Much better when the sun shines.....

Transcending labels that you've placed on yourself or that others have placed upon you opens you up to the opportunity of soaring in the now in any way you desire. - Dr. Wayne Dyer

Placing labels on yourself is sort of like telling yourself you can't do something...before you even try....You need to do things within reason, but placing limitations on yourself is not fair....not fair to yourself and not fair to others around you.

This week was an odd week.  Part of it may have had to do with the constant rain we had....It seems that everything is in slow motion and mentally I am fighting with myself.  Not in the sense of being negative, just trying to be realistic.  I know I can go ahead with the Marathon...I know before even doing it that I will.  But I also know the most I've ever run is 13.1 miles and I also know I've never been able to run for awhile after.  So as optimistic as I am, that cloud still lingers over me and this weekends long run 12 miles is another step.  Pass it and a little bit of the cloud becomes sunshine.  Fail and well, I'm not sure, since I'm not thinking about that.

My Tuesday and Thursday runs were pretty smooth, 4 miles each.  Tuesday morning run my legs felt a little heavy, coming off my 10-Miler last weekend, but nothing major.  Thursday was a planned run in the park with Marla, but mother nature did not co-operate, so I stuck with an evening treadmill run.  I'm finding I like morning runs alot better or maybe it had to do with pain popping up in new areas.  Nothing major, or at least that's what I'm telling my stubborn self.

Headed out for my 12 mile run today feeling good.  Took some talking into with Marla, but we settled on an 8am start time.  Part of the reason was the half marathon next weekend starts at 8, the other was plans to head out of town.  Was a bit chilly, but it was fine once we got going.  Started out nice and easy and kept around a 10:45-11:00 mile pace for the first 3 miles.  As we closed in on mile 4 I was told to keep going.  I have learned by now there is no arguing with a female, and thought about asking her if her boyfriend learned that yet...lol  So I headed out on the trail and focused on a steady pace.  At this point, the trail was new to me, since I've never run this far on Antrim, so as long as I kept reading the signs, I'd be good.  Turned around after 5.75 miles (yes, I know it doesn't add up to 12, but I had my reasons)  :-)
On the way back more and more people were on the trails and that was a good thing and a bad thing.  Good that I could pick a pace to follow and bad because some people think they own the whole trail.  I was holding a steady 10:00 minute pace for a few miles and actually felt like I was getting stronger.  I may a sprinkled a mile where I was close to 9, not sure what is was, might have been a stretch of Eminem songs on my iPod or maybe I had some girls to follow  heehee
As I headed back to our start point I caught up with Marla and she finished her 10 miles and I continued for a bit as I had less than a mile left.  All in all, it felt really good, the last 3 miles all sub 10 to finish strong....12 miles in 2:02:41

I had to laugh because we get done and as we are stretching, I hear...."I think I just run better without you....I feel I hold you back"  Ok, really...this is the SECOND person in as many weeks to tell me this!!!  I need to try a different deodorant....heehee

Up next...2 runs during the week and then the Cap City Half Marathon next Saturday....One step closer to making it to the starting line in Cleveland.  But right now, just thankful for today, thankful for being able to finish the run....

Until next time....

Hermes Cleveland 10 Miler

By consistently focusing your thoughts, words and actions on the fire within your heart, you will live with the energy of enthusiasm. The fire of enthusiasm burns through the darkness disappointments and lights your path so you can see how to get to where you want to go. - Keith Cameron Smith

Hope everyone had a great Easter weekend.

The past week seemed to go by very slowly for some reason and more and more I find myself focusing my thoughts on the marathon.  It is now 3 weeks away and of course I know in the back of my mind, I still have hurdles to climb to even GET to the start line.  But the only way to even have a chance to get there is to remain positive and of course, "pain free".

