8oSkFJOxfE20PAwrR_PjBs2Wl5beYRsTNNhEJmi_e8ID5KEEC6DzO_GzgS7mG3TC3IA_VcLbjiNHPfi0qvTsWO7IQVstMy4tmZuQbCIFPn2LG0/s320/1210789432uekNre.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
Something is different in the air. Can you smell it? Feel it? Taste it? It's not the same type of smell you'd discover walking into a room full of toddlers. It's not the smell/feel associated with a 75 lb dog coming up and welcoming you home. What could it be...........?<div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">I HAVE A RACE!!! </span></b></div>
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Sort of.....</div>
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I'll explain.</div>
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On April 21, 2012 I will be participating in the Salt Lake City Marathon. The group I paced with last year offered me a spot to pace either full or the half. Of course, this means I get in for free. BONUS! </div>
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In the past, I've only paced the half marathons, but since I am in training for the Utah Valley Marathon in June and am putting in close to 40 miles per week I'm going for the full monte. The key to pacing is to choose a pace that is comfortable to run. As a pacer, I am not out to get any PRs. Instead, my whole goal is to encourage all those with me to get their PR. I'll be pacing the 4 hour 15 min group. Last year I ran <a href="http://anotherdayanotherrun.blogspot.com/2011/04/salt-lake-city-marathon-recap.html" target="_blank">this marathon</a> and finished in 3:55. It wasn't a stellar race and I didn't feel great about it. This year, I'll be aiming to finish 20 minutes slower so I'm not overly concerned. I will make sure that I follow all my normal pre-race routine (get their early for the honey buckets, drink plenty days before the race, eat well the morning of the race, use the honey buckets again before the race starts...). I will probably pack my own water though so that I don't have to take from the aid stations as often.</div>
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Can you tell that I'm already excited about this? The only potential hang-up is that the company who put on the race in the past sold the race to another company. The previous company hadn't been paying its bills to their vendors and had earned a pretty bad reputation. The new company seems to be more on top of things, but because the sell happened so late, they may not get their permits in time for the race. That would be the only draw back.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFBANjozYruqDK__voKrJq63P5e2Q9vTabg_wlSqlBTTOh5UxRiC-i-ubNKUt3ESo9PM7O-hYxVIRsyYK4efFYx5RByrXmXoxhCDhxLEQkWxaUqi2jV-dLEAhOVZ3yILsEzVQ-jM4boIQ/s1600/email_0229_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFBANjozYruqDK__voKrJq63P5e2Q9vTabg_wlSqlBTTOh5UxRiC-i-ubNKUt3ESo9PM7O-hYxVIRsyYK4efFYx5RByrXmXoxhCDhxLEQkWxaUqi2jV-dLEAhOVZ3yILsEzVQ-jM4boIQ/s400/email_0229_5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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They did send out an email showing off the new medals for this year. That is at least a step in the right direction.</div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-53864148999269641572012-03-04T22:04:00.000-07:002012-03-04T22:04:33.740-07:00I definitely need a raceI thought that after I finished the New Year's half marathon that I would be good for a while. I had high hopes that the cravings would go away. I anticipated enjoying other people talk about their running accomplishments. I expected that I would coast to the Utah Valley Marathon in June and be a pleasant well-rounded runner.<br />
<br />
Alas....NO! I'm considering a post in the personals section. Maybe it'll go something like this.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPqNFUAu6EKGLrjIjrRIfXARFAUOb114YpfoZ8og3dmQ0ibzued92Zzw6gD3DgS-zkIn8Kgf2E9Em4TeOE4-d22wqImf8hsawQqJIjHIu3VIdjYHGm9DCi38MCJxhtFsIy_mR5zlDeMY/s1600/image001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPqNFUAu6EKGLrjIjrRIfXARFAUOb114YpfoZ8og3dmQ0ibzued92Zzw6gD3DgS-zkIn8Kgf2E9Em4TeOE4-d22wqImf8hsawQqJIjHIu3VIdjYHGm9DCi38MCJxhtFsIy_mR5zlDeMY/s320/image001.jpg" width="213" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">MPWMR (Married Pasty-White Male Runner) looking for IHM (Inexpensive half marathon). MPWMR likes PRs, nice medals and plenty of post race food. MPWMR promises to speak kindly of HM up to and after the event if the t-shirts are decent and the medal good . If interested, please send application.</span><br />
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I was anticipating being able to pace a few upcoming races, but so far that well has dried up. In my delirious state of mind, I even considered signing up for the Salt Lake City Marathon again this year. Yeah, the very same race that threw me off so badly last year that I postponed my June 2011 marathon 'til this year. I must be delirious, but not quite to the floating on air stage that this guy is.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-39590154965096061642012-01-07T12:38:00.001-07:002012-01-07T12:38:45.996-07:00New Year Half MarathonYou know that saying about the road to hell being paved with good intentions? I think I built a 4 lane highway over the month of December in my posting. I had this really cool idea to do various unique Christmas gift ideas and yet nothing happened. Here's a brief recap.<br />
