On the Trail of a Welshrunner

The Road to Boston (week 8 of 16)

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:04:00 +0000

I'm counting this as the mid-term break. I did not run a step last weekend - a combination of thunder and lightning, Brownwood duty and plain old lack of motivation did me in, and I did nothing at all.

And what's up with the motivation? I have no idea, but it's suddenly gone South. Nancy is putting me to shame - she gets up at 4:30 most mornings to work out (and you can tell because she's looking really good), whereas I have to drag my lazy butt out of bed to grind out runs that are nowhere near as easy as they seemed a month ago. I have a nagging fear that I have peaked, and I'm now on the slippery downslope. The good part of that is that I have more than enough time to regroup, come again and peak once more for Boston.

And another spanner in the Boston wheel is a lot more business travel coming up. In the next month I will be heading out to Virginia, Arkansas and North Texas. I will have to keep my discipline, zip up the old man suit and just get out there and do it.

In other news, I am reading "Into the Silence" by Wade Davis (author the "The Serpent and the Rainbow"). It is the story of George Mallory - taking apart the legend that surrounds him, and going into painstaking detail, not only about his legendary Everest expeditions, but also the motivations and political posturing of the age. It delves into the Great War, along with the implications and attitudes of the Raj and the British Empire.

The human cost of trench warfare is unimaginable, and described in vivid detail. I remember my grandfather telling me stories of being in the trenches when I was a boy, but I didn't truly appreciate it then. Now that I would, he's no longer here to tell them - funny how that works.

While fascinating, it is a huge book. I am a fast reader, but I have been working on it for weeks and am still nowhere near half way through. It is one of those that I may need to break up and come back to in bits.

Anyway, on to the training log.

Saturday 18th February
Woke up to thunder and lightning and the prospect of a trip to Brownwood. Not motivated. The zipper on the man suit broke right off, and I lose my 100% Febulous record.

Tuesday 21th February
5am, 48F, foggy and humid. Finally got my butt back into gear, and met up with James for a pace run. Dang, I seem to be trying twice as hard only to go a lot slower than I did a month ago. What's up with that? Still, we managed 7 miles in 54:47 (7:49 average), while we both enjoyed a good old moan. Fantastic!!!

Thursday 23rd February
5am, 60F and humid. Relaxed run around Mueller with Clea - she is recovering from pacing the marathon last weekend, I am carrying a slight hamstring strain. Knocked out 7 miles in 59:43 (8:32 average).

The Road to Boston (week 7 of 16)

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:31:00 +0000

T-minus 10 and counting. We're down to the last 10 weeks before Boston - technically still base building, but in my periodization plan we're getting close to the time where I will start fine tuning by throwing in some extra midweek pace runs.

Training has been derailed somewhat by all my travel of late, but I am now home for a few weeks in a row. I will be in Little Rock, AR at the end of the month, but the hotel I am booked at has free access to the 24 hour fitness next door, so that is a great chance to start throwing in some cross training in the final month before Boston.

From here on in, I have a lot of 20 milers planned. These are mostly psychological - I seem to run better on race day the more 20 milers I have under my belt.

Saturday February 11th
5am, 38F and windy. Kind of a low energy day - a weird kind of "nothing" run. I did 20 miles in 2:55:23 (8:46 average) which was fine. I never bonked, but never dropped into the groove either. Got lucky and Clea jumped in for the first 11 miles - long runs are so much easier with company. Then had an uphill slog against the wind for most of the rest of the run. Ah well, no big deal - it's another 20 miles in the books.

Sunday February 12th
5:30am, 29F and breezy. Lovely cold morning for a nice relaxed recovery run. Ran the Danish route backwards - 7 miles in 59:58 (8:34 average).

11:30am, 30F and sleeting. A trail run at Walnut Creek with Gavin, my 6 year old - such fun. 3 miles of tearing around the trails pretending to be Robin Hood and the Sheriff, followed by playing tag at the playground, then a retreat to a toasty warm car and home for hot chocolate.

Tuesday February 14th
5am, 41F and foggy. Pea soup this morning - unable to even see street names. Pretty cool actually. Did 7 mile reverse Danish loop in 56:10 (8:01 average).

Wednesday February 15th
5am, 63F and humid as all get out. Urggghh, 22F warmer than yesterday morning, and an early reminder of summer running. Ground out 7 miles in 54:58 (7:51 average) and just glad to be done.

Thursday February 16th
4:30am, 45F and humid. Early morning run around Mueller with Clea. Kept it easy as she's pacing the Austin marathon on Sunday (just as well as I was feeling pretty tired anyway). We managed 7 miles in 57:55 (8:16 average). Faster than I thought - no wonder I felt tired!!!

Richmond

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:03:00 +0000

So I just got back from a business trip to Richmond, VA. Never been there before, and my perception was a little colored by Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta novels - I expected to see serial killers lurking behind every pillar at the airport!!!

Thankfully that was not the case (or if it was, I didn't spot them). Everyone I met was super nice, and it was a really quaint, historic little town. I was lucky to be teaching a class with a good friend I don't see too often, so it was much more fun to walk around downtown and explore the city together while catching up. Also got to sample a few of the local brews, which was great.

On the other side, this was the third week in a row I'd been on the road, and I was missing Nancy and the boys. Plus it's tough to be "on" for 8+ hours a day 3 weeks straight, so I was mentally tired when I got back into Austin around midnight last night.

The good news is that I'm not traveling again for another few weeks. My next trip is to Little Rock, AR at the end of the month. I ran the Little Rock marathon a few years ago, and it remains one of my favorite races. And my trip just happens to coincide with the date of this year's marathon.

So I checked out the website.

Unfortunately, the race is sold out. Oh well, would have been fun, but probably just as well. Don't really need to be running a marathon a month out from Boston.

Here's some photos I took wandering around downtown Richmond yesterday lunchtime.

The Virginia State capitol. What, no dome?

I'm not sure what this building is, but I loved the architecture.

This was the home of General Robert E. Lee. If only walls could talk!!!

The Road to Boston (week 6 of 16)

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:05:00 +0000

Well I liked the chatty format of last week's post, so I think I'm going to keep it like that. What I do not like is the limited amount of distance running I've done in the last two weeks. That and the fact that I appear to have gained 5lbs (damn you delicious hotel cooked breakfasts)!!! Still, I am a glass half full kind of guy, so looking at the upside I am simply pulling back to ensure I do not peak too early. Plus this coming week will be my last travel for a little while, so I can get my runs back to normal.

Having said that....

Saturday February 4th
5am, 55F and stormy. The value of a good training partner is that they can pull you through tough runs, and that is what happened this morning. If it wasn't for Clea, I don't know that I would have completed this run. My calves were so tight after last week's treadmill madness. And that caused my feet to go numb for the first half of this 20 miler. Fortunately, some good conversation passed away many of the middle miles, and the legs loosened up for the second half. Cut off by myself to finish out the last 2 miles (which were tough) and finished 20 hilly miles in 2:57:16 (8:51 average) and completely spent. My legs felt very sore and painful driving home, and they appear to have staged an uprising because I am hobbling around like an old man. I'm normally nowhere near this stiff after racing a marathon - I guess fueling on Big Mac and fries is not a good idea!!!

Sunday February 5th
5:30am, 45F. Recovery run after yesterday's 20 miler. Good to work out some of the soreness, but was getting some serious knee pain out of nowhere. I swear I'm getting old. Surprised we managed a fairly brisk 7 miles in 1:00:46 (8:41 pace).

Monday February 6th
7am 40F. Stretching the legs this morning prior to my flight to Richmond VA this afternoon. No knee pain today, though the calves are still super tight. 2 miles in 15:23 (7:41 average).