Tuesday and Thursday runs both went well.  Tuesday was on the treadmill and did the usual nice and easy 10:00 pace.  Would love to continue the 8:30 pace that I was doing before getting hurt, but this is the smarter thing to do, especially since our goal is to finish and stay around the 10:20 pace.  My friend Marla called me on Thursday and wanted to run in Antrim park and since the rain had subsided, I agreed.  Of course I was not prepared for the chilly weather as I had planned a treadmill run after work and my bags were packed as such.  It really wasn't that bad though.  Started off sorta fast (or so I was told by a certain someone..heehee)  But we did the whole 4 miles and I was proud that Marla stuck through it without stopping as she tries to gear up for the Cap City Half Marathon in 2 weeks that we are running.

Cleveland 10 Miler

I was not really nervous about the run for some reason or another.  Maybe it was because I've run 10 miles before.  Maybe it was because Jodi and Jenn were running 10 miles before as part of their 20 miles, so I was "lucky".  Yes, it was a "race" but still just a training run for the 3 of us.  Friday night I got a text asking if I would be up for running 15 instead of 10 so I could join them.  For a split second and for some odd reason I actually processed the question and contemplated it.  But only a split second.  No way, not worth it, no matter how I felt.  With my injuries during training, I have since promised myself that if I were going to make it to the start line, I now have to do it smart and that includes slight bumps in my long runs.  Last week, 8.5 miles....Had to stick with 10.  Maybe the fact that I have never run 15 miles before also had something to do with it to....lol

Having lived in Cleveland before, I was familiar with the area, but I still wanted to get there early.  Arrived well over an hour before the race, as did a ton of other people.  Some picking up their packets late, some, like Jodi and Jenn, doing their 20 miles as part of marathon training.  I made sure I had everything I needed from my bag and headed towards the starting area.  On my way there I noticed 4 women gathering around their cars trying to take pictures, so being the "shy" guy that I am, I go over and ask if they want help with pictures.  We start chatting and next thing you know they have ME in their pictures.

Too funny....2 of the girls have matching outfits (I still say it was planned....heehee) and they were Columbus Marathon shirts from last year.  I had my Cleveland training shirt on, so we had plenty to talk about.  We all hung around talking and made our way up the big hill towards the area to wait.  They all seemed really nice and ready to rock the race.  As we were hanging around the start area I noticed 2 of the main guys that run the race.  When I lived in Cleveland I used to work for Hermes (the company that put on the race) so I wanted to talk to them.  It took a second for them to recognize me since I shaved my head and they see thousands of runners each week and also have had plenty of people work for them.  Plus its been over 10 years.

Headed back to my 4 "new friends" and they had asked if I was going to meet Jodi and Jenn or if I had even seen them.  As they were lining up people to start I told them I had to find them so I would probably see them at the finish line.  Finding them was not as hard as I thought it may be, considering they were wearing their matching running skirts that they got for the marathon.  I joked with Jodi and asked her where the bagpipes were to complete the outfit, since they looked like Scottish kilts.  :-)

They seemed to do well the first 10 miles (although technically they did 9, so would have to get in another mile after the race)

The gun went off and the 2,000 or so runners headed out for a run around Lakewood.  I have a tendency to start off fast, since I'm still learning the whole pacing thing.  I found myself slowing down and checking my watch as well as Jodi and Jenn to see how they were feeling.  I had to remember 2 things....That it was a training run and that the girls just ran 10 miles, so I had to ease up a bit.  I had someone ask why I wasn't wearing the matching skirts and I just smiled.  The first 3 miles went off easy, but then I noticed that Jenn was starting to struggle.  Personally it was around this point I had a feeling it may.  Jodi and I took turns running with her, trying to keep her positive.  At this point we also saw the leaders (the crazy people averaging around 5-6 minutes per mile) make their way back on the other side of the road.   We finally made it to the turnaround point and Jodi decided that she would run up and grab water for Jenn so that it would help her.  Well, the plan backfired, as she would gulp them down AND keep grabbing more once she got to the tables, including Gatorade.  But the first 5 miles were complete and we all were at 51:40, which was a 10:20 pace and all things considered, great.....

