A great race, a PR and a hat trick (almost)

Success is having faith-Failure is being afraid: 
Part of having faith is having a belief that good things are going to happen to you and through you. Being afraid is having a belief that bad things are going to happen to you. Whatever you believe, you will create the circumstances to confirm that belief. You will seek and find examples and situations that proves you are right. - Keith Cameron Smith

Well, this has ended up being a great weekend as a whole.  The qoute can be taken 2 ways if you don't yet know how my Half Marathon ended.....Either that I suceeded or I failed.  Glass half full, glass half empty.
This morning was the "Last Chance for Boston" Half Marathon.  Before I start, since I've been asked, the reason it is called this was back in the day when the race was formed, this was the "Last Chance" for those looking to qualify for Boston later in the year.  Recently they changed things up and moved the deadline to qualify.  But the organizers, rather than make up a new name and confuse people, kept it the same.  People can still qualify, but the times would be recognized for the following year.
Today's goal seemed simple....Obviously I wanted to finish the race, but I wanted to finish it without stopping.  I also wanted to break 2 hours for the first time....and my friend Jodi, who is one of the girls I'm running with in Cleveland, her best time in a half was 1:51, so we kicked around the idea of breaking 1:50
Goal #1 - Finish the race, start to finish, without stopping.  Done - Oh, but there were some close calls, including one where I felt like I was blacking out...More on that later
Goal #2 - Break 2 Hours.  Done - Not in the typical fashion, granted....But hey, the whole part is the experience.  (Thanks Jodi)
Goal #3 - Break 1:50.  Failed - Ok, before I go on, I need to explain as Jodi and I have caught some slack for this "plan".  Some seem to feel that it was "not realistic" of me to try for this, since I've never even broken 2 hours.  While normally I may agree.  But the last few weeks (for the most part) I have felt fantastic.  I have even been trying to do all my runs at an 8:23 pace (or faster), which is something we needed in order to break 1:50  Now, add in the course layout.  A 1-Mile loop, NO hills.  A perfect course, and proven, for people to set PR's.  With the way training has felt and the set-up, I know it seemed tough, but for me, it was a no-brainer and I could not pass up the opportunity to help a friend achieve a goal.  Most I've done at that pace is 6 miles though...so was a bit wary.  We should have taken into account the fact that Jodi has run a Half Marathon the past 2 weeks, so this would be the 3rd week in a row.  Either way, I don't regret it at all, and while I'm slightly disappointed, everything else makes it all better.
So for me, still got the hat trick (ps - hockey term for 3 goals scored)  :-)

The website had the splits for us and everything, so here is my mile by mile, blow by blow journey....Drink caffeine now so you don't fall asleep.  heehee

Sunday - "Last Chance for Boston" Half Marathon  (1:57:41) Average Pace per mile (8:59)

