MS Blues Mileage..

Kelvin and I hit the roads after a big lunch at one Ridgeland's Finest's Soul Food establishments- "Geovelli's" The Chef/Restaraunteur is none other than Sgt.Revell Dixon of the RPD. Great guy, and someone you'd love to see show up if you are in a pinch and need back up. Anyway, here are some mileage/notes of the Blues course if you are interested:

Mile - Street Notes:
0 - North on on North State St. at or around Duling St.( Near Walker's Drive In)
1.0 - Turn Right on Meadowbrook, Going East (at the Old McRae's)
2.1 - Turn Right onto Old Canton Road( at I-55/The Barrington/St. Andrews)
3.8 - Turn Left onto State Street heading South(Sir Speedy, near UMC)
6.0 - Turn Right on Amite, going West
6.7 - Left on Gallatin, going South pass the Bus/train station
6.8 - Left on Capitol, going East now, back toward Old Capitol
7.5 - Right on State Street, going South
7.8 - Left on South Street (going East)
8.0 - Left on Jefferson St.
9.6 - Right on Pinehurst (going East)
10.2 - Left on St. Ann St.
10.2 - Right on Riverside Drive
10.6 - Somewhere you hairpin around, and head back up Riverside going West again
12.0 - Right on to State Street
13.1 - Finish near Walker's Drive in.

Hope this helps! Whew!

Dear Blog..

It has been nearly two months since my last blog..... Geez! While I have been away, I have had lots of things going on, and maybe a legitimate excuse or two, but I won't bore you with that. I will tell you I am getting cabin fever, and with some help from some friends, I am anxious to get back at it again. I ran last Saturday for what seemed like an eternity since I had a long run. I had planned to just throw down a 4-5 miler, and Kelvin, a.k.a, the Kelvinator shamed me into doing the full 11.4, or whatever it was. Here I was whining about eating too much and working out so little, and he was sporting a wrist cast that would swell his hand to the point he had to run with it in the air, and some nasty road rashes that are better left covered by his running clothes. Anyway, it was good to get a long one in, and I am now considering doing the 13.1 Blues. Tuesday we hit the trails and had a decent workout while doing a little fartlet work, and today was a rain day that found us reuniting with Phil Purser, a.k.a. Agent Skelaxin. Brunch at Primos- cheese grits, bacon and egg biscuits, YUMMY! Phil has some knee issues and is waiting to see an Ortho.... Earlier this week I met Kelvin to ride the Blues course in a car to see just how hilly it was. There were a few pretty hilly areas, but I think the overall street condition and length scared us more than the hills. It took us nearly an hour just to drive the 13.1, or so it seemed. I'll blog the course separately, in the event you want to get the miles plugged in. I will say, if you are doing the full 26.2 most of the hills are done at around mile 10.
Thanks for bloggin, and see ya Saturday!

Happy Campers

Well, after having perfect weather for a long run last Saturday, you knew we'd get this. I had a great run last Saturday, all by my self, but at least I got to see some of you when I was heading back. Duty called, and Den Leader of Den 8, Pack 305 had to get down to somewhere around Hazlehurst to Camp Hood, where we had our first Cub Scout Campout. Woo-HOO! Smores for everyone! Since then, I have been getting cabin fever, and missed last night's "Pumpkin Run" at Fleet Feet. I just didn't see any benefit from running in 40 something temperatures and light rain. I am not having a good week for running or XT. Yes, I know I would have given my front teeth for weather like this in Chicago, but that was not an option. So, I'll go to the gym and spin some this morning, then get out and run at Fleet Feet tomorrow morning. For those of you still wondering if I really do have a wife that runs, you may get to see her tomorrow morning. She will be the brunette right next to me until we start the run.

What a Weekend

Well, I jumped right back into training quite nicely, although not exactly the way I wanted... My son Charlie had his first Cub Scout camp out, and as his Den leader, I of course wanted to attend. So, I was up at 4am, and running in the dark by 5 something. With the cool weather, and desire to get back asap, I decided to cut out intervals as much as able. I suprised even myself, and first made the entire 13 without much of a walk. I stopped at Fox Bay to mess with a nagging toe/sock issue, and took quick breaks at the water stops once they were put out. I finished the whole thing nearly shaving an hour off my 13 mile best. If only I had that weather in Chicago! I missed running along with most of you, but saw a few of you on the last leg out. I always wondered what it was like getting back to the start with MM's elite speedsters. Do we always have banananas and bagels, or are they just gone by the time I get there??? Then it was off to Fort Hood near Hazlehurst, MS. The BSA Camp site hadn, and lots of activities for Saturday. We shot water-bottle rockets, bb guns and taught archery, and of course camp fires for food, and lots of SMORES!

Early Birthday..

I have been in quite the funk since hitting mile 17 in Chicago. My story is not unlike many others. I was in shock that they were out of water, but managed to hang in there and keep motivated and moving. My first knowledge of the stoppage was when a uniformed patrolman was hollering at me to stop running. With my earbuds in, I didn't realize what was going on, and after taking them out, he said the race was over. The crowds lining the street were awesome, and seeing locals bringing out bottled water was amazing. I still remember the look on the face of the little boy who handed me a bottled water when I told him "You are my hero!" I don't disagree with the decision to stop the race, but I am still fuming over the race directors comments about water "issues". I am not sure if I would finished, but am sure I would have died before stopping. One more water "issue" would definitely have killed someone, maybe even me. I truly believe that officer that died probably saved several other lives that day, and pray his family may find some light in knowing his life may have saved others.
It has been a couple of weeks since Chicago, and I have only hit the pavement twice. I struggled trying to decide which marathon, when, and where I would complete what I started out. The MS Blues seems really hilly, and I know the crowds will not be near as exhilarating, but having seen my motivation level these past weeks, I believe this will be a blessing. As most of you may know, my wife has been the runner in the family for over 10 years, and she gave up her Saturday morning runs with her girl friends for me to try Chicago. I was not about to ask her to give them up again, but she really wanted me to keep at this, and gave me Saturdays with the MM group for my birthday. She will run the 1/2 if able, and I'll give 26.2 another crack. This time, though, harder cross training, smarter eating, and leaving it all out on the pavement.
MM has been a great way to stop the vicious cycle that has gone on too long. Mark's comments about the Marathon being analogous to life keeps bouncing around in my head. I want to finish this life not feeling like I could have done more, or saying I "almost" finished anything. My kids and wife are my life right now, and keeping up with them is so much easier being in shape and feeling better. Some of you are making the right decision by stepping back for now. Others don't have a choice but I do. In the book of Ecclesiastes, it is written there is a time under the sun for everything. I choose to keep on trying, and feel it is my time to keep on running and to keep on moving forward. I hope that if you don't run in January, you'll be out there to holler at me to keep going.

Just another warm long run....

Without any Gatorade, and way too long without water. To say I am a little mad is an understatement, but here's the skinny. No water except for the runners who run really fast, and no finish unless you can run a 4.5 hour marathon with little water and practically no gatorade in 80+ weather, and 100 percent humidity.... A good news link:

http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_280071653.html

I'm off to drown my sorrows at Fogo de Chau..

More posts and some pics later..

My congrats to some courageous runners.

At least I trained in this kinda stuff....

Test Photo

Okay, Guess which daughter is mine...I'll give you a clue. She does not think it is cool for Daddy to take pictures of her or her new soccer team.... I only took about 15 pictures to get one where she was not making some sort of face. Thank goodness for digital cameras!

September Grass

What a difference a few weeks can make! Or, more exactly a little ol' September cold snap. With James Taylor singing about "September Grass" I slowly hammered along with Kelvin a.k.a., "Preparation K", or "The Kelvinator" and with Phil Purser, a.k.a. "Agent Skelaxin". We warmed up nicely with about a 20 minute walk before running 2:1 intervals. Kelvin hooked me up with some of his Hammer "pancake batter", along with his baby aspirin tasting concoction, and that gave me much better sustained energy. I feel alot better after having my near "Phil" episode on the 18 miler. With little or no hills, people cheering, and ther weather about the same or cooler, Chicago is something that seems realistic. I saw some courageous efforts out there today, and I am really proud to say I am part of this group. What a difference a few months can make, too!

