Another Day. Another Run.

New Year Half Marathon

2012-01-07T12:38:00.001-07:00

You 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.

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.

2. Christmas was good. I got some new running gloves. My last pair had a hole in them.

3. I ran a half marathon this morning. Details to follow.

Marathon Maniacs New Year Half Marathon
Last year, the race 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

K-5K Program

2011-11-28T13:19:00.001-07:00

Maija is a seven year old Weimeraner who
needs to lose about 20 lbs. We've put her
on the K (kennel) to 5K program.

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.

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.

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.

Runner Nutrition at its Finest

2011-11-12T14:15:00.001-07:00

What's creepier than a hand
with a face that talks?

Today, I ran 12.6 miles. It was a faster pace than I have sustained for a while and it felt good until my foot started hurting at mile 9 at which point I fell behind. My ending time was still a respectable 8:30 pace for the entire time, but I felt lousy that I didn't keep up. My post race nutrition is noteworthy though.

If you have followed me for a while, you know that my running nutrition is ~~newsworthy in its high levels of good cholesterol mixed with moderate amounts of protein and carbohydrates~~ right up there with Chef Boyardee in the canned goods section of the grocery store. I have to blame this on my parents for never cooking Hamburger Helper. I had a friend who is a successful engineer, his mom is a highly regarded university professor, his dad an accomplished man who worked for the state also served in the National Guard. They all got to eat Hamburger Helper growing up. I would always pray that if I got invited to eat dinner with my friend's family that we could have Hamburger Helper. I would then come home and tell my mom who would get a disgusted bitter beer face on and exclaim in a high pitched voice, "Hamburger Helper is as bad as McDonalds." I happened to long for McDonalds too so this comment really didn't make much sense to my young mind.

After the Saturday run, I cooled down at the running store and signed the wife and 15 year old up for the Thanksgiving Day race. I drove to the Great Harvest Bread store and used one of my buy one get one free coupons (I think I have over 100 left and they have no expiration date) to pick up two loaves of bread (pumpkin chocolate chip and cinnamon pull aparts). Upon returning home, I was tired and ready for a shower and some food. The food resulted in a ~~protein drink with bits of green things with a couple eggs and maybe some hashbrowns~~ steaming hot corn dog. Yeah, one of those ones that come in the big giant package that is found at Costco. I justified this in that it probably has a good amount of protein and the crust around it i'm sure isn't just regular flour...it's got some cornmeal mixed in. Obviously it is good.

I could have stopped there, but I moved on to some leftover sweet potatoes from dinner last week. These are the kind of sweet potatoes that when you eat them you feel as though you have died and gone to heaven. In addition to the sweet potato, it has a carmelized pecan topping on it. I could eat these every day and then when I show up on The Biggest Loser you can look back at this post and see where it all went awry. Ana Konikova (like I'm going to spill my guts to Bob..ha!) and I would be having one of our get-to-know you visits that they hold and I'll talk about my sweet potato problem.

In the end, here is my post run nutrition for the morning.
2-Foster Farms Corn Dogs
1 serving sweet potatoes
water/leftover gatorade from my fuel belt

Now, I'm going to follow this up with a pizza from Costco or Papa Murphy's because I don't want to cook.

Netflix-You Made My Day

2011-11-08T12:17:00.002-07:00

The weather has moved from Fall to Winter here in the Northern Utah area. On Saturday, the valley areas got 1-3" of snow, while the mountains got up to 24" in some areas. The wind on the other hand was nasty and mean. I however, have not resigned myself yet to break out my cold weather gear. Yes, I'm in denial. However, I am transitioning into putting in more time on the treadmill on those "not so nice" winter days.

Today, I put in seven miles on the treadmill. Normally by seven miles I start thinking about creative ways to get the little dots to go around faster and faster. I then imagine how fast I need to make the treadmill go before it throws me off or if I time it just right if I could fling myself off and take out the treadmill runner behind me. Today, was a magical moment for me. The local rec center added public wi-fi to the facility. No longer am I forced to choose between the ipod or the three different programs on the tv monitors. I can have NETFLIX.

Today's run was one of my more pleasant treadmill workouts. The only thing I have to remember is to make sure that I don't stop to watch whatever is on more closely or for sure I will be launching myself into the treadmill behind me.

Got Toenails?

2011-11-02T13:44:00.001-06:00

How far will a runner go for an additional medal? Here are some brief statistics in my case.

930 miles
$200 gas
47 total hours in the car
23 total miles running
90 degree temperatures
1 toenail that is officially ~~'questionable'~~ terminal
infinite number of 'honey-dos' to make up for the time gone

2 finisher medals

The Las Vegas Ragnar Relay was the past weekend. In June, I put together a team of 12 runners to take on this event. One of the most motivating factors was the possibility of receiving an additional medal. Ragnar offers a second medal for anyone who runs the Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay and the Las Vegas Ragnar Relay in the same year. Leading up to the race was a long and sometimes frustrating experience.

I ran this race last year, but missed out on the second medal because I didn't complete the Wasatch Back Relay that year also. I wasn't about to let that second medal slip away this year.

The race itself was uneventful other than the 90 degree weather during my day runs, the lack of sleep at night and the running took everything I had, but it was a good way to round out the running season.

This was also my third relay for the year. I'm relay'd out. I plan on holding off on any more relays until something fantastic comes along.

Van 2: L to R Melanie, Terece, Cami, Me, Chad, Jeff

By running both the Wasatch Back (middle)
and the Las Vegas (right), I received the
Saints and Sinners medal (left)

Real Men Wear Pink?

2011-10-12T10:15:00.001-06:00

She's rocking the outfit much better than me

In an effort to get ready for pacing the Pink Series Half Marathon on Saturday, I spent some time feeling the essence of the event. In a race with 800+ women and only 10 men, it took some work. I had to ask myself a couple of the following questions:

Do I look fat in these tights?
Would it look better to go with the black shorts with silver trim or the black shorts with the white trim?
Should I wear my hair up or down?
Hat or no hat?

After a couple of these questions, I began to break out in a cold sweat and started feeling slightly nauseous.

The weather went from a projected 60-70 degrees for the day (2 weeks before) to a chilly projected high for the day to be 39 degrees (29 at start time). I had to do some digging around to get out my cold weather gear in preparation for the race.

The race officials gave us a table at the race expo, put us up for the night in a hotel and fed us dinner in addition to getting all the gear the racers did.

Race morning was cold and wet alternating between rain and snow. I changed places with one of the other pacers so that instead of pacing the 2:20 group, I moved up to 2:00 pace group. This was much closer to what I have paced in the past so I didn't have to focus on slowing down as much. We spent as much time on the bus or in some covered shelter areas as possible before the race began.

I started with a group of people who said they would be sticking with me. In the end, there were about 6-8 that finished close to our group. The course consisted of several small rolling hills with a couple inclines. I banked about a minute and half at the beginning to have as a cushion if the course ended a little long. I stopped about 200 yards from the finish to cheer on and push forward some of those who were behind me. I finished in 1:59:29.

I expected the charm to be more inventive

Instead of giving out medals, they gave out a charm. They had four well-dress executives giving the charm. When I walked up to one and asked him for the charm, he gave me a strange look. When I held out my hand, he breathed a sigh of relief and handed it to me. I thought the charm would be nicer and represent the race better. Instead it was a small rectangle with the words "Park City '11" on it. I did some looking around and it costs about $.50 in bulk. It was rather disappointing. The race bag did contain a set of Skull Candy earbuds which was a great boon.

All in all, the race was fun. I enjoyed working with the ladies to accomplish their goals and also to be one of the lucky few men who can say that they have run the Pink Series Half Marathon.

Where No Man Has Gone Before....

2011-10-04T13:06:00.002-06:00

In all my wildest ~~fantasies about winning the Boston Marathon~~ dreams, I never expected to be part of an elite group of runners. I didn't know that my running prowess would be so noticed that I would be chosen to experience something that very few–if any–other man has experienced. In fact, if I were a single man, this would be a dream come true.

I will be running in the Pink Half Marathon on Saturday.

How did I get so fortunate to run this event? Is it because I have become so well known in my running abilities? Is it because I'm "In the know" with the event organizers?

It's even better. I get to run the race as a pacer for the 2:20 group.

2011 Dirty Dash

2011-09-19T16:21:00.002-06:00

Locally, there are two main running events that bring out the crowds. The companies that put these events on are looking to cram as many people onto a course as possible. The first is the Ragnar Wasatch Back and the second is the Dirty Dash. I participated in the Dirty Dash on Saturday.

Here is the description of the Dirty Dash.

This race puts all other races to shame. The Dirty Dash is a mud run obstacle course where a military boot camp meets your inner five-year-old’s fantasy and subsequently converts boy to man and then…man to swine.

You’ll need endurance to trudge up mountains of sludge, courage to overcome uncompromising obstacles, a complete lack of shame to wallow in pits of mud and a smile to show through at the end!

Let your inner mud-loving child loose on this course. It's designed in such a way that if you come out completely clean you'll easily be eliminated for cheating. A friend of mine won 6 free entries. When he asked if I wanted to join the fun, it was a no-brainer. There are two types of people participate. 1. Those whose sole purpose is to see how dirty they can get along the course no matter how long it takes. 2. Those who like the challenge of the obstacles but still have the racing spirit and drive to get it done as fast as possible.

At the top of the slide are people who squirt dishwashing
soap on participants so make them more slippery.

I run too many races to just sit back and get messy. If i'm in a group of people and someone says "go," I'm not hanging back to examine the scenery. This was the case for the Dirty Dash. I was in the 9:20 am group. When they said go, I went. The first obstacle was a steep hill that had been watered and muddied up to the point of absolute slickness. I ran up the side where the mud was least thick and some grass still remained. Upon reaching the top and starting on the course, I found myself in a position rarely experienced in the past—first place. My friend was in second and we both commented how strange a feeling it was. The feeling lasted for about 1/2 mile then a father/son duo passed us both. Throughout the rest of the course, I passed up many of the people who started at 9:00 am.

They were white when I started.

Throughout the course the were obstacles. These included a 1/ 4 mile of tires, 4 sets of walls within a mud pit, a rope swing, a rope ladder, a giant slip and slide, several barrels embedded in mud, a bog with water up to my chest at times and finally two big mud pits at the end of the race.

The course in itself would have been a challenge with the hills, but throw in all the obstacles and it was really tough. The majority of the people crowded around the shorter obstacles so in the interested of time, I went over the larger ones. At some point along the course, I lost my bib. When I finished, they asked if I knew my bib number or even cared. I didn't care. I finished under an hour which for this course is pretty good. After the race they had an area with water coming out pipes where participants could rinse off as much of the mud as possible. I purposely wore some clothes that if they got trashed, I'd be ok. My socks didn't make it.

Ethics in Course Creation

2011-09-15T21:34:00.001-06:00

For those of you who follow my blog, you know that beside my running and pacing, I race direct a couple races each year. I also volunteer and coach on occasion as a way of giving back.

I came across a statement from a smaller relay in Colorado called the Colorado Relay that claims Ragnar Relays is stealing race routes from other races across the country including theirs. I looked at the maps supplied of the various courses and I have to admit that they look very similar.

I've participated in a variety of relays including Ragnar ones. As a runner, it is fun to get with a group of like-minded people running. It's fun to mix it up and test my skills in different environments.

As a race director, however, I know how much work goes into putting on a race. I've only done 5k and 10k races, but there is a lot of work involved. With my last 10k, I started organizing the race in October of 2010 for a June 2011 race. I spent a lot of hours looking over maps, working with local police and city, running the course, driving the course, etc. By the time the race happened, I knew every turn in the course, every incline, every potential traffic problem. The course became mine. For a relay, I can imagine how personal a race becomes.

These two courses look really similar to me.

The race director for the Colorado Relay claims that Ragnar came in and stole his course and claimed it for their own. The only difference is that Ragnar is running the course in reverse. In addition, Ragnar originally was running the course on the same day as the Colorado Relay. If I had created a course as large as these relays are, I would be very protective of my course. If a race started and finished in the same general locations as mine, that would be fine. But, if the entire course were copied, I would be steaming mad. While there is no regulation on how a course is created, there is an underlying code of ethics involved. When I run races, I am always looking at how the course is set up, what vendors they have, etc.

Ragnar is a large enough company that there is no need to use an already created course. I'm interested to hear your thoughts on this. Is it flattery that a large company is using a route already created and running or are they just being too lazy to create their own unique course?

You Know You're a Runner with ADD When....

2011-09-06T21:48:00.002-06:00

Are you a runner with ADD? Here are some warning signs.

You Know You're a Runner with ADD When....

1. You stop to get a drink at the aid station, forget you are running in the race and start handing out water to the other runners.

2. In a panic, you search frantically all over the house trying to find your Garmin which happens to be on your wrist.

3. You pass by the window of a store having a sale and you stop to look in the window at what is on sale.

4. You go to get your Garmin and end up checking your email, posting on facebook, evaluating the new cover of Runner's World then leave the room wondering what you came in for anyway.

5. You leave the Honeybucket, but you forget if you are coming or going so you get back in line "just in case."

6. You compose multiple great blog posts while running yet none of them make it to the blog.

7. You sit down to check your email before you go for a morning run and then realize it's noon and you're still in you running clothes sitting in front of the computer.

8. The songs on your new playlist are the same as the ones on your old playlist–yet you like the new one so much better.

9. You forget to turn your Garmin on until 1/2 mile into the race and then wonder why all the road markers are off.

10. You're on the bus going to the starting line and you begin to worry that the bus is going to get to school late.

How many of these can you relate to?

Pain Be Gone

2011-09-01T14:59:00.002-06:00

School has now started for my kids and I've already been stumped by my daughter's beginning Algebra. I decided to write my own story problem.

Blaine decides to run a 207 mile relay. It takes his team 30 1/2 hours to complete with only 3 hours of sleep. The next weekend Blaine decides to run the South Valley Half Marathon the following weekend.
He then drives 6 hours in his car with his kids to Las Vegas in 118 degree heat with a radiator that is failing only to turn around 2 days later and drive back.

How well will Blaine be at running when he gets back from Vegas? Will he?

a. Run like the White Kenyan that he is.
b. Run in such a way that Runner's World contacts him to be with Kara Goucher on the next cover?
c. Run in a manner much like the drivers in this area (weaving in and out of lanes, stopping in the middle of the road to chat with a friend, deciding to cross four lanes of traffic on the freeway so they can make the exit)
d. Fail miserably and contemplate a new program called The 5k to coach plan

I know you want to say A or B, but my running after Vegas was much more like D with a good helping of C as I was staggering back home.

Why would anyone carry their money around this way. It's
like saying "Mug Me."

It must have been a combination of everything, but I noticed my ability ~~to run through the hotel hallways at night naked~~ race my kids to the elevator at the hotel was resulting in a slight tenderness in my right side going down my inner leg. By Friday night, the mild discomfort was turning into something more ominous. I had a 15 mile run scheduled for Saturday morning.

The plan was to get up, get in 15 miles then be back in time to take my son to his first High School Cross Country meet. The reality was me getting out the door, stretching just a little and only being able to go 3 or 4 steps before my body informed me it wasn't going. Two more unsuccessful attempts to "run it off" resulted in my staggering/limping back home (where answer C comes into play).

There is a style that I
just don't have yet..sigh.

It's been almost two weeks since I've put in any sort of run. I considered the possibility biking, but I just don't look good in a hat.

Today was the magic moment. No pain in my day to day movement since Tuesday. After the kids got to school, I kissed my wife, put on my Garmin and headed out for an easy 3 mile run. The result? A little stiffness, but no pain. If all goes well tonight and I wake up pain free tomorrow, I'm calling myself healed.

South Valley Half Marathon Report

2011-08-28T18:57:00.001-06:00

It's been a busy week filled with a quick three day trip to Vegas to remember and celebrate the life of my wife's grandfather who finally finished tasting everything on the menu at Blueberry Hill Diner. After the funeral, it was get kids back home to start school and get caught up with work. As a result of all this business, my post about the South Valley Half Marathon got lost in the shuffle. Here is my belated post about this race.

Me, Whitney and Candice

I didn't know much about the race other than the links I saw on various blogs. I was asked to pace the 1:55 group. Whitney was planning on sticking with me in her efforts to finish under 2 hours. I invited Candice to join our pacing group and she agreed to pace the 2:15 group. Candice and I met briefly as she went running by me at the Timpanogos Half Marathon a few weeks back. It was great to meet her and visit a little.

We met early to pick up our bibs and signs. The race had put together a clever retro looking logo which they put on their medals and t-shirts. The bus ride up to the starting line was uneventful and I spent the time dozing. Our bus driver was kind enough to point out a few of the aid stations along the way and to remind us that anything we left on the bus was hers.

One of the first things I noticed when I got to the starting line was the lack of bathroom facilities available. The lines were long and not moving very quick. Whitney was a few minutes behind me in the never ending line. The race was chip timed for the finish which meant that everyone's time started when the gun went off.

Here's what the race website said about the course.

That's picturesque, right?

"This scenic, down-hill course begins up beautiful Rose Canyon in Herriman. Athletes will enjoy a gradual decent though wooded foothills. A spectacular view of the Wasatch Mountains promises to inspire every runner. You will experience a fun-filled, well-supported course though the South Valley."

Doesn't that sound fabulous? I think they were talking about another race or maybe it was a race template where they just added some adjectives, nouns and locations. The start area was in a wooded area that was nice, but that's where it ended. The one thing I remember is the endless road, the 4 miles of uphill climb and the never ending view of cheat-grass.

Cool Retro Look

As a pacer, our my goal is staying on pace. I spend a lot of time looking at my watch, calculating where I should be and checking it in relation to the mile markers. The first couple of miles went by and I'm right on pace. I was told there was a climb so to be a few minutes a head of pace to compensate for the hill slow down. After mile 2, I start noticing that the mile markers are off. As time went on, I noticed that my watch and mile markers were almost 1/4 mile off.

At mile 4, the climb began. The climb was gradual enough to start that I was only about 15 seconds slower per mile, but from mile 6-7 the climb was steep and tough.

Mile marker 11 and 12 come along and I'm on target and even a little bit in front. At mile 12, the organisers must have realised that they were off so they attempted to make up the difference from mile 12 to the finish. I crossed the finish line in 1:57. The other pacers that came through had the same results I did. A few of the race people were talking about our finish times and we mentioned to them that the course was marked incorrectly and ended up longer than 13.1. The nodded their heads like this comment was nothing new.

I'm going to pass on this race next year.

Epic Weekend

2011-08-19T18:58:00.001-06:00

Epic Cache-Teton Relay was a week ago. I had every intention to get this post done before the middle of the week. As you can see my road to "you know where" is getting another brick.

This was my second year participating in the Relay and only the third year the race has existed. With marathons and half marathons popping up faster than your local Amway dealer can draw circles, it is nice to have an event that is different.

Epic Relay began three years ago with only 12 teams that participated. Last year there were under 50. This year there were 84 teams. It's one of my favorite events.

If you're unfamiliar with the relay system, picture 2 vehicles of 6 runners together playing a giant game of Tag for over 30 hours. Team "Remember the Tetons" started at 7:30 am in Logan, Utah. The teams are staggered so that the slowest teams start early (5:30 am) and the faster ones start later (12:00 pm). Our team was what you would consider the "upper middle class" of team speed. We were pushing to finish in under 30 hours. The finish was 206 miles later in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

A couple nice things about relays is that you have some freedom in the choice of your three runs. The downside to be a faster runner in a relay is that your freedom is generally limited to the hardest ones. I was originally assigned the hardest leg of the relay (#7), but after some ~~significant amounts of swearing and waving my arms up and down like a mad man~~ sweet talking I was able to get switched to the fourth hardest leg (#11) of the course. My runs consisted of the following:

1. 9.31 miles
2. 7.07 miles
3. 3.31 miles

The good thing about my part of the race was that the first leg was the hardest and it definitely lived up to the hard part.

I started my run at 4:00 pm with the temperature in the mid 90s with lots of steep climbs and drops. The first three miles of my run were hot, but I was holding my own. The last 6 miles of the course were agonizing and I just wanted to fall into an ice cold stream.

My next run was at 3:30 am. The route was a gradual downhill for 7 miles. By the time my leg started, the temperature had dropped to 31 degrees. As I ran, my breath would get thicker or thinner depending on the temperature.

