Catching up

I’m going to make an attempt to catch my blog up…

On Friday the 18th I woke up tired and a little sore. I had an appointment at Better Bikes to ‘fit’ my road bike. BTW, the fit session went really well. I cannot believe how comfortable I am on the exact same bike! It truly is a science. While pedaling on the trainer as Mike completed the fit I was sweating profusely for no apparent. Something was not right. With the Lions Bike Ride the next morning, I called and scheduled a late afternoon massage to work out this new onset of muscle soreness. I had assumed it was a result of the run I tried earlier in the week.

Once I got home from Better Bikes I was deteriorating fast and decided to take a nap. My alarm went off one hour later for the appointment and I was full-blown sick. I couldn’t bear weight on my legs, started throwing up, and I had an obvious fever. I laid back in bed and didn’t leave my bedroom for 30-hours straight.

The entire weekend I only traveled from my bed, to the couch, and to the restroom. I was unable to eat and suffering from horrible head/neck pain. Pretty much the same signs and symptoms I had a few weeks prior, but with a bit more intensity. Late Sunday I called my parents to ask for their help, because I was having trouble taking care of myself. I also needed to see a doctor Monday morning.

As parents do, they rushed to my side which was a huge help. On Monday the doctor suggested I had some type of stomach bug that we haven’t completely killed, which is why I keep continuing to get sick. I was NOT  happy with the PA’s complete medical action plan, so I scheduled a second appointment with an internal medicine MD.

I finally started feeling better on Thursday, which was marked by the first time I was able to eat in six days. I lost ~11 pounds during the week. Although I was still in poor health on the prior Tuesday I was going stir crazy and decided to walk a slow mile around the bayou. The walk was a clear gauge of my physical condition. It took everything I had to walk around the loop and as a result, I didn’t go back outside for a couple more days.

2/22
Walk:
1.23 mile
25:00
20:20 pace

One week after everything started I tried to go back outside and “force” some fresh-clean air into my system. If nothing else, I wanted to prevent my back from weakening like it did last time I laid in bed for a week. By the end of the day Friday I was making vast improvements.

2/25
Walk:
2.19 miles
37:41
17:12 pace

I have continued to improve throughout the weekend, but something is still “not right” in my gut. I’m frequently nauseated and certain foods are upsetting my stomach. I’m happy with the new doctor’s action plan and hopefully we get to the bottom of this problem! It’s a process of starting with the basics, but he suspects we’ll need to do a full GI tract work-up, including a scope of my upper digestive tract.

I felt well enough to keep the kids this weekend, which helped even more. My kids have a way of breathing life into my soul. Additionally, we had a great time doing a bunch of nothing!

Alison is so fit and pushes me at times, especially on her new 24-inch bike. Whew! I ended the weekend with an enjoyable lunch with the kids and my parents (my way of thanking them for helping me last week).

Saturday
Trail Bike with trailer:
8.01 miles
51:38
9.31 mph

Sunday:
Walk with the kids, pushing Preston in stroller:
2.94 miles
47:16
16:05 pace

Trail bike:
8.4 miles
42:55
11.74 mph

Bike tune-up

Spent the morning at Performance Bike getting my brakes fixed. I’m a fan of Performance Bike due to their low prices, but don't frequent the store because they are located on the other side of town. While I was mulling around the aisles I finally found a rack that fits bikes with disc brakes, like mine. When I first arrived the staff did not seem as welcoming as they usually do. After 20-30 minutes they finally came around and made the experience much better. Not only did the mechanic adjustment my brakes, he also installed the rack and gave the entire bike a quick tune-up.

My legs have been sore all week and yesterdays run didn’t help much. The plan was to go was an easy walk, but I couldn’t resist the idea of riding my bike. The mechanic did a great job. It felt like an entirely different bike. The ride was smooth and the brakes stopped on a dime. There’s a slight issue with the shifting between two common gears, but I’m still stoked about the overall improvement. Even with a fierce wind in my face I was riding 2-3 mph faster than my pace two weeks ago. What a difference a few adjustments can make!

Tomorrow I take my road bike into Better Bikes for a formal fitting. I’m hopeful the results are as positive as the tune-up was on my trail bike. The Humble Lions Ride is Saturday morning, so I’ll have an answer soon enough.

