Training

Here we are, the first week of Dec. Getting ready to go for my long run of the week, 14 miles. Was in training all week so, I didn't get in a lot of road time while I was there. I do know one thing, OC Pepper Foam is no joke!! My training was for less lethal munitions. With that said, we had to get sprayed with OC. I got the pleasure of experiencing the pepper foam. Holy Crap!!! The person that came up with that stuff must be a sadistic bastard!! Took me at least two days before I could see straight again. They say they make a pepper spray designed to ward off bears. Supposed to be 10 times stronger than the current pepper spray. Needless to say, it is against the law to use it on hunmans. I CAN SEE WHY!!!! Oh well, off to my run.

Road To Cowtown

Got my first run in since the Mid South Half Marathon. Did a five miler. My calves are still tight and a little sore. I start my training for the Cowtown marathon this coming Tues. Going to drop 15 pounds before the race. Less pounding for my knees. Looking forward to having a good run at Cowtown this time.

RACE DONE!

Ok, conquered the Mid South Half Marathon today. Started the race off with just over 50 degree weather. Wind was picking up as we left the starting line. As we got through the first mile, we came upon our first hill. It was a good sized hill. Cleared it with no issues. Then, after a short downhill, hit the BIG hill. All within a quarter mile of each other. About five miles into it, hit a third hill. It was about this time I realized the lady running next to me had no shoes on!!! That's right, running barefoot. AND, running the full marathon. She had a good pace going as well. Ok, hit the turn around point (this was an out and back course) and turned right into a strong headwind. Coming back into town, those three hills looming ahead, again, with a strong headwind the whole way. Well, I finished at 1:49 (an 8:24pace). Finished 40th overall, 4th in my division. I'll take it. Big confidence booster as I go into training for the Cowtown marathon in Feb.

Nov 7

Ok, today's the day. Going to hit that half marathon in about an hour and a half. About 50 degrees out right now. A little breezy. Just going to take it nice and easy on this one. Just want to finish with no problems.

One Week

One week out from the Midsouth Race. The long forcast is not calling for any rain, which is good since I put a hold on building an Ark. We have had so much rain, the three dogs have been fighting over who is going on two by two. Just completed a countdown and I'm 16 weeks out from Cowtown. Guess I better get my mind right for this one. Signed up for the full marathon this year. Gotta drop at least 10 pounds before the race. Looking forward to completing my second full marathon though. First with the Cowtown.

Mid South Half Marathon

Two weeks out from the Mid South Half Marathon here in Wynne. Feeling pretty good about it, except for the fact I haven't run hills in a while. But, this will be a good run to get me motivated for the Cowtown Marathon in Feb. Most of my running parttners have bailed out on me. Injuries, bad weather, or just plain scared!! LOL Not to mention my Texas support has kicked me to the curb. Oh well, I have a lot of support here at home. I can always rely on my pit crew with Deb and Amy. :) They'll be out there cheering me on, like always. Fortunately, this is an out and back race so, they can cheer me on at multiple places throughout the race. I'm really looking forward to this one.

Weekly Total

I hit 30 miles for the week. The first time I have done that since hurting my knee back in July. Felt good to get in a 10 miler today. Completed the run in 1:23:50. I'm good with that. No knee issues at all. Learningn to take it slow, instead of killing myself for a faster time.

3000 and counting

I just realized, I broke the 3000 mile mark last week. Was recording my mileage for today's run and looked at my total. 3019.6 miles since I started keeping track in Jan 2007. I'm motivated again!! :) Wynne half marathon one month out. Cowtown marathon in Feb. Where will I go from there. Little Rock has a full marathon as well. Maybe I can get some of these SORT guys to run it with me!

October

Ok, a month out from the half marathon in Wynne. My running partner boo boo'd his toe and might not be able to run it now. So, most likey will be running it solo. First time running this race so it should be an experience with the hilly course. Luckily it is in Nov and should be cool enough. Let's get it on!

