Motivated to Succeed

Round 2, Day #40: 9.3 miles to celebrate 1/3 of the way through Round 2. Total Time was 1:17:15, good for 8:17/ mile. I feel relaxed and comfortable running at this pace. My fitness is improving, yay! Ear was throbbing today. Emma helped me put in ear drops. I spent most of the day resting and correcting midterms that need to be ready for Friday's PD. I wish I could just be sick and rest on my "sick days", but alas, the story of a charter school teacher! Ha! Enjoyed a couple episodes of Family Guy and am looking forward to just sleeping as comfortably as possible with the ear infection.

Cats on the table,
Children at the bar, What's this
world set out for??

"Dream barriers look very high until someone climbs them. They are not barriers anymore." - Lasse Viren

Round 2, Day #42 (Part I): 4am treadmill workout, 3.11 miles in 26:58 @ 5% grade (8:40/mile). School or no school, not going to let my job dictate my life any more. Time to get lean and mean. I got races to prep for! Hoping for a longer Part II tonight, but at least I started the day on a good note.

Sweat in the eyes man,

Stings so friggin' bad. Fat down,

Shorts on the ground, just

White knuckle to the finish.

“I recall being in a training camp at Woodville, in northeast Texas, in 1970 when about thirty of us went for a 22-mile run on a hot, humid day. There were broad smiles when the American boys saw me changing into a pair of women’s cotton briefs. But at the end of the run I was the only one not chafed. The next day, about thirty runners traipsed into the local women’s clothing store and asked for female briefs. The woman attendant looked alarmed until it was explained why so many men wanted women’s underclothes. She did great business.” - Arthur Lydiard, Running the Lydiard Way

Round 2, Day #42 (Part II): 6 miles total in 48:24, good for 8:04/ mile average pace. First two were a little slow and last two were a little quick, but not more than a :12 or :14 spread from the 8:04 pace. Happy with the effort. (Red Vibrams)

Run with ambition,

Purity yields wisdom, go!

Tell others! Conquer!

Today's quote comes from our very own Patrick Sweeney: "Went off for a short run through streets of Managua, got lost, saw a bunch of cool touristy stuff, stopped for a a couple of giant beers, played baseball with some local kids, heard my theme song playing as ran past a restaurant barefoot and got a ton of whistles from the local ladies ( well Tyler did that is) I just got chased by wild dogs but on the bright side none of them caught me. Life is good:-)" 

Round 2, Day #49: 3.10 itty bitty miles. Came home and crashed. Body just gave out. I zonked on the couch for most of the night, then woke up at 10:30 and hopped on the treadmill. Took a mile to get things cooking, easing in about 8:30 pace, but then I picked it up and ran steady for the remainder. Total time was 23:58, good for 7:44/mile. I am looking at barely breaking 40 miles this week! Yikes!Hoping to get about 10 miles tomorrow, then easy 3's all the way up until next Saturday and Sunday!

Caffeinated run,
Fueled by adrenaline.
Run scared. Run fast. Mine!

The 1929 race was even tougher - over 3,600 miles, with six fewer days allowed. The route was more southern, so hotter and more humid. Gavuzzi describes going through the Texas oilfields - "the smell was terrible ; all you could see was these pumps going up and down, and every time they went up and down it was a dollar in someone's pocket. We were poor and they were rich." Having led almost all the way until the final stage around LA, Gavuzzi eventually lost ( after running for over 525 hours) by 2 minutes and 17 seconds.

Round 2, Day #51: 3.10 miles relaxed style in 25:45. And so it begins... taper week before the double indoor marathons. Must remember to keep the horsies watered and in check to give it a go and see how close to a PR I can come on the first day. Excited for tomorrow morning - we are going to go tubing at Bosquet and then enjoy hanging out with Momma Grifff, Harry, and Hayley. Will shoot to do a 5 or 6 mile shake out run tomorrow. Huzzah! (Blue Vibrams)

Have you ever thought
About jumping head first towards
greatness? Well I have...