1.1:    9:03
The way the course layed out, we started the 0.1 mile before the finish line, so the first mile included that.  The start of the race was crazy.  Ended up being over 500 participants and we only had half the road, so yes, it was a bit cramped.  The 5K and 1/2 Marathon started first and the 10K and Full Marathon start a few minutes after and a tenth of a mile back.
I was anxious to get started, still happy the rain and snow never showed as they projected earlier in the week.  I admit, since I have done most of my runs on a treadmill, I have nooooo clue about pacing (Hence the reason Jodi was there, expert pacer)  I usually set pace on treadmill and run, pretty easy.  Well, the gun goes off and we start weaving in and out to avoid the joggers and walkers.  Felt great but in the back of my mind, sorta frustrated with the traffic, so I tried to clear some pace.  The first mile was completed and I asked Jodi how slow we ran....Ya, she tells me 8:11....I was shocked and I could tell she was thinking I was nuts.  I guess we started out quick, which was good (Hey, there was warning I'm clueless to pace times)
2:    8:20
By the second mile, the crowd spread out, so that was good.  Still felt off, but I was staying focused on my form, with one eye making sure I stayed with Jodi and another eye on the runners ahead...My third eye had to be one the runners flying by us.  Some seemed rather peaved if they yelled "On left" and you didn't immediately move for them.
3:    8:27
Mile 3 felt just as good, we had banked some extra time, so just had to keep a smooth pace.  Outlook was great and was enjoying the race.
4:    8:33
I believe Mile 4 was when we started getting lapped by the Full Marathoners.  You could tell which one's they were based on the fact they were the skinny people who looked like real runners and flying by us (Full Marathon winner finished in 2:48, which is a 6:27 pace per mile...holy fast)  It was this mile where I started to notice Jodi was a bit off, not in regards to pace, but her look.  She seemed to struggle, but I could tell she was trying not to show it.  I couldn't tell if it was the pace, her hamstring or 3 straight weeks of half marathons catching up to her.
5:    8:30
The only thing I focused on this mile was getting Jodi to stay positive and believe in herself.  I realize she does, but the minute you shutdown, it's tough to recharge.  And in my delusional mind we were going to do this.
6:    8:39
This was the turning point, both good and bad for us.  After mile 6 she mentioned our split and I just said how about we drop 1:50 from the plan and just enjoy the rest of the race and just get me under 2 hours.  The look on her face was priceless and the next words out of her mouth were "thank God".  I guess my instincts were correct.  But we figured after this mile, while we were around 50 minutes and still looking good as a time, we just couldn't keep the pace going.....and the weight was lifted off of her and somehow, I added some as it was a struggle
7:    8:49
Over half way completed....If I recall, it was around this time I stopped asking for our split time for the next few miles.  I could see the overall time each pass and knew we were in ballpark range, no worries though, confident in breaking 2 hours with ease.
8:    9:04
While technically not down the homestretch, instead of counting how many miles we have run, it's how many miles left.  Not a good idea, since if I've learned anything with my training runs, when my mind hears "miles left", he takes it as close to done and tries to shut down.  First mile over 9 minutes, BUT still under 2 hour pace.
9:    9:31
Mile 9 is one that I will remember as the one that almost won.  We had been at it for over an hour now and while I was taking in water the last few miles, I still had yet to have my gel pack.  Ideally, I should have refueled around the 1 hour mark.  Halfway thru mile 9, my legs started to get heavy and something was not feeling right.  I turned one of the corners, ran about 10 feet and started veering to the right, then all the way left, almost falling over and blacking out.  Luckily for me, a guy was passing me on the left and he sort of held me up, ask if I was ok and kept going.  Jodi obviously had no clue, since I had fallen back about 5-10 body lengths.  I immediately opened up the gel pack, but still had not stopped, but was seriously considering it.  But he was not going to win....
10:    9:24
My mind on mile 10 was playing games with me.  I knew after mile 9 that we were still clear sailing to break 2 hours, as long as I stayed focus.  Part of me was trying to forget about mile 9, part of me was focusing on how many miles we had left and part of me was just focused on staying positive and finishing.
11:    9:39
Mile 11 brought flashbacks of the 10 mile training run I had with Jodi and Jenn a few weeks back.  Jenn would fall back a bit and I would slide back with her, reminding her to stay positive, since after falling back she was literally running the same pace as us.  Well, THAT was what was in my head.  I realized I was about 10-15 feet behind Jodi but we were running the same pace (she knew what she was doing)  :-)
12:    9:57
Mile 12 was obviously my slowest mile.  My mind and body was in shutdown mode.  The only thing I kept thinking was "one leg in front of the other, one leg in front of the other"  In a way, I'm impressed and shocked the last few miles were even under a 10 minute mile pace.  It felt alot slower but it didn't matter because.....
13:    9:50
The final mile.  Obviously in a perfect world and as I envisioned it the last few weeks, we would be on pace to break 1:50 and sprint towards the finish.  Life's not perfect, so to the present.  I check my watch every 1/4 mile.  Just to keep reaffirming to myself that as long as I just move then it'll be great.  I believe checking my watch made the last mile that much longer.  My form sucked, my body hurt, but I was not stopping.  I kept trying to keep pace with Jodi.  As we made the turn for the last 1/4 mile, she slowed down until I caught up so we could cross....The finish line....Under 2 hours.  Both of us were spent and she laughed as my legs nearly gave out and gave her a hug, kind of forcing her to hold me upright until we got the the table to collect our finishers medal and hand in our time chips.
It was a good 3-4 minutes before I could get my balance, sucked down a few cups of Gatorade and headed inside to the runners lounge they had set up.  Bananas, oranges, bagels, juice, water....never tasted so good.  We sat down to stretch and while we were stretching, we met members of the Urbana University soccer team.  As a fundraiser, the whole team "had" to run the half marathon.  It was funny listening to the stories of the race.  One guy joked how his nipples were bleeding since he didn't cover them up (to that Jodi responded...they make guards for that...LOL)  Stayed at least an hour (or so it seemed) to stretch and then I left to my ice bath.