My Confirmation is in! My Confirmation is in!

I am a Marathoner!!
Do y'all remember that movie(here's where I show my age again) with Steve Martin, in which he plays a dim-whitted adopted son of an african-american family?

When he finally leaves home to "Become somebody" he finally thinks he has achieved true success when the character- "Navin" finds his own name listed in the new phonebook. "The new phone books are in! The new phone books are in". I'am Somebody!!!
Anyway, I kinda acted like that when my confirmation came in the other day. Apparently, the Chicago Marathon Committee knew I was an elite runner for sure... They gave me one of those bib numbers that if you saw pinned to my chest you would know immediately I am one of those to be found in the seeded start pens at the very front. Out of the estimated 45,000 runners, I have bib number 48,000 and something....Well, I guess the good news is I can only move up with that. I am running with the Kelvinator in the morning. Please pray he doesn't make me jiggle another kidney stone loose!

HApPy lAbOr Day.....

I had a great run Monday morning on Labor Day. I had good company, and thanks to Suz for making me feel better by wanting to walk the trails some. Her hemp buzz was wearing off, and the heat and humidity finally slowed her down a little...Welcome home, Suz... Meanwhile, Phil was ready to run an Ironman with his muscle relaxers kicking in. Later, I got home and toyed with going straight to the mower and knocking down some weeds of the unwanted-non-smoke able variety, and instead drank some coffee and took in the paper. About 30 minutes into the paper and coffee, My mind wandered off to the strange sensation that eventually turned into a raging fire. By 10am I had my wife seeing if any GP's were open. By 11am I was seeking some of the previously mentioned muscle relaxers trying to score some from Phil. I had no idea what was going on. By 2pm. I wasn't sure if it was my back, gall bladder, or a stray gunshot wound, but I knew I was going to the E/R...Something had to give. So, I will spare you all my theories about health care and abuse of the E/R by the uninsured just to say on this Labor Day, 2007, I gave birth to a small kidney stone without yet getting pain medicine or a CT to confirm what was going on. With no prior history of these little gems, I had no idea what was going on. I will see a Urologist next week for follow up, and will at all times have appropriate pain medicine in the event I have to deliver another...One more item for my little baggie of "must-haves". My humble adoration to all of you women that have delivered babies. Hey, can they give epidurals for kidney stones?
The good news is I have recovered enough that I had lunch Tuesday with Mark, and Wednesday got the yard work in as XT. Last night and today my wife had to travel, so no work outs until school is in session and some of my work stuff is taken care of. I look forward to seeing all of you Saturday! Happy LaBoR Day!

August 32nd Run

Yesterday was a great run, and although it still felt like August 32nd, I do believe I am getting some signs that the heat may abate some year very soon! I keep hoping the leaves I am seeing fall are from the season and not just drought like baking. Unlike Suzanne, that has already had a hemp-assisted 20-miler in Northwest passage weather, I am still feeling a little confidence shaken from the 20 mile attempt I made unencumbered by the hydration process. Anyway, despite trying harder to stay out of the heat, and put the hydration on Thursday and Friday, I found myself watching the JA/JP football game in the stands late Friday evening. I finally got wise and got out of there, went home and drank another gatorade. I was intrigued by F-Stop/Debra Ferguson's walk of an hour before beggining to run, and decided to walk a ways to warm up with the company of Phil(the person, not the verb/noun), and Suzanne. Great company, but I was getting froggy, and decided to run when I hit the familiar trails. It felt great being stretched and warm, and although I didn't finish as fast, I was certainly feeling great that morning. I know for fact I would have never made it this far without the friends I have made on this journey. I can not wait for Chicago, and have already started forming my own little "bubble" as Suzanne calls it. No old tuna for me, (thanks,Kim...) Staying hydrated Wed. through Saturday, and definately hitting some XT, Plica/runner's knee excercises every day.. I missed so many of the smiling faces I normally see, and hope to see all of you next week! Chicago is about a month away! Have a happy Labor day!

Wipe Out!

Well, I never thought I'd be feeling down about only running 13 or so miles. Like Kim, I knew something was wrong when I started feeling the urge to lie down and just sit down for a while. I ran with the "Kelvinator" and he slowly started pulling away from me, and I was struggling just to keep him in sight. I wrote that off as just drug induced performance-enhancing drugs he keeps telling me about. He was chugging some vile stuff that tasted like baby aspirin mixed in milk, and bragged about how good he was feeling. I could not explain why my heart rate was staying so high, either. I have a heart rate monitor/watch, and I couldn't understand why even after walking my BPM was about 15bpm higher than normal, and it would not go down. The energy in my body slowly drained like water going out of a bath tub. When I hit the landing I plopped down on an ice chest, and started fading even more. I soon found myself in a "full-Phil-ing" horizontal position under the tent. Fortunately, Phil Purser's support team was there(Patti), and I was revived with ice cold towels and Gatorade.
I realized later how stupid I have been Thursday and Friday. I decided that I did not want to do yard work on Sunday, and Saturday would be out of the question.. Hmmm I know, lets do it on Friday morning. Thursday I took off and finished some work I have been doing on the front door, and strangely enough, this morning before I "suited up", I was about 5 lbs. less than I was on Wednesday... Sheesh. Anyway, no excuses. I am going to work harder on my XT and push hard to be over-hydrated(if that is possible) before the next run. I really need to have good confidence building long run, and I hope the Big-K will share some of his drugs....
See ya next week for our little ole 10 miler!

Not much new...

Not much new with me. I am slowly getting back in a routine with the kids back at school. Soccer season, gymnastics, church activities, etc., have me hoping, but I am getting my runs in. All the blogging is really helpful right now, as I am a little more uptight about the 20 miler. So many of you have such a great determined spirit, and it gets me really motivated to keep going, and believe I can do this. I had a good run with Kelvin this morning on the trails, but this heat is murder. I just know if we can get a break from the weather soon we will all make it. I found out that fleet feet has a five mile run coming up in September, and I haven't checked the schedule yet, but think it would be fun. It is at night, and apparently sponsored by Mizuno..
Keep cool, hydrated, and carbo-load guys! Keep up the great blogging, too- I'll see ya Saturday(after the sun comes up, anyway)


(below from fleet feet)

September Events

We've got a fun-filled September ahead, and you don't want to miss out! Be sure to stop by for these exciting events...
What: Mizuno Fun Run
When: Thursday, Sept. 13, 6:30p.m.

Join us at the store ready to run! Our Mizuno rep will be in town and he'll be giving away some sweet Mizuno swag, so you'll definitely want to be here. We'll run a 5-miler, enjoy some refreshments, and hang out with Mizuno Matt. What could be better?

Slow, but sure...

This morning was great. Up early, and out on the scheduled departure time. Had all my stuff ready, and only had to go inside one more time to get keys. I ran with Kelvin and Phil, and although we were a little slower than normal, I felt pretty good. My knee has been improving dramatically thanks to some excercises Wayne gave me for "Plica Syndrome" and Fleet Feet graciously exchanged some shoes I bought from them on sale for this years' model that apparently runs wider than last years. I will definately never buy anywhere else. I have been tempted to buy online, or somewhere else, but I have officially got hooked. Keeping good company made the time seem like it flew by, and we were done before I knew it. Several of you had some really good runs, and I know Chicago will be a party no doubt.. I am anxiously awaiting to see Suzanne Windsor's blog to see how she did up in Seattle, and hear about all that cool weather. Something in the air tells me that Fall will be here soon, and all this hot weather will be a fading memory. Bring on the cool, crisp fall air, and bring on Chicago!

