The Longest Run

164 Days to Go - Making Change

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:29:00 +0000

"Change in all things is sweet."
-Aristotle

Have you ever thought about the strange paradox of how change is inevitable and yet in some areas it seems really hard to change? Change is happening all around us all the time. If you want the philosophy behind Aritstotle's viewpoint you can go check out Physics and Metaphysics (where in Physics he describes the study of nature as the study of change and all things subject to change). Each day makes us one day older, new experiences come and go, and life keeps happening. We couldn't avoid it even if we try. At the same time, if you're like me (do you really love Spaceballs too?!?) you have some things about your head/life/big fat gut that you want to change. Often they might be things about yourself, or your behavior, or your circumstances. Now without going into the whole issue of should you change, the difficulty of enacting these changes can be at times, overwhelming. I know what I want to change, sometimes I even try to do something about it, but then I fail, the change doesn't happen, I never make it all the way, or the change fails to stick and I revert back to the old habits. How can things be changing all the time, just not in the ways I want it to?

"Change is inevitable, except from vending machines."

- Anonymous

So I'm sensing I'm leaning towards some contentment/acceptance/optimism outlook and I think my tendency would be to "complexify" it. So instead? I am just going to simplify. I'm going to try again. And I'm going to embrace the value of where I am, the trials I have been brought through, and even the value of failing. I feel that I am called to do that. Besides, if it wasn't hard to accomplish the change, it wouldn't be quite so rewarding when the goal is achieved. And I believe I will accomplish it...so I will try again. Prepare to fast forward!

169 Days to go - Feeling the Love

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:31:00 +0000

So y'all are pretty funny. You make me laugh, a lot. The comments to my last post had everything a person could want, love, encouragement, and a nice get your rump in gear sentiment. That pretty much covers it all. It is also kind of funny because I hadn't meant it to come across as quite so negative and down in the dumps, but I guess looking back at it, that was the result!

Now on to my fun run report. So one other reason that I had been a little behind on posting was that I was travelling last week, spending time in not-so-sunny San Francisco, California. I've started taking the approach when I'm travelling of not reporting locations and times away, mostly because of fun sites like PleaseRobMe.com and the like. I managed to get a couple runs on the hotel treadmill (the sounds being uttered by the cheap plastic thing made me think I was going to make it explode!), and around the neighborhood, but on Saturday it was time for the long run. I looked for a route and found some suggestions on the San Francisco Road Runners site and found a neat course that went out along the water to the Golden Gate bridge and back.

It was a great course through some neat parts of San Francisco, including Fisherman's Wharf, Fort Mason, past Alcatraz and then winding up right at the base of the bridge. The views of the Bay were really nice, there were a ton of running folks all about, there was actual sun out, and it almost got to the point of having fun running (almost, lets not get too crazy). At the turn around point of the run on a fence below the bridge I noticed this...

I saw a bunch of other runners putting their hands on it and of course followed suit. (Amazing one handed cell phone pic to come later! :) I of course had to do some research and find out who Hopper is/was and this is what I found. I also had to get a pic because my five year old's nickname is Hopper, for obvious, literal reasons.

So two thumbs up on running in San Francisco, and bonus points for getting away from the hotel and from downtown for a brief moment...

172 Days to Go - Cracking the Code

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:07:00 +0000

Hi blog folks,

I'm going through one of those dry spells where I start about a dozen different posts per day and actually post none of them.

The running is going along. I managed a waddling, crawling 14+ mile run on Saturday which is the longest in a while. The numbers are increasing albeit a bit below those suggested in the plan.

These non-posting periods usually are associated with some general running/posting/being blahs. They are often accompanied by internal statements like, "ennh what's the point?" and "Why bother?" and "Pass me another dozen doughnuts" and "Fuhget about it" (the last one if I was an italian mobster). Its basically summarized by everyone's favorite cheer:

Apathy, apathy, that's our cry!
A-P-A-T...ahh whatever...

So how does one break out of this? How does one decipher the inscrutable logic, and down feelings?

I guess its just by doing. For me its purposefully not worrying about perfection, forgetting about all the other past failures, and charging forward. I can't change the past, I can't ensure the future, but I can do something today.

So I did.

I posted.

I hope you keep posting/doing/running/dreaming/achieving/inspiring me to get off my rump too!