All in all, it was a great weekend.  They say the first time doing something should be something you remember.  While big picture this training process has been about completing my first ever Marathon in May, I will always remember the first time breaking 2 hours and how cool it was, since it was different than most.
Would it have been easier to just say, run a 9:09 pace......sure, but that's boring. 
Would it have been cool to do it some city downtown with lots of scenery....sure, but where's the story in that. 
Of course as I write this, the one part that does not like the fact I just did this...my IT Band....Ouchieeeeeeee, walking down steps sucks, then again so does walking in general.  Good thing I have the chiropractor (aka the witch doctor) tomorrow and debating a massage later in the week.
And yes, Jodi, I so appreciate you driving down from Cleveland to pace me (when you should have been running 15 miles with Jenn..lol)  So THANK YOU!......You, Jenn and I are sooooo going to be finishing a marathon in May....

Until next time.....

Life is actually easy....or so I've heard.

True genius is the ability to make everything easy. Life is actually easy, but we as humans make it hard. A stroll in the park, a laugh with some friends, a black dress, white pearls, a black suite and white tie. Simplicity, carried to an extreme, becomes elegance! - Rex Crain

For those that have never heard Rex Crain speak or follow him on Facebook, the guy is amazing.  Totally inspirational.

This week I was looking forward to ending real soon.  Not because it would be hard, but because of what was waiting at the end.  But since life is actually easy, it will be no problem. 

I knew Sunday would be the "Last Chance for Boston" Half Marathon and so many emotions were going through my head.  My first focus was my goal to break 2 hours for the first time and I felt with the way training has been going and the pace of all my runs I should be able to do that. 

My next thoughts were on next week.  The past 2 Half Marathons I have run, my body has not recovered well and I have not been able to run/walk without excruciating pain for weeks after.  And with the marathon training, it doesn't show that I am allowed to take weeks off and will have to run again on Tuesday.

Added into the mix was the forecast of snow, sleet and rain on race day.

My last thought is to flip the tables and instead of letting Jodi pace me, I'm going to help her.  Her best time is 1:51 in a half marathon.  I tossed around the thought that if the training this week goes well, we are going to try and break 1:50, something she has wanted to do for awhile.  In order to accomplish that, we need to average about 8:23 minutes per mile.  I wasn't going to bring this up to her until race morning, but since we push ourselves and keep each other in the loop/accountable for each workout, I couldn't hide it.  If my week felt good, the new goal would be 1:49:59  Yikes....

Monday - Rest Day

Tuesday - 3 Miles  (24:57)

Felt a little sore after Sundays 7 miler, but nothing major.  Wanted to start off the week right and stay positive and look forward to the Half.  Set the treadmill at 8:20.  Had absolutely no problems and it felt great.  In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't a major deal since I've had training runs alot faster.  But the plan was starting to get clear.  Tomorrow the mileage gets bumped up to 6 miles, so that will be the test.

Wednesday - 6 Miles  (50:03)

Today would be the test for me.  If I struggled, I would back off and stick to the original plan.  If it went well....game time.  It would also be the longest that I would have gone with the faster pace.  I felt really good at the start and for some reason had an extra kick in me.  I knew going in that I would have to split up my runs due to the treadmill settings.  After 2 miles the treadmill that had no limits set on time opened up so I quickly jumped on that to finish the rest of the run.  The last 4 miles went smooth.  My IT Band loosened up after about a mile or two, so I had no problems.  Finished the run with a smile and I was a bit excited and sort of proud.