The next mile or 2 were rough as all the water and Gatorade did not sit well with Jenn and she got sick.  She stuck it out, but we didn't know what to do.  I felt bad, but each time she said she was fine and told us to go.  Reluctantly we continued running as she jogged and walked to compose herself.  Jodi asked if I was going to run with her and my response was "depends how fast you plan on going"   LOL  We ran into Bridgette (one of the girls I met before the race) and chatted for a bit and we continued on, occasionally looking over our shoulders to see any signs of Jenn.  At on point I happened to look down and noticed our latest mile had been a lot faster, then the next mile was sub 9.  Jodi apologized since she just wanted to race done and over with as her legs and shoulders were killing her.  Of course what's funny is that for most of that mile it felt like I was pacing her and going to fast.  We hit the homestretch and I could tell she was having trouble.  Despite this we were almost sprinting, with her telling me that she just wants it done.  The last mile was around a 8:30, so she got her wish.

Once we finished I felt relieved, but as I looked over, I noticed Jodi was not doing well and that was a first for me.  I mean, despite her problems last year in her marathon she is almost "robot like" when it comes to her running.  Form, pacing, attitude, recovery, knowledge, etc....So seeing her keeled over was not what I'm used to.   I quickly got her to keep walking and get liquids in her, composed ourselves and we headed back out to get Jenn to help her finish.  That is until we hear them announcing her name as she crosses the finish line.  Both of us had this confused look on our face, but walked back to congratulate her.  I tell her congrats and that we had no idea she would be that close behind.  She looks at us and smiles and says "I think I just run better without you guys" and asks Jodi if she is ready to finish the last mile.  Jodi said she felt better and changed her mind and they went out to run their last mile.

The last 5 miles were slightly faster than the first.  51:14, which is a 10:15 pace....Our goal for the training run was anywhere between 10:15 and 10:30.  Ultimately our goal is JUST to finish the marathon, but keeping an overall pace like today would put us sub 4:30, which is a secondary goal.

All in all it was a great run....Jenn may have had a realization/breakthrough and still finished ALL 20 miles and for Jodi she looked human to me after a run/race which was a first for me to experience and I made it through another long run.  My legs are intact still and looks as though it can be marked off as successful.  I'm proud of what the girls did, completely their last 20 mile training run and knowing what they went through.  But as I told them, if it were easy or if they felt perfect after, then everyone would be doing it.  But everyone is NOT, so they need to acknowledge their work....Another step closer to all of us completing our first marathon

One more week down, one week closer, one more long run successfully completed. 

Stay positive because tomorrow will be your best day yet!!

Until next time....

Less than a month...Optimism or fear?

A mental adjustment is a choice you make to focus on the dream within your heart. Get clear on what success looks like to you. Just as with a physical adjustment of the spine, it usually take more than one adjustment to get back into alignment. You must practice focusing and refocusing on what success looks like to you before you get into alignment. - Keith Cameron Smith

As anyone that reads this blog, I'm sure you realize I try and start with a quote, and usually it's inspirational or positive, since thats the type of guy I am.  Funny enough, there is always a reason for it and it's almost creepy that I see a quote when talking about something.  When I saw Keith's quote, it reminded me of an article I read this past week about Georges St. Pierre of the UFC.  He talks about his upcoming fight and his past fights and how he recently visualizes everything.  He points out that it’s mental rehearsal and is almost always far more productive than just “focusing."  And it's not just visualizing the start or seeing you cross the finish.  Visualize the sights, the smells, the sounds.

I remember doing some of this during swimming in college.  We would take time during practice to visualize our races.  It's amazing how it works.  Which is why so many people, when they talk negatively or think about failing....they usually do.