185 Days to go, 35 # to go, 1456 miles to go - All the News You Need to Know - About Ninjas!

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:28:00 +0000

I'm trying to squeeze as much possible information into my blog titles as possible. My next post will have a title that will add listings of things like, how many loads of running clothes laundry have to be done before August 21st, and how many times I will wake up screaming from a nightmare about going up Hope Pass with a piano strapped on my back before the race starts. Its a public service really. That and its a denial of service attack on your news reader software, again another public service...

So I added up all the miles left in my training plan and realized I have 1456 miles left. Lets forget thats almost twice the number I wound up with last year, all in the next six months or so. Really, I'm trying to forget about it. I'm also trying to forget about the weekly mileage numbers approaching the number of wins the Tigers had last year (more than 80, shocking isn't it?). I think the days need to be elongated to allow my plodding self to cover that kind of distance. Thirty - forty hours per day should do.

Thanks for the linkz from Running is Funny. Kudos to any blog that gives extended coverage to races that involve eating doughnuts.

Also big link lovez to my sis (who also happens to be a ninja) who had a nice run in some very pleasant weather.

What did I do today to make it up Hope Pass twice? Uhh I skipped my two mile speed workout. Yeah me!

188 Days to go, 34.5 # to go, Winter Series 10 mile Race Report - The Victory!

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:25:00 +0000

I ran a "race" yesterday. You can see a very eloquent and pictorial review of the event over here at Happy Trails. I will say there would be a few differences between his race description and mine. Basically any time you see Mr. Happy Trails talking about "running fast" or "keeping up with the gazelles" or "sub 7 minutes/mile pace" just replace those in your mind with "trudgingly slow" or "getting passed by three-toed sloths" or "finish before they close the course" and you will have a pretty good picture of what went on. OK obligatory slow guy humor out of the way. It was a pretty fun day. Getting to meet Mr. Happy Trails was very cool. He is a very nice guy (how many people stick around forty minutes after their race is done just to catch the end of other peoples' races?) and it was nice to meet him. (Next time maybe we'll meet Mrs. H.T. also!) The other friend I was with was having some knee trouble but still managed to push through and have a great time. And there were doughnuts. Chocolate ones. Chocolate Donettes to be exact. Seriously is there any other better post-run recovery food?

I should also point out that I made my goal. No, not a time goal, a PR goal, a feel good goal, or a have fun goal. No. Much more important. I made the front page of my local running club website. Though I don't post many pictures of myself (aesthetic reasons mostly :)) I do have a tendency to try and "spice up" any pics, running or otherwise, that I may appear in. The local running club takes pictures and then posts some "interesting" ones on the front page after local races. Well of course this means a challenge, namely, can I come up with a running pose that will "bring home the gold"? Well, I finally succeeded. Really its the small victories that count, right?

In case they for some strange reason (like a sudden cratering of their web traffic) take it down from the site. Here is the pic for your viewing pleasure. This is at mile 8-9ish.

Photo courtesy Tom Dewane

194 Days to Go, 37# to go - I don't want to be a runner

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:14:00 +0000

"All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure." - Mark Twain
Amen brother Twain. Time to work on the confidence...

I feel like I have commented on this issue before, but apparently it continues to raise its ugly head.

My oldest sis, is signed up to do the Fargo marathon. This is an awesome thing, and she is going to have an amazing race. However some "friends" (a loose term) of hers made the bold statement that "anyone who doesn't run every step of the race, isn't really running it, and isn't a runner." (Quotes here indicate my second hand interpretive paraphrase.) Well, excuse me for going all obnoxiously medieval on your backsides, but I find that a whole big load of bunk.

I know the argument regularly flares up and spews out in running circles, about the "slow" runners "polluting" the marathon and such things.

e.g. The usual mish mash:

Overall review of both sides
In support of slow pokes
Anti-Slow Marathoners

But to suggest that anyone who doesn't run every step isn't a runner? IMHO these comments are absolutely ignorant. Now I'm not so ignorant to suggest that every elite marathoner uses the Jeff Galloway Walk/Run method (something another person tried to convince me of) but to me if you gotta walk, walk. And I clearly understand the differences between a dooood like me finishing a marathon in 5 hours + and a Boston Qualifier, but for people (who, btw HAVE NEVER RUN A STINKIN' MARATHON) to tear someone down who is trying to do something amazing? If being a runner means I have to be a snob, run under 2:50 marathon times, and/or having all my running clothes be complementary colors, then I clearly am not a runner (red, green, bright yellow, and orange ftw!). My suggestion to these "friends"? Kindly, shut yer yapper. kthxbai
p.s. Apparently these people aren't runners either, cus they walked a bunch and stuff...