Tonight I had an appointment with the chiropractor, which was perfect timing.  He worked out some kinks and went over things for the race.

I also decided to head over to check out the course for the race.  It's only 5 miles from my house so it will be nice not have to drive far.  After seeing the 1 mile loop, it confirmed my decision about our pace we plan to run.  The course is completely flat, granted the scenery is kinda boring, just office buildings.  But we will know where the half mile marker is, when the water station is coming up and also know that there will be no surprise hills.  Checked out the website and looked at some of the comments from the past and people have loved it.  The only thing that needs to hold off is the weather.

The only part up in the air is Jodi, as she texted me to let me know her hamstring was still bothering her.  She and her friends ran the Livestrong Half Marathon in Austin, TX this past weekend and I guess there was a monster hill (which not many people ran up...of course she did, since she is sorta nuts like that when it comes to running...heehee)  She did take an extra day off, then had to cut her run short today.  Proud of her for listening to her body and not pushing herself though.  No reason for silly injuries.

Thursday - 3 Miles  (24:57)

Of course it wouldn't be Thursday without waking up late....LOL  Every week, but it was not late enough to stop me from hitting the gym early.  They were talking about the weather getting nasty for the drive home, so even more incentive to get my stuff done early.  My IT Band was a little sore after the long run yesterday, but at this point sore is good.  Nothing fancy today.  I followed the same guidelines as the other 2 runs....same pace.  Finished with a nice cool down and stretch and made it to work on time.  Now is the hard part....Waiting for the weekend to come.

Friday - Rest Day

Today I am going to get a nice and easy elliptical workout in to stretch the legs and then relax most of the day.  Granted I have a bunch of errands to run and to make sure I have everything ready for tomorrow.  Probably will meet up with Jodi when she gets into town tonight for a little carb loading dinner and then rest up.  As of now, she told me her hamstring feels good and we are ready to rock the race.

If anyone knows how to control the weather....could you please hold off on the snow and rain until Sunday afternoon?  That would be great.  I would ask a meteorologist, but they are really only correct 30% of the time...bwahahaha

Until next time..

Learn from the past, enjoy the present and look forward to the next day....

