Video

Traveling Wilburys - I Wont Back Down


There's a lot of stuff going on in my life. Shitty stuff. Stuff my best friends and family don't know about. This song seems appropriate.

Fun facts

Looking over my running log has yielded the following data for 2006;

Ran 1,274.68 miles
Daily average run: 3.49 miles
Average weekly mileage: 24.45 miles
Average monthly mileage: 106.22 miles
Average pace for 2006: 10:42 minutes per mile
Ran 244 days out of 365
Fastest pace recorded: 6:47 minutes per mile
Slowest pace recorded: 18:11 minutes per mile
Lowest body weight: 197 lbs
Highest body weight: 232 lbs
Average body weight: 211.52 lbs
Bike mileage (excluding stationary cycling): 110.27
Slowest 5k race: 36:28
Fastest 5k race: 23:51
Slowest 10k: 1:12:27
Fastest 10k: 58:08

There's a ton of data. I'll stop, because it goes on forever.

Don't count me out, yet

Yesterday and today have been virtually pain free. My biggest problem is the discomfort at night. Apparently I "load" my knee when I sleep on my side and it wakes me up.

In my house, no sharp pain means.... GO RUN!

Let me start by saying, it was freakin' awesome. I'll take it a step further; it was near-orgasmic! Easy to forget how much you love running, until you stumble into a run like I had today. I was pushing Alison in the stroller and ran a 10:04 pace. I had to back up a loooong way in my training log to find a similar pace/distance with the stroller.

Notes on the run: Since the untimely death of my garmin, I've had to run and walk routes that I have already measured. My mountain bike has a cheap bike computer, which is cool. It's not too bad now, but I miss knowing my splits. There was one time near mile four that I had a sharp pain. Lasted about five seconds, then it was gone. There was lots of discomfort in both knees on the incline(s), yet very manageable. I refuse to say I'm not running Houston. I remain optimistic. Today's run helped.

Thanks, for those of you who sent me private emails about Koala. I hope to learn from your experiences.

Activity: Run
Mileage: 6.0 miles
Time: 1:00:22 -- 10:04 pace
Location: Kingwood Greenbelts
How I Felt: 9.5

Activity: Weight Training
Body Region: Upper-body
Time: 30 minutes
Location: Home Gym
How I Felt: 9 (bored)

Sore legs, YAY!

Activity: Walk
Mileage: 1.0 mile
Time: ~18:00 minutes
Location: Trailwood Village
How I Felt: 10

Activity: Bike (with trailer)
Mileage: 9.0 miles
Time: 63 minutes
Location: Kingwood Greenbelts
How I Felt: 7

My legs are incredible sore from yesterdays lower body workout. It's never felt better to be sore!

Before the bike ride my calories were low, which resulted in me crashing (not literally) 3/4 way into the session. Again, it felt good to be "tired".

Good Luck to Forest, er Coach Steeve who will break 2000 annual miles tomorrow night. He's been on a running streak since the last part of November in an attempt to make-up for a mild injury in August. Way to go, Coach!

Wish I was running

Activity: Stationary Bike
Level: 4
Time: 30 minutes
Location: Humble FD Gym
How I Felt: 10

Activity: Weight Training
Body Region: Lower Body
Time: 30 minutes
Location: Humble FD Gym
How I Felt: 8.5

Activity: Walk
Mileage: 4.0 miles
Time: 60 minutes
Location: Humble FD
How I Felt: 9.5

I created this blog to post running related stuff. Since I'm not running I don't have much to say.

Pain Quotes

There has never been a great athlete who died not knowing what pain is. -- Bill Bradley

Pain nourishes courage. You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you. -- Mary Tyler Moore

Pain is such an uncomfortable feeling that even a tiny amount of it is enough to ruin every enjoyment. -- Will Rogers

We must all suffer one of two things: The pain of discipline or the pain of regret and disappointment -- Jim Rohn

My true pain is the realization that the Houston Marathon is not going to happen. -- Bill Cox

Bike and walk

The knee has been sore most of the day. The pain kept me up last night, so I'm tired. No sharp pain noted when I walked the dog, but there was a lot of discomfort. Later, I hooked up the trailer to the bike and went for an one-hour bike ride. Everything felt good. Kind of hard to "dig deep" on the inclines. There again, that's always hard to do with the mountain bike and trailer.

It seems the bike ride did a lot of good. The aching has disappeared since the ride. YEAH! I was motivated enough to do some weight training.

I started a diet Tuesday morning. It's only been three days, but so far, so good.