Friday February 10th
7am, 45F. Pullback week. Been in Richmond, VA all week, and got back into Austin at midnight last night. Decided to take a few days off to give my strained calves some time to recover, and it seems to have worked (though I do now have to figure out how to cram in another 3 runs to keep my Febulous 100% going). Did 2 miles this morning in a pain-free 14:33 (7:16 average). Looking forward to a solo 20 miles tomorrow.

The Road to Boston (week 5 of 16)

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:56:00 +0000

Ok folks, I am declaring this a freeform week. I am working in North Texas all this week and do not have the luxury of staying in a hotel on a college campus with lots of lovely paths for me to explore, nor the lovely icy weather in which to explore them. No, I am staying in a hotel (nice though it is) that borders the Interstate, in a town that is not very runner friendly. The last time I tried running up here, I was urged by several motorists to "get a car you bum".

If I ran here every day, my middle finger would be exhausted. So I may have to resort to the dreadmill for at least some of my runs.

Anyway, the good news is that I finished out Jantastic with 100% and am now into Febulous. This works along the same principles - you commit to doing a certain number of runs a week - but now you also have to specify how long each of your long runs will be during the month.

So I've set my goals at 5 runs a week, with long runs of 20 miles, 20 miles, 12 miles and 20 miles. We'll see how that goes.

Saturday January 28th
Spent the day traveling back from Oregon via Las Vegas (and what a zoo that place is). Needless to say, no running. Did manage to finish "Miss Peregrine's Home for Unusual Children" (wonderful read) and got into Blake Crouch's "Run" (very creepy and disturbing, but a great page turner - perfect airplane fodder). I love my Kindle.

Sunday January 29th
Nancy suggested I have a lie in with the boys as I'd been away all week and didn't get back until late. Agreed and enjoyed a very pleasant morning before setting out on the road again.

Monday January 30th
On my travels again. No run today. Worked late, and then watched the documentary "Ride the Divide" back at the hotel, which left me whelmed. Not over or under, just whelmed. Nice music though.

Tuesday January 31st
Hit the dreadmill in the hotel tonight. Listened to the "Mockingjay" audiobook on my ipod to distract me and could still only manage 2 miles before boredom set in. Did the 2 miles in 12:26 (6:13 average), and then had a go on the stair climber which was marginally more interesting. May have to venture back onto the mean streets tomorrow. Oh, and I finished reading "Run", which really does make you want to hide in your hotel room and never come out!!!

Wednesday February 1st
Ok, I guess this week is designated speed week. Hopped on the treadmill tonight with the goal of running 2 miles at a sub-6 pace. That was before I realized the thing topped out at 10mph, thus rendering that goal impossible. Still, finished the 2 miles in 12:06 (6:03 average), which was just about enough to finish me off too. Cooled down with a few minutes in the company of my old friend the stair climber while listening to the adventures of Katniss Everdeen on the old ipod. In non-running news, I watched "V for Vendetta" last night which has left me feeling ever so slightly rebellious, started a new book on the Kindle - "I Sing the Body Departed", and I think I'm going to go out for Indian tonight. Mr random strikes again!!!

Thursday February 2nd
Tried to kill myself on the treadmill again tonight - 2 miles in 12:02 (6:01 average). Ouch. My legs are tighter than Scrooge at Christmas - am looking forward to reverting to longer slower runs again. On the plus side, I'm headed back to Austin tomorrow. On the downside, I'm off to Virginia on Monday. But at least I get to enjoy the weekend at home. In other news, the Indian I went out for last night was far and away the worst I've ever had, and just a bizarre experience all round. Played it safe tonight and went to TGI Fridays, where I put away a cobb salad, chicken pasta and a huge slice of vanilla bean cheesecake. Suitably sated, I am looking forward to a nice night in the company of Messers Miles Davis and Mr Kindle.

Oh, it's also worth mentioning that I have taken the opportunity of being away as a chance to catch up on some of the "Marathon Talk" podcast. I am now only about a year behind!!!

Good luck to all running the Rocky Raccoon 100 this weekend. Rather you than me.

I Love a Rainy Night

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:31:00 +0000

Yes I know I've been trying to stop using song lyrics as my blog titles, but this one just fits so well.

I'm writing this from my hotel room in the small college town of Corvallis, Oregon in the Pacific Northwest. I'm working on the campus of Oregon State University all this week, and I've been enjoying something that has been in very short supply in Texas for the last year - rain.

This trip has really reminded me of home. And it's not just the rain. The trees, the scenery, and even the architecture of the University takes me back to my days living in Britain. It really is beautiful and enchanting up here.

And inspiring. I've run every day this week - in freezing fog, cold and driving rain, it doesn't matter. Every morning I've woken up looking forward to my early morning adventures.

And I've been consistently hitting right around the 8 minute mile mark with ease.

I get back to the hotel with numbed hands, stand under a shower as hot as I can stand until they thaw out, then head downstairs for the wonderful cooked breakfast. And I'm ready for the day.

I think part of that is the beautiful old campus I've been criss-crossing on my pre-dawn explorations (the pictures on this post are bits of the campus that are part of my morning run - I took them at lunchtime today when it had actually stopped raining). The place is full of huge trees. Combine that with the stillness, silence and solitude of running in the rain and mist, along with the happy nostalgia of my own (long since faded) college days, and it's a really peaceful and wonderful way to start the day.

Maybe I'm a bit of a dreamer - a romantic with an old soul - but if it makes you happy, just go with it.

I've also been testing out a spi-belt that Clea gave me so I can carry my phone at Boston and we can find each other at the finish line. I've worn it every morning this week, with my phone, driver's license and a credit card in there. I've even left my water bottle (usually my comfort blanky) back in the hotel. It didn't take me long to get used to it, and I don't think it's going to be a problem using it at Boston.

And did I mention I love my Kindle? It debuted on this trip, and I'm very glad I bought it. It's so easy to slip in my pocket and just carry around with me. I read the whole of Peter Lovesey's Stagestruck on the plane ride up (he's always a good airplane read), and am now getting into the very odd, creepy, but strangely compelling "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children".

Ok, time to shut down. I ate pasta at a wonderful local Italian place tonight and am nicely carbed up for a cracking run in the morning. It's supposed to be really cold - in the 20s - fantastic!!! Then tomorrow night I am driving down to Eugene to have dinner with some friends I haven't seen in a while.

In between that I have a very intensive day of mentoring and teaching. It's going to be a long day, so I'm off to bed, perchance to dream.

Night all.

The Road to Boston (week 4 of 16)

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:50:00 +0000

I am sitting here at my computer watching little Dylan eat my oatmeal as part of his third breakfast. I have a nicely brewed cup of freshly ground coffee in front of me, I have just showered away the sweat and salt of a very satisfying 20 mile run, and Gavin is waiting for me to finish writing so he can play chess against the computer.

Sometimes, life is good.

But this week is really going to test my resolve. I am on business trips for the next three weeks running, and week number one sees me up in Oregon in the Pacific Northwest. I will be on the campus of Oregon State University, so there are probably some good running routes around there. Except that they are having huge problems with flooding and pouring rain, so much so that the university shut down yesterday (Friday), and many of the roads are closed.

But I still have the carrot of Boston and Jantastic to chase. So I'm determined to get my runs in, even if I have to do Clea-style "go round and round this loop until I get dizzy" runs.

Because the dreadmill is truly an option of last resort.

Date	Saturday January 21st
Plan	am - 20 miles
Outcome	5am, windy. 55F at the start, dropping to 42F by the end. Another 20 mile hillfest - Stratford, Scenic, backwards Jefferson (uphill against the wind) and some meandering around the Hyde Park neighborhood. My legs felt a little tight this morning - not surprising, I am probably a little dehydrated since my parents (visiting from the UK) have been force-feeding me tea all week (I forgot just how much tea British folks drink). But very pleased that we accelerated after the monster hills, and ran a nice negative split. Run competed in 2:54:23 (8:43 average).