 

Another week down and another week closer to the Marathon.  Everything seems at a standstill, everything up in the air.  I am trying to enjoy the last month, but with fear in the back of my mind.  It's a wonder how the mind works.  I can be as positive as I want, but it's still without challenges.  They say the actual marathon itself is 90% mental and 10% physical and I've said in the past, this should be "easy".  Ok, before you laugh, I mean easy in the sense of the fact my main concern now is the physical part, due to my injuries and my revised training.  If you sit back and think about it, anytime you attempt to do something and you are 90% confident, you should feel comfortable with completing the task.

 

My mid week runs went smoothly.  In a way, somewhat boring, but without a hitch.  4 miles on Tuesday and another 4 on Thursday.  The boring part is setting the treadmill at 10:00 miles and just going for it.  It's good for me though as it give me time to focus, keep my mind fresh and set up things in my head so I will be prepared.  (The mind may wander during the 26.2)  :-)  The good news for me is that I kind of wanted to keep going each time and felt good.  Hardest part was keeping the speed.  There were times I lost focus and found myself running hard.

Saturday I took a break in the afternoon and hopped on the bike for 20 minutes, then another 20 minutes on the treadmill (walking)  :-)

Was nice to stretch out and just do something....Weird, but I felt a bit lazy even walking on the treadmill, with the little voices in my head trying to get me to run....lol

 

This evening I tackled my long run with my friend Marla, since I'm running the Cap City half with her now.  Weather wasn't too bad, in the 50's with some wind, obviously nothing like last weekends 85, but nonetheless, nice.  Even at the start I was not sure how long I would go, but the plan was 8 or 9 miles.  Started out nice and smooth and during the 3rd mile Marla needed to walk so she told me to keep going and meet at the turn around (she would not let me walk...lol)  Got to almost 4 miles and turned around to head back to the start point.  Joined back up with Marla for a bit and kept a nice pace going and was told to keep going again.  Turned around at the start point to head back out to get Marla and we finished the last half mile.  By the time we finished it was getting dark and the wind was picking up, felt pretty cold so stretching was somewhat quick.

Finished with 8.5 miles, so it worked out pretty good.  Legs feel good for now, so thats a positive sign.  We'll see the next two days and how they respond.

 

Cleveland 10 Miler next weekend, then 12 mile run the following weekend, with the Cap City Half Marathon after that....Just need to stay positive and have faith and it will be done.....

 

Until next time...

1 Down, 4 to go....

Faith brings good things into your life and being afraid brings bad things into your life. This may sound too simple but in my experience it is absolutely the truth. The simple truths in life have the biggest impact on us. Having faith, or trusting, in God, yourself and others will always lead to success. Success is having faith. - Keith Cameron Smith

4 to go, as in long runs....Today marked another step towards whether or not I will be able to attempt/run/finish my first marathon next month (35 days....talk about close)
My plan was, as usual, to get my long run in on the treadmill.  I wanted to keep it easy and as boring and monotonous a treadmill run is, it is without hills, without bumps, without weather changes.  But I got a text from one of my best friends Marla, who I ran my first 2 half marathons with, asking if I wanted to go running.  We decided to head to Antrim Park, rather than the hilly sidewalks of Bethel Rd.  She wanted to do 6 miles and my plan was 7.  My legs have been a bit sore, so I was hesitant to go run outside.  Part of it was a mental block, since the last time I ran outside, I only made it a few miles and could not finish.
But I figured why not...Plus the weather was absolutely gorgeous, probably in the 80's.  It was rather weird to get ready for a long run and not put layers on, not worry about a hat or gloves.  I did however forget my IT Band brace, which ended up being ok.....
The plan was to head out on the trails and turn around at the 3 mile mark, then once we got back while Marla stretched, I would finish my last mile.  At the time, I just wanted to make it there.  All in all it was a great run.  We started off at a nice pace, after 2 miles we stopped to walk since someone not named Dave was feeling the effects of partying the night before. (heehee, still luv ya)  Picked it back up and at about mile 4 I was told to just go ahead and run.  Reluctantly I did, since I didn't feel like I'd win the battle of words....I kept a nice easy pace and hit the turn at mile 6 and headed back out for my last mile.  Was able to time it perfectly and met with Marla with a half mile to go and sorta made her run to the "finish".  We got in some stretching and then I told her my new plan and that I (if it goes well) would now be able to run with her at the Cap City Half Marathon in 4 weeks, since as she put it, I ditched her last year and made her run alone....