Trail Bike:
6.22 miles
29:27
12:67 mph

I'm in the fourth week of the push-up challenge. This is where the program starts getting difficult. It is all double digit rep push-ups from here onward. If history repeats itself, I will be repeating this week...

Push-ups: 65

I heard an interesting topic on a podcast yesterday;

If you could run a 100-mile trail race, complete an IronMan, climb Mount Everest, or anything else you consider grand… Would you still do the event if you could not discuss it or tell anyone? Essentially, could you do something this large for the sincere love of the activity?

This question really made me think and I didn’t like my answer. This blog is a prime example of my “need” for validation.
hmmmm

Test Run

At work

In an attempt to take my training more serious, I feel the need to obtain a running baseline. In other words, I want to see how far I can run continuously before stopping.

The treadmill results were mixed. I keep trying to be excited about small achievements, yet I know this ole’ body is capable of so much more. Right now it is not able to do a fraction of what my heart dreams of. Thankfully I know the ability lies deep inside me.

I walked on the treadmill for one mile, run test, walk one mile, and another smaller run. During the run I focused on landing mid-foot, smaller/springy foot turnover, and maintaining proper posterior. I can honestly say I was successful at the above mentioned objectives.

The run was going really well initially. I felt confident I could make it to the thirty minute mark, maybe more. At fifteen minutes my back started bothering me. When I decided to quit I still had a fair amount of running left in my legs and lungs, but my back was an entirely different story. Once I stopped running the tightness in my back dissipated.

Stopping before a measly two miles frustrated me, so I decided to tack on the additional half mile after the second walk. Tomorrow I’ll build a formal schedule with more running introduced back into my workouts.

Walk:
2.0 miles
35:30
17:45 pace

Run:
2.0 miles
26:28
13:14 pace

Lucky Streak (Bridgeland Triathlon)

The bike computer on my trail bike stopped working a couple weeks ago, so I’ve been relying on my garmin to track time, distance, and pace. I took the time this morning to determine the problem, yet I was unsuccessful. I worked on the computer and went as far as changing the head unit with a different one, but I never got it working. This means there is a fray in the wire somewhere. While the bike was on the work bench I noticed my front disc brake was rubbing. When I free-spin the front wheel it will not roll more than two evolutions due to the friction. Again, I wasn’t able to fix the issue, but I did remove one brake pad, essentially removing my ability to brake with the front wheel.

I’m on a kick to try and be a little more “green”, therefore I biked to the barber shop three miles away. I was shocked when I tried to stop the first time. I had forgotten I removed the brake pad and nearly panicked when I couldn't stop. To make matters more challenging the back brake isn’t much help at stopping the bike either. On most days this is not an issue, but today was different. And I’ll admit it was entirely my fault. With the brake not rubbing I noticed a significant increase in my speed. See where I'm going with this yet? The greenbelts I use to the barber shop crosses several roads. As luck would have it I popped out of the greenbelts and had to come to an abrupt stop due to vehicles in the roadway. Needless to say this was more than scary. Usually I zoom across the roads without ever slowing down. Today it seemed like everyone knew I wasn’t able to stop. I’m not blaming them for the mechanical inabilities of my bike, but the timing was terrible.

Once I got home I was hungry and realized I didn’t have much to eat at home. I had a coupon for Schlotzski’s, so I biked to the deli. On the way back home I was nearing the bayou and two runners snuck out from a trail and found themselves directly in my path. I nearly wrecked trying to avoid them. This time we shared responsibility for the near-collision. Long story short, no more cycling till I fix the brakes.

Trail Bike:
10.23 miles
51:35
11.9 mph

Strength Training: Mid Body workout

Push-ups: 60

Completing the push-ups AFTER a mid-body workout was a challenge. I finished as scheduled, but not without a fair amount of grunting.

Andrea and I attending another great Kingwood Triathlon Club meeting tonight. Willie Fowlkes from CapTexTri/OnUrLeft Sports was one of our guess speakers. Mr Fowlkes spoke about the TX3 Memorial Hermann Race series, which includes Kemah, Bridgeland, and Houston triathlons. The club was asked to help volunteer with these races and for the seasoned triathletes to give them feedback. After the discussion of his races Mr. Fowlkes offered three race entries to the KTC membership for raffle. I’ll be damned if I didn’t win another entry. That’s a $70 race entry!! Thanks Kingwood Triathlon club and CapTexTri!!! I’m super excited. It would seem something bigger has plans for me on the course of a triathlon. Time to take the training up a notch; this race is three weeks prior to the Clear Lake International triathlon.

