11 Nov 09

Yesterday’s run was good it was a 10 miler I did it in 1:42:01. I’m happy with that it was a little over my goal of 1:40, but I had a bathroom break in there and a couple of water breaks. The weather was perfect for running. I started right before sunrise and the temp was 47 and once the sun came up it was a perfect sunny morning. I felt good on the run. One memory that is sticking in my mind is as I passed this one area where there are some woods and you could smell the wet leaves and I just love the smell, it was a neat moment smelling that smell and feeling the cool air. I have so many crazy emotions running through me right know. I have the 22 mile run on Sunday, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared and I’d also be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to the feeling after I do it, as it will be my longest run to date. I’m proud of where I’m at and It’s really hard for me to comprehend that I’ve made this much progress in less than a year and when I run the marathon it will on be a few days over an year since I started. Sheila talked to me a little bit about our running last night at church that was good I enjoyed it. I have told anybody , but Jenny, Casey, Summer and Shelia that I’m planning on doing the Marathon so it’s hard to not tell anyone when I hit those highs that come with running. I guess you are wondering why I haven’t told anyone or I guess you could say more than I have. I don’t know I just felt liked I needed to wait till it was done before I talked about it. That is pretty much what I’ve stuck to. Like with the half I didn’t mention it till it was over and then after I posted my pictures on facebook folks started to ask me about it and I talked about it then, so that is pretty much what I’ve got planned for the marathon also. I guess I’ve used this blog to release those felling inside me and also track my progress. Well I’m starting to ramble so I’ll go….look more posts more often as like I said I’m full on emotions now and I’ve got to release them…doing this today not tomorrow.

Ida

It was a wet and windy run this morning and kind of cool although the temp was 49 the wind and rain made it feel real cool. Tropical Strom Ida was moving through, so that brought the rain. We were supposed to be right on the line of where it was coming. I was hoping it would miss us, but it didn’t. I did have thoughts about not running, but this is my last big week before I start the taper so I wanted to get it in, so I did and of course when it was over I was glad I did. I couldn’t help but think that the folks who saw me running this morning must have thought I was crazy. I felt good on the run, my times were a little slower, but running in the rain and the wind slowed me down so no big deal as it was an accomplishment just doing it. I have 10 to do in the morning and I’m looking forward to better weather! Like I said this is my last big week and it ends with a 22 mile run on Sunday and that will be my longest ever. I’m nervous about it, I’ll admit I’m scared about it also, like what if I don’t make it, what if I hurt real bad when it’s over……what will that do to me mentally for the marathon. I don’t know I’ve just got to give it may all and not just physically but mentally too and I can do it I guess! I’m nervous and excited about the marathon now I am looking forward to it, but it’s just hard to believe that I’m this close now. Doing this today not tomorrow!

Week 12 of 16 Marathon training Plan

This week has been an interesting one, as I talked about Wednesday I have just felt blah this week. I got all my runs in as scheduled and today’s long run went pretty well. I did 15 my overall pace time was slow; I did have two bathroom breaks and 3 water breaks in so that ate a little bit of time. I finished the last two just a few seconds over my goal pace of 10 so I’m happy with that. It was a nice morning to run the sunrise was beautiful. It was around 42 degrees when I started so it was really just right. I’ve got one more week on a lot of mileage left, I logged 47 this week and I think its 48 or so for next week then I start my taper. I’m tired I won’t lie my legs fell fatigued I guess that the way the training program is designed and the taper will help me recover and be ready for the race. This Sunday will be my 22 miler it will be my longest, I’ll have to admit I’m kind of nervous about it and also excited about it at the same time. It’s starting to sink in that I’m only a month away from attempting this goal of running a marathon. It’s exciting and scary at the same time, I’ve just got to reach down inside and do this> I’m trying to not look past the marathon, but I have been thinking about what my next goal will be, I’m not sure, but I’m glad I’m in the mind set of planning something, because I do want to make the healthy lifestyle thing a lifelong thing. Well I’m going to run for now, doing this today not tomorrow!

4 Nov 09

Just feeling blah today real tired. I went to bed early last night around 8 o’clock and woke up at 4 this morning I went back to sleep then got up at 5 and headed out to run around 520. The run for today was 10 miles. I felt real tired at mile 3 crazy I know, but I did I hung in there and did the whole run it was a labored run, but I got it in. I guess it was more mental than physical. I am at the peak of the training just two more weeks then the taper part of the program, so I guess I’m suppose to be feeling tired. I can hardly believe that it’s almost here, doing the marathon that is. It really doesn’t seem real and yes I’m scared am I really going to be able to do this, was the training program enough, was my base enough when I started just a lot of questions. I’m just trying to focus on the training and have faith that I can do it. This morning was beautiful it was cool, the bank said 29 not sure if it was that cold or not, some wind and lots of sun shine, I love to watch the sun rise…..well enough rambling doing this today not tomorrow!

My First Half Marathon

Leading the race at the start was Stace Holcomb, a 7-year-old first grader at Threadgill Elementary who attended UCP from three months to age 3.

