10 Random Things...

I was tagged by Adrienne at The Non Race Runner to write a list of ten random things about me. I think this string is pretty much spent, but here goes....

1. I love doing my own yard work. (Not yours)
2. I like to hunt for deer and elk and was actually successful last year in the archery Bull elk hunt.
3. I'm a little under 200 pounds now, but wrestled in the 112 weight class in high school my sophomore year.
4. I grew up living near a lake in Virginia and spent about three summers swimming 1 mile each night.
5. I want to backpack through Southeast Asia before I die.
6. I would rather eat breakfast out than any other meal. Earlier the better.
7. I often fantasize about winning a 250 million dollar lottery. I NEVER play.
8. I really can't stand Facebook.
9. I'm a Principal in a K-8 school.
10. I have a healthy fear of sharks, and watch every shark show available on TV. Shark week on Discovery is my porn.

Not sure who else could be tagged. If you are interested (we sure are), then consider yourself tagged.

Happy week!!

Moon Valley Grasshopper Bridge 5K Race Report

Goal: Fun and Healthy and Sub-30.

Garmin: 28:22
Official Chip: 28:19 PR!!

Just edged out this slowpoke in light blue

Made my goals, and had to work pretty hard to get there. The air was hotter than I expected and the sun was Arizona all the way, so that sapped my energy quite a bit. Got up early and we made our way down to the start area. Got all set up with bib and chip and then off to porta-potty. The line stretched down to Tucson and the sides of the 4 porta-potties were actually bulging with waste-product. I made my way into the desert to contribute to the water table and then ran my 1/4 mile warm up. Not sure if it warmed me up, but my HR was up and I felt good. Had a few sips of H2O and a Tri-berry GU. A little more water, the preliminary announcements and Star Spangled Banner, and we were off. I had lined up very near the front to be away from the walkers, and

Spit your Skoal juice in here boy!

found myself swept into a speed that was not in my plan.
First mile: 8:41 and I was feeling it. A bit too fast.
Second mile felt groovy. My cardio was up for sure, but form and output were fine, so I was going with it. Got to the 2 mile marker, had a sip of water, began to choke a bit and walked for 20 yards or so while the crowd sang Aqualung.
Mile Two: 8:46 fading a little??

My daddy is a fast runner

Got into mile 3 and was starting to do the embarrassing heavy breathing.

Got to the grass section at 2.5 and had to walk again. ugghhh. But I was going tunnel vision and was thinking that it would be tough for the EMT's to resuscitate me, so I saved you taxpayers a little extra today. Got back into my glide and finished strong with nothing left in the tank.
Mile 3: 9:37, last .16 8:06. Coulda-woulda-shoulda. What if I just slowed down instead of walking in mile 3? What if it were a bit cooler? What if I didn't take water? What if I didn't spend my early 20's sitting on a couch eating Pizza Hut, watching Hong Kong Fooey and doing bong hits?

Ahhhhh, now some nice coffee and a weekend to relax, 'cept for my seven miler tomorrow. September has been good for running. I wonder if I could go sub 26??????

Grasshopper Bridge 5K Pre-Race Report

This will be my third running of The Moon Valley Grasshopper Bridge 5K. It was the first organized race I ever ran in and was a big part of what hooked me into running.

First year, I ran 36:25 pushing the little almost one year old. Last year, I ran 30 even (my current PR for 5K) pushing the almost 2 year old. This year he won't have much to do with his stroller so he will get to spectate along with his mommy. My goal is to have fun and come in under 30 minutes. I plan to run a 1/2 to 3/4 mile warm up about 30 minutes before the start time with some strides as recommended by coach Adam. No Nathan belt, no hat, no GU one GU, maybe one water grab at mile 2 maybe not, and try to hold 9 as long as I can and speed up if at all possible in the last mile. My mantra for the race? Glide.

Helen aka Pat

I am also going to line up closer to the front to try to be ahead of the militant walkers. You know the types: "lets get seven friends and intertwine our arms in solidarity of Helen. Helen couldn't be here today, and we are walking in her shoes for her. Helen can't even leave her house today because..... (dramatic music crescendo) Helen can't dump!!! Helen ate cheese all week and bound herself up, then tried laxatives. But she hates ersatz flavored lax, so she substituted M&M's which further impacted her colon. Then she tried a more serious approach, the tried and true 'sit on the pot until it happens'. And she has been there since Thursday. And we love Helen, and fuck you runners who think you need to pass us because you should know that Helen is sitting there right now on the throne red-faced with sweat pouring down her forehead grunting and squirming (ass cheeks completely numb) and possibly causing internal micro-tears from the pressure. WE WALK FOR HELEN!!

This 5K usually has about 1,000 entrants and is a fun family race with lots of different abilities from slow walkers to 15 minute jackrabbits. Straight, gay, tranny, and Adam.

Standard pre-race equipment check, but notice the sparity this time. No Nathan belt, no hat, medium shirt instead of large. Regular shorts --chickened out on the compression shorts (plenty of time girls, plenty of time), Black, yes BLACK, socks. This fat cat is set on sub 30.