Date	Sunday January 22nd
Plan	am - 7 miles easy
Outcome	5:30am, 55F. Recovery run after yesterday's 20. Uneventful 7 miles in 59:31 (8:30 pace). Make sure to update my Marathon Talk Jantastic submissions, then off to the airport to rainy Oregon

Date	Monday January 23rd
Plan	am - Nothing
Outcome	6am, 31F and freezing fog. Exploratory run on the campus of Oregon State University. Found plenty of paths and parks to crisscross the university, even though I couldn't see much through the fog. An enjoyable 4 miles in 32:41 (8:10 pace). It's run to run on a university campus when it's so quiet and nobody else is about. On the other hand, I discovered I'd packed running shoes, 5 pairs of running socks, 5 pairs of running shorts and only 1 shirt. Whoops!!!

Date	Tuesday January 24th
Plan	am - 6 miles
Outcome	6am, 39F and driving rain. A soggy, slippery run through the OSU campus this morning, but very refreshing. Did 5 miles in 39:31 (7:54 pace). Good thing too, since the cooked breakfasts at the hotel are no doubt fattening me up!!!

Date	Wednesday January 25th
Plan	am - 6 miles
Outcome	6am, 52F. What, no rain today? After yesterday's all-day downpour and warnings of mass floodings, woke up this morning to find it mild and dry. Even stranger is that apparently Austin is being bombarded with Noah-style rain. Did 5 miles through the OSU campus in 40:20 (8:04 average). The highlight was taking a sharp right turn while running through a dark park, skidding on some unseen mud and sliding several yards on my hip. Ouch - glad nobody was around to see that.

Date	Thursday January 26th
Plan	am - 6 miles
Outcome	6am, 42F. No rain this morning. Ran another 5 miles through the OSU campus in 39:03 (7:48 average), then loaded up on a huge hotel breakfast that included toast, Western omelet, waffles, a danish and a cookie. Do you see why I've run every morning that I've been here?

Date	Friday January 27th
Plan	Nothing
Outcome	6am, 25F and frosty, icy underfoot. Cranked out another 5 miles around OSU - I've now run every day I've been here. Cold one this morning - finished with my arms and hands like frozen chicken, and it took a good while of standing under a piping hot shower to defrost them. Still, managed 5 miles in 38:21 (7:40 average). Will be sorry to say goodbye to this fun route when I fly home tomorrow. Maybe I'll sneak in another sly run before I leave for the airport.

The Road to Boston (week 3 of 16)

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:03:00 +0000

I hit 50 miles last week, which is something I haven't done in a while. Consistency is paying dividends, as I had some strong runs in there, including a nice 8 miler done at 7:26 pace.

And with some cold weather forecast for this week, I am very much in my element, and hope to keep putting in some strong runs.

Date	Saturday January 14th
Plan	am - 19 miles
Outcome	5:10am, 25F. Coldest morning of the winter resulted in me adding a pair of gloves to my standard shorts and t-shirt. Met Clea at the bakery, and we ran down through UT and along to the trail to the rock to meet Stephanie and Teresa. Had a relaxed Jefferson run, then Clea and I retraced our steps along the trail, back up Congress and through UT to the bakery. Enjoyed the run and the conversation, though I did get several odd glances on the trail from folks wrapped up in coats, scarves, hats and looking like ninjas. We did 19 miles in 2:45:47 (8:43 pace) and I felt very comfortable, though I did discover several blood blisters at the end of my toes post-run.

Date	Sunday January 15th
Plan	am - 7 miles easy
Outcome	5:30am, 30F. Not as cold as yesterday, we did the Danish loop in reverse with some new variations. It's amazing how different a familiar running route looks when run in reverse. Finished out in 58:48 (8:24 pace). Time for some coffee and biscotti.

Date	Monday January 16th
Plan	am - Nothing
Outcome

Date	Tuesday January 17th
Plan	am - 10 miles (aim for sub-8 minute miles)
Outcome	After a series of late nights working in the garage, I just didn't make it out this morning. Settled instead for an untimed 2 mile trot around the neighborhood. Saving myself for taking on the rabbit in tomorrow's speed run.

Date	Wednesday January 18th
Plan	am - 8 miles (aim to get under an hour)
Outcome	5am, 37F and breezy. Some days you take a beating, and on others you hand them out. Today I was doing the handing out. Felt good and comfortable throughout the run and finished the 8 miles in 59:49 (7:28 average). Was so comfortable that I almost missed ducking under the hour, but made it courtesy of a 6:50 last mile. Am thinking of making my Marchvellous goal a sub-58 minute 8 miles on this Wednesday pace run.

Date	Thursday January 12th
Plan	am - 7 miles easy
Outcome	4:30am, 45F - positively toasty. Relaxed 7 mile reverse Mueller loop with Clea. Lots of good conversation, and we kept up a nice pace - 57:51 (8:15 average).

Date	Friday January 6th
Plan	Nothing
Outcome

The Road to Boston (week 2 of 16)

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 14:29:00 +0000

I had some great runs last week, which left me with confidence rising going into week 2. Boston (and Jantastic) has given me a stackload of motivation, which translates itself into consistency, which in turn should result in faster times and better running with less effort.

2011 was not a good running year for me, but 2012 is already shaping up to be a huge improvement.

Date	Saturday January 7th
Plan	am - 20 miles hilly run
Outcome	4:30am, 55F and foggy with 97% humidity. Met James early and we ran downtown to meet up with Clea. Had another go at the Stratford hills, then did a Jefferson loop, and then another reverse Jefferson. This was one of those mornings when I felt great, and the hills seemed strangely easy. Which was bizarre since the humidity was high and I was sweating like a pig. Did 20 miles in 2:48:20 (8:25 average) and felt like I could go a lot further and a lot harder if I needed to. Wish that happened more often.

Date	Sunday January 8th
Plan	am - 7 miles
Outcome	5:30am, 47F. Nice recovery run - 7 miles in 59:58 (8:34 pace). I zipped up my man suit and ran 5 times this past week, so my Jantastic week 1 is at 100%. Now I'm sitting here drinking hot chocolate and contemplating another.

Date	Monday January 9th
Plan	am - Nothing
Outcome

Date	Tuesday January 10th
Plan	am - 10 miles
Outcome	5am, 42F, cold and windy. Did not get up when my alarm went off at 4am because little Dylan was cuddled up next to me, and I dare any dad to give that up to go run. But I did get up at 4:30 instead to go run 7. Legs felt heavy today and it was like I was running in slow motion. Still, I managed to squeak under an 8 minute mile by running 55:53 (7:59 average) without really pushing. Pretty happy with that.

Date	Wednesday January 11th
Plan	am - 8 miles (aim to get under an hour)
Outcome	5am, 34F, lovely and cold. Legs still felt a little dead today, but apparently it didn't matter as I ran the 8 miles in 59:35 (7:26 pace). Difficult to believe I ran a marathon at a faster pace than that. James was my rabbit again. Didn't catch him this morning - that boy was flying.

Date	Thursday January 12th
Plan	am - 8 miles
Outcome	4:30am, 47F at start, dropping to 37F by the end, and really windy. The cold front blew through this morning, bringing gusty winds with it. Met Clea for the 8 mile Mueller loop, and we battled the winds for a very nice 1:05:03 (8:07 average).