Well it’s in the books; I did my first half marathon yesterday. I ran the Life Without Limits ½ Marathon in Florence Al. My overall time was 2:04:27 for a 9:30 pace. It was a great experience. I’ll try to carry you through it now starting at the night before. I slept real good I was afraid I’d not be able to sleep, but I did. I got up at 4:30 I wanted to leave the house by 5:15 as it was around an hour and half drive from my house to Florence. I had two pieces of light wheat toast for breakfast and water. On the drive up it rained off and on us I figured it might rain during the race, actually that was the forecast. We got there around 6:45 which was good as I can’t stand too late or rushed so no stress with that. Went and got my race packet got stretched out and we walked around a little bit. It was a little cool 51 at the race start and cloudy, so it was actually a great day to run and it only warmed up a couple of degrees during the race. The start was very well organized, they had signs for your projected pace so that helped in getting lined up and seemed to really help as the race got going there wasn’t a lot of folks passing. As I was lined up waiting on the start I couldn’t help but take a quick look back in mind over the last year. It is amazing, it really comes down to discipline if you really want something and set your mind to it you can do it. I can’t lie I started to get emotionally, so I stopped thinking about it. The race start was easy and slow, but that is ok that what I wanted to feel was the start and how I needed to do and to not panic that it would be to slow, it seemed real slow, but the first mile was a 9:49 so it was actually 11 seconds faster than my goal pace. The first few miles there was a lot of conversation between the runners it was neat ease drop on some of it. On the Wilson dam bridge I passed the stroller that had the young man with the disability that was representing the run, I waved at him and he smiled real big it’s a moment I will remember for a long time; I know this is not manly but he was precious. My left knee felt a little funny at the start, then I had a little twinge in my hip around mile tree, but they both left and guess I was just my body letting me know I was alive. After about mile four or five the conversations died down I guess everyone was starting to get tired or just settling into their running. I took my first water at mile 5 then about every two miles after that. I felt real good at the half way point, at about mile 9 I started to feel tired, but a gu gave me a little energy. Between mile 10 and 12 we crossed a long bridge that was kind of neat crossing it. I started to try and think about some of my past leading up to this, but I started to slow down, I’m not blaming it all on this I was tried at this point, I guess when I let my mind wonder I slowed down some. On the last mile or so it was slightly up hill, but not too bad. I was very tired then, but there were some groups cheering us on, some cheerleader squads and others. To those folks I say thank you, you may not really realize, but your cheering does really help it gave me a boost, a boost I needed very badly. I finished strong and felt good, with our chips they were able to call out our names as finished that was cool. It was real nice to have Jenny and Summer there smiling real big as I finished. The ride home was a little tough, my legs and but were real tight and I couldn’t get real comfortable I had to keep moving around the best I could. I’m not that sore today, which is good because tomorrow it’s back to training for the marathon! This race was all that I could have imagined it to be, the weather was great, I beat my projected time by almost 7 minutes, I had Jenny and Summer there with me and I felt good and strong on the run. Man I’m doing this today and not tomorrow. Well tomorrow it’s back to the training after a day of rest today. I promise to try and blog more this next month leading up to the marathon. Today not Tomorrow!

The Night before My Half Marathon

Well in just about 12 hours I will have started my first half marathon. Just 11 months ago I could hardly walk a mile without my legs killing me and it would have taken me probably over 25 minutes to do it. As I’m getting ready to do it, getting my clothes shoes, gu etc together I can’t help but think about what I have done this year. I have changed who I am both on the inside and the out. I am a different person. Even though this is just a step on the road to doing a marathon it is a milestone within itself. One that I’m as normally before a race nervous about. I feel confident that I will be able to do it based on the training I’ve put in and my longest run over 7 miles more than the 13 I’ll do tomorrow. My plan is to just enjoy the run it is suppose to be a pretty scenic one starting out over the Wilson dam in the first mile or so. I want to get the atmosphere of a long race and manage myself and not start to fast or get caught up in the rush and forget about who I am and what I have done. I want to remind myself of that tomorrow and even though it’s not the “big show (the marathon)” I hope to do some reflecting tomorrow as I run. I looked back on face book at some of my pictures from others races this past year and also some pictures of me and I looked at the physical change in me over the year. I had an eye opening experience tonight also. Jenny and Summer went and got them a desert after supper and I had them bring me one back I don’t know why I just did it was a sonic blast. I took a few bites and I was like I don’t want to eat this is not me anymore, so I put it down and I started typing this. It reminded me this is a lifelong journey that I’m on now. I have to stay focused and not go back to where I was just a short year ago. Well I’m going to go now and make sure I have all my stuff ready for in the morning and get some rest got to get up at 430 to head out to Florence. Doing this today not tomorrow.

28 Oct 09

7 Miles this morning, just an easy 7, I actually forgot my watch so I just ran at a comfortable pace and according to the clock in the car it took me right around 1 hour and 12 minutes, so that was pretty close to my 10 min pace goal. As I near this goal of a marathon and have the half this weekend I can’t help, but let my mind go back in time and think about where I have been and where I am at now. I was thinking this morning about how this time last year I had no desire to lose the weight, in my mind I was just going to be fat the rest of my life! Now almost 11 months later I’m a totally different person, both on the inside and the out. I got to thinking about the discipline it has taken to get this far and I’m not sure why but my mind went all the way back to when I went through basic training for the Air Force over 22 years ago. I hated it, it was tough being away from my family, but I knew if I could make it through those 6 weeks everything would be better. Kind of like when the running gets tough, if you can hang in there you will get through it and it will get better. Doing this today not tomorrow!