Running Thoughts

I get some strange thought patterns going during running. This past run had me going over some of my all time scary dreams. Like most people, these seem silly now, but at the time.......

1972, six years old, completely addicted to McDonalds and Koolaide, sometime in the middle of the night...
And the F'ing Hamburgler was after me, chasing me in a field (stay with me, I was RUNNING away from the Hamburgler, so its still a running blog). My brothers were there but no help as usual. The spooky bastard was popping up all over the field and making his Hamburgler rumbly/gargle-y noise. He was truly evil.

So somehow I got away, but my brothers were being followed by HB. I didn't want them eaten, but they really did need a humbling-down, so I helped HB find them. I guess through our adversities, we became bonded.

Not such a bad evil monster once you get to know him. (And don't even start with the Great Gender Controversy. HB was a man-child).

Self-Analysis: Don't ever eat McDonalds. Ever. Don't even get a drink of water in their lobby or do anything in their bathrooms. Run the other way! and try to think about something else, maybe get an Ipod........ I wonder if that Wendy's chick is single...............

Gu Product Review

Eat these and run fast!

Gu Chomps were given away at the AZ RnR marathon this year. I let mine settle and age properly for a month and ate them tonight before my run. Many times, orange flavored things are cloying and taste like industrial gas station bathroom air freshener (who here hasn't tried that just once??). These were not like that. They had a pretty good flavor and didn't leave a lingering orange taste morphing into a chemical taste --as I expected. Though not too strongly flavored, these really need a water chaser to dilute and help absorption, and to get the sticky chomp off of your teeth. I probably won't pursue this flavor, but, as Janis sang, free ain't worth nothin, but it's free. I like the Chomp format ok, but still will opt for Gu in its liquid guuuuey format. 

I changed marathon training plans this week. I'm going with a slightly modified Higdon novice plan.

Special Olympics

Just a quick announcement/plug for an upcoming event next weekend.

There is a Special Olympics event next Saturday at Sunnyslope High School. 35 W. Dunlap, (Dunlap and Central). It goes from 8:00 to 12:30. I'm volunteering along with a few teachers from our school. If you would like to volunteer, let me know. This is a low key rack and field event, and will be lots of fun for the kids.

Run Fatboy Run

I'm using an old tried and true method of motivation. Self-flagellation and shame. I ran last Sunday in the 5 Mile race and haven't laced up since. I got some kind of bronchial thing this past week and also felt lazy and didn't want to get up so friggin' early and run in the cold. And this is after reading blogs from people running in sub 10 degree weather in the dark early morning hours, people running in snow and ice --Yak Trax??!!??, and people running 15 miles for the fun of it at a conversational 8:00 pace.

I think I now know what people mean when they claim the hardest part of a marathon is starting.

So I got an idea from The Beginning Runner, who published fat photos of herself. Her reason was to show before and after. I started this journey at about 218 pounds, and about a year and a half later I'm down to 198. My target is 180, so 18 more. But I know me --if I don't do this right, I'll balloon right back up. So no fancy diets for me, or weekend bootcamps, and I'll never go through lipo again. It's steady and sensible.

Fat photo #1

That's Harrison next to my belly about 2.5 years ago (HJG was pretty new). Run Fatboy run.

So Maria and I made a deal that we would go out for coffee this morning, but only after we both went for runs. I got mine in and it felt fine for the most part, though I still have crud in my lungs. My HR was at 151, but I was gasping and wheezing. Need my inhaler. All that's left to complete my image is a pair of Buddy Holly glasses and a sliderule in my shirt pocket.

(found your website Adam -contest here)
Ok, so I am also really considering a 4 day per week training program. 5 is really tough with my schedule. I can do the two runs on the weekend, but trying to fit three in during the week is not happening. So I'm looking at Tuesday/Thursday and weekend plans.
Fat photo #2:

I like this photo (about 2 years ago) because I'm full of bad food, asleep in public, and it looks like if there were an emergency, Harrison could fit in my hollowed-out body cavity to stay warm like Luke Skywalker in his Tauntaun (if you get that, then put your lightsaber down and fly your Millenium Falcon  over to your mommie's house right away and live there for the rest of your life). Run Fatboy Run.

So, back at it this week and stop all the whining and kvetching. June 6 is my 44th birthday, and I'm going to complete a marathon that day (ohhh and switch into a new age group the next day!! I should be able to kick-ass on all those old people!!)

Thanks for reading!

Ipod Playlist

Using my wife's pink ipod.

I'm now relying on the ipod to take me through my long runs. Here is my playlist:

3 AM Matchbox Twenty
Tumbling Dice The Rolling Stones
Train in Vain (Stand by Me) The Clash
This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody) Talking Heads
Think About Me Fleetwood Mac
Texarkana R.E.M.
Stay With Me Faces
Shaking Through R.E.M. Murmur
Roadrunner The Modern Lovers
Pablo Picasso The Modern Lovers
Ooh la la Faces
No. 13 Baby Pixies
No Speak No Slave The Black Crowes
My Morning Song The Black Crowes
Mrs. Robinson The Lemonheads
Motorcycle Love & Rockets
Man in the Box Alice In Chains
Lust For Life Iggy Pop
Loving Cup The Rolling Stones
Julie Don't Live Here Electric Light Orchestra
It's A Shame About Ray The Lemonheads
If I Didn't Love You Squeeze
I Was Only Joking Rod Stewart
I Remember California R.E.M.
I Believe R.E.M.
Houses In Motion Talking Heads
Had Me a Real Good Time Faces
Gouge Away Pixies Doolittle
Get Up R.E.M.
Found A Job Talking Heads
Can't You Hear Me Knocking The Rolling Stones
Bright Lights Matchbox Twenty
The Bouncer Electric Light Orchestra
Boogie Shoes KC & The Sunshine Band
Good Matchbox Twenty

Need to invest in my own one of these days. 6 tomorrow, then 8 on Wed, and 6 again on Thursday. Go Daddy!