My last and final run happened about 12:30 pm. The route was a level paved trail. I pushed this as best I could to make up some time. In the distance I could see one last runner I was gaining on. The thought of one last "road kill" (when you pass someone on a relay) gave me the little boost that I needed.

We finished the relay in 30 hours 29 minutes for an 11th place finish out of 84 teams. We didn't make our under 30 hour goal, but we also added about 10 more miles to the course than last year.

Running Naked

2011-08-11T17:30:00.000-06:00

As part of my new training program, I am making some changes to my running habits. I took off on my first run on Tuesday morning. It was an awkward run to say the least. I kept wondering if people were staring at me. I was completely and utterly NAKED*!

My new training program I am following is all about getting back in touch with the way my body feels as I run. The base miles are designed to just build aerobic base miles without breaking down my body. It's not about speed or tempo. Those things are designed to come along in the Big Workouts. Tuesday was my first opportunity to get in touch with this new style.

It was really awkward for Tuesday, but today's run was much better. For a good portion of my run, I was just in a good groove. I had no care in the world what others would say as they saw me running along. I went throughout the neighborhood, down on my favorite trail and looping back home. It was refreshing.

In fact, I've been toying with the idea of participating in this fashion for the Epic Relay that I am running this weekend. I've run it by a couple of the other runners on my team and at first they seemed a little dismayed that I'd even consider such a thing, but after explaining it further, they are good with it. Should be exciting.

*Would you like to join the running naked craze? It's easy, just leave your Garmin at home. If you're like me, running sans watch was very revealing.

New Training Regimen

2011-08-08T15:51:00.000-06:00

On Saturday, I finished coaching the half marathon training group I have been working with. This is the second consecutive coaching I have done. I enjoy the opportunity to give back and work with others to get faster, but I feel it is time to return my focus to my individual training. I have been looking at various new training plans. I looked into using Runner's World like I have done in the past. I enjoyed it, but felt like it wasn't fit for me. I followed the last plan really closely, but the results were less than ideal when I ran my last marathon.

This time around I opted to talk to a friend who is an elite runner. She's run multiple races of all sizes and has always come to some of the races I direct. I gave her a brief rundown on my current status and where I would like to be as a runner.

After his gig in Oz was over, the Tin Man started running.
Who would have guessed.

She put together a 3 page plan explaining everything and giving me some great advice. Her plan comes from the Tinman training philosophy.

It took me some time to figure out what the philosophy was and how to incorporate it into my training. In essence, I will be focusing on a couple things:
1. Building my aerobic endurance by adding more days to my training
2. Making my runs more efficient
3. Running more small races to track my progress

First thing on the list is adding more days to my training. I'm working into a 5-6 day a week plan. I'll be adding 1-2 additional short run days (30 min max) for the next few weeks until my body gets used to the increased number of days.

One day a week, I'll have what is called a "Big Workout." This is more than just a long run. It is a longer run, but incorporates other workouts into the run (i.e., tempo, speed work, fartlek, hills, etc.).

I'm excited for the new change and what it offers to my own training.

Does anyone else follow the Tinman Philsophy?

The Race to Chevron

2011-08-05T16:10:00.001-06:00

'Twas the morning of the 5th and the plans were in place. Four runners would meet for their first morning run.

With Raylene as the coordinator the plans were in place.

Raylene would go right to meet Blaine with Mieka to the left. Katie would meet the group at chevron by 7, then they'd all run back to the place where they started.

My mind was 'a-buzzing to get out and run. I hadn't been running with my friends in a while. I got up at 4 to make sure I'd be ready.

I opened the cupboard to prepare a fine breakfast to discover to my horror that the peanut butter had gone missing. I looked on the counter, under the sink and the pantry. There's none to be found which means my plans are all ruined.

With a sigh and a grumble I pulled out the cereal. A bowl with dried fruit, a few nuts and some yogurt. Not my best breakfast ever, but better than nothing.

With the Garmin strapped on and my fuel belt attached, I kissed my wife goodbye as she mumbled "have fun and be safe."

I flew out the door without glancing back. At the corner I saw Raylene's chipper face. "Good Morning," she beamed and we started our run.

My legs felt great for the first couple miles. My stomach however had other ideas. It grumbled and complained from the very beginning.

At mile six we called Katie and made new arrangements. I'd stop at the Chevron where Katie was waiting and drive her truck to the place where we started.

Mile 8 came upon us and my stomach lurched hard, I felt the urge for a pit stop without one to be found. By nine I was reeling, my stomach was hurting—where's a honey bucket when needed?

I'm almost without hope when off in the distance, A glimmer of hope. I see the chevron where Katie is waiting. Without a word to my friend, I rushed right inside. What a relief that I got there in time and NO ACCIDENT.

With a wave to my friends, I bid them farewell. "Good luck on your run. I'll see you all later."

The End....

Timpanogos Half Marathon

2011-08-02T22:31:00.000-06:00

I finished the race and was going through to get a bite to eat when the Smoothie King people greeted me and said "We were just wondering if we would see you." This tells me one of two things:

1. I should talk to them about sponsoring me
2. I'm a big Smoothie King ~~whore~~ fan who visits the store way too often

I ran as a pacer at the Timpanogos Half Marathon this past Saturday. I've really enjoyed being a pacer ~~because I'm too cheap to pay for my races~~ and giving back to others who are wanting to hit a new PR. The course was put together well and overall it went smoothly. I am sure I could have beat any previous PR had I been running this rather than pacing. Here are some of the highlights of the race.

1, 971 foot elevation loss with the majority of it in the first
7.5 miles.

Got there are 4:30 am and met the other pacers to get my bib, bag and shirt.
Arrived at the start about 5:20 am to see the long lines at the Honey Buckets. I don't think there is enough time to wait in line and still be in the crowd with my sign.
At 5:40 am they announce that the race is delayed due to some buses that were slow getting up the canyon. Since everyone was ready to start, that meant the bathrooms were free—SCORE!
6:00 am the race starts
6:15 am I'm running way too fast for the 1:55 pace. Instead of slowing down, I told the 1:50 pacer to speed up.
7:00 am approximately. Candice runs by, introduces herself and then promptly ditches me to beat her 1:55 time. I looked for her after, but the pink top, blond hair pulled back with a pony tail was the "go to" style of the day.
7:43:45 I am close to the finish, but still more than a minute from my pace time. I slow down to a light jog.
7:44:45 my official chip time.

I didn't need a GU the whole time. My legs felt great. I didn't get a race shirt, but they promised that they were ordering more and would get us one. Next year I'll run this course and see what I can do.

Random Thoughts Friday

2011-07-29T09:11:00.000-06:00

I've been pondering over a bunch of randomness from my last run. Here are few of randomness.

The Sound of Music-My parents worked to instill some "culture" in me as a child. I remember having to watch countless hours of this movie. A few years ago, my wife and I bought this movie. I attribute this to "Von Trapp syndrome." Ironic how I am passing on the tradition to my kids.
Saucony Kinvara-Currently my new favorite shoe. It's lighter which feels great and the blister that normally shows up after 5 or 6 miles doesn't. In addition, they were free. I wonder if free shoes work better than shoes I have to work to get? I was always told I would appreciate things more if I have to pay for them myself. Maybe I'll stop liking them after they fall apart.
Pacing-In addition to my regular running, i've been able to pace several races. I get all the benefits of the regular racer, but without the cost. I'm liking this.
New Marathons-Races with obstacles are the newest craze. I've been wondering when the retail giants are going to jump on the bandwagon. I could foresee a time when WalMart has a store to store marathon. I could easily map a store to store marathon. They are missing out on potential revenue by not considering this option. They could increase the level of difficulty by requiring each runner to race through the store, pick up a bottle of Powerade and maneuver through a checkout during double coupon days. At the same time, I've been to WalMart the day after Thanksgiving and had to wait hours to get through the line. I didn't get any medal then...people are missing out!
140 laps to go-I was doing intervals and for the final interval lap I pushed it as hard as I could. I completely obliterated my ultimate marathon pace. If I can keep up that pace for 140 more laps, then I'll be on the cover of Runner's World.
Runner's World-I wonder if I would wear a shirt or not in my cover photo.

At this point, I was done with my run. I'll be pacing the Timpanogos Half Marathon this weekend. The downside to summer racing...start times. The race starts at 5:40 am. Which means I get to be at the bus location by 4:15 am.

I'll have an update after the race.

'Almost Holiday' in Utah

2011-07-25T20:09:00.000-06:00

This July is one of the most memorable. It's right up there with other memorable July's. Here are a few from my past. I'm not clear if the ranking is best remembered to least because the event sticks out in my mind and therefor it is epic. Or the ones at the bottom are most important because I have suppressed the memory in an effort to forget.

Burning down the carport. A friend and I discovered that if you take the lead weights off of car tires and melted it down, you can pour the melted lead into a dixie cup of water and it would make cool designs (yeah I was 11 at the time). The one thing I didn't know was that just because the coals in the grill looked like they weren't burning doesn't mean you have to throw gasoline on it.
Going out to breakfast the day of a test in High School. This was a great plan. We'd meet early for breakfast, quiz each other, then go to school and take the test. We discovered that it was much more fun to go out to breakfast and then head over to the arcade than it was to return to school.
Making a good impression with the new neighbors. The crabapple fight that I started within a few days of moving into a new neighborhood. It didn't make the best first impression.
Dog Names. I learned that naming my dog Sara wasn't a bright of idea when the girl who lived two houses down was also named Sara. I couldn't figure out why my parents kept recommending other names until the time that I called out to the dog and the neighbor girl answered.
Fireworks shipped right to my door step. In my senior year of high school, I teamed up with several friends to order fireworks from a catalog and had them shipped to me. The old neighbors still talk about the best 4th of July our neighborhood had seen. Yeah, different era when UPS delivered all sorts of cool stuff.

This July has been memorable because the state changed the fireworks laws. It used to be that you could only have ground based fireworks that went no more than 10 feet off the ground. This year, the max is 150 ft and you can have ariels, etc. It used to also be that fireworks were legal the end of June to July 7. However, this year they are legal June 27 to July 25. We've had fireworks all month long and I've enjoyed them. They rival the ones I had to buy and get shipped to me. Why are the fireworks legal for the whole month? Because Utah has an "almost holiday" in July called Pioneer Day.

What is Pioneer Day? It's in memory of the mormon pioneers who officially settled on July 24, 1847. I have a couple ancestors mingled among these first groups that arrived.

I'm all for a holiday, but this one throws the whole state off. Some places are open while others are closed. The banks are closed, but if I overdraw something on this day, they still charge me. Pools are open, some retail places are closed. Some people get the 24th off while others are told where they can put their holiday. It's a half holiday.....and for some reason, I generally feel like that is how it gets celebrated by me too. The one daughter still had dance class today, but many of my clients took the day off. So I worked in the morning and took the family to see Harry Potter in the afternoon.

Any odd holidays celebrated in your neck of the woods?

Electronic Death

2011-07-23T16:58:00.001-06:00

I have no idea what the problem could be...

"Dad, the kid's computer is making funny noises and I can't log in..."

After a great dinner and a movie with my wife, these are not the words I am excited to hear. I just had a conversation earlier in the day with the wife about when we'll get the Macbook "paper weight" repaired. We set a date for early September. It goes back to my old saying "Don't commit to fixing something because the other appliances will get jealous and break.."

Sure enough, the kid's computer's (my old Mac G5) hard drive seems to have bit the dust. I can't get it to even recognize that a hard drive exists. I know enough about the systems that I ~~am fairly confident, almost certain, hoping that it is true~~ crossing my fingers that I can take it in and get all the data pulled from it and buy a new hard drive for it. It could use an upgrade with the amount of photos and songs that the kids have put on it since I turned them loose on it. I'm sure that the computer would have been just fine if I hadn't talked about fixing the laptop in the same room as this.

We should have carried on the conversation about the computer like we do when we are talking about Christmas–on a date. It should have been a conversation over dinner somewhere and it would have gone something like "The lasagne looks good, I think it is time to get the laptop fixed. Or maybe I'll get the chicken..." After 16 years of marriage, anything we can do to spice up the date night conversation is a score in my book. Alas, I forgot the rule and mentioned it in front of not one, but four other computer related equipment: the G5, the printer, my new rockin' iMac 27" and Macbook Pro.

The iMac and Macbook Pro know that they are the current top dogs in the electronic pecking order so they are good from a self-esteem point of view. The printer and the G5 however were on shaky ground. They've both served us well, but were getting up there in years. I think the idea of being dropped lower on the food chain finally got to both of them. The G5 gave up the ghost last night. Once the G5 went out, the printer was left. The added pressure was too much for the printer to handle. It went the direction of the G5 and stopped functioning also. We performed some radical life-saving techniques that involved a variety of screw drivers, cotton balls~~, cussing~~ and were able to revive it. I think it is on life support.

I hadn't even considered this...

With these two items non-functioning I have a couple options available to me:

Send both of the to Goodwill so that I won't feel guilty about throwing them away. Someone else can do it for me.
Open them both up and tinker with them. My profession has nothing to do with tinkering, but maybe as a novice I will invent a transporter or warp drive or something.
Open them up, fill them with dirt, plant flowers in them and ~~give them to~~ ~~my wife as an anniversary gift~~ use them as decoration on the deck.
Put them on the side of my house and see if they'll sprout new baby computers.
Leave them on a neighbour's door step in a bassinet with a note about how I couldn't take care of them anymore.

No matter which option choose, I will be purchasing some new equipment soon.

I Didn't Think a Person Could Sweat This Much

2011-07-17T10:56:00.000-06:00

I did something the other day, that I've been putting off every time I walk downstairs. I took my P90X set of DVDs off the shelf and put one in ~~as a fun family movie~~ as I work to add some cross training into my workouts. It was a cool morning but I didn't get up early enough to get in a run so I felt that this was a good time to do the Plyo workout.

I bought the P90X system thinking that it would be a great way to improve my core. I worked my way through the system, saw some great improvement and gratefully put it on the shelf ~~to let it age and give it to my son in 10 years as a wedding gift and to see how much dust I could collect before I decided to run through the course again.~~ It lasted 1 1/2 years. I occasionally have done the Ab Ripper X as a reminder why I don't do the P90X system any more. It's because I enjoy being able to walk without pain in little known parts of my body.

One of the hard parts about the system is the little timer that is at the bottom of the screen that shows how much time I have left before the torture will end. The timer moves about as fast as the clocks in my High School would move when I really needed to go to the bathroom, but could only go in between classes. Time comes to almost complete halt. It is though this workout will never end. I'm starting to sweat and I haven't made it past the warm up yet. By the half-way point, my legs are burning, the shirt I am wearing is drenched with sweat and I'm having to wipe my brow every few minutes. I'm beginning to wonder if I could potentially dehydrate in an Air Conditioned basement.

I'm struggling through the "leap frog squats" and "rock star jumps" when my daughter walks in. She exclaims "I love those..." and starts with me. She's giggling and I'm struggling. Finally after a couple workouts, she looks over to me and says "You sweat a lot." and "That guy who only has one leg is better at this than you." Yeah, I'm thinking the same thing. The workout finally comes to an end and I go through the cool down. I'm not fully cooled down and visions of turning the sprinklers on so I can just go collapse in them comes to mind.

The next morning, I got out of bed and remembered why I had put the P90X system on the shelf. Some little known muscles in my legs had control over the lower half of my body and it was time to PAY. I should be able to walk normal again around Thanksgiving.

Getting Older as a Runner

2011-07-12T10:18:00.000-06:00

I know, two posts within a week. ~~He must be avoiding work~~ It's amazing! I have hit a turning point in my life. I'm ~~faster, fatter, handsomer~~ older. I have moved from one age bracket to a new one. For many people this may be cause for mourning, but for me, it is one of celebration. I'm moving into a less competitive age bracket. By now, a lot less 'weekend warriors' are on the road. Here are some of the plus sides of getting older.

Sure sucks when you get your butt whooped
by someone twice your age.

Less competition-i've discovered that there are a lot less people who have just taken up running as a 'bucket list item'
More media exposure-I'm no Max Hall, but how many mid-range guys have you seen in the news? All I have to do is run another 96 marathons and I'll be in the news.
Age bracket winner-Since I'm just barely in the next age division, this gives me a better possibility of beating out those who are nearing the next age group.
Better possibilities of getting in the work gossip pool-"Did you hear about Blaine's recent race? And he accomplished that at his age...." Unfortunately in my case, I am self-employed so the only comments that would be said are things like "We've been hearing about your running for 10 years now..."
I can now justify taking more rest days "in order to avoid over-training." This equates to more time to watch Deadliest Catch.
I can now justify wearing the medals more often because now it can be considered "weight training."
Older runners are able to throw out little pieces of information that younger runners will take as "wise advise" even if it is a bunch of crap.
I hear gray hair is a turn on. My hair is more of a dusty blond so the gray thing doesn't really work for me yet.
There is just something appealing when I pass some "twenty-something" in a race. The downside to this of course is when I get passed by some "twenty-something" with a stroller.

I'm sure there are plethora of other benefits to being in the next age bracket. I was looking forward to the 5 minute advantage I'd get for Boston, but since they changed the rules I'm stuck at where I was before the change.

While many people would be going through a mid-life crisis right now, I'm relishing in the possibilities.

Lehi Roundup 5k/10k Race Recap

2011-07-10T20:00:00.015-06:00

With this post, I ~~am officially caught up on my blogging~~ will be caught up with the Summer about Christmas. I ran the Lehi Roundup race on Saturday June 25. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking "He ran the Utah Valley Half Marathon on June 11, Ragnar Wasatch Back June 17-18 and now he's done the Lehi Roundup race? The man is an ANIMAL!"

While I am an animal, I ran the race, but didn't actually run in the race.

How does that work exactly? It's long and involved and took almost a year to happen.

Here are the details. We'll need to journey back in time so follow the directions below to get the best effect.

{Shake your head back and forth very fast until you feel as though the world is becoming fuzzy...this is because you are travelling back in time and not because your brain is banging against the side of your head.}

On a warm June morning in 2010 . . .
I'm preparing myself to run the Pocatello marathon in September. The roundup 10k is part of the 15 miles I am planning on running for the day. The course is different this year than in the past. It starts 3.5 miles from my house. I run to the start as my warm up for the race. The course has changed 3 or 4 times over the past few weeks and finally has settled on 2 loops of the 5k which includes a couple steep hills.

They did something really odd in starting the 5K run/walk fifteen minutes in front of the 10k. I weave in and out of the walkers and strollers. The first lap I have police and the second lap the police have disappeared. I'm not thrilled about how the race was organized nor the course.

Evening of that same night . . .
I'm remembering the race and decide that sending off an email to the race director with some suggestions for next year would be a great idea.

August 2010 . . .

I became the race director for the 2011 Lehi Roundup 5K/10K.

You can read about that here and the results of that email here.

{Shake your head back and forth very fast until you feel as though the world is becoming fuzzy...you are now travelling back to near present day. The slight blurriness caused by the constant shaking will disappear-hopefully}

Race Week 2011 . . .

Guess what Costco donated?

The Lehi Roundup 5K/10K is part of the week-long city celebration. As a committee member, I also get to be at some of the other Roundup events. This makes for a busy week. My wife is in charge of building one of the floats for the miniature parade held on Friday night and Saturday morning which means I'm assisting in the float construction.

For the past months, I have been working to get sponsors for the race, order shirts, stress over sign ups, work with local grocery stores to get food donated, etc. It's exhausting. I've been working on some new marketing techniques that ~~involved kids holding signs about the race while dancing on street corners~~ social media and partnering with other races to get the word out about the race. There is a new half marathon and 5K that is being held on the same day as the Roundup race. I'm thinking that we'll take a hit on registrations, but as the race gets closer the registrations keep coming in.

Packet pickup

First year ever that participants got a tech shirt. Score!

My office and living room has become packet stuffing central. There are t-shirts and bags everywhere. We ordered 100 extra shirts and have completely run out. We got some of the shirts from 2010 to give out and have run out of those too. We receive another 30 sign ups during the packet pickup.

June 24
It's 10:00 pm on Friday. With cold Dominos pizza in my wife's Jeep and me in the van, we set out to get the course marked for the morning. At 11:30 I run out of the color for the 10k and we have to do a run to Walmart to get more spray paint. At 1:30 am, both courses are marked. I'm debating whether the 2 1/2 hours of sleep is going to be of any value. I opt to give it a try and set the alarm. Surprisingly, when the alarm goes off at 4:00 am I am awake and ready for the day.