Derek Redmond, British record holder and World Champion (pulled a hamstring in an Olympic race, still finished)

Paula Radcliffe, Women's Marathon World Record Holder (she had to walk to the side of the road to...take a pit stop...) (if you want that video you can youtube it yourself...)

196 Days to Go, 38# to go - Climbing the Mountain

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:43:00 +0000

“I believe that if you set out on an adventure and you’re absolutely convinced you are going to be successful, why bother starting?” — Sir Edmund Hillary

I've got no problem with overconfidence. Most of the time I wonder if I can make it to the finish of my next two mile run. Thus according to the logic of dear ol' Edmund it is time to get going! The training has been going well. Other than the fact that I skipped a short run yesterday (shocking!). I'm back in the twenty miles plus per week range, and I'm feeling motivated to keep grinding towards the goal. 10% weekly mileage increases, one at a time.

However.

There are a couple of obstacles (challenges? opportunities? Happy Fun Balls? other optimist-flavored fluffy terms?) that are raising their ugly heads. So lets just be blunt shall we? Identify the enemy, analyze its weaknesses, and then attack. And don't forget to pack the moist towelettes.

Here they are:
1. Plantar Fascitis My self-described term of endearment for this is P.F. Kang. (As in Kang the Conqueror.) This is my own self-diagnosis, but as far as I can read, I meet every symptom. And I'm getting really sick of it. Basically I've been running with pain in both heels/feet for most of the last two years, through the streak, and up to now. The heel pain comes and goes a little bit, but I walk around at work perpetually limping and I have to keep answering questions like, "What in the world is wrong with you!?" and "Why do you have that pained look on your face?" and "Why are you having conversations with the office plants again?" Let me just say it doesn't really sell streak running or running in general when you are constantly dragging a leg behind you. Thus I need to attack it (raging, Hulk style me thinks). I thought this site, of the many I've looked at, seemed to have some good practical advice for self treatment, and defeat of the P.F. Kang mosnter. One of the challenges associated with P.F Kang of course leads to the next item...

2. Lose some weight! Since I started running, I'm down a net of 50#s. I'm pretty happy with this, as it was one of my goals for starting to run again, but I am not satisfied. Besides all the, if you lose X pounds you will run Y minutes/mile faster (less time running, yeah!), and the whole ten times your body weight crashing down on your joints when you run, and hey wouldn't it be nice to not have to examine the structural integrity of every chair you plan to sit on? I know that packing a piano on your back, doesn't help one get up and down Hope Pass two times (the highest point (12,200') on the Leadville 100 course). So its time to get back at it, and start moving the needle down again. I think 38 more 16oz tubs of I Can't Believe it's Not Butter would be a good start.

Its probably a little obsessive, but I remember a motivational speaker-type story from way back, where the protagonist was asked by his mentor on a regular basis, "What did you do today, to make it possible to achieve your goal?" I like that question. So I'm going to start asking myself that question on a regular basis. That and other questions like "Does all you can eat, really mean all you CAN eat? Or perhaps something else?" or "Why did I have to endure the emotional pain and suffering caused by Jar Jar Binks? Why George? Why!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?!?!?!"

What did you do today to achieve your goal(s)?

203 Days to Go Starting line = Finish Line

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:32:00 +0000

Sometimes I wish I could fast forward. I wish I could just jump ahead right now to August 20th, with all the training having been done, all the hard work poured in, ready to toe the line and hit the course.

Of course if I did that, I would miss out on a lot. I would miss out on the joys of a basic little two miler on the treadmill. I would miss out on all the late night strategy discussions with my coach aka teh wifey. I would miss out on long runs in the mountains of Colorado while our family camps. I would miss out on all the races we have planned, and the trips to go run (and you know visit family and have vacation.) I would miss out on that sweet satisfaction of stopping, after a long run; of that "I'm done with my run" feeling that I love so much. I would miss out on that pre-race flurry of craziness and insanity that I know will set in the days, hours, and minutes before the race. (Did I ever tell you about my midnight shopping spree the night before the marathon where I bought three separate rain-proof jackets at three different stores? And later returned all but one...) This is the fun of the journey. The journey to get to the starting line. I can't wait to break the tape, but I'm gonna try and enjoy getting there too.

