An Emergency Morning

"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

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

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...

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

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

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

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.