After the raffle Mike from Better Bikes spoke about his role with our club and brought along a good-looking Felt triathlon specific bike to show. Alton from The Healing Experience was also on site offering free chair massages. Not only did Patrick and Mike speak highly of Alton’s abilities, but he is offering club members a discounted rate. I love this club, Tons-O-Perks!!!

I found another great video online. Don't let the title of this video fool you. It is PACKED with great information about running form/posture.


Learning the Skill of Barefoot Running from Terra Plana on Vimeo.

Sore and Tired

Out of nowhere I am sore. Yesterday’s bike ride seemed moderately easy, but I suppose it was stouter than I thought.

Minus the sore legs, I enjoyed a delightful two mile walk around the bayou.

Walk:
2.19 miles
35:38
16:15 pace

This morning I opened every window in my house. I haven’t done that in a long time.

I applied for a part-time job at REI. I’m hopeful they call me. I frequently check their job board and this is the first time I’ve seen a job posting for the Houston area locations. My fingers are crossed!

I completed a light upper body workout. Even though the weights were small, I was reasonably fatigued… weird.

Strength Training: Upper Body

I totally concur with the movement for minimalist shoes/balanced running. I tried the barefoot stuff, but we've evolved a little, right!?!?. In other words, we can still wear something on our feet without altering our balance. The shoe industry is also moving in this direction. Most major brands carry some type of minimalist shoe.

More and more athletes and medical researchers are talking about the faults when footwear attempts to corrects issues with gait and posture. Back up 20-30 years and I think the shoes were the culprit to begin with. That is just my 2-cents.

I work a 24-hour shift and for years I've worn heavy work boots with a 1.5 inch heel. On even the easiest day my back and feet hurt miserably after a mere 12-hours. I can't count the number of nights I have gone to bed at work with throbbing feet.

I've had a surgeon and his trusty knife inside my right knee three times. Something has to give. As I mentioned before, I tried barefoot running. I actually saw great results. Not only did my pace improve, but I seldom had issues as a result of my barefoot run. That was a short three month experiment, it is time to take this movement seriously.

Armed with all this new information I'm leaning more towards minimalist shoes (minimal padding and no heel rise) and selecting softer running surfaces. Thats right, TRAIL RUNNING baby! It seems rather simple. If you don't believe me, check out this video.

What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger

At work today

My back has started bothering me again and cycling seems to be the culprit. As odd as this may sound, today’s workout focused on what bothers my back the most. My back will either get better or worse, right? Get tough or die, time to HTFU! That was the theory for this workout.

I rode my road bike on a trainer for 80-minutes. The ride went well. I spent about 50% of the time sitting upright to improve my comfort level.

Sometimes I forget how nice it is to have a job that permits me the ability to set up a bike trainer and spin for an hour. For that I’m thankful!

Road Bike Trainer:
18.26 miles
1:20:05
13.68 mph

Push-ups: 56

Videos from Kingwood Triathlon Club duathlon

The scenery from Pavilion #11:

The starting line for the KTC duathlon:

First KTC member at the half-way point of the duathlon:

Bragging too soon

I spoke too soon about the lack of back pain. My back has been killing me all day. Cycling seems to be the X-factor. I also spoke too soon about my weight going down. Over the last two days my weight has gone up. If I gain weight tomorrow, there’s a good chance I will have gained weight when comparing this week and last week’s average. DANG!

I woke up earlier than I wanted to watch the Kingwood Triathlon Club Dualthlon at Duessen Park. Club member Patrick told me the club host two pre-season duathlon’s as a way for the members to gauge their fitness going into racing season. The distance was; Run 2-miles, bike 12-miles, and run-2 miles. I attended the event to help out and watch the other runners when in transition. I learned that no two people do everything the same. I saw people go in and out of transition in 30-seconds and some were over 90 seconds. Some people sat on the ground, a few knelt over, while others were changing on the move. Everybody had their own way of getting ready for the next sport. I found this both interesting and informative.

