Happy 50th To Me

Yesterday was my 50th training run for the 2009 Chicago Marathon. So far, I have ...

• Raised $1,790 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure
• Covered 308.81 miles
• Run for 48 hours, 43 minutes, and 2 seconds
• Run at an average speed of 6.3 MPH
• Maintained an average heart rate of 157 BPM
• Burned about 40,877 calories

That list kinda makes me feel like I've accomplished something already!

I'm Back

BIG 18-miler in the morning. More to come after that...

129.25 Down, 285.25 To Go

The first thing an observant reader may notice about the title of this post is that it doesn't add up to 419. I've changed the math to reflect the missed run of 4.5 miles on 7/13.

Thursday's run is posted. It was a great one, and I was super-happy with the 8:47 average pace.

Saturday's run felt pretty good, too. I was especially proud of the fact that I maintained a better average pace and ticked off better splits than the 10 mile run one week before. I do wonder, though: does the improvement have more to do with the difference in the weather (a little cooler and less humid this week vs. last) or in my conditioning?

Funny story from Saturday: Jess and I stopped by Dick's Friday night so I could pick up some Body Glide. (If you're not familiar with Body Glide, think of it as Chap-Stik for areas of the body that are prone to chafing over long distances.) While we were there, I bought a new pair of running shorts, and I decided to wear those shorts on Saturday morning.

Fast-forward to about 7:30 AM on Saturday. I'm ticking off the miles, feeling pretty good about my pace, and looking forward to finishing my run. At about mile 11.2, I happen to look down at my feet and realize that the fronts of my socks are reddish in color ... then it slowly dawns on me that both shins are streaked in red, like this:

With only 3/4 of a mile to go, I felt confident that I could finish the run ... but the doubt definitely started to creep in. I began asking myself questions: Did I apply the Body Glide incorrectly? Apply it in the wrong places? Are these new shorts cutting into me somewhere? Why haven't I felt any pain? So I hammered through the end of the run and headed back to the car, where the first thing I did after taking a couple of pictures was try to find out where the bleeding was coming from.

As it turns out, the as-yet unwashed shorts were bleeding, not me. So the moral of the story is to wash dark garments before running 12 miles in them. Lesson learned ... but I did get some cool red and white socks out of the deal.

Catching Up

Well ... I'm not doing a very good job of keeping my posts up to date, eh? Since I last wrote, I have:

• Missed my first training run on July 13 while in Kenosha, WI visiting my sister, her husband, and their new twins
• Checked off my first-ever run of double-digit mileage (last Saturday)
• Lost the GPS data for a run (July 14)

So here are the newest links to my runs ...

Tuesday, July 7th

Thursday, July 9th

Saturday, July 11th in Kenosha, Wisconsin!

Thursday, July 16th (after missing 7/13 and losing the data for 7/14)

Saturday, July 18th (the aforementioned double-digit mileage)

Monday, July 20th

Tuesday, July 21st

Inspiration

I think a lot about my Uncle Harold when I'm running, and I think it's worth reminding you readers about him from time to time. After all, he's a big reason that I chose to be a charity runner this October in the Chicago Marathon.

Here's a photo of Uncle Harold and me on a building team trip to Puerto Rico in 2003. For four years in a row, he and I traveled with my dad and several other United Methodists (and one Presbyterian) to the city of Mayaguez and helped build a church there. Those were some of the best 'vacations' I've taken, and I'll never forget riding shotgun as Uncle Harold's co-pilot in our rental cars.

64.5 Down, 354.5 To Go

Wow. Could it be that I've doubled my total mileage since the last time I posted? And this after I promised you my posting frequency would increase?! I relly have no excuse. But let me catch you up on the runs since last time...

• Saturday, 6/27/09 (My second "long" run)
• Monday, 6/29/09
• Tuesday, 6/30/09
• Thursday, 7/2/09
• Saturday, 7/4/09 (My third "long" run ... on the beach!)
• and this morning

More posting to come later today, hopefully!

32 Down, 387 To Go

I know I've slowed the post frequency over the last couple of days ... I'll try to do better!

Here are Tuesday's and Thursday's workouts for your viewing pleasure.

23 Down, 396 To Go

Note to my few readers out there: stop me if my math is ever incorrect.

Here's this morning's run for you.

Inspiration

While listening to some tunes the other day, this Rush song popped up and made me stop what I was doing to listen. I've heard it a thousand times, but now it takes on new meaning...

Marathon

It's not how fast you can go
The force goes into the flow
If you pick up the beat
You can forget about the heat

More than just survival
More than just a flash
More than just a dotted line
More than just a dash

It's a test of ultimate will
The heartbreak climb uphill
Got to pick up the pace
If you want to stay in the race

More than blind ambition
More than simple greed
More than a finish line
Must feed this burning need -

In the long run...

