Week 12: Pace Run

Today was a 3 mile pace run.  The day off did me some good.  My legs stretched out for the first time this week.  I went out for 15 minutes each way.  I didn't take into account that I would actually be moving faster, so the run ended up being about 3.5 miles.  Great run.  

Afterwards I drank a ton of water, drank an xs, had a couple sport twist tubes to rehydrate and a solid dinner.

Week 12: Strength and Mid-distance

Today was a split workout.  I got in a quick lift and ran 3 miles.  The lift was:

• Bench: 3x6 @ 135
• Pullups: 3x6
• Standing rows: 3x6 @ 45
• Curls: 3x6 @ 30
• Standing lateral raises: 3x6 @ 12
• Standing tricep presses: 3x6 @ 60
• Abs: 3x25 on balance ball

My legs were dragging from yesterday, but the lift felt great.  I'm looking forward to the day off tomorrow.

Week 12: Speed work

Today was 5x400 meters.  I found out that the block around my house was about 500 meters.  I did 5 laps.  I ran the first 400 was at 5k pace and walked the last 100.  The last lap was a little more difficult.  I wasn't tired, but my legs just wouldn't go any faster.  Afterwards I drank an XS and stretched.  I'm going to be sore tomorrow.

Week 12: Midweek run

Today was the first day back after the race.  I took a bit longer than I probably should have to get back out there.  I wanted to make sure I was good and rested.  Sometimes when you're still warm from the heat of battle, the chill of mediocrity is enough to spur you action again.  

Today was a 3 mile run.  15 minutes out and back.  It felt really good to get out and run again.  My legs were stiff, as expected, but my lungs opened up and I felt great.  I wonder if I'll be sore tomorrow.

Week 13: Begin with the end in mind

When my journey began 4 months ago I talked about beginning with the end in mind.  Just to be clear, the goal was and is...

To that end I decided to take 2009 to work on my running.  Specifically my 2009 goal is to get stronger and faster in the marathon.  That's what I've been working on up til now.  On February 15, 2009 I ran the Austin Half Marathon.  That's one race down and 2 to go.   

To review up to now, I spent the past 4 months building up my base fitness for a half marathon. The main focus on the training was just to be able to finish comfortably.  I followed a beginner's training program designed by Hal Higdon.  It consisted of strength and stretching on mondays, tuesdays a mid-distance run, wednesday a recovery run, thursday strength and mid-distance, friday rest, saturday cross training, and a long run on sunday.  The long runs started out at 3 miles and culminated at 12 miles.  

I didn't follow the workout exactly as laid out.  I went very light no the strength training and longer on the mid and long runs.  Often times I'd take Monday as a second off day to help me recover from the long runs on Sunday.  In the end, it all worked out just fine.  My goal was to finish comfortably which, admittedly, is a bit of an oxymoron, but never-the-less, I finished with a new personal best time of 1:58.  

Now, looking back, I realize I need to work on my foot speed and stamina.  There were times I was striding out at full bore and was still getting passed.  I also needed to build up some more stamina because losing my lunch at mile 11 is not my favorite thing to do.  

Building on those experiences, next up is another round of half marathon training.  This time I will incorporate plyometrics, strength training and more distance work.  The goal is to knock my time down by 10 minues.  That puts me at 8:14 miles.  That will take some work, but it's doable.

So this training plan is slightly more ambitious than the last.  Once again Monday is stretch and strengthening, Tuesday is a mid-distance run, Wednesday is speed work, Thursday is strength training and a recovery run, Friday is an off day, Saturday is a short pace run, and Sunday is for long runs.  There are 3 races built into the training plan at weeks 3, 6 and 9.  Week 12 is another half marathon.  I don't have an official target race, so it may wind up just being me and a closed course.  We'll have to wait and see.  For now, I'm still in pursuit and the journey is what makes it all worthwhile.

Week 1: Race Day

Today was race day. 13 weeks of training down to this moment. I love everything about days like this. From the calm, quiet of the city when I wake, to the excitement of the crowd just before the race, to the unspoken conviction of the participants as they toe the line; it's an environment where anything can happen. It's in an environment where the meek become lions, the bold are humbled, and the masses of competitors make a decision about which they choose to be. Most importantly, it's an environment that cuts us open and reveals us to ourselves in a way that leaves no room for dishonesty or doubt.

