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.....