Activity: Bike with trailer
Mileage: 9.0 miles
Time: 1:00:00
Location: Kingwood Greenbelts
How I Felt: 9.5

Activity: Walk (the dog)
Mileage: 1.5 mile
Time: ~28:00 minutes
Location: Trailwood Village
How I Felt: 8

Activity: Weight training
Body Region: Mid-body
Location: Home Gym
How I Felt: 10

Test run

Tried running today for the first time since Saturday. I felt uneasy while running. The first half mile was the worst. Lots of small aches and weirdness in the knee. Then I thought to myself... it always feels like this for the first couple miles. After that I settled down and focused my thoughts about stuff OTHER than my knee. There were a few sharp pains during the run. I didn't stop because they only lasted a second or two.

The plan was to run 5-8 miles on my 3-mile loop through the subdivision. Admittedly, I felt pretty good at the end of the first three miles. When I stopped the knee started to ache. I extended the water break to ~10 minutes, hoping all would be well. I tried to do another loop, but I didn't make it 50 yards. The pain was sharp and constant this time.

So, there you go. I've been reduced to a 3-mile runner. In the grand scheme of this injury, I don't think running is good advice. Right now, it hurts to walk and I can already see minor swelling on the lateral side of my knee.

WILLIE ES NO BUENO!

Activity: Run
Mileage: 3.0 miles
Time: 30:58 -- 10:19 pace
Location: Trailwood Village
How I Felt: 8.5

Doctor visit

Dr. Kieke said there is an area under my knee cap that is "rough", which is causing pain when it comes into contact with areas it shouldn't. This explains the stabbing pain one minute and none the next. The root problem comes from the patella not "tracking" properly. He said there are four stages of severity, I, II, III, and IV. Stages I, and II can be treated in his office without interference in training. Stages III and IV usually require surgery. This was his exact words: With the amount of grinding and popping in your knee, you're definitely higher than stage II. He assured me this is a common sport injury and the surgery is nothing major, just a scrapping of the posterior side of the patella and some rehab. Our next action is an MRI of my knee to confirm his diagnosis.

Here's the problem. They checked my medical insurance and it covers 60% of my Koala visits AFTER a $2000 deductible is met. It has something to do with Koala being considered "alternative medicine". The insurance company is treating them as a chiropractor. He offered me a "cash" discount, but it's more than I can afford over the long haul. I'll probably have to see a "real-doctor", so the insurance will cover me. I should know something soon about the MRI coverage. Hopefully the news will not be as bad.

There was a small bit of good news. They said I could run, UNTIL there is sharp pain. If I experience pain they said I need to stop immediately. They also noted the same problem in my left knee, but its only at stage I.

They said all of this is due to tight calves and quadriceps from the lack of stretching.

Still no running

Activity: Stationary bike
Time: 1:00:00
Level: 4
Location: Humble FD Gym
How I Felt: 10

Activity: Weight Training
Time: 30 minutes
Body Region: Upper body
Location: Humble FD Gym
How I Felt: 9.5

The gym workouts reveal I have lost muscle strength.

The knee wasn't too bad today. I have a doctors appointment in the morning. My guess is patella tendonitis.

I found a race that is more my style. The link is here. The race rules are here.

Chapter 2

I'm done.

Somewhere along the way, I lost sight of my initial task at hand.... to lose weight. I started running with a group for the camaraderie, but let my goals (and waistline) slip through my fingers. It's time to get back to my original task at hand. I much happier meting body weight goals, rather than distance or time PR's.

Today's long run was horrible on several levels. Nothing to do with HS, simply a chain of expensive and painful events.

I'm tired of bitchin' about all my problems. Time to take control of this journey.

Determination (updated)

Have you ever wondered what a typical day is like at the Fire Station?Well, here's a general timeline of today's shift:

7:40 Arrived at work 20 minutes early
7:45 EMS call. Construction worker struck by a 300 lb tar kettle lid
9:00 Back at the station
9:10 Normal morning duties (roster, checking the units, etc)
10:20 EMS call. Store clerk cut her head while working in stock room
11:25 Back at station
11:30 Went to lunch (Jason's Deli)
12:15 Back at station
12:30 EMS call. Syncopal episode at Academy
1:00 - 4:00 EMS CE, we arrived late due to call (1:45)
4:00 Dressed and ready to run
4:05 Raining cats and dogs
4:10 Decide on weight training
4:30 Plan to do one-hour on the stationary bike
4:35 EMS call. Chest pain, possible MI.
6:30 Back from call
7:00 Dinner
7:20 Back on stationary bike
8:10 EMS call. 2-month old chocking. Turn's out the child spit up her milk (new parents)
8:30 Back from call
8:35 Back on bike
8:40 Completed 1-hour on the bike. I decide to run
8:50 Running around the station
9:30 EMS call. CPR in progress at nursing home. Termination of efforts.
10:00 Back at station
10:10 Running again
10:30 Exhausted and left shin starting to ache. DAMN, so close to ten miles.
10:40 Shower
11:00 Blog

I have at least two hours worth of paperwork. Depending on the call volume, I get to sleep after that! This was a typical day. Some days are slower, some are busier.
Update:
1:27 am. I just finished all my reports and I'm heading to bed.
2nd update:
4:05 EMS call. Unresponsive person. Patient alert upon arrival. Apparent stomach virus.
4:50 Back in bed
7:00 Up and out of bed
0710-07:45 General station duties (cleaning)
07:55 HEADING HOME!