This is either great anticipation for the start or we're
short bathroom facilities.

At 4:30 am, the family is cutting up fruit and I'm dropping off water containers on the course. At 5:00 am the city parks people deliver tables for registration and drop off the tables to the water stations. At 6:00 am the High School volunteers start arriving. Race day registration opens at 6:15 am and we're actually running really smoothly. 7:00 am the race starts. Official count stands at 469 registered runners.

Rockin' cool medals for the age group winners.

Despite some snafus with the timing and some elites that missed a turn, the race goes smoothly. I hear some grumbling from runners who registered the day of the race but didn't get all the bells and whistles that the runners who registered two months ago received. My answer to that? TOUGH! Register earlier.

{Shake your head back and forth very fast. If you're still able to walk straight after this, then you obviously missed a step. Go back, re-read this and make sure you get the shaking right. I am not liable for anyone stuck in the past.}

Present Day

This way they are covered in case they
have to answer a call.

I just got the photos from my photographer friend and fellow runner. I am working on a post race survey to get out in the next day or two. I heard from the city that a street I couldn't have the runners cross because it was considered a state road has now been given to the city. Next year I'll have a lot more freedom to develop a course. I'm looking forward to being bigger and better next year.

Dear Ibuprofen-Thank you for getting me through Ragnar

2011-06-28T11:35:00.000-06:00

Cafe Rio, a local texmex restaurant gave out a gift card
to runners if they ran the last 1/2 mile of a certain leg with
a sombrero that they were giving out.

A few statistics for the June 17-18 weekend.
192 miles
12 friends
32 hours straight
3 hours sleep
15 ibuprofen

What does that give you? A Ragnar Wasatch Back Relay event.

Remember the last comment I made about my foot getting tweaked? Well, even after being off of it for multiple days, wandering around the house barefoot for several days my foot was still tender.

I missed the previous two Ragnar's and foot pain or no foot pain, I was going to run this one. My non-running friends asked why I would run with foot pain. I calmly replied, "Because Ragnar gives out really cool finisher medals." Is there any more reason than this? This is the whole reason I run races. If there were no medals involved, would I really continue running? I doubt it.

In the past, my relay events have consisted of a mixed group of men and women in the van through the duration of the race. This time, we were segregated to a men's truck and women van. I hesistated at the thought of being stuck in a truck for 30+ hours. It wasn't until the camp chairs were propped up in the back of the truck bed did I really see the value of the truck. I can't describe the absolute relaxation of finishing a run then sitting in a camp chair with my legs propped up while driving down the road with the wind cooling me down–pure bliss.

Ibuprofen was my best friend.

Leg 1 (5.6 miles, moderate difficulty) = 2 ibuprofen before the race began, 1 after. Legs felt pretty good.
Leg 2 (4.9 miles, moderate difficulty) = 4 ibuprofen in 2 waves before the leg, 2 after. Foot really starting to bother me. It's dark, there are a lot of rolling hills and as I pass a aqueduct I start wondering how long it would take to find my body if I fell in. My energy level is running pretty low at this point.

Rest = 2 ibuprofen. We arrived at the rest stop at 1:30 am anticipating that we'd be running again at 7:00 am or sooner. Paid $5 for a pancake dinner, then crashed on the gym floor inside the high school for a few hours sleep. Awoke off and on during the night and finally got up at 5:30 am, paid $2 for a hot shower in the school locker room and got ready for the rest of the day.

Leg 3 (7.9 miles, hard difficulty) = 7 ibuprofen and 1/2 oxcodone (not all at once but spread out). My foot is really hurting. My calves, quads and glutes are stiff. The first 1/4 mile was a slight downhill followed by 3/4 mile steep downhill. My legs didn't have time to warm up and loosen up so it hurt A LOT! After 2 miles into the run though the pain in my foot subsided and my legs finally started loosening up. The rest of the run was a combination of steep up hill and short flat sections. It was a nice relief to make it to the end.

Team 'Till We Collapse'

Once our van was complete, the next step was locating some solid non-runner food. Mission accomplished when we found a Mexican Restaurant. After our lunch, we all crashed on the grass near the finish while we waited for van 2 to finish. Our final finish time was 32 hours. Not quite the 29 hours we wanted, but we finished.

Pacing the Utah Valley Half Marathon

2011-06-20T15:59:00.000-06:00

I know, you're thinking "What? The half marathon was more than a week ago and you're just posting about it now? Here's a few options as to why it has taken me so long to post this. You can choose one.

1. My recovery affected my ability to think coherently.
2. I was waiting for my rockin cool race photos to get posted.
3. I had moved on and was prepping for Ragnar.
4. My lawyers advised me that if I wanted to win the nomination I had to wait.
5. I was swamped with television and radio appearances promoting my awesomeness.

Feel free to mix and match any of the above or come up with your own. I'm totally good with that.

The race went well. I paced the 1:50 group which meant I needed to maintain an 8:23 pace the whole course of the race. This pace is much closer to my actual race pace so I was anticipating this more than the Thanksgiving Point race.

The race started at 6:00 am which meant that I was getting up at 2:30 am in order to eat some breakfast, get showered and out the door. The last bus left the parking area at 4:30 and I wanted to be there in plenty of time to use the porta potties and be ready. This plan worked smoothly.

I had about 10 people that came up and said they'd be trying to keep up with me. I let everyone know that we'd be running at a slightly faster pace than what was listed to compensate for the couple of hills that we'd encounter on the way.

During the course of the race, I had a small group that stuck with me the whole distance. The course was really nice and had I been running this all out, I would easily be posting about a new PR. Since this is my fastest pacing time, maybe I should say it is a pacing pr?

Me in the bright shirt.

After the race, I grabbed a couple food items and caught the bus to head back to Fleet Feet in American Fork for my half marathon coaching group. It was their first 5 mile run. Around mile 3 of the 5 mile run, I tweaked my foot and ended up hobbling the last few miles.

Finally, here is the awesome race photo.

Running–It's What I Do

2011-06-08T20:38:00.000-06:00

I was asked the other day how I can ~~spend all my time watching movies via Netflix~~ do only one sport—running. I've been contemplating this. Here's a list of sports I've attempted:

P90X-too hard, too complicated, too many forms to fill out things to track, etc. Plus, when I start talking back to Tony as he is going through the exercises and laughing at the same joke over and over, then it's time to move on.
Swimming-I can't swim well and my ego gets in the way of taking lessons. I know I have talked about the possibility of a triathlon, but the thought of me in a speedo and swim cap just makes me shudder.
Basketball-hands, feet, dribble, run, guard. Again, way too complicated for me.
Biking-while appealing, I'd need to buy something better than the mountain bike that has gone through two winters in the backyard.
Weight training-I have a hard time understanding why this is even considered a sport. I always envision myself as a caveman in a rock lifting contest. I would be one that got squashed by the other caveman.
Baseball-I was always stuck in the outfield and my times on base were when I got hit by the ball.

Running on the other hand. I just have to do one thing–run. I don't have to catch anything, dribble anything (other than water as I'm attempting to get a drink), hit anything or pretend I'm a fish. I put on the shoes and run. It doesn't matter that I can't run in straight line or that anything more complicated than just running like drinking or opening a GU while running could get me pulled over for possible DUI if I were driving.

Getting out of the Country

2011-05-31T18:40:00.001-06:00

I've started a half dozen posts and the majority of them I must say are pretty funny. I get laughing just thinking about the posts. Then I sit down and all the humor drains from my fingers and the posts go nowhere fast. Here's what has been going on recently (in no particular order):

• Ran a 10k on Memorial Day. It was free if I didn't want a t-shirt. The first 3 1/2 miles were uphill which sucked. It was raining in the morning and I was unmotivated to go, but a friend was running and he guilted me into it. I finished in ~~36:54~~ 46:54which is a decent time. I didn't stick around for the prizes or giveaways, but my friend won a beanie and gloves.

• Deferred my Utah Valley Marathon entry to 2012. One week later, I got signed up to pace the 1:50 group for the half marathon. I'm liking the pacing gig...all the benefits of running without the stress of competition, looking to beat a PR, etc. and I get a medal for it and a lot of people telling me thanks. Can't go wrong there.

• Watched a late night episode of Dinner: Impossible where the guy had to cook three different complete meals that revolved around the Ironman theme. His meals revolved around water, running (legs) and bicycling (I can't remember what this one was...maybe road kill?) Anyway, I got thinking about triathlons and wondered if I could do one. All of a sudden I got that little thrill that I used to get when thinking about half marathons and full marathons. Only two road blocks. I don't swim well and the only bike I own is a mountain bike I bought from WalMart 6 years ago. My daughter who is 10 has taken it upon herself to join me in a quest to do a sprint tri and has offered to teach me to swim better. Who can pass up an offer like that?

• Really tired of the rain. We've had the wettest Spring EVER. There is still snow in the mountains. Some of the higher elevation ski resorts will be open on the 4th of July. We had 2 inches of rain just over the weekend. I generally don't mind the rain, but even I was starting to feel a little soggy. This week is clear and sunny. We're taking a quick trip to Vegas to celebrate my wife's grandfather's 85th birthday.

• The kids school 5k that I race directed turned out well. We made over $800 for the school library.

• The Lehi Roundup 5k/10k that I am race directing is burning a pretty good hole in my stomach. Directing a race with only 100 participants is one thing where the biggest prize is a pair of running shoes. Directing a race of over 400 with cash prizes and both a 5 and 10k is a totally different beast. I've been working to coordinate police, volunteer, sponsors, etc. I did manage to get out last week and run both courses. The course is much better than the one I ran on Memorial Day.

It was Yesterday

2011-05-13T20:51:00.002-06:00

I'm sitting in the gym/cafeteria of Renaissance Academy waiting the final orchestra concert of the season. The chairs are hard and fold out. Luckily this time, we won't be asked to put them away because there is a "Twelfth Night" performance later that night. The small stage is set up like you'd expect for an orchestra setting, but the background is set up like something from Camelot.

The orchestra members are sitting nervously as the orchestra director gives them a few last minute instructions. One chair is empty right up front. It reminds me of a jack-o-lantern that is missing its front tooth. Normally, I would be amused at this image, but instead I realize that the missing chair is where my son is supposed to be. I duck out into the hall looking for him and spot him escorting one of his friends down the hall. I jokingly chide him a little, but the girl he is escorting tells me that he ...is being a gentleman and escorting her and they won't start without him. What more can I say to that? I return to my seat wondering when this boy became a young man. After all, it was only yesterday that he was little.

It was yesterday that this boy sat on the porch of our small apartment with a straw in his mouth which was attached to a smoothie cup that was almost as tall as he was. It was yesterday that this boy got out of the car to go to first grade when a cute little girl from his class grabbed his hand and they walked hand in hand to class. It was yesterday that this boy spent hours upon hours in his room playing Legos and trains. It was yesterday that this boy picked up the violin for the first time and I kept reminding myself that "he would get better." It was yesterday that he said "I'm going to take Arabic next year for my language" and next year he may be going to Egypt for a semester.

It was yesterday that he had his final orchestra concert at the charter school he has attended for the past five years. This ~~boy~~ young man sat confident (being the only 9th grade student in the orchestra) dressed in his green bow tie (that he has learned to tie himself and adopted as his own personal style), white shirt, dark pants and the sports jacket that he has taken from my closet. It is only slightly larger than he is. He did "get better" at the violin.

Sans white shirt, but rockin' the bow tie.

He'll start his Sophomore year at the High School in the Fall. He'll be driving in 13 months. This same girl he escorted down the hall will be one of the girls he dates.

I'm sure it will be tomorrow when he graduates from High School, leaves on a mormon mission, goes to college and gets married.

For the moment though, he's still sitting on that porch drinking the smoothie that is as big as he is because after all, it was only yesterday.

Fake Navy Seal or Runner?

2011-05-10T22:03:00.000-06:00

Since the Bin Laden event that took place, the new craze is to be a Navy Seal. Everyone who is anyone is claiming to be a Seal. I'm considering going to the local Army/Navy surplus store to get my own gear just so I can be one of the "cool kids."

I came across this website that lists 10 ways to discover a fake Navy Seal. I was going through the categories and noticed a similarity to runners. Here's a list:

1. Camouflage Clothing Covered with Medals and Tridents=Running clothes and race medals

2. Doesn't Know His Class Number=Doesn't Know his Bib Number

3. Team 6=Team Name for Ragnar Relay

4. Doesn't remember the Details=After a really poor showing, my memory always gets a little fuzzy too

5. Emotional Glorification=Emotional Glorification (pretty self explanatory there)

6. Medal Talk=Medal Talk (Is there anything better than a medal? I think not)

7. Cannot Remember the Names of His Superiors=After a while all the names of the Elites in Runner's World run together

8. Advertising Killings=My last Ragnar I got 30+ kills. I put a tick mark for each one on the side of our vehicle.

9. No Female SEAL=One area that I could actually NOT get "chicked"

10. Know a Real SEAL to spot the Fake SEAL=If you don't meet at least 3/4 of these categories then you need to step up your running

I am a White Kenyan

2011-05-04T12:32:00.000-06:00

Apparently, the 9:33 pace was in the
fashion district. If only I had had my
zebra prints.

Half-marathon photos are back. Since the race wasn't about hitting a PR or anything, i've been wondering how to evaluate the race. I've decided to break it down as follows.

Race
Meeting the goal of staying on pace the entire time: A
Being able to run with a giant lollypop of a sign the whole time: A

Race Attire
Coordinating outfits: black hat, black pants, black gloves: B
Fit of outfits: B-
Overall attire selection: C+ (this could have been a higher rank if I would have been able to find my Nike head band. Instead I was sporting the thermal Gold's Gym hat I found on clearance at WalMart)

Race Theme
I AM A WHITE KENYAN (on the sign): A+

My First Official Race Pacing Experience

2011-04-30T18:53:00.000-06:00

This is a good example, kids, of why you shouldn't
drink and design a half marathon course.

Up until Friday morning, I was going to be at an aid station for the Thanksgiving Point Half Marathon. I didn't want to run the course because it looked like a confusing maze and I ~~get dizzy easy~~ was short the money needed to sign up. My sister and her husband were running and I felt it would be great to be able to cheer them on.

I never was very good about matching.

Thursday night I received a message from a friend looking for pacers for the race. He had a 1:45, 2:10 and 2:30 finish time available. Having ~~spent the week blaming my lack of running on my shins~~ spent the week recovering, I needed to get a run in before attempting this. By the morning he only had 2:30 left and I ~~would rather slit my wrists~~ felt this pace was too slow for me to hold the whole time. I told him if he had a time closer to 2:00 I would be interested. When I finished my run, I had a message telling me there was a 2:05 open. I accepted.

The price was perfect–FREE! We met Friday night to register, go over some pacing tips and then where we'd meet the next day. Saturday morning, we woke to 2 inches of snow on the ground and overcast skies. We met at the race start, got our signs and made our way to the starting line.

My sign was modified from a faster time. On the front where it has the per minute pace, it says "I Am A White Kenyan." That phrase got a lot of people laughing and seems somewhat ironic.

Makes a father proud!

My son went in my place to the aid station ~~out of the kindness of his heart and because he is full of unconditional love toward his dad~~ because I promised I'd buy him replacement ear buds after the race. His station was handing out GU so I told him to save me some. He did!

I finished the race in 2:04:44 and have been invited to participate with the group again. I'm going to spend some time working on my half marathon pace to see if that will also translate into a better marathon time also. It was a fun way to spend a Saturday morning.

Video Thursday

2011-04-28T13:55:00.002-06:00

How could I pass this up? I'll be anxiously waiting ~~at WalMart~~ at the nearby fragrance counter for this to come out. I knew I was always missing out on something at the office.

Bank President for a Day

2011-04-25T21:26:00.000-06:00

When I started college, I had a dream career. My dream was to be an architect. I loved to see building constructed, liked the design aspect of it, enjoyed drafting and art. I felt like this would be a perfect fit. Reality struck me fast and hard when I failed College Algebra twice before passing it. I received a C+ in Physics 101 and graciously bowed out of Physics 201 while I still could. Math and Science are not my strong points. My career path changed from Architecture to Graphic Design and here I am today. Graphic Design Professional with my own business.

The benefits of being my own boss is that I can work when I want and go for ice cream whenever I want. If I feel like running at 11:00 am then I can. Of course, the downside to being my own boss is that if I don't work, I don't eat. I have no built-in benefits. The absolute biggest boon to my career is that I am available to my kids. I've been on a plethora of field trips where I get to ~~run wild down the halls~~ be chaperone. In this instance, I got to be the Bank President.

It's a smaller branch, but were were
plotting the takeover of the rival bank.

Apparently, there is a little known city called "JA Biztown" right in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. In fact, I ran right by it as I finished the Salt Lake City Marathon.

The fifth grade at my daughter's school have been learning all about business and they got to go to JA Biztown for the day to get some hands-on experience at being a "grown up." I on the other hand ~~being the tallest kid in the fifth grade~~ was given the opportunity last Thursday to oversee the kids working in on of the banks of JA Biztown. Although my pay was only one JA Biztown Dollar and an all-day parking validation, I did get to ~~experience the joy of having minions~~ be the chief for a day.

The CFO was obviously
strategizing how to wring
more money out of the
businesses.

The bank employees consisted of a CEO, CFO, 2 Tellers and a Savings Manager. First thing we did in the morning was ~~lock each other in the vault~~ approve loans to the various businesses. Our CEO was a real watchdog. If the paperwork wasn't in order, she rejected the loan and sent them packing. The CFO caught on quick and had the bank payroll in the employees hands. We decided our motto was "At Zion's Bank, we pay ourselves first."

The daughter (right) as
she promoted her business
via the local tv studio

With my one dollar in hand, I went and bought a package of cookies from the JA Biztown store. At the end of the day, we earned back all our loan money plus interest.

At the end of the day, I decided that I liked having ~~people to boss around~~ being the bank president, but it was a lot more work than what I am willing to invest. I'll stick with design.

Salt Lake City Marathon Recap

2011-04-18T14:48:00.000-06:00

On Saturday, I finished the Salt Lake City Marathon. After months of training and anticipation, I was ready for this race. The only concern I had was whether or not my being sick for a week would put a serious dent in my plan.

I'll sum of the race rather than doing a play by play.

What went well:

Starting slower and giving my legs some time to warm up.
Using the Honeybucket before the race even though the gun had gone off.
Focusing on continuing to run even when everything said "stop".
Having my wife there at the finish line and supporting me in my efforts!!
Feeling the sense of accomplishment from finishing.
Hydrating well the week of the race.

What didn't work so well:

Getting to the starting line later than planned. This happened because the light rail shuttle had mechanical problems.
Having a slightly upset stomach that didn't allow me to fuel well before the race.
Drinking so much that I had to pee during the race.
Slowing down rather than pushing it to the max.

In the end, the race course was a lot more hilly than I anticipated. My 13 mile split was 1:50 which was exactly where I wanted to be for my time. The last 13 however was 2:05 which put me way over. A couple of the factors that led to the long second split included:

Lack of being able to eat well before the race.
Stopping to stretch my shins and mile 16.
Stopping for Honeybucket at mile 17.
Slowing down before I really needed too.
In part...not being able to taper very well. I went from a stellar last week of training to nothing because of sickness.

I finished the race in 3:55:50 which was better than my 4:30 performance last fall, but off of my 3:40 goal.

The post-race offerings were good and the race medal was the best of the three years I have participated (either in the half or the full).

I doubt I will ever do the SLC Full Marathon again, but it was a nice to have it done. Because of a not-so-great finish, I get to revisit my training plan for my next race in June.

Pre-Marathon Thoughts and Expo Review

2011-04-15T16:19:00.000-06:00

I've decided that the Salt Lake City Marathon must be the black hole of all marathon Expos. I read about all the cool Expos around the country and the ton of free swag that people get even in the small marathons. So why can Salt Lake City not get a decent Expo? I'm a bit perplexed. They have the participant count to put on a decent show, but it's mediocre. Here's what I picked up at the Expo today and my thoughts on the gear.

Shirt: Decent shirts. I rarely wear the shirt on the race, but will use the shirt for day to day running.
Bib with chip: The chip is embedded in the bib so I don't have to worry about returning a chip. PLUS
Miscellaneous flyers: typical fair for a race
Bag for the gear: Looks like they forgot to tell Dick's that if they put in a decent bag, I'd think more of their company. It's a lousy bag that is supposed to double as my drop bag. I'll be bringing something different along.