What are you looking at? What you see affects the decisions you make. Make your atmosphere worthy of your attention. If you like flowers around you, buy them! Do not wait and hope someone will send hem to you. Take the initiative. When you are set up...you won't be up set! - Rex Crain   Week 6 means 1/3 of the way to the goal of finishing my first marathon.  To think there was a time where I would never have considered doing something like this....To think there was a day where day 1 was complete.  Seems like yesterday....   Monday - Rest Day   Tuesday - 3 Miles (26:27) Considering my last week, I was obviously aprehensive regarding today (and for that matter, the whole week)  But today's run was encouraging.  Looking at all the positives, it was under a 9 minute mile pace and while I was very sore, there was no sharp pains.  Made for a great day and from what I am learning....Learn from the past, enjoy the present and look forward to the next day.   Wednesday - 5 Miles (44:09) Still a little sore, but compared to last week, its totally like night and day.  Only thing that could have gone better was more open treadmills.  At the community center, there is one treadmill that is not restricted for some reason.  The rest are programmed to stop after a half hour.  So a minor inconvenience, stopped after 3 miles and finished the rest.  There was a small tweak in my knee around the 4th mile, but I figured that had to do more with me stopping then starting back up.  Felt really good after the run and made sure to stretch and even doubled it up.  I planned to head to the Ultimate U after work for a circuit training class, but by the end of the day I just listened to my body and decided to relax in the evening.   Thursday - 3 Miles (26:15) Seems to be a norm for me on Thursday, but by the end of each week, I'm a bit sluggish to wake up in the morning.  Tempted to run after work, but got my usual encouraging text from Jodi.  One of my running partners for Cleveland, she keeps me motivated and focused to keep my eye on each run.  She also gets up at 4:30 AM for her runs since she has kids, so is done by the time I even think about running.  She texts me her run times and of course to be funny today, since she is pacing me next week for my half marathon, I decided to follow her lead....And I ran the exact time as her, plus one second.  Only fair since she is the pacer for her to finish ahead of me  :-)   Friday - Rest Day   Saturday - Cross Train Headed to the gym for some cross training.  Did about 45 minutes on the eliptical and was able to do some weight work and core exercises.  Finished off with some stretching and headed to Shane's for his yearly Birthday poker get together.  Very low key, but a great night of friends and relaxation.  Best quote of the night came near the end...His brother just out of the blue..."I think it would be cool to own a pet midget"  LOL...Seriously?  We were in tears with the discussion.  Guess you had to be there.   Sunday - 7 Miles  (1hr, 7min, 32 sec) At the beginning of training a fraternity brother of mine mentioned that if I ever wanted someone to run with let him know.  Haven't seen him in at least 10 years, so I did not know how much he ran.  He played soccer in college and was always in shape.  So this past week I asked and he said he would run.  But suggested Sunday since his schedule had him running 17 miles Saturday and Sunday was "only" 6.  Come to find out he's training to qualify for the Boston Marathon in April and his goal is to run a marathon in every state. Was a great run, all things considered.  The cold came back to Columbus and there was rain and sleet most of the afternoon.  My friend Kim mentioned last week that I was nuts because anyone that runs for fun is insane....lol  I'm sure she was partially kidding, but me running in this weather leans towards her point...heehee.  Toughest part about the run was the conversation.  Was a great distraction though, and considering the pace I was somewhat surprised I was able to carry a conversation.  Running by myself, I obviously refrain from conversation, but running at that pace is a bit tough.  Rain and cold were not much of an issue.  Was able to catch up on alot of things and focus on my breathing all at the same time....How about that for multi-tasking!  In the end, finished at about a 9:30 pace with a fast mile of 8:09 Had some knee pain as I got home, probably the IT Band, since I realized I did not wear the brace.  But did my usual post long run ice bath and seems to be ok.   Looking forward to the week ahead.  A bump in mileage during the week and finishing it off with a Half Marathon in Dublin, OH.  Jodi is coming down from Cleveland to pace me and my ultimate goal is to break 2 hours.  She was in Austin, TX today running the LiveStrong Half Marathon and finished with a 1:56 and sounds like a plan for next week.  But while I managed to hold a conversation throughout the run today, I told her that I probably won't be doing too much talking during.  So we will have to catch up before and after.  Gonna be a great week....The projected rain and snow for next weekend not going to damper the great weekend.  :-) To quote the Black Eyed Peas....I got a feeling...   Until next time.....

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.......