New Bling for 39.3

Heavy Metal!

Maybe not much to some of you, but an amazing feat for me. I didn't even know there was such a thing and here it was in the mail like a negative vortex alternative universe ashtray.

Yeah, I rocked the 1/2 marathon in Phoenix in January, then rocked my first full marathon in San Diego in June. I have enjoyed these events overall but still feel like I'm trying to make up for the last 25 years of couch 'tatering, pizza eating, tv watching, I'll do it tomorrow behavior. Now I have to drag my butt out the door to run in the morning and its not as easy as it might have been when I was younger. That said, I'm glad to be doing it now and my body is getting stronger and skinnier too.

This is post #101 for RTP. RTP now has 46 followers and my email is starting to become more active with real people. As opposed to scam artists from other continents and sexy porn.

The other great thing about this choice in lifestyle is that my 2.5 almost three year old son is growing up in a household of healthy behavior. To be honest, this is the main reason I got into running. I can't stand the idea of not being able to play with him and run around in the park or make it up the stairs to the nosebleed section of the stadium. And how cool would it be for him to tell friends at school that he spent his weekend at a race with his parents!

Want a chance to win some socks/beer glass/Nuun tabs? Go over to http://mcmmama.blogspot.com/2010/09/wright-running-socks-review-1000-mile.html

Runner's Den Group Run #1

Got up this morning for my four miler and met Brian over at Runner's Den for their first Saturday morning group run. The intent is to provide group training for the January RnR marathon, but it is casual and open to whoever wants to join. Any distance and any pace is welcome. The store employees let us keep our keys and personal stuff there at the store, and there was ice water, juice, and donuts for after the run. They meet and start out from the store at 6:30 and there are a couple of mid-week runs also. As the groups start to become more regular, the store will be raffling running goodies to those who show up consistently.

America's Got Talent

Runner's Den is known to most Phoenix area runners. The staff is knowledgeable, helpful, the inventory covers most needs, and they will order whatever is not in stock. Lauren is still on the payroll, but only works as a backup now that she is engineering and setting PRs.

There were about 10-12 runners this morning and they set out in a group. 

Bryan is new to running so we stayed behind and watched the group start to spread out.

Bryan

Not sure what pace groups they ended up with or what distances, but I was first back to the store after 4 miles. One of the store employees was right behind me-- I think he went 10 miles in the time it took me to go four, and that really killed the buzz of my 1st place happy dance. Bryan needed a slow pace and we ran together, but he let me go after 2, and I was able to run my fourth mile at 9:30 and getting faster. My long runs are scheduled for Sundays and so far I like an easy Sat run.

Next Sat is the Moon Valley Grasshopper Bridge 5K, and I am hoping to finish sub 30:00. I need to have nice strong runs on Tuesday and Thursday this week and it should happen.

How Cool Is Coolmax? 30,001 COOL!!!!

I got my Oct. Runner's World  a couple of weeks ago and keyed right in on the free socks giveaway for Coolmax running socks. I love free stuff, especially when it is mailed to me. And I'm always looking for foot solutions because my feet are a mess with tip blisters (a common ailment on many parts of my body) and black toenails.

Either I didn't read the ad right, or the contest wasn't ready when they published the Oct. RW. After an email or two, the people at Coolmax admitted that the contest wouldn't be ready until Sept. 7. Just then, I read the post by Shut Up and Run and figured out that I was pre-mature (go for it anyone who wants it). I waited and sometime the morning of the 7th I tried, along with 30,000 others, to get my free pair of socks. You guessed it, they ran out. Shut Up and Run figured out a way to get more than one pair, and I'm sure her post helped others, so 30,000 pairs went to less than 30,000 runners. Hmmm. Here was the email from Melanie at Goldtoe:

Casual Day at Gold Toe

"Thank You for your interest in GoldToe.  We will have the link available for you on the website Sept. 7th.  The banner was not placed on the website before the circulation hit the stands.  I apologize for that confusion! 

Thanks Again, and come back to www.powersox.com/coolmax <http://www.powersox.com/coolmax> on Sept. 7th!

Melanie

GoldToeMoretz

On-line Inventory Analyst\"

Apology accepted Melanie. now send me some socks. I gave up and signed up for some counseling so I could move on in life, and last week got this email:

"We did reach our limit on the free pair of Coolmax socks giveaway.  However, due to the fact that you tried and could not access it, we will honor your attempt and send you the free pair anyway.  Please note that the it can take up to 8 to 12 weeks for fulfillment. 

If you did not supply your shipping address, please respond to this email!!

Thank You for your interest in our product!!

Melanie

GoldToeMoretz

On-line Inventory Analyst\"

Thanks Melanie at Gold toe!!! Employee of the year! Hey, I'm a fan already and am looking forward to the free socks. Easy customer service and simply the right thing to do. Look for the product review in 8-12 weeks. What's your latest customer service experience good or bad?