207 Days to go - Winter Series II Race report aka Celebrating your Successes!

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 04:56:00 +0000

So I ran a race yesterday. Thanks to the kindness of a church friend, I got to join teh wifey and another friend on the second leg of the Pikes Peak Road Runners Winter Series. Teh wifey was signed up for the whole thing, but due to our flu from a few weeks ago she missed the first race. The Long series (does anyone really bother with the short series? hee hee) :) increases from six, eight, and ten miles and then finishes with a 20k race.

I was going into this eight miler as a training run, and a chance to run in a race with teh wifey which doesn't happen to often. Overall I felt pretty good, talked to a nice guy for about ten minutes (while running!), and pushed it hard enough throughout to make a goal time, which in this case was under 90 minutes, (finished in 1:29:28.)

Now this, as we know whenever we are talking about my running times, is not fast. In fact for this race it is very slow. In fact it is so slow that of 254 male and female runners I finished 243rd out of 254. (I beat three guys total.) Now how can I rectify the two facts that, 1. I in my own relative perspective met my goal time, and yet 2. finished in the lowest 4% of runners and in the last 11 runners AND the winner finished in half the time I did and and and and...

Here's how I do it.

There are, by my own rough scientific approximation, 500,000 people who live in Colorado Springs. Yesterday I ran faster thant 499,757 of them. The four hundred or so who ran the "short" race all would have been disqualified for the eight mile race since they didn't cover the distance. The other people who had nice runs in the Springs (you fast people know who you are) weren't on the right course so you are disqualified. That means on January 23rd, for the greater Colorado Springs area, I finished in the top 99.99514th percentile of all runners for the eight mile winter series race. That might be a little bit of silly warped logic, but it all points to one thought. Celebrate your successes! Even if you're like me (ok we know you're faster than that) and barely finish before they close the finish line, but you have a good run, and make your goal? Celebrate! Too often I find myself discounting things, or rationalizing away any good things that are accomplished because I let "others" define the parameters of my success. Well, not today. Today we celebrate! Quaff a Mountain Dew, let loose a hearty battle cry to the sky, cheer on Fulham FC, then run three more miles the next day. :)

What successes have you missed out on celebrating?

210 Days to Go - Piling on

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 05:47:00 +0000

The treadmill is here. I've run on it. I've already decided that the best thing about having a treadmill in your house, is that if you wait until your kids are in bed, there is no dress code. Absolutely none. Teh wifey might chuckle at me running in my undergarments and dress socks, and it might make you throw up in your mouth just a little, but I can still do it. Just because. Ok enough nausea. p.s. there will be no pics of that...yes, you're welcome.

Hey how does running this sound? 50k shouldn't be too bad, right? Just a nice long training run in the park. And its close to the house. Rock on.

Sheesh, all these races, and you would think that I actually like running...

219 Days to Go - I'm not ready for my closeup.

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:05:00 +0000

My apologies to all. The treadmill pics will have to wait. This is due to the fact that the idiots/sales professionals at the store, have decided it is reasonable to wait a week to ship the thing out. My post-flu, cough-plagued lungs are full of hate.

On another strange note, in a series of strange notes. I am now a TV/running star. Or at least I will be on February 1st when I make my nationwide debut. Yeah settle back, here comes another one of these strange things that Ace talks about, that really aren't that strange when you find out what it actually is, but I blather on about them anyway.

So a while back, I gave in to the incessant calls from a TV producer who shoots pieces for a short news magazine piece The program (usually about two minutes long) is one where they give advice to parents/family types on how to live a better life/be a better parent/not go insane and give in to the murderous thoughts you have towards your children. Apparently the other topic they are adding is how to become an uber runner type like me. Well sort of. The topic in our little "episode" is something like taking time for yourself. You know so you can retain some of your parental sanity that left the moment your first child was born. So there are lots of shots of teh wifey (who looks amazing! says amazing things! and is generally amazing! (for some reason they included her speaking a whole lot more than me? go figure!?)) and myself (yeah opening shot of me I have a massive wedgie, thanks camera guy!) doing things together and with the kids and then some shots of us doing things alone. AND THERE ARE SHOTS OF ME RUNNING!

Yes I am now a professional TV running celebrity. I'm sure millions across the land will be inspired by the wondrous images of me, plodding down the street in front of my house, looking like I'm about to keel over and die from physical exertion. A new nation-wide running obsession is clearly about to begin. There is a shot of me running with teh wifey where it looks like she is smiling and enjoying the whole running thing (true) and I look like I've recently given in to a death wish, hauled myself off the couch for the first time in six months and decided to commit ritual suicide using running shoes (only a little true.) Either that or I look amazing.