On race day, when we toe the line, we each have the opportunity to rewrite history and redefine the man or woman we see in the mirror. At some point everyone hurts. At some point the training was never enough. At some point we all have to tap into a deeper part of who we are just to keep moving forward.

Just words. Just thoughts. Just reflection of heart. Just echos of character that we use to define ourselves. On race day, we all claim some of these words for ourselves. What we come to realize is that the cost of claiming them is small, but the expense of living with them sometimes is more than we can handle. At the end of the day, the real question is "can we afford to live with the way we've defined ourselves?"

* * *

The day started out at 4am with me finding yet another reason to love my wife. Shell woke me up with plenty of time to get down to the race site. We picked up Paul Lopez and made it to the starting line around 6:40am. I've done a few races at this distance and above, but this was my first official half marathon. It turns out the Austin Marathon is quite a popular event. Over 11,000 people officially registered and finished the race this year. The start line stretched from the north side of the Congress Street bridget all the way up near the capital.

It was pretty cool seeing all those people out there chasing their dreams and the thousands of friends and family coming out to support them. What would the world be like if we were willing to support everyone who dared to dream like this group of strangers did today? What could we as a people accomplish if we were all willing to chase our dreams. I suppose that's why I love racing. It's just about the only time in life when you can get a group of people that large together who are all willing to say, "You can do it." "You have what it takes." "You may not have ever done anything like this before, so if your belief isn't strong enough to carry you right now, just follow me because I believe in myself and that will be enough to carry both of us long enough for you to believe in yourself again." It's a place where dreams are nurtured and grown and new dreams sprout up. It's the easiest place to do the hardest thing in anyone's life...escape mediocrity.

Before the race, Shell, Paul and I got a chance to mingle with the crowd.

All decked out in my stretchy pants and LSU hat. Thank goodness for the thermal cold weather gear I got for Christmas.



It takes all kinds to pull off a race of this size. Thank goodness you don't have to be a superman to finish the race!


Possibly the world's greatest race day wife. Shell thinks of everything and always makes it easy for me to focus on the race when it matters most. I don't know how I ever did it before her. She's truly amazing.


Paul and I taking in the excitement before the race. This guy can flat out run.

Just after 7am, the gun went off and the race began. 10-15 minutes after that I finally made it up to the start line. My goal was to finish averaging under 10 minute miles. I figured if I could hang with the 4 hour marathon group, I'd finish in around 2 hours, averaging just over 9 minute miles. I managed to catch up with the pace runners at the 1 mile mark by doing some creative roadside passing and drawing back on my experiences of lunch hour in downtown Chicago.

Ok, you got me. That's really the "Twist & Shout" scene from Ferris Buehler's Day Off. Cut me some slack here. I didn't take many pictures back then. You get the idea.

After catching up to the pace group, I managed to strike up some conversations with other people and take my mind off a pace that was just a little quicker than I was comfortable with. At the 5k mark I met John, a UT grad who walked away from the family business and now in his 30's, has made a career founding and developing successful startups. At the 10k mark I met Adam, a career salesman trying to move his family to Australia. Everything was going fine. I was on cruise control and feeling great. Then at the 10 mile marker the pace group keep going on the marathon route and the half marathon route broke off for a series of hill climbs leading to the finish. Now without a pace group, I had to pace myself.

I think it was around mile 11 that I realized that it was going to take a little more than I thought to finish the race like I had been picturing in my mind for the last 13 weeks. Sadly, that little more (eg food, gel packs, salt) was no where to be found. That's when I realized that the last couple miles were going to hurt...a lot.

Then a miracle occurred. Out of nowhere a fan appeared on the side of the road handing out oranges to her friends running by. "Here, you look like you could use one," she said to me. "Halelujah. God bless you lady. Thank you Jesus. I'm going to be ok," I said to myself. Fireworks went off in my mind. This was exactly what my body needed. Some sugar, some nutrients. Just enough to carry me to the finish.