Just like a play on Broadway needs an audience to stay in business, all negative situations need an audience in order to continue. Never pay attention to things you don't like. Don't worry. Negativity feeds on fear and starves on faith! - Rex Crain Week 5 of Marathon training was easily the roughest to date, so negativity was not hard to find, just hard to block out.  Between physical injuries and mental blanks I had no idea what which way was up and which way was down.  It almost got to the point where I would say "what's next".  I did however learn something.  I'm not one to complain nor am I one to celebrate, so actually letting people know about my training was (and is) tough to get used to.  There is still a small part of me that just wants to go about things and let everyone know AFTER the fact.  So writing about an injury or a bad run or even about a great run is still something I am adjusting to. From the beginning, in my mind I have always thought this was going to be no big deal.  Now granted, I realized it would be challenging and not "easy", but I have no doubts about finishing.  For those that know me, I'm a pretty modest guy.  I always brush off peoples amazement or peoples praise, because to me, I don't see the big deal.  It's not like I'm doing something that has never been done before by someone else.  But after this week I'm truly beginning to accept some things.  One of them is to be proud of what I accomplish.  I am starting to appreciate it more and look forward to the challenges ahead.  Of course it took a bad week to get me to open my eyes/mind. Monday - Rest Day Tuesday - 3 Miles (1.25 Miles 11:26) Easily the worst day of the training process to date.  I previously mentioned how the true success of my 9 mile run the previous Saturday would be determined today....Definately a failure.  Mentally I was not there.  On the treadmill ready to start and something was not right.  Legs felt sore, but being that it was only 3 miles, they would be fine.  I even thought to slow the pace down.  About 1/2 mile into the run I started feeling really uncomfortable, closing in on pain.  At that point it had seemed like I had been running for about 15-20 minutes.  But sadly it was less than 5.  As I approached the first mile, I could feel my mind trying to shut down, which of course did not block out the pain.  I could only last another quarter mile before I had to quit.  Was the worst feeling ever because on top of the excruciating pain in my leg, I gave up, I quit.  I realize in the long run it may be a smart move to listen to my body.  But that doesn't help the present feeling.  The rest of the day felt painful to move and walking up and down steps was not enjoyable either. Wednesday - 5 Miles  (46:46) Starting to feel better than yesterday and was anxious for my "semi-long" run.  I tried not to be hesitant, but I was focused and determined to NOT quit this run as I had yesterday, no matter what.  The past is the past and can not change what happened.  I blocked out all of the negative thoughts and the pain....well, at least I tried.  The biggest difference between today and the day before, was that I finished.  It may have been one of the more painful runs, start to finish, and I may have done it slower than I wanted to, but I was content knowing that I completed the training run without stopping. Thursday - 3 Miles  (26:48) Woke up late...Well, actually, woke up early and went downstairs to get a drink.  Came back up and obviously turned off music and just crawled back underneath the covers.  So had to wait until after work for my workout.  I just wanted to make it through, just as I did yesterday.  Still felt some soreness and pain, but could deal with it.  My goal for today was to attempt to get back under the 9 minute mile pace.  Mission accomplished.  Again, not a perfect run and obviously could of done better, but baby steps.  Plus I didn't have the desire to want to cut off my legs as much as the last 2 days.  Home to ice my body. Friday - Rest Day Friday could not come a minute sooner.  Had a chiropractor appointment first thing in the morning and was hoping that he could help with my pain.  Was informed that I have something called Tarsal Tunnel.  Has to do with the nerves and ligaments around my ankle.  Got some electric stim on my ankles and an adjustment and felt a little better the rest of the day, although a bit sore from him working on certain areas.. Saturday - Cross Train Today seemed like a rest day.  I was able to get a nice and easy 1/2 hour on the eliptical.  Didn't want to overdue it seeing how I had a 10-Mile run the next day.  Headed to Cleveland to relax and hang out with friends and prepare for my long training run with the girls.  Got a hotel as to not be a bother to anyone.  Wasn't about to spend the night and wake up normal people at the butt crack of dawn on a Sunday despite the 3-4 people to offer that I stay with them. Sunday - 10 Miles (1:44:12)

Today started earlier than normal.  I've been doing my "long runs" on Saturday, but since I decided to do a training run with Jodi and Jenn for some outdoor running, had to run on Sunday.  Start time was 6:30, as in AM, so I asked for a 5:15 wakeup call from the front desk and I guess I had gotten someone that could not tell time, since the phone rang at 5 (Hey that 15 minutes would have been nice)  But I'm somewhat of a morning person, so got up and was ready to go.  We all met up in Rocky River around 6:15 and I was assured that there would be other crazy people out at that time running the trails.  Well, we didn't see a person running until about an hour later when it was light out.  LOL
The paths were still covered in ice and snow so we hit the road side by side.  Started out nice and slow and actually a bit too nice.  I could tell it was a bit of a slower pace because I was able to hold a conversation without hyperventalating.  Enjoyed the conversation though as this was the first time meeting Jenn, so I needed to introduce her to my sarcasm, since I tend to be sarcastic at times.  :-)  Around what I figured to be the 2-3 mile mark I had to know my pace, just to get an idea.  Jodi was the only one with a garmin, so she had the control.  Being the professional runner that she is (at least thats what I call her) she knows about pacing and is a great runner, so we just followed her lead.  Once we hit 5 miles, we turned around.  It was at that point that the girls paused to a fast walk for some water.  I took it upon myself to take the lead and start running.  To be honest, I also did it to kind of push Jenn a bit.  She is stronger than she thinks, and I wanted to get her to keep realizing it.  I could tell she was focusing and tried to keep her loose and not bringing negative Nancy out.  I fell back to keep her going and whether she knew it or not I was purposely getting her to keep the pace (without telling her to speed up....heehee)  We finished the last 5 miles in about a 10:15 ish pace, which is just around (or a few seconds faster than our planned marathon pace)  Both the girls did great.
We got back to our cars which meant I was done....woohoo  Of course since I am on the bunny hill program, the girls had another 3.1 miles to go.  So I stretched a bit and headed back to the hotel, but not before stopping off for hot chocolate and ice for my post race ice bath.