Date	Friday January 6th
Plan	Nothing
Outcome

Pressing Matters

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:14:00 +0000

This is the latest gadget to come out of my woodworking shop - a tortilla press. Like freshly made pasta, if you've only ever had store-bought tortillas you don't know what you're missing. I broke it in last night with a big batch of corn tortillas, which were dispatched nearly as fast as I could make them. Other than smoking up the house (whoops) they were a huge success, and ridiculously easy to make with my new toy.

I am also planning on using it to simplify making pita, naan bread and Cornish pasties. Not to mention it will come in very handy while perusing my other Christmas present.

On the running front, the first week of Jantastic is going really well (it's the last few days to register if you're looking for that extra bit of motivation). Helped by some wonderfully cold weather, I've had 2 great runs in a row. This morning I met James for our fast Wednesday run with the intention of dipping under an hour for my 8 miles. Well I managed it by 19 seconds (hooray), and James planted the idea in my head of working on getting that time down to 56 minutes in the months ahead.

Sounds good to me - go Boston!!!

And just a quick word on blog neglect. Each year, I wrap up the blogging year by doing a post looking back on all the ups and down of the year that was. I am planning on doing that post, but I've been super busy working (aka playing) in the garage. The post is coming, but it may be a tad bit late.

Oh, and happy new year everyone.

The Road to Boston (week 1 of 16)

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 05:17:00 +0000

So here we are in the dying days of 2011. The week between Christmas and New Year always seems such a strange kind of limbo - a time for dispensing with the old and bringing in the new.

Or combining the two, and resurrecting my old blog training log format for a new training plan.

Because here in late December, April seems such a very long way away. But it's really only 16 weeks until the Boston marathon. And what better way to say goodbye to 2011 than by starting Boston-specific marathon training with a bang.

Even if that bang is me struggling my way up a big hill!!!

Date	Saturday December 31st - New Year's Eve
Plan	am - 17 miles hilly run pm - enjoy date night and a Bob Schneider concert with Nancy
Outcome	5:15am, 41F and still. Met Clea downtown to kick off the Boston adventure, and we did 17 hilly miles in 2:30:37 (8:51 average). We ran Jefferson in reverse, then turned around, braved the hills of Stratford and did Jefferson again in the other direction. A beautiful morning - I felt great, especially on the hills, and good conversation made it go by really quickly. Nice way to finish out 2011.

Date	Sunday January 1st
Plan	am - 7 miles
Outcome	5:30am, 55F and windy. The Bob Schneider concert last night was awesome, but we didn't get home until gone 2am so it was a real effort of will to get up when the alarm went off at 5am. Glad I did though, because this was the perfect way to set my stall for the 2012 running year. Met Clea, and we did 7 miles in 1:00:23 (8:37 pace). Went home, fell back into bed and slept for a good few hours.

Date	Monday January 2nd
Plan	am - Nothing
Outcome	Followed the plan exactly :-)

Date	Tuesday January 3rd
Plan	am - 10 miles (aim for 7:40 pace)
Outcome	4:45am, 27F, cold and still - great running weather. Yes, I know I was supposed to do 10 miles, but I didn't get out until late so I ended up running 7. I also have no idea what my time or pace was because I left my Garmin at home (yeah, I was super organized this morning), but it was cold so I'm sure it was sub-8 pace. However, it was a beautiful run - I did a variant at the end where instead of turning off on Guadalupe I continued on to Duval and then hit the reward downhill back to the car. Enjoyed the last of the Christmas decorations, and got the first Jantastic run in the books. Woo hoo!!!

Date	Wednesday January 4th
Plan	am - 8 miles (aim to get under an hour)
Outcome	5am, 38F, another perfect running morning. Met James for an 8 miler with the stated intention of going under an hour. Did it with a 59:41 (7:27 average), with the rabbit finishing about 30 seconds ahead of me. Kept with him until the last 2 miles when he just took off. Thanks also to James for planting the idea in my head to get our Wednesday 8 mile times down to 56 minutes.

Date	Thursday January 5th
Plan	am - 8 miles (pace run with Clea)
Outcome	4:30am, 47F. Got up a little early to check on the BBQ I was smoking overnight, so did the run smelling of mesquite and brisket. We did 7 miles in 58:27 (8:27 pace). Nice run - had fun planning next weekend's long run route. Spotted a coyote while driving home through my neighborhood.

Date	Friday January 6th
Plan	Nothing
Outcome	Pending

Pace, Power, Discipline

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:59:00 +0000

20 seconds. That was all that was between me and a sub-1 hour 8 miles on this morning's run (7:33 average). I just checked that against my training runs in the build up to White Rock last year, and that is right up there with them. I mean ok, I did a few really fast ones (I think 58:27 was my best), but this is a very good omen for the kickoff of Boston training (and the start of Jantastic) in the new year.

And while the runs may not feel quite as easy as they did last year, I know I have a lot of wiggle room to get faster. Expect the return of my weekly training logs on the blog in January.

The reason? It appears that Boston is a big motivator. It is lurking on the horizon and calling my name. There's something about having that one chance to do something really well that makes you want to give it your best. And just as last year's White Rock training mantra was "no excuses", I seem to have adopted "pace, power, discipline" this go round.

The first two are obvious, but they are facilitated by the third. And it is that last one I have tended to struggle with. As you may know, I do all of my runs really early in the morning (the latest I tend to start is 5:30 on Sundays), and it is sometimes a struggle to get out of bed. But on the other hand, it is a really big motivator to keep pushing in a race when you feel tired - come on, look at how many early mornings you've devoted to this.

So to the plan - a Boston-specific training plan. Nothing concrete at the moment, rather a rough notion of what I need to do. My midweek runs will be mostly devoted to speed. I need to resurrect the old "10 for Tuesday" to add to the existing weekly race with speed merchant (and fellow Brit) James on Wednesday, and Thursday's pace run with Clea.

That leaves weekends more focused on power. And by power I mean hills. There is a nice (aka evil) set of hills we know as "Stratford" I may add on to the Saturday runs (which are relatively hilly anyway), and I could switch some of the Sunday Danish runs to the old Ladera Norte route I used to roam.

Because for Boston I need to practice running down hills as much as running up them.

And finally, congratulations to my brother for getting a spot at London. That's a pretty awesome race for your first marathon little bro. And as London is the week after Boston, maybe we can compare notes as we go.

Just don't do anything stupid and get injured again!!!

The Night Before Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 16:57:00 +0000

The Most Wonderful Time of Year? I would say a reserved yes, but is it just me or is Christmas becoming more and more commercialized each year? Just look at all the riots and fighting surrounding the new Nike Air Jordan shoes - precious little goodwill being shown there. Not wanting to sound all commie or anything, but isn't there something a bit wrong with a society that is willing to duke it out over a pair of pretty ratty looking shoes?

I have to admit, when I saw the news footage of that madness my first thought was to wonder if they offered decent pronation control.

How do you know if you're a running geek? If you just read that last paragraph, and are laughing and nodding your head, you probably qualify.

Wandering through stores for the past week has been an interesting exercise in watching stressed out parents try to control their little monsters, who in turn are screaming their lungs out and demanding toys. Thankfully Gavin does not seem too bothered, and is pretty laid back on the whole thing. In fact he enjoys seeking out "naughty kids" and pointing out to me how much better behaved he is, and thus how he deserves chocolate when we get home (though he did mention yesterday that he would like some bigger and heavier chess pieces than the little plastic ones we currently have. Brilliant - see my last post to understand).

And Dylan is still a little too young to figure out what's going on, though he did holler when we let him try out a new trike in the store and then took it away "for Santa" (though I will hold up my hand and take the blame for that).

"No Santa", he protested between screams, "bad Santa".

