Rocky Raccoon 50k race report

I saw and experienced so many new things in the last 24 hours that I don’t know where to start.

Let me write what I’m able to recall in chronological order, starting yesterday afternoon. I spent most of the day taking care of little errands and chores that needed to be done around the house. The only reason I mention this is because I was on my feet all day. I was so busy I neglected my pre-race hydration regimen and didn’t “truly” rest my legs like I wanted.

As soon as Andrea got off work we drove to Trinity to drop Taylor off at Erin’s house. The traffic through Conroe cost us an additional hour, which I wasn’t expecting. On the trip North we made a quick stop into Luke’s Locker for a new hydration belt and then to the Lodge in Huntsville State Park for our race packets. From there we meet Erin in Trinity at Roma’s Mexican restaurant for dinner. We didn’t get there till 6:30, which is 2.5 hours past my usual dinner time, so I was starving. I devoured a basket of chips before my food arrived. A small voice in the back of my head kept telling me it wasn’t smart to do this, but I did anyways. For dinner I had veggie tacos and rice. Not bad, but not great either.

With Taylor now at Erin’s we took off towards Huntsville in pursuit of a hotel for the night. I was so sleepy the drive was a complete blur. We had called a few hotels on the way to Trinity and all the rates were about the same, so we pulled into La Quinta. I have a serious phobia of hotel germs and general yuckiness. I’ve had good luck in the past with this hotel chain… until now. This place was nasty, but I was so tired it didn’t matter.

I took a quick shower and was in bed by 10pm, two hours later than my original plan. Alarms went off at 4:30 am. I found myself tired and wishing for another hour of sleep, but sleep deprivation has become a norm for me. Another shower, got dressed for the big show, and then checked-out of the hotel on schedule. We stopped at McDonalds for an egg biscuit, but they were having issues (drive-thru speaker was not working and doors were locked), so we drove off hoping to find something else to eat. The only place we found open between Huntsville and the State Park was a gas station. I know better than to eat new or different foods before a race, but it didn’t stop me from walking out of the gas station with an apple fritter, banana, and juice. I don’t think I’ve ever ate so much sugar for breakfast. Well, I’m only human and allowed to make stupid decisions too.

Andrea and I arrived at the starting area by 5:30am with time for a bathroom break and stretches. Weather was a comfortable 58-ish, but far from my ideal running temperature of 40-45 degrees. I’m not complaining, because the humidity was tolerable and the trails were nice and dry. While waiting for the start Andrea and I struck up a conversation with another female runner who was also running her first 50k. You could easy sense the nervous excitement between all of us. Then a HUGE shock came to me when another woman walked up and asked me if my name was Bill. After a quick introduction she introduced herself and told me that she reads and follows my blog. How cool is that!?!? This has happened several times, but it never ceases to amaze me. Too freakin’ cool!!

The 50k race started a few minutes past 6am, about 30-minutes before sunrise. The first section was on the roadway, which was well lit. I spent the first few minutes of the race trying to get my hydration belt positioned. During the process I lost a water bottle among the runners, which I had to run back and retrieve. By the time I picked-up the bottle I was at the very back with the speed walkers, who, by the way are super fast!

We ran nearly one mile before turning onto the trailhead, which required lighting. Many people were running without lights. It was comical listening to people trip without actually falling. I don’t know how many times I heard the sound of someone tripping over a root and hearing them yell out; “Shit”, “Son of a bitch”, and “god damn”. I tried not to laugh, because karma would certainly deliver me a fall. One of many goals I established before the race was to run the first loop without falling down. I purposely spent time training on trails, which I hoped would prepare me for this race. On Rick’s last email he reminded me to pick up my feet to avoid the 8 million roots. Looking back I think his number of 8 million was a low conservative estimate of roots.

Once we turned into the woods, I glanced at my watch several times, like I always do and noticed my pace was 14:23. Something didn’t seem right because I felt like I was moving faster than that. I knew I had a long time to go and blamed it on a poor satellite signal. On the fourth glance of my watch I realized I must have stopped my watch when I went back for the water bottle that had fallen.

I love knowing all the “numbers” when I run, so this error quickly got in my head as bad mojo. To make matters worse I didn’t feel like I was moving effortlessly in relationship to the pace. There again, I didn’t know my pace, but I knew I was at the back of the pack.

There was a huge mental boost when we turned left on the jeep road. I studied the map and didn’t expect to see it this soon. By this time the sun was peaking over the horizon and there wasn’t a need for our lights. With the addition of the mornings light and a wider, straighter path I could see other runners, which helped take my mind off the task at hand. As I was watching the other runners I finally found my “go-forever pace” and started feeling good. Although, I had one issue, I needed to pee. Over the first 5 miles I stopped and pissed at least 3 times. I don’t know what was acting as a diuretic, but I had the urge time and time again.

The first aid station at 4.5 miles was awesome. There was no shortage of smiling faces and helpful volunteers at all the stops. I stayed true to my original plan and did not waste valuable time at the aid stations. I left aid station 1 with another runner who was eager to talk. He told me how this was a training run in preparation of his first 100-miler. He gave me lots of encouragement and during the dialogue I asked him how long we had been running. There was an eleven minute difference between our watches, so that helped me better distinguish my overall time… although it didn’t change anything!

About half a mile outside of the first aid station I heard a soft footed runner coming from behind me. As he approached and passed me I was struck in awe. This man is what I consider a true “runner”. Let me try and explain what I saw. First of all, he was a tall, skinny male and probably in his late fifties or maybe early sixties. He was wearing shorts than appeared to be swimming trunks and they were torn so bad that he had duck tap all over, holding them together. He had taken his shirt off and it was tucked into his belt. I didn’t notice a watch of any type and he wasn’t wearing running shoes, he was actually running in a pair of Merrell hiking boots. All this and he moved effortlessly through the trails, almost too quietly to notice. No digital watches, no technical clothing, no shoes MADE for running, yet this man probably knows more about the love of running than I ever will understand. I mumbled, “good morning” as he passed by and I felt privileged to receive a “thumbs up” from him as he ran deeper into the forest.

On Friday I set up an interval workout on my Garmin for the race. The plan was to run for 1-hour, and then run intervals of 15-minute run/5-minute walk. I started the walk-breaks about 6.5 miles into the race. This is also about the time we left the jeep trail and entered the real beauty of the park. Very few people were within sight of me in either direction, so it was just me and the trails. Regrettably, I spent the majority of my time watching the five-feet of trail surface ahead of me, but from time-to-time I looked up in amazement of the beauty that surrounded me.

About a mile before aid station 2 the leaders of the 25k flew blast me in a blaze of fire. It was amazing watching those guys run, even though I only saw them for a VERY short time. Over the years I’ve learned the leaders seldom, if ever talk when they are running. It was refreshing to have several of the top ten guys tell me, “Good job” and “Looking good”. As sappy as it may seem, their encouragement lifted my spirits.

I stumbled a few times, yet somehow I never fell. On the far side of the Seven Hill Running Club aid station I watched a woman take a wicked fall. I asked if I could help her, but she said she was ok. We ran together for a couple minutes. She explained that she lives in Corpus Christi and they don’t have roots like these. She also confessed that she had already fallen twice before. This was evident, because her extremities were covered in dirt and debris. I felt so bad for her and wanted to help, but there wasn’t anything for me to do. Before we lost sight of each other she fell once more and it seemed rather traumatic, but once again, she stood up and started running. Watching her struggling in frustration taught me to be more careful for my own footing and to be appreciative that I had not fallen.

My scheduled intake regimen was one S-cap every 30-minutes and one Gu every 45-minutes. Around ten miles I started feeling the ill effects of the sugary breakfast in conjunction with Gu gel and S-caps. At one point I was so nauseated that I actually started gagging. Luckily, the feeling was short-lived and the gagging was the worst of it. It was easy to keep track of the S-caps, but I was getting confused about the Gu timing. Several times I resorted to counting old packages and looking at my time to determine when the next one was due.

There was a large 5-6 mile gap between aid stations 2 and 3. I ran out of water at the same spot on both loops, which was mentally tough. On the first loop I had no idea where to expect aid station number 3. At every turn I was hoping to see a table with water. This is also the same time a “hotspot” developed on the outside of my right foot. With no water, I started to tire and found myself being overly concerned about the hotspot on my foot.

I finally found my oasis a couple miles past the boardwalks. The volunteers filled both water bottles, while I gulped several cups of water. With a little water in my system all was well again, except the blister forming on my right foot.

The trail was perfectly marked, but near the end of the first loop I didn’t have a good bearing of where I was in relationship to the lodge. Aid station 3 volunteers said it was only a few more miles to the end. My legs still felt relatively good, but those final miles felt like the longest three miles I’ve ever run. Within a mile of the start line there was a plethora of 25k runners passing me and 50k runners starting their second loop. I must have received a hundred “good job” comments on that last mile. It was a great feeling running into aid station 4 with all the cheering spectators.

As I ran around the mid-way cone I looked and the clock, which read: 3:17:09. Even though my number one goal was to merely finish the race, I couldn’t help but realize a 7-hour finish was plausible. Kevin parked his truck close to the start, so it was exciting to see his truck, even though I didn’t see him. I also thought there might be an outside chance I would see Andrea before I ducked back into the woods for my second loop. Even though she started an hour later, she’s a little speed demon, so seeing her was a reasonable expectation. Unfortunately, I never saw Andrea or Kevin.

Going into the half way mark I had to piss… again. I planned on waiting till I found some thick woods when I broke clear of the other runners on the second loop. As luck would have it, I caught up to two female runners. I tried passing them, but my walk/run regimen kept them within sight for several miles. Mid-way down jeep road I finally passed the girls far enough to enable me to piss without being a total weirdo. I’m actually happy it worked out the way it did, because it took my mind off the run.

Most of the second loop was run in a mental haze. I found it amusing trying to relate my perceived effort to that of my Garmin pace. Sometimes my pace felt speedy, yet the watch told a completely different story. There was a direct correlation between the slowing of my pace when compared to total mileage run. At twenty miles I found myself hurting. Everything hurt, with emphasis to my back and bottom of both feet. For the duration of the race I maintained a regimen of stretching every couple miles, which I contribute to my success.