From first to last
The peak is never passed
Something always fires the light
That gets in your eyes
One moment's high
And glory rolls on by
Like a streak of lightning
That flashes and fades
In the summer sky

Your meters may overload
You can rest at the side of the road
You can miss a stride
But nobody gets a free ride

More than high performance
More than just a spark
More than just the bottom line
Or a lucky shot in the dark -

In the long run...

You can do a lot in a lifetime
If you don't burn out too fast
You can make the most of the distance
First you need endurance -
First you've got to last...

19 Down, 400 To Go

Week one is done, and what a week it was! My sister gave birth to beautiful baby twins early Friday morning, and I am one proud uncle. Welcome to the world, Chloe and Ian!

And of course I knocked out my first "long" run today. The pace wasn't as quick as I would've liked, but the combo of heat and humidity - even at 5:30 AM - wasn't exactly conducive to breathing ... much less running fast for a long time. Tomorrow's a rest day (woo hoo!) and then we start week 2!

13 Down, 406 To Go

Here's your link to yesterday morning's run.

You know how when you begin struggling in the middle of a run (or any activity, really), you start searching for the tiniest bit of inspiration to get you going again? That happened to me on this run, and here's what I found: A Dodge pickup that was parked in our neighborhood had the last 3 letters removed from the badge on the liftgate, so it just said "Do." I don't know if it was intentional or not, but I think whoever made that modification got it just about right ... Do. Not Dodge.

9 Down, 410 To Go

I'm a bit late posting this, but Tuesday's run is up for anyone who'd like to have a look. And yes, the starting time is correct ... but I can explain. Jess had to catch a flight out of CLT on Tuesday morning, so I decided the best time to get my 5 miles in the books would be while she was getting ready. At 4:30. In the morning.

Fundraising Update: If I haven't done a good job of getting this out there already, I'll remind you, Dear Reader: I committed to raise $2,200 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation when I registered for this marathon. So far, I'm almost 20% of the way there ($410). If you feel like putting me up closer to a full quarter of the way to my goal, check out the donation page and give generously. It's painless, I promise. In fact, it'll give you a warm fuzzy.

4 Down, 415 To Go

The first run is in the books. Here are some interesting thoughts I had while running four miles at 5 AM today:

• "Ahhhh ... quiet."
• "The moon is beautiful."
• "I'm in charge of dinner tonight. What should we have?"
• "I can't wait to be doing this through the streets of Chicago in the daylight."
• "Running figure-8s through an undeveloped phase of my neighborhood is already quite monotonous."
• "Did that rock just move? Was that a frog?" (It was indeed a frog. I managed to avoid stepping on it.)
• "The birds are awake now. I hope I didn't wake them earlier than they're used to."

So ... check out the details of the run at the link above (only if you want to), and remember: I'm going to be running this marathon for charity. Whenever I've run enough training miles to satisfy your philanthropic (or sadistic ... but still philanthropic) side, consider making a donation to the Susan G. Komen Foundation here.

Tomorrow is 5 more miles...

More Inspiration

I just finished watching Spirit of the Marathon, a documentary that follows several runners as they train for and run the Chicago Marathon. It's worth watching if you're interested in the reasons why people choose to push themselves to the limits of their endurance.

Tomorrow is Day One of the training program, and I'm ready to go.

Inspiration

Here's a little photo of Uncle Harold and me after I ran in the competitive 5K at Charlotte's Race for the Cure in 2007.

0 Down, 419 To Go

I've added a link to a Google Calendar version of my training regimen on the sidebar to the right.

If my math is correct, I have a total of 419 training miles to go before the big day, not including the actual marathon itself. Can't wait to start ticking those bad boys off!

Welcome to the Starting Line

Well, here we are: the beginning.  It's been quite an odyssey, getting from this old blog post to actually registering for my first marathon ... but I did it.  Finally.  And as if just conjuring up the moxie weren't already difficult enough, now I'm actually going to train for this thing?!  Absolutely.

I'm here because my Uncle Harold was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2006 and fought the disease for nearly three years before losing his battle earlier this year.  He never gave up, he siezed his 'opportunity' to educate others about breast health, and in every way, he made the most of every day that he was given.

But it was tough, and Uncle Harold was in a lot of pain.  So I feel like now is the time - after two years of sitting and waiting for another day to chase my goal - to do this.  If he could take the chemo and the radiation ... if he could endure multiple surgeries ... if he could live with cancer for that long and still give strength to those around him, then I can live with 17 weeks of marathon training.  Uncle Harold didn't choose to have cancer, but he never complained about it.  It's that spirit that I hope to keep alive here.

There's a donation link on the left side of this blog.  If you're feeling generous, please consider giving to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  It's quick and painless, and your donation is tax-deductible.  In the meantime, I'll be training ... and this blog will serve as a sort of journal/log along the way.  You don't have to do any of the work (unless you want to), but your donations, your thoughts, your prayers, and your encouragement are always welcome here.