I'd better stop there before I get accused of going all Scrooge. Though speaking of Scrooge, I did get a chance to watch the Doctor Who Christmas Carol the other night (last year's Christmas special). It was a really good variation on the old story, with some unique twists and a great blending of genres (after all, they are both based on time travel). And the fact it guest starred the gorgeous Katherine Jenkins (from my hometown no less) was an added bonus.

To all you folks out there who decry Doctor Who as being geeky (including some of my running buddies, you know who you are) - humbug yourselves!!!

On the running front, I had a great early morning 15 miles on this cold and rainy Christmas Eve with Meghan, Teresa and Clea. And as an added motivator to keep up my midweek runs, I have signed up for the Marathon Talk Jantastic motivator. If you don't know about Marathon Talk, it's a great weekly podcast run by two British guys. The idea for Jantastic is that you commit yourself to running a certain number of runs per week, and you log those runs on their website. You get points based on how many of your planned runs you actually did each week.

If you sign up for it, feel free to rival me. Just search for participants in Austin, Texas - there's not too many of us.

Ok, time to close blogland down - I have things to do. Despite my earlier rant, I am very much in a Christmas mood. I have had my jukebox playing Christmas music for the last week, and am looking forward to some fun family time. Tonight we will watch our traditional Christmas Eve viewing of the Muppet's Christmas Carol, and tomorrow I will traditionally not watch the Queen's speech.

Yesterday I made some Jack Daniels Chocolate Pecan Pie, but it is mostly gone. So today I am making absolutely the best dessert ever - one I only make at Christmas. So if you have a few hours to spare dear readers, consider this my Christmas gift to you - try this super yummy Mocha Buche de Noel.

Merry Christmas and happy trails!!!

Chessmen

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 16:53:00 +0000

First casting of the chessmen - Camelot on the left, Regal on the right. I need to let them dry and harden completely before painting and sealing them.

I may have blogged a while ago that Gavin had gotten into chess. He's joined the chess club at school, and he's been playing me and the computer at home. A few weeks ago I had the idea to make him a really nice heirloom chess set. I can make a pretty kick ass board out of wood (or stone), but I needed to figure out how to make the pieces.

Well I did my research and found a way to cast them from latex molds, so that is what I did. I got 2 different sets of molds from England and found a really cool local pottery supply store - Armadillo Clay - that sold bulk bags of Hydrostone (a hard setting gypsum cement which has very fine detail duplication). Yesterday I had my first go at casting them. I cut apart a milk carton to use for mixing and pouring, and I was so pleased with the results - they looked awesome!!!

Of course, there were some casualties of war!!!

The King is dead, long live the king (plus a few pawns). In the background is an inverted belt sander I've been using to smooth and round off the bases

I think I'm going to get another set - the standard staunton shapes - and build some storage into the board I have yet to make. I also have to decide on color schemes. For the stauntons I can just do an antique effect, but I would like to do some colorful stuff on the others. That means a bit of detail work with acrylic paints.

Let's just say I'm a better woodworker than a painter. But I'll try to use a bit of patience and hope for the best!!!

The molds setting - I drilled holes in some scrap wood to support them and hung them like bats

Going Country at the BCS Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 02:48:00 +0000

It's been a strange running year for me, as I find myself arriving at December having completed none of the races I have run this year. I DNFed at the Rocky Raccoon 100 miler in February, and dropped to the half marathon in San Antonio last month, so I had a little something to prove with my last race of the year.

On the other hand, this was not really a goal race - that particular honor goes to Boston this coming April - and my training has been sorely lacking in both mileage and distance. Add in a niggling pain behind my left knee that just refuses to go away, and let's just say I was more than a little nervous about this race.

So with the whole family in tow, we rolled into College Station yesterday afternoon and picked up my packet at the race hotel. The race is in it's first year, and you always gamble a bit when you run an inaugural event like this, but I'd been feeling really good about it from the fantastic feeling of community they'd cultivated on social sites like Facebook. I hoped it wouldn't disappoint, and it didn't. Everything from packet pickup to the race itself went super smoothly, was run very professionally and yet still kept the personal feel of a small town event. Huge kudos to the RD, race organizers and volunteers who did an outstanding job with no small amount of Texas humor thrown in for good measure.

For the record, the event was capped at 1500 runners - there would be 500 marathoners and 1000 half-marathoners. I do enjoy these smaller races.

So after checking into our hotel, we drove around Nancy's old college town and marveled at all the things that had changed. We ended up in a local Mexican restaurant for supper, where I made a complete pig of myself and ate way too much - probably more fat loading than carb loading, but what the heck. I polished off a bowl of chips with the yummy green salsa that is native to East Texas, ate my super burrito, and then finished off Gavin's, Dylan's and Nancy's meals.

Yeah, like I said, a complete pig. Getting up from the table was quite a challenge.

Gavin the chip king

After supper, we all felt the need to walk it off so we headed out to the Texas A&M campus to explore. The boys had a great chance to run around and really tire themselves out, and we spent an enjoyable few hours wandering about and playing before retiring to the hotel and hitting the sack. I watched the Republican debate for a while (which was as hilarious as ever) before falling asleep.

Future Aggies?

Race morning dawned nice and cold (43F at the start), and I decided to hold back a bit in the first few miles and see how I felt. I kept it around 7:50 pace and tried to ignore all the people who were passing me (it was hard).

I had decided to use the mental trick of splitting the race down into five 5-mile segments, which I imagined as 5 separate midweek runs. I wasn't feeling it on the "Monday" segment. What I was feeling was the pain behind my left knee, and I feared it was going to be a long day.

I had 3 gels which I had planned on using at 6, 12 and 18 miles. As "Tuesday" dawned, I still wasn't feeling it, and the field had thinned considerably when the half-marathoners split off at mile 4. But I took the first gel at mile 6, and suddenly at mile 7 I found my mojo. The pain in my leg had numbed itself by this point, and I slotted quickly into the groove, dropped my pace down to the 7:40s, and started pulling back a lot of the folks who had passed me earlier.

By "Wednesday", I was knocking off sub-7:30 miles that felt so much easier than the earlier ones, even though they were into the wind and uphill. I had gotten to a place when I had distanced the runners behind me, but those ahead of me were not getting any closer, so I had my little slot of solitude.

And let me talk about the hills and the wind for a moment. The race surprised me by the number of hills it had (especially in the last few miles). That's not a bad thing (I do need to do a lot more hillwork for Boston), and none of them were huge, but there were a lot of rollers and it caught me a little by surprise.

And the wind - it seemed for a while that no matter how many turns we made, we were still running into it. Still, I'll take that over humidity any day, and twice on Sundays!!!

According to the unofficial results, I got through the half marathon in 1:41:07 (7:43 pace).

The aid stations were populated by very enthusiastic volunteers, and as I ran up to each I made the sign of the inverted longhorn, which netted me a lot of cheers. When I also added in the "sawing off the horns" motion, the cheering got much louder.

Apologies to all my Austin friends (well, not really - hahaha)!!!

The middle portion of the race was run along country roads, with very little in the way of spectators. That wasn't a problem for me because I usually try to block out the sounds of the spectators anyway, but it can make keeping on pace a little difficult. I slipped a little, but found that somehow I had started reeling in many of the runners ahead of me.

"Thursday" (miles 15-20) saw me eventually chase down several of the runners ahead of me. I picked off a few, and was feeling really strong. As we ran through campus, I had an interesting experience with a car which came barreling out of one of the garages. I had to slam to a complete stop to avoid being hit. It didn't stop, and as it swerved out into the street and sped off at a ridiculous speed, I had to bite back the urge to send it on its way with a few choice words it would probably not be wise to yell in the middle of the Texas A&M campus!!!

According to the unofficial results, I hit 20 miles in 2:36:04 (7:48 pace).