I spent a lot of time thinking and talking to myself. There was times when I said I would walk the remainder of the route. Luckily, the intervals were spaced with enough time to bargain with myself. I agreed to start each run interval and if it got too bad I “could” walk if needed. The pain was the same both walking and running. The way I saw it, the more I could run, the sooner I would end the pain. Any expectations of a respectable pace were conceded to a mere finish, which was my goal to begin with.

The toughest part of my run was on the second loop, between aid station 2 and 3. Once again I ran out of water. I was hurting all over, but even worse, I was mentally fatigued. My run turned into something that resembled a death march. I didn’t think I would ever find the aid station. I was so thirty I considered asking another runner for a drink of water. While running on the boardwalks I must have looked bad because a female runner with a hydration pack asked me if I needed some water. I seriously thought about accepting the offer, but I didn’t want to foul her run. I did accept the fact that an extra 5-minutes of walking was needed until I found water. After the unscheduled walk the landscape started looking familiar, so I continued my running program.

I was so excited to find the final aid station. Part of me wanted to stop and take a break, but I didn’t want to take a chance of cramping. The volunteers helped me refill my water bottles and I was on my way in less than one minute. I doubled-up on S-caps and continued my shuffle to the finish line.

I don’t remember much about those last miles. Probably not my best idea, but I kept a close eye on my watch. Literally, I looked at my watch every minute… hoping to see a magical number. The trail leading to the finish is a mixture of crushed asphalt, roots, and some dirt. I recall the surface feeling so much harder than the previous trails that were primarily dirt, roots, and sand. I guess this is one more reason why I’ve made the big shift from concrete to trails.

In the final 200-yards I could see the finish line. As I approached the photographer I held up a “5” on one hand and a “zero” with the other hand to represent my first 50k. Behind the photographer I could see a young girl, which turned out to be Taylor. When I heard her yell out, “GO, BILL!” it was music to my ears. Then I saw Andrea running up with her camera. I was so overwhelmed with emotion I couldn’t think of anything to say or do, except run.

Even though there were less than 100 spectators, the cheering of the crowd was amazingly loud. One of my final thoughts while running was the lack of pain on the last mile. A man with a PA yelled out my bib number as I entered the pathway lined with cones and flags. The RD instructed me to run past the last cone, which was near the clock that read; 7:06:32 as I passed it. Andrea and Taylor ran along the outside of the course and were right there when I finished.

I did it. I finished my first 50k. I’m finally an Ultra-runner! I was handed my 50k finisher trophy and found a comfy spot in the grass to sit down. The first thing I wanted to do was take my shoes off. I had no idea what to expect of my feet from my first ultra. Damage control didn’t reveal anything serious other than a one-inch blood blister on the side of my right foot. Everything else looked good.

When I stood up, everything had tightened and hurt ten times more than when I had been running. With a 1.5 hour drive home I decided to take advantage of the “free” massage. I had to wait about 30-minutes, but the massage was well worth it.

On the way home we picked up a bag of ice for our cold bath soaks. Thirty minutes in a tub of cold water and half a bag of ice left both of us shivering most of the night. We finished the day with a mediocre meal at Jason’s Deli and we were in bed, sound asleep by 8pm.

There’s something astonishing about pushing your mental and physical abilities beyond the norm. I don’t think the average person understands what the human body is capable of. There’s a lot more will power left inside of me and I look forward to the challenges pursuing who I really am.

Another amazing day of my life, which I'm living to the fullest!

Countdown Is Nearing The End

I'm at work today and its been really busy. Most of the crew has been testing fire hose, while I've been running medical calls on medic one. Not sure who has it worse.

A small break this evening allowed me to use the recumbent bike for 1-hour, walk on the treadmill for 1-hour, and back to the recumbent bike for 20-minutes.

Recumbent Bike:
20.1 miles
1:20:00
15.08 mph

Walk:
3.26 miles
1:00:00
18:24 pace

Time to put my game face on... only one more full day till the 50k.

Overage

I wasn't keeping a close eye on my caloric intake and accidentally went over. I'm sitting her frustrated by the mistake. It's especially hard knowing I did a solid THREE hours of cardio. I'm going to learn from my mistake and never estimate my calories and eat my last meal without knowing the exact number.

Rode my trail bike to Wyatt's house. From there we rode to Subway for a quick sandwich. After riding back to his house I rode to the barber, then home. It was a great day for a bike ride. I'm loving this weather!

Trail Bike:
16.3 miles
1:28:27
11.06 mph

Arrived early for PIM and ran two loops around Memorial Park before the session started. Great run and surprisingly fast pace. I didn't try to slow myself down, instead I simply ran at a comfortable pace.

Tonight is PIM's last session before their goal race this Saturday. For their last run they are running for 30 minutes running. Also for the first time they will run all the way around Memorial Park. I ran with one of the faster runners in our group, Sara. We finished an entire loop plus a little extra, which totalled exactly 5k. Now she can officially say she has run 3.1 miles (in 35:01)!

I don't want to leave out the rest of the group, becasue they were right on our tail. All the runners I talked to said they ran the entire 30-minutes without stopping. They have been a great group and I wish them the best of luck this weekend.

I combined all the numbers below.

Run:
8.1 miles
1:27:51
10:50 pace

Walk:
1.57 miles
25:44
16:23 pace

Live Fire Training

What an exhausting day.

The Captain asked us to wake up at 6:30am to prepare for mandatory Live Fire training. It's been on the schedule for a couple months, so it wasn't a surprise to us. As one of the shift instructors, I've been helping establish training evolution scenarios and logistics for the last couple shifts. It's was fun, but I'm glad it is over. Everything went well and the weather couldn't have been better. Lots of quality teaching and a small bit of exercise also!

I only had a small 1.5 hour break between the end of the live fire training and going BACK to the station for Wyatt. Within 15 minutes of arriving, the alarms went off for our first EMS call, which is typical when I work on medic 1 for Wyatt. Afterwards I spent some time in the gym. I rode the recumbent bike for 45 minutes, ran 2.5 miles on the treadmill, then rode the recumbent bike again for 36 minutes. The run felt great, which is a huge mental boost for my 50k this weekend. The foot pain I experienced late last week had me worried. Now I'm feeling better prepared and I'm starting to show small signs of... excitement!!

Alison was sick Saturday night threw Sunday. Now it seems Andrea has caught the same 'bug'. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to help her from work so she toughed it out on her own. Good news is she is feeling better tonight. Hopefully, I can survive a few more days without catching the virus myself.

Recumbent Bike:
20.7 miles
1:21:00
15.33 mph

Run:
3.0 miles
40:18
13:26 pace

Finally got home at 10:30 pm. Couldn't resist the temptation to watch tonight's DVR'd episode of The Biggest Loser. At each commercial break I did push-ups. I like the results I see in my upper body with push-ups, so I want to start a consistent regimen.

Push-ups: 100

Early Morning Run

Met Tom at 4:45 am for a 7-mile run. Started in Town Center and ran along West Lake Houston Parkway towards Atascocita. Quite, brisk, beautiful morning. While running on the bridge that crosses Lake Houston, we witnessed a boat shinning a light along the shorelines. After 5-10 minutes the would-be poachers apparently found what they were looking for. The morning silence was broken by the sound of five gun shot blast.

Run:
7.45 miles
1:25:22
11:28 pace

I'm at work now. Sat on the recumbent bike for thirty-five minutes and read Skinny Bastard by Rory Freedman & Kim Barnouin. It's generally the same as the best-seller female version, which I've already read. Good to re-read the information, which will help me stay true to my diet.

Recumbent Bike:
8.85 miles
35:00
15.17 mph

I'm tired and hungry with a lot on my schedule for tomorrow. Time to get some shut eye.

Brooks Cascadia

Recovery intervals along the bayou rim:
5 x 0.50 run/0.20 walk
The late start enabled us to use our LED lights, which is additional trail training. Non-eventful run. It was easy and I feel good... nothing less to report.

Run:
2.5 miles
26:18
10:31 pace

Walk:
1.19 miles
20:18
17:03 pace

Before the run, Andrea and I visited Luke's Locker. She has had some isolated hip pain, so I always consider shoes first. She doesn't keep super accurate records, but I estimated she has run 350-400 miles on the current shoes. With a small nudge from me, Andrea purchased a pair of Brooks Cascadia. I've been tempted to buy a pair for myself, but I'm leery to try Brooks again. I tried Brooks a few years ago and didn't like them. The Cascadia model is getting great reviews from both road and trail runners alike. If Andrea likes them, I want to give Books another try and the Cascadia will probably be my next shoe.

Sat on the boring bike trainer this evening to get my full 2-hours of cardio. I need to start walking or something, because I don't feel like I'm doing anything just sitting there mindlessly spinning.

Bike Trainer:
18.65 miles
1:16:04
14.71 mph

Hope my weight loss continues. The scale was rough on me the last couple days. Usually my weight increases Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, then it drops Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. This is the result of my weekend "free-meal" and I'm learning to not be too shocked when I see 2-4 pound weight shifts. I pay a lot of attention to the 7-day average, which has been 3-4 pounds per week.

Glad to see an American win the New York City Marathon this morning. Way to go Meb!!! I was hoping to see Ryan Hall take it, but any USA runner is fine with me!!!

Halloween Long Run(s)

Late yesterday afternoon Wyatt confirmed he would work for me, which allowed me to run with Kingwood FIT. As an added bonus, Tom wanted to run with my group and was able to find someone to work for him as well.

Probably the coldest weather run this year, yet it was only in the upper 40's. Initially I slipped on a long sleeve tech shirt, then I thought it over and knew I would warm up and regret the decision. Fifteen minutes into the run I was glad to be in a sleeveless shirt!

The route was an easy stroll through Kingwood. The group was scheduled for 9 miles. There must have been a mistake, because the route was one mile short. A little out and back was an easy fix for the extra distance. Once I got the group to nine miles, Tom and I took off for another 3 miles.

This was the first time Tom has run further than 10 miles. He was excited to run a new longer distance and I'm happy to help. While running with KWFIT, I ran BESIDE the concrete pathway when I could. I spent a lot of time talking to everyone about the beating our body takes when we run on concrete day after day. When I took Tom out for the extra 3 miles, most of it was along a trail on the bayou. Once we got back on the street, I think he was convinced that concrete truly "rattles your bones".

It was a good easy run. I'm finally in a nice pattern of running. Not to brag, but today's 12-miler simply seemed like "another run".