Activity: Workout
Body Region: Mid-body
Location: Humble FD Gym
Time: 30 minutes
How I Felt: 10

Activity: Stationary Bike
Level: 3 (wimpy, considering it goes to 16)
Time: 1:00:00 -- Average mph 13.6
Location: Humble FD Gym
How I felt: 10

Activity: Run
Mileage: 7.13 miles
Time: Don't know... see notes below
Location: Humble FD
How I Felt: 8.5

In the morning rush to get Alison to daycare before work, I forgot my garmin. Plus, I currently do not have a wrist watch (wrist band broke last week). When I decided to run, I had no way to time myself. The only thing I had was an old fashion punch counter that I keep in my locker. The loop's around the station always measures 0.30-0.32 with the garmin. The punch counter helps me keep track of the total number of laps, which I multiply by the average GPS measurement (0.31).

Six miles w/ knee pain

It would be easy to give up. I'm constantly tired. All I want to do is sleep. I forced myself out the door this evening. The weather remains warm, but the humidity is slightly lower.

I was surprised at the soreness from yesterdays SMALL run. Mile two felt really good and I thought to myself, "I'm back!". Then my right knee started hurting. Sharp pain on both sides of the patella, primarily lateral aspect. I ran through the pain, thinking it was psychological. Now, my knee appears "puffy" as I sit here typing this. Not completely swollen, but you can see a difference when compared to my left knee. These setbacks are getting old. As I said before, I just want to run.

Activity: Run
Mileage: 6 miles
Time: 1:01:50 -- 10:18 pace
10:45, 10:20, 9:56,
10:12, 9:47, 10:48
Location: Trailwood Village
How I Felt: 7

Three miles

Mileage: 3 miles
Time: 32:50 -- 10:57 pace
11:11, 10:55, 10:44
Location: Trailwood Village
How I Felt: 7

Lacked motivated to get out the door. Extremely humid. No back pain. Hard run for only being 3 miles. Never "settled" into a rhythm.

D.N.F

I don't have a clue what happened today. I assumed my pre-long run preparations were adequate, which included; no running the day before, drank lots of water, got a fair amount of sleep, the kiddo went to daycare, and I dressed for the weather. My plan was to run a solo 21 miler.

Earlier in the week I devised a double loop course that was half dirt trail and half road. This morning started later than I had hoped, but I was dressed and out the door by 9am. It was nasty out there. As Coach would label it, "pea-soup". The ground was wet resulting in the clay-like soil sticking to my shoes. Little did I know this would be the least of my problems.

Awhile back I bought a hydration pack. You know, the backpack style. Lets just say it was not a good experience. It was rubbing and felt heavy, so I shed it before the first mile. My back was bothering me from the beginning and the pack didn't help matters.

I couldn't find the drive or will to run today. Plus, my back was going from discomfort to pain. I tried walk breaks. I tried slowing down. I got rid of the hydration pack. Nothing worked. I finally quit at 5 miles. Immediately I felt better, but then I started feeling bad about the failed run. So, I went for a bike ride. Riding the bike took more effort than usual, but the ride was enjoyable. During the bike ride I built myself back up and tried to go running again. I didn't even make it two miles the second time.

I have no idea what happened. This is one for the Coach to answer. I think its the extra day of running. This is exactly how I felt last time. I wanted to run, but hated to actually run.

Through it all I walked 2-3 miles. I stop my watch when I walk. So, the numbers you see are actuall run time. Maybe I'll try to pick up some extra miles on Sat/Sun.

Activity: Run (both runs combined)
Mileage: 6.52 miles
Time: 1:13:32 -- 11:17 pace
Location: Kingwood
How I Felt: 4

Activity: Bike
Mileage: 13.17 miles
Time: 1:16:15 -- 10.4 mph
Location: Kingwood
How I Felt: 8

Google madness

Have you ever tried to google: your last name, runner, and deer at the same time? Well, if you were me, you would have found this:

Who knew it was this easy to do speed work. There are mutiple pictures on the link.

Day off

Today is a much needed day off. I had to move my schedule around to accommodate a 48-hour shift I have this weekend. Tomorrow morning, I'm going long. Anyone else looking for a Friday long run?