However, around here I accelerated to pass another runner, and felt a sudden bolt of pain all the way down my left leg, which then seized up on me. I stumbled, but managed to keep upright and immediately backed off the pace.

I ran through my checklist to make sure everything was still functional, and it was, but that gave me a real scare, and I decided to back off a little. Oddly enough, I was still passing folks even though I had slowed down considerably.

Around mile 22 I started to fall apart. My leg had started hurting again and I switched to a run/walk combination. I really wasn't too surprised - I'd hardly done any really long runs in training, and didn't have enough miles in my legs to quite make it the whole distance at that speed, especially as most of the last few miles seemed to be uphill.

I dropped to 9 minute miles, and crossed the finish line in 3:34:18 (8:10 average - yeah, those last few miles really took a toll). Still, very happy with that - given my lack of training I had no right to expect anything near that time. And somewhat surprisingly, that also makes it my 2nd fastest ever marathon (albeit by 1 second). Can't argue with that.

The post-race goodies were great, and the medal is a fun little piece with revolving sections that the boys had great fun playing with. All in all, this was a fun little race that I really enjoyed.

I was very stiff immediately after the race, but by the time we got back to Austin it had mostly gone. However, right now I do have a lot of pain behind my left knee, which is not good. It really feels like I've strained something, and I'm hoping it goes away in the next few days.

It's funny, I had planned on Boston being my last marathon for a long while, but this race has me reconsidering that idea.

And speaking of Boston, which really is a goal race, I need to start laying out a training plan for that. It's probably going to be my one and only chance to run that race, so I need to do all I can to make it a good one.

Jack Frost Nipping

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:07:00 +0000

It was 25F for this morning's run - we are in the realm of the ice king, and I am loving it. Last night I moved the car out of the garage to do some woodworking, and left it outside. This morning I had to de-ice it before setting off to meet James. Two Brits running in sub-zero temperatures - it felt like home!!!

The BCS marathon is this weekend, so I was planning on taking it easy, but I felt good and managed a 7:33 average, kicking it up to sub-7 for the last 2 miles. Now granted that's nowhere near the speed I was putting up for my midweek runs this time last year (and a good 12 seconds a mile slower than my last marathon), but considering the (lack of) training I've been putting in, I'll take it.

On the downside, I am definitely still feeling a lot of pain from my left leg. It is super tight and there is a stubborn knot behind the knee that refuses to go away. I guess that's one of nature's clues that I'm getting older - injuries and aches and pains take longer to go away.

I'm still a long ways from being consigned to the rocking chair though, ha ha.

So to this weekend's marathon. I have no time goal, and this is not a goal race - I'm saving that for Boston. I plan on going out, taking it easy, maybe finding a few folks to chat with and just enjoying it. I posted on facebook somewhat facetiously than in honor of the Aggie football team I should run really hard for the first 18 miles, and then implode in the last quarter and let everyone pass me.

Between you and me, dear reader, I really don't plan on doing that!!!

Three Points of Attack and Training Journal

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 04:05:00 +0000

Runners are such complicated beasts. We are all different, with many (often conflicting) priorities, motivations and goals. One of the challenges of coaching (and in my professional life, mentoring or managing) is figuring out how different people respond to problems or challenges, and utilizing that to help them succeed. Some need carrots, others a big stick, and some a bit of both.

But the most difficult task is often trying to figure out what motivates yourself, and how to harness that and turn it to your advantage.

And I am probably more frustratingly complicated than your average runner. I don't necessarily run for the love of it - if I had to quit running tomorrow, I wouldn't be heartbroken. Sometimes it can be hard, and sometimes I really don't like it very much (like yesterday). But at the same time it can also be euphorically uplifting and inspiring. I've had runs which have been ethereal, attaining almost spiritual levels of detachment. I've been privileged to run into many blood red sunrises and sunsets of breathtaking beauty, enjoyed runs lit by huge hunter's moons, and been lucky to have shared many of those runs with some great friends.

So yeah, on second thoughts I would be heartbroken if I had to give that up.

But how do I harness that? Once you strip away all my complex layers, you're left with one prime motivational factor that I can use, and it is this: I need and thrive on a challenge.

That's what it's always come down to for me - the exploration of the unknown, the mystery of how far I could push myself in search of a goal. That is why I started running marathons. That is why I started running ultras, and why I completed two 100 milers.

It is also the reason my motivation to run ultras vanished once that goal was met and the mystery was gone. I had proven it to myself. Case closed. Time to move on.

So to practicalities - sometimes it's good to have a bad race, because it pushes you to prove something to yourself all over. That's where I am right now - pretty damn mad with myself, and glad I have another marathon in 4 weeks time to redeem myself.

Yes, it's irrational - I still think I made the right choice yesterday. It was certainly not a PR day, and I had nothing to prove by enduring a sufferfest. And 1:46 is a respectable enough half marathon time. But sometimes irrationality is good. It makes me want to do something about it, and it usurps my natural laziness.

I've been pondering on this all day, and I have come up with three basic areas on which I need to focus.

1. Leg strength. This is something I definitely need to work on. My legs are lacking in mileage and endurance. They got fatigued far too easily on Sunday, even allowing for the conditions. Last year I did a lot of cross training using aerobic weights and cycling, and I need to start doing that again. It makes all the difference to my running. It also builds confidence, which I thrive on as a runner. I also need to be more consistent about my midweek runs. Last year, much of my success at White Rock was based on 2 back-to-back midweek runs done at (what turned out to be) marathon goal pace (7:20/mile) - 10 miles on Tuesday, then 8 miles on Wednesday, pushing it on tired legs.

2. Nutrition. I had thought that one of the benefits of working at home would be that I would be able to devote more time to meal preparation, but it's often had the opposite effect. I have tended to just work through my lunch, or just grab something easy (and not that good for me). I need to pay more attention to how I'm fueling the tank. To run at my best, I need to drop at least 5lbs, and put back some of the muscle I'd built up last year. Better nutrition will help me get there.

3. Accountability. Challenge provides motivation, which in turn provides the discipline needed to train consistently, which provides the performance increase which feeds that motivation. And so the monster grows. Last year, I added accountability in the form of an online training journal in this blog. Maybe I need to start that up again (see below).

I think if I can harness each of these three points, I have a great opportunity to run a great race in College Station. Here's a jumpstart on that training journal.

It's week 1 of 4 for the BCS marathon.

Sunday November 13th
7:30am - ran the San Antonio half marathon in 1:46

pm - 30 minutes of yoga after the boys were asleep

Monday November 14th
7am - 4 hilly miles around my neighborhood (31:47 - 7:57 pace). Warm and humid, legs felt stiff and sore - did the first mile in 7:20, and got slower the further I went. Thinking it's time I started pushing some of these runs on tired legs.

Lunchtime - 15 minute abs workout

pm - 30 minute Bob workout 1. Circuits. OMG, I haven't done this in months - can't believe how out of shape I am. Sweated (and whined) like a dog, and you can bet I'm going to be sore tomorrow. Feel pretty awesome and pumped right now though!!!

Tuesday November 15th
5am - 7 miles (58:41 - 8:23 pace). 73F and humid. Are we in November or August? I was looking forward to running in some cleansing rain this morning, instead I got warm and humid. Legs tired, unable to maintain the pace below 8 minute miles. Got some work to do, and looking forward to the cooler weather tomorrow.

Lunchtime - 30 minutes of circuits. Worked up a good sweat

pm - 20 minutes of spinning on the trainer after the boys went to bed

Wednesday November 16th
5:30am - 7 miles (57:05 - 8:10 pace). 59F. OMG, I am so sore. My abs are sore, my quads are screaming, my hamstrings are tight, and I could barely get my legs out of bed this morning. That means that all those weights and core workouts I've been doing are having an effect. The effect this morning was that this was a really painful run. Thank you to James for taking it easy on me :-)

Midday - 20 minute strength workout. Just to ensure I am completely unable to walk tomorrow.