I think I got more gear at my last 5K...lame.

That's it...not even a sample sun screen, body glide or chap stick. In addition to the ~~High Quality~~ gear, I did pick up the following and what it costed me:

Sports bottle by the local Mega Medical Giant IHC (cost me my email address)
Shoulder bag from GMC Buick. This is probably the best item at the expo and it only cost me my ~~soul~~ contact information for a local dealer.
Timer from Minute Rice. I spun the wheel, won the timer. They asked if I wanted a box of rice instead and I declined feeling the value.
T-shirt from the Cedar City Half Marathon. These people are super nice and gave us a 2 for 1 coupon. The downfall is that their race conflicts with another fall race I have.

In the end, the Expo was lame. I also was looking forward to buying some shorts from Nordic Track, but they sold out of them during the past season and didn't have any available. Guess I'll have to shop around.

Marathon Goals

I've been reading about the marathon and deciding on a race strategy. I'm determined to get a PR out of this race and not just a minute or two minute PR, but a Smashing under 3:40 minute finish PR.

To do this, I must be able to go out strong and steady, not overly fast yet not too slow. This equates to the following: Mile 1-3: Start slower and maintain my long run/easy run pace of 8:45. Miles 4-20 pick up the pace to 8:15. Miles 21-26.2: Keep going and maintain a 8:30 or faster pace knowing that I'll be feeling the weight of the miles at this point.

I've done a good job of staying hydrated this week and keeping my carb intake at an ~~all-time high~~ respectable but slightly higher amount.

My taper has not been stellar, but it hasn't been non-existent either. I spent a week sick with a chest cold and only got in a 8.5 mile run on Saturday and a 3 mile run on Tuesday. I've been rolling the shins and stretching daily. I also plan to do a little more warm up than I usually do at the starting line.

I've considered slipping a $20 bill in one of my socks in case I need to pull the "biggest loser marathon" maneuver which would include me bribing the SWAG and feign injury in exchange for them dropping me off 5 miles further down the course. I haven't ever had to do this, but it's good to be prepared.

Green Jello with Carrots

2011-04-01T18:39:00.000-06:00

Tasty...growing up, this was my moms choice
of desserts.

My legs are feeling wobbly tonight...kind of like a big old mold of green jello with bits of peeled carrots scattered throughout. I took on my twenty mile run today.

I set out to vanquish the course that has plagued me twice. The first time, I almost froze to death on the course. The second time, I gave blood the day before and that wasn't a wise decision. I was out for pay back.

I almost postponed my twenty to next week because I have had this chest congestion and cough that are related to allergies. I knew however, if I postponed the run, I probably wouldn't get it done. I donned my running clothes first thing this morning, took the kids to school and headed to the starting spot.

Instead of parking at the top of the hill at the point of the mountain, I parked at the 6 mile spot at the bottom of the route. This was going to be my midway point. I chose to run up to the top of the mountain first thing while my legs were fresh. The weather was perfect. It was a little chilly to start with, but once I got out in the sun, I warmed up really quick. I'm glad I left the jacket in the van. About two miles into the trail I passed by the dinosaur. It had been decorated with Easter Eggs with some large ones underneath. I wondered if this was the Prehistoric Easter Bunny. Maybe the Prehistoric people didn't have bunnies so instead of bunnies pooping out easter eggs, they had dinosaurs.

At mile 5.5 I reached the end of the gate. I was planning on running another 1/2 mile past the gate to where I usually park, but they had some pretty big signs blocking the gate. I turned around at this point and headed back down the hill. Another trail splits off this one and since I was a little a head on my projected distance so I took this alternate route to see if it would add a little length by the time it looped back. It only added a 1/4 mile. Arriving back to my starting spot I explored a few other roads to get the distance in before connecting up to a trail that continues north.

I turned around at mile 17.75 to go back to the van. I got back with a little more than 1/2 left so I zig zagged a little and ran around the park to get in the last 1/2 mile. In the end, my time was 2 hours 50 minutes putting my average pace around 8:30. I'm pushing for an 8:11 average at the Salt Lake City Marathon so this was encouraging.

Tomorrow I'm meeting up with some friends for a casual 7.5 to 8 mile run.

Shins be damned. I'm still going to run 20.

2011-03-31T20:49:00.000-06:00

That pretty much sums it up. Three weeks before the Salt Lake City Marathon. I'm committed to making this last week of training a solid one before I taper. I put in a 20+ mile run at the beginning of March, then had two half marathons and now I'm almost tapering. Yesterday I went to the Gym to do a tempo run on the treadmill because the weather was so lousy and cold. I ended up doing intervals on the track. Today, my shins have been really sore.

I've never had shin problems before and it's really bugging me. Tomorrow I am running the route that has twice kicked my butt. I'm feeling ~~a bit masochistic~~ that it's time to beat this route once and for all. My Saturday and Sunday are booked so there will be no time to get in a 20 mile run. The weather is supposed to be gorgeous Friday and Saturday so i'm taking advantage of it.

The Weekend in Bright Colors

2011-03-28T13:58:00.000-06:00

My next race after the Shamrock Half Marathon was to be the Salt Lake City Marathon. Last Saturday was supposed to be my last 20+ mile run before starting a taper this week. All this changed last Wednesday.

I slowed down at the end of the race
to finish with my sister.

My sister called me and asked if I would pace her for the Riverton Half Marathon coming up 3 days later. She was hoping to beat her time from last year, but wanted someone to push her along. She offered to pay my entry fee if I'd just stick with her the whole time at her pace instead of my own. Since I have three weeks to the Marathon, I agreed to run with her.

The course has a few steep hills but for the most part, it is a relatively fast course. Our pace was slow compared to what I am used to, but she enjoyed the opportunity to ~~shower with me with awe and praise~~ pepper me with questions about training. I went into the race trying to bring the essence of Bob and Jillian from The Biggest Loser into my encouragement to her as we ran. I wonder if the other runners in the race wondered why this guy kept yelling "Come on...bring it...last chance workout" and "1 more mile! Just give me one more MILE!"

We finished the race in 2:49:47 which was about a minute short of her time from last year, but she was happy with her finish though. It was fun to run the whole course with her and to add another medal to my board.

I think I may be missing
a little orange

Nephew with oldest daughter

Following the race, the wife and I decided to take the kids to the Festival of Colors which was happening at the Hari Krishna temple about 20 minutes from our house. Because there was an expected crowd of 30,000 people, we had to park a few miles away. It was either walk to the event or ride the bus. We opted to walk to the event which was a nice way to keep my legs loose.

The Biggest Medal Ever Marathon

2011-03-24T12:17:00.001-06:00

In my office, I have a board with my race medals and many of my bibs scattered around the board. My wife was admiring my board the other day and told me that my Ragnar medal was by far the biggest of the medals. I agreed with her assessment and mentioned that because I'll be running both the Wasatch Back Ragnar and the Las Vegas Ragnar that I'll be getting two medals instead of the usual one. Why am I excited about the idea?

Because it's all about the medal.

After my legs recover and i've tossed the promotional material that comes in the race bags, the only thing left is the t-shirt, the bib and the medal. T-shirt goes in the drawer and will be used occasionally in training runs. The bib will become a background element or go in the other drawer.

The medal on the other hand......the medal is the center piece on my board. It is the holy grail of running. I'm in it for the medal...the bigger the better. It's my belt buckle, my olympic medal, my reason for dragging my butt out the door.

I'm throwing off the misconception that I'm running ~~for fitness, for the thrill of competition, for the excitement of pushing my limits~~ for anything other than the medal at the end of the race.

My idea of a good race would be "The Biggest Medal Ever Marathon." This would be the race for me. No illusions over what I'll be getting at the end of the race.

Shamrock Half Marathon Race Report

2011-03-23T08:30:00.000-06:00

If you look at my March racing statistics is similar to a no. 12 seed in the NCAA tournament. Last March, I almost froze to death on a 20 mile run and I also got my current 1/2 Marathon PR. The race could go both ways.Chances are that they are going to crash and burn when going up against the no. 5 seed, but if there is going to be a breakthrough performance, this is where it is going to happen. Despite the overwhelming odds, the 12-seed is not going down without a battle.

This is what I was envisioning my race would be like.

The goal going into the Shamrock Half Marathon was to take on the course and get a new PR. The Shamrock course is not an easy race. It starts with hills, it has hills in the course and ends with hills. I've run the course twice in the course of my coaching and individual training. In perfect conditions, this course is tough. Saturday, however was not perfect conditions.

The Saturday forecast called for a break between storms. A storm came through and ended Friday. Another storm was scheduled to move in Saturday afternoon/evening with the winds picking up. The temperatures were dropping faster than a Jimmer shot from behind the 3-point line .

This is more what it felt like.

The race started behind a middle school and ran for 100 yards onto the road. This 100 yards was a delight. The wind was calm, the temperature not too bad. Then the race began. At this point, the wind was at 30 mph coming from the South East. Which meant that for 4 miles the wind was to my back, but for 9 it was either right in front or coming from the side.

At times I kept wondering if I was even running. By the finish, I was spent, but surprisingly my finish was 1:47:51...only 5 minutes off a PR. My average pace was 8:13 which is only 3 seconds off my goal pace for the upcoming marathon.

Reasons for Relays

2011-03-18T09:17:00.000-06:00

Last year I ran my first Relay. I had heard people talk about them and the fun they were. The reoccurring comment has been "I had a really great time except for the running." After participating in two relays, I have to concur. The opportunity to be teamed up with fellow runners with for 30-40 hours ~~can be a very smelly experience~~ is a great experience. Plus, there is always great scenery involved and ~~the opportunity to wear a costume when its not Halloween,~~ meeting runners from all over without the seriousness of competition.

This year, I've signed up for the Wasatch Back Ragnar, Epic Relay and Las Vegas Ragnar. The downside to a Relay is the cost involved. A typical Marathon will cost between $75-$150 for the registration. So far, all of my marathons have been within driving distance so there hasn't been any need for a hotel. With a relay however, there is the registration, the gas involved, the food for the trip, the possible hotels. I spend an additional $200 on average in addition to the relay registration.

Is it worth the extra price involved? Absolutely. I'll sign up in a heartbeat.

Is anyone running an relays?

Comment Word Verification

2011-03-17T21:24:00.000-06:00

I've gone back and forth on this, but i've finally come to the conclusion that any chinese porn spammer that wants to comment on my post is fine with me. Considering that my comment ratio is at an all time low. I'm thinking that if I get more comments it will attract more followers. I'm working on some new strategies to get more followers. More followers=more stuff ~~for me~~ that I can give away to people.

So, feel free to comment away. Do I care if you are a real person or not? Not anymore.

Friday Musings for March-Because I'll probably Forget Next Week to write something

2011-03-11T13:56:00.000-07:00

Camping
Sure enough, It's Friday. Normally I'd be all excited and geared up for today, but I'm not. You see, I get to go on a Scout Campout. I am the 11 year old scout leader for my church and while I enjoy hanging with the boys, I'm not much of a camper—especially in winter.

Two weeks ago, we were going to go on this campout, but then a storm came in and we opted out. I was praying for another storm, but alas my faith obviously isn't enough to move a mountain because all I got was some clouds and light rain. The good thing though is that the weather has moved out of the 30s and into the 50s which means it won't be as extremely cold as it would have been two weeks ago.

20 mile run
Due to the upcoming campout, I pushed up my 20 mile run to Thursday. The forecast said the temperatures would be in the 60s and there were right on. The weather was ideal. I wore a long sleeve shirt and shorts, but probably could have gotten away with a short sleeve shirt. I ran from my home to my parent's home which via the freeway is only 8 miles, but as any runner can tell you, 8 miles can easily be turned into 20 with a little work. I got a later start than I wanted because of a last minute project that needed to get to Kinkos. I wore my larger fuel belt which can hold more GU and water. It felt like I had added 10 lbs to my weight. I had three substantial hills in the route. I made it through two of the three without having to walk for any of it. The last one was just too long and steep.

My hope going into the run was that I would be able to hold my goal marathon pace for 10+ miles of the run. Alas, it didn't happen. I did get it around 8:30 pace which isn't too bad, but not the 8:00 pace that I wanted.

Today, I am feeling sore in my left ankle/shin area but glad I got my run handled. Next week is the end of my coaching with the Shamrock Half Marathon. The following week after that is my next 20 mile run and then I start a taper to the mid-April race.

Return to High School

My son registered for 10th grade last night. I can tell he's apprehensive about it. He's been in a K-9 charter school since 5th grade so this is a big change. At the same time, he's excited to take on the High School experience. After we listened to the intro session about High School, the kids had the opportunity to go and visit clubs,sports, teachers, etc. and find out more about High School opportunities. One of the first places we visited was the Cross Country table. Two kids were there and really excited that he was interested. They said that they'll start training in June and to put his contact information on the paper at the table...tada...he's signed up. They don't have try-outs. I'm excited for him because being involved in sports in High School is a ~~good way to pick up girls~~ good way to round out his experience. We then visited the other areas.. debate, AP History, Orchestra, etc... they don't offer the Arabic Foreign Language option at the High School ~~because they are lame.~~ They offer the typical Spanish, French, German...

To Dog or Not To Dog...

2011-03-07T19:02:00.001-07:00

As far back as I can remember, there has been a dog in my life. When I was 5 or 6, my dad owned two Irish Setters. I remember clearly being taken for a walk by these two dogs that were taller than me and weighed more than me. The most memorable was when the dogs came running back into the yard, but instead of running through the opening where a gate would go, they both ran through the small gap between the gate pole and the fence pole, thus slamming me into the main pole.

Then there was Sara. Sara was a Golden Retriever that my dad bought for me when I was 14. Unfortunately, my father didn't take into account that the girl who lived two houses down from us was also named Sara. I always ~~enjoyed calling for Sara just when the neighbor girl would come outside~~ felt a little bad for the girl when I would go out into the backyard and call for Sara to go for a walk. Unfortunately, our back yard was not conducive to the size of the Golden Retriever. I came home from school one day to find out that Sara had been given to a farmer in the area who was looking for a dog and had lots of land.

I am now grown, have kids of my own who have never experienced a dog except for the occasional stray that has come over. We've had more than one neighbor dog who my children have adopted. We'll be finishing our fence this year and the next thing that comes up in the conversation is how soon and what kind of dog we'll get. I'm not sure if I am ready to become a dog owner again. I'm open to the idea of raising a dog who can accompany me on my runs. It's an appealing idea. After all, the dog would be my wingman, just like Goose and Maverik.

On the other hand, visions of Where the Red Fern Grows comes to mind, followed by Old Yeller and Marley and Me come up. How could I possibly own a dog in these instances? After all, what would I do per chance I am running and my dog has to fight off a mountain lion and ends up becoming beef jerky? I couldn't take that. At the same time, we watched My Dog Skip over the weekend and while it was heart warming and the dog didn't get run over, die of cancer or anything else like that it did in the end pass away. I had just gotten over this movie when my latest copy of Runner's World came today. What was the first article right at the front of the issue? The editor's note about his dog dying. How can I possibly compete with this? What kind of life would I bringing into my house. Not to mention, what would I do now that my back lawn is finally growing grass instead of clover.

Does anyone have a good non-dog dying story?

New Recipe for Breakfast Before 13 Miles

2011-03-06T17:36:00.000-07:00

What has 692 calories, 18 g fat, 113 g carbohydrates, 692 calories, and 28 g protein? My breakfast yesterday morning before a 17 mile run.

I like sleep. Especially on the weekends. I dislike waking up when I don't have to take anyone to be anywhere or take anyone anywhere. As a result, I wait until the last minute to get out of bed for my long run. I also wait until the last minute to eat something for breakfast. It usually looks like a Peanut Butter Jelly Sandwich with a protein drink on the side. This week I purposely got up early to test out a new breakfast concept.

Clearly this photo would look much better
had I taken it before adding the yogurt.

I received an email earlier in the week from Active.com for an "Unbeatable Breakfast". It had a testimonial from Ironman Chrissie Wellington touting this breakfast. I was in an adventurous mood this week so I picked up the multitude of ingredients. On Friday evening, I started to put all the ingredients together. The first thing I noticed was that it can't fit in a normal size container. I had to get out a ~~feed bag~~ mixing bowl to fit all the ingredients. The wife and kids looked at my prepared meal ~~calculating which of my personal belonging they would get if I died from this~~ in wonder at how much food was there.

It took me about 30 minutes to get through the meal because I ~~was busy on facebook~~ I wanted to give myself a head start on digesting. Surprisingly my body took this new meal in stride with no complaint. After the meal, I was full, but not busting at the seams. I started the run feeling no slow-down or sluggishness. Midway through the run, I did an internal check of where I was for energy and I still felt good. It wasn't until about mile 14 did I start to feel like I needed something to keep going. After I got home from the run and was prepping my ice bath, I noticed that while I was hungry, I wasn't starving.

New pre-run breakfast now on the books.

16 Miler Weekend

2011-02-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

The forecast for the weekend called for a winter storm which meant my Saturday long run became questionable. There was the possibility of running indoors, but the thought of 16 miles on a treadmill was daunting.

Thursday night: Winds pick up, gusts of over 30 mph
Friday morning: 6 inches of snow on my driveway. Definitely not looking good for Saturday.
Friday 5:00 pm: Snow has stopped, temps got up to 43 degrees, snow has melted. Forecast calls for part 2 of the storm to come through in the early morning. I'm thinking maybe I can get in a run between the storm. If the roads are clear, I can handle running through a snowstorm as long as it is not a white-out.
Saturday 5:00 am: I wake up for some reason. I get up to check outside. There is a little snow, but it isn't snowing and the roads are clear.
Saturday 6:00 am: I'm up, showering and having breakfast
Saturday 7:30 am: I'm on the road. There is a little bit of wind and snow, but not much. Things are looking good.

The rest of the run was uneventful, occasional gusts of wind, some snow patches, but in the end 16.65 miles done. My average pace was 9:03 which is under the 9:15 that I should be at for my training.

Boston Fever?

2011-02-21T18:04:00.000-07:00

After a strong winter of continued running, I started toying with the idea of getting a Boston Qualifying time this year. My training has been solid. The course I chose is a faster course which gives me a bit of an edge. Things were looking hopeful if I continued on the same path.

I returned home on Thursday after a solid Interval run. After a shower, I sat down to compose an email to the 1/2 marathon group I coach. I pulled up a few blogs to discover that the Boston Athletic Association changed the qualifying registration process for 2012 and the times for 2013.

My first reaction looked something like this.

After spending some time digesting this, I think I have come to the following conclusion.

It's their race and they can do whatever they want.

I could go on and on about how the BAA is similar to the BCS system in their catering to the elite runners and ruining the sport for those who struggle and work their butts off just to qualify, but I won't. If someone really wants to thumb their nose at the Boston Marathon, there are 5 other states (Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Virginia) that offer a city named Boston....surely someone could create a marathon there.

Directionally Impaired

2011-02-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

Being the half marathon coach for a group of beginners has its challenges. One of the biggest challenges is that I have to plan the routes for the Interval running and also for the long runs. For the common person, that doesn't seem like a big deal. However, I struggle with this process because I tend to be rather directionally impaired when running. When I run on my own, I will take new routes and paths simply to break up the monotony of running the same route from my house. It rarely matters to me if on an easy run I do 6 miles or 6 1/2 miles. One of the benefits of living in Utah is that the streets and cities are laid out on a grid that revolve around two major streets—main street (which runs east and west) and state street (which ones north and south). Going off this grid rarely do I get lost.

When I am coaching, however I am dealing with runners who haven't run as much or as often. For many of them, the distance we are running is the longest they have ever run. I work to keep to the plan.

Map #1 Original Plan

On Saturday, the plan called for 8 miles. The route was relatively flat versus the past few weeks that had a few hills. Map 1 shows the route we were scheduled to take. The route planned for a loop through some of the more rural parts of the city. There were two hills at the beginning of the route to over the freeway and then flat after that.

The run started as planned and we made it over the few hills and through the first few turns. The problem came at the bottom of the map where there is a small run and then turns into a long stretch. Unfortunately the streets aren't marked well because they cross into county roads and also criss crosses over into another city.

Map #2 Finished plan

That's where the problem begins. Didn't see the turn. We kept running. By the time we made it back to a major intersection, I knew we would not be able to finish the back loop and still keep the run to 8 miles. You'd think–no problem– just cut across and go back. This is exactly what we did, but going back meant crossing the same two hills we hit on the way out. In the end, the route ended up being 8.6 miles.