With the week behind me, my focus is now on the half marathon, which is less than 2 weeks away.  Need to take it one day at a time though and focus on the short term, which is each day.  Only the man upstairs knows what is in store for me this week.  I can only pray that I make it through.  On a positive (I think) side....With all these little "ailments" at least I can't focus on just one thing...LOL  First it was the IT Band, just when that feels good, the knee flares up, then when that feels good, its shin splints....this week it's the ankle.  I thought I was kidding last week when I said one day my nose would be sore after a run....

Until next time...

100 Days...Seems so close, yet so far away

The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible - Arthur C. Clarke   Kind of a fitting quote, with so many things that 'seem' impossible.  The reason they seem impossible is that you have never accomplished it.  For me it's like attempting my first marathon.  I know it can be done, because I envision myself crossing the finish line when I run.  But it has yet to happen.  Sort of how the mind works I guess, and I know only I can change that.  Similar to my goal of breaking 2 hours in a half marathon.  This week, as mentally and physically challenging as it's been, has helped me get closer to believing that the goal will happen....21 days in chilly Columbus.   Apologies for the long post....Was never able to do an update during the week   Monday - Rest Day Enough said....   Tuesday - 3 Miles (26:47) With my issues last week, I decided to break out the knee brace today.  I also decided to "take it easy" on my short runs after speeding it up the first 3 weeks.  The one thing for me though that I didn't want to concede, was to continue to stay under the magic 9:10 pace per mile.  I figured as long as I did that, mentally it would keep me sane and positive.  With the nice ice/snow storm hitting the area, schools were closed, so the community center was nice and empty as parents stayed home and the older folks stayed off the roads.  Which was good for the ride in, since if there is one thing I don't have patience for, it's stupid drivers.  For the most part the run went smooth.  Definately felt some tenderness in the knee, but nothing I could not run through.  I was "encouraged" for the most part and I will take it.  Was a bit concerned however as the rest of the day I was walking around with a limp.   Wednesday - 4 Miles (35:28) Another cold morning of scraping off ice from the car (and thinking how crazy I am up to go run....but at least not running outside)  My calf was a bit sore, which gave me one more thing to question and think about.  It's weird, I feel like my body is breaking down, but I also realize it's just small things.  I tell myself this is supposed to happen...doesn't matter if I'm delusional  heehee Tough run overall as I have to admit I thought alot about my knee during the run and that may have had something to do with my calf hurting.  When one side hurts, you tend to over compensate and let the other side do most of the work.   Thursday - 3 Miles (26:42) Today marked a countdown to the Marathon....100 days until the race.  This was weird because my mind was on both ends of the rope.  On one end, I was thinking how far away it was and wondering if the day would ever come, wondering if I could survive 100 more days of training and make it to the start line.  On the other end, I was thinking how close it is and started to question if I have enough in me to do this, will I be prepared enough and doubt started to come into my mind. Granted I know both are "correct" and I sort of compare it to the half full/half empty discussion.  Either way, all I can do is make the best of each day and be thankful for each day my eyes open.  Just stay positive and have faith. The gym was back to "normal" as we did not get much snow and it warmed up a bit overnight, so people were back on schedule.  Woke up a little late and actually contemplated waiting until after work to get in my workout.  But got my butt out of bed and decided to make the best of it.  Been a tough week and while I had thoughts of my impending 9 mile run on Saturday I needed to get through these 3 miles.  Got my focus on and took a nice and easy pace.  Had a few tweaks in my knee and of course had another setback, only in the sense that my OTHER knee started acting up.  Ughhhh...   Friday - Rest Day Nothing too exciting....The work day flew by, which was a pleasant surprise.  