Thursday November 17th
4:30am - 6.6 miles (56:55 - 8:36 pace). 55F and windy. Met Clea for our usual easy-paced Thursday morning run. Leg soreness a bit better today, nice run.

Half a Job Bob

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 01:02:00 +0000

With the Undertaker. An interesting metaphor for my race

Well today was the San Antonio Rock and Roll marathon, and I made the last minute decision to switch to the half. I think it was the smart choice based on the weather, my level of conditioning, and my current levels of motivation. This was backed up by having dinner last night with several friends, better runners than me, all of whom had also made the same decision to drop to the half.

And when I woke up this morning and saw the visible layer of moisture in the air, literally blocking out the Tower of the Americas, I knew it was going to be a sucky day. And so it proved.

I started off running 7:20s, and within a mile I was soaked. It wasn't particularly warm, but the humidity was like a suffocating blanket. The first few miles were all mid-7s, other than one where I made a bathroom stop, but I never felt good, and never found a rhythm. It was hard grind, and one of those days where the miles just seemed to drag by sooooo slowly. I eventually crossed the finish line in 1:46 (8:06 average) and was happy to be done. Not a great time, but not bad either. I was still running 8:10s-8:20s at the end, but the last few miles felt like I was running in wet cement - my legs were heavy, and my heart just wasn't in it.

Gavin with a Mexican wrestler mask from El Mercado market

I can quite honestly say I had a horrible run - I hated every moment and couldn't wait to finish. I suspect if I had continued and run the full distance I could have finished somewhere in the 3:40s or 3:50s, but I completely lacked the motivation to run another 13 miles.

It made me feel a bit better to hear the same sentiment echoed by everybody else I know who ran today.

Mostly this is my fault, since I just haven't put in the training necessary to run the kind of race I would like. But it also throws up an interesting mirror of last year, where I had a sucky race at Frankenthon, signed up for a "revenge race", and managed to turn it around in 5 weeks for White Rock.

The missing ingredient in both Frankenthon and San Antonio was motivation.

It just so happens that I have 4 weeks until the BCS marathon. And if I want to turn it around, I have my work cut out.

I know exactly what I need to do, but the question is can I find that motivation I need to make Aggieland my revenge race?

Paying Off Debts

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:28:00 +0000

Got back from San Diego late last night. Had a good few days in California, including a great night out at Anthology - a kicking supper club with live music. Only slightly annoyed that I missed Marc Cohn by one night. His "Walking in Memphis" is one of my all-time favorite songs.

So up this weekend is the San Antonio marathon, and the theme seems to be about paying off old debts. Like the one I owe to the weather gods for my "perfect day" at White Rock last year. And I suspect I'm going to pay through the nose, because forecasts for Sunday look to be low 70s at the start, warming up to the upper-80s with 100% humidity.

The marathon organizers have even put up a page on their website about warm weather running. They will be handing out salt at the start line, and it will be available on the course along with "spray stations" to cool runners down. Not good news for someone who loves to run in the cold weather like myself.

So yeah, think I'm going to take it real easy for this one, and just enjoy a 26.2 mile stroll through old San Antone.

First Haircut, No Teeth, and How Not to Train for a Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 03:44:00 +0000

Daddy, what have you done to me!!!!

I took young Dylan to get sheared this past weekend - his first real haircut (in other words, the first one that was not administered by me). Fair play to him, the boy did well - he sat on my lap, didn't get his ears cut off, didn't cry, and was held in place by the promise of a sucker if he kept reasonably still.

I think he likes it - I have caught him admiring himself in the mirror a few times since the weekend.

On top of that, his older brother is now shy both his front teeth. Oh yes, it's that classic once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take truly embarrassing pictures that I will gleefully pull out the first time he brings a girlfriend home.

Right now he is blissfully ignorant of that fact, and is just happy the tooth fairy paid him a visit.

On the running front, the San Antonio Rock and Roll marathon is this coming weekend, and I am happily tipping my nose and blowing a raspberry at it - never have I been so unprepared. Looking for ideas for a speed advantage, I am down to shaving before the race and cutting my fingernails.

And that's not going to help much, because long runs have been almost non-existent. I have barely run in the last few weeks, my throat feels like somebody's playing the violin on it with razorblades, my knee has been cursing me out for months, I've been working long hours and late nights for weeks, and tomorrow I'm headed off to San Diego on a business trip for the rest of the week.

Though on the plus side, I did watch George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" over the weekend. Figured it would prepare me for the last few miles.

Yes, overall preparation has been excellent.

I ran San Antonio a few years ago - the first year it was part of the "Rock and Roll" franchise. I'm not really a big fan of the super commercialized races ("Occupy San Antonio marathon" anyone?), though I did enjoy the race and got what was then a huge PR. I mostly remember shaking my head at people who bought finishers shirts before the race and then had the gall to wear them at the start line. I also remember that when you finished, you were herded through the "marathon souvenir shop" before you could get out of the finisher's chute.

It's a wonder they haven't figured out a way to charge your credit card at each water stop!!!

Not to worry, I plan on using my tried and true marathon approach - rocking on up, going out way too fast, crashing hard somewhere mid-race, limping across the finish line while grimacing and cramping in both legs, and then being rolled home.

Consider it my protest statement. Power to the people - especially the lazy ones like me.

Happy Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 03:08:00 +0000

We have tricked and treated, given out all our candy and Green Lantern and Robin are fast asleep. Time for a scary movie.

Did I ever mention how much I love Halloween? Always been a fan of ghosts and ghouls and things that go bump in the night.

Here's what we got up to tonight!!!

Green Lantern, Robin and the Wolfman - an unlikely team!!!

Sitting outside handing out candy. Definitely not eating it ourselves :-)

Holy sucker Robin!!!!

The Classic Inverse Taper

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 22:01:00 +0000

My Halloween costume, or do I just need a shave?

It seems that the San Antonio marathon is in two weeks time. How did that happen? It appears to have snuck up on me, and this may be the most unprepared I've ever been for a marathon. I've even considered dropping down to the half, but what the hell - we'll just see how it goes.

I've hardly run for the last two weeks - a combination of a persistent sinus infection, being on the road, cranking up the overtime hours and just plain old laziness.

Oh, and I did do a bit of work building a new desk for my home office.

My new home office desk - fresh out of my woodwork shop

And as for running? Well most of my long runs have topped out at 13-15 miles. So I figure the only solution is to crank up the miles from now until race day. It's funny - last year I was training like crazy, on my way to a massive PR at White Rock. This year I don't think I'm going to get anywhere close to that time, but you know what, who cares? Life is in a much better place now than it was back then. I'll take that trade.

But on to the classic inverse taper. Today I did 20 miles. I plan on doing another 20+ miler next weekend, and then the marathon is the weekend after.

And it seems that Fall has finally come to Austin - it was low 40s this morning. Sweet - we're getting into my element.

And being the planning genius I am, of course I didn't realize that Dylan had eaten the last banana. So no pre-run breakfast. No biggie - I've run on empty before. Gels, energy gu? Oh, don't have any in the house. No problem - I hardly ever use them in training anyway. Gatorade? No, can't be bothered. I think one handheld of water should see me home. And off I went - la la la.

And it went pretty well. I ran to downtown, met some friends to run the middle section with, and then carried on by myself. Still doing good. Until about mile 17 when the leg cramps started, and my pace dropped dramatically. Well at least most of the hills were done. And there was a beautiful blood red sun rising on a classic Fall morning to keep me interested. Plenty of training groups out and about - not going to let any of them pass me.