My running group are learning very quickly that running with me means that just because we have a map, doesn't mean we'll stick to the map.

The Wheel vs the Cage

2011-02-03T17:41:00.000-07:00

Lately, the weather has been too cold for my tastes to run outside. We recently renewed our gym membership so I have no excuse to not run. When I go to the gym I have the choice of the cages (area for free weights or machines) or the Hamster Wheel (track). Depending on the time of day I go, I get to see a whole host of interesting people.

The morning crew (8:00 am -10:00 am) of people include old retirees who get in for free (there is a Senior center connected to the facility and a retirement home next door), moms with strollers, people who would normally be outside if it's cold out....like me.

The evening crew (4:00 pm - 9:00 pm) consists of kids who should be down in the gym, kids whose parents have made the upstairs their own private day care facility, couples who like to walk and talk, teens who like to walk, talk and talk or text on their cell phone.

Neither option is ideal for running on the Wheel.

Hamster Wheel (aka the Track): The wheel is on the second level around the outside of the top level with the cages and other workout rooms in the center. It overlooks the 4 different basketball gyms below.

As I run, I see the people in the cages, just like a guard who paces by the prison cells sees the prisoners. The rooms with the machines and weights are surrounded by a fence type structure that looks like something from the prison supply store.

To pass the time, I tend to track who is doing what in the two cages. First, I notice who is wearing a race shirt to see if I've run the same race. Then I track what machines people migrate too. My internal conversation degrades over time.

Lap 1 Machine Cage: "Anorexic looking guy who i've seen at a variety of races..going faster than I ever have and probably has no girlfriend","Old-guy white xyz race top is on the climbing machine looking like he's about to pass out", and "green shirt guy is on the bike".

Lap 1 Free Weight Cage: "big guy, black tank looking like he's going to burst a major vein in his neck", "tough looking chick I'd not want to meet in a dark alley"

Lap 12 Machine Cage: "That anorexic guy is now on the stair climber...he's an animal and really has no life." "Old-guy is finishing up and looking good" "Green shirt guy didn't last long on the bike and has migrated through 3 other machines...this is not the place to be picking up chicks"

Lap 12 Weight Cage: "Big Guy is chatting with the tough biker chick looking girl. It's the guns...unlike green shirt guy in the other cage."

Lap 24 Machine Guy: "Hey Green shirt guy...get a life already. Go get a membership at Gold's..there are no HOT chicks at the city rec center""Anorexic guy...yeah the sign says 60 min max on the treadmill for a reason...go find yourself a girl somewhere."

Lap 24 Weight Cage: "Yeah biker chick girl could definitely kick green shirt guys trash. That'd be an interesting cage fight..wonder if we can set it up."

Lap 32: ah blah blah blah...green...blahh...my naaammmee is.....hmmm...is this ever going to end?

Usually by lap 40 or even 48 I've given up on the fact that I'll ever be able to leave.

I'm ready for Spring.

Impulse Marathons

2011-02-01T22:08:00.000-07:00

In December, I made a list of marathons and half marathons that I would like to run this year. In January, I looked at my budget for the upcoming year and started scratching off the races that I wasn't passionate about running. I had the Salt Lake City Half Marathon on the list, but then I was going to skip it for another half that is only 10 minutes from my house.

Then I got an email from Active.com with a coupon for $15 off the Marathon or Half Marathon. I put it on my "to be considered" list until I saw a post from a friend who said she's running the half. Next thing I know, my "to be considered" is now "actively considering" the half. This would be my third time running this race. I know the course well and know about the leg killing climb 2 miles before the finish. Do I really want to run the half again? I get thinking "what if I run the full marathon?" And "what would my training schedule be?" I printed off a schedule from Runner's World and discovered that I already am running the routine it set. In fact, I'm pushing harder to meet my goal of a BQ in June.

Tuesday morning I got online, filled out the form and submitted my registration for the full marathon.

There is a point in the race where the marathon and half marathon split. The half does a U-turn and runs on the other side of the road (there is a concrete island dividing the street) for a 1/2 mile. The marathon continues straight. I always get thinking at this point "I'm sure glad I'm only doing the half." I wonder if this year I'll be thinking "man, I wish I was running the half.." Ahh well, maybe I could resurrect my "cause" for this race.

I'm Not a Jogger

2011-01-31T11:50:00.000-07:00

I ran across a Pearl Izumi poster entitled Runners Are Not Joggers. I've pondered on this question myself whenever I go to the track or to the gym.

When I started running, I went from nothing to running. I didn't go from nothing to exercise to jogging to running. I bypassed any in-between steps and jumped right into running. I don't know how to jog.

The words in my running conversations include "intervals" "tempo runs" "paces", etc. I don't think joggers use these words. I believe that jogging is somewhat similar to an easy run, but at a slower pace and for shorted distances. For instance, I have never heard anyone say they went for a "3 mile jog" or "long jog" Instead they just say that they "went jogging". I used the words "went for a run," but this implies that there was some distance involved and that I was staying at a certain pace.

An article I read commented that jogging was anything over a 9 minute pace, but I think it is more defined by goals involved. Jogging does not involve races. Even someone who doesn't run a 9 minute mile could still be defined as a runner if he/she is involved in racing. Racing requires a dedicated effort to achieve.

I have no disrespect for Joggers. They are making a conscious effort in keeping themselves healthy, but I don't think I'll ever be one.

Chew Before You Breathe

2011-01-29T14:07:00.032-07:00

The theme for the month of January in Utah is Fog/Smog/Haze. You turn on the news to listen to the weather and the words "inversion","haze", "smog", etc. are used probably used in the same quantity of tooth whitener that was used on the overly cheerful meteorologist's teeth. It's a daily word and I'm sure that the weather people can only put a positive spin on it so far before it just gets old. I tell my children to make sure that they chew before they breathe.

Today's weather must have matched my mood because when the alarm went off at 6:30 am I definitely did not feel the burning desire to leap out of bed and into the shower. It could possibly be related to the large popcorn and 32 oz soda that I had instead of a meal last night, but instead I am attributing this lack of enthusiasm to the weather.

I got out of bed, looked out the window and grimaced. The tell tale signs of an impending foggy morning was out. The slighty hazy sky, the overly frosted over car windows. The forecast called for mid-40s which gave me hope that maybe, just maybe our run would be in above freezing temps. Seeing the status of the weather, I pulled out the extra layers.

Why are there no clothing options that say "fogproof" or "haze resistant" on them? Is it because fog is so microscopic that it penetrates even the tightest of fabric? Or is it that someone just hasn't figured the marketing potential out on this fabric? If the running store offered a running jacket that was "fogresistant" and "waterproof" I would be first in line.

I arrived at the meeting spot and the conditions had not improved much. When I stepped out of the van, I realized that no amount of layers was going to make a difference today. It was the bitter, wet, foggy cold that penetrates every layer I have. My mizuno gloves are NOT fogproof.

The fog got thicker and thicker as we ran until we had climbed enough that we emerged from the fog like a pack of college football players emerging from the stadium tunnel. It was breathtaking. In fact, I think I took my first real breath of the run at that point.

We turned around at mile 4 and enjoyed a mile of fog-free running. My fingers had warmed up, I unzipped my jacket and was getting into a groove. At mile 5, we hit the wall and immediately I zipped back up my jacket, rubber my hands together and grimaced. By mile 8, we couldn't see more than 20 feet in front of us. The usual post-run chatter didn't happen. Instead it was jump in the car, turn on the heater and wave good bye to the others.

I'm glad February is almost here.

Running Around...Literally.

2011-01-28T18:01:00.000-07:00

Last week I logged 32 miles in my running. I'm on track to meet or exceed this. My life recently has spun into a routine that revolves around running. Here's what's currently on my list.

1. Training for upcoming races. I am working toward qualifying for Boston by my June marathon.
2. Assisting my son in his running. He's planning on joining the cross-country team in the fall and run his first half-marathon in the late spring. This assistance involve me going to the track with him and running in addition to my regular training.
3. I am working with the local Fleet Feet store in coaching their half-marathon training group. They were looking for volunteers and I felt this was a good opportunity to give back. On Tuesday and Saturday I get to share ~~my vast wealth of running expertise, my vast knowledge of useless information~~ my love of the sport with others.
4. Race director for Renaissance Academy Race for Literacy. This is the third year i've run this race for my kids' school. This year I have a host of volunteers which ~~drives the control freak in me crazy~~ makes it easy.
5. Race director for the city celebration in June. I opened my mouth last year and offered some feedback to the 2010 race. Guess what that got me? An invitation to put my butt on the line and do better.

I currently have two training schedules on my running board. The first is the schedule for the Half-marathon training group that I am coaching. The second is my marathon training.

While there are days that I am doing two runs in the day and looking for sponsors during down times with my business, I am enjoying my days. I'm enjoying the feeling of tight calves and the little aches and pains associated with my increasing mileage.

The next question is whether I will survive this continued training schedule. We'll see....

What Am I Supposed to Do Now? Cancer to Gemini

2011-01-14T14:20:00.000-07:00

According to the latest horoscope news my sign has changed from Cancer to Gemini. This new little bit of information has me as confused as a runner coming off a snow-covered trail only to discover that he missed a turn somewhere. My running has been thrown off also. For instance, today my horoscope with Cancer is:

You may wonder if you're losing your memory today. You might have the strange feeling that there was something you had to do but can't quite remember what. Don't worry about it, Cancer.

With this reasoning I could totally "forget" about running today and instead of feeling guilty about it, I could just chalk it up to my horoscope.

But now that has all changed. As a Gemini this is what I am supposed to be about:

The best way to relieve the jumpiness is to get some exercise - at least take a walk.

See? Now what I supposed to do? I've been living a carefree life as a Cancer centered runner and now I'm supposed to just turn into a Gemini centered runner? Just like that? There was no notice!

I attempted to express my feelings via my Facebook page. I was told a variety of options ranging from "it's a bunch of hooey" to "Live life like it's my last day alive". While I can picture myself going out for a run on my last day, I doubt it would be anything serious. In fact, I think it would fun to just "kill over" in the middle of one of my running paths...but that has to be a story for another day.

If it were my last day, it would look something like this...

Have a nice weekend.

New Years Day Freeze Your Butt Off 1/2 Marathon

2011-01-05T08:43:00.000-07:00

At 6:30 am on Saturday January 1, I dragged myself out of bed. I stood by my alarm clock looking down and the pile of running clothes, back to clock, back to my warm bed, back to my clothes and sighed. I was up, I paid the money for this, I might as well go. Starting the new year off with a DNS would not be a good sign.

After a warm shower, I started putting on the layers of clothing. Tights, shorts, tights, long sleeve shirt, short sleeve shirt, thin pair socks, long pair of mid calf socks, shoes...then it was in for a light breakfast. I turned on my iphone to check the weather....3 degrees..."Oh Da@#" I thought to myself. After breakfast which consisted of a protein drink and a PBJ sandwich, I filled my bottles and got the rest of my gear together. I got my jacket, gloves, ski mask, Garmin, ipod and headed for the door. I looked like a walking running clearance rack. Just put in the store window with a sign that says "cold-weather running gear with your own personal runner attached."

I drove to the start of the Marathon Maniacs New Years Day 1/2 Marathon. This was a "bare-bones" event thrown together 3 weeks before. We started from the race organizers house, we timed ourselves, the restrooms consisted of finding a gas station, knocking on someone's door at 8 am, or finding a Honey Bucket along the course (which actually turned out to be pretty frequent).

We met in the garage of the race organizer, signed our wavers, picked up a bib number and a map, and got ready to run. The gun sounded something like "Everybody ready? Let's go.." and we were off. There were no aspirations of a PR (it had warmed up to a toasty 5 degrees), but high expectations that no one would slip and break a leg. After a mile into the race, we veered onto a snow covered trail (not snow packed) for 3 miles. I learned a new pacing technique...run in the foot falls of those who ran before you. It worked surprisingly well.

Somewhere between mile 1 and mile 3 there was a turn off. Myself and two other ladies missed the turn off and ended up 1 1/2 miles farther East than we needed to be. So we turned west and caught up with the route and continued on. The race organizers wife was the mobile aid station. She met the group at mile 4 (which we missed), mile 7 and mile 11. At mile 7, I stopped to get a drink only to discover that the pull caps on my bottles was frozen. The mobile aid station had enough water for everyone so I took off my belt, threw it in the van and got a water bottle.

At mile 7, we were getting a drink when a police officer pulled up behind us and wondered what we were doing. We explained that a group of us had put together our own New Year's Half-Marathon. He just looked at us bewildered and told us we were crazy. I agree...

The miles went by, my layers and layers of clothing paid off. The ski mask worked beautifully, but the moist air when I exhaled traveled up to my face to form icicles on my eyebrows and eyelashes.

The end of the race consisted of us stopping in the driveway of the starting spot and cheering ourselves. We promptly starting taking off layers as we went into the home to fresh homemade chili, donuts, chocolate milk, french bread and yogurt. We all received race medals. In true race fashion, we put the medals on each other. The remaining runners (there were 40 of us total) came it a various times.

All said, my 1/2 marathon consisted of 14.4 miles and 2:16 time which was faster than I thought we would be considering the two aid station stops.

I can't think of a better way to celebrate the New Year...ok, well that's not entirely true...but it did feel good to get a long run in with others who enjoy it as much as I do.

New Year's Day Half-Marathon

2010-12-29T18:22:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I was mulling over my race plans for the next year and wondering why there wasn't anything more than 5K or 10K's until March. Then the heavens opened and I received a tip via Facebook about a New Years Day Half-Marathon. I checked it out and sent in my check for $15.

It's the first time the event has been held and they are going "bare-bones" this year just to get the word out and cover the cost of the finisher medal. There won't be any official race timing and no aid stations, although they have convinced the city to open restrooms and turn on the drinking fountains at various parks along the course.

On the flip-side to this is the massive snow storm that is occurring as I type. This will be followed by arctic air on Friday and Saturday. Race time temperature will be somewhere around 12 degrees...making for a cold race. My wife told me the other day that she would normally be at the finish to cheer me on, but that this time she's going to pass and she'll be at home with hot chocolate when I come home.

I'm wondering if my choice in races needs some adjustment. I do have cold-weather gear and I go out regularly in the cold, but not when it is that cold.

Despite the weather conditions, I'm excited to be running something more than the 6-10 miles i've been doing on my long runs lately. I also sent in my money so I'm not starting 2011 off by paying for a DNS. I planned on ramping up my training starting in January so this is a perfect start...if I don't freeze.

The Great Shot Blok Experiment: Granola Bars

2010-12-22T12:33:00.000-07:00

What better gift than a homemade one? My mother always told me that it was the "thought" that counts not how well it looked or tasted. I think that was her kind way of saying that I should never go into a food related field of study.

My Shot Blok Experiments would probably fall under that category in her mind, but as a runner I consider it a worthy challenge. Besides, what else would I be doing during the winter...?

Homemade Granola Bars (Take 2)
I say take two because I attempted these before with a "chewy" granola bar recipe. I followed the recipe meticulously, yet they could have chiseled down used as shrapnel.

I did another search and came across yet another "chewy" granola bar recipe. The author of this recipe raved about the "chewiness" of this recipe and how they were the "favorite" in her family. I took this as a hopeful sign.

In one bowl I measured out my ingredients.

On a separate cutting board I took out several Shot Bloks.

Interesting note. Shot bloks are much easier to cut into small pieces when they are fresh out of the package. I had a few that had been in a half-opened package that were very hard.

Also, the recipe called for mixed nuts, chocolate chips and dried fruit. The Shot Bloks became the dried fruit (Crann-Razz flavor). I was out of nuts of any kind except for some Jerk flavored peanuts. I stuck them in a strainer and rinsed them until the water ran clear in an effort to eliminate the Jerk Flavor. They only had a small aftertaste left...I figure that was ok.

I scattered the Shot Bloks throughout the mix and mixed all the ingredients together paying special note to get the Shot Bloks coated so they wouldn't clump together.

After mixing all the dry ingredients, I added Peanut Butter, Corn Syrup and a little water. Then I pressed the mixture into a well-greased baking pan.

The finished result after cooling was this. The dark bits in the granola bar are a combination of chocolate chips and Shot Bloks. The final test came after allowing them to cool. Would I be scheduling a dentist appointment or offering them out to my friends at races?

My children were noticeably absent when they saw me pull out the Shot Bloks. I guess they have had enough with being the first to taste them.

The Jerk seasoning combined with peanut butter offers an interesting flavor combination. Probably not something I would recommend. The Shot Bloks are still chewy and compliments the chocolate chips that are scattered throughout.

They texture is significantly more chewy that previous efforts, but they do harden up when refrigerated.

I'm going to call this latest experiment a success.

An Emergency Morning

2010-12-15T18:52:00.000-07:00

"I was this close (holding thumb and finger close together) to have to call 911." The 911 call would have gone something like this...

911: 911 what's your emergency? (Maybe they don't say this...i've never called)
Me: Yes...I've got an emergency....(almost in tears and breathing rapidly)...I've.. run out of Ho...ot Choc...olate...
911: We're dispatching a team right now. Do you prefer the Swiss Miss with mini-marshmallows or Regular?
Me: (breathing more regularly now)...marsh..mallows...thank you

OR

If this were an OnStar moment it would go something like this:

My phone: Ring, buzz, ring buzz, ring
Me: wondering what the ringing and buzzing is and thinking it's my ears again...oh wait, it's my cell phone.
Me: (breathing shallow and rapidly)..he..ell..ooo....
Onstar: Mr. Hawkes
Me: u...u....I th..ink...you have...oh wait, yeah..that..'sme..not..my dad...
Onstar: We noticed that you're Hot Chocolate emergency supply has run out...is everything ok?
Me: um...you're Onstar and you're calling me about my hot cocoa?
Onstar: Yes sir, it was the optional feature you signed up for last year that you've paying $19.95 extra per month to get....
Me: Wow....well, ok. Yeah my hot cocoa.stash.ran.out.and.its.snowed.and.I.went.to restockanditsall OUT!
Onstar: We've called the Albertsons delivery service and they're on the way. Do you want me to stay on the line with you?
Me: No..I'll be ok..I hear the doorbell now...thank you...

This totally took me by surprise. I knew we were out of the regular supply, but I thought the emergency supply was still in place safely behind the "In Case of Emergency" glass. Costco was out. They didn't even have the crappy Sugar-free junk**

I ran 4 miles yesterday and figured we'd make it through until the weekend.

It was a cold winter's night. Yesterday, the temperature hit 53 degree and I got a good four miles in. Today, we received 2 inches of snow. It was definitely time to get the Cocoa going for a cold morning after clearing the walks. I went to the garage to get the cocoa and .......

THE EMERGENCY SUPPLY WAS GONE

Good thing we had some Alpine Cider or there would have been a full-on panic.

***It's hot chocolate. Sugar-free? Like no-sugar is really going to make a difference. It's not a health food drink. Like my doctor is going to say, "eat more vegetables and lay off the hot cocoa." It's kind of a no-brainer...hot chocolate is not a V8.

Reasons to be Thankful

2010-11-27T12:29:00.000-07:00

I could have posted this on Thanksgiving but I was ~~too busy stuffing my face~~ enjoying the company of family and an opportunity to relax ~~and gear up for Black Friday shopping~~.

Do Intervals Pay Off?
ABSOLUTELY. 4 weeks ago I signed up for the local Turkey Trot that someone in our family has run since it started 3 years ago. Last year I was sidelined with an injury and then added a kidney stone to the mix. This was my year to PR in a 5K. The only way I was going to do that was to get faster. I took to the local rec center for a one to two day a week interval or tempo run. The Saturday leading up to the race, the running store that created the race (and who I run with on a regular basis) held a pre-race run to see the course. A few of us showed up and did an easy run to see the course and then 3 of us took off and did one more lap at as close to a race pace as we dared. I finished pretty close to what my previous PR time was which meant that with a little adrenaline a new PR was in sight.

The Saturday before the race, the weather topped out at 40 degrees for the day. The day of the race, the weather topped out a 19 degrees for the day. At 7:30 am as I headed to the start, the temperature was 8 degrees. By race start we had warmed up to a roasting 10 degrees. Needless to say, it was cold, my fingers couldn't decide whether to stay frozen or thaw which meant they hurt the whole race. I had a hard time breathing in such cold weather. I didn't look at my Garmin until 100 yards before the finish. I finished my race in 21:43 which put me a little more than 20 seconds faster than my previous time. I'll take it. I ended up 4th in my age group, 27th overall (out of 700 registered) and a new PR. A great way to start Thanksgiving. Thank you intervals even though I still don't like you much.

