What will I do in 2009?

Hmmm... Putting stuff like this out on the web really makes you think.  It will be out in the ether of the internet for years to come.  My grandkids may find it in a digital archive sometime and ask my kids if I got it all done.  I learned from all the coaches I have had over the years that it is better to have a few rules and stick to them than to try to cover every situation with a written rule.  I am going to take that same approach to my goals for 2009.  I have a few goals that I am determined to achieve.  If I reach those, most of the smaller ones I have will be accomplished in the process.  I'm watching David Letterman as I write this, so a 'top 10 goal list' seems appropriate.

So, here is an attempt to list them.  I plan on checking my progress at the end of each quarter so I'll revisit these no matter what the results are.

1. Get my 26.2 sticker.  I have crossed most of the standard distances in races in 2008.  2009 will be the year I get the big one.  I am scheduled to run the Myrtle Beach Marathon on Valentines Day.  I am not setting a time goal for this, just getting the medal will be enough.
   
2. Set a PR in the 5K and 10K distances.  Once the marathon is complete, I hope to recover quickly enough to PR in these two distances before the heat of the summer is upon us.
3. Race every month of the year.  This year I started in March and missed July and December.  With my limited Clemson education, I was able to calculate that I missed 4 months.  
4. Complete 5 events that are 10 miles or longer.
5. Run a race out of the state of South Carolina.
6. Complete the requirements for the Tri-Running Series T-Shirt.
7. Place in my age group in a race.  (I guess I need to find a real small race with no 40-44 year olds)
8. Run 1200 miles during the year.
9. Continue my yoga classes.
10. Maintain my Weight Watchers Lifetime status.

Potential Races:

1/3 - Resolution Run 1/2 Marathon (registered)

2/14 - Myrtle Beach Marathon (registered)

3/7 - Reedy River Run 10K

3/21 - Shamrock Fun Run 5K

3/28 - Race for the Inlet 5K @ Myrtle Beach

3/28 - Milliken Earth Run 5K

4/4 - Cooper River Bridge Run 10K

4/25 - Greer 5 Miler

5/8 - GHS 5K

5/16 - Easley Lions Club 5K

6/13 - Sunrise Run 8K

July - Need help.. I'll be at the beach over the 4th....

August - Midnight Flight 10K

9/18 - BMW 2 Miler (A real fun race)

10/25 - Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC (Don't know if I can handle 2 in one year)

10/31 - Spinx Runfest (1/2 or full..... Hmmmm)

November - Lungs for Life 5K, Taylors Turkey Trot

December - Paris Mountain Road Race

So, if I can fill out July, I should have lots of opportunities to run.  I need to find some 10 Milers or Half Marathons to fit in there to get my 5 distance race goal.

I think it is a pretty aggressive schedule, but one that I should be able to attain.  My guess is that I will focus on the 1/2 marathons and 10 milers after I complete my marathon.  I just can't imagine being able to devote the time needed for training again.

What are your goals for 2009?

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Small addition:  I would like to do another Sprint-Triathlon in 2009, especially if I can score a road bike beforehand....

Blog alert...

2009 goals are being drawn up now...  (Thanks Megan).  Give me any suggestions now or else I'll have to do this on my own....

16 miles yesterday...

Yesterday was a great day for running.  It was overcast with mist/rain during a lot of my run.  I plugged away and got my 16 miles in despite having a less than stellar day of fueling and hydration on Saturday.  The 16 miler was supposed to be next Sunday, but I went ahead and ran it because of the half marathon I am running this coming Saturday.

It was the furthest run of my training cycle so far and it felt pretty good.  I think I could have gone 18 if I had to.  Because of the rain, I wore an older pair of shoes.  I think that I would have felt even better if I had been in my new shoes.  

I tried a Roctane and a regular GU during the run and I seemed to stomach them OK.  I will probably keep experimenting during the next few long runs to see what I like best and how much of it I can tolerate.  