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1. We got a dog. I'm taking her running a couple times a week and my wife will walk her a couple times also. She's almost to what her ideal weight should be.<br />
<br />
2. Christmas was good. I got some new running gloves. My last pair had a hole in them.<br />
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3. I ran a half marathon this morning. Details to follow.<br />
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Marathon Maniacs New Year Half Marathon<br />
Last year, <a href="http://anotherdayanotherrun.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-years-day-freeze-your-butt-off-12.html" target="_blank">the race</a> was a bitter 5 degrees. This year, the weather has been wacky. All week the weather has been in the 50s. January is the coldest month of the year in Utah. 50 degrees is unheard of.<br />
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The race this year had more participants, but it was still a bare bones event. We did get a local running store to offer free gatorade and GU at their store which was about mile 7.5 on the course. I talked my brother in law into joining me. He hasn't run since November and I haven't done much in the past two weeks. When I got up this morning, it was snowing! Of all the days to snow and it decided to finally snow on race day. It tapered off though so we only had to contend with some wind.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2VRzwWOxIct-NMCRRuQ41opjShxjt8-boIC12YnYaYpAoQKRYl5X-MZ5eKQatRc9JINKunGvVqihJggBKF7_FsZFwD_t-b6Mq01U1QKNwJY9isy6COOnt6foVeflv_ELbvvGVvPv6Yo/s1600/photo%255B2%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2VRzwWOxIct-NMCRRuQ41opjShxjt8-boIC12YnYaYpAoQKRYl5X-MZ5eKQatRc9JINKunGvVqihJggBKF7_FsZFwD_t-b6Mq01U1QKNwJY9isy6COOnt6foVeflv_ELbvvGVvPv6Yo/s320/photo%255B2%255D.JPG" width="240" /></a>The race started and finished at the race director's house again, but he offered better medals and had more food so the cost was a little more. Overall, the race was good and fun. I didn't have any goals in mind, but I felt really good so I just found a pace and went for it. My Garmin died around mile 6. I'll have to buy a new one or send it to Garmin to have them replace the battery. I'm bummed about that.<br />
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My finish was 1:43:30 'ish. We all timed ourselves for the race and I had to estimate my time based on who finished in front of me. They were at 1:41 and I was just a couple minutes behind. This time equates to a new PR in the half marathon. This makes me hopeful to break into the 1:30's for the half this year.<br />
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At the end of the race, there were big pots of chili, rice, yogurt, chocolate milk, bread, biscuits, gatorade and water available. That was probably the best part. Oh yeah, we also got a cool medal.<br />
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I have two marathons on tap for 2012, but would like to add a couple more. It will depend on timing, finances and my training.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105538256649413942.post-35677544150800730642011-11-28T13:19:00.001-07:002011-11-28T15:09:58.389-07:00K-5K Program<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsigdrE4hadbD87R18IlzFESHYJ9DZu3BtTvk6kj51Rm3rk1rqH8e4R0RAc8rBNjjDdt_TWwqZ0Me9Nbk_JB2Y03fh_Y1GNFTi8Gr5LjUWGHPN8kRqcCEfXOCSlGkS8y4Qi1kKu89l6E0/s1600/photo%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsigdrE4hadbD87R18IlzFESHYJ9DZu3BtTvk6kj51Rm3rk1rqH8e4R0RAc8rBNjjDdt_TWwqZ0Me9Nbk_JB2Y03fh_Y1GNFTi8Gr5LjUWGHPN8kRqcCEfXOCSlGkS8y4Qi1kKu89l6E0/s320/photo%255B1%255D.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maija is a seven year old Weimeraner who<br />
needs to lose about 20 lbs. We've put her<br />
on the K (kennel) to 5K program.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm doing a little coaching on the side. My first client is looking to lose about 20 lbs. to meet her ideal weight. She's a close family friend so I accepted the challenge. We're starting off slow since she hasn't really been doing a lot of exercising lately. Her doctor recommended she start slow, but that eventually she should be maintaining a 5-7 mile run on a regular basis to maintain her health.<br />
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We started right after Thanksgiving and have been doing every day since. Obviously we're taking it slow. She alternates between walking and running which is a good way to work up to her goal. In addition to the running, she is also working on her nutrition. She's moved to a lesser fat diet and more natural foods. She's also reduced her portion sizes. She's got her family behind her in keeping to her goals.<br />
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Since I'm not really a certified coach or anything, I am loosely following the Couch to 5K program. I've termed this the K to 5K program. I'm looking forward to working with her more and more and since this is in addition to my normal running, I'll be putting in more miles.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1