Does Turkey Taste Better After a New PR?
ABSOLUTELY. We chose to avoid the cooking, cleaning and just go to the local Chuck A Rama for dinner. We waited for an hour to get into the buffet, but after getting a new PR, I was in such a great mood that waiting in the cold didn't bother me.

Is Watching a Movie on my New TV More Enjoyable After a New PR?
ABSOLUTELY. Setting a new PR makes the world a much better place. So does a Sony 40" LCD tv.

Thanksgiving was fabulous. It would still have been great even if I hadn't hit a new PR, but it definitely made it that much sweeter. Spending time with family and friends, eating good food and getting a tip on where I can pick up on some high quality bathroom and kitchen fixtures for cheap, is what matters. I am now shifting my focus a little to tone up, do some core strengthening and decide what my goals are for 2011. One idea is to do 3 marathons, at least 3 relays and a variety of 5k-half-marathons with a sprinkle of two races I get to direct.

Run Down

2010-11-10T08:36:00.001-07:00

With the weather in the low 40s I decided it was time to break out the winter gear and go for a mid-afternoon run while there was a break in the storm. The run itself was uneventful 7.5 miles, but it did feel good to get outside for a longer mid-week run. I'll hit the track tomorrow for some speedwork as I prep for the Thanksgiving Day 5K. I'm looking forward to a new 5K PR. With my relay 5K being in the 23 minute range, my PR of 22:02 is within sight. Getting a PR will mean I am close to my pre-injury strength. I also need to get something better for my head during the cold runs. I generally have a wool blend cap that I wear, but by mid-run my head is boiling while my ears stay cold. I'm thinking one of those ear wraps.

One thing i've noticed is that after a run of more than 5 miles, I am utterly exhausted. I get home from the run and fix myself a recovery drink that has a good protein/carb mix then I shower. After getting dressed I will generally have something light to eat like a ~~hamburger with fries~~ sandwich or a couple nutrition bars and then a regular meal a few hours later. It doesn't seem to matter what goes in, my body is determined to mark the energy tank as empty.

Does anyone else have this problem? I find it difficult to focus on the rest of the day when my body is screaming sleep. Maybe my post-run nutrition is off.

You Know You're a Runner When...

2010-11-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

You know you're a runner when . . . you speed up at the sight of a Honeybucket.

All I can say about my run on Saturday is that for all my complaining and grumbling about all the construction that is going on (seriously, the interstate, the major state rode that goes up by my house, the section of one of my favorite trails, etc..) I was extremely grateful for the abundance of the Honeybuckets.

What have I become? Many years before I started running, I would never believe that I would be writing a blog post praising the Honeybucket brand. It has become a standard at races. It has become a convenient and somewhat cramped changing facility on overnight relays. It saved me a potential embarrassing moment on Saturday's run.

My pre-run routine got thrown off Saturday when I got to drop my wife off to a meeting before meeting up for the run. I was fortunate enough to remember my Garmin and my iPod, but forgot to handle business.

So that's the story. I'm moving into the winter maintenance. I have a 5K coming up on Thanksgiving that I hope to break my 5K PR and end the season with a new PR. The weather last week was in the 60s and this week we're expecting snow. Good thing I got the snowblower prepped for winter and moved from the shed to the garage. I plan on doing more running outside this winter so I'll be out looking for some good deals on winter gear.

Yeah, this post has definitely hit an all-time low in content for this blog.

Runner 4 of 12 Aching Up to Vegas

2010-10-27T14:18:00.001-06:00

The weekend's Las Vegas Ragnar could be summed up into the following:

A long stretch of incredible anticipation
The runs
Wet dreams
Ultimate climax...finally!

I'm sure the search engines will love this.

A Long Stretch of Anticipation

Several months ago, a friend invited me to join his Ragnar team after several other members dropped out. I wasn't going to let another Ragnar opportunity pass me by so I immediately, ~~announced it to the family, put it on the calendar in big bold letters, hired a marketing company to remind family and co-workers regularly, burned it into my lawn~~ accepted the invitation. After my utter failure at the SoJo marathon, I needed something to get the desire back. I needed time with fellow running enthusiasts who wouldn't roll their eyes at another running story, who knew the value of carbo-loading, that didn't mind a little sweat on the car seats. I needed a relay! Last Thursday, we loaded up the van and headed to Mesquite.

The race started in the Valley of Fire. Staying in Mesquite offered us a cheap place to stay and a decent buffet. The hotel was definitely cheap, but a new coat of paint had been slapped on the walls and the room seemed relatively clean. The buffet was surprisingly good. There was a fresh pasta bar where a cook prepared the desired toppings on the spot. Combined with some decent protein options, a little fresh fruit and dessert, the buffet was a good choice for the night before. Our team was "Aching up to Vegas."

The Runs

We chose which leg we would run at a pre-race meeting we held two months ago. I chose to be runner #4 which meant I ran a 6.4 (52:46/8:17 pace), 3.1 (23:09/7:28 pace), 6.9 (55:27/8:03 pace) mile legs during the course of the race. My goal was to be under 8:00 on each leg that I ran and to see if I could get under 7:30 for the 3.1 mile leg at night. It worked out to be pretty close to that.

We couldn't have asked for better weather. The skies were overcast with highs in the low to upper 60s the entire race. The course was very easy to follow during the day and more difficult to follow at night.

My second leg was at 10:30 pm in the dark. The course was probably really easy to follow during the day, but at night it was extremely difficult. After the initial turn, there were no makers on the road and no one to follow. I passed one person and asked if we were headed the right direction. He shrugged and said "I hope so..." I continued on until finally I came upon a sign telling me to turn.

In order to fully appreciate
this photo, you must click
the link to the right.

Again, the directions were a little sketchy, but I made it to the trail portion and found a good strong rhythm. At the end of the trail was a 4 foot drop. I'm glad I had studied the course beforehand and was away of the drop or it could have been a disaster for me. I celebrated my outstanding run with a Jack in the Box Sirloin burger combo....I attribute this and my secret Mundungus training strategy to my last leg of the race and 29 "road kills".

Wet Dreams**

During the course of the runs, we all experienced the wet dream portion of our race. After we all finished our second leg, we passed off the baton to van #2 and then drove to where they would meet us. We had approximately 6 hours before they arrived which would allow us time to get to the exchange point and hopefully get some sleep. We parked, found a nice patch of grass, put down our tarp and crawled in our sleeping bags. I remember warming up, starting to drift off and then all of a sudden I hear a noise and people shouting "SPRINKLERS".... I grabbed my gear dragged it down the hill to a non-sprinkler spot, crawled into my bag again only to hear "SPRINKLERS"... the lower set now were on. At this point, I'm wet, my gear is wet and i'm now settled onto the cold, hard cement. A few minutes later, Annie from our van told us we could sleep in the little community center if we had gotten wet. I knew it had to be better than the cement. The volunteers in the center were nice ~~and loud,~~ but there wasn't much sleep to be had.

The Ultimate Climax...Finally!

Being van #1, we finished our last leg several hours before the other van was ready to meet us so we could cross the finish line together. We made our way to our hotel, got showered, picked up some food and had time for a short nap before meeting our team at the finish. It was an awesome experience to run through the finish together and receive our finisher medals. And talk about a medal...this monster is bigger than any other finisher medal I have "...it's got it's own solar system!"***

* Road kills are runners that team members pass during the course of the relay.

** If you're looking for something more–you perv.

*** Name that quote and maybe i'll send you a ShotBlok snack.

Runner's World New Marketing Strategy-Repaying the Bailout Plan One Subscriber at a Time

2010-10-05T08:15:00.000-06:00

Last night as I was ~~having a conversation with myself about ways to avoid working out~~ pondering my new training regimen that I started yesterday, my iPhone ping'ed. The sound meant that I had received a new e-mail which at the time of day meant only thing....either an invitation to increase my manhood, a nigerian businessman who has chosen me to assist in the rescue of his cash, or a solicitation to buy something. It was the latter and from Runner's World.

My subscription lapsed about a year ago and i've missed ~~getting something in the mail that wasn't a bill, adding more photos of Kara Goucher to my wall~~ the hard-hitting up-to-the-minute technological breakthroughs in running that only Runner's World offers. I opened the email and saw that they were offering a 12 month subscription for only $12. That seemed like a pretty decent deal so I clicked on the link and it took me to a sign up page that explained the offer. Even better, they were offering a 24 month version for $24. If I wanted the 12-month option, I had to pay an additional $3.95 for shipping charges. Looking for the deal, I opted for the 24-month value plan.

I contentedly skipped through the ads and additional offers and got to the checkout. I clicked on the "bill me later" option. It processed the order, came back with a confirmation code and a pseudo invoice saying that they would bill me for $39.64!! WOW! The world came to a screeching halt at that moment. I examined it a little closer to see the neat little "*" sign which in the marketing world signifies "we've just screwed you and here's where you get to go find out why."

Clicking on the link takes me to a new screen that tells me that my state requires Rodale to charge sales tax. Being the bright mathematician that I am ~~I called my kids down to solve this~~ I ran the numbers and discovered that Rodale tacked on 60.5% sales tax to my order! That is some fine marketing! I haven't been swindled that good since I was newly married and we bought a Geo Metro from a slick-talking used car salesperson. I haven't seen numbers that smooth since reading up on how the bailout plan would be repaid or how the healthcare bill will actually save me money. I've got to hand it to Rodale and give them the Slick Salesperson Salute for today.

New Fall/Winter Training Plan

2010-10-04T11:43:00.000-06:00

With the marathon finished, I'm at a crossroads. I would like to redeem myself from my poor outing at the SoJo Marathon by running an upcoming marathon in Mesquite, NV late November. On the other hand, a part of me would rather just sit back let fall/winter pass by and not think about running or training.

Alas, I'm opting to choose door number one and add in some cross training to a running regimen. I dusted off the P90X dvd collection that I bought last winter and inserted the Ab Ripper X dvd this morning. I had a long conversation with myself before pressing play. It went something like this...

Self:"ok, we've got to build our core back to the superhuman level is was at, right"

Self 2: "Right!" (Notice the enthusiasm)

Self: "Good. The best way to do that is via the P90X system."

Self 2: "Wait...whoa..hold on a sec. When I agreed with you, I meant we should take some time to look at our options, maybe get a second opinion. We should definitely go to lunch and discuss this."

Self: "I get the our relationship with the P90X system is the same as when we go to the dentist to get a new crown. We hate the process, but like the results."

Self 2: "Ok, I agree with you on that, but what are we going to start with? Can we start with the X Stretch or maybe just the last part of the Yoga X where we get to do corpse pose? We should ease into this."

Self: "We're starting with Ab Ripper X..."

Self 2: "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Self: "Stop your whining. You got us into this position. Now I have to get us out." (notice how good my ego's are at blaming each other? That took years of developing.)

Then I proceeded to hit play. At the time of this writing, the pain from the 300+ ab exercises hasn't hit yet. There will be a whole new level of blaming that will go on tomorrow as I go running. Maybe we should have gone to lunch first to develop the plan...too late now.

SoJo Marathon–The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

2010-09-25T19:53:00.000-06:00

Remember how i've been debating whether to do this marathon or stick with the half? On Monday, I decided to go for it and sign up for the full marathon. I did 14 miles on Saturday and felt really good. I was a bit concerned going into the race that maybe the fact that my training has been spotty since the first of August would be a factor. Hmm....when will I learn? I should have brought my Twinkies.

The race. The race begins in a small township called Copperton, Utah. It is town that was created because of the Kennecot Copper mine. The mine is one of the few things on earth that can be seen from space and is a very active mine still. The race directors sent out many pleas to runners to take the busses up because the town just can't accommodate a lot of traffic. Everyone headed the words so I'm sure that next year we'll start there again. There were some bus and other minor snafu's and some runners didn't even start until 30 minutes after the gun. I was on one of the first buses and had no problem.

The course was a lot downhill and proved to be my doom. I wanted to hit a 8:00 pace and score a big PR for the marathon. Looking back, I would have been better in the 8:30-9:00 pace. The downhill portions I was consistently at a 7:45 pace which was way too fast. The result? By mile 13, I was spent...

The remainder of the 13 miles were pure Hell. I knew it was going to be interesting when by mile nine my calves and shins were burning. I couldn't keep a solid pace and even had to walk...a lot. I finished the race with a 4:35 time. An hour off of what I wanted and 45 minutes off my PR time.

The course was good, the aid stations were plentiful and the traffic control was really good. The food at the finish was good and there was sufficient. Some races that have 5k's and half marathons run out of food. They were well-stocked. I also got a free massage at the end of the course and that made my aching calves feel really good.

For a first time race, I'll give this a solid B+. Will I sign up for it next year, absolutely. Will it be the full marathon? Ask me next week.

World Renowned Athlete's Training Tips

2010-09-22T08:44:00.000-06:00

A friend sent me this link as I prepare for the Ragnar Las Vegas race in October. It has some great tips on energy and endurance. He's revolutionizing the industry.

Coming Up...

2010-09-16T23:24:00.000-06:00

Has it really been two weeks since I last logged on and wrote anything? Lately, it's been hard just to get out the door and go for a run. My work has been extremely busy which has led to many late nights and many early mornings. Running has kept me sane. Missing the marathon took the wind out of my sails. All of that is changing though.

This week I'll have 4 solid running days by the time it is finished. In addition, there is a community 5K on Friday evening. The course goes right by my home so if I collapse they won't have to drag me too far to drop me on my lawn.

On the 25th, there is the SoJo marathon. It's the first year, but it looks really well organized. Saturday is a 14 mile run. It's been almost a month since I've put in that distance and it will determine whether I will do the marathon or stick with the half.

In October, however I will be participating in the Las Vegas Ragnar Relay. I am very excited for this. Two of the people in the relay participated in the Epic Relay in August. Another person is a good friend who I run with regularly. It will be a fun race with great people.

Words to the Person who Cut off the Person who Caused the 6 Car Pile Up

2010-09-03T14:04:00.000-06:00

The Pocatello Marathon is tomorrow and I won't be there.

Yesterday morning, my wife was involved in a 6-car pile-up thanks to a person who cut off the person 3 cars in front of my wife. She stopped in time, but the 3 cars behind her didn't.

I am grateful that she is ok. My wife and I grew up in the same neighborhood for a few years, lost touch in High School, met up again at our High School Reunion (the only one i've been to) and just celebrated 15 years of marriage. She's banged up, but will be ok. In speaking with her this morning, she wasn't comfortable being here banged up with the kids and me being 4 hours away. She's more important than the marathon.

There is a marathon in two weeks just a short twenty minutes from here. It starts at the Kennecot Copper mines which happens to be one of the few locations that can be seen from space. Maybe they can get the International Space Station to give us some words before the race...that'd be cool.

Alas, our van wasn't so lucky and I don't know if it will recover.

Running the Gap Marathon

2010-09-01T09:22:00.000-06:00

It's finally come. The marathon that I signed up for in the spring is this Saturday. It's turned into a family event. My father and Aunt are doing the 10k, my sister and her husband are doing the half-marathon and I'm doing the marathon.

When I signed up for the race, I had grand plans of possibly getting qualified for Boston with this race. Today, I just want it to be over and to be faster than my previous marathon time of 3:49. I have no plans for a BQ with this race. In fact, my training over the past 3 weeks has been dismal with my miles for the week barely hitting double digits.

I have a whole list of excuses why I haven't been running...weather, school starting for my kids, work, etc. but it really comes down to a lack of commitment. I want the results, but haven't been willing to put in the effort to get the efforts. I make some grand plans to put in 5-6 day a week runs only to throw it out the window.

I'm hoping that finishing the race will give me that boost to train for something more. I'd like to get another marathon in during the fall. I've wondered if I planned my race too far out. Should I have done one sooner? I'm considering signing up for a Spring marathon for next year instead of doing all the half's again.

My goals for the race:
1. Finish
2. Finish under 3:49
3. Finish without ever walking any of the course

I'll let you know Monday how this went...have a great weekend.

Continuing the Clif ShotBLOKS Experiments

2010-08-22T15:07:00.001-06:00

I'm back in business! What? You didn't know I was ever out of business?

Technically I wasn't, but my selection of ShotBLOKS was dwindling to warning levels. I was dreading the day when I would have to resort to actually purchasing mine to continue my efforts to utilize ShotBLOKs in every day living. The very thought ~~kept me awake at night~~ made me pause. It was like one of those "If you had to escape your home in a rush, what would you take with you?" moments. If I had to stop my ~~efforts to become rich and famous~~ work on inventing new uses for these, what would I create?

Thankfully, the Clif company has come to my rescue. They have ~~never seen such a strange use of their product~~ seen the value in my efforts. When I arrived home on Wednesday after taking my wife away for an anniversary celebration I was given a package. I eagerly opened the package and peered inside. The heavens parted and light descended upon the contents of the package. There was no note, no invoice, ~~no collections notice~~, just a rectangular box. I pulled out the box to behold a fresh case of Clif Cran-Razz ShotBLOKS. My request had been answered.

A little more than a week ago, I sent off a request to Clif requesting new supplies for my creations. It was via their "contact us" form on their website, so I had no idea if a live person even saw them. Apparently the fine people at Clif got my response and have restocked me enough to continue my work.

What next? Here are some ideas on the list.

Granola Bars-I attempted these ones before with limited success. I think I have figured out how to truly pull this one off.
A simple waffle/pancake syrup
A syrup that be added to drinks
Ice cream?? Would you buy a pint of Clif Cran-Razz Recovery Ice Cream?

I'm open to additional suggestions...feel free to post a comment.

Epic Relay Recap

2010-08-19T20:15:00.000-06:00

Epic Relay

Van 1 prior to race start. Notice the fresh looks
on everyone's faces.

Last weekend I spent a glorious Friday and Saturday running with a group of ~~crazies like me~~ like-minded individuals in a 195 mile run from Logan, UT to Jackson Hole, WY. I've never participated in a relay, but all the people are doing them now so I figured why not. I missed out on Ragnar, but when I heard that a few of my fellow Saturday run group members were organizing a team for Epic, I jumped at the chance.

30 hours later with an 9:05 average pace we arrived
in Jackson, WY.

You know you're a
Redneck when....

Friday at 6:30 am Van 1 of team "Remember the Tetons" met for the 2 hour drive to Logan. We started our race at 9:55 am. We were team 34 out of 50 teams. The race was a blast, the scenery was nice, but the company was outstanding. We were pushing for the "best decorated" van, but in the end we were beat out by a van that had a giant blow up monkey attached to the back door. Our team has already started making plans for next year...picture a float traveling down the highway with the Tetons on them with an occasional runner popping out of it...yessir...best looking van 2011...take that monkey team.

This Weekend Will Be Epic

2010-08-12T08:17:00.000-06:00

Cache-Teton Race
Tomorrow....6:30 am I leave for my race. 2 vans, 12 people, lots of Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches and plenty of water. Tomorrow is the beginning of the Cache-Teton Epic Relay. We'll cross through several states during the relay and end in Jackson, WY. I'm sure some of you were beginning to wonder if i'd hung up the running shoes and instead was focusing solely on my ShotBlok research program. Not the case my friends. I'm teaming up with some of the people from my Saturday running group for this relay. I missed the Ragnar because of some family commitments, but this one is locked in and ready to go. We're planning on staying the night in Jackson rather than tackling the 5 hour drive back home after finishing the relay. I'm runner #5. The course map describes my three legs as very hard, mild and very hard. My ability to walk may be described as very difficult after the race, but I do have my recovery socks packed so maybe it won't be bad.

More ShotBloks Please
My supply of ShotBloks is getting lower and lower. My kids asked what I'll do if I run out. Will I still work on creating ~~bizarre food items~~ new and inventive ShotBlok recipes or will I stop. The answer to that problem lies solely on the Clif company. I've sent off my request for additional samples of ShotBloks so that I may continue my journey. I'm sure the fine folks there will see the value and untapped market. If I run out, I may be forced to stand on the WalMart corner with a sign saying "Will ~~Work For~~ Accept ShotBlok Donations."