I did 1.25 miles on a track during the run and that was OK.  I also had a loop that I doubled up on.  I didn't mind it as much as I thought I would, although I am going to try and find a route that doesn't have any repeat loops in it for my next long run.  The rest of this week is pretty easy as I go 6 miles tomorrow and 7 miles on Thursday.  I was supposed to do 6 on Friday, but with the half on Saturday I'll probably skip that run.

One other note, I did the long run without my iPod.  I ran for 2 hours and 45 minutes with nothing in my head except for my own thoughts.  For those of you that know me, that is pretty scary!

Christmas day is in the rearview mirror, time to focus on training...

Christmas was really great.  I know Christmas is great with little kids, but as ours get a little older it is a nice change too.  They still love their presents, but they enjoy family a little more too.  They also can handle a day of celebration without naps and tantrums!!

I got a great pair of running tights that I was not expecting.  That was a great surprise, I hope it actually gets cold enough to need them.  Although, I must admit that an early spring wouldn't bother me either.  Another great surprise was that the tights were actually too big!  I loved that and didn't mind going downtown to exchange them today.  In fact, we spent a good portion of the day out running errands.  We avoided going into the mall even though we had to circle it to get to some stores on the perimeter.  

I got Lee a cool Timex Ironman watch that also controls you iPod.  She wants a Garmin eventually, but wanted a watch with interval timing for now.  I priced it at two stores for $100 to $130, so I was about to just buy her the Garmin.  Then I went to Costco and they had the exact same watch for $29.  That left enough in the budget to get her a new pair of Nikes that she wanted.

Now it is time for me to really focus on training.  I got in 6.5 today, though I didn't do speedwork.  I am skipping tomorrow and and running 16 on Sunday.  I am switching this week and next week so that I can get the Resolution Run 1/2 Marathon in next Saturday.  I am going to run it at a comfortable 9:30 pace (hopefully) and use it as a workout.  My coach/buddy Allan is going to pace me on it.  That will be a nice slow run for him as he gets ready to try and BQ at the Houston marathon 2 weeks later.

One other thing, my Nike Air Zoom Structure Triax +11's are still the bomb.  I can't believe how great they feel and I am having a hard time rotating them.

Great day for a run and oh yeah, Merry Christmas!!....

Today was perfect running weather, at least until the rain started.  I got out early for some last minute shopping and got home in time for a 7 miler before lunch.  The weather was perfect and I felt great.  I started to run with a Santa hat on, but then I decided that getting a Santa hat all wet and sweaty wouldn't make the rest of my family very happy!

Traffic was pretty light, so the section of E. North St. that I run on was a breeze.  I was supposed to run at a 10:06 pace according to my training schedule, but I ended up at about 9:30.  9:30 is the pace I am planning on running for the half next Saturday (1/3), so it was good getting 7 in at that pace today.  I think I can sustain it for a half and still have a good recovery to keep on my marathon training.

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!  I won't be running tomorrow, but you can bet I'll be back out on Friday....  

Rest Day....

Today was a rest day after a long run yesterday.  I am off a day, but should be OK with this schedule for the rest of the week.  I'll run tomorrow and get Christmas off.  Then Have runs on Friday and Saturday.

I stopped by Fleet Feet today and feel confident in saying that there will be lots of runners getting goodies for Christmas this year.  I had a hard time focusing on others instead of looking at goodies for myself!  Of course, 45 minutes after I walked out of the store I got a call that the pouch for my fuel belt had arrived.  I think I'll wait until after Christmas to pick it up.  I have had enough of the traffic for this year!

I did pick up a GU and a Rocktane to try on my upcoming long races.  I want to make sure my stomach handles them well.  I also need to start doing a better job hydrating before and after my long runs.  I have noticed a huge difference when I hydrate properly.  After Christmas, I am going to really work on my overall nutrition plan for the rest of my training.  I want to make sure I adequately fuel without adding in unnecessary calories.  

We had some family over tonight and it was fun.  It really starts to feel like Christmas when you have family around.

Star Trek Running...