Going to Chicago, Forrest Gump style......

I had a great run with Kelvin this morning on the trail in Ridgeland. What little rain we got yesterday just made things more humid. After the run, Kelvin and I were talking about the Nike + thing I wear with my iPod Nano. He asked if it keeps all the miles and workouts, or just the last one I ran. I explained that is one of the things I like most about it, as it takes you to a Nike website that graphs all your runs, and you can track your pace, total miles, miles by week, month, etc.
Anyway, he asked how many miles total, and I currently have about 400 since we began the MM training. I haven't worn it for various reasons on every work out and run, so If I add in just a few, I figure we have about 450 miles. Some of you obviously run faster, or more miles, and some less than me, but for the most part we are probably all around the 400-500 mile range. With that said, and with playing with Mapquest, we have all trained a distance far enough to be in the state of Illinois by now.... In fact, I am somewhere around Benton IL, which is just East of St. Louis, MO. By October, we will all have made it to Chicago, and just in time to start the marathon. Cool, huh? If we did this thing Forrest Gump style, we could all get there in time for the race. I can smell the cabbage already! Whew!!!

Home court advantage....

I never thought I would enjoy a 9 mile run, but I really did... I decided that with the dark and heat, I might do better running intervals, with company, and ran with Kelvin and Vickie. Kelvin kept promising us he would slow down after a few miles, and he did, but so did we. At any rate, I felt I had an advantage on the trail without the need of lights, and felt fine. Going on those trails 3-4 times a week does have its advantages. Anyway, I hope you all appreciated the extra pot-hole work and tar in the cracks we have been doing. It still is not perfect, but it is a trail. I have been badgering the Public Works Director to fill a few potholes, and I guess they decided they were tired of hearing me whine. They have made a lot of progress on the new extention, and we will eventually be able to stay on the trails all the way to Highland Colony Parkway. It will be 7.2 Miles from the gravel lot to the end. It you add the distance from Fleet feet, we will have about 10 miles one way. Scary, huh?
I enjoyed several cups of coffee and an egg and cheese bagel alon with good company at Beagle Bagel. Later, Saturday, I vegged out, and then went to the Special Olympics countdown dinner. Lots of fun. Spent too much, and didn't win the trip. Sunday, I couldn't manage getting my planned XT on the bike, and settle doing some sit ups, some Plica syndrome excercises that Wayne showed me, and ATE....
To save you from getting hungry, I will not go into detail. However, for Carols sake, I unfortunately had more food available, not to mention Gingi had made homemade chocolate chip cookies for a 1st grade party tomorrow... YIKES!

Jon "Blaze Man" Blais on You tube...

I meant to blog this yesterday but was too choked up, and then had lots of activities planned, but Lisa the Horn Playing Turtle reminded me of the Ironman special that was on TV yesterday. I happened to catch the last 30 minutes or so, and got really choked up. Okay, I cried like a hungry baby! Anyway, Jon Blais was an Ironman marathoner that got ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) and still competed in the Ironman. It was an amazing story. It also reminded me of the "Find your Why" speech that Mark gave us. I sure could have used a refresher on that at about 8am last Saturday... Anyway, I found the segment on Youtube, and although I don't know how to imbed the Youtube window below, hit this link so you can go there yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Vrjp2P0GlE

If it does not take you there directly, then just go to youtube.com and search "Jon Blais" for the video. Get your kleenex handy!

Can't we do one of our training runs in Chicago?

Wow! 18 miles... It was 80 degrees when I got of the car according to the car sensor, and it was 86 when we passed M&F bank on the spillway. Of course with the humidity, it felt like 110. We could have cooked the Boston Butts on the asphalt of the parking lot today.
Congrats to everyone that finished today. I saw some awesome performances and a lot of determination. I have to believe that with this heat and humidity, Chicago will feel like a 3 mile gym workout. Anyway, I felt great this morning, and shaved off a lot of time at the 13.1 mile mark, compared to the 1/2 marathon we did earlier, but the heat finally took it's toll, and I was walking a lot more the last 5, and when I did run, I was really slow. It was certainly tempting to stay or quit when I returned to the park, but I managed to take off, and took a monster drink to go. I should have run with Suz and Debra, as they did the spillway leg first, and got that out of the way. I missed my running buds, and my pace was a little erratic. Kelvin and Phil left early, and Steve Romano is out of town. I can't say enough how nice it is to have people nearby to gauge your run and encourage you along the way. Congrats again to all. Now, it is time to shave, shower again and head to the Butt cook-off! Easy week ahead everybody!!!

A New Cross Training Sure to Help-

With Debra Ferguson's a.k.a. "F-Stop" assistance, I have now found what will surely be my next cross training. Yes, of course, wife carrying! Why didn't I think of it before? I am not carrying enough weight on our runs, and just the thought of me carrying my wife out for a spin through the neighborhood already has me knowing that if I can do that, 18 miles will be nothing.

I can't help but notice the irony of it all, too. Here we are, planning a "Butt Challenge" and now we have a way that all the married men can enter, even if they don't cook! Check out the picture I found from the wife carrying website!

Daddy needs new shoes....

I was pleasantly suprised with how well my knees felt from a new pair of shoes. I took my old ones into Fleet Feet and they looked at the wear pattern on the treads to help me determine a better shoe. My wife, the more experienced runner knew that they were putting some shoes on sale and that I might want to have them look at the old ones before they reccommended another pair. You should have seen the look on the girl's face when I pulled them out of the Wal-Mart bag, showed them to her, and exclaimed "I want to get a refund!".. I then laughed, and told her my wife wanted them to see the tread pattern. She also said she knew for certain my knee problem was probably from the age of the shoe, and that I could definately use a new pair. Anyway, I had a great run, and the only problem I had was from the twinge of Thursday's run without the new shoes. I feel like next week will be much better already. So, what do you do after a 10 mile run? Well, you go door-to-door canvassing for a friend running for a political office! Yikes!
Today for XT?? Mow grass after church.... Holy Crumolly its hot outside! What was I thinking??!! Have a great week MM'rs!

Phil is "Living Right in Ridgeland"

As most of y'all know, Phil Purser got a little dehydrated after the run today, and while returning home we decided to let a paramedic at our Central Station check him out. The Paramedic on duty felt he could use an I.V. to get him back to a normal hydration level. Anyway, they hooked him up and Phil's color returned as if there was red food color in the drip bag. Within a few minutes he was looking ready to run another 16 miles when we left the station. Shout out to Kelvin for the great RN on the scene medical care he got, as well.
I'll blog more later, but had a good run/walk with Suzanne today. I am over trying to set new PR's every week, and with some recurring sinus crud and a little runner's knee trying to make a comeback, I was more than happy to walk a good portion of the 16 miles today. I hope you all had a great run today. I was very impressed with so many of you today. We are on the top of the hill looking down guys. From here on, we just need to keep the negative thoughts out, and keep on plugging away. The only thing that will stop us is our on self doubt and fears.

I am a Bad Blogger....