Run:
12.2 miles
2:24:40
11:51 pace

Once I got home Andrea took off for her scheduled 14-mile run. Once she completed the first 7-miles the kids and I joined her on our bikes. Alison did great and Preston enjoyed sitting behind me in his bike car seat.

Andrea is on track for a great marathon debut and I couldn't be more proud! AGAIN, I spent a lot of time trying to get her off the concrete. Hopefully Andrea and my other runners will train smarter and learn from my mistakes.

Trail Bike:
6.41 miles
1:20:43
4.76 mph

Finished the day by taking the kids trick or treating.... pictures to follow shortly

Rain will NOT stop me

Rode my bike in pouring rain for more than one-hour. I'm not talking about a little drizzle, this was a full blown storm. It was hard to see and it even hurt my eyes to look ahead while riding. Either way, I got an hour done.

Trail Bike:
13.68 miles
1:08:33
11.97 mph

Skipped my 2 mile run to allow my foot to recover. So far, so good. It's not bothering me much. I've had ice on it a couple times and I've kept my shoes on. I'm worried it could be peroneus longus inflammation. We'll see how it feels when I run Saturday morning.

I couldn't manage a second hour of cycling in the rain, so I changed into dry clothes and jumped on my bike trainer. The time went by fast as I watched a little television.

Bike Trainer:
13.28 miles
1:00:04
13.27 mph

I've had great weight loss numbers this week. I'm sooooo close to 50 lbs of weight loss. As of this morning I have lost 49.75 pounds in three months and three days. With a little luck I will see the 50-lb mark this week. Only 30 more pounds to go, which seems totally doable!

Today Hank the Hawk arrived. Hank is a small plush Red-tailed Hawk puppet. He is going to be the mascot of my future running club and my own personal "Flat Stanley Project". Today Hank rode on the dashboard of my truck while I gave him a brief tour of Kingwood. We went to the grocery store, post office, Sonic (for an unsweet tea), and back home. Now he is sitting next to my computer watching me type...

W3 and Hardcore

Windy Wednesday Workout.

Rode my trail bike around Kingwood. Beautiful day, albeit windy. I actually saw "white-caps" on Kingwood Lakes, which is something I have never seen before at this small lake. It was serene cycling along the lake, listening to the wind howl and watching the water crash against the bulk headed shorelines of the lake.

Trail Bike:
11.03 miles
54:45
12.09 mph

Rocky Raccoon trail race is quickly approaching and I'm getting a tiny bit apprehensive. Andrea and I decided to run tonight at East End Park, where the terrain is similar to that at Huntsville State Park. We even started later hoping to run in the dark. My RR 50k run starts at 6am and the RD sent an email making us aware that the 50k'ers need to be prepared to run one hour before sunrise. Today's run was exciting and tons of fun!! We measured out a 3-mile outside perimeter loop (we ran 2.5 times). Our daylight timing was a success. As we started the second loop we ran in complete darkness.

It has been overcast with a few small rain showers most of the afternoon, but 45-minutes into the run it started raining hard. So, there we were running trails, at night, in the dark with a tiny LED hat light, and all this while enduring a significant rain storm. Oh yeah... it fuckin' rocked! I enjoyed myself so much I felt like giggling. I kept thinking to myself.... This is HARDCORE running at it's best. I didn't want to stop, but I'm trying to train smarter and take care of the aching right foot.

The session was mixed with 0.15-mile walk intervals every mile. Cool side story: Shortly after the rain started something caught my eye. I happen to look down, because whatever it was didn't seem right. The object was different and shinny, so I felt the need to stop and look. As my eyes focused in near my feet I saw it was a copperhead snake. He was laying across the trail soaking up the residual heat from the pathway and he scarred the bejesus out of me. We stood there for a second in shock and saw that he had his big arrow-shaped head in the air looking around. And I was about 18-inches away! I don't like snakes whatsoever, so it creeped me out. Andrea and I went around the snake without incident and I was a lot more alert after seeing a snake. Makes the hair on my neck stick up just thinking about it.

Glad to report, no negative dog experiences at East End Park. Today I was armed with a small handheld mase canister. The days of letting aggressive dogs threaten me are OVER! I'm glad I didn't have to use it and find it every sad I have to "arm" myself to run at this BEAUTIFUL park, because lousy pet owners can't control their animals.

Run:
6.15 miles
1:13:49
12:00 pace

Walk:
1.1 miles
19:32
17:45 pace

R3

Rainy Recovery Run.

I feel great! My legs are fresh and the aching on the bottom of my right foot is all but gone. All this following a solid effort at yesterday's half marathon. I attribute the majority of my success to S-caps, which are amazing and will forever be a part of my double digit runs.

Andrea and I ran 5 miles on the greenbelts. It's been raining all day and continued raining while we ran. There were several areas we crossed with ankle deep water. Wet and cold, but it was FUN splashing though the puddles. With a little discipline we were able to maintain a "recovery pace". Both of us were itchy to take off, yet we held ourselves back in lieu of the "big picture".

After the run I rode the bike trainer for 45 minutes. The periodization portion of my schedule has me back at 2-hours of cardio per day for the next 2-weeks. With that change I also get an extra 200 calories. Two-hundred may seem small, but it makes a world of difference in my dietary menu. Speaking of diet, it is going really, really good. Hopefully by next week I will hit the 50lb loss mark. I started this most recent journey 3-months ago and I feel absolutely awesome.

The wonderful and beautiful woman, which I'm proud to call my fiance is the foundation to my success. Without her I wouldn't be living the life I always dreamed of having. Love ya, babe!

Run:
5.0 miles
57:36
11:31 pace

Walk:
1.08 miles
18:10
16:49 pace

Bike Trainer:
9.53 miles
45:07
12.67 mph

HHM, a COMPLETELY new race...

It's been two years since I ran the Luke's & Koala half marathon, hosted by the Houston Striders.

Lot's of changes to the race, some good and a few not so good. Somehow this race has historically fallen on days when the weather is perfect. Today's conditions weren't bad, but it was certainly a lot warmer than I like. Of course this is just luck and chance.

The race has always been three loops of Allen Parkway, but I remember the first loop differently. This year, each of the three loops were the exact same as the prior loop. Unfortunately, I've never been a fan of loop courses. I knew the course route when I signed up, so it wasn't a surprise. I think loops are mentally difficult, but that's my personal opinion. On the other hand, I enjoy the opportunity to cheer on friends I see on the other side of the road.

For my race critique I'll start with the PROS:
Aid stations and time callers were in good order.
I really like the disposable timing chip.
Unique finisher medal. I'm still bummed about running my FIRST half marathon (L&K half 2006) and all I got was a goofy-ass sticker. The wider printed ribbon was a nice touch. On the bottom there are two "towers", which confuses me. Looks similar to the world trade center, but I know it's not.

I'm a member of the Houston Striders and I will probably be frowned at, but below is a non-biased list of CONS:

Poorly designed race shirt. Design "taste" is very personal, but Andrea and I both thought the design was boring and a little out dated. It reminds me of stick-men running a relay. This is an endurance run, not 800's around a track. The shirt has three colors... orange, yellow, and black with horrific shading. Eww. I've only been running for 4 years, but this race has been plagued with awful race designs. I'm not sure which I dislike more... this year or the weird array of purple and reds on a cowboy hat with the city in the center.

The shirt is a complete disaster. It's a brand name Asic's shirt, so I expected something nice. What I got is an ill-fitting singlet. I received a men's Extra-Large, but I could barely get my head through the opening. Once I squeezed into the shirt it was so tight I could hardly breathe. That's an exaggeration, but the shirt is seriously tight. I liked the sleeveless styles from a couple years ago, but this year they gave away singlet style shirts. I'm a "big guy", but I'm not HUGE. I stand 5'7" and weigh 208 lbs. There were literally hundreds of men larger than me at the race. A technical finisher shirt is a deciding factor for me when I'm looking at races and comparing entry fees. Now I have a shirt I can't wear. I'm no different than anyone else; I want a nice shirt and the ability to show off my running accomplishments. I'd rather have a cheap cotton T-shirt I CAN WEAR, than a technical singlet that won't fit.

Post race food. The selection choice was oranges, bananas, or cookie. I've been spoiled with some really good post race food, so maybe I was expecting too much. At the USA 10-miler, there was an endless selection of tasty warm food... breakfast tacos, pizza, Fuzz drinks, sodas, fruit, bagels, chips, cake, cookies, etc. I'm there to run, not eat. That's why a limited selection of food doesn't bother me. Although, at the price point of $50, I assumed there would be more.

I know it is hard work and a labor of love from LOTS of people to put on a race of this size, but I was a bit disappointed. This is probably the last time I will run HHM.

I guess that's it about the race, but I have one more thing to vent about. The "idea" of running a race has become too mainstream and to be "conquered" by recreational weekend warriors. Maybe that is why I am slowly shifting to long distance trail races.

I have good knowledge of where to line up in the start line, but that is not the norm. There were walkers lined up 20-feet from the start line. With a two minute differential, I had to zig-zag past a ton of walkers, which HAS become a new norm.

Then there is 5/1 runners... I don't have any issues with that particular running strategy, but several times I was running a comparable pace behind someone and was forced to quickly maneuver around them to avoid a collision when they came to an abrupt stop without warning.

The water stations were a complete mess and not because of the volunteers, but rather, the runners. I'm aware many people walk at the water stations. Today it seemed like large pods of people were just standing at the water stations sipping their drink and talking with the volunteers. If you want to socialize, get your drink and get the heck out of everybody's way!

Okay, all done with the negative stuff.

Good run, albeit warm. I ran the race as a training run and did exactly that for the first half. My body kept settling into a rhythm faster than I anticipated, so I amended the plan to include the quicker pace.

Saw lots of people I know, which was awesome. I even saw Captain Steve, who was on the sidelines cheering on his wife, Daniel, who is running her first full marathon in January.

Stats below, per Garmin.

Run:
13.28 miles
2:10:37
9:50 pace

Falling apart...

I don't know what the heck I did, but the posterior lateral aspect of my right foot is KILLING me. I can't walk barefoot without significant discomfort.

My new shoes finally arrived at Luke's Locker and once again Luke's took VERY good care of me, always helpful and friendly.

I ordered a pair of Patagonia RELEASE trail running shoes. I've been running more trails and I've been searching for a pair of shoes to use on both the trails and road. These shoes aren't marketed for road use, but they have a lot of similar characteristics to road shoes. For example, the lug pattern is not as aggressive as some trail shoes, yet spaced enough to keep mud from sticking to the bottom of the shoe.