What Would You Run 1000 Miles For

I received an e-mail asking that question. The story of the e-mail talks about Pat Conzemius, from Wildlife Forever, who is running 1000 miles to help with Wildlife Conservation. He has a goal set, and a good cause to run for. I have a cousin who is a huge part of Team In Training, who run to raise money to fight Leukemia & Lymphoma. He runs like there is no tomorrow. And for a great cause. What I like about a lot of the races I have run in, they all donate a large portion of their proceeds to different foundations to either help find the cure for a disease, or support unfortunate families. If you are someone who can't seem to find a good reason to get motivated to run, look at what these folks have done with their spare time. Not only are they getting in shape but, they are doing it for good causes. Since I started recording my mileage, back in Jan of 2007, I am about to cross the 3000 mile mark. So, get motivated, and get out there and get in shape by running for a cause. Help others out.

Football is Here!!!

Good first week of football!!! The Buckeyes squeaked out a win against Navy. And the Steelers win in OT against Tennessee. Got in an 8-miler today. Time was 63:43. Not to bad I think. Felt good on the run. Feel like I'm getting back into it and my knees are feeling much better. Still looking at the half marathon here in Wynne in November. Then I have the Cowtown Marathon, in Ft worth, in Feb. Buckeyes against usc tonight. TIME FOR SOME PAYBACK!!!!

Mud Run Arkansas Style

I just found a new Mud Run race here in Arkansas. www.mudrun.org Only a 5K but, looks like a lot of fun. Maybe I can convince a bunch of the guys at work to join me in it!! October 4th!! Let's get dirty!!! You hear me Barrett???

New Week

Ok, Labor Day starts a new week and a new attitude. Feeling much better, gotta get motivated. Just knocked out a 5-mile run in 40:01. Thanks Cuz for the encouraging words. November is coming fast and I promised I'd do at least the Half Marathon here in Wynne. So, back on track.

UGH!!

New month, haven't run yet. Been almost a week since I have run. Got a Summer cold that is kicking my butt. Not good. Hoping to be over it soon so I can get back to running. This really sucks. One issue (or excuse) after another.

Recovery

Still pushing through this knee issue. Getting my speed back up for my shorter runs. No longer than six miles so far and averaging just over an 8 minute pace. Slowly coming back to form. That's a good thing. Got the bike fixed too so, going to start throwing some cross training in there as well. Weather is starting to cool down a little. Gotta love that. Now if we can just eliminate the mosquitoes.

Where have you ran?

I was thinking, there's a lot of talk about running the 50 marathons in all 50 states. I admire anyone who can do that. Me, i'm not so sure I'll ever reach that total. So, I am going to start keeping track of every state and country I have run in. So, let's see, so far I have run in two countries outside of the USA (Turkey and Panama), and 14 states (Ohio, California, Texas, NJ, Georgia, Mississippi, Tenn, Arkansas, Louisiana, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, and now I can add Maryland). Not all have been races but, I have enojoyed my runs in all these area. Taking in the local sights as I run. Where all have you run?

Rebuilding

Hit a couple three milers this week. Running outside, hot and humid. Got it in 23:47 today. Not to bad.

Switching Gears

Ok, deciding to get back into the game a little more slowly. Going to switch training and work towards the half marathon instead of the full. Still getting over the El Scorcho ordeal. I figure a slow road to recovery is better than going all out and trying to pick up to far ahead of where I am actually at.

Training

Ok, getting back into the swing of things. I've run a couple six milers and five milers since the El Scorcho Tres. My knee seems to be doing ok. Picked up some new shoes. Asics Gel 1140. Love them. I have had a lot of trouble with getting enough cushoning for my forefoot. I found my shoe. Now I just need to get back to some good runs and getting my times down. I cancelled the Columbus Marathon for this year. Will shoot for it next year. I am going to run the Wynne Marathon. Hey, $25 for a full marathon. You can't beat it. Got Barrett Burns training with me, starting next week. He's going to run the marathon with me. Maybe we can convince Eric Rivera to run it with us. Deb, and some of the guys are talking about running the half. We should have a good turn out from the hometown boys. Will keep you posted on the training process. Plan on getting outside more often, and throwing some cross training in there as well.