I always whince at blogs that begin with the phase "I haven't blogged in a while" but I have been really bad lately and... egads! No blog entries since June! Well, anyway, I had a trip planned and while trying to do all the things you do before vacation, work stuff blew up, and a several City issues cropped up, and then vacation, and Voila'! I am a now a bad blogger. I have however, tried hard to keep up with the google reading list, and my training. I was able to get in most of my runs while on vacation, and even had an XT that is still making my calves scream. Have any of you tried to keep up with two 6 year old boys that are finally tall enough to slide on all the slides at BIG KAHUNA's in Destin? Thats 10:00am until closing at 6pm. Every slide, at least once. Every step, every pool, every long line, and in the sun, in my bathing suit(No sunglasses, hats, or anything on the best slides allowed!)
I am still drying out from the 15 mile run, but am glowing from it. My iPod Nike+ transmitter died out from the rain at about mile 10, when the ceiling caved in. Later that day, we were invited to a pool party/lunch at River Hills and they had a coin toss for the kids, and Charlie and Meagan couldn't swim down to the bottom of the deep in, so I came to the rescue. Apparently it is more than 50m deep, as my ironman watch went nuts and died, too. That would not be so bad, except that only a few weeks ago I went in to our neighborhood pool after one of my daughters friends that was bobbing up and down over his head with my keys/fob, cell phone, and my small digital camera in my pockets. He came up smiling and spitting and everything except the key fob was ruined. Cell Phone- I wanted a new one, anyway... Camera- still less than a year old.. Would Nikon fix it under warranty?? Well, kids are up, and need to go to camp.. I hope all is well with all of y'all... Thanks for letting me lurk these past few weeks!

Feeling Stronger Everyday...

I am starting to think I can see the light to the end of this green tunnel I have been in for the last few weeks. I did 4.5 miles this morning and felt great. It is amazing how much a cold/virus can set me back. I am going to have to stock up on vitamins and antibiotics at least a month before the big show. I am looking forward to seeing you all Saturday morning. Here's a picture of a car tag I thought you all might enjoy- I caught this one with my cell phone camera when I hit the parking lot of the trail start on Rice Road. I'd say we got us a Marathoner on them thare trails!
P.S. Check out them legs in the reflection of the bumper!

XT is for Xtra Tight clothes!

Well, Father's day started with a bang, and continued on all day with indulgences of the eating kind. A fattening huge cinnamon dolce latte for breakfast followed by a trip to Fannin Mart's buffet after church. I then let it all settle into fat cells while watching every miserable minute of the 4 hour MSU World Series elimination game on ESPN.... I hit the pool with the kids and worked up an appetite for grilling out some salmon...Then, to top it all off, my final indulgence was some pumpkin spice raisin cookies. Where's the antacid? This week will be different, as I vow to cut back on intake, and get in some quality training. Father's day is now over. Hope all your dads days were as good as mine.

October Road...

So I am hitting the trail this morning, when J.T comes in on the iPod singing about "October Road", and I can't help but think how great it will feel in October...Cool crisp mornings. I hereby pledge not to complain even if it is icy and snowing on 10/7. I certainly won't feel like I have not tasted summer this year. Anyway, I feel like I am finally getting back up to my normal slow pace after some crud and fever took me down a couple of weeks ago. I am laughing at everyone already getting excited about ONLY doing 6 miles this Saturday. Did you really believe it when they told us 6 would seem rather short?
I am off to take my daughter to the Old Towne Middle School for a groundbreaking at 10:30, for a new section of trails that we will be starting. She is home with Daddy today as she has an ear infection. I figure she can hang a little while in the heat. The new section will link up Highland Colony Parkway with the existing trails making it a 7 mile stretch. We will also be building a bridge to cross at Old Canton Road, running along the Natchez Trace. See you all Saturday!

Where shall I train? Where will I go?

I am a beginning runner, overweight, and slow, but determined. I can move anywhere in the world to prepare for my first marathon- which is in Chicago, in October.. Money is no object. Let's see- Chicago? Naaaa.. It won't really help to train where I will be running. Lets see, somewhere with a few hills, that will be really hot and humid...Nairobi? Naw, too much unrest. Kenya? Too hot, flat, and not enough amenities...I need some trails, as I don't really want to run on the streets all the time, and would love to have some more marathoners at my level nearby...Lance Armstrong trained in North Carolina to race the Tour de France, with all it's mountains. I need a few hills, but not that many... I know, I'll move to Ridgeland... They are doing the groundbreaking tomorrow morning on another stretch of trails that will link all the way to Highland Colony Parkway tomorrow morning! There will be great shopping when I am not training, and I understand there is a group of crazy people that suffer together there nearly every Saturday! It will be hot and humid, but not a dry heat. Perfect!

What a day...

What a day.... 12 grueling miles.... I don't remember a breeze, unless you count cars speeding past you on the causeway... Humidity like a sauna....Still kinda recovering from being laid up in bed Sunday through Tuesday. Anyway, I was struggling to keep up with Suz and I was more than happy to start walking more when her back started hurting. I started getting a little tight at mile 9, and nervous about being late for my son's last baseball game, so I left Suz and wogged on in the last mile and headed for the showers..Pitched the boys to their great victory over the Orioles.. Then, off to the end of season party. As luck would have it, all the boys hit the pool and the dads found a huge big screen TV with the MSU game on it. (that is, when ESPN decided to show the game). GO DOGS!!! Home for a quick nap, another shower, and then off to a friends surprise birthday party...I am pooped...Off to put Charlie down, and I will try to lull away to sleep listening to UM on the radio... What a day....You guys are awesome, and Suz you are my hero...

Weekend Warrior Worn Thin....

So far I have done a decent job this week at lurking at other's blogs, and trying to keep tabs on our MM friends out there who are suffering from injuries, illnesses, or family crisis. With some of the stories I have heard, I am certainly not about to start whining too much about my own plot, but I have not had a stellar week. I was apparently dealing with a sinus infection, and fighting off a fever virus that I picked up from my baby girl last week before I started my weekend warrior routine. I felt great Saturday, despite those obnoxious hills in Clinton, and turned in what I am sure was a PR. I then hustled back to the house, got ready for a big baseball day as my son's coach, and off we went to Freedomridge park to play the Dodgers, coached by the league commissioner. I was proud of the boys who made our Royals look great. Every boy got on base safely at least once, and Charlie batted 1000 and turned an out. From there it was the victory lunch at Chick-Fil-A followed by a tail spin. Fever set in by 6pm, and I was up all night coughing up crud, hair balls, and a license plate or two. I felt like crap. Sunday found me in a marathon sit-in at the Northtown clinic waiting for a decadron shot and an antibiotic. Wednesday was my first attempt to get back on track, with a light wog, of about 4 miles and yesterday, I jogged & walked slowly about 5 miles.

All this rambling so I can lay down my excuses early why I will be a slow but sure slug Saturday. Off to Fleet Feet this morning to stock up on beans and bloks, and I'll have a look-see at some of those belts, too. I'll be sucking gatorade from a nipple all day, and to hell with the yard work....

I found an interesting article in this month's Runner's World. It was a training guide for beg ginning marathoners. (I could not find a link to the article but it is a cover story). You will feel light years ahead. It even had the suggested start date for the 16 week regiment (June 16th!) if you were to run the Chicago M on 10/7. Clearly, Mark has higher aspirations for us, as we are already well beyond what anyone would be doing that followed that guide. It is really reassuring to see all the tips, tricks and sound advice are just echoes from things Mark and his staff/friends and family have already heralded. The more I learn about running, the more confident I am in the Marathon Makeover program.

I also found a link to a cool story about Danelle Ballengee, an elite trail running marathon type that is from Moab AZ. She went running with her dog and had nightmare injury and near death experience. An amazing story for someone who is apparently not the least bit religious. I could not find the text, but the link with her name has what appears to be an audio version. If you were feeling wimpy like me this week, you will be impressed with her story- and the dog, too.

Shout out to Suz for completing the 1/2 marathon in North Carolina with "heels". Toenail blisters? Yikes! She was pretty humble stating she was in the back of the pack, but I looked at the race results and I think she did great! She finished AHEAD of the 1st place finisher who was in the next age bracket, finished AHEAD of 5 or 6 twenty- something kids, and was clearly the fastest runner from Mississippi- male or female! I usually like to hang with Suz for the LSD runs, but am afraid I will be eating her dust this Saturday. ( I should have been a Worldcom accountant!)

Hope to see you all Saturday...

Come What May...