Upcoming ShotBlok Post
I'm know you're anxiously anticipating my next ShotBlok post. Stay tuned. Coming up...ShotBlok granola bars with a chocolate Cran-Razz ShotBlok topping. I've almost perfected the recipe and if the past two recipes didn't get your mouth watering, these will. I've been snacking on the not-so-perfect trials and i've even got the stamp of approval from ~~a product taster~~ one of my kids friends. This one takes my creating to a whole new level. Maybe I'll box some up and send them to the Clif people as an incentive to send me more.

Have a great weekend everyone....

Great ShotBlok Experiment: Filled Cupcakes

2010-08-07T09:33:00.000-06:00

"Chef Blaine, tell us about your dish.." The Chairman says as my dishes are laid out before him and the panel of judges.

I respond, "My inspiration for these dishes comes from running. Runners are passionate about what they do so I wanted to bring that passion into their every day life. I call this first dish, 'Cran-Razz Filled Cupcakes.'" A collective murmur of appreciation overcomes the studio audience. The judges look appreciative at the mini cake presented before them.

"Dad, did Grandma really drop you on your head when you were a baby?" My daughter asks after I finish my intro to our latest experiment.

With my resounding success with the ShotBlok suckers have inspired me to bigger and better uses. I've had mixed reviews in my experimenting. My youngest daughter thinks I'm really weird, but is more than willing to assist me in my efforts. Those who know me well, just shake their head and remind themselves never to drop their kids on their heads. Others have told me that they "train with their Shotbloks."

My response to that. Where's the adventure in that? Training with them? But what about all those times you aren't running? If they are good enough to get you from mile 10 to mile 15 then wouldn't they also be good enough to get you through that 3:00 p.m. slump that hits? Wouldn't they be the thing that keep you awake after 12 long hours of driving?

I think a not so moist
cake mix would be better

With newfound ~~genius~~ passion in place, my next step is to see what happens when ShotBloks combine with other ingredients. Visions of a Top Chef Quick Fire Challenge come to my mind or maybe even an Iron Chef America episode with a tribute to all things running. The secret ingredient is "Cran-Razz Shot Bloks." With the time ticking away, I grabbed my packages of ShotBloks and headed to the kitchen.

Mmmmm...homemade GU

Todays experiment with ShotBloks is to see if I can turn them into a filling for cupcakes. I picked up a cake mix from the store the other day with some frosting. They diligently sat on my kitchen counter for almost a week with a sad little "why are you ignoring us" expression while I was ~~busy surfing the web, running,~~ working. Finally, my guilt overpowered me and in a moment of downtime between projects, ~~I tore into the box~~ I delegated the messy work to my lovely assistant.

While she worked on the cake mix counting the seconds it said on the box while mixing the cake, I worked on the filling. I had two ideas: 1. See if a whole ShotBlock would melt into the cupcake as it cooked. Or 2. Create a thinner filling that would spread out more in the cupcake.

~~Creamy~~ Chewy center

According to my assistant, I was only allowed to ~~mess with~~ use three cupcakes as my test and NOT the blue wrapper ones (her favorite color.) The first test was to see what a full blok would do. Unfortunately, the blok was so large that it just sank to the bottom of the cupcake while cooking.

The second batch I melted the ShotBlok with some water to create a syrup consistancy, added a little flour and then added that to the second batch of cupcake batter. The second batch turned out better. It still sank to the bottom, but it dispersed more so you do get the impression of it being a filling. The filling is lighter and less chewy than the big Blok. I'll call that a minor success.

So, I probably would have won on originality and taste for the Iron Chef competition, but lost in presentation. Makes me wonder...what would ShotBlok ice cream taste like? Hmm...a scoop of Wild Cherry sounds good right now. Wonder how you'd make that.

The GreatShot Block Experiment

2010-08-04T14:23:00.001-06:00

Remember my box of ShotBloks? I've been debating what to do with them. Some of them will go with me on my relay next week. The rest? The corner of WalMart is still an option. I was pondering on them the other day and I was struck by ~~lightening, by a car, by a 10 year old on a bicycle~~ inspiration. What if I used the ShotBloks as an ingredient in making something else? I ran this idea by the household committee and got mixed responses ranging from rolling eyes, shaking head, laughing hysterically or just a "you're weird" comment. I felt this was a definite go ahead response.

Thus is born The Great ShotBloks Experiment.

Here's how the
ShotBloks look like in the wild.

The Plan:
Utilizing a package of ShotBloks, I will create various creations. Currently, my ideas tend to the edible kind, but I am open to the idea of some sort of commercial use.

1. Suckers
2. Home made granola bar with cut up ShotBloks added
3. A surprise filling to cupcakes or brownies
4. Pancake syrup
5. Added to chocolate for a glaze over something.
6. Use ShotBlocks instead of Chocolate Chips

Thick goopy mess

I'm rather excited about this idea. Who knows, maybe I'll get some sponsorships out of this.

For My First Act
For those of you who haven't tried these, they are rather chewy like a gummy bear. This morning as I fixed breakfast I wondered how long it would take a ShotBlock to melt in the microwave. It takes about 7-8 seconds for it to melt and start boiling. After it had cooled a little I was able to pry it out of the bowl and taste it. The edges had gotten crisp, while the center still was chewy. This fueled the inspiration. Could I get the Shotbloks to melt and keep it in a syrup form. I used my 7th grade Home Ec knowledge to work and added a little water to my next ShotBloks. It took two 5 second bursts and a 7 second burst to completely dissolve the ShotBloks. 2 additional squares later and I had a thick syrup.

Sucker and triangle shape

I don't have any sucker molds so I dug through the cookie cutters to find something that would hold the syrup. Voila! I came across a triangle shaped object. I think it is actually part of a pumpkin carving kit. Perfect. Once I had poured it into the shape I then created a semi-round circle just on the wax paper and added a couple toothpicks.

It was so tasty my girls were
fighting over it. Who can resist a nice
chewy sucker.

I let them cool for a period of time and then stuck them in the freezer. They are really sticky and they stuck to the wax paper. With a little work, I was able to pry them away from the wax paper.

Conclusion:
ShotBloks have a high sugar content and melt well. I think this is a great beginning. Stay tuned.

I'm Hungry...Where's a Cow When I Need One

2010-07-31T10:51:00.000-06:00

"I'm so hungry I could eat a cow. If one wandered into my yard, it would be like a scene from a vampire movie." Those were my words Friday night. It didn't matter that I had had 2 recovery drinks, plenty of water, 2 big bowls of homemade chicken noodle soup, some birthday cake and ice cream and a steak chimichanga—I was withering on the vine. My body was craving more protein. This happens to me every time I have a long run over 10 miles and then it just gets incrementally more demanding the longer the distance. Friday's run put my body into full fledged protein binge mode.

I planned my route on Thursday so I could get my run in on Friday. I had a meeting at 8:30 am on Saturday morning and there was no way I was getting up to go run at 4:00 am although after Friday's run at 5:00 am I am considering the possibility of more runs at that time. My route called for 22.4 miles. I designed a course that would take me from my home to my parents home. They don't live 22 miles away, but with some creative mapping, I was able to get a route that would give me that distance.

Thursday night I put everything out where I could get to it. I stuck my hydration bottles in the freezer–one with Powerade and one with water. The Garmin and iPod were on the counter next to the hydration pack which contained a couple gels, a Larabar and some Shotblocks. I put a copy of the map of the route on the counter for my wife and gave her an estimated time to pick me up or recover my body in case I didn't show up in a reasonable amount of time.

The alarm went off at 4:20 am and surprisingly I was wide awake and ready to go. I fixed 1/2 PBJ sandwich and a super concentrated Instant Breakfast drink that has a good carb/protein mix. I was out the door by 5:00 am and on the road. My route took me away from the cities for the first 12 miles. I was hoping to average a 9 minute pace. I encountered a few road construction areas that caused me to detour, but for the most part I stayed on pace. At mile 13 I hit the hill...why I chose this hill is a mystery. I think I thought that after I got the hill conquered it would be a downhill stretch the rest of the way. The hill was quite a bit steeper than I thought it would be and by the time I was at the top, my energy was spent.

Miles 16-20 were a blur. The sun was up by then and starting to warm up. I was in the city and the traffic was distracting. At mile 22 I realized I was nowhere near the end of my run. The detours had added mileage to my plan. I stumbled into my parent's yard at 23.5 miles. My long run was over–I don't have another one before the marathon.

I threw on the recovery socks when I arrived home and spent the rest of the day doing work, assisting with my daughter's birthday party and EATING. Any cow that might wander into our yard today has about a 50/50 chance of surviving.

Friday's Run

2010-07-29T18:03:00.000-06:00

It's been a good running week for me. I've been able to get in 3 runs with one of them being an interval session. My thigh has been sore, but nothing serious. I've snacked on a few of my shot blocks, but I'm going to save for them for the Epic Relay in a couple weeks. I'm sure I'll have plenty of leftovers for the art sculpture that I'll sell on the corner of WalMart. I'm hoping to get some inspiration on the relay. Maybe a bust of my runner physique.

Tomorrow I am doing my long run for the week. Saturday is packed from 8:00 am until late at night, so getting a long run in is next to impossible. So Friday will be a 22 mile run. It is going to be my last long run before the marathon in September. I'm booked in August on the weekends so I may be able to get a 15 mile run in before I taper, but nothing long. This is it.

I created a route that takes me from my home to my parent's home where hopefully my wife will be there waiting to give me a ride home. Or I'll be hocking shot blocks to pay for bus fare home.

Send some vibes my way if you read this...even if they are post run vibes they can count toward recovery.

Pimpin' the Shot Blocks

2010-07-25T09:55:00.000-06:00

"Hey Runner...want some cran-razz Shot Blocks?"
"No?"
"How 'bout some Tropical Punch or maybe even some Black Cherry?"
"I got what you need...just trust Blaine here, he'll hook you up.."

Yep, that was me at the Deseret News Marathon. I teamed up with Get Fit––a local running store–– to man the aid station at mile 16. My job was to stand about a hundred yards before the water table and hold out Shot Blocks to the runners. I was hustl'n the Shot Blocks. There were a total of 4 of us out there sweating it out, offering our wares to the runners as they passed by. The only thing missing was my white suit and cadillac.

The elite runner men passed by without a glance. The elite women came by and I knew the girl in third place. She's run in the Renaissance Academy race that I put on every year. She's super nice and way fast. She ended up taking second place. Of course she was so focused on the course that she didn't recognize me...maybe it was because of my rico suave style of passing out the Shot Blocks. We were working to get a sign put together so one of the little kids working with us could dance with the sign attracting the runners to us.

The experience of volunteering for a big race like that was fun. Getting up at 4:20 am so I could be out the door by 5:00 am was not fun. I did walk about with some fabulous parting gifts. I got a new Get Fit tech shirt and the grand prize...a box of Shot Blocks. I'm in Shot Block heaven right now. When we were cleaning up, we asked our crew chief what to do with the Shot Blocks (we had already decided to split it between the three of us, but felt it was worth mentioning.)

I'm thinking of ways to make these work in my favor. Some ideas I've considered.

• Going to the various WalMart's and returning them for in-store credit...combined with my tv fund, maybe it would put me over the top.
• Head to some popular running areas on Saturday morning armed with Shot Blocks and water and sell them to runners in the area...again possibly enough for my big screen tv.
• Horde them and see what the ~~half-life~~ shelf life is of a Shot Block. Will they go bad or just get better with time?
• Give them out as Halloween candy come October. I'm sure parents would appreciate the 50 mg of caffeine that is in the Tropical Punch flavor.
• Create a modern work of art and sell it on eBay...maybe making enough for my big screen tv.
• Combine them with ~~old socks, belly button lint, a half used stick of body glide, old size 9 running shoes~~ some other fabulous prizes and hold a giveaway.
• Put a sign up saying "Shot Blocks for Sell" and park myself at the local Wal-Mart next to the lady selling the Beagle puppies.

I'll have to spend some time pondering on what to do with my new found treasure trove.

Anyone have any ideas?

Until then, if you see someone standing on the street corner in a white suit with a cadillac (there is a guy down my street who owns one...maybe he'll let me borrow it) with Shot Blocks, you'll have to stop by. Blaine 'll make you a deal...

My Boat Has Come In

2010-07-23T14:29:00.001-06:00

In the mail today, I received a free entry to the Cedar Canyon Half Marathon. It looks like all my ~~hard work, multiple race wins, Runner's World cover material~~ efforts to get a free race has come has come in. Could it be that i've hit the big time? Is it possible that my half-marathon status has moved into the elite territory? Will I finally get my name printed on my race bib without me having to use a marker? Am I delusional?

That last question is correct. Back In April, as I was picking up my gear bag for the Salt Lake City Half Marathon there was a booth for the Cedar Canyon Half-Marathon and I know that I filled out my name and information on a card and turned it in. Maybe this will turn the tide on my contests. Adam is giving away a $40 gift card and Tricia is giving away a Go Lite hydration system. This could be all the Karma I need to get back on the "win" board.

Now, the downside to this is that the race is on September 18 and is a 4 hour drive. This normally wouldn't be a big deal, but I also have a marathon on September 4 and then a relay on September 11. My racing budget will be pretty lean at that point and my legs may not be functioning.

So for this year, I will have to pass on the FREE offer. Wonder what that will do to my Karma.

Six Feet Under

2010-07-21T09:01:00.000-06:00

It's a sad day in running for me. A faithful companion has passed away. We started this running journey together over two years ago. It has been there for me in my highs of PR and my lows of 20 mile crappy runs. My earbuds have died.

I knew something was wrong last Saturday when I was finishing my 20 mile run. I noticed at mile 10 that I was having to turn the volume up really high to get enough sound. By mile 15 only one earbud was working. I actually thought maybe this was a good thing. After all, if I only have one working then I can still hear traffic or people ~~commenting on my superior form~~ saying hi when I pass them on the road. I could become a more polite runner because I could respond in kind.

This morning though, it all changed. I got about 1/4 mile from my house when the sound was cutting in and out. I thought maybe my McGyver fix from long ago was finally catching up with me and I had erased all my songs. I stopped to look it over and the display readout was fine, I could move through songs ok and it looked like they were playing fine. I had this sinking feeling that maybe my faithful blue earbuds had moved on to that great big iPod in the sky.

I finished my easy 4 miles, but it wasn't top form because I was preoccupied with the thoughts of whether the earbuds were truly dead or maybe they also needed a McGyver treatment to them and also thinking about what I could have done different to prevent this. I came home and plugged the iPod into the stereo and it played fine. I was stunned into silence for a moment then I told my daughter that my earbuds had stopped working. Her response? "Great Dad, now you can go get new ones for both of us because mine stopped working two days after I got them."

This younger generation has no respect.

A Dinosaur, A 20 Mile Run, A Life Saved and A Toenail Lost

2010-07-18T19:58:00.000-06:00

Remember how excited I was for my 20 mile run?

Friday afternoon
My wife and I signed up to give blood. In our area, there are a couple organizations that are authorized to draw blood. Generally, the Red Cross is the one that has come, but this time a different company came. I'm a proponent of giving blood and I'm a big fan of the snack table that they have for after giving blood. Most of the time, you can expect to see some snack crackers, a variety of juice and water and maybe some Oreos. This company, however, knew how to win my heart. There were chips, cookies, Oreos, multiple juice choices, Swedish fish, etc.. It was snack heaven.

As I wrapped up the blood draw, I'm given a pamphlet and the lady said to refrain from heavy lifting or exercise for the rest of the day. I asked her about Saturday and that I run. She laughed and said "As long as you're not planning on a marathon or a really long run, you should be ok." I laughed with her thinking "I'm ok, I'm just doing 20 miles." Looking back, maybe I should have seen that as a train wreck waiting to happen.

Saturday morning-5:15 am
If I'm going to get 20 miles in it's going take me about 3 hours at a easy pace which means I've got to beat the heat. The temp was scheduled to break 100 for the first time this summer. My run incorporates the trail that has haunted me since the last 20 mile run in March where we ran through a blizzard. I started closer to home so I wouldn't have to juggle side streets to get in the full 20. At 5:45 am, it is already in the low 70s outside. At 6:00 am I'm on my way.

By 6:30 am, I'm noticing that although I'm at my easy pace, it's a little more difficult than normal. I'm wondering if maybe it's the weather or possibly the blood giving from the previous day. I keep plugging along. At mile 4 I start on the trail. The first 4 miles is relatively flat and the next 6 are slightly downhill. At mile 9, I see three women running my direction. We know each other from previous races. They are all wearing race numbers, but they are casually running (they are usually the top finishers) so I'm wondering what race is happening. When I get to mile 10 at the turnaround there is a park filled with booths and police and lots of signs. It's a city festival with a 5K race. I get a quick drink, use the restroom and turn around. I've kept a pretty steady 8:30/mile pace.

The next mile and I start feeling the heat of the day. The sun comes out in full force by mile 13. At mile 14, I encountered the dinosaur. I don't know why I missed it before, but on the other side of the fence is a giant sculpted T-Rex. If it were real, I would have been a snack. I had nothing left in me to push may pace. By mile 15, I'm wondering if I'll even make it to mile 20. My stamina is not what it was two weeks ago when I did 17 miles with a 3 mile hike after...I'm beginning to realize that maybe giving a pint of blood the day before a run wasn't the best idea. My feet are starting to really hurt.

Between mile 15 and 16, I had to actually stop take some deep breaths and walk a little as I'm starting to feel a little dizzy (I'm plenty hydrated and my electrolytes were fine, it's just hot and the energy tank warning light has gone on). The last 4 miles was pure agony. I took off my shirt from miles 15-18 then put it back on for the last 2 as I ran through a residential neighborhood (I have an excellent runners tan and self-conscious about running without a shirt) and didn't want to scare any little kids that might be out. My pace has slowed to a jog with bursts of running. I made it back to car and my Garmin registered 19.8 miles...WHAT?!! I am not going to round up or go home with a 19.8 mile run...so I wandered around the parking lot so I could get the full 20. I would normally just pass my car then turn around and run back. I figure my time sucked so there was no point in pretending...end time was 3:33 minutes..

I made it home, laid in the sprinklers for a few minutes before going inside for a recovery/protein drink and a cold bath. I gave the recovery socks a good test and I'm a Huge fan. I wore them the rest of the day. That evening, I took off the socks and evaluated my feet. As expected, I had a blister on the same toe I always get, a few other rubbed areas and a toenail that has seen better days. You'll see by the photo which is which. I have yet to find a solution to the blister on that toe. I've done Body Glide, changed socks, changed shoes, worn a band aid...nothing works.

I'll give this weekend's long run a solid C. I got the run in which is important, but it wasn't pretty.

Here a Hill, There a Hill

2010-07-14T08:36:00.001-06:00

Hill training in my neighborhood is not a problem. In fact, I struggle at times to find a run that doesn't involve hills. I live at the top of the hill which is actually the top of the top of many other hills. Many thousands of years ago, my hill was under water. A giant lake covered the land. Giant sea creatures swam in what has become my backyard and finding seashells in the area is a pretty common occurrence.
The other interesting fact is that because this was once a lake our whole area is built on sand.

Have you heard the "wise man, foolish man" story? If you haven't, in a nutshell the wise man built his house on the rock. The wise man had great construction and a man cave. The foolish man built his on the sand, had a hallway that bows and wonders what the construction people were smoking when they built his home. Winds and rain came along and the foolish man lost his home, hadn't kept his home owner's insurance up to date to include flood insurance and consequently had to keep paying his mortgage on a home he no longer had....something like that....you get the picture. The wise man on the other hand, had calculated the annual rainfall in his area, built his home with a solid rock foundation and had a terraced yet gently sloping landscape that led the water away from his house. His weather monitoring device in his back yard kept him apprised of the conditions. Because he was prepared, he sat back enjoying the Cubs game on his 60" LCD HDTV with a frosty drink by his side and his wife making some fabulous Guacamole dip right before the 7th inning stretch.

Our house is on a hill, we don't have flood insurance because it would take a flood on the scale of Noah to take out our home, but we do have earthquake insurance—thanks to the fault line that goes right across the mountains that we can see from our home.

With the Epic Relay approaching in a month, I felt it was time to actually run a hill workout rather than just have hills in my workout. When I told my kids the plan this morning, my oldest grinned–because he knows our neighborhood. Our street is nickname "suicide hill" because the kids like to ride bikes, skateboards, etc.. down it. With my plan in place I headed out. It's a completely different run when I am purposely looking for a variety of hills to run. I put in 4 miles of ups and downs that included some longer 1/2 mile climbs and some short 1/8-1/4 mile steep climbs. The short steep hills are all in my neighborhood so I ran them a few times after I had done the longer hills. I returned home a very sweaty and tired mess.