When I tried the shoes on for the first time I quickly realized there wasn't much arch support. It's not an issue of the shoe, I simply have high arches. That's probably why I tend to purchase Mizunos and Asics. The Store manager was helping me and suggested I try a set of SuperFeet 3/4 insoles. I've wanted to try them for a long time, yet never have. With the addition of the insoles the shoe gained a ton of support and fit my foot like a glove.

The new Patagonia shoes seemed more comfortable than the shoes I worn in, so I asked to wear the shoes home. While walking around the store I also noticed the shoes were "stiff", but not in a bad way. After buying more shoes than I can count, I have learned that shoes that feel soft and cushioned only feel good at first and then quickly die. I'm hoping the stiffness is the result of a quality mid shoe that will last a few hundred miles.

The shoes have a generous toe box, breathable throughout, and have a very attractive appearance. I found the shoe laces to be a tad bit short. I have a wider foot and when I made the proper adjustments, I was left with just enough to tie them.

As soon as I got home I took off down the streets of Kingwood in my new shoes. I ran nearly 5 miles and walked another 2.5 miles. I'm not sure if it was the Vibram soles or the SuperFeet insole, but my foot didn't bother me at all... until I finished and took them off. As I said above, the shoes are stiff, which resulted in a responsive feeling on the concrete surface. In fact, they were so stiff I couldn't tell much of a difference when I ran through the grass, even though I only ran on the grass for a short time.

Only time will reveal the true quality of these shoes, although I'll admit, I've been impressed thus far.

Run:
4.89 miles
50:05
10:14 pace

Walk:
2.6 miles
42:40
1624 pace

Work Group run

... still at work.

Ran three miles around the station with the guys of C-shift. A new cool front blew-in a hours ago, which made for an easy run.

Run:
3.07 miles
31:16
10:11 pace

Recumbent Bike:
15.7 miles
1:03:00
14.95 mph

Mixed Bag

At work today. Mixed bag of exercise.

Took off work long enough to attend PIM. Ran 2 miles on Memorial Loop before the session started. Ran 2 x 12 minute run/2-minute walk with PIM participants. Ran 2 more miles around the station once I got back to work. Finished the evening with a 30 minute ride on the recumbent bike.

I combined all the activities below.

Run:
5.89 miles
1:07:34
11:28 pace

Walk:
0.43 mile
8:10
18:59 pace

Recumbent Bike:
7.58 miles
31:00
14.67 mph

Calves still sore, but getting better with each passing hour.

Sore Calves

My calves are killing me from this weekends mini adventure. The climb up wasn't bad, it was the decent that got me. The same thing happened earlier this year when I ran the Austin 3M half-marathon. Austin 3M is a predominately down hill race. My lower leg muscles have to work really hard to slow this much weight when running down hill. I'm hoping a little activity will loosen the sore muscles.

Back to the grind today. I felt good about my nutrition on the trip, but the scale has proven otherwise. I've gained a couple pounds since Friday.

Rode my trail bike to Subway for a sandwich, then to the barber shop for a haircut. Nice day to ride. It has been absolutely beautiful outdoors for the last week.

Trail Bike:
10.95 miles
54:47
11.99 mph

Andrea and Taylor joined me for my usual "5 mile loop" run/walk interval session. Calves were super tight for the first twenty steps of each run interval, then the discomfort went away. We were moving a lot faster than I had expected. Good workout. Taylor did an excellent job on her bicycle as well.

Run:
3.0 miles
31:09
10:23 pace

Walk:
2.22 miles
36:31
16:27 pace

Guadalupe National Park

Returned from Guadalupe National Park at 2 am this morning. What a great, albeit fast trip. I woke up a little before 4am on Saturday and ran 3 miles. I packed my equipment the night before, so after my run I showered and started the four hour drive to Kerrville to pick-up Josh and Olga. I managed to make it all the way to Kerrville without a single stop. From there we drove the remaining 5 hours to Salt Flats. It actually took us about 6 hours when you add time for fuel and eating.

We were really worried we wasn't going to arrive in time to get a back country permit, which would allow us to camp near the trail. Our GPS estimated our arrival time at 4:50 and when Josh called the park Ranger he said the visitor station closes at 4:30 and there wasn't enough time for us to make it to the camp site before dark. We were given directions which included a drive down a long dirt road, where we are allowed to camp wherever we wanted. We pushed the speed limits and tried to get there and plea our case to Park Ranger for an exception. Lucky for us, about 20 minutes before we reached the park we entered Mountain time zone, which gave us an additional hour.

After getting our permits we didn't waste any time getting on the trail. We had no idea where the camp site was, which left us a little apprehensive. Josh and Olga struggled in the beginning. Both are very athletic, but this is something totally different. I can say the same for myself. It was a lot harder than I expected, but my cardio fitness was a huge benefit.

After 30 minutes I gave Josh my trekking poles and departed him and Olga. I wanted to insure we were on the right trail. I told them if it was not correct route I would come back and get them, but if they didn't see me then keep hiking. Plus, I wanted to get there as soon as possible and set up camp before it was completely dark.

The climb up was absolutely stunning. Words and pictures just aren't enough to explain it. After 1.5 hours of strenuous hiking I saw a hiker coming down the mountain. I asked how far to the Guadalupe Tent camp and he said, "I think its another hour up". At this point I was getting concerned. It was already getting dark and I had no idea where Josh and Olga were. I kept on hiking and assumed I'll either find the camp or the top!

Once I reached the hour time mark given to me by the last hiker off the mountain, I was mentally reviewing my options. I finally saw some level ground that was suitable to set up my tent, so I knew I would be safe, yet I'd rather find the camp site and then go look for Josh. Finally after 2.5 hours of hiking I found the location. I spoke with a man that was already set up and had been on the mountain a couple days. He showed me a good location to set up my tent that would be out of the wind. It was nearly dark by now, so I set up my tent in record time.

After getting settled, I had to eat before I did anything else. The climb took a lot of effort. While eating I sat there wondering if I should attempt to go back for Josh. As I was finishing the final bites of my sandwich I saw a light walking down the trail. It was Josh and Olga! To my surprise they were only about 30 minutes behind me. Josh told me later he started feeling better and the poles helped a lot.

I don't know what the temperature was, but I was cold the entire night. Our tents were in an establish location with wind barriers, but I still felt a draft coming inside the tent. About 15 yards away was a deep canyon and we heard the wind howling all night long. Thankfully I had both sleeping pads. I could only imagine how miserable I would have been if I had to sleep on the rocky surface of the mountain. It took a couple hours, but I managed to fall asleep.

We woke up early the next morning to start our hike to Guadalupe Peak. The other hiker in the camp said it was 3/4 mile or about a 45 minute hike. Maybe we were better rested or something, but it seemed like we were at the top in no time at all. The views of El Capitan was breath taking. Having lived at sea level all my life, the views from high elevations always manage to leave me speechless.

I was the first to sign the register for October 18, 2009. We took all the usual photos, plus a few funny ones after we climbed atop of the actual steel monument. After calling Andrea from the "Top of Texas" we were back on our way to the camp site where we left most of our stuff. Near the top we saw a two mule deer does only 50 yards below us. Once we got back to our camp it didn't take long to repack and get back on the trail.

The decent was harder than the climb for me. Of course I wasn't out of breath and didn't need to take a lot of breaks, but there is this constant braking as you are going down. On top of that, with each step, your toes are pushed to the front of your shoe and after awhile it starts to hurt. Once again, I left Josh and Olga and hiked down alone. They knew the way down the mountain, so I left them behind. I was in my own special place. I've found something inside of me that craves nature and solitude. Maybe that's why I have a strong new interest in trail running. All I know is I really like my runs/biking/hiking that are undisturbed by urban life.

After a short visit at the ranger station we were back on the road. I've never liked driving, so this trip was a challenge for me. Our plans were to stay in Fort Stockton the second night, but I told them I'd rather drive straight through and sleep in my own bed. We left Guadalupe National Park at 3pm. I dropped Josh and Olga off in Kerrville at 8:30 and I was back in Kingwood at 2am.

I only have two regrets about this trip. 1: I wish Andrea would have been with me and 2: I wish is wasn't so rushed.

Otherwise, it was perfect. This is something I will remember for the rest of my life.

12 Long Run

Altered my schedule, so I could squeeze in a long run before my trip. Tom initially planned to join me, but had to cancel at the last minute due to important family matters. Linda and Moni from KW FIT joined me. Moni is recovering from a small race injury, so she was on her bike.

My plan was to run 11 miles. Linda repeatedly left herself an out, stating her schedule only called for 8 miles. I've run with Linda for several months and I was confident she could cover the distance, so it was just a matter for her breaking through the mental aspect of running double digits.

Great early morning temperature as we started from my house. We ran a route than was an out & back, which I refer to as a commitment run. We ran the greenbelts to the lakes and then ran to the far end of Kingwood Dr and returned back. On the return trip we took a slightly different route that added some distance. Of course I didn't mention this to Linda, because she was having a good day.

We finished at exactly 12 miles. Great run, which we executed perfect. At times we were speeding up, yet we resisted the temptation. Looking back now, I would have pushed her to 13.1 miles, which is her goal. Either way, she had an awesome run and she knows she can do anything she wants.

It's time consuming being a volunteer coach, but moments like this morning makes it all worth it.
Run:
12.01 miles
2:21:44
11:48 pace

He SCORES!!!!

My legs feel a tiny bit better. It FINALLY stopped raining long enough for me to get out and breathe some fresh air on my trail bike.

Trail Bike:
7.45 miles
37:13
12.01 mph

I manipulated my weekly mileage in order to "try" and recover today. Only time will tell. Ran one mile on the trail around the bayou and walked one mile. If you're a dog lover, don't read any further.
REDEMPTION!!! I’m still having isolated issues with dogs on the trails. Today a lady was walking a large mix breed on a leash and 2 non-leashed Pomeranian dogs. The two smaller dogs started barking and came at me full speed. I stopped and as soon as the first one got close enough I punted the little bastard like a football. I immediately told the owner, "I'm sorry I had to do that, but I'm NOT going to stand here and let them bite me". She said she understood and continued the opposite direction with the dogs leashes' in her hand, while the dog was licking his wounds...

It was a good day!