Did you ever think we would be running this far this soon? I had a great run this morning. I got started a little later than I wanted to, but the rains had cooled things a little to make up for the later departure. 4.32 miles, up the trail and back again in less than 1 hour. I think I may have finally stepped away from doing intervals. I have been doing 2:1's and started dropping the 1 minute walks a few weeks ago after the first few intervals. It seems like it takes me a couple of miles just to get warmed up. Did I just say that??!! Anyway, I hope you are all having a great week. This morning, I prayed for a few of you who are traveling, or have loved ones traveling... For those of you who have injuries, or have family members sick or ill. We seem to have a great "family" of friends in our running and I hope to see all of you Saturday.

Calibration Frustration.....

Okay ladies, please no "guy" meausurement jokes, please....I know this sounds really stupid, but I feel like I am going much slower now that I have calibrated my Nike+ iPod device to be more accurate. If you have read my blogs, you know by now that I am really addicted to the thing, and it has been a great motivater for me to keep up with my training, giving me logs, times, pace, miles cummulative, etc... However, I calibrated it using the marks put down by the Leukemia team in training folks' marks. I am sure they were accuate, but now my iPod shows my pace about 1 second/mile slower, and the distance covered about 10-15 percent less than normal. I know it is probably accurate now, when I ran the 10 mile Saturday is was showing 11.8miles... Clearly off... It wasn't that big of a deal when we were running 2,4, or even 6 miles... But now, 15-20%more is just too much cheating... Anyway, I did not know that my PACE was slower as well...Duh...
Anway, I was seeing my pace increase, and now it is back to the speed I was at a couple of months ago... I know.. I was ACTUALLY even SLOWER then! It is just hard to accept...Thanks for letting me wine...... Hope you all have a great week. I really enjoy reading these blogs.

Weekend Festivities...

For those of you who can't get enough pictures, here is my 4 year old Meagan rehearsing at the NW Rankin Performing Arts building. Her recital was Saturday afternoon. What a great way to start a great weekend!

Weekend Afterglow..

Is it just me, or has anyone else paid the price when they ate too much after a run? Apparently, what Mark indicated about the digestive system is correct, and the 10 miles has my system in overdrive. I got really hungry, and with all the memorial day fun, I could not help but indulge in all the grilling, finger foods, and beverages. I felt great Sunday and my XT consisted of flipping burgers for lots of family, and then splashing in the pool with the kids. I got about 5 miles in this morning along with calibrating the Nike+ and since my run this morning I have been paying for all the indulgence. It was great seeing so many people on the trails Saturday. I guess we were competing with the Leukemia team in training folks, along with a lot of regulars. At times, the trails looked like a high school hallway at lunch. I am so glad we are running at 6 this Saturday, too! That Rez breeze will be a nice addition.

I hope you all have a great week. I would be remiss without a SALUTE ! to all of you who are either presently serving or have served in our military. For those of you with spouses, significant others, or family- Thank you for your service and sacrifices, too!

Hello, Knee.

At the risk of sounding wimpy, I am a little nervous over a recurring problem with my knee. It started getting better aboutt a month ago, and was not really noticeable last week. Then, It started swelling up a little and feels a little weak when doing squats or going down steps. I mostly just don't won't do something that damages it seriously. I am having a great week, but I think that the extra activities are starting to take a toll. My GP previously said it was a little tendonitis, and I don't think it is serious, but I was wondering if anyone had some suggestions....

A Great Weekend...

I wish I could special order weather like this for every weekend. It was perfect for running, coaching baseball, going to gymnastic recitals, painting, yard work, and going to birthday parties, or even watching sailboat racing on tv. I know, because I did all of those, and enjoyed every one of those that I was outside for. I even made it to church this morning in time to get to choir. I also got to perform with Lisa the horn playing turtle, and Debbie Brashier, two MM's who have more talent than myself, I am sure. Anyway our church(First Bapt., Jackson) had a special guest singer and the full orchestra, and it really blew me away this morning. What a great way to cap off the weekend.

My time was better this week despite the poor food choices I made, and I loved going back on those trails on the rez. Shout out to Debra and Suz for hanging with me. They both had those belts and lots of goodies, and kept me going. I know everyone gets tired of hearing this, but I already laugh at how much farther we are going than we did just a couple of months ago. I am really getting so much out of this already, and it is still just May. Well, I am babbling and having trouble blogging due to the various interuptions of getting kids bathed, ready for bed, etc. I hope you all have a great week and look forward to seeing you all next Saturday.

Happy Mutha's Day!

Whew! 9 miles was quite a Mutha! That sums up my feelings about the 9mi. run...... However, to expand...

I am coaching a 6 year old baseball team for my son, and we had our photo scheduled by the league at 9:45, and a game at 10:45am. Anyway, at about 8:30am I still had a ways to go and told Suzanne (Thanks, Suz!)I'd start skipping my walk intervals and the last watering station, and cut left to head back to fleet feet. Well, I felt pretty good, until turning onto Towne Centre, and then going up that last hill. I should have stopped at the Fire station and got some water, but all I could think about was getting done and hitting the showers. Anyway, I made it with my fastest pace yet, got my congrats from the Nike +iPod("This is Lance Armstrong, congratulations on your longest workout yet") and I jumped in the truck to hit the a/c, whip by Fleet Feet to get my goody bag, and finally pooped out. I got lightheaded, thought I might lose it, and had to lay on the sidewalk to get my self together.

I learned my lesson..... Hydrate or die.

Thanks to Jill McInnis, who came over with some water .....and looked ready to call 911 for me. I bounced back, sped home, choked down a quick breakfast and 2 monster drinks, a gatorade and a water, and got to the photo shoot, pitched the game(which by the way, they were awesome against the Tigers) and drank two more gatorades, and spent most of the rest of the day taking it easy.

Finally, thanks to all for the kind words about the Ridgeland Multi-purpose trails. I never thought I'd ever get that much use of them, but I was on the first "Trails and Greenspace Committee" that laid out where we wanted trails(I didn't really do much, but having a committee was a Federal requirement for the money), the city then applied for grant money to build them. We just awarded bids for another section, and they will link over all the way to Highland Colony Parkway. I have definitely decided there are some ways to improve them with little expense, and I plan to push to get some simple watering stations, extend the trail to the #3 fire station(a good watering hole and bathroom with lots of EMT's), and start looking more closely at our plans for maintenance and upkeep. I'd also like to see 1/2 mile markers and some sort of "Trail Map" at the main entrances. I don't have an answer for those women who want to run alone, as putting in cameras probably would not help, and would be costly. I do recommend running with others. If you have any other suggestions, I'd love to hear from you.

Happy Mother's Day for all you Mother's....

3% of MM'rs trapped in Laundrymat Bathrooms?

Is it just me, or did anyone else think Suz', Debra's & D'Ann's encounter with the Raymond Landromat was somewhat hillarious? Okay, I know I am being insensitive, but we probably had 100 runners in the 10K, yet 3 get stuck in the same bathroom with a bad doorknob? What is more shocking to consider is that there were probably more that got stuck but those were the only 3 brave enough to admit that they got stuck! It sounds like Mark needs to work to get another sponsor for MM next year.
"Marathon Makeover, sponsored by: Monster Energy Drinks, Great Harvest Bread, Fleet Feet, and Port-a-Potty" Well, anyway, off to get my Tuesday run in.
Thanks ladies for the great laugh, and being brave enough to share it. You gals are true Marathoners!

Cannonball Run, Baby! Woo Wee!

If you have been reading my blogs you know by now I am addicted to this Nike+ iPod thing, and today it let me know I have logged in over 100 miles! It is hard to believe I have already done that and we are still in April. I haven't worn it everytime, and it gives me a little more distance as it has not been calibrated, but it is usually accurate within 5% of the actual mileage, and sometimes right on. Anyway, it has been a real encoragement for me to see these runs being tracked without me having to do anything more than to sync my iPod. Congrats to everyone that did the 7mi today! Bring on the Cannonball Run! Why is it I imagine myself having to get out of the way of a black Firebird Trans Am with a T-Top with Burt and Sally in it blowing past me with some deputies close behind evertime I hear Cannonball run?? I can see Robin and Mark yelling at us to get to the side of the road! "You in a heap of trouble now, son!"