I'm not exactly sure if I always look like I'm in severe pain while I run, or the camera guy just managed to catch that magical moment. Either way, on February 1st TV sets across the land will be able to decide for themselves. Either way I expect the royalty checks to come pouring in. Probably about the same time the treadmill gets here....

221 Days to go - Hitting the Off Switch

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:06:00 +0000

Right. I need an edumahcation. Apparently on my new training plan there are these things called "off days." I have no idea what this means. I ran two miles yesterday on an assortment of treadmills at a store, (that sales guy was getting annoyed!) and then was told that on "off days" you're NOT supposed to run! Whats the deal with that? Not running seems like a very strange part of a "training plan", it will take some getting used to. I'm not sure I like it. :)

I also pulled the trigger on a treadmill. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate buying things? I think I'm turning into "grumpy old miser/man." /cueDanaCarveyimpersonation My buyer's regret hits even before I walk into the store. I actually don't mind running on treadmills, and we needed one so that teh wifey can run while I am travelling for work. That being said, buying a treadmill seems a lot like buying a mattress or a used car. Thankfully the salesperson didn't start pulling the obnoxious sales pickup lines, or I would have had to kick him to the curb. Literally and forcefully. One frustrating aspect is, you're buying something that is destined to get ground into dust, its only a matter of time until it breaks. You're just hoping that it lasts long enough to justify spending ridiculous amounts of money on it. Then there is the whole Jekyll/Hyde routine of the salesperson that starts the second you say you will buy something. Up to that point they love you, would do anything for you, are massaging your bunions while you run. Then you say you'll buy something and give them your money and it changes to, "OK Thanks bye now. Buh Bye. See ya. So long." /cueDavidSpade impersonation. Its a little unsettling.

Nevertheless we now own a treadmill. It isn't at our house yet, but we own it. And I plan to spend a few "off days" breaking it into bits...

222 Days to go - Selling out to the Man

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 02:05:00 +0000

So a while back I did something impetuous. No not sign up for a 100 mile trail ultramarathon, that is perfectly logical and thought out. No I signed up to be in the Brooks sponsored runner program. Now the idea of me, guy who hates running, stinks at running, and oh by the way owns absolutely no Brooks products, becoming a sponsored runner is pretty ri-DONK-ulous. But on a whim I filled out the web form a few months ago. I guess I thought, well, I like filling out useless web forms, why not this one? Anyway, a while back I got a contract in the mail, filled it out, and now I'm in the Brooks ID program. Weird. Mostly I just like the laugh I get when I've told people I signed a running contract with Brooks. Its kind of good for a laugh. Also good for a laugh is going over to the Brooks ID program website and reading the bios of the other people in the program. Seriously. Someone is gonna get fired. If ever something slipped through the cracks, and it is a hard to imagine thought indeed of me slipping through anything, it was me getting into the program. However! I will be thoroughly enjoying it. I can't probably do that great a job of promoting Brooks products cause I am absolutely a NON-SELLER, and I've only started using their stuff, but I do like the general idea of ID = Inspire Daily. If someone starts a running steak, HOLY COW AWESOME GO CHECK IT OUT! then that is cool. (p.s. Don't get a stress fracture ok? oh dang!) I like stealing, receiving, and regurgitating any inspiration I can get! (BTW a big Atta boy at Mr. Just finished a year of streaking! and 1460 miles to boot!) Anyway, there is the punchline to the joke, me being a professional runner. (Professional = getting some minor item of some vaguely monetary value, yeah I like to stretch :)

It is also a sign of the apocalypse.

Cheers!

Here's the what is Brooks ID Program video.

223 Days to go

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 03:57:00 +0000

Well the goal has changed, the focus has changed, the practice has changed.

I'm no longer streak running for now.

It was a little bit easier to make that decision since I've had the flu for the last week (though I did run a few days with fever), but I think I knew I needed to do that. I'm satisfied with running every day for two years except for the three week back injury "break". That's not too bad for me. I made my original goal of making it an entire year, and though I was lazy and still haven't sent in my application for the US running streak association, I can still get on the "Retired Streak" list.

Now we're looking at a different goal. And that goal is on August 20th, 2010. I don't think running every day really helps me toward that goal, so that is the basic reason for the change.