While the members were running/cycling I had a chance to meet Mike, the owner of Better Bikes. He seems very knowledgeable and eager to support our club. Next week I’m going to schedule a formal bike fitting at his shop. Hopefully this will improve the comfort and efficiency on my bike.

Oh how I miss the trails. Today’s route was a hybrid, half greenbelts and half bayou trails. I forgot how much I enjoy the scenery and comfort of dirt beneath my feet. Everyone is probably sick of my idiotic dog owner stories, yet I had another issue with an unleashed dog while on the greenbelts. I loathe irresponsible pet owners!

The walk was like any other on the greenbelts. Once I started the bayou trail the workout was quickly over.  I couldn’t believe I was already done, weird how that happens when you are in your 'happy place'. I considered walking an extra mile, but I’m not sure what is going on with my back. I ran two-minutes every thirty minutes. When I was running on the bayou I eagerly wanted to run further. Maybe next weekend I will push and see if I have any running legs left in this out-of-shape body. This was the easiest workout of the year.

Time to reacquaint myself with the trails I love so much.

Walk:
3.61 miles
1:03:29
17:35 pace

Run:
0.57 mile
6:03
10:37 pace

Moving forward

FINALLY, my back pain is practically gone. Over the last few days I’ve continued to have pain the first 30 minutes after waking up and while sitting for an extended time.

Yesterday I had minimal back discomfort, which is why I swapped off days with Friday. The hope was to allow this pain to finally dissolve. The back issues were almost non-existent this morning, so I decided to try my luck again on the bike. I was able to ride six miles with ZERO pain.

Nice 50-degree ride through the greenbelts. Once I knew my back was going to behave I pushed the pace on the second half of my route. If I can rid myself of this pesky cough I will be back to normal. (For what its worth, the cough isn't that bad).

Trail Bike:
6.22 miles
31:18
11.92 mph

Push-ups: 48

If my good health continues, I’ll restart weight training next week. (fingers crossed)

Dropping temperatures

My back was bothersome last night. Today I wanted to stretch more and try to resolve this nagging back pain. This morning I decided to pick-up sticks and pine cones out of the yard. This meant I bent over at least a hundred times. My back felt tight at first, but better when I finished. Side note: I have good neighbors, but I need to find a way to ask one neighbor to stop letting his dogs shit in my yard. There was as many piles of dog crap as there were pine cones!

After finishing the yard I went for a walk on my five-mile loop. I’ve been ignoring the formal training I received, because I’ve been doing the same thing day after day. I need to get back to a regimen of ‘hard day/easy day’.

When I started walking it was drizzling rain and the temperature was 46 degrees. As I was finishing the walk I could feel tiny pieces of ice landing on my skin and the temperature was a delightful 33 degrees. I love the cold weather! The long walk enabled me to catch up on a several podcasts. It was an enjoyable walk with a favorable pace.

Walk:
5.29 miles
1:27:50
16:36 pace

I’m not 100% committed to my current diet, but something is working. My weekly average weight has dropped the last six weeks in a role for a grand total of 20lbs. I’ve listed the downward trend of my weekly average weight:
December 28th; ---268.75
End of 1st week; ---266.21
End of 2nd week; ---262.85
End of 3rd week; ---262.07
End of 4th week; ---259.50
End of 5th week; ---255.50
End of 6th week; ---250.63
Today’s weight; ---248.25

Push-ups: 40

Video of several types of birds hanging out together. It's hard to see in the video, but three mallard ducks in the water, a blue heron on the waters edge, and a few black crows next to the tree.

Lazy Day

There’s a lot to do around the house, but I wasn’t motivated to do much more than lounge around. Now my list of chores for tomorrow is a little longer...

I went for a walk mid-day. It was a beautiful afternoon on the greenbelts.

Walk:
2.91 miles
48:02
16:30 pace

My new favorite podcast is Active Vegetarian. They are kind of new, but I find their content always relevant and informative. I’ll close this post with a quote they cited on todays podcast. It’s a quote I have always advocated, although in different words;

Speak the gospel always, if necessary use words.

Inspired

At work.