The Weather is here, I wish you were beautiful!

My apologies for the Jimmy-speak(Buffet, that is for the non-parrotheads)....If this weather gets any prettier, I am sure I will be arrested! Had a great run this morning. It was breezy, cool, but not cold, and I stayed in the shad of the trails in Ridgeland for a whopping 6 mile run/walk at 3:1 intervals. No, it was not in the regulation 50 minutes, but I could not stand the thought of turning around in 25 minutes. Anyway, I don't know if it was the weather, or the ashpalt, but I felt great and ran on to take a water break at the Station #3 where the trail ends. Now I'm getting out the frozen veggies for some ice therapy, and feeling getting excited about the thought of running 7 on the Rez. Blog on MM's, I'll see you Saturday!

So, it was Lex Luther putting sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide in my concrete!

Monday I decided trying to work on things that would improve my pace and help me get ready to run the 7 on the Rez this weekend. I decided since I was already having a typical Monday and could not get my run done that am, I would run a short, tinsey-winsey little 5K on the concrete indoor running track at my church during lunch(it was already 86 degrees) and surely set a new land/speed record. Unfortunately for me the evil Lex Luther was out to step on my cape and had put sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide in the concrete mixture that formed our track, and the shins started talking to me immediately. So, I had to slow down and managed to get back to 3:1 intervals even slower than my normal snails pace. My final pace was slower than my overall pace when I ran 6 miles Saturday... I kept wondering what the sinister ingredient was that slowed me down until I read this article tonight on the yahoo homepage(hit this link to read more).

Yes, sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide is actually more commonly referred to as KRYPTONITE! Yikes! Anyway, back to intervals and my Clark Kent gig for a while longer. Seriously, is the concrete that much worse then asphalt?? I hurt bad, my feelings were shattered and I could not tell if it was just the effort to run a little faster without intervals, or if it was concrete.....or if it really was ole' Lex up to his dirty tricks again. Well, lucky for me, Lois Lane is home now from her girls night out and I'll try to run tomorrow since I missed today's run. No more concrete for me, and I'm staying out of the phone booths for now. Also, No, Mandy, you are most definitely NOT the only one with an appetite like that of a teenage boy! I have an appetite not unlike that of two rather large teenage boys coupled with the metabolism of a over-40 pirate, two hundred years too late(more Buffet for my new-found parrothead buddies). Blog on, MM's see ya on the Rez Saturday....

" I got a head of full of feelin' higher and an ear full of Patsy Cline"

No, I wasn't really listening to Patsy, I was just listening to a fan of hers. I am not believing how truly great this weather is, and feel like I have squandered my life sleeping in, when I could have been getting some early morning quality time with mother nature along with some Jimmy Buffet in my ears. This morning I got my 50 minutes in on a one of the trails in Ridgeland, and decided to make it a Jimmy Buffet-only morning. Okay, so now you know, I am somewhat of a closet "Parrothead" and occasionally have to re-align my thoughts and get my head right to the tunes of my home-boy Jimmy. I grew up in Jimmy's hometown- Pascagoula, MS and "worked the rigs when the money was big" as Jimmy would say. Actually, I just ran the supply boats and crew boats to the rigs, and by the time I got to do that most of the big oil money was drying up. However, it was good enough to get me through a the first couple of years of college by working summers, and made my "Y" I was in college stronger than any goal I have ever had. It was a great job when I was young and single, but was not something I'd want to do for a living. Anyway, Jimmy has a way putting everything in perpective for me, and keeps me from taking things too serious. This morning I heard the lyrics:
"I got a head of full of feelin' higher And an ear full of Patsy Cline"
it is from "Miss You So Badly" off the Changes in Latitude album. In a way it reminded me of my old "Y" and made me realize just how great things are now. Sometimes when I get in a rut I have to remember how tough things used to be to appreciate what I have. I no longer have to worry about what I am going to eat, and now worry I'll eat too much. I no longer have to wake up worrying that an anchor is holding, and now just worry my 4 year old is going to wake me to tell me she had a bad dream or something. How tough can that be?
I guess it may have been smelling diesel fumes from a passing truck this morning, but the smell of diesel exaust now brings back a memory of accomplishment and determination for me. The boats I worked on ran on diesel, we pumped diesel to the rigs and platforms, and you went home with your clothes smelling of it until you washed everything again. I am resolved to smell Chicago's streets and all it has to offer and finish my 26.2 along with Jimmy. See all of you Saturday - at 7:20!

Intervals Worked....

I don't know if it was the interval mix that is right, or the decadron shot, but went farther, faster running with Susanne on 3:1 intervals. We waited until the first wave of thunder and rain broke, and I knew for sure we were not having a soccer game for my son, Charlie. Anyway it was an awesome run, and thanks to Susanne, I think the interval was a great thing for me. While running my pace was slightly slower, but I never burned out, and somewhere around halfway I was feeling my best. Anyway, but iPod/Nike thing proved it, as my overall pace was 3 seconds per mi. faster, and we added a mile today. Now I am off to shoot the big weddin' in Flora, and although I am not running I hope to come by the Mex place for a little fellowship and fun. Hope to see y'all there! Thanks Suzanne for being the task master & interval guru!

"We took a vote, and want to see the damn World Series!"

As soon as I bragged over how compliant and awesome I was a couple of weeks ago, I started feeling the sinus/ear crud start coming back. Sheesh. I am guessing the humpday-XT-Baptist pool left water in my ears that would not clear, and put me back on my rear. At the time, I felt like the Native American inmate- "Chief" to the Jack Nicholson character when he hurled the sink through the Asylum window. The bragging sure brought on instant karma, I am sure. Anyway, I went to my hillarious Doctor who was very impressed with my weight loss, BP and committment. It was very encouraging. Then he sent in nurse Ratchet ("Time for your medication, boys!)with the needles and shot up both hips- one with Decadron, and the other with Rocefin-sp? and has me taking another antibiotic orally for the next two weeks. Anyway, I am sore, but the decadron has me going like the energizer bunny. Yesterday I taught my 4 year old daughter to ride without training wheels, and she and her 6 year old big brother had me chasing them all around Freedomridge park on there bikes today. I logged in 3 miles just by carrying my iPod Nike+ in my pocket and chasing them around the park. I am addicted to carrying that thing every time I take more than 2 steps.

Now, I am sure it is the Decadron talking, but I have found motivation somewhere to see if my wife can talk my FMIL (favorite mother-in-law) into watching the little ones whilst my bride and I enter the "Run From the Sun" on Saturday night. I am sure my pace will be slow, but maybe I can finish in time to meet some of y'all at the Mexican place for refreshments before closing time! I will not be as embarrassed about my slow time if it is dark! I am not promising anything, as my hips are still sore as "all get out" but maybe if I can't run in it, I will join some of y'all for the fellowship later, or cheer you on Robin-style if I can get a yard pass. I have my son's last soccer game Saturday morning(sniff, sniff...) and I am shooting a country wedding in Edwards for a co-worker at 2pm as a favor. I think my wife will look at me sideways but she will be impressed with my ambition. Hope to see all of you Saturday on the Rez! Sorry if this sounded like a drug induced ramble! My apologies for the "One Flew Over the Cukoo References".......

Top Twenty Kicks...

Some of y'all have seen interested in the "101 Kicks in the Butt" that I mentioned, and I signed up for a newsletter and they sent a link to it. I am not sure if it will work, but if not, here are the top twenty. This came from May 07' magazine.... Here is a link to the rest-

101 Kicks in the Butt

You have 100 reasons for losing motivation to run. But we can top 'em with tips, inspiring quotes, and more. Pick your fix. Repeat as necessary
By Calvin Hennick


1. CREATE A BLOG where you post your daily mileage, then give out the Web address to your friends and family. Do you really want Aunt Ellen to ask why you skipped your four-miler on Wednesday?