My inner geek (ok, maybe it isn't only 'inner') was thinking about how cool it would be to have access to a holodeck like they have in Star Trek The Next Generation.  Being able to set the location and conditions (and running partners for that matter) for every run would be pretty cool....

Narcissism....

If I told you I stared at myself in a mirror for two hours, you would think I was narcissistic.  If I told you that I was actually running on a treadmill that happened to be in front of a mirror for two hours, you would think I was just crazy.  I would tend to agree with you.  It was just too cold for me to consider a 12 mile run outside today.  I don't have the proper gear for my legs yet and I couldn't imagine two hours out in sub-freezing temps.  

I got the 12 miles in on the treadmill, but even with the TV and staring at myself in the mirror it was miserable.  I did kind of enjoy seeing people come in, struggle through their workout and leave while I was only 1/3 of the way through my run.  It was a little of an ego boost, but after a while I just felt like an idiot.  I really missed being outside and noticing little things about the neighborhood while I was running.  I missed seeing friends and some of the dogs that greet me along my route...  I'll definitely be happy when my running tights get here so I don't have to go through that again.

At least I was able to keep a perfect pace up for the entire run....

How far can you run on a treadmill?

Wow, it is more than a little cold outside.  Yesterday was windy and I was kind of glad that I was too busy with party preparations to run, but now I am regretting it.  I finally ordered a pair of running tights from SierraTradingPost.com.  They got down to $10 and I figured that even if they don't fit, I can't go wrong trying them at that price.

So, until I get my tights I am not sure I want to run outside in this kind of cold.  That leaves me with the treadmill option.  I need to get in a 12 mile run, so I wonder if I will go insane on a treadmill for two hours.  They do have a TV on each treadmill at my gym, so maybe I can find a good Christmas movie to watch if I decide to go that route.  I am going to see what the temperature is at 11:00 and make my decision, but I am pretty sure I will be on the treadmill...

Not exactly a rest day....

Well, I didn't run but I was on my feet most of the day. I am going to pay for it tomorrow because it will be right around freezing in the middle of the day when I run tomorrow.

I'm looking forward to the run, even if it is cold. I need to burn off some party calories from this weekend!

Does shopping count as cross training?

I mean it definitely gets my heart rate up.......

Just it case it doesn't count, Lee and I hit the gym at about 9:00 tonight to get 30 minutes of cardio in...

I'm supposed to get 12 miles in tomorrow.  I hope to get out and get moving in the morning.  If not, I may have to do it on Monday morning....

Easy Run Today....

I was scheduled for a 6 mile easy run at 10:02 per mile.  I wanted to run a little faster, so I went out around 9:28 per mile.  It felt pretty good outside, except when I was going head first into the wind.  It also got a little warm when the sun came out and I was out of the wind.  Still, for a mid December day, it was great weather.  

Roadkill report:  The dead squirrel on the sidewalk on E. North Street is still there after 5 days...  I guess I am not the only one too lazy to move it.  To quote Clark Griswold in Christmas vacation, "Where is Eddie, he usually eats these **** things."

My coach Allan is going to run the 'Resolution Run' half marathon with me on January 3rd and we are targeting a 9:30 pace.  That will be about 45 seconds per mile slower than the half I ran in October.  It will be a whole lot slower than Allan normally runs, but he has the Houston Marathon two weeks later so he will be in his taper and not looking to run fast.

With my marathon coming up in February, I didn't want to run this half all out.  I am glad Allan is pacing me.  That way I won't start out too fast.  I still haven't mastered the skill of running the race for my own goals and not against everyone else in the field.  

Tempo run today....

I had a 6 mile tempo run today.  It went pretty well, I was a little quicker than planned on the first mile but got my 4 tempo miles in on pace.  I enjoyed letting up for the last mile, that is a good feeling.

It was so nice to be running in warm, humid conditions again....  NOT.  Actually, it wasn't too bad but I am still looking forward to cool weather through the marathon anyway.  

I ran in the new shoes today and they felt awesome.  The heel is a tad higher and it took about a mile for my calf muscles to adjust, but the cushioning is great.  