Runner's Den 5 and 5 Feb. 7, 2010 Recap

5 miles at 46:05. Ran pretty fast (for me) in this race and I'm happy with the results. And I'm ecstatic that there are no injuries (knock on wood).

This was the first time I volunteered at a race, and I loved it. I showed up a bit early, got a brief orientation and sat down to do what I have seen countless other volunteers do at race registration. I looked up bibs by last name, explained the timing chip as needed, and wished lots of smiling people well in their race.

I did get confused a couple of times by people getting into my line with last names that weren't A-E, but each time that happened, I sang the ABC song in a loud shrilly voice and they moved away to the correct line.

I ran into fellow blogger/runners Runlaur and Rio. They were hanging out and helping volunteers.

Lauren had just run the Sedona 1/2 M yesterday and was a bit sore, so she only ran in the 5K. Can you believe that?!? Rio ran the 5M and ran fast finishing somewhere around 43 minutes. Great job to both of you!!

I also met Olympian shot putter (4th in the world) Dan Taylor. Dan has a blog called DanTaylorThrows and a web site which has a lot of the same content. I've never been around an olympian before. Dan is a pretty big guy and seemed open to new ideas, but did not appreciate my attempts to engage him in an olympic tickle fight. This photo was taken just before I tried that and whereafter he proceded to "Throw" me an olympic distance. Hey Mr. Big Man Olympian, lighten up!

I wasn't sure that I would run today. My M training plan has me running 10 miles slow. But I did an internal compromise and thought that 5 fast would sort of equate to 10 slow. I'll know whether that was a sound decision in June. I was able to watch the 5K finishers come in and had time to change and hit the porta potty. The race started quickly and I found a rhythm at 9:30. I pretty much stayed there through the race and went under 9 for the last mile. I was huffing and puffing pretty hard, but kept telling myself that it is a race and I need to finish without anything left in the tank. I did and it was fun. This was my first race at this distance, but I pretty much blew away my PB's for 5K (28 and a little bit) and mile splits (all under 9:30 and a strong negative trend). This race is a good time, and volunteering is really fun and inspiring. Thanks Runner's Den!! Enjoy the Super Bowl!

Bucket List

You should note that my bucket is chrome/carbon fiber with a titanium handle. I'm thinking of having it ground thinner to save weight. My travel bucket is a pain. Tin! But it reminds me of the old days with Jill going up the hill.

I've had a good two week build up to the training plan. I'm running about 25 miles per week now and slowly ramping up. Times are good and I'm a bit sore, but uninjured. I love having run at 5:00am, but I have a hard time sleeping the night before. I'll get used to it. One great thing is that I'm dropping weight. 5 pounds in the last two weeks. About 10 more to go.

My bucket list has been difficult to establish. I have a lot of "I hope this gets better and better" type things. I hope my son grows up healthy and strong and if he ends up as a cage dancer in a West LA bar, I hope he makes good $$. I hope Maria and I continue to love each other, that our family and friends stay happy and healthy, and that retirement is long, golfy, and adventurous.

That brings me to item one in the BL: There is an independent coffee shop near my home that is very popular with early morning runners. (Hava Java read my review on Yelp). I go there any time between 5:30 and 6:30am a couple of times per week. This shop always has regulars and they all seem wealthy and retired --I mean year round regulars who will sit in the same circle in the 30 degree winter as well as the 95 degree summer. They all seem to know each other and the baristas call them by name.

They don't know my name even though I tip a shiny new quarter each time I visit. I imagine they wake up early, drive down to the shop, have coffee and read the paper and discuss whatever they want to discuss at whatever pace they decide. Meanwhile, people like me slam coffee as we drive and read emails and rush around. Item #1 in my BL is that when I retire, I get to have mornings like these guys and amusedly watch as the youngsters rush around with their yeah yeah yeah music and their Ecstasy or whatever drugs these kids are on today.

Item #2 is simple: I'd like to finish and Ironman before I'm 50. That's 6.5 years. If I can be successful in the Marathon this summer, and keep running, and build in a bike schedule after HJG gets older, and somehow learn to swim...... The whole underlying reason is that I want to be healthy and active for the rest of my life. And also, I love doing things that I absolutely never in my life no way no how could ever do.

Item #3: I'd like to do one last rooftop concert with Ringo and Paul. No no no. This is actually pretty simple too. All my life I have wanted to scuba dive. That's it. I want to get certified and scuba dive some neat dive spots around the globe.

Looking back, I've been blessed with certainly everything I need, and most of the things I've wanted. Regrets?? I have a few, but am living on somewhere in the middle of the pack. 

RTP now has 11 stalkers followers. If you are in the Runners Den 5K5M tomorrow, stop by and say hi. I'm volunteering somewhere at the race. Lauren, where do I go? I'll just find some nice adult and take their hand. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!!

Tag to complete their bucket list? Just Robby. Get blogging my friend and give us your list.