2. MAMA, GET A NEW PAIR OF SHOES. Two-time Olympian Shayne Culpepper puts new gear she receives as an elite athlete to good use. "It's fun to break in a new pair of shoes," she says. "Sometimes that's enough to get me excited."

3. RUNNING COMMENTARY "Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp, or are you going to be strong today?'" --Peter Maher, two-time Olympic marathoner from Canada

4. GO SOFT. It's hard to stay motivated with shinsplints, so get off the pavement for a few days and run on a cross-country course or unpaved bike paths.

5. LOOK TO THE PAST Emil Zatopek, who won four Olympic golds in his career, was a tough-as-nails athlete known for his intense training methods, such as running in work boots. Competing with a gland infection and against his doctor's orders, the Czech won three distance events--including the marathon--at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. That stuffy nose doesn't seem quite so bad now, does it?

6. FORGET TIME. Shane Bogan, who coaches distance runners in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore area, advises leaving your watch at home once in a while. "It's liberating not to be worried about pace," Bogan says.

7. SIGN UP NOW for a winter marathon in a warm state. Every training mile you log takes you closer to that winter getaway in toasty Phoenix, Florida, or Las Vegas.

8. THINK FAST. The runners Christy Coughlin coaches in Wilmette, Illinois, always get a boost from this simple negative-splits workout: Run for 20 minutes as slowly as you want, then turn around and run home faster. "The long warmup helps you feel great and run faster on the way back," says Coughlin.

9. GOOD-TO-GO PLAYLISTClassic Rock"Don't Stop Me Now," Queen"Break on Through," The Doors"Gimme Shelter," Rolling Stones"Come Together" the Beatles"What Do You Do for Money Honey," AC/DC

10. BLAZE A NEW PATH. "If you do the same runs all the time, it can beat you down," says Olympian Alan Culpepper. GPS systems work great for mapping new routes. Or check out favoriterun.com or usatf.org/routes, which use Google Maps to let you plan and save routes.

11. FILL THE TUB with hot water, then head out for a three-miler on a frigid morning. The sooner you get back, the hotter your bath is.

12. EVERY MILE YOU RUN burns roughly 100 calories. Think of that next six-miler as two slices of pizza.

13. RUNNING COMMENTARY "No one can say, 'You must not run faster than this or jump higher than that.' The human spirit is indomitable." --Sir Roger Bannister, the first man to run a sub-four-minute mile

14. THE BOSTON MARATHON is a year away. Think you can get there? (Go to www.baa.org for qualifying times.)

15. RACE ODD DISTANCES FOR AN INSTANT PR.Kennedy Drive 8-K, San Francisco, May 13Run for Alex 2-miler and 5-miler, Bentleyville, Pennsylvania, June 2Six In The Stix II, Newport, New Hampshire, June 9Quad-City Times Bix 7-miler, Davenport, Iowa, July 28Falmouth Road Race 7-miler, Falmouth, Massachusetts, August 12Bigfork Valley Challenge 4.5-miler, Bigfork, Minnesota, September 8

16. READ THIS The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner, a short story by Alan Sillitoe, tells the tale of a rebellious youth in a reformatory who runs in solitude and makes a stand against a system he doesn't believe in. You'll have new appreciation for the power of solo runs.

17. PLAY IN THE STREET. Skip a dreaded track workout for a fartlek (Swedish for "speed play") session. After 10 minutes of easy jogging, run hard between two telephone poles, then slow down until you pass three. Then see if you can get to the traffic light before it changes, followed by a jog to the next mailbox. There are no set rules, so make it up as you go along.

18. THE PILE OF DISHES in the sink can wait till the sun goes down. Your tempo run can't.

19. RUN AT LUNCH. Daniel Sheil, a marathon coach in Portland, Oregon, recommends lunchtime runs for two reasons: (1) You get your workout in before the day gets away from you; (2) You get a midday break from work stress.

20. RUNNING COMMENTARY "The more I run, the more I want to run, and the more I live a life conditioned and influenced and fashioned by my running. And the more I run, the more certain I am that I am heading for my real goal: to become the person I am." --George Sheehan, M.D., beloved former RW columnist

101 Kicks in the Butt

I read an interesting article in Runner's World Magazine this morning that was titled "101 Kicks in the Butt!" which came at a good time, as I should have been running instead of reading this morning. I would share a link with you to it, but the article is not online. Anyway, a few of the kicks hit me where they were intended, and I am off to get in my short run/walk during my lunch today. I did get a chance to sign up for a weekly newsletter they have, and apparently a way to receive that article in a soft format, so that I can share some of those with you. Until then, my favorite: #36 "It's Spring! Why are you even reading this? You should be motivated just by the fact that you're not forced to run on a treadmill." I found it interesting that the #1 Kick/Tip was to create a blog. I am also amazed at how many of these tips/Kicks I have already learned by joining MM. I hope you all are having a great week, and if not, it is not too late to get back on track...... Is it just me, or does the guy on the cover of the magazine have an uncanny resemblance to me!? Ha! Okay, maybe 20 years ago.....

"Ich Bin Ein Marathoner"

Forgive me for maligning a quote from JFK. It looks as if I am not the only one who was motivated, convicted, and encouraged by Mark last week. ( I hope you will post your outline of the speech, Mark) Anyway, I think this is the most sore I have felt since starting the MM. I swam at Baptist yesterday, wogged my 50 minutes this am, and got some biking in Sunday, and my Monday and Tuesday run. Whew! I know however, this week I have been way more compliant than any other week. Whenever I started the "oh, no, another distraction" type thoughts, I reminded myself that I am a marathoner now, and pushed myself to do what I needed to do. Tomorrow I will rest knowing that I have done what I was suppose to do this week, and hopefully I will not be so sore Saturday morning. Thanks for all you guys doing the great blogging! YOU ARE ALL MARATHONERS!

Getting Pumped Up...

Well, the run wasn't my highlight, but the motivational speech by Mark was awesome. My shins were yelling at me before I made it up the first hill, and I struggled the rest of the way. I was going to buy one of those stretch things when Mark and I were at Fleet Feet, but I knocked the whole display over, and got my free t-shirt and got out of there before I knocked something else over. With that said, I taking a hard look at changing my beliefs, and "Gettin' My Mind Rite" as the blogger "Trepidatious" blogged so eloquently in the blog entry: http://owhit.blogspot.com/2007/03/lessons-from-cool-hand-luke.html ...Anyway, I have to get more consistent each day, take it one day at a time, and stick to the plan. You guys are really getting me pumped up, and just reading the comments and blogs made me find Kelvin's blog, who somehow eluded me. He is hillarious. I think he changed the name of his blog or something, and I missed it. Anyway, if not, let me give Kelvin's latest blog by clicking here. Well, I am off to see Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with my 6 year old son, and then out with him for a guys night without the gurls. Keep up the great blogging!

Finally Friday...

It has been a hectic week, but finally get a respite with Friday. Too many balls to juggle. Just for fun I thought I'd see how much I would pace while cutting the grass using my iPod Nike+ thing. I don't have a huge yard, but going back and forth with a push mower was a lot farther than I would have guessed. In a quick one hour of mowing, the thing registered 2.5 miles. Of course the pace was pretty steady an slow, but I am counting this as an extra XT make up day after I saw this. I wonder what kind of mileage I would clock just keeping up with my 4 and 6 year old?
I look forward to seeing all of you tomorrow. For those of you that have been blogging regularly, thanks for the encouraging words. Keep up the great work!

No More Lurking...