Teh wifey aka the crew chief aka the fast runner of the family aka the coach has been working up a training plan. I think it will basically consist of a "base" phase of about sixteen weeks to build up mileage. The second phase will be a "strength" phase of about twelve weeks to maintain mileage and build up the overall body strength with some hills and such, and then a three to four week taper. I'm not going to get up to huge weekly mileage totals, mostly because I don't know that my body can take it. I'm thinking the max will be 80/week, which is just ridiculous saying out loud. Thats the general thinking about the training plan right now. There might be some marathon "training runs" or some longer runs in the hills to get used to doing what I will have to do to make it.

There, more boring goals/training/running/no more streaking talk.

p.s. Try Running you have haunted my sickness-induced dreams with visions of Billy Ray Cyrus chasing me....thanks a lot...

Day 26-38 Leadville or Bust

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 16:09:00 +0000

So you may notice the garish addition to the header image. I had previously threatened to do something utterly stupid, and I have now taken the first steps. I signed up to run the Leadville 100 on August 21st-22nd, 2010.

Now I have done some stupid things in my life. Hyperlinks would not do justice to the list. However plunking down $250 to run a race of sheer torture and impossibility may jump to near the top of the list. That being said it is done. And now it is time to draw up the training plan.

I should point out that the current home page has a picture of last year's winner, Timmy Parr on the front, he finished in seventeen hours and change. The cutoff time is thirty hours at the finish, with cutoff times at each aid station. Then there is the climbing and descending 15,600 feet, with elevations ranging between 9,200 and 12,620 feet and an overall finish rate of under 50%. Other than that, I'm thinking this thing should be fairly easy. :)

Teh wifey has signed on to be the crew chief, and a few brave souls have volunteered to pace me for a while, should I even make it to the start line that is.

The overall plan right now is to do a training run marathon in Fargo in May. A fifty miler in June on trails and then the August debacle. I think this may mean I might have to run more than one mile at a time.

The streak is alive, but my support for it is waning. I'm open to sacrificing a 2nd streak goal to the needs of trying to make it 100 miles. We shall see. With the flu currently ravaging my family, the temptation to take a break may become more prominent.

There it is. My return from hiatus, and the BHAG for 2010. Looks like many of you are throwing out some big goals as well and I look forward to reading them. I also look forward to visions of gummy bears, and drinking Mountain Dew at aid stations.... Happy New Year!

Done anything stupid lately?

Streak run info, now on dailymile.

Day 24-25 Don't Hassle the Hoff

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:41:00 +0000

Ok. I admit it. Blind links to music videos of David Hasselhoff probably aren't a very nice thing to do. On Friday, I was feeling a bit pernicious and let some poor judgement get the best of me. Hopefully your retinas have recovered, and didn't get in the way of any holiday running.

Onward to run, run, and run some more!

I'll go back to the more straight forward approach of Vince-rolling the slap chop.

24 - 2.0 in 22:56. Top of the hill in 8:39

25 - 1.0 in 12:01

Day 21-23 Day or night!

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:50:00 +0000

Thanks for all the encouragement from folks on the last post. I like the advice of trying some "shorter" trail runs that take place in Colorado as preparation for something a bit longer. I've still been limping along with one mile runs, but there is some, get it going attitude bubbling beneath the surface.

I saw an interesting article on the whole running in the morning vs running at night issue, that has some "science" or at least scientific talking heads commenting on it. I've actually made it 50/50 so far for morning runs vs night runs. I will say lately that the stars and meteors during the night runs have been pretty entertaining.

Plus, to help you get in the holiday spirit, you should probably watch this...

21 1.0 in 12:02

22 1.0 in 11:15

23 1.0 in 12:05

Day 16-20 Game on!

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 07:02:00 +0000

I don't really want to write this post. Its mostly just stupidity. Everything about it rings failure and abject ridiculousness. Nonetheless here goes.

I'm not a Jim Collins devotee though I have read a few of his things. I do like a term I've heard him use called a BHAG or "Big, Hairy, Audacious, Goal". So here's mine.

I want to run Hard Rock.

This is ridiculous. Yes. I know this. It is kind of like saying, I'm going to start at center for the Detroit Red Wings, tomorrow. Or I'm going to teach myself to fly by flapping my arms really fast. There is no chance of this. However I'm going to give it a try. Even if I fail, I think the trying will be good for me. Failing is OK. Failing at least means you are trying, right? Besides, I need something to shoot for, and why not shoot for the moon? (The moon on the fourth planet of Alpha Centauri in this case.)