My legs feel better, but now I have a sore throat. Damn my luck.

I'm really excited! Vic and I are working on something Big. More details to come soon.

Erik ROCKS!

Congratulations to Erik, season three winner of the Biggest Loser. He lost 214 pounds! I probably wouldn't believe it, but I saw him transform before my eyes.

Two runs, eleven miles

Run 1 of 2. Pushed stroller through Kingwood Greenbelts. Seven mile out and back. Negative mile splits with the exception of the final mile. The last mile has a significant incline. The stroller is getting old. I'll probably start running at night again.

I'm not too sure how well the massage worked. My legs were really sore when I woke up. Right now they feel the same as before. At least they aren't worst.

Activity: Run #1
Mileage: 7.0 miles
Time: 1:11:42 -- 10:15 pace
10:53, 10:34, 10:22, 10:09,
9:51, 9:45, 10:08
Location: Kingwood Greenbelts
How I Felt: 8.5

Run 2/2. There was a large turnout for the Strider Christmas Light run. The annual event attracted many of the usual SMART runners along with several new Houston Strider members. I was disappointed with the quantity and quality of Christmas lights within the "rich part of town". Maybe its an age thing. Where I live, most people have kids and consequently there are lots of Christmas lights and decorations. The lack of lights didn't take away from the event because, I had a superb time running. I hung out all night with Kate. We talked at length about her new home and remodeling. She's a great running partner.

Activity: Run #2, Novelty Run
Mileage: 4.05 miles
Time: 42:17 -- 10:26 pace
10:36, 10:37, 10:08, 10:22, 0:34, (0.05)
Location: Uptown Park
How I Felt: 10

Mid-day 6-miler (updated)

Texas weather is crazy. It got freakin hot out there. Partially my fault for starting my run at noon and pushing the stroller, but gee's it is DECEMBER already! Let me correct this a bit. It's a BEAUTIFUL day, but a little warm for running.

Does anyone else push a stroller with a thirty pound kid? If so, tell me what it does to your pace. Right now, my running is all over the place... no pun intended. Makes it hard to say with certainty if it slows me down or speeds me up.

Activity: Run
Mileage: 6.0 miles
Time: 1:00:50 -- 10:08 pace
11:07, 10:21, 10:00
10:08, 9:42, 9:32
Location: Kingwood Greenbelts
How I Felt: 9.5

Erin suggested a professional massage might help my legs. I've read about runners who get massages, so I thought, "What the heck". As you've read, my legs have been sore this week with lots of little aches and pains popping up. Erin has tried massaging my legs, but there's only been minor relief. This evening I found an inexpensive RMT a mile from the house. I only scheduled a thirty minute session.

Holy crap, that hurt. She seemed very knowledgeable and immediately recognized my calves as the root problem (before ever touching them). During the session she talked to me about proper hydration and the role it plays in carrying away toxins from the muscles. She was dead on the money, because I've consumed very little water this week. Damn you, Sweat Tea!

Early in the session she told me to, "relax your calves". When I told her, "they are relaxed" she asked for me to tighten them up. She seemed shocked and told me that my calves are probably the tightest she has ever seen. After that, I received advice on stretching, because your lower extremities are only as strong and flexible as the weakest link. Therefore, tight calves are probably the reason for all my aches and pains (other muscles compensating). Anyways, the recommendation was water, water, water, stretch, and massage.

Just when I thought the worst of it was over she gave me a small sample of a true sports massage with trigger point pressure. THAT SUCKED! I felt like a wimp. I nearly jumped off the table. She said lots of active athletes get "sport massages" (deep tissue with trigger points) and you eventually get accustomed to the discomfort. My legs are still tight and sore, but I do feel better.

I was surprised how fast thirty minutes went by. The advice alone was worth my 25 bucks.

Post race 5k run

Seems like I've had a lot of different pains this week. This strikes me odd because the mileage was below 35 (on purpose) and nothing was new.

Today wasn't bad. My left medial shin is sore and the side of my left foot, near the middle feels like a "stone bruise". Otherwise, a good run.

This may sound odd, but I enjoy recovery runs after a long or hard effort. I use to worry how long it would take for me to recover from a specific run. Now, I look forward to testing my body and evaluating where I'm at. Today's test revealed that my legs are fine. Cardio is checking in good. My back is sore and needs more core workouts and muscle specific exercises. Mental outlook is good. Overall: B+

Activity: Run
Mileage: 3.10 miles
Time: 30:02 -- 9:40 pace
Splits:
10:31, 9:36, 9:04, 0:53 (0.10)
Location: Humble Fire Department
How I Felt: 9

Check out the names on the right hand side of this page. What have I done!