Perhaps not. About a quarter mile later I stopped to throw up. There goes 12 ounce of water and yes, the entire orange too. Note to self. Don't mix acidic fruit with an empty, upset stomach. After the last of it came out I had to laugh at the irony. I thought having the orange in me would be just what I needed. It turned out, getting rid of the orange (and the rest of whatever was in there) was the real key. I felt so much better after that.

My hamstrings were still throbbing and I knew there were at least 2 long climbs left in front of me. 2 miles was an eternity away. There's no way I could have made it two miles. But I could make it to the next stop light. I could make it to the next traffic cone. I could make it to the next water station. Peak to peak. One foot in front of the other. 2 miles was Everest to me. All I had in me was one more step.

And that's how I finished the race. I took one more step over and over again. One foot in front of the other all the way to the finish line. When one step started to seem more than I could manage, I made a mantra out of Isiah 40:28-31 and 1 John 4:4. It worked. The last 400 meters were a blur. I felt no pain. I just kept running to the light at then end of the tunnel. When I got to the last 100 meters, the finish line was bigger than life.

As I crossed the finish line, I was in a daze. My body was numb and my mind still struggled to let go of its singular focus of the last 2 hours. On my right I heard Shell shouting, trying to catch my attention and snap pictures from the crowd. Even in a daze I'm overwhelmed by her love for me and mine for her. I kept walking, looking for an exit. Finally, frustrated and exhausted, I hopped the railing and found a place to sit down and catch my breath.

A few minutes later, Shell caught up with me. We grabbed Teddy and headed to the car. On the walk there she told me I'd done better than I thought. Evidently the finish line timer was running on Kenyan time. My time didn't actually start until I got to the start line about 10 minutes later. With all the challenges I had to overcome the last couple miles, I'd still managed to finish in under 2 hours. 1:58. A new personal best.

Back at the house, now with a chance to rest and reflect, I realize it's all true. I said it before and I'll say it again,

“Dreams are good, but not good enough. Faith is good, but not good enough. Goals are good, but not good enough. There is only one way to prove your faith, dreams, and goals. Only one way to transform them into a reality, and that is the pursuit. The most important thing you can ever do in life is to find a dream worth chasing, and when you catch it, find a bigger one. Pursuit changes everything, it captivates your heart, increases your momentum, unleashes your focus, and brings astonishing results.”

Shell, thank you so much for being willing to join me on the journey. You truly are a woman among girls. I love you and couldn't do it without you. To everyone else reading this blog, I pray that you have the courage to chase your dreams, whatever they be. I believe in you more than you can possibly know.

Week 1: Last Run

This is it, the last run before the Austin Half Marathon on Sunday. A quick 2 miler out and back. I know I pushed the pace more than I should of, but 2 miles just flies by and I was running on endorphins. My diet was a little off today, but Shell came through like a champ with some Jimmy John's right when I got out of the shower. I took in a half gallon of water from dinner to bed and I'm headed to bed early to let my body rest up before the race.

It's pretty cool looking back over the past 12 weeks knowing I managed to follow through with the program. From making a decision to do something to following through and actually doing it. In the big scheme of things, the race means nothing. The character to finish means everything. I pray anyone reading this post, be it today or 10 years from now, finds a challenge in their life - something that makes them really uncomfortable and stretches them to the point of questioning whether they can do it - and runs at it with everything they've got. It's during the pursuit that you define yourself. It's in the moments of self doubt when you're willing to fall forward that you realize you are capable of more. It's coming to the brink of faiiure that you earn your own self respect and make the decision to win.

If you can follow through on one thing, you can follow through on anything. You're closer than you think. America needs heros. Be willing to stand. Be willing to speak up. Make a decision to be different. Whatever your cost, it's worth it. I'll see you at the top.

Week 1: Recovery Run

The taper continues. Today I had breakfast twice. In the morning I had sausage and egg tacos during the BEG meet and greet. For lunch I had a Jimmy Dean scrambler left over from yesterday. I also had an energizer snack pack of nuts and dried fruit (4oz), an apple with peanut butter, and a blueberry meal replacement bar. The run tonight, 3 miles, was cake. Teddy and I headed out around 830pm. I didn't start sweating until the 25 minute mark. I probably went about a quarter mile long, but that's fine. I wasn't pushing the pace and my legs are getting some spring back in them. It's going to be a great race

Week 1: Mid-Distance

Last mid distance run before the race on sunday. I was inside on the treadmill today. Four miles at a steady, easy 10 minute pace. I could have shaved another minute or two off at that distance, but that's not the goal for today. This is a taper week, so the treadmill is my friend. About the time I worked up a good sweat, I was done. Afterwards I drank a Nutrilite Sport Vanilla Protein Shake that was remarkably good. Most protein shakes are chalky and uncomfortably thick. This was light, had a vanilla bean taste and sat really well. Later, I had breakfast at IHOP and slept like a log.