I didn't eat enough calories during the day, which lead to hunger in the evening. I was able to control myself and maintain my calories within an allotted limit.

Its been a busy day at work and I nearly skipped my workout. After reading Karen's phenomenal RR100 race report I immediately went to the gym.

Recumbent Bike:
6.71 miles
30:00
13.42 mph

Walk:
1.7 miles
30:00
17:39

Push-ups: 34

Alison’s Baptism

Last month Alison told Erin she was ready to be baptized. Since that discussion, Alison has talked with her preacher and was granted the approval of the church. Erin has been trying to schedule the baptism around my schedule, along with inviting out-of-town-family.

I'm always happy to spend time with Alison and support her decisions, which meant I spent a third day driving North. Once the ceremony was over Alison walked over and snuggled next to me for the remainder of the sermon. With lots of friends and family in attendance, I was emotionally touched that she choose to be with me.

I’m not a spiritual person, but I can appreciate the message during church sermons; good vs bad, right vs wrong, etc. This was the first time I’ve been appalled by a sermon. Had this not been a special occasion for Alison, I would have walked out. In a nut shell, the message was this; either you are with God or you are against him. There is no middle or neutral ground in God's eyes.

I believe there is more to life as we know it, but I’ve not been convinced exactly what it is. I don’t judge any religions for their views and expect those same people not to pass judgement upon me. I found it disturbing that the preacher insisted that people with beliefs like mine (agnostic) are “against God” simply because I’m not “with God”. His view seemed to be that of a man with a closed or limited mind.

Moving on…

I joined the kids, Erin, and her family for a delightful lunch after the service. It was great to be with the kids, but like always, it was difficult to leave my children behind and drive home.

Once I got back home I continued to clean the house and get everything back in order.

While most people were watching the Super Bowl, I decided to go for a walk. I was treated to a spectacular lightening show in the sky. In my opinion, the lightening show was better than any Super Bowl game or 3-million dollar commercial!

Walk:
2.09 miles
35:01
16:45 pace

Living with Secrets

My mind has been going 100 miles per hour with thoughts regarding my life. I feel like a kid lost in the woods; I know where I want to go, but I’m not exactly sure how to get there. The different turmoil in my life can fit into one of three categories;

1. Weight and body composition, which includes athletic abilities (and lack thereof)
2. Friends and Family
3. MY future

I suppose one of the biggest issues right now is all the “secrets” I posses. I live a different life, depending on the people around me. That has to stop. I need to be the same man 24/7 and unconditionally. Some of these little secrets aren’t really secrets, but rather, topics I don’t like to discuss. For example, I’ve foolishly gained all the weight I loss last year, plus an extra 15 pounds. This time last year I was happy with my body composition (weighed less than 200lbs), but here I sit weighing 250 pounds. Five weeks ago I weighed 268 lbs, which is four pounds short of my all time high of 272 lbs. The abrupt weight gain is embarrassing. For that reason I am humiliated to be around my more athletic friends. None of them are negative to me in person, but I feel the stares penetrate my soul. There again this might be my own insecurities weighing me down. I suppose you’d have to walk a mile in my shoes to understand. Either way, I’m freeing myself of this secret. I weigh 250 lbs, no more, no less. I’m currently trying to lose weight on a walking and cycling program.

I’m most confused by my friends. During these difficult times there have been huge shifts in those people I thought were my good friends. There has also been the realization of those people who were good friends all along, yet I didn't recognize it. We all have lives that lead us in different directions, but when a person no longer takes the time to secure the friendship, I can’t help but wonder… were we really good friends to begin with? This time last year there were two guys I thought were my closest friends. Now, we seem like mere acquaintances. There is not a single issue that arose; we just kind of grew apart. I’m fairly good at spotting fair-weather friends, but these two guys didn’t fit the fair-weather-friend profile whatsoever. Either way, it is something I’m constantly trying to dissect. I don’t understand what happen and to be honest… it bothers me. Luckily, new friendships have grown during the same time.

It’s the little things that matter and I’m not convinced most people understand that. I was very ill for nearly two weeks. During that time two people called to check one me and to offer their help. I was overwhelmed that they took the time to make sure I was ok. Then I thought to myself, “Is that it, do I only have two friends?” Anyways, I have decided to let everything be what it is. It does me no good to have one-sided friendships and as of now I am cleansing myself of these unhealthy relationships. I’m a good friend to those that return the gesture, which makes this their lost, not mine.