Run:
1.0 mile
11:10
11:10 pace

Walk:
1.17 mile
18:45
16:02 pace

Rode the bike trainer while watching television.

Bike Trainer:
7.45 miles
30:04
14.87 mph

Dead Legs

Unless my legs improve soon, it's going to be a long week. Yesterday everything felt fine, but today my legs are nothing more than dead weight.

Six x 0.50 mile/0.25-mile intervals.
Humid. Hot. Raining. Miserable.
DONE!

Run:
3 miles
34:06
11:22 pace

Walk:
2.28 miles
38:38
16:56 pace

Exercised on the bike trainer while watching Biggest Loser. The show has lost touch with the original mission. It use to be about losing weight and now it's all about playing the "game". URG.

Recumbent Bike:
24.95 miles
1:31:03
16.44 mph

Feeling good...

At work today.

I haven't biked, walked, or ran to work in a long time due to crappy weather over the last several weeks.

Ran 15 miles this weekend and my legs still feel fresh. Started today's workout with a 10-minute warm up walk, then ran 4 miles on the treadmill. Completed the workout with 30 minutes on the recumbent bike.

Walk:
0.56 mile
10:00
17:51 pace

Run:
4.0 miles
50:46
12:42 pace

Recumbent Bike:
8.0 miles
30:00
16.0 mph

It's going to be a busy week.

Andrea and I are making some interesting changes to our wedding plans! Nothing is confirmed yet, but we are both really excited to be husband and wife!!!

Space City USA 10-miler

Late last night our race day babysitting fell apart, leaving us wondering about the race. Out of nowhere Tom called and asked if I was running Sunday. I told him about the race and he took an immediate interest. Within a hour we worked out the details. Tom's wife generously offered to watch the girls at the start line along with their daughter while I pushed Preston in the stroller.

A lot better experience than the last time I ran this race in 2006. Today's temperature was 63 degrees with overcast skies at the start with very little change over the two-hour duration.

Andrea and I seeded ourselves as the final people to start due to the "prohibited" stroller use. Our plan was to run an 11:00/mile pace and pick up the pace over the last tenth of every mile. By mile three we were far ahead of our game plan. We continued to run negative or near-negative splits the entire time. At mile six we altered our goal to finish sub-10:30 pace. Our goal required a lot more work, yet was obtainable. To reach the new goal we needed to run a 9:30 pace, which we executed without any issues. Over the last half of the course Andrea and I evenly alternated stroller duties without any unwanted changes in our pace.

Andrea got a kick out of all the comments made as we passed other runners with a stroller. The most common comment was, "It's bad when you get passed by the man running with the stroller". Since we started so far back, we passed lots and lots of people. Only one snide comment, which I'm OK with. I purposely stayed out of every one's way, but I know the frustration runners feel when the path is clogged by a stroller or they hit your heal with the wheel of the stroller.

Great long sleeve Brooks technical shirt, good water stations, and great food at the finish line. Well done RD!

Spent the remainder of the day watching Andrea and the kids decorate the house with Halloween stuff. We had a lot of fun. I think the most productive thing I did was play with the kid's.

It's been a long, exhausting day.

Even though last night rocked the core of my soul, I feel good and I'm happy with my life. If there's one positive to be taken from the incident, I think I found it... a greater respect of those who love me and a new outlook on my priorities.

Run:
10.05 miles
1:44:15
10:22 pace

Splits:
11:13, 10:51, 10:31, 10:40, 10:42,
10:23, 10:23, 10:12, 9:51, 9:10

Great Start, HORRIFIC End

Awake at 5am to run with Kingwood FIT. I'm running the USA 10-miler in the morning, so I offered an alternate 5-mile run as opposed to the 7 mile scheduled run. I told myself I'd only do 3 miles, but some how it turned into 5 with the beautiful weather.

Two participants ran the alternate route with me. Great run and great conversation!

Run:
5.0 miles
57:08
11:26 pace

When I got home I installed the baby bike seat and took Preston for a ride around the greenbelts.

Trail Bike:
5.77 miles
33:26
10.35 mph

By the time we finished the bike ride Andrea and the kids were packed and ready for our day at Chain of Lakes outside of Cleveland, TX. I've heard of the place several times in my life, but I've never been there. I was shocked by the size and how nice it was. It's a large network of log cabins on numerous lakes. There is a lot to do out there, almost too much to list. The kids had a great time and I was appreciative to Andrea's mom to inviting us. During our visit we socialized on the porch of the cabin, fed an alligator, fished at a stocked pond, visited the playground, and went swimming.

Then I found a bump in the road. Somewhere along the way, something went horribly wrong. My presence is completely new to Andrea's family and it would seem, not welcomed. I refuse to post details on an open blog, but it was brutal.

With the exception of my divorce, I honestly can't think of the last time someone made me feel the way they did. Everything seemed perfect until we said we were getting ready to go home. While packing there was a series of deliberate jabs, which I ignored. In fact, I sat there smiling and tried to change the subject with each assault. And trust me, it's not my "style" to sit there and just "take it", but I did because I love Andrea more than anyone will ever know. The matter came to a boiling point and I found myself cornered. I tried to calmly explain our way though their misconceptions of the facts. Unfortunately, some people can be oblivious to reality and the truth.

It's appalling knowing they confronted me in front of our children. Initially it was one versus one, but quickly turned to three vs one. There is nothing I can do or say to change the ideals of people who are unable to reason, listen, or communicate. Knowing as much as I do about their lives I could have Rocked-Their-World, but I took the high road, leaving them to live in their our gross inadequacies.

I'm so disappointed in the whole ordeal. There has been sucker punches before this, but I had hoped they were done in fun without any real merit. If nothing else, today I learned their true feelings. Who knows if I will ever get over this, but I can promise it will never be forgotten.

No Time to be Sick

I'm not feeling well. Woke up the last couple days with a sore throat and now I have minor intestinal issues.

Ran a long, slow interval session along my 5-mile loop. Nothing much to write about, just burning calories.

Run:
3.54 miles
40:00
11:18 pace

Later in the afternoon I completed the remainder of my workout with a walk around the bayou and riding my bike trainer while watching television.

Walk:
3.84 miles
1:04:28
16:47 pace

Bike Trainer:
12.91 miles
1:00:04
12.9 mph

Caffeine

A large unsweet caffeinated iced tea kept me up all night. I didn't fall asleep till 4am.

Mandatory overtime training at work today. Haz-Mat training is not a fun topic, never has been and never will be. The hardest part of the class was staying awake.

I've not feeling too good. My throat is sore. It's probably the crud everyone else has. I don't have time to be sick!

Ran with PIM tonight. Not sure what happened, but my 310 will not power up. I tried EVERYTHING without success. I ran a couple miles before the group run. I felt handicapped without my garmin. I actually had to use the trail markers and my Timex watch... HOW PRE-HISTORIC!!! LOL

Both runs were good. I've been busy all day, so I missed 45-minutes of cardio AND consumed 150 too many calories. I'll make it up tomorrow. I cannot make excuses anymore, I have to start strength training this week.

Runs times combined.

Run:
3.83 miles
46:04
12:02 pace

Some people (like me) are emotional eaters. Luckily, most of that has been tamed and is a part of my past. I'm learning the dynamics of people who are emotional exercisers. I don't understand why they "give up" on their training schedule simply because they are sad. There again, they probably don't understand why I use to eat because I was sad, or happy, or any emotion other than "normal". I suppose I will try to be more accepting of their decisions. It's their training program and they can be as success as they want to be or they can decide to fail. My role is actually quite small.... they need to have a desire to make it happen.

Another Day Closer to Retirement

At work today.

Treadmill run. Started at 3.0 mph and increased 0.1 every minute. Slow, albeit comfortable run. Cool down walk, then rode the recumbent bike for 45-minutes while reading my ACSM book.

Run:
2 miles
27:38
13:49 pace

Walk:
1 mile
17:53
17:53 pace

Recumbent Bike:
11.1 miles
44:00
15.14 mph

Humidity Sucks!

Wore my newest shoes most of the day and my legs feel so much better...

Waited for Andrea to get home, so we could run together. I set up a session with intervals. Half mile run followed by tenth of a mile recovery walk. It wasn't until we were finished that I realized we were moving a lot faster than I assumed. The humidity was awful and it felt like I was crawling. I had no idea we were running sub-11:00 pace.

Andrea said she has a few pains in her calf. She's usually a trooper and I seldom hear any complaints from her. This has me worried. I have her sitting in a tub of cold water as we speak. Hopefully it's only over use discomfort and will be resolved with the cold water soak and lighter mileage tomorrow.

Run:
4.0 miles
43:31
10:52 pace

Walk:
1.41 miles
23:20
16:32 pace

Lazy Sunday

Came home and jumped in bed, even though I slept all night at work. Slept till noon... not sure why I'm so tired!?!?!?

Went to Luke's Locker to exchange a hydration belt I bought a few weeks back. I've had lots of different experiences with Luke's through the years. Thankfully my last few visits have made me fall in love with them again. They were happy to find me a new hydration belt and return the old belt without any hassles.

The original hydration pack I bought is better suited for walkers. I learned this the hard way. I found it hot, cumbersome, and ill-fitting. Today I purchased a Nathan 4-bottle belt, which is very similar to the Fuel Belt. I liked the Nathan because there was more elasticity in the belt and I was able to remove and insert the bottles with one hand. Seemed like a good choice.

This evening Andrea and I went for a 3 mile run slash 3 mile hike. I wore my new hydration belt to see how things were going to work out. While walking I could tell the bottles were touching my skin. I didn't notice this in the store, but that's probably because they didn't have water in them. Once we started running it felt like the bottles were actually digging into my abdomen. I know this is the result of my "big belly", but it's not going to work for me nor will I wear on every run.

Now I find myself stuck on what to do. I feel lucky they returned the first hydration belt, but do I push my luck and try again? I don't want to be a bad customer, but these belts cost $50, so I want to find one I will use. I've been using a handheld bottle for my longer runs. Maybe I should stick with handheld devices until I lose more weight. After the run I lifted my shirt to find two red spots where the bottles were rubbing. These hot-spots were on their way to becoming a blister.

As for the run, it was entirely too humid for my liking. Actually.... it was raining the entire time. It was only a light drizzle, so it didn't bother us inside the greenbelts.

I wore an older pair of shoes, because it was wet and I'm trying to get every last mile out of the shoes before I get ride of them. During this run I had all kinds of aches and pains. This makes it easier to retire the shoes. They were good shoes, but today was their final run.