So as of now, it's a wait and see approach.  They, as in the legs, feel good, staying positive and icing as we speak.  But for now, it's a step at a time.  Make it through my 4 mile runs this week and focus on next weekend (8 or 9)....

Then the Cleveland 10 miler on Easter weekend, 12 miles the week after that, then the Cap City Half Marathon in Columbus.....They never said it would be easy....And as in usual "me" fashion, I don't do it the way it "should" be done, I gotta make it difficult for myself....

until next time....

Compromise from the doctor....Sort of

If you really want to be successful in life you must understand that your belief is everything! If you can become fully persuaded in your mind concerning what you want and believe, your wish will be granted. Here's the trick: You cannot share your dreams with everyone. Remember, silence is golden. Don't talk about it. Be about it! - Rex Crain

Well, there is always good news bad news type of information.  One can choose how they look at things and go from there.

My training started off great, perfect almost.  But reality is, life is not perfect, it's how you deal with the adversity thrown your way.  I am obviously ecstatic with the outcome of my half marathon a month ago and wouldn't change a thing.  But the past month has been one struggle after another.  Of course while I have been able to run a little and that's better than nothing, it's not how I envisioned my marathon training would be.  While my 2 training partners are doing 10-20 mile runs each weekend, I'm struggling with 4-5 miles.  There are days of pain, days of soreness, days of both....The past 2 weeks have been a trial run of sorts.  When I got injured, my mind started to shut down.  Mentally I was close to dropping out of the marathon, thinking negative, etc, etc.  But I have decided to go for it.  Take all of the little pieces and look at the positive and if I made it this far, I would revise my training and just do it.  Part determination, part stubborn, part pride.  So the past 2 weeks I have been able to make it through....

Sunday I managed to get in 5 miles, which felt good.  Thought about going for 6, but my mind and body decided otherwise.  Tuesday I whipped through 4 miles and had flashbacks of week one of training, where it seemed so smooth and easy.  Today was another of the same, some tenderness in the IT band, but overall a great 4 mile run.

Saw the chiropractor yesterday and I showed him my revised plan, asked his advice and wondered what I should do.  Basically with over 5 weeks left towards the big day, I mapped out a schedule to where I would run 3 days a week and 2 days of cross training.  Tuesday and Thursday would be 4 miles each day with my weekend long run climbing up to 13 the week before (7,8,10,12,13 to be specific)....Obviously not even close to what they "say to do".
His advice...He would like me to get in at least a 20 mile training run in and if not, ditch the marathon and just do the half marathon.  I told him I'd meet him halfway and said I was doing the full and determined to finish. (yes, for those rolling your eyes, I realize that was no compromise...heehee)  :-)  :-)  :-)
He understood that my longest run since the half has only been 5 miles, so there is no way to jump up that high in distance in the next 4 weeks.  But realized it can still be done...
He did share a story of his first marathon.  He was 19 and thought he was in great shape and I'm sure he was, but as he said, not in "marathon" shape.  The most he ran was 7 miles....So by the time he hit mile 20, he said the pain hurt so bad that he cried the rest of the way.

So all I can do is hope....pray....stay positive....and believe that it will happen.  What it is, well, that will be determined.  Just going to stay focused and all I can do is what my body allows.  Who knows, I may not even make it through to do the race.  But I'm choosing to look at the other side of the glass....the one that says I will be there at the start...and at the finish.

until next time....