Family. I don’t know where to start with this one. We’ve been dysfunctional for as long as I can remember. I’m trying to put the past to rest, but some things never change. A perfect example is the same as stated above; I was very sick for a couple weeks. My parents came over to pick-up something they wanted, which is when they learned I was sick. That was nearly two weeks ago and today is the first time they called to see if I was better. This probably sounds petty, but it’s hard for me to feel like they care when their actions seldom show it. There are several other issues with the relationship between me and my parents, but I’m not willing to disclose everything on my blog. I’m actively trying to repair the bonds, but again it feels like my actions are lopsided.

Then there is my immediate family. Within my immediate family lies one of my biggest secrets. I was married to Erin for seven years and we had two wonderful children during that time. I thought we had a great marriage, but I was wrong. By the time I saw the errors of my way it was too late. Luckily, Erin and I remain exceptionally close friends. She is a great mother and someone I will always care about. A couple years after the divorce I met Andrea, who might be the nicest woman on the plant. Andrea and I dated ten years prior. At the time she was looking for something serious and I wasn’t. Once we were back in contact we picked up where we left off and were inseparable. We get along so well it is pure bliss. We share a lot of common interest and truly enjoy spending time with each other. A woman this great is a rare find, which is why I hastily asked her to be my wife. Our marriage took place one year ago.

Andrea was in the midst of a custody battle with her ex-husband, which provided a fair amount of stress for both of us and the relationship. On occasion we had different views on parenting, yet most of our disagreements were minor. The base of our relationship remained solid.

The relationship between Andrea and her ten-year old daughter was great. Her daughter loved her more than anything in the world, but was not fond of living in the same house with me. Andrea did what I assume most protective mothers would do. She felt like she had to protect her baby at any cost. Unfortunately, the cost was very expensive for me, because it was our relationship. Andrea comes from a close-knit family and they quickly circled the wagons in defense mode. Before I could truly understand my own feelings her family had come together and bought her a house. Yes, they bought her a house and when I came home from work December 22nd (3 days before x-mas) she had moved out. I’m not going to pretend like I’m a perfect guy without faults, because I’m not. Up to this point our relationship had a couple hiccups, but overall it had a solid foundation. Nothing I saw was beyond repair.

Now Andrea and I have this completely obscure relationship. She doesn’t want a divorce, yet we still spend lots of time together, we continue to have lots of fun, and she claims to love me, BUT we live in two separate houses. How am I supposed to process this? Needless to say, I’m confused and don't know what is going on or how to deal with it. I want my wife back and would do anything to make this right. I’ve asked time and time again for a small nugget of hope to hang onto, but I always walk away empty handed. There is a part of me that wants to walk away from this for the sake of my sanity and another part of me doesn’t want to let go of what I have.

This has been my biggest secret. Very few people know Andrea and I are separated. This is partly because we are always together and seem like a happy-go-lucky couple on the outside. There is a massive tug a war between my heart and brain. I know what needs to be done, but my heart won’t allow it. I’m taking baby-steps. Announcing this “secret” is my first action, no more pretending to be someone I’m not. I’m separated from the woman I love. Without a doubt, I could spend the rest of my life with Andrea, yet I refuse to live two separate lives. I’m trying to manage the cards I’m dealt, but it is not easy.

And finally, my future. With all these thoughts moving about in my head I keep trying to plan a future for myself. I know what I want, but most of this will take time. I’m aggressively trying to become debt free, and release those financial shackles. I live a simplistic life, partially my choice and partially due to necessity. I have six more years till I’m eligible for retirement. I dream of moving Colorado, but I can’t be that far away from my kids. There lies more turmoil. Do I move and if so, when is the right time? My dreams of moving to Colorado are probably just that, a dream. The fire department has been a good career for me, yet I’m at a department that breeds mediocrity. Those who do the minimum are treated exactly the same as those who routinely try to excel. A man with 20 years of service is granted no measurable seniority difference from that of a 1 year rookie. The lack of positive leadership from the administration has broken me down. Now I’m one of those men that does no more than they have too. This is not a true reflection of who I am. I want to be more, bring new fresh ideas and training to the department. I want to mentor. I want to lead. If only those ideas were embraced by our administration the relationship between employer and employee could be great. I’m too old for most civil service jobs, so I’m somewhat “stuck” where I am. I’m happy to have a secure job with good retirement/benefits and not willing to walk away... yet. I’m not asking for much, I merely want to love what I do again whether it’s at my current job or a new one.