Was going to make it an early night as I planned to run early on Saturday, but decided to head to The Barn and catch Lt Dan's New Legs.  They are a pretty cool band and it's not a bad place to watch live music.  No cover is always a plus.  So had a few drinks and made it a late night.  I needed to enjoy myself.  Been a long week especially mentally....   Saturday - 9 Miles (1 hr 21 minutes 41 seconds) Well, since I decided to enjoy myself last night I got a late start on my run.  Slept in a bit and got things ready for pre and post run stuff and ran in the afternoon.  Short runs are easy to prepare for, just in and out.  Longer runs, I need to break out the compression sleeves for my legs, need to make sure I have bags of ice for my post long run ice bath as well as drinks and food ready for post race meal. Got to gym around 2:30 and there were only 2 cars, so I was pretty excited.  Then I find out both people were walking on the treadmills, leaving only one open.  Only problem was the other treadmill is "broke" and only goes up to a certain speed, so it's kind of useless.  I decided to hop on the bike and warm up until they left and luckily it was only 15 minutes. My goal today was to finish under the 2 hour half marathon pace (which is 9:10 per mile)  I set the treadmill at 9:05 pace and off I went.  It felt weird to think, but I felt like I was going slow.  My buddy, the side stitch, came back to visit around mile 2, but nothing major.  It was surprisingly smooth sailing until I had to stop and reset the treadmill after mile 6.  I  had a few tweaks of my knee, but ran through it.  I tried moving around while resetting, but it was only about a 20 second rest or so no big deal...3 miles left.  It wasn't until mile 8 when my mind starting playing tricks with me.  Mostly had to do with the fact that I knew in my head that I was almost done and as is in the past, my head tries to shut my body down early.  But fought through it and after a nice cool down I felt good, especially thinking about making it another 4 miles to break 2 hours in 3 weeks....woohoooo Definately took extra time to stretch and rehydrate, headed to Tim Hortons for my XL hot chocolate and back for my ice bath.  It was a bit different running in the afternoon, but in a way it felt like my whole day was shot.  Took a while to warm back up and when I finally did, I could feel soreness in my foot.  I swear, I'm going to wake up one day from a run and my nose will be sore...lol  I decided I should stay in for the night and relax rather than head out to watch the UFC PPV.   We shall see Monday or Tuesday how successful the run was today.  Next week was my first "concern" point in the training due to my past 2 times running this distance.  So it's time to stay positive and pray the legs 'officially' survive today.   Sunday - Cross Train (1/2 hr elyptical) Super Bowl Sunday....I look forward to this day actually.  My buddy hosts a Super Bowl party each year.  Super Bowl kicks off around 6:30, but the party starts around noon.  Lots of food, lots of poker, lots of drinks, lots of fun.  Originally he hosted it at his house, until a few years ago when he had a kid so it had to be moved, so it's now at On the Rocks.  Unfortunately it's considered a "Steelers" bar, so to watch the game this year, I have to put up with all the bandwagon Steeler fans that live in Ohio.  If I had to choose who I was rooting for, I would say the Packers, only because it would be nice to watch everyone whine and complain...lol  But personally, I'm rooting for my wallet, so whatever it takes for me to win the pools (even rooting for the Steelers), then so be it.... Because of the Super Bowl party, I passed on waiting until the community center opened to swim and rather went to the condo gym, whipped out a half hour on the elyptical with some core work and weights. Off to play some poker with the boys and enjoy the rest of the day....   I need to run outside sooner or later (maybe next weekend actually)  Just don't have it in me to run in the snow on the icey sidewalks...lol  Here is to hoping that there is no snow the last weekend of February.  Looking back, the week had higs and lows, but I did manage to do 2 things that were important in my mind.  I completed each run.....and I did them in under my goal time. The week ahead includes another bump in mileage on Wednesday as well as one on 'long run' Saturday...But I believe it will be ok.   Until next time....