When I got to the six mile point, I was about 1/4 of a mile from the house and decided to walk in for a cool down (ok, I was being lazy!).  It's funny how while I'm running, I won't see anyone I know but when I am walking everyone that has ever met me drives by....  I guess it just an ego test for me!  I passed today, I just kept on walking.....

Brief rant....

I don't mind sharing my email address with race directors.  I appreciate the fact that they confirm my registration by email and that they send me reminders about future races and such.  However, I do think that in exchange for me giving them my email address they could at least put a blank on the registration form that is big enough to hold this information!  It ticks me off to try and squeeze in an email address on a blank that is about 3/4 of an inch long.....

Cross training today...

Today was a scheduled cross training day.  I went to the gym and did 45 minutes on the bike.  I broke a good sweat and really worked the opposing muscles in my legs.  I like the new schedule I am on that will give me 3 days of rest/cross training.  I plan to spend at least one on the bike.

My coach, Allan, has talked me into running the 1/2 marathon in T.R. on January 3rd.  He will be tapering for his Boston Qualifying shot in Houston on 1/18, so hopefully he won't smoke me too bad.  He also is considering running MB with me to help me set my pace...  I don't know if he can run that slow for 26.2 miles though.

They have a 5K at the same time of the 1/2 marathon on January 3rd, so come on out and run or walk.  It's great way to break in the new year!

Biggest Winner...

I often think about all the times I told myself that I hated running.  It's kind of like when my son says he 'hates' some kind of food that he has never tried.....

I think the tipping point for my decision to lose weight was when I started watching the Biggest Loser.  Early on, I really enjoyed sitting down with a bowl or three of ice cream and watching the show.  I wrote it off as being unrealistic because of the fact that the contestants had all day with a trainer and no other obligations.  Sometime during the fall season in 2007 though, I took it as a challenge.  

After watching the show for a while, it became evident why I had failed in the past.  I had never looked at the challenge as being a lifelong one.  I always had the mentality that if I lost the weight and started exercising, my metabolism would speed up and I could eat 'normally' again.  The problem was my definition of normal... Those of you that know me are not surprised that my view of 'normal' was off kilter a little bit!

When I started Weight Watchers, I paid a lot of attention to those that were close to their goal or were already at their goal.  I quickly found out that they never considered themselves 'finished'.  I accepted the reality that I was going to have to look at this as a way of life and not a 'program' that I would 'complete'.

As my exercise evolved into running, I realized it was a great companion to my new lifestyle.  Running requires some semblance of a healthy diet.  Especially as I have started to run longer distances, I think about eating in terms of 'fuel' instead of just 'food'.  I also have had to learn that the idea of being able to eat whatever you want because you are running 30+ miles a week is a myth.  Granted it helps some, but you can still gain weight while running!  

Anyway, as I sit here watching the finale of this season's 'Biggest Loser', I realize that I was the big winner when the show got me to change my habits.  So if you happen to read this and you want to change something in your life, I hope it helps you realize you can do it.  It won't be easy and you may hit a few bumps along the way, but you can do it.  You may even discover that you enjoy something you always thought you would hate!

Should be all caught up now...

I think I have all my old posts loaded now, so if you happen to find this and are bored enough to want to go back to the beginning, feel free!

Back on track again....

I created a new training schedule for the next two months on Runners World's website.  The new schedule only has me running 4 days a week and I think that will help me stay on schedule.  My only goal for the marathon is to finish, so I am not so much interested in my time as I am building up the endurance and strength to finish the race.

I will continue doing Yoga one or two times a week as well as some elliptical or stationary bike work on my non-running days.

I got 7 miles in today and I enjoyed the mild temperature.  The only issue I had today was that my Garmin died on me because I haven't charged it in a long time.  In a way it was a nice change of pace to be running without it.  I never really focused on my pace or heart rate, I just ran.  Now I am considering charging my iPod up and taking it on a run again this weekend.  

New shoes = New commitment?