I have been quite the busy little wogger the last couple of weeks, and think I may be finally getting over some sinus/ear crud that has been keeping me down. Not to make more excuses, but I think that "Spring Break" is false advertising by the secret society of school teachers. Anyway, I haven't had much time to do much more than "lurk" at others' blogs and glean some tips and encouragment without dishing any out myself. I did however spend several hours using the Google Reader device to add most all of the blogs to my reader page. Apparently I am not the only one who has been remiss at consitently blogging. For those of you that have blogged a lot, thanks for letting me hang out and get some encouragement. I also spent a great deal of time looking at hotel accomodations in the windy city. All I can say is YIKES! I was hoping that my wife and I could have a getaway weekend in my old corporate stomping grounds, but it looks like I'll be looking for atleast one other roomate unless money starts growing in flower beds I just tilled up during my XT yesterday. Thanks to Steph for the plug on the multi-use trails in Ridgeland and for the volunteering at the "Lose the Training Wheels" event. No doubt she got her running in last week. Also, a hearty congrats to everyone who competed in the St. Patty's Day 5K. I would have love to have run in it, but I was afraid I would post such a ridiculous time that I would miss the 9am meeting. I am looking forward to a full week of compliance with my schedule and seeing all of you Saturday!

Looking forward to Saturday!

What a great Friday, despite being home most of yesterday with my 6 year old with a stomach bug and sinus infection. What a great start for Spring Break... Anyway, I have been on the disabled list for a while due to a nagging ear infection, and am SO looking forward to the run/walk tomorrow. Chicago or Bust!

No Patience Found Here...

Okay, I know I should be glad I am starting to feel a little less pain in my shins, but I was hoping for a little better time/distance in a 45 minute run/walk. I ran the exact distance I did 3 weeks ago by a whopping 10 seconds faster. The stretching helps, but the darn things are still the first thing to make me want to stop jogging and start walking. I think I'm going to go by Fleet Feet to get one of those rocky-footy type stretchers. I don't want to turn this discomfort into an injury. Anyway, I haven't been blogging as much as there are so many good bloggers out there. Keep up the great blogging!

More Cold Weather! Woo-Wee!

Okay, enough already with the rainy, misty cold weather stuff. I am getting tired of using the same track, and am actually looking forward to going to XT tomorrow. I am planning a little swimming, and hope it makes me feel nostalgic towards the summer. Anyway, I went to the Chicago Marathon site, and found a page where I could sign up for newsletters and for a "Debut Marathoner Newsletter". Click on the link preceeding to sign yourself up, if you are like me and are making your debut as a marathoner. It promised to have tips and answers too FAQ's....Low battery warning: Gotta go POST!!

Monday Mania

I have quickly found that the best way to keep my goals for the day are to plan what, when, where, and get my stuff together the DAY BEFORE! Otherwise, too many obstacles will put me on the ropes all day. Today, however, I squeezed in a little wogging around the hood' to get in my daily pain. I am throughly enjoying the blogs. I have no excuses after reading some of yours. Especially you guys with little tiny tots- Teething! Wow... I am much impressed, and hope you all keep up the great blogging.
For those of you who were looking for music, I would suggest you look at the workout music lists that Apple's iTunes has. One of the reasons that iPods are so popular is due to the great user friendly features that the iTunes has, as well as the way you can easily see and find good songs to fill you iPod up with. At the risk of sounding like a commercial, I will be happy to share some geek knowledge on "how to" use an iPod, or which to buy, etc., I have two other iPods- the 60gb video iPod, and the 1/2 gb shuffle- but am currently using the iPod Nano 8gb, with the Nike + device for tracking mileage, time, speed, etc.. It holds plenty of tunes, and I haven't heard (or remember) hearing the same song twice since I had it.
Keep up the great postings..Happy Woggin!

Made it to Thursday...

Okay, I think I need to slice the elephant a little smaller. Legs sore.... Spirits still up, though! I have been using the excuse that I don't have the diet book to binge. I guess that will catch up with me, but I have still lost about 4 pounds so far. Of course, that is before I ate at a buffet today at lunch. Anyway, I have been encouraged by some of your blogs and hope you will keep up the great blogging. I look forward to hearing about how to stretch out better.

One Week Down....

What an encouraging day. I had no idea we would have so many people at MM today. Clearly, Mark and Company are doing something very special that will have a huge impact on many lives. I earnestly hope I am still "moving forward"(Leslie from Fleet Feet calls that running) towards 26.2miles in October. It is also nice to know that there are so many people that will be encouraging me each week, and sharing their victories, or little setbacks along the way. I was a little ruffled upon arrival this morning. I had to fill in for my son's 6 year old Upward Basketball Head Coach. Our normal Head Coach had another committment, and I was charged to lead the mighty Cobras to another "winning" game(they don't keep score, but the parents secretly keep track.) Anyway, they played good, and despite getting a little confused on the rotations, no one cried, got hurt, and each boy earned a "job well done" and a star for their efforts..Here's a shot my wife took at the game.

I am already looking forward to another week of training, and hope all of you are, as well. See ya soon and keep those blogs up!

Is it Friday, Yet?

Feeling great and going to work out... Are we going to run a mile tomorrow?? Inside or outside? Does the Healthplex in Clinton have an indoor pool?? Is anyone out there reading these blogs? Can Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy win the Superbowl?? Anyone??

Whew Wee It's Cold Early...

Motivated by the many bloggers that posted their early morning attempts to follow the training schedule, I found myself waking way too early due to the previously mentioned Decadron shot, and got out this morning for my run. It was cold, but it was great! So far all my runs have been on an indoor track. I realized that even the slightest incline seemed like a mountain, unless I was already going down the other side. It was an awesome run, and I must say I am glad I got out in the elements. I must admit it was a refreshing experience trying to decide what that strange noise was coming from my iPod. Turns out there were birds chirping wishing me a good morning. Thanks Mark for the tips on how to help the shin pain. I don't know if it was the adrenalin of worrying about falling over backwards on asphalt, but the running backwards seemed to help. I felt better this morning than on any run. I know I'll miss these cold mornings in August, but I think I'll be heading back to the indoor track until March. You guys that have been getting in all your runs early are awesome. Happy woggin Y'all!

Made it to "HUMP DAY"

Okay, this XT thing may be my hang up. I have been quite impressed with all the bloggers in our MM group, but getting up at 4-5am just ain't gonna happen in this house right now. So, I have tried to squeeze it into my daily routine. The only problem with that is the daily routine is anything but routine. Anyway, if you can call changing my wife's car tire for her this morning after an "Emergency Call from South Jackson!" XT'ing, then I got in my XT today- The spare was flat, and the jack was a joke.... Wait- I have more excuses! I went for my checkup today, and sinus crud encouraged the visit, and my Doctor said I had fluid in one ear, and put me on an antibiotic and gave me a Decadron shot. You should have seen my Doc roll his eyes when I told him I was going to run a marathon. Maybe I'll get kicked off the team for steroid use. Anyway, the running has been going okay, but the shins are killing me...On a bright note, I got this cool
Nike + thing for an iPod Nano, and it works really good. I didn't have to buy Nike shoes as it turns out, but I now have a cool Kempewterized track record of my wogging... It will give me my calories burned, miles, pace, and is really cool. When I sync my iPod with the kempewter it goes right to a Nike website so I can graph out how ridiculously slow I am running! Kewl! If your interested, let me know, and I'll be glad to impart some geek wisdom on you. GO MM WOGGERS!!

"If I read it on the internet, it must be true"

On a lazy Sunday, I managed to put off my XT (extra training) on my very first day of the Marathon Makeover training so that I could attend church, eat lunch, and start my new blog. Surely putting this in print on the internet where everyone could read it makes it more real than ACTUALLY starting, right? Well, now that this is done, I suppose I will air up the tires on my bike and get at it. I look forward to meeting all the rest of you runners or woggers, and hope you all take it one day at a time.