Over-due recognition

You find out who your friends are when you need something. In an earlier post, I mentioned that I had not received my 30k race packet. Steve Bezner jumped at the chance to save me the long drive. At packet pick-up Steve learned that they did not have me registered. Let me remind you, this was Friday afternoon. That evening he bent over backwards to locate me and give me the urgent news. I worked out the problem and Steve made a second trip the next day. Steve Bezner is as nice as he is FAST. Thanks buddy. I owe you one.

Second thanks to Andy with Finish Line sports. He promptly replied to my email last week, when I asked about not receiving my race packet in the mail. After learning they did not have me registered, I began to worry due to timing. Long story short, Andy called me at 11:00 pm Friday night and admitted a few hard copies had been lost. He personally registered me over the phone and took my word that I paid (Yes, I have the returned check). He also left instructions for his staff that Steve Bezner would be picking up the packet on Saturday.

There are several reasons why I thought this incident deserved recognition. First: He admitted there was an problem and didn't try to pawn it off as my error. Second: He corrected the problem immediately. Third: He was very nice and polite. I can only imagine how busy and stressed a RD must be the day before a race . Job well done Andy (Finish Line Sports).

Methodist Sugarland Hospital 30k report

My worst race this fall season. Everything fell apart. Sucky weather. Lots of concrete. Pain(s); right ITB, right knee, left ankle, minor shin splints, and the same hip-butt-thigh pain from yesterday. Pony diagnosed my pain as "sciatic nerve pain", which requires advil. Thanks for the advice pony!

If I plan to run longer distances, I must learn to run through pain. With those thoughts running through my head, I picked up the pace for the last 2 miles. I was impressed with my effort level at the end (9:10 pace for the the last 2-miles). I picked-off 21 people on my way to the finish line. Too bad there were multiple times earlier where I was forced to walk and 943 runners passed me. Hell, the number of people who passed me could be higher!

I'm ok with today's results. I've had a good run with the fall series and I can't expect them all to be great runs.

18.79 miles (garmin)
3:17:46 -- 10:31 pace
9:57, 10:16, 9:58, 10:02
9:54, 9:40, 9:45, 9:52
10:56, 11:10, 10:41, 9:56
11:40, 12:11, 12:23, 12:04,
10:47, 9:40, 6:46 (0.79 mile)
Sugarland, TX
Felt: 8.0

Offical time and pace: 3:18:13 -- 10:39 pace

I spent several hours after the race with my friend Reuben. Reuben was transported to the hospital for dehydration and heat exhaustion. I'm glad to report he's doing fine and relaxing at home. Reuben told me that he has never had to walk in a race before today. That didn't stop him from placing third in his age bracket with a speedy 2:23:02. Rueben ROCKS!

Sunmart and a short run

I drove an hour North to Huntsville, all for the sake of a few Sunmart participants. I knew a few were going, but ended up seeing a lot of folks I know. I left before they all finished but, here's a mini recap:

Matt Wright: ~4:15:xx
Mr Boone was fast enough for 14th overall and 3rd in his AG. The bronze horse trophy was awesome! Shortly after learning of his placement Matt said, "I would have run harder if I knew the gifts were this cool". Matt Rocks!

Sean McDowell: 5:00:38
What a day for Sean. He has NEVER entered a race before. His running debut was a 50k in 5 hours. WOW, what else can you say? He had the opportunity to share his accomplishment with both his wife and beautiful daughter, Sunny. Oh yeah, and me!

Other's I saw: Keith, Holden, Jon, and Disco. There were other familiar faces, but I'm not the best with names. One thing I found unique was runners actually stopping and talking to me. I asked Keith how he felt and he replied, "I'm dying". There was a long pause where I tried to determine is he was joking or serious. Keith, your too funny! That's why I read your blog.... it has very little to do with your running. Keith seemed confident and could have easily done a couple extra loops.
Also had a chance to talk with Jon, who wasn't far behind Holden and Keith. All three looked strong and seemed to be having a grand time.

Disco was so full of energy she was dancing at the turn-around. Her only words included, "I just want to finish upright" and "I'd rather be dancing". Disco didn't look like she had walked from her car, much less run half a 50k! You go girl!

The energy was over the top. I can't wait to start running these longer distances. I took my camera, but I think it is officially dead. The camera wouldn't turn on this morning. That's a bummer. I had the chance to capture some great photos. I had to leave at 1:30 due to other obligations. Sorry to the runners I did not see finish. I was with you in spirit!