Run:
3.0 miles
36:27
12:09 pace

Walk:
3.49 miles
59:08
16:56 pace

Nuero-Muscular Response

Ran 9.5 miles this morning. Two miles before Kingwood FIT and seven miles with the group.

I woke up in a crappy mode, which Andrea had to deal with... Sorry. Luckily, I managed to "get over it" and have a good run.

Run:
9.45 miles
1:53:11
11:59 pace

Rushed to REI-Westheimer location for their garage sale. Not as many bargains as last week, but still bought a few items.

For lunch Andrea and I went to New York Pizzeria. For as long as I can remember I have ordered pizza with chicken, pineapple, and jalapenos. The combination of toppings doesn't sound appetizing, but I LOVE IT. I had EVERY intention of ordering my meal "vegetarian". As I sat there waiting for Andrea to finish her meal I thought to myself... holy crap, I ate chicken!! I had no idea. I must have been on auto pilot when I placed my order. Andrea later confessed that she knew I ordered chicken on the pizza. She didn't say anything because she assumed I had changed my idea about a vegetarian free meal.

I'm disappointed I ate meat, but I will survive. I need to fix the old habits that plague my sub-conscious eating habits. Today was weird and should have never happened.

Lesson learned.

Urban Hike

Donned my Keen hiking boots and walked 5 miles through Kingwood. I walked along the greenbelts, but not actually on the concrete. The Keen's are probably the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn.

Worked up a sweat during the mid-day walk. I like Fall , but I do not like 20 degree temperature swings. As a reminder that it is not truly Fall, I had an issue with mosquito's today, which is something I've not dealt with in a few months. The issue probably was the result of me walking in the grass and stirring them up.

Walk (hike):
5.34 miles
1:27:41
16:25 pace

Dreaded the run all day. I'm glad things worked out the way they did. Andrea and I ran the bayou at sunset. We followed a creek for 1.5 miles before turning around. It was completely new territory and not well traveled. It's an amazing feeling running a route you have never ran before, while in knee high grass and watching a beautiful sunset. We timed the 2-miler run perfectly with just enough light to see our way home. Beautiful run and a perfect end to a challenging week.

Run:
2.03
23:58
11:49 pace

For the last couple months Andrea and I have been shifting our diet towards plant-based foods. A few weeks back we set October 1st as or officially kick-off date to a vegetarian lifestyle. We felt the need for a transition to learn how to shop, cook, and learn what we can buy when eating out. We're excited about the new changes. True to my usual self, I treated the last week like the scene of the "final meal". I ate more meat than usual and I can honestly say I feel like shit!

My biggest obstacle has been people and their responses when they learn of my diet choice. It's amazing how judgemental people are. I'm not asking them to stop eating meat, yet they get very defensive towards MY DIET. A friend of mine who is vegan, told me a little trick... When they ask me, "Why don't you eat meat?", I tell them, "For medical reasons". They seem to accept that response and don't seem quite so judgmental. And I'm not lying.... this is for medical reasons. If I continue to eat as I always have I will continue through life obese and likely suffer from diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and a long list of other ailments I want no part of.

I'm afraid this might be the first week I don't lose any weight due to the influx of meat into my diet. Don't read this wrong, I didn't binge or anything, just a little more meat than usual. I feel 100 times better when I'm consuming plant-based foods and it's evident in my training. On the other hand, I feel like I swallowed a center block when I eat lots of meat, which results in sluggish capabilities both mentally and physical.

I. Need. To. Recover.

Wyatt and I finished working on his bike today. We've been chasing a mystery clicking noise from his bottom bracket. After making sure everything was installed correctly and snug in place we rode from my house to East End park, and back. On the way home we stopped at a local bike shop for suggestions, but the bike wasn't making the noise at that time. When we got home we made one last attempt to stop the noise by replacing the pedals. Lo and behold, we finally located the source of the noise!! Neither of use thought it was coming from the pedals, but at least it is fixed.

The ride was nice, even though my legs continue to feel weighted down. I've been hard on my legs this week. Friday is a much anticipated recovery day.

Trail Bike:
17.01 miles
1:35:00
10.74 mph

I struggled running a loop around Memorial Park before PIM started. My body kept wanting to maintain a 10:30ish pace, but I was fatiguing to a point that would have caused me to stop. I forced myself to slow down, so I could finish. Not a bad run... I'm just tired.

Our Baton 1 group is awesome. They continue to amaze me and it's hard to believe they are rookie runners. I combined the walks and run numbers together.

Run:
4.43 miles
51:39
11:39 pace

Walk:
0.69 mile
13:06
19.02 pace

4-hours of Cardio and Dad Day at school

My day started at 5am with a 2-hour drive to Trinity TX to be with Alison for "Bring your Dad to school day". We had breakfast together then I joined her in the classroom for 45-minutes. It was a treat spending time with Alison in her school environment. Unfortunately, at the end the school gathered all the parents for a "Strong Father" Dog & Pony show. I have NO IDEA what the point was, but it was demeaning, childish, lame, and a waste of time. Lot's of people left during the presentation. I followed their lead and left 10-minutes before the end.

When I got home I looked at the programs web site. I get the impression they are trying to encourage fathers to take a more active role in their children's life. In my personal opinion, they need to work on their target group, because the fathers that showed up for "bring your dad to school day" ARE ACTIVELY INVOLVED. For crying out loud, I drove 2 hours to be there! I don't need anyone telling me to be an active father.

Afterwards I visited with Preston while Erin did some grocery shopping. I have a funny way of showing it, but I'm really happy when I'm with my kids. Very few people know how sad it is to say good bye to your kids, give them a kiss & hug, then make the lonesome drive home... alone. I force myself to spend the entire 2-hour drive trying NOT to think about it or otherwise I'd probably cry the entire time. (sigh)

Once I got home I rode my trail bike around Kingwood for an hour. Andrea was home at 3:30 from her first day at the new job, so we cycled to Schlotzsky's for an early dinner. A short time later we went for a 2 mile run with half mile warm-up and half mile cool-down walk. My legs felt really heavy, but you wouldn't know that by looking at the pace. The recent cool front has left us with more enjoyable Fall-like temperatures.

Trail Bike:
22.49 miles
1:50:55
12.17 mph

Run:
2.01 miles
21:04
10:29 pace

Walk:
1.31 mikes
22:18
17:01 pace

Rode the bike trainer while watching the "Biggest Loser" on TV. If you do the math, you'll see the grand total is FOUR HOURS of cardio. Now I can officially say my legs are dead. Time for a cool water soak and my bed.

Bike Trainer:
22.27 miles
1:30:04
14.84 mph

Running in the Dark

Great day!

Andrea only has a single day to rest before starting her new job tomorrow, so we made the most of it. We started the day with a nice and easy trail bike ride to lunch.

Trail Bike:
11.82 miles
59:54
11.84 mph

A thunderstorm blew in this afternoon, forcing us to delay our run. Fortunately the storm passed over quickly and left us a few degrees cooler. We're always looking to try new ideas, so today we used LED hat lights and ran 4 mile's through the greenbelts, AFTER DARK. It was an amazing run. Run on the trails at night felt completely natural to me. The only parts I didn't like was when I could hear and see evidence of the city... street lights, sirens, etc. Lucky for us those occurrences were far and few between. On a majority of the run all I could see was about 10 feet of lighted pathway. As we ran along Kingwood Lake it was so beautiful it took my breath away. This run is vaulted into my all time top favorite runs.

How I feel is always evident in my pace. I wanted to run faster tonight, but the safety of running fast with limited light kept me at bay. It's interesting that we ran a sub 11:00/mile pace, yet my legs still feel fresh.

Run:
4.0 miles
42:23
10:36 pace

Walk:
1.69 miles
28:10
16:40 pace

Small hiccup, back on course...

At work today.

Still not feeling in tip-top shape when I woke up this morning. Didn't get to bed till mid-night, so I drove to work this morning. After completing my am duties I laid down for a 3-hour nap. It's amazing the difference sleep makes. The nap made all the difference in the world with my physical and mental wellness. I feel so much better!

Also packed a healthy lunch and have calories to spare... which seldom happens

Ran 2 miles around the station and cycled on the recumbent bike for 1:17:00.

Run:
2.06 miles
22:50
11:05 pace

Recumbent Bike:
18.51 miles
1:17:00
14.42 mph

Mini Derailment

Ran 6-miles with KW FIT this morning. Small turn-out as compared to other weeks and I'm not sure why. Tom joined us this morning as a guest runner. Tom has lost a tremendous amount of weight. Aside from changes in his diet, Tom as been running... by himself. It was refreshing to see him enjoying the social aspect of running with a group.

I had a rough start this morning, but felt better by the fourth mile. The temperature is back on the rise, but tolerable at 6am.

Run:
6.17 miles
1:13:40
11:56 pace

After the run we rushed to REI for their "garage sale". We were near the end of the line, but still found a few amazing deals. Probably the best two were: REI titanium anti-shock trekking poles, originally priced $99, I paid $6. Keen women's (for Andrea) light-hiking boots, original price $125, we paid $9. Can't wait till the next sale and we'll make sure to be early!

This evening was the first race of the HARRA Fall warm-up series, hosted by the Tornado Running Club. The 4x2 cross country relay is chopped full of steep inclines and declines, which is a challenge for any runner.

Earlier in the week we offered an "alternate runner" spot to my nephew, Cameron. Cameron aka "Boo" is a high school freshman running on the Deer Park varsity CC team. I ASSUMED it would not be a problem finding him a team if all our runners showed up. As luck would have it, all our runners showed up AND I couldn't find Boo a team. I was not feeling well and conceded my spot so Boo could run.

The team was jokingly named, "Luke Warm Molasses", but I should have named them "Greased Lightning". All four runners gave it everything they had and seemed to have a great time on a tough course.Giving up my race spot meant I had to run 2-miles at home.

Not sure what is going on with my body, but I've been tired and hungry for a few days. Even during this morning’s run, my legs weren't as fresh as I would have expected.

I ALMOST skipped the 2-mile run, but I had already eaten a few additional calories. I bargained with myself and ended up running. The run went a lot better than expected. Today was my "free-meal" and I ate a few items out of the norm... on top of the free-meal. I'm happy to say no binge activity. I will be back on track in the morning. I think this is a sleep and fuel issue.