However, the adoption of this minimalist philosophy by the masses has not been without debate and controversy. While I consider the scientific evidence on barefoot running regarding injury prevention and performance enhancement to be largely inconclusive and lacking any significant causality, as with most things running-related, I view footwear as an experiment-of-one type situation that should be based on personal goals and individual preferences, not necessarily on a generalized theory. - Anton Krupicka

Round 2, Day #54: 5 miles in 41:07; good for average of 8:13/mile. Easy peasy recovery run. Time to finalize my packing list tonight! I'm excited! It's never too early to carbo load is it? Ha! (Vibrams Green)

If Jesus were a runner
Would he be a minimalist?
Vibrams or Zero Drop? I wonder.

"My muscles are angry, that's all. I'm walking like a pregnant midget." - Erin Hattaway

Round 2, Day #56: 1.10 miles only in Vibrams to keep the streak alive. Got up at 5 and drove 12 hours to Goshen, IN. Stopped on the way to see Su and Rocco and wish them good luck. Rocc got a new job in Boca Raton so they are moving back to Florida! Su said I should find a race near them so that I can stay with them and get my Florida one in! We'll see! Emm would probably like staying somewhere warm too. Hopped on the hotel treadmill at about 10pm and got an easy 10 minutes in. Tomorrow's the big day!

Butterflies bring fear,
Training miles translation
to personal gains.

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions." - Michael Wardian

8AM Race Start:

PRE-RACE: Got up early around 6am. Got dressed in my HSV50 shirt, matching shorts and red Bikilas. Grabbed a cup of coffee and two mini-muffins while I headed out the door around 7:20 or so. What I love about being only 2 miles from the Rec Center is that it is the only marathon (maybe besides the HSV50) that you can roll out of bed 40 mins before the race and still make it to the starting line with time to spare. Got there and saw Jen and got a hug, then checked in and changed. There were about 12 Marathon Maniacs there for today's race. I was hoping for a big day, but didn't know how I was going to do, with only two days of runs since Jan 1st that totaled more than 10 miles. Set up in the far corner of the track and went to the pre-race briefing.

RACE: (204 laps of a newly renovated 208m track) I started off in the back of the pack and just tried to run easy miles. I broke the race down into 26 mini-races of 7.5 laps each. One of the things that I like about this race is that you always have people to run with and you get to watch the front runners duke it out. Was fun to watch Jake and Laura Gilette leading their respective races and to see some of the folks from last year! Most of my first 17 miles were sub 9. I knew the last 9 would hurt, because I hadn't done any long runs since December. But I don't think I faded too badly, maybe a couple in the 9:30 range. When I hit 10 laps to go, I charged home. Everyone was great and cheering me on. Finishing time was 4:07:10.

POST-RACE: Cheered in a couple of friends, then went back to the hotel to shower and relax. Headed out to get "refueled" with Garlic hummus, Triscuits, and more GUs for tomorrow. Got into bed but there were young wannabe marathoners everywhere, sprinting down the hall, and up above the rooms. Another racer was next to me in the room over and thankfully he had the guts to yell out into the hallway at about 9:30. Finally things started to work out and I fell asleep around 10pm, just in time for my 5am wake up call the next morning.

Old Marathon PERSONAL RECORD: 4:26:50, set in 10/12 at BayState Marathon. NEW** PERSONAL RECORD** : 4:07:10, set 2/2/13 @ Maple Leaf Indoor Marathon.

Total Time: 4:07:10 Total Distance: 26.316 Average Pace:  9:22.5/mile

7AM Race Start:

PRE-RACE: Woke up at about 5:40. Got dressed quickly and checked out of the hotel about 6:15. Fueled up the car at a Marathon gas station and bought an apple danish to scarf down to get some carbs in me. The hotel didn't have breakfast out until 7ish. Lame. Drank a little Gatorade. Wasn't as sore as I thought I would be given yesterday's PR. Maybe this bodes well for my fitness?