On my way home I called Kevin and asked if he wanted to go running. He had run 10 miles with Woodlands Fit this morning, but still jumped at the chance to join me. True to the day, we went running through some trails near his home. Half of the trail was made by ATV's and the other part was a pipeline. The run ended up being four miles in moderately high grass, low hanging branches, roots, holes, and rocks. Kind of technical... to me. Within the first fifty yards I experienced a sharp pain on my left hip, running down my butt, thigh, and occasionally to my calf. I stopped several times to stretch. I have no idea what this is. Never felt it before. The shin splints are also bothering me. Time for lots of ibprofren and ice. I hate feeling like this before a race, but there is nothing I can do.

Activity: Run - trail
Mileage: 4.04 miles
Time: 45:29 -- 11:15 pace
Location: Conroe, TX
How I Felt: 6

Decent pace for 6 miles

Mid-afternoon run. Once again, I was pushing the jogging stroller through the Kingwood greenbelts. I was surprised at the pace. Felt like I was moving much slower.

I've worn my oldest shoes all week. Consequently, I feel that old familiar shin splint pain coming back. This time both shins hurt. Time to make these official yard shoes.

Activity: Run
Mileage: 6 miles
Time: 1:03:22 -- 10:34 pace
Location: Kingwood Greenbelts
How I Felt: 8.5

Almost 10 miles

I'm not sure why, but I felt spent on my run. Once again, I had Alison in the stroller for a typical greenbelt run. The entire time I felt sluggish and lacked motivation. The plan was ten miles, but I only pounded out 4.1 miles.

My darling wife took over parenting duties when she got home from work, which enabled me to run again, but this time with the Striders. We ran a club favorite: Memorial to Jackson Hill. The route is nearly 5.5 miles. Now you see why I titled the post, almost 10 miles. What a difference you can have by changing only a couple factors. The most significant difference was pace. My average pace for the first run was 11:49 and the pace for the group run was 9:19. Plus it felt good both mentally and physically. Sometimes it makes me happy to run comfortably hard. Today was this day.

Special thanks to Bessie, Jessica, and Ruben for hanging out with me. It makes a world of difference when your surrounded by friends.

Activity: Run #1
Mileage: 4.11 miles
Time: 48:33 -- 11:49 pace
Location: Kingwood Greenbelts
How I Felt: 8

Activity: Run #2
Mileage: 5.31 miles
Time: 49:30 -- 9:19 pace
Splits:
9:46, 9:25, 9:18, 8:55, 9:21, 2:45, (0.31)
Location: Memorial Park
How I Felt: 9.5

Thanks, Erin. It would have been easy to short today's mileage or unhappily pound it out. My training would significantly suffer if it wasn't for you. Your the BEST!

Your Christmas gift

Loyal readers,
Below you will find a link to your Christmas gift. I hope you enjoy it, because there are no refund or exchanges.

http://home.att.net/~hideaway_today/t041/xmas_santa.swf

A few X-mas pictures

Tasty food, an honor, and lots of fun

Strider functions rock. Big shout-outs to Ryan and Stacy Stepler. Together they unselfishly devote their time, so that others can have fun. Of course, there are others behind the scene that help. Thanks: Steeve, Barb, Stacy, Ryan, Disco, Pony, John, the Strider Board, and Strider committee members!

Erin and I had a lot of fun last night at Carmello's. I love Italian food! There were door prizes-o-plenty. I didn't win anything, but some of those gifts were sweet! The big winner was an HPD representative. Barb presented a $15,000 check to Assist the Officer. It's humbling to be a part of a club that can make those kind of donations.

Steeeve recognized all kinds of Striders; board members, committee chairs, volunteers, Strideline writers and more. Speaking of Stridelines... did you hear that our little newsletter is going to nationals? Word came yesterday that we won the RRCA mid-size club, South region. Way to go Strideline writers, contributors, editors, photographers, and others!

Now, for the waaay cool news. I was honored with an award: 2006 Male Newcomer of the Year. As I told Steeve, I was shocked. With the club's recent growth, there was no lack of possible nominations. I'm not too sure of the criteria, but who cares, I WON! The other winners are listed below. If I heard Steeve correctly, we'll receive an extension to our HARRA membership.

Female newcomer: Hillary Gerhart
Most improved male: Steve Bezner and Chip Maxa
Most improved female: Jennie Minkin
Male runner of the year: Fred Miller
Female runner of the year: Jody Berry
Male master runner of the year: Ruben Coryat
Female master runner of the year: Julie Ruthledge, "You the chick"!

Volunteers of the year: Jessica, Megan, Barry, Pony, Peter, and Holly
RRCA volunteer certificates: Lee, Pam, and Lisa

There was so much more that went on last night. Too much to mention. If you want more details, join the Houston Striders and experience the fun for yourself!

What did you think of the Strider party?

The Houston Striders Christmas party was...