Week 1: Strength & Recovery

Today was a recovery workout from the long run yesterday. it's also race week. With that in mind and trying to contain my excitement, I headed to the Y for a short lifting session. I stared out with 20 minutes on the exercise bike to warm up. I really like exercise bikes. You get in a light sweat and can read at the same time. I'm all about 2-for-1 deals. After that I went through the same core lifting routine as last week. The weights went up slightly since my body had adjusted to the movements again. I finished with abs and headed out the door a happy guy.

Week 2: Long Run

Early February. 73 degrees. Sunny. Austin, TX. Today is the last long run before the race!!! Woo hoo. 10 miles. I felt great going in and great coming out. I did a stacked 2 lap out and back course. The first was 37 minutes out and back with Teddy. The second was about 20 minutes out and back alone. The wind going out was crazy. 20mph at least straight into my face. When I finally got to the turnaround, I think I heard Teddy swear. Such language...I completely agree. Brutal. Despite that, I ended up doing about an extra mile just for fun. I love the warm Texas weather.

I'm going to have to stretch some tonight to keep the hammies and lower back from cramping on me tomorrow. I think the key to today's run was the banana and extra bottle of water I picked up after the first lap. I never really lost focus the entire way. Usually I get a little goofy the last mile or 2 of a long run. I think it was the potassium in the banana that did it for me...nature's perfect food. The water was also key in helping me stay hydrated on a warmer than usual day. I'm not sure how I'm going to pack a banana during the race, but I'm sure I'll think of something. It's going to be a great day.

Week 2: Strength and Mid-distance

Today I had an early appointment, so I stopped by the Y for a morning lift. Basic major muscle groups: bench, pull ups, standing rows, dumb bell curls, tricep pull downs, supermen and abs. Afterwards I went for a quick lap around PRC. The run was uneventful and I actually skipped the second lap to run home and check on shell. She'd gotten sick and needed a hug and some kind words. I don't see how that helps, but it seemed to fill her love tank a bit, so it was worth it. That night I did a 20 minute shoot-around with a friend after Upward practice. The workout wasn't traditional, but it got the job done. My lats are already sore. Tomorrow should be fun :)

Week 2: Recovery Run

Went out for a 30 minute out and back with Teddy. It almost felt like cheating. Right when I began to loosen up, I had to turn around and head back. Al lin all, the run did what it was supposed to do. I flushed some stiffness and broke a very light sweat.

If

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

--Rudyard Kipling

Week 2: Mid-Week run

I was a bit short on time today. I headed over to the Y for a 5 mile run. I only ended up getting in 4.5 miles in 40 minutes. Even though the distance wasn't there, it was a great run. The treadmill paced me out nicely and I was able to find a groove amongst a crowd of people. Dinner was burger and fries. Late night had a couple tacos and an egg roll. Bad food, but at least I got in some food.

Week 3: Long Run

9 miles today with Teddy. Started about 11pm. Great midnight run. About the last 1.5 miles I couldn't feel my ass. My lungs were fine. My legs were sore, but I finished very, very strong. Eating before the run and throughout the day does make a difference. I'm going to drink an XS and head to bed. A few notes about today...

1) It was SuperBowl Sunday. Warner and Fitzgerald played like warriors and came up short. This was probably the best game I've seen on the last Sunday ever.
2) I got about 8 hours sleep. Sleep is good and much more important that I give it credit for.
3) I had to stop and stretch twice during the run to keep my back from cramping up.
4) Teddy won't stop playing now that we're home. I gave him a bath and shell dried him. Now he's fired up and going to town playing fetch and dominating his stuffed polar bear. I really home our kids don't have this kind of energy.