Well, I got the new shoes yesterday. I haven’t run in them yet. The guy at Fleet Feet was real patient and worked with me a long time. I loved the first pair I tried on, but he got me into two or three others just for comparison. I ended up with the Nike Air Zoom Structure Triax 11. I am generally not a big Nike fan, but these felt incredible when I put them on.


He bumped me up a half size and I am still not sure I am comfortable with that, but the folks at Fleet Feet have never steered me wrong before. They also will allow me to return them if I don’t like them after a run or two... 

I have been so slack the last two weeks that I can’t believe it. Well, it really hasn’t been a lack of desire or effort but really I have just had to put other priorities on top of running. After tonight, most of my commitments should be covered and I hope to be able to really get back on track.

I did a stint on the dreadmill on Friday and I remembered why I hate them. Of course, the fact that I lost my headphones didn’t help any. I also forgot what it was like to run up hill the entire time. Next time, I think I will do a manual program and keep it flat for part of the way. My calves were not happy on Saturday!

Getting setup on Blogger.....

Well, I am trying to get this blog moved over to blogspot, but they limit the number of posts I can make in a day..... It will take a while to get all my old posts loaded, so be patient if you stumble across this and the posts all look old....

Rain yes, ligtning no!

I started off on my 9 mile scheduled run yesterday in a heavy downpour. I was doing OK at the 2 mile mark and actually felt like I was going to start enjoying the run once I got off of East North Street. Then I saw the flash and heard the thunder. I checked my Garmin and I was 2.34 miles into the run, but I knew I was only about a mile from the house if I took the most direct route back. Needless to say, I ran a negative split back to the house! I’m not sure what I am going to do today. I would like to go run, but I may just hit the dreadmill at the gym. 



Meanwhile, I am back on the weight watchers plan full time as I have crept up to the top of my ‘allowable weight range’. I know most of it has to do with the holidays, but I don’t want to lose my lifetime status. WW did their annual change to the program this week, so I am learning about the changes. They basically combined the core & flex plans into one program, but I need to understand some of the new features. I’m glad I have thrown out all my old clothes so that I don’t have any choice but to stay ‘on plan’. It still amazes me that I can run as much as I can and still struggle with my weight. I know it is simple math, calories in vs calories burned, but dang it I burn a lot of calories!

Terrific Tuesday....

I got in 4 miles yesterday. The gloves and headband felt great in the wind. I ran at mid-speed pace for me of about 8:24. I am really having a hard time with my 7-8 mile loop now because traffic seems to be getting worse on the most dangerous leg of the run. I expected it to be easier after the leaves fell because I could see better, but somehow the number of cars and speed at which they are traveling is really increasing. I have an alternate route, but unfortunately it ends with some very steep hills. I guess I am going to have to just suck it up and run the hills. I have been put in the ditch twice lately and I am afraid the third time might be a ‘strike out’!

It felt good to get back to yoga today. We did a great core workout and I felt really good afterwards. I hope I feel good enough to get my 9 miles in tomorrow. I also want to sit down this week and map out some paths for my longer runs. I could easily do a couple of loops of my normal routes, but I think it would be good to stretch my horizons and go a little longer. I also need to get pouch for my fuel belt that can hold a cell phone in case I need a ride home!

I ran at night once last week and really enjoyed seeing all the Christmas lights. You get a different perspective on them from your feet than you do from a car. I may plan a night time run a little later in the season when even morel lights are up.

Wow, 2 days in a row...

I have run two consecutive days and it feels good. I hope to make it a trifecta today!
I really enjoy running in this cooler weather as long as the wind stays down. I got in 6 miles last night. I am just going to get all I can this week and hope to get back on schedule with a long run on Sunday.

Is it just me or does the holiday spirit seem to have skipped the drivers around town? I have had more close calls in the last few weeks than I care to think about. What is the deal with the folks flying down neighborhood roads and around blind curves? I know that texting and talking on cell phones is an issue with some of them, but most are just in a real hurry and aren’t paying attention to the road.