El Scorcho

Well, things didn't work out like I hoped they would. I only completed 19 miles of the 31 miles ahead of me. I was working on mile 12 when my knee didn't want to cooperate. Stop in my pit stop and grabbed my brace and went on to complete mile 15.5. As I came across the Start/Finish line, I felt like I was done. Frustrated, I went back to the pits. I changed shoes and decided to give it another try. BIG MISTAKE!!! I don't remember going through the turn around point. I was having cold sweats and my right calf was cramping badly. As I crossed the line, for almost 19 miles, I wasn't sure what to do. Jimmy and Paul came and convinced me to call it a night. Live to run another day so to say. I have never been in a race where I couldn't finish it. This was a major let down for me. But, I can only blame myself. Poor training leading up to it, poor nutrition habits. One thing for sure, it won't happen again. Once I figure out what is going on with my knee, I'll be back in the game. Jimmy and Hollee did well. AJ did outstanding considering he pulled a groin muscle in a baseball game the night before. They all finished the half with no problems. Deb and Amy were there and kept me going for what I could do. without them, it would have been a long night. I've decided to work on the marathons I have scheduled for the near future. No more ultras. Next year I'm going to run the half with the rest of my running partners.

EL SCORCHO TRES

Well, the day has come. We are in Ft Worth, waiting for our midnight race. No getting out of it. Have to get out there and knock it out. Just got word that AJ pulled a groin muscle in his softball game last night. But, he says it's nothing a few beers can't take care of. He's still going to try and gut out the 15 1/2 miles. Jimmy and Hollee are all set to go. The weather is calling for the 70s with low humidity. Hoping the rain holds off though. Well, it is time to try and grab a nap before we head out to Trinity Park. Got my pit crew (Deb and Amy) all psyched up. Got all the water, electrlytes, and snacks set to go. I'll let you know how it goes whenever I wake up tomorrow.

July

Ok, eight days into July and I've hit couple eight milers and a ten miler. We're a week and a half out from the El Scorcho. Temps in Ft Worth are breaking the 100 mark on a daily basis. Hopefully, with this run starting at midnight, it will be a lot cooler. Last year was 80s and humid. I'll still take that over 100+ temps. My cousin sent me some electrolyte strips. I'll have to get the name of them again but, they seem to work out great. A lot easier than the gels. Going to use them during El Scorcho. Will keep you posted.

June Totals

Well, for me, this was my best month of running so far this year. I hit just over 110miles for the month. Two and a half weeks out from El Scorcho. I'm feeliing a little more confident going into it. Hit a 7-miler today with the first 1.5 miles on some big @$$ hills. The El Scorcho course is mostly flat, with one small hill around the two mile point. Had a short sprinkle of rain prior to my run. So, the humidity was up a little more. Which is good, as it helps me get ready for the July run. After El Scorcho, there will be no rest for the Running Crazy. Need to go straight into training for the Columbus Marathon, which takes place in October. Will keep you posted with results and pictures after we finish. Got my favorite pit crew going with me (Deb and Amy). Should be fun!!!

20 miler

FINALLY!! I finished a 20 mile run on Sunday. kind of my own Father's Day gift to myself. Although I ran the whole thing on our treadmill, it gave me the confidence to know I can hit the long run goal. It was close to 100 degrees outside, with a heat index of 105. So, I'll take an inside run to that kind of humidity anyday. The temp in the exercise room was somewhat similar to an evening run in Texas. Just not as humid. Yes, i'm trying to justify my reasoning for running on the treadmill. :)

I did, however, get to watch quite a bit of Band of Brothers while I ran. So, now I am motivated to get into my run for El Scorcho. I did complete my run in 3 hrs 16 secs. So, I was able to better control my pace and get an idea of where I needed to be without burning myself out to quickly.

Feeling good and looking forward to my midnight run with our friends.

Four Weeks Out

Ok, we are four weeks out from El Scorcho now. Got in two good 8-mile runs this week. Between this week and next week's training, the decision to stick with the full ultra, or sink to the half, will be made. I'd like to stay with my original decision to run the full ultra. Don't want to keep making excuses and whimping out of my goals. Deb says she will support me in whatever decision I make but, it is a personal quest now. I need to stick with what I set out to do. I want to complete this and get my confidence backup. I have two more marathons planned for this year (Columbus and Wynne). After that, I want to work on a couple other marathons but, i want to throw some triathalons in there as well.