Why do this? When I was thinking about starting running again, when I was pondering doing something hard, like doing a running streak, I ran across an article about the Hard Rock 100 trail race. I was amazed. I thought this has to be one of the most difficult things I could imagine. I told myself instantly there was no way I could do this. And yet there was some part of me that quietly, meekly said "I WANT to do that." So I say today in a temporal, fleeting way, in a post that I will delete tomorrow, Game On!

What will this require? It will take two to who knows how many years to accomplish. Here are my current required steps as I see them:

1. Be X-50. Where X = my current weight, I need it to be down fifty more. This is not an exaggeration. Considering I'm -50 since I started this running thing, it might be doable. It is definitely necessary to be able to run that far and have my body hold out.

2. Run a 50 miler. My plan was to try and do Rocky Raccoon in Feb. but with the back injury the training plan was thrown out. I'm going to look for, train, and do a 50 miler, hopefully in the spring of 2010.

3. Do whole body training. Its gotta be more than running. Maybe hit some weights, do some cross training, etc. Complete commitment to the goal.

4. Run trails. Run hills. Run mountains. Run for a long time. Some of that doesn't sound too bad?

5. Runa 100 miler. It has to be one from the qualifying list for Hard Rock. The audacious goal for this would be late in 2010. August? Leadville 100? Thats crazy. Just like everything else I've written in this post.

6. Enter the application for Hard Rock and win the lottery. Literally. Its a capped race and you have to get in by the luck of the draw. 2011 would be nice. Last year, having one ticket in the lottery meant you had an 18% chance of getting in.

7. Run the race.

Please have no worries. Tomorrow when I'm sick of and don't want to run one mile, this will all fade away. And you can just let it pass from your mind. Don't let the craziness disturb you.

However...I might have to listen to the voices...

Day 12-15 Stuck in a rut

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:36:00 +0000

Blah. Blart. Yug. Narf. Thus describes my never-ending string of one milers. I am feeling the need for a crazy goal coming on. It doesn't help that the last few days have been a wee bit cold, as expressed by these uber trail runners who live in the same area. -12 degrees + some 30 mph winds + snow getting blown UP into my nose + my exposed skin freezing in under thirty seconds = some short runs.

I'm not sure what the crazy goal will be, but I need something to get me out there running up that stupid hill for more than 1.5 miles...

Day 10-11 - Double Digits

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 03:47:00 +0000

Ten is more than nine. It requires two digits to notate instead of one. Ahh the sweet smell of success. However I'm not smelling the sweet smell of success over on the body part competition. Hurry up and vote! As my high school government teacher used to say, "vote early and vote often." This was followed by accounts of how as a young political type he would get a list of the recently deceased and then drive an elderly gentleman to every precinct in town to "assume" identities. All I know is that the Big, uhh oh-so-natural, Hair must win! Popeners ftw! And speaking of inspiration, I think I need some. Either that or this horizontal thirty mph snow and 4 degree weather has got to go....Come on old man winter, bring it! A treadmill that is...

Day 6,7,8,9 - Making the switch

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:27:00 +0000

So I think I may have to do it. Pull the plug, rip the band-aid off, switch over to the dark side, eat the whole tub of cool whip by myself. I may need to become a morning runner. I know. How can this be you ask? No more runs at 11:45 pm? No more overnight runs? No more procrastinate until the last possible minute? Say it isn't so! Well judging by previous attempts I must say its likely I will drop morning running like a bad transmission at the first possible opportunity (like, tomorrow) but today I ran in the early morning.

The reason for this big switch? My personal sanity. I must say it is such a relief to have the darn running thing DONE for a whole day. No constant mental dialogue of "Have you run yet? Have you run yet? Have you run yet?" This is a very nice feeling. I suppose this is a good practice for any item you HAVE to do, and occasionally find undesirable, get it done FIRST and then things seem much nicer. Anyone else have "First you work and then you play...." permanently ingrained in your mind? Yeah I've pretty much rebelled against that one for quite a while....However not in this case! And thus morning running it is. At least until I put it off.

Oh and to enter the contest over at JoyRun. Here is a picture of me from a few years ago and my favorite body part....my hair....;)

Day 5 - The Guest Post written by Mr. Hopper!