That Was Different

Literally, the rectum of Phoenix

Got up and ran at a track today with my buddy Chris who is new to running. We found this track in Peoria that measures a mile in 4.25 laps. Almost nobody out there and we had a pleasant 4 mile run scheduled at 11:18 pace. We came in ahead of that and I was able to run the final mile at 9:15. My body wanted to run fast this morning and it was nice to still have that feeling after three warm-up miles.

This track is open to the public and has a typical soft surface, 4 lanes, nice grass, and some bleachers and tables so you can set your gear down while you donkey around in circles.

Chris got his new Timex and promptly set it for a sub 3:00 26.2 pace. I have referred him again to Runners Den for new shoes, Target for some tech fabric, and Fascinations for a massage stick.

This was a good week for running. Our 2YO kept us up Wednesday night so I didn't go out the next morning as planned, but did run Thursday evening, so I have kept to the plan. There is an idea floating around about strengthening my core. I just wish there were some website or blog or something with a plan for core workouts...... DING! Need to get back here and jump in. Seven miles on schedule for tomorrow morning, then a loop back through this weeks plan for two weeks before going ahead towards January RnR AZ. Happy Saturday!!

Mmmmm Good Cookies

Just a short quickie (twss). The inlaws came last night and brought a little East coast with them. These italian cookies are yummy and best of all, kids don't like them because they have a slight licorice flavor and pignoli nuts.

Yeah, I had three and will likely hit the box until they are gone.

Thanks Bruno and Camille! Overall RTP Product Rating: Cake (uhhhh cake rating for cookies...)

Who Me?!!???

Jo Pa, 107 years young this year, taught me everything I know about coaching running

I was able to get out and run today with two newbies --guys I have worked with for the past bunch of years, and also Runlaur. Our mission was to go about 3 miles and enjoy the run, then have some coffee and  catch up. Mission accomplished! Runlaur and I ended up doubling back a couple of times to try to stay with them, so we got an extra 1/2 mile and we even got in our last 1/2 mile at a tempo pace. Now I know how Adam feels when he is arrested for lewd and lascivious behavior runs with people slower than him. It's still fun and a good workout!

Runlaur is running in a half marathon in Roswell, NM Monday, so she needed to take it easy, and I'm not a fast runner, so it worked out for all of us. Roswell is renowned for its extra terrestrial activity and scientific documentation of ET life, so I bet she comes back with some interesting stories.

They keep their babies in Weber barbeque grills. Freaks!

She is supposed to go on to Pennsylvania for work after the race, which we all know is a clear sign that she has already been abducted, probed, and is gathering information about us for the mother ship. Great -now they know my nickname and that I am pursuing a relationship with the now single Elin Nordegren. Dear ET's, We would like our relationship to remain PRIVATE!





Another really amazing thing happened out there on the canal. Lauren and I were RECOGNIZED! Another runner passed us and turned to say, 'you two are really famous around here'. She somehow knew me from my post about Coconut water, and everyone knows Lauren. That was cool. I was kind of stunned and didn't ask for her name to let my personal security service know to thank her and give her an online shout out. Hey thanks if you're reading this (or farewell if you are viciously deleting me from your blog list). RTP now has 44 followers and that's a cool thing. I also heard from an old pal Prefontainlives this week who is still running fast, though not as frequently as he used to. Toddlers around the house will do that to a running routine.

Back to today.. the three of us have decided to make our weekend runs a regular thing, and possibly join in on the Runners Den running club runs. Let's see how it goes. I was able to out in four nice runs this week, and my body feels good. Welcome to the newest Running Through Phoenix followers!

Win a @GuEnergyLabs sampler pack in the @TriciaRunning #giveaway http://tinyurl.com/2unkxwb

Marathon Plan Decision Time

A little melodramatic don't you think?

Trying to decide which plan to go with as I prepare for January RnR AZ. I have the Hal Higdon Intermediate I plan and the Runners World Break 4:30 plan. They are both fairly conservative ordinary plans, but the RW plan seems to offer more variety including runs that I have not experienced before like Yasso 800's (which I'm sure could be abbreviated into Ass 400's), Time trials, hill work (hills make me yell), strides, LSD's, and tempo runs.

Both plans crank up to 2 twenty mile runs with 37 mile weeks. But I'm favoring the RW plan because of the added array of runs, and also I don’t have to run until Thursday. I have a two week window to decide. My short slow runs this week remind me why we shouldn’t take breaks from running unless we are injured, but I already felt stronger again this morning.

I’m a little miffed that my spouse is taking my socks M/W/Friday for her runs with our neighbor. Need to get to the running store and get me/us some new socks. Runner's world has an ad this month for some free Coolmax socks, but the link isn't working.

I may have a free entry into RnR AZ this coming January, which means I could use the money that would have covered that to enter into the Lost Dutchman marathon. This race features some of the best desert scenery in the southwest, and it happens in February so the temps are near perfect. Some rolling hills, some dirt track, and some short bearded gold-miners --what else could I ask for? Besides a lucid linear train of thought. Note to self--don't use your blog as a mental barf bag. Oh, you published it anyway? Hmmmm, how about a little nightmare or erectile dysfunction to snap you back into compliance. Who are you? Your conscience. Ummmmm guys? They can all see this..........