ANY MOTIVATION IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wynne Flat as a Pancake 5K

Ran the Wynne, Arkansas Flat as a Pancake 5K this morning. We survived all the rain storms, and tornadoes that came through on Friday. We were worried that the storms would cancel the race fro Saturday. But, it all held off so we could get it done. The race started at 8am. The humidity was growing as the we got closer to the start of the race. The start came and we were off. It was a relatively flat course. After the gun was fired, I started off in in a group out front. There was about six or seven of us. When we hit the first 1/2 mile, some of those fell back. I was running in third place. Hit the first mile in just under 7 minutes. But, that started to catch up with me. Around 1.6 miles, I was passed by two other runners. One male and one female. I kept them in sight for the rest of the race but, could never catch them. I held off the rest of the field and was able to finish fifth overall. I finished with a time of 23:04, a 7:27 pace. I'll take that. Tells me what I need to work on. And, it was the best I have ever placed, individually, in a race. I'm pleased but, want to do better next year. I will run it again when the time comes. Still working on El Scorcho Tres. :)

Long Run

Set out for a 20 miler this morning. The weather wasn't to bad at 7:30am. It was in the low 70s but, the humidity was sure there. Running in my new Saucony Triumph 6s, I was feeling pretty good for about the first seven miles. By that time, the humidity really started taking its toll. Coming back, I was out of water by my 14. I ended up getting just over 16 1/2 miles in before I had to call it quits for the day. Not sure if I am going to have that full ultra in me or not. I have one more 20 miler to run before then. We'll see how that goes and make a decision from there. Don't want to risk an injury before the Columbus Marathon.

Training Update

We're about six weeks out from El Scorcho. My training is getting better. After my long run tomorrow, I will be over 100 miles for the month for the first time since last year. Feeling better with my runs. Just trying to get my wind back. The weather is surely heating up here in Arkansas. Might have to start getting my runs in early in the morning, before work. Man, that is early!!!

Torch Run

Took part in the Arkansas Law Enforcement Torch Run today. Ten of us took part in it with State Troopers and Forrest City PD officers. Started at approximately 8;00AM at the trooper station in Forrest City. Everyone, except the few driving chase vehicles, started off together. Having a squad car escort, and a motorcycle cop riding with us was pretty cool. We started our way up highway 1. Several runners rotated in and out of the chase vehicles. We keep the torch moving at all times. Burns and I ended up running the whole way, which turned out to be 13.64 miles. We made it, as a team, in just over two hours. We rounded the corner and saw all the Special Olympians cheering us on as we came in as one big team. After we finished this leg of the run, we were told another group was coming in from Marion, AR to Wynne but, were running further with less runners. We loaded into the van and went to give them a hand with the remainder of there run. We all took turns running a mile at a time. When I took my turn, it seemed to turn into more like two miles. The guys in the van decided to get more than their monies worth out of me. Ha. It was all worth it as it was for a good cause, and I got in a decent long run in the middle of the week. Less than two months to go for El Scorcho!!

TRAINING

Hit my first real, long run since the Cowtown. Hit a 12 miler today. Other than the high winds, I felt great. Completed my run in 1 hour 39 minutes. Felt good to get out there and complete this run in that kind of weather, and not struggle. Felt strong going up the hills. Getting back into the swing of things, finally. El Scorcho is drawing nearer. Hope to stay healthy and beat last year's time.

El Scorcho Training

Officially starting my first week of training for El Scorcho Tres. Hit one 6 mile run this week but, I'm still behind by 5 miles. Gotta get in gear and get on track. I want to be able to better my time from El Scorcho Dos. So, with that said, now that the move is over and I'm on a normal shift for once, I need to lose that 10 pounds that found me over this move. Get beyond my knee pain, and get back into the game. Got a 6 miler scheduled for tomorrow. Calling for rain but, no matter, I will still get it in.

Cowtown 2009

Feb 28, 2009. The Cowtown Race. Originally signed up for the marathon but, had a lot of issues with training. We were in the middle of getting ready for our move from Ft Worth to Arkansas. That moving diet will put some pounds on ya. Also dealing with knee issues. So, I changed to the half marathon. Glad I did. Once I finished, I knew I didn't have a full marathon in me at the time. Well, the temp was about 32 degrees, without the wind chill. BRRRRRRRRRRR!!! Was supposed to run with AJ but, lost him in the crowd. The Cowtown is a great race. They broke their record for participants this year. Well, the run started, and was bottle necked for about the first two miles. Once you get out of the crowd, it was easy to enjoy the run and scenery. Great crowd support. Always love coming back into downtown, surrounded by the huge buildings, the cheering crowds, and seeing the finish line after you round the last corner. Finished with a 1:47. Not my best but, not bad for an injured knee. Next stop, El Scorcho Tres in July.