They didn't.

So I hit 20 miles in around 2 hours 50 minutes, and ended up averaging in the 8:30s - none too shabby considering my usual lack of preparation. Made it the whole way around on one handheld - amazing the difference the weather makes. Definitely need to put some miles into these old legs though - they're not getting any younger :-)

All in all it's been a busy weekend so far. Yesterday I got home from a business trip just in time to pick up the boys and take them to Gavin's school Halloween party - Hootenany. Then after this morning's run, we went to the Austin ISD fitness expo, where Gavin got to try out a bunch of new sports (like boxing). We enjoyed lunch at a great little Mediterranean cafe, and I'm currently catching up on some more work while Dylan naps. There are plans for several other things before we close the doors on the world and settle down for a good old fashioned scary movie.

And it's funny - every time I go away it seems that Dylan has grown by the time I get home. And let me tell you - that boy missed his daddy, because he was my boy last night. I've never gotten such a great welcome, and he fell asleep cuddled up with me in the chair, while we watched a recording of the wrestling show I took Gavin to see last week.

And speaking of the Gavster, he lost another baby tooth this week - one of his front ones. The other is loose and no doubt will be dropping out before long, so how's this for a Halloween picture?

Boston Bound

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:42:00 +0000

I have heard it said that every runner has only one or two really good marathons in them, and I think I spent a goodly part of my allocation at White Rock last December. Just about as perfect a race as I could ever wish to have, I remember the absolute euphoria of crossing the finish line with a Boston qualifying time that I didn't even think a possibility at the start of the race (I punched the air as I crossed the finish line - something "reserved Brits" are not normally known for). Now bear in mind that I never ever had any real intention of actually running Boston. It was just cool to know that I'd qualified. And to surprise myself about what I could do when I really focused.

So I happily stored it away in the memory bank labeled "races where I didn't suck" and pretty much forgot about it...until last week.

When Clea reminded me that the Boston application window was still open, and there were still open slots. That set me to thinking. On the one hand, I will probably never run that qualifying time again, so this is most likely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But on the other hand, simply qualifying does not guarantee a place at the start line. You see, the qualification has changed this year as preference is given to the faster runners who are granted entry based on how far under the qualifying time they ran. So as the race filled up I knew that my cutoff would be somewhat less than the 3:15:59 standard.

But there was no way of knowing how much less.

And since marathon day is during school, Nancy and the boys could not go. So I felt guilty about that. But Nancy was without hesitation 100% insistent that I shouldn't let this opportunity pass by, and she urged me to apply.

It's funny. Before I became a runner I associated Boston with an infamous serial murderer, being forced to sit through episodes of Ally McBeal, the scene of "crimes against tea" and the place where Haley Joel Osment was known to "see dead people".

But now the first thing I think about is the Boston marathon - the ultimate goal of any road running weekend warrior.

So I signed up. So did Clea.

And we both realized we really wanted to run it. So it was a weekend of suspense waiting to hear if we'd made it, and I will freely admit to checking the Boston website once or twice "just in case". We had both qualified about 3 minutes under our required times, so we knew there was a good chance we would get in.

But there was also the chance that we wouldn't. Or one of us wouldn't.

Fortunately, we both got the email confirming that we had made it - it turns out the cutoff for my age group was exactly a minute slower than what I had run in Dallas.

So all the logistics of finding flights and hotel rooms started to kick in. I had the flights booked within 10 minutes of getting the confirmation email.

I called Nancy. The conversation went something like this:

Me: Did you make some kind of big purchase on the credit card in the last day or so?

Nancy: No, why?

Me: Because I'm seeing a charge for $xxx that's just shown up

Nancy: Can you tell what it is?

Me: Yes, it appears to be a flight reservation. To Boston.

Nancy: Have you lost your card anywhere? Do you still have it?

Me (realizing she hasn't tagged yet): I still have mine. So you didn't make that charge?

Nancy: No

Me: Oh, it must have been me then. I guess I'm going to Boston

Nancy (finally realizing): You %$^$!!! Congratulations. (laughs)

And I'm like a kid at Christmas - I've been wandering around with this goofy smile on my face ever since.

Because it's the coolest thing - I'm going to run Boston!!!

Maybe I'll even take the time to sip a cup of tea at the harbor.

For Queen and Country you know :-)

It's in the Bag

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:31:00 +0000

The Apple Crumble, just liberated from the grocery sack

The title is a reference to an odd cooking experiment I tried tonight - cooking apple crumble inside a paper bag. I used a paper grocery sack from a local farmer's market, and was a bit nervous that the bag would just burst into flames in the oven. But it didn't, and the end product was most delicious - the bag appeared to help steam the pie as it cooked and concentrated the flavor. Everybody had seconds!!!

Everything's better with ice cream

On the running front, it's been an odd few weeks. I had a mini layoff due to surgery, which I hoped would also give my sore knee a chance to heal. Then my first run back was a 7 mile pace effort which left me convinced I needed to drop San Antonio down to a half marathon, as my knee was still complaining. But a few days of icing (while grumbling about getting old), and finally switching over to a new pair of running shoes (I've only been running in the old ones since December!!!), seems to have done the trick because I did 20 pain-free miles yesterday.

And it was an important psychological run for me. I haven't run 20 miles in months, but I had one of those glorious runs where you feel like you could go forever. It gave me a much needed boost of confidence for San Antonio.

In other news, the application period for the 2012 Boston marathon ended last Friday. Since I qualified last December, I've never really considered actually running it. But then I realized that since I'm not at all sure I will ever hit that qualifying time again, this may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me (some well-timed prompting from Clea didn't hurt either). So I sent in my application on Thursday, and I'm now waiting on pins and needles to see if I got in.

Keep your fingers crossed.

Busy Bee on the Honey-Do

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 18:36:00 +0000

Gavin's Desk - My Latest Woodworking Project

I have been working hard on paring down the honey-do list this weekend. Friday night I put the finishing touches on Gavin's desk. Most of the actual woodworking was completed a few weeks ago, and since then it's been a repeating process of staining, sanding and coating. Now that the final layer has been applied and left to harden, I attached the legs, put together the sliding keyboard tray and moved it into Gavin's room. It fits perfectly, and makes full use of an awkward little bit of dead space.

I also hooked up the computer I've been building for him, and it's become his new favorite part of the house. It's a cozy little place for him to do his homework.

Saturday morning I replaced the cd player in my car with a digital media receiver. I've never done this before and wasn't sure what to except, but it was a lot easier than I anticipated. A bit of straightforward interface wiring - matching up and crimping wires - and in it went. It's a cool design because there's no cd slot - you open up the front plate and slide out a tray where you plug in your ipod or usb device, then slide it back in and close the face plate over it. Then you can control the device through the radio. Very neat and efficient, and no more cds for those car thieves to steal!!!

Then this morning I gave our gas barbecue a makeover. I replaced the burners, manifold and flavorizer bars (our old ones were practically disintegrating), and scraped all the accumulated gunk off it. I am going to relaunch it tonight with some wonderful looking rib-eye steaks, eggplant and summer squash.

Hang a few pictures today and my honey-do list for the weekend will be complete.

I didn't run this morning, and enjoyed a rare weekend sleep-in. I did 12 miles yesterday at a minute a mile faster than I have been running over the past few weeks, but on the downside felt a few painful twinges from my knee, and wanted to give it a chance to settle down.

I am hoping to get in a good few runs over the next few days as I'm about to have an enforced 7-10 day layoff from running.

Needless to say, my goals for the San Antonio marathon have been adjusted. I don't think they were ever that realistic anyway. More on that later, but for now I hear my name being called. Time to get moving.

Have a great week everyone.