Disclosing all this doesn’t change much. I have to make changes and make them stick. For starters; I’m going to start living MY LIFE. No more secrets. I’m going to start owning my decisions and the choices I make. If I gain weight, I need to understand it was MY decision to stuff my face and no one made me do it. If I want to be skinny, I have to start doing what skinny people do. If I want to be debt free, I need to do what debt-free people do. I have to make better choices and own those decisions. It is truly that simple. I’m washing my hands of those people in my life that generate more stress than enjoyment. It’s going to be hard to dissolve a few of these relationships, but change is coming!

I’m 37 years old and I’m about to grab life by the horns and start living for myself.

Videos from RR50/100

Rocky Raccoon 50-mile race report (DNF)

The race went as well as I could have expected. Since I decided to stay in Huntsville I planned to wake up early and watch the 100-milers take off at 6am. But as you know, I’m not a morning person. When the alarm went off at 4:30 am I immediately reset it for an extra hour of sleep.

I woke up rested and ready for the day. Things continued positive when I was able to park within eyesight of the starting line. My timing was near perfect, shortly after I checked in with the RD and left my drop bag, I heard Joe yell “Eight minutes till the Start”. I took a couple photos and talked with Jon Walk in those final minutes.

The 50-milers were fortunate enough to have daylight for the 7am start. The weather was cold while standing around, but almost perfect when combined with physical activity. As I stated in yesterdays post, the trails were in GREAT condition. I found ice on the wood bridges. This didn’t cause any problems for me since I was primarily walking, but I couldn’t help but wonder how many runners fell.

From the start I was walking with a man named “Ed” from the Woodlands. For the better part of four miles he talked non-stop. Don’t get me wrong, I did NOT mind. Those miles went by incredible fast and I enjoyed the company while learning a lot about him.

I know it is laughable, but I wanted to change motion so I decided to through in small segments of running. With no rhythm or reason I decided to run 1.5 minutes every thirty minutes. The runs went well and the energy of the race made me want to run longer. I was smart enough to fight those feelings because I knew there were a lot of trails ahead of me.

Another thing I did different was my intake. I only drank water and I didn’t take any food from the aid stations. As I approached the aid stations I had the lid off my water bottle and they happily refilled my bottle. I wasn't in an aid station for more than 15-seconds.

I was within sight of various runners until mile six. I spent the majority of miles six and seven walking in the forest alone. Up to that point I felt good. I was still running and walking with easy. My feet felt food and my hydration/nutrition seemed on course.

Unfortunately, at mile eight things started changing. My back was tight and when I tried to stretch, it would spasm. This continued as the tightness moved higher until eventually my entire back and neck was tight. Everything else felt fine.

Once I left the aid station at mile twelve, I knew my run (walk) was over. I could have toughed out another loop, but the risk was too high. After a couple weeks of poor health, I’m finally starting to feel better and I did not want to gamble a 50-mile finish in exchange for a bad back.

I crossed the finish line under five hours and immediately turned in my chip. It was a bitter sweet feeling. My heart wanted to go out for another loop, but my brain knew the journey was over. In the end, I made the right decision. I feel great and honestly have no regrets. Well, I have one regret…. I had friends still on the course running and I should have stuck around longer to support them.

At mile 13 I was lucky enough to see Scott Jurek and Anton Krupicka pass me. I even captured some video of them running. Both guys were super friendly and talked to me as they passed. I also saw Karl Meltzer, who didn’t say a word but I think he was wearing his iPod.

Congrats to my friend Karen who ROCKED the hundred in an amazing time of 26:04:39. One day I want to know the feeling of accomplishing something this grand. She is a good friend and she inspires me to be more every time we talk.

I broke down the waking and running for the day. I finished one of three loops.