RACE: (204 laps of a newly renovated 208m track) - Laps 209-408. Started off in the back of the pack and ran most of the first 13 miles with Stan, whose son runs xc and who has also run some marathons/ultras. We chatted about various articles and books we liked and just clicked off 10 minute miles. I really enjoyed this! I got to chat a little more than yesterday with my friend Jen who was back running what I think was her 78th or 79th marathon. She's a tank! So happy to see her. She gets the most consistent award, running nearly identical times to the second! Also got to chat with Greg Bealieu, whom I remember from last year and is from Ohio. He's an actuary and we chatted a bit. He was telling me about how he scouted out a .5 mile loop from his house and sought out to do 100miles during the summer. It took him 42 hours with rest breaks, sleeping, etc. But a really fun idea I think! Maybe I could do something like this and raise money for Sea Shepherd!

At mile 16, I had to switch shoes. My feet killed. The blue Vibrams wreaked havoc and I ended up with about a dozen blisters. I switched into Altras and had a blast, running like I was on a cloud. Finished strong and saved stuff for the last lap, where I ended up running the 208 meters in :57 seconds! Too bad joke was on me because since Doug wasn't there to count down the laps, I had actually done 205 laps, instead of 204. Doh! Still ran my 4th fastest time EVER! I am getting in shape and loving it!

POST-RACE: Said goodbye to Stan, Greg, and Jenn, and then hopped in the car and drove to Buffalo (7 hour drive). Got there around 8:30 after a near death experience running out of gas. Somehow made it to a station on fumes after getting lost on Exit 60 of the NYS thruway. In addition, the automatic replenishment on EZPass wasn't working because of the douche that stole our credit card. I never thought to update the information after that fiasco last week. Got to Buffalo and checked in. Best 38 bucks I ever spent! Hot water, two beds, a/c, wifi, coffee pot, free breakfast in the a.m. TV clicked on but I was too sore and tired to get up and change it so I fell asleep listening to the Oscar/AAs. Kristin Stewart is such an apathetic toolbag!

Yesterday: 12th place, 8th in men's division
Today: 17th place, 13th in men's division 

Total Time: 4:51:54 Total Distance: 26.316 Average Pace:  11:06/mile

Round 2, Day #60: 2.10 miles in 20:12. Legs can bend today, but still sore. Hoping tomorrow for ~4 easy slow miles at this pace. We'll see. Started reading Robin Harvie's "The Lure of Long Distances". Love it already.

Just a stiff legged
runner trying to loosen 
things up. Come on dudes!

"Running to my mind, was little more than a way of getting away from it all, a feeling that is familiar to all of us. The runners I knew understood this emotional illiteracy and we did not have to explain ourselves to each other. When trying to articulate this feeling more fully to those who didn't get the point of running at all, i could only offer a dumb sign of indescribable happiness. I loved it. None of this came close, though, to describing the draw of the intoxicating freedom and self-empowerment that I would later discover to be at the heart of the richness of the running experience." - Robin Harvie

Round 2, Day #61: 4 miles relaxed in 36:29, good for 9:07/mile. Soreness is retreating, the blisters are starting to heal, though the stubborn ones under my toenails keep reappearing (the gifts that keep on giving!). Starting to recover and set my sights on the next race. Highlight of the run was sneezing mid-stride.. truly a weird experience.

Mid-stride surprise! SNEEZE!!
Brief moment of euphoric
happiness. Slog on!

"They understood that running was a primeval action so uncomplicated that it should be celebrated for its purity. It provided a chance to be in concert with nature, offering an experience that was open to all." - Robin Harvie

Round 2, Day #62: 4 miles easy in 35:23, good for 8:51/mile. Legs are rehabbing nicely thanks to the Vitalsox. Only pain is under each of my second toe's nail... subnail blisters that I keep lancing. Painful and I think I am going to end up losing them in the long run. As long as I can keep running though. Big decisions to make about Circular Logic Marathon next month. Emma and I were talking about it and I think it is going to be a go , but I don't think I am driving the 12 hours each way this time due to no more time off. Looking to get a flight into Indiana on Friday night, hopefully a rental car, and drive the hour to the starting line and sleep in the car! Then race, celebrate, and back to get on the plane to fly home. I can do this, right?

Locomotive shines,
Warning lights, go lights time to
make the decision.

"For runners the task is simple: we need to rid ourselves of all the symbolism and metaphor in order to become pure kinetic energy. We must unharness ourselves form the baggage that we drag around with us, free ourselves from imagination, and learn, as we did as children, what it is to run with our feet alone." - Robin Harvie