AMAZING!

4 miles and a party

Pushed the stroller with Alison in tow along a new greenbelt route.

Am I the only one running in a cotton tee-shirt when it's cold? Cotton has been just right for distances under eight miles. Just wondering.

Today is the Houston Strider Christmas party. Check back tomorrow for a recap.

Activity: Run
Mileage: 4.04 miles
Time: 45:11 -- 11:11 pace
Splits:
11:26, 11:33, 10:59, 10:42, 0:32 (0.04)
Location: Kingwood Greenbelt
How I Felt: 9.5

5k recovery

I received advice that adding a 6th running day would be advantageous to my training. I tried running six days a week at the beginning of SMART, but it didn't last long. Chronic fatigue had settled into my legs and refused to leave. At one point I was losing interest in running. Dropping back to 5 days-a-week cured me instantly. It's been a couple months and now its time to try again.

Normally today would be an off day. In an attempt to ease into the extra day, I elected to run an uneventful three miler. I pushed Alison in the stroller to the lake, just past the duck and geese cove and returned home. The route proved to be a near-perfect three miles.

I'm content with the splits, considering the return trip has a moderate incline and I was pushing the stroller.

Activity: Run
Mileage: 3.08 miles
Time: 33:59 -- 11:02 pace
Splits:
11:30, 11:05, 10:41, 0:43 (0.08)
Location: Kingwood Greenbelts
How I Felt: 10

30k packet?

Has anyone received their 30k race packet yet? I've moved since registration and worry that my forwarded mail will not reach me in time. What to do, what to do!?!?!?

Trivia:
I just bought a pair of shoes off the clearance rack of Sports Authority. The sales person knew nothing about them. They LOOK like running shoes and feel pretty good, especially for 39.99. As soon as I got home, I googled every number and word on the shoes and didn't come up with a single result. So, here's my challenge to you: The first person to find ANYTHING about these shoes online will be hereafter titled "google-god". I searched for nearly 2-hours and gave up.

Asic's Gel-Epic
TQ53C
Size: 11
Color: red and silver

I couldn't let it go, so I made a phone call to customer service and got the needed information. Coach, I told you they cost 34 in an email... Sorry, typeo.

10k recovery

Since yesterdays run I've been limping around like I'm crippled.

Coach Steeve has an eerie way of knowing "all-things-running". In a recent email, I told him that I was feeling rather rough and he replied, "I trust you'll be in ship shape by morning". Needless to say when I woke up I felt better, but my legs remained tight and sore. I thought to myself, "finally caught him OFF of his game", that is until I took off for my recovery run.

My plan was to run by "feel" and not over tax my body during this run. By mile three I suspected the pace was faster than normal. Then on mile four I increased the effort from a solid five to an eight. The hamstring's started aching a bit, so I purposely made myself slow down. I reminded myself that this was a recovery run AND at the beginning of a recovery week. I returned to the prior run by "feel" for the final two mile cool-down.

What a spectacular run! I guess I didn't catch Coach after all. Today, I'm glad he was right!

Activity: Recovery Run

Mileage: 6.11 miles

Time: 58:12 -- 9:32 pace

Splits:

10:38, 9:34, 8:56, 8:25

Recovery: 9:59, 9:41

Location: Kingwood -- Trailwood Village

How I Felt: 10

Huntsville SP card punched

I have a lot to say, but for the sake of the length I'll TRY to keep it short.

Today was my first time running in Huntsville State Park. For starters: The weather was perfect. The scenery was unbelievable and the trails were awesome. The only problem I had this morning was a dead battery on my garmin. I'm sooo addicted to the numbers. It drove me CRAZY without it, but oh well, life goes on. I didn't even have a regular watch, so the numbers for today are a pure estimate.

The scheduled route was ~12.5 miles. Sean joined us (Striders) this morning. He's running Sun-mart next weekend and wanted to sneak-a-peek at the terrain. We didn't run together much because he was hanging out near the front of the pack. Side note: The Striders only saw a small preview of his running ability. Sean is a truly gifted runner.

Back to the run. Near the nine mile mark I was descending a hill RAPIDLY and lost my footing and fell. It knocked the wind out of me. I stayed on the ground for a minute before getting back on my feet. Shortly after the fall I made a wrong turn, which extended my run by ~6-7 miles.

A Woodlands, TX trail runner heard that I was separated from the group and set out to find me. His name was Les. SUPER nice guy. The first thing he asked was, "Are you Bill?". Then Les proceeded to say that he was done with his 25k loop and wouldn't leave the park, knowing that a runner was missing. After several "thank you's", we talked about everything from trail shoes to training strategies. I had a wonderful time talking to him about ultra-running related stuff. Thanks Les! If it wasn't for you, I'd probably still be wondering around in the woods.