Walk:
15.09 miles
4:41:53
18:41 pace

Run:
1.39 miles
17:35
12:39 pace

Alison Wins Rocky Raccoon Kids Race!!!

I’m sitting in a Huntsville hotel room wondering what the hell I’m doing. During the last couple days I convinced myself it would be a good idea to walk the Rocky Raccoon 50-miler. I’ve never been this ill prepared for a race, including 5k’s. Failure is almost certain, but my heart won't accept those odds. Once again, by my alligator mouth has overloaded my hummingbird ass.

Alison ran the Rocky Raccoon 1-mile kids trail race this afternoon. Her only competition was a 7-year old Canadian boy. Standing side by side they were perfectly matched in size. RD Joyce asked me to assist on the trail, which placed me a quarter-mile from the start/finish line.

The young boy took off in a blaze of glory and Alison followed closely in pursuit. When she was close enough to hear my voice I told her, "pace herself for a long run, but keep the boy close and wait till the end to run hard". Once the runners passed me they both had settled into a reasonable pace. Running in tandem, they were out of my sight within two minutes of the start. The runners were back in view around four minutes. They continued to run side by side, with the boy slightly ahead. I shouted loud enough for Alison to hear and said, “Now is the time, run as hard as you can to the finish”. By the time they passed me Alison had slipped ahead of the boy and within twenty yards she had created a comfortable lead. For the duration of the race Alison kept looking over her shoulder to see where her competition was. She was taxed and unable to go any faster, but she was not willing to surrender her lead.

Alison crossed the finish line in an amazing 6:04!!! What a wonderful gift this talented young girl has. I’m so proud of her. This is her second win at RR in two years. Erin and I have to find a way to support and encourage her running without her losing interest. It's beautiful to watch her raw talent in fluid motion.

Back at the Loman Center (SHSU campus) I listened to Joe's pre-race instructions. I also caught a glimpse of Anton Krupicka and Scott Jurek. I wanted to get a photo with them badly, but there was a crowd swarming them and I decided to keep my distance.

I sat at a table with a gentleman named Jon from Boulder, Colorado. Ironically, Jon has read an old race report of mine on my blog. I always find this amazing. I wish Jon and my friend Karen the best of luck on their first 100-miler!

As I said in the intro to the post, I’m sitting here in a hotel room wondering what tomorrow has in store for me. I’m excited about the race, but I know I am not prepared. I’ll go for a long walk and see what happens. My heart thinks I can finish this thing, but my brain knows I don’t stand a chance. My minimum goal is to finish one loop (16.67 miles). If I can do that, I can at least say I got a decent workout.

Wish me luck.

Possibility of Rocky Raccoon?

I extended my walk distance in order to gauge my overall fitness. I’ve been motivated to do “something” after attending the Woodlands Marathon kickoff party and seeing 127 Hours. In fact, I’m considering Rocky Raccoon 50… again. This time I’ll be walking rather than running.

Walk:
3.85 miles
1:06:02
17:10 pace

Push-ups: 33

127 hours

My health continues to improve. Residual back pain and a slight cough are the only symptoms bugging me.

This afternoon I saw the movie, “127-hours”. I’ve been excited to see this movie after reading a well written review by Marshal Ulrich. The link to Marshal’s review is below. I enjoyed the movie, although I wish they would have shown more about Aron Ralston’s life before and after the incident. If anyone wants to buy me a gift, this movie would be an excellent choice!

Marshal's Review of 127 hours

Seems everyone is whining about the cold weather, but I’m smiling ear to ear. I love this weather, sunny and COLD. I spent most of the day cleaning around the house, since everything was neglected the last two weeks while I was ill. Getting caught up with cleaning meant my walk didn’t happen till after dark.

I walked around the neighborhood by myself. I find it difficult to get excited about a walk, but I was gleaming about the faster than usual pace.

Walk:
2.53 miles
40:54
16:10 pace

I feel like better days are around the corner. It’s time to start living the life I dream about.

Back to work

I decided to go back to work today, even though I’m not 100% back to “normal”. I’m sooooo thankful we had a quite shift on medic two. Getting back on a normal schedule did me good. I feel better.
Here are my scores:
Headache/congestion, 2
Cough, 3
Back pain, 5

I probably should have walked, but I didn’t want to push my luck.