Run:
2.03 miles
24:08
11:53 pace

Studying.... again

At work today

For the first time in a really long time, I ran AROUND the fire station rather than running on the treadmill. The mind numbing loops are still not a favorite route of mine, but I enjoy any run when the outside temperature is in the lower 70’s. I walked for 25 minutes following the run. To complete the remainder of my workout I cycled on the recumbent bike.

Great pace, compliments of the temperature.

I’ve slowly started reading my ACSM manual again. I’ve been so busy working, coaching, and training, that I moved my ACSM test to the back burner. Over the last week I’ve decided to either finish studying or let the dream of being a “professional” personal trainer go. I’ve given myself to the end of this year to test and obtain my certification. I honestly think I could pass the test right now, but I want to make sure because the test fee is over $300!

Run:
2.15 miles
20:39
9:36 pace

Walk:
1.48 miles
24:22
16:27 pace

Recumbent Bike:
13.95 miles
54:19
15.41 mph

Friends & Family

Three wonderful miles in the cool morning temperatures. First run since the "cold front" blew through a couple days ago. Lots of downed trees on the greenbelts. It looked similar to the first few runs after Hurricane IKE.

Around noon Wyatt showed up at the house so we could work on his trail bike. We replaced the bottom bracket because of a clicking noise. The repair went smoothly, but the noise came back. Not sure what the problem is anymore.

While Wyatt and I were working on the bike, Kevin showed up. We needed parts from the bike shop, so we decided to go have lunch together. I really enjoy visiting with these two guys, which are two of my closest friends.

Wyatt and I tested our work with a 30-minute bike ride. When Wyatt left I went for an additional 30 minute ride to squeeze in the scheduled cardio.

Ran with PIM tonight. The group is well ahead of where I would expect them physically. I really enjoy the energy of our group!

I combined all the activities and grouped them according to sport.

Run:
4.4 miles
51:58
11:40 pace

Walk:
2.56 miles
43:36
17:02 pace

Trail Bike:
10.32 miles
58:12
10.64 mph

Rain

Today is the first day of Fall and I'm loving the temperatures, but it's been raining all freaking day. Steve was kind enough to give me a ride home, since I cycled to work yesterday.

Work was hectic, resulting in a mid-afternoon nap. I don't like sleeping during the day, but I was having trouble staying awake.

This week starts 6-days of running (each week) until the end of the Sharpening phase. Today was a single mile, which is all about recovery and logging mileage.

Run:
1.04 miles
11:42
11:15 pace

Rode my bike trainer while watching the Biggest Loser. This season isn't holding my attention as well as previous seasons. It's the same stuff, just different contestants.

Bike Trainer:
20.0 miles
1:24:00
14.29 mph

Determined

Biked to work this morning. Last night I made plans to run to work. When the alarm went off at 4:30am, I decided 5-hours wasn't enough sleep, so I opted for a bike ride... and an extra hour of sleep. Drizzly rain during the ride. Andrea dropped off my backpack on her way to work, so I had a GREAT ride without the extra weight.

Trail Bike:
6.29 miles
31:54
11.83 mph

One of the busiest days at work in a long time. Combination of typical Monday duties, projects, emergency responses, training, and cleaning. It took everything I had, but I managed to put myself on the treadmill for the scheduled 4-mile run. I'm disappointed in the pace, but it's DONE. The last call lasted about 2-hours and I was on my feet the entire time, so I wanted to take it easy. I started at 3.5 mph and increased 0.1 mph every 5 minutes. I didn't realize how slow this was till I reached 45 minutes and had barely at 3 miles. On the final mile I picked up the pace, just to be done. The run went good, even if it was painfully slow.

Run:
4.0 miles
58:53
14:43 pace

Walk (warm-up):
0.27
5:00
18:31 pace

Attacked

Felt nice to sleep in this morning.

Andrea and I biked to Schlotzsky's to have lunch and then back home. Met a great couple at the sandwich shop and talked about running, biking, and triathlons.

Trail Bike:
11.86 miles
1:01:59
11.48 mph

Ran some errands during the day then went running at East End Park this evening. We waited a little later than usual, hoping to use our LED lights for a little night trail running. We were too early and didn't need any supplemental light. It was tough in the beginning, but I settled into a rhythm and had a great run after "the incident"....

Seriously, please put your dog on a leash and if you see someone with a dog off their leash, remind the owner its THE LAW. Andrea and I were ATTACKED by a pit bull in East End Park. We saw a large muscular dog walking down the trail towards us. The owner was walking another unleashed dog about 40 yards behind the pit bull. The dog seemed to be in a defensive mode with his head down, tail tucked, and slowly making his way towards us. When the dog got too close for our comfort I yelled, "get outta here" and kicked some dirt his way. This sent the dog into a rage of barking, growling, and snipping at both Andrea and I. I have never seen a dog act so aggressive in my life. The more I moved the closer he snipped at me. He circled me as I stood there frozen. Within seconds he was snipping at Andrea’s legs. I tried to distract the dog so she wouldn't get harmed. When I had the dog’s attention again I told Andrea to run back to the truck. I was amazed the owner was yelling at US during the attack. She kept saying, "Why did you do that? He's a gentle and loving dog!" I was in total disbelief that the her dog was ATTACKING us and her response was to yell at us and make the situation even more tense. Now the dog is feeding off her sense her anger towards us. The dog had copious amount of saliva dripping from his mouth which was foaming-up on his snout. I know this because I got to see up close... he was mere inches from my ankles. I'm not sure why he didn't actually make contact, but I was scared to death all the same. I was stressed and told the owner, "Get your fucking dog and put him on a leash!” She continued to yell at me for MY ACTIONS. I told her it is the LAW to have her dog on the leash. Then she proceeded to tell me, "If you would have put your hand out he wouldn't have attacked you". Well, woman... I've been a paramedic for 15-years and when I respond to a mauled kid that was attacked by a violent dog attack the owner is always standing there telling us, "He's a friendly dog and has NEVER bitten anyone before". Who am I to know if your dog is violent or friendly!?!? Bottom line, she was wrong and endangered our lives which I do not appreciate. Had the dog been on a leash, there wouldn't have been a problem, although there might have been. After she got him on a leash she was having trouble controlling him. It's time for me to contact the authorities and let them know I'm fed up with the loose dogs at East End Park.

Run:
2.02
24:41
12:14 pace

Andrea and I both had an upset stomach from all the stress after the dog attack and confrontation with the dog owner. In an attempt to settle our nerves we went for a walk around the bayou. As an added bonus, we got to use out lights! It's very cool to be outside and only see the environment 4-feet in front of you. Our senses were alive and on full alert!

Walk:
1.71 miles
29:04
17:00 pace

Lucky 7

First and foremost, CONGRATULATIONS to Andrea!! Friday she was offered (and accepted) a new job that is only one mile from the house. Well done, babe!

Missed running with my Kingwood FIT peeps this morning, due to work obligations. I also "missed" a few hours of sleep last night due to calls, so I came home and took a nap. Woke up and immediately stuffed myself at Los Cucos. By 5pm our gluttonous meal had settled enough to allow us to go run.

Andrea and I ran 7 miles around Kingwood. It took a couple miles to settle into a rhythm. Glad Andrea was there to keep me company, even though I slowed her down. Warm up and cool down walk with a short mid-point walk when we took our Gu. No aches or pains, which is always a successful run in my books.

It appears that I have another software problem with my Garmin. I heard the sync going though, but all the data vanished into mid-air. The settings are set to erase all data after the sync, so now I don't have anything. Luckily, Andrea recorded the run portion of our workout. I guested at the walk, but I'm sure it is close.

Run:
7.28 miles
1:29:35
12:18 pace

Walk:
1 miles
18:00
18:00 pace

Bitch-slapped

The highs and lows of life has put me in a weird mood. There are days when it feels like I'm Karma's bitch. Take today for example... I got lots of small projects around the house done, awesome workout, Andrea received some good news about a possible new job, then POOF, at the end of my day.... something bad. Nothing horrible, but enough to ruin my near-perfect day.

Rode my trail bike to Wyatt's to visit him for a few minutes. He's in the middle of a huge garage re-organizing project. I didn't want to get in the way or get recruited to help, so I took off and had lunch at Schlotzsky's before biking back home. It was absolutely beautiful outside today. Fall is in the air!

Trail Bike:
11.01 miles
58:52
11.22 mph

Ran two miles on the greenbelts late this evening. I felt like a douche bag, but I told Andrea I wanted to run alone. I'm training 4 different groups of runners... the Pim'sters, Kingwood FIT, Andrea, and myself. On days like today, I find it beneficial to "run" the stress out of my body. I tried to run it off this evening, but a small bit of it still lingers. People might not understand, but there are times when running is all about ME.

Run:
2.01 miles
22:50
11:22 pace

Walk:
0.60 mile
10:13
17:01 pace

Long Ride

Steve, Erik, and I cycled from the Flying J fuel station in Spendora to Conroe... Yes, you read that right, CONROE. The route took was along loop 242, until we reached I-45 in The Woodlands. At that point we still needed another 8 miles, so we rode the feeder road to River Plantation. Once in River Plantation, we rode around until the odometer read 25 miles, then we turned around and road back to Spendora. Great route, except a few wicked miles along I-45. Erik had a couple flats, but other than that, it was a normal ride. Naturally, I'm tired and a little sore. My heart rate recovered well when we stopped and I could have easily rode more mileage. I'm confident my fitness level is good shape.

Road Bike:
50.18 miles
3:07:07
16.09 mph

Second night of PIM 2009 Fall session. Ran 3 miles before the group run. Near the end I ran out of fuel. Of the three miles, all were sub 11:00 miles. My body was telling me it had enough for one day, so I made adjustments on the last mile. I left just enough to run with my Pim'sters. We ran 8 x 2-minute run/1-minute walk. All went well. I have an energetic group that totally rocks. I combined all my times below.

Run:
4.26 miles
48:28
11:22 pace

Walk:
1.13 miles
20:16
17:56 pace

Worry About Yourself... not ME

Busy day at work. Several people kept displaying weird attitudes and behaviors today, which I find very irritating. I'm sick & tired of judgemental people and listening to why they don't like MY DIET.

Rode the recumbent bike for ten miles and walked on the treadmill for three miles. Posterior aspect of my left knee is bothering me. Tired and going to bed. Looks like I'm going on a long bike ride in the morning with Erik.