Before Les "found" me I had run out of water and decided it would be safer to walk until I knew where I was. My best guess is that I ran 11-13 miles and walked 4-5 miles. Les and I ran the last 3/4 mile to the camp. That short run with him was the highlight of my day.

With the exception of the fall I never stopped moving. This is bitter-sweet news. I'm glad I stayed in motion. BUT. Today's run has planted negative thoughts about my ability to finish a 50-miler. We'll see, the best I can do right now is run one day at a time.

The attendees included: Bessie, Amaila, Carlos, Jim, Steeeve, Steve, Chip, Heather, Amy, Barb, Vic, Sean, Pam, Frank, and me. Sorry Striders for the drama that held up breakfast. You forgive me, right!

Activity: Trail run
Mileage:
Run: 11+
Walk: 4+
Time: Approximately 4 hours??
Location: Hunstville State Park
How I felt: 9

My legs are very sore right now. I'm curious of my "recovery time". One last thing. Someone, I don't remember who, said that HSP was flat "as a pancake". Let it be known, I'm calling BULL-SHIT!

Classifieds

If you're interested, call me on my cell phone:

Amphipod (Full Tilt model).
The unit is 3-4 months old. Used it less than 10 times
Paid $38.00. No signs of use.
For sale: $20








Bill's mobile number 281.787.5076

RR 50-miler?

Jennie Minkin was able to correctly guess which race I signed up for. If you haven't checked out the comments, it is the Rocky Raccoon 50 mile - 100 mile.

One of my goals for 2007 is to finish a marathon (sub-4:30) and run an ultra running event. In my opinion, the marathon is as good as done. An ultra is a different story. The normal progression after a marathon is probably a 50k (31.1 miles). Since I'm not NORMAL, I signed up for the 50-miler. YIKES!

I choose this race for a number of reasons:

• The date is during cooler weather
• Plenty of aid stations
• 3 loop course
• FLAT as a pancake
• Trail run (easier on the joints)
• One of the LONGEST cut-off times (29 hours)
• Close to home

Many people have said that Rocky Raccoon is an ideal ultra debut course. Yet the problem is timing. The race is only two months away and my longest run to date is 20 miles. See the problem? Plus it's three weeks after my marathon debut.

I was very excited initially, but I've gotten bits and pieces of discouraging words. Until today that is. Coach Steeve didn't think it was the worst thing I've ever done, which has rebuilt my confidence. With a 29 hour cut-off time, I have to maintain a 34 minute pace. Of course my goal is considerably less (sub-14 hours). I'll compose some type of strategy for both my training and my "race". It will probably be some combination of running and walking. I have several ideas, but I'd like input from others.

Currently, I'm working on the following preparation work:

Add the 6th running day into my schedule
Add extra mileage on long run days, similar to last weeks LR
Run 30+ in one day, before the ultra

If all goes as plans I will exceed the 200 mark for Decembers mileage. The sacrifice is quantity over quality. And that is sure to hurt my marathon time. In 2008 I'll pick my favorite distances and work harder on quality stuff. Well, that's my plan. I have given up on the idea of a triathlon. They seem expensive and my interest level is very low for swimming and only marginal for biking. I have most of my goals for 2007 ready. Can't wait to post them!

Anyways, tell me what you think. I'd like to hear from you... good, bad, or indifferent.

End of the month mileage

I walked out of the house at 10:45 pm for a six mile run. I was wearing my USA 10-miler long sleeve shirt, "biker-style" shorts (due to the chaffing) with a pair of normal running shorts over them. I made it a whooping quarter mile before I said, "SHIT, it's cold out here". I returned home and added some layers, which included a cotton t-shirt, gloves, and a beanie.

Out of curiosity, I checked the "official" temperature at Bush airport before I headed back out. The airport is about 5 aerial miles from Kingwood and it said it was 35 degrees. The mix of clothes the second time was perfect.

Felt so good that I added some extra miles. No great performance, just good ole' mileage. I ran the route that has two decent hills per loop. During the run I thought about Vic's November mileage. I'm both impressed and proud of his and Steve Bezners determination. It makes me wonder where I'd be right now, if I was working as hard as them. Either way, I guess you could say Vic inspired me to make a last minute push.

My legs feel great. I'm sure I could have done much more, but I have a 12-miler in Huntsville Saturday and I felt a VERY SMALL "weirdness" in my lower back. I thought it would be a good idea to call it quits and be content with double digits.

Activity: Run
Mileage: 10.45 miles
Time: 1:57:12 -- 11:13 pace
Location: Kingwood> Trailwood Village and Kings Lake Village
How I Felt: 9.8