I'm glad I got out early because we'll be close to 100 degrees today. The mornings warm up fast. Saturday I am planning on my first 20 mile run since that blizzard run back in March. I am slightly tempted to run the same route just to show it who is boss. I get to map it out today. The good news is that there is no rain in the forecast.

Reward for a Job Well Done

2010-07-12T17:58:00.003-06:00

I've been evaluating my training/reward ratio for my training and I think I've ~~gone awry~~ right on track. I've always been a firm believer in the concept of rewarding myself for a job well done. With my work, I set ~~loosely followed~~ goals to accomplish before I do my blogging, Facebook, Twitter, etc. For my running, I'm following the same pattern.

I have a chart with my training schedule for my September marathon. The first few weeks, I was very diligent and excited about checking off my runs. I was careful in having a good recovery drink with the proper carb to protein ratio, I made sure I was drinking a sufficient amount of water, etc.

If I accomplished a good long run, I rewarded myself with a trip to local burger place—a great source of protein, carbs and sodium.

I've done some tweaking to my schedule and thought I'd share it with everyone.

1-5 miles = chocolate cookie, bow of ice cream, brownie, etc. If all else fails, then a handful of chocolate chips will work. Of course this is after I have properly rehydrated, had a recovery drink.

6-10 miles = Stepping up from the previous list. Ice Cream is stepped up to Ben and Jerry's, Brownie is now a brownie sundae, recovery food is now leftover pizza, generous helping of Dr. Pepper, etc..

Are you with me now?

11-15 miles = Wendy's or McDonald's. If the run is closer to 15 then it is perfectly acceptable to tack on a couple apple pies or maybe a hot fudge sundae.

16+ miles = favorite burger place (the wait is long, but the food is good), maybe taking the family, possible trip for pizza

I could reward myself with a bowl of granola or a nice juicy banana...yeah that sounds as exciting as sticking to a training schedule. After a while, it just gets old. Now, take that same granola, add a scoop of Cherry Garcia and now you've got something going. Take that banana and stick it in a pot of melted chocolate and you've got a reward worthy of the 5 mile run you just put in. If you're coming toward me with oatmeal, it better be wrapped up in cookie form or you can take it back.

It's all about rewarding yourself for a job well done.

Freedom Festival and 10K Freedom Run

2010-07-09T12:23:00.000-06:00

In my family, I am the only runner. My wife has said she would "rather be drawn and quartered" than become a runner. Months ago her family decided it would be a "bonding" experience to participate in the 5K. My sister-in-law who works for one of the festival sponsors got us a pretty sweet discount. My wife put her feelings for running aside and signed up. I signed up for the 10K.

Packet Pick-up
Packet pick-up was on the 3rd of July. I was curious how the race shirt would fit after the diagram they supplied. The shirt wasn't too bad. A little short in the length, but overall surprisingly good. The additional race materials were mediocre, but I wasn't expecting much. They had a few vendors available, but the most interesting vendor was the Recovery Socks people.
I've been interested in getting a pair for some time and at the urging of my wife I picked up a pair.

Race Day
Another 5:30 am morning. Did I mention how much I dislike mornings? This was a family event so everyone got to be up. I grabbed a gel just in case I needed a boost during the race. The family was all walking the 5K while I did the 10K. The starting points were at two different locations. My starting location was at the finish for both the 5K and 10K. I dropped the kids off at the finish and gave them instructions on where to meet at the end of the race. With over 4000 people running the race combined with spectators, I was a little nervous dropping them all off, but they did great.

The 10K started right on time. They had dividers for the various paces which made it much easier once the race began. I settled in at the back of the 7 min section. My plan was to maintain a 7:30-7:40 pace in the hopes of getting a new PR. While there were no sharp climbs like my last race, but there were still a few long uphill climbs. I felt stronger throughout the run. At mile 3, I turned onto the street where the Grand Parade following the race would be held. I came upon the rest of the family at their 1 1/2 mile mark and cheered them on. Coming into the last mile of the race, I still had the possibility of a PR...just a little more. The race turned onto the remaining incline and my energy level hit zero. Pulling into the finish, I saw my time of 46:12. Alas, no PR this day, but still a good race. My energy and stamina levels felt good. The rest of the family finished about 20 minutes later.

Following the morning festivities, we headed up to a family dinner and pool party—A nice finish to the weekend.

Jam Packed Fourth Startin with a 17 mile run

2010-07-08T18:09:00.000-06:00

The past fourth of July weekend was jam packed of adventure, intrigue, hair-raising and spine tingling moments. There was definitely some romance and mystery involved mixed in with a lot of sweat, heavy breathing and definitely some groaning. It would be a shame to cram all this information into one post, so this may be a two or three parter..there is a lot that occurred.

Holidays in our home have different events that take place. For instance, Memorial Day means weeding the gardens, mowing the lawn, making an annual trip to the cemetery where we will wander around for 20 minutes saying things like "I remember it was right by a tree" before we go and get a map.

Christmas means we get up about 7:00 am with the kids (no way am I getting up at 3:00 am), lounging around the house until I get in the shower about noon and then maybe a family dinner or sledding.

Father's Day means I get to sit in my favorite chair and read a book while the kids and my wife cook dinner.

Fourth of July: This is probably the busiest holidays in the year. I feel like we have got to get our money's worth out of this holiday. Just like shopping for the best deal on fireworks, it's a matter of importance to squeeze every ounce of juice out of this holiday. This fourth of July was no exception.

July 2-5:30 am

"I really really don't want to go running this morning...." I groan as I turn off the alarm and look down at my running clothes. I know I set them out last night as my reminder that I am running 17 miles this morning. I pull on the shorts, throw on the shirt, rummage through my myriad of running socks to find the "right pair" for the day. I get myself a peanut butter sandwich and a thinner mix of protein drink. By 6:00 am, I'm leaving the house. I've left a map of my run so in case I'm not back, my wife can direct the police on where to pick up my body. I really am looking forward to the run, I just don't like running in the morning..come to think of it, I don't like getting out of bed in the morning either.

The cool air of the morning was fantastic. By the second mile, I'm glad I got up and out the door. I hit a good groove and my pace stayed in the 8 min/mile to 8:30 min/mile. In order to avoid the road construction going on, my route looked like and EKG, but I enjoy going through new areas. There are a few hills during the course of my run with a long uphill climb at the end (that's what I get for living at the top of a hill).

I arrived home in time to refill my bottles, eat something quick and down another protein drink then we were off to meet my sister-in-law and her family for a hike up to Timponogos Cave (a popular attraction in the area). The hike is 1 1/2 miles each direction with a climb of 1,250 feet. At the end of the hike, my legs were definitely feeling like Jell-O.

The Price of Giving Feedback

2010-06-29T13:06:00.001-06:00

In the majority of the races I have run, I have given feedback on the experience to the race organizers. I have always felt like if the race was well put together, then the organizers should know that. Same if the course sucked or had problems. I focus on what went well, what didn't and keep it constructive vs slamming or name-calling.

I felt that I had done this effectively when I sent a note to the race organizer of my recent 10K. I listed about 5 areas that I felt were lacking. At the end of my e-mail, I mentioned that I am open to being a volunteer next year if they need people with running experience who can offer insights.
I received an e-mail back from the race organizer yesterday thanking me for my note and in a nutshell telling me that the race sucked because of poor volunteers and not all of them are passionate about running, etc...

At the end of the e-mail back, she told me that she has submitted my name to the city committee in charge of the city festival recommending me to be the race director for next year. Ummm....wasn't expecting that! I guess there is a price to pay for giving feedback. I'll know in August if I'm going to be the man-in-charge next year. If so, then that means that I'll be organizing a 5K for May (kids school) and then a 5/10k in June.

Open mouth, insert foot.

Lehi Roundup 10K Race Report

2010-06-26T19:04:00.000-06:00

I mentioned in my post the other day, the frustrating information I received in regard to the 10K. I debated whether to even run the race or just do a long run without a 10K race in the middle. In the end, I opted to run the race. Here's how it went.

5:30 am: Up and having breakfast. The 10K doesn't start until 7:15 am, but I want to run to the course (3.5 miles) as part of my mileage for the day. This way I can run down, do the 10K, run home and depending on my legs do an alternate longer run home to get 15 miles for the day.

6:10 am: Out the door and on my way. The route down is a gradual downhill so I purposely take it easy.

6:40 am: Meet up with my sister, brother-in-law, nephew and my dad who are all running the 5K.

7:00 am: The 5K starts. I take a few minutes to visit with the owner of Smoothie King who is always one of the sponsors for the 5K that I put together for my kids school. I find out that they didn't know about the race until last Saturday.

Start 7:15 am: The race starts on time and we're off.

mile 1-2: I look at my pace and see that I am going about a minute/mile faster than what I should be. I tone it down a little. There are plenty of inclines in this course so I know I need to conserve my energy especially since I will be visiting it again on the second lap.

mile 3 right before the finish/turnaround: I've passed my sister and dad and saw my brother-in-law on a cross street. Starting so fast was a bad idea and i'm starting to pay for it. The inclines suck, but I'm on the downhill slope. As I close in on the turnaround, I see that the course is short of a 5K by .1 miles.

mile 4: I have to walk for a few steps after that last incline to catch my breath. 1 more incline and then it's downhill to the finish. The police presence that was there for the first lap is no longer around. I get to watch out for cars now.

mile 5-finish: Those hills took it out of me. I know I am in the top 20 and I'm pretty sure that I will place in my age group. I'm not going to PR, but it won't be a Personal Worst. I look at my Garmin just before entering the finish and it shows 47 minutes and change. The finish clock shows 48. I'm puzzled by this because I was right on the start when they said "Go".

Post-race: The timing group usually gives a printout as runners finish that shows the finish time, place, age group, etc. Nothing was handed out this time. I have no idea where I placed. I got one of the last of the sample smoothies, a water bottle and a piece of bread. I see a few other people from the neighborhood and find out that they too were frustrated by the race organization. We wait around to find out when they are doing awards. I finally ask the volunteers and they tell us that they are only doing 1-3 of the top finishers in Youth, Adult and Senior categories and these were awarded as people finish. No age division awards. Also, there were no raffles for prizes like they have done in the past.

Results: I finished in 48:11 according to the race clock. This puts me in 12th overall for the men, 1st for my age group. No Age group awards this year! I feel that giving feedback on a race is important whether the race is good or bad. I sent off an e-mail to the race organizer giving my thoughts on the race. Next year, I will hold off on registering until I see more information regarding the race.

Next race: Freedom Festival 10K. This is a much bigger race. I don't know how many are registered for the 10k. It may be a crowded course.

Somebody Dropped the Ball

2010-06-23T15:58:00.000-06:00

I was looking forward to the 10K this Saturday. The city has always done a 5K, so to add a 10K this year was a nice change. With a 10K, I don't feel as exhausted and I have a good possibility of placing in my age group. I've been a little concerned that I haven't heard about race packets or t-shirts—then I heard from the race coordinator today. Here is the information I was sent.

Are you ready???? Round-up your running shoes, the Lehi rodeo days race is just about a week away! Here is the link to the routes...

Attention- 10k route had to be chenged...

http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/us/ut/lehi/731127681397758555 (10k runs same route x2)

I'm ok with the route being changed, but the section in parenthesis is what has me steaming. Not only do I get to run the same route as the 5K participants, but then they also went one step further. They are starting the 10K 15 minutes later than the 5K, so that means that all the 10K participants get to wade through all the 5K walkers and strollers not once, but twice because we get to run the same path two times. I'm wondering if someone was in charge and dropped the ball.

Random Bits and Pieces

2010-06-19T00:44:00.000-06:00

The week after my pacing experience, I did no running. The weather was crappy, I took a group of scouts on a campout and I really didn't feel like running. This week has been a little better.

I signed up for the Running the Gap Marathon in Pocatello. I lived there for the first 9 years of my life. My father and aunt get together every year and run/walk either the 10k or the 1/2 marathon. My memories of living there include owning two Irish Setter dogs that were bigger than I was and being dragged on walks with them and the various drunks that would fall asleep on the side of our property on weekends.

On Wednesday, I went to a "Run with Pearl Izumi" event at a local running store. A Pear Izumi rep was there demonstrating the shoes. Everyone who came got to try on a pair and go for a run with the rep. I was able to try on a pair of their trail shoes and use them on my run. I've been looking into getting a pair of trail shoes, but haven't fully committed to it yet. After the run on Wednesday, I'll be looking closer at the Pearl's.

Tomorrow I am slated for 15 miles. Many of my friends are currently running the Ragnar Wasatch Back Relay. I was planning to run, but family conflicts prevented me from participating.

Coming up....

June 26: I will be running in the Lehi Roundup 10K. This is the first year they have offered a 10K. I'm looking forward to seeing how this new race turns out.

July 5: Freedom Festival 10K. This is a new one for me. My sister in law and her husband are coming into town to run the 5K. My wife and her other sister will be joining her.

Squaw Peak 50 race from a Pacer Perspective-The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

2010-06-07T15:59:00.002-06:00

Several months ago, my friend Supercords asked me to pace him the last 17 miles of his 50 mile Ultramarathon, I jumped at the chance. I've read race reports of people that do ultra's and seen photos, but I have never participated in some way. It was an eye opening experience.

The Good
The Squaw Peak 50 mile course is a monster. It's a 50.74 mile course with 14,000 ft elevation gain/drop. In our strategic planning sessions which mainly consisted of running through some trails and then a flurry of text messages and emails the last two weeks it was decided that I would wait at Aid Station #8 (33 mile mark) for him to appear. On a normal marathon route, it would simply be getting the cross streets an approximate time and then finding a parking spot. Aid Station #8 is accessible only by 4 x 4 and a firm grasp on how your vehicle will handle. Alas, my vehicle is a far cry from 4 x 4. Supercords went to the race dinner the previous evening and called me telling me that my only way up was with the radio and Aid Station crew.

The race began at 5:00 am. I remember waking up once during the night and realizing that the race was about to begin. I was grateful that I didn't have to be to the race start until 7:30 am to meet the crew going up to the aid station. When we all met up and arrived to AS #8, there were 12 Adults, 3 kids, 3 dogs all there ready to meet the runners.

We were set up by 9:30 am which was perfect because the first runner arrived a little after 10:00 am. It was amazing to see the condition of the first few runners as they stopped briefly at the aid station. We had set up the drop bags in columns of 50 digit intervals to aid us in finding a runner bag quick. A couple people spotted the runner, looked for a number or asked the runner their number and if they had a drop bag. This information was relayed to the crew that was marking off every runner and also to the drop bag runner. The top runners were pretty lucid and knew what was going on, but a few were in a somewhat crazed daze after 33 miles.

The Bad
Supercords came into AS #8 about 1:00 pm which is pretty close to what he had predicted. I was surprised and excited that he did thinking that we would be on track for a 5:30 pm finish. I've seen him look better, but after 33 miles what can you expect? I kept reminding myself that while my legs were fresh, his were jello. We took off for the biggest challenge of the course...Windy Pass and Bozung Hill. This is the steepest ascent of the whole course. 7120' to 8280' with a small drop to 7850' and a final climb to 9300' then a -368' drop to AS#9. This monstrosity is over the course of 1.25 miles. Oh, did I mention that there was a snowfield? Oh, yeah...it's hard to hike up snowfields. Kiss our 5:30 pm finish time goodbye right here. Add in the fact, that by this time Supercords was suffering from some mild dehydration/electrolyte depletion made it a difficult situation even more tough. We made it to AS#9 and the end of the ascents. The remaining 8+ miles were all downhill. At AS #9 we got the hydration and electrolytes we needed and headed down for AS #10 and then the finish.
This part was a mudfest. We were on the shadow end of the mountain so the temperatures were better, but the trail (i'm using that term very loosely) was a combination of mud/snow or snow/mud for the first 3 miles. We definitely picked up the past and down into a park for AS #10.

The Ugly
From AS #10 to the finish was 3 miles. It doesn't sound like much. After 47 miles, what is another 3. Those last 3 miles were all on pavement. Even though I had only been on the course for 14 miles, I felt a HUGE difference. Each footfall felt like a pounding was going on. I slowed down and let Supercords pass me as we turned to finish and I watched him finish the race. I slowed down and walked into the crowd with a few people pointing to me that I should be going the other way.
In the end, the 17 miles was a good training run and gave me a good taste for what an ultra would be like. Am I up to the task of running this sometime in the future? It's something I'll consider in the future.

The Ultimate Runner

2010-06-03T21:38:00.000-06:00

Do you ever wonder why people are running? We all have our own reasons and sometimes when I am running by a person I think about asking them. I then think "What if I ask them and they had just found their groove and now I'm ruining it for them..." Instead of asking them, I just politely say "good morning" or a friendly wave and move on all the time wondering if they are wondering why I am running. Maybe one time I'll just blurt out as I run by a person "Because when I don't run my family tells me that I'm grouchy.." If that doesn't break the ice, nothing will.

Why am I talking about this? Because Amy Hunold-VanGundy and Tom Green from the Runners' Lounge did just that very thing. No, they didn't go around screaming at people...at least they didn't mention that, so we'll assume they were very polite. They asked people why they run and then they took the stories, put them in a book called The Ultimate Runner and are now living in the lap of luxury. I've really got to break out of my anti-social runningness.

Tom and Amy sent me a copy several weeks ago to review. The first thing that struck me when I started reading the book was that every person who is in the book has their own personal reason why they run. There were the typical weight loss/exercise running stories, but those too were unique—some talked about how running saved their life. Many stories however went deeper than this and delved into the "why" they run.

The book is very well organized into several categories so it is easy to find an area of interest. One area that struck my attention was the section called "Must-Know Info." There was topics on stretching (which I have mixed feelings on), nutrition (with charts and some math involved), injury prevention and more. Each of these articles are full of good information in a short concise format.

The articles carry the style of each writer so that the books feels more personal—as if the author is talking right to the reader.

The book also has photos. On the left page there is a photo of boys running through what looks like an Equestrian course. They are running with very intense looks on their face. On the right page there is a photo of the London Marathon where the lead guy has a London Pride Beer costume on. The runner bottle guy has a very pained and concerned look on his face. The runners behind him have very large smiles almost as if they have decided that getting the bottle is more important than the race. This is a great photo. When I put the two photos side by side I decided that the boys are running so that when they grow up they can be adults and chase a man dressed as a beer bottle too.

I do have one suggestion for Tom and Amy and their publisher—get another copy editor to go through the book. I found more than one typo in the articles I read. It didn't distract me from the overall feel of the book, but because I get a lot of flak when I misspell words I tend to find them often.

In the end, the book The Ultimate Runner is a good read and have around. I did do an informal scientific study of my own with the book. I didn't run for a few days, but I did read about people who did. The plan was to see if the actual running made me less "grouchy" or if it could be solved by "thinking about running." After a few days my kids told me to "stop talking about running and actually go running." I guess we know how that study turned out.

Bits and Pieces

2010-05-25T13:31:00.002-06:00

A whole host of random thoughts occurred today as I ran 6.5 miles.

First, I've switched from music to podcasts on my runs. Lately, the music seemed to drag me down and I would spend time flipping through my songs to see if I could find the perfect mix. It may be that the podcasts are just a change of routine, but I'm enjoying listen to various stories and information. In a way, it feels like I am running with someone who is just chatting about random things. Maybe I'll get tired of the chatter or maybe it is what I need to push to the next level in my training.

Second, I could really go for a nap about now. One thing I have noticed is that every run over 4 miles within an hour after finishing, I feel extremely worn out. I follow a good post run regimen of hydrating then drinking a post-run recovery drink of a carb/protein ration. Following the recovery drink I will usually have a good meal. Why should I be so exhausted?

Third, It feels really good to get back into a regular routine of running. My ankle tendon has cleared up, my quads have stopped hurting and overall I am feeling back on track. It's been good to remember why I enjoy running.

Fourth, my luck at winning free stuff on the web has been pretty poor non-existant, but Adam over at The Boring Runner is doing a giveaway. It's probably nothing you're interested in, so don't bother going to see it because it increases my chances of winning.

Finally, I was sent a book from The Runner's Lounge to review. It's a compilation of stories that the site founders published. I will take a moment in an upcoming post to give my review.