Recumbent Bike:
10 miles
38:42
15.5 mph

Treadmill:
3 miles
52:51
17:37 pace

Group Ride

Impressive turnout for this mornings ride. Steve was introduced to the Kingwood riding group I met earlier this year. Later start than usual, but no one complained about the weather. Started at the church on Fairlake and rode to the gas station at HWY 90 in Crosby. Round trip 31 miles.

Road Bike:
31.25 miles
1:53:15
16.56 mph

Stayed on the phone for 2.5 hours with garmin customer service. I was having minor software issues. As usual, garmin customer service staff was very helpful. I ended up having two issues. One was related to compatibility with Internet Explorer 8 and the other was a conflict with my Panda anti-virus software. It took awhile to pinpoint the root of the issues, but everything is working perfectly now.

Working my last shift at Jersey Village Fire Department tonight. A couple weeks ago I decided to resign because I have too many obligations. I want to spend more time at home with my family. I also want to continue my trend of outdoor activities, which makes me o-so-happy. JVFD is a GREAT job and they were good to me, but I need a break.

Ran four miles on the JVFD treadmill while watching television. Over the last year, I've significantly reduced the amount of television I watch. It was a nice change to watch Family Guy and The Simpson's while enduring 4-miles on the treadmill.

Treadmill Run:
4.0 miles
53:18
13:20 pace

Walk (cool-down):
0.27
6:00
22:13 pace

Out of Gas

Started the day with Alison and Taylor's birthday party. Nice to hang out with friends and family, but it made for a long day.

Went grocery shopping after Alison and Preston left with Erin to Trinity. We needed to restock the refrigerator. There were a few minor losses due to yesterday's malfunction.

I did a crappy job of fueling my body (eating) today and I knew it. I stayed within my allotted calories, but everything I ate was calorie dense, therefore somewhat small.

Rode my trail bike around Kingwood for an hour, then went for a 2 mile run. With only half a mile of running till being completely done, my body shut down. I was fatigued and every ounce of energy was drained from my body. I FORCED myself to keep running. It wasn't pretty, but I managed to complete the scheduled two miles.

Trail Bike:
12.01 miles
1:02:17
11.57 mph

Run:
2.07 miles
23:18
11:15 pace

Walk (warm-up/cool-down)
0.43 mile
7:51
18:20 pace

6 rainy miles and a mother board

The morning started bad. As I walked into the kitchen to fill my hydration bottle I found a large puddle of water. I quickly learned the water use to be the ice INSIDE the freezer. My refrigerator died in the middle of the night. I didn't allow it to corrupt my day, because frankly, there wasn't much I could do about it at 5am.

Ran six rainy miles with my Kingwood Fit peeps.... and I loved every minute of it! Yesterday I bought a visor and an inexpensive LED light that mounts to the brim. I was amazed how well those little LEDS lit the path. Money well spent.

The run was executed as planned. Slow and consistent pace the first three miles, then we fired up the afterburners on the last three miles. I was "itchy" to pick up the pace on the last half mile, so another runner and I opened up our stride and was running in the 8:00/mile range. Of course we only did that for half a mile. The pace was fast enough to better our last mile average down to 9:07.

This mornings rain plus the refrigerator ordeal did stop Andrea from taking the girls to their triathlon. The frig was only a minor issue, but trying to manage three kids, the bikes, camera's and do it all in the rain was just too much to ask one person, especially knowing it was probably going to be cancelled.

Andrea did manage to call an appliance repair man, which worked on weekends. Turns out the mother-board on my refrigerator went out. Bitter-sweet news. It wasn't anything major... except the price. The final cost was $340 and it only took the repairman about 4-5 minutes to fix. The price point was teetering on the line. That amount of money was a lot to spend on a 5-year old unit that was a lower end unit to begin with, yet a new basic unit was going to cost $800 or more. We decided to go with the cheaper price and take our chances we get a long life out of the unit.

Before going to work we went to REI to pick up the hiking gear Andrea ordered for my birthday. I LOVE ALL OF IT and I'm really excited to use it! She is entirely too good to me... I'm one lucky guy!

I took off half the shift (12-hours vacation) today to run and be with the family. One of the guys at work had a family emergency, so I was called in early. Needed a little extra cardio, so I cycled on the recumbent bike for 30-minutes.

Run:
6.25 miles
1:11:46
11:29 pace

Recumbent Bike:
7.0 miles
26:56
15.6 mph

PIM Fall 2009

At work today.

Drove to work today because I have to drive to Memorial Park for the first session of PIM Fall 2009. Scattered rain storms didn't hurt attendance whatsoever. Great turnout, lots of new & returning smiling facing, and energetic environment.

Time trials tonight, which meant no running for me. During the dynamic stretches we did "butt kicks", which my left knee did not like. Now it's bothering me. I will not be doing that exercise again.

Once I got back to the station I cycled on the recumbent bike for one-hour and walked on the treadmill for thirty-minutes.

Recumbent Bike
15.6 miles
60:02
15.59 mph

Walk:
1.63 miles
30:00
18:24 pace

Bike & Run same route

Joyful ride through the greenbelts around mid-day.

Trail Bike:
7.5 miles
36:15
12.41 mph

At 6pm Andrea and I ran the same route I cycled earlier in the day. Taylor also joined us on her bicycle. I'm loosely calling this an "interval workout". Biggest difference between this workout and the real thing is... we didn't push the pace.
4 x 1-mile run/0.25 mile walk.

Walk:
1.58 miles
26:23
16:44 pace

Run:
4 miles
45:21
11:20 pace

Diet

Something is wrong with my diet. I've been struggling all day and hungry every waking minute.

Houston heat has returned. Our short-lived "cool front" is all but gone. Actually, it wasn't much of a cool front, but rather a drop of a few degrees and a large decrease in the humidity due to the North wind.

Too hot for me today, so I ran on the treadmill.

Run:
3.5 miles
46:03
13:09 pace

Walk (warm-up/cool-down):
1.0 mile
18:28
18:29 pace

Immediately after finishing the run portion of my workout I transitioned to the recumbent bike. Not much to say about a recumbent bike ride. I just sat there pedaling.

Recumbent Bike:
7.0 miles
28:25
14.78 mph

48-hour shift

Found the motivation to wake up early enough for a 2-mile run before work. Humidity was higher than previous days. Still managed to have a good run.

Run:
2.02 miles
22:34
11:10 pace

Walk (Warm-up/cool-down)
0.38 mile
4:40
17:33 pace

I'm working 48-hours straight. Due to logistics, I was forced to drive to work. Brought my road bike and trainer with me.

I was on my trainer for an hour, starting at 9pm. Decent ride, just boring. Thankfully I was watching television while riding.

Bike Trainer:
15.33 miles
1:03:26
14.5 mph

Du?

Bike, Run, Bike

I convinced Andrea to join my running group this morning since our mileage is still in alignment with the half marathoners. It was an easy sale, because she enjoys running with me (even if I can't keep up with her). We decided to bike to the church (meeting spot) and back home, which was long enough to knock out all the cardio for the day.

Great bike ride there, but it was a bit dark on some parts of the trails.

The run went as smooth and easy as I've ever ran. My legs are 100% fresh and I feel like I could have easily run double digits. After the first mile, Andrea and a few runners took off ahead of us, never to be seen again. Well, we saw them when we all finished... at the end. I can't express how easy the run felt. I'm finding it hard to put it in words. So, I suppose I'll stop with, IT WAS A GREAT RUN.

Bike home was good. Small near-miss on the bike when jumping off a curb. Thankfully I recovered and neither me nor the bike hit the ground.

What a day... Life is GOOD!

Run:
5.08 miles
59:30
11:43 pace

Trail Bike:
8.54
48:14
10.62 mph

Brick?

One of the best morning's ever! Rode my bike to Schott's Park. There I met Scott and Steve for a 2-mile run before work. Once we finished I rode back to the fire station. The ride into Humble felt easy and the run was absolutely delightful.

Trail Bike:
10.17 miles
52:43
11.58 mph

Run:
2.0 miles
24:11
12:05 pace

Memorial Park Run and PIM coaches meeting

Several days of minimal sleep caught up with me today. As soon as I got home from my part-time job I laid down for a nap. I was shocked when Andrea called at 2pm and I realized I had been sleeping for six hours!

Met Vic and Will at Memorial park for a small run before the Power in Motion coaches meeting. The weather continues to be pleasant. Lots of runners on the loop, which created a bit of a dust cloud on the crushed granite trail. Had a great run.

Once I arrived home from the meeting Andrea and I went for a nice walk. It's a weird feeling to be off for two days and not really see or talk to her.

All the walking and running totals were combined below.

Walk:
2.94 miles
48:32
16:30 pace

Run:
3.74 miles
46:42
12:30 pace

Power in Motion coaches are working hard to make Fall 2009 the best session ever. Lots of changes, which are sure to be a success! Several coaches have stepped up into leadership roles as part of designated committees. The labor of love these people show towards runners they haven't even met is remarkable!!!

Packbacking Home

How awesome is this weather!

I decided to wear my backpack on my 6-mile walk home. In my backpack I carry; laptop, misc cables, ACSM manual, watch, badge, collar brass, keys, phone charger, water bottle, pens, flash drives, camera, and other small miscellaneous items. The additional weight was cumbersome, but I found a rhythm after the first mile. Extremely bored during the walk. I'd like to wear my ipod, but that is not a safe option with the amount of time I spend walking on non-shouldered roadways.

As soon as I arrived home I weighed myself and saw a nice weight loss, but it's probably a fluid shift from the walk. I also weighed my backpack. My loaded laptop style backpack weighed 22.5 lbs, but it felt a lot heavier.

Walk:
5.64 miles
1:37:25
17:16 pace

After a quick shower I drove to Magnolia, TX to help Todd move into his new house. By the time I got there the rest of the guys from work were nearly done unloading the trucks. On the drive home I stopped into REI and did a little window shopping. Now I'm back at Humble FD, working for Wyatt while he attends his Civil Air Patrol meeting.

Ten minutes ago the Chief from JVFD called and reminded me I'm suppose to work there tonight. I'm being pulled in so many directions that I've become a "flake". The extra money is nice, but I think it's time to cut myself free of a couple obligations. I'm not giving up my two coaching gigs, because they help keep me sane.

sigh.... what to do, what to do!?!?!?