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:48:00 +0000

They (they being the oh so altruistic group of "internet marketers") say that one way to drive hordes of traffic to your site is by having really popular people do guest posts. So that is what I am doing today. Today our guest post comes from a man who in his first race ever, set an age group record! He loves to run and probably will be a sprinter some day as he doesn't really understand the concept of "hold back and preserve energy." Ladies and Gentlemen please welcome the 4-5 year old age group record holder from the one mile fun run of our local running club, Mr. Hopper! (My four year old. You can guess how he got that nick name.) Mr. Hopper please go ahead.

"Who are you going to send this to?" (Everyone in the whole world on the internet.) "I want to ask the people how they are doing?" (Why do you want to do that?) "Because I don't think they have anyone to talk to. "The people who are cold and hungry. The people who never get to hear anything on the computer."

(What do you want to say to runners?) "I want to say have you been running a lot?" "I want to ask them if they have anything to sleep with." (Namely stuffed animals.) "I have a bike. A big bike. And my brother has a big bike. And my little sister just got a bike. " (What do you want to tell them about running?) "Yeah I like to run." (What do you like about running?) "I like taking new routes. Routes. ROUTES!" (breaks into song) "I like new routes, yes I do...." "Hey Dad I see a capital 'B' and a capital 'T' (breaks into song again) "Hey you runners. You should start a thing where um, you get to um, (plays with stuffed animal) you should start a new route of running like I did with my Dad. One mile, two miles, four miles, something like that. OK bye! Can we play a game now Dad?"

--End Guest Post--

There ya have it. Running advice from the four year old. Also apparently you all are cold, lonely souls who need to find a stuffed animal to sleep with. Enjoy.

1.5 in 17:35

Day 2-4 Mmmmmm treadmills....

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:32:00 +0000

I realize that this blog consists of quite a menagerie of posts. If one was analyzing it, you could probably boil it down to: running stats, me talking about not liking to run, a description of some aches and pains, an occasional moment of inspiration and a bunch of complaining/whining. I don't care much for complaining/whining but I do realize I engage in it occasionally. And oh by the way, why break tradition now?

So about this hill. It makes me want to buy a treadmill. :) But I think in some part of my crazed running mind that "You will get used to this! Soon this hill will be nothing! You will become part mountain goat! You will go looking for bigger and tougher hills because this will be too easy!" Then I start running up it and those voices go away. Ha! I did do it. Today and yesterday and the day before. Its a small number, four days, but its more than zero. And I hear tale of a few others joining in the fun! Anyone else want to join the streak craze? Its sweeping the nation, one mile at a time...

Workouts: (trying the daily mile thing for a while....)

Day 2 1.44 in 13:35

Day 3 1.5 in 20:46

Day 4 1.5 in 19:06

http://www.dailymile.com/people/Jakarrl/entries/642381

http://www.dailymile.com/people/Jakarrl/entries/642378

http://www.dailymile.com/people/Jakarrl/entries/638828

Day 1 - Take Two

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:29:00 +0000

Right so I ran today. 4.2 in a whole lot (54:06). (Lets not bring up that "teh wifey" ran the same course in a LOT less time.) I'm not sure what this means. It might mean hey streak #2 is on! It might mean hey my back still hurts I'm going to take another three weeks off. Dunno. What I do know is that we moved. Like we live in a new house. And like a complete idiot I failed to fully take into account the most important part of choosing a house, no hills nearby. /fail. Right out our driveway there is a massive (in my eyes, OK!) hill that you have to get up to get anywhere. Every single run outside will have to start by going up the hill. Now once you're up, you're golden as it is dirt roads, flat grounds, and nice easy 7200'-of-elevation-jogging. Negative points for the killer dogs that roam the neighborhoods. We do live in "the country" now so in the first two miles of my run I saw exactly...zero cars. ftw! There are a lot of trails to explore and very little pavement/asphalt so I am very thankful for this. You have to watch out for the fearless deer who wonder through our property on a regular basis, but my kids should chase them off soon.

All in all, I am very thankful I could run today. I know it does not mean I will be able to run tomorrow, but I'm not worrying about tomorrow. I am just sitting back and enjoying the fact that I ran farther than this guy. :) He's also starting a streak today. He hasn't made any bold projections for how long he plans to go, but I think he should commit right now today to at least ten years. Any one else want to join us in the ridiculous, frowned upon by most, mentally exhausting, discipline trying fun of a running streak? The rules and lists are here. Many others are in the middle of one and going strong...

Most of all I'm thankful for the many blessings I have been given, by my Lord, my family, my friends, and encouragement from random, really kewl, amazing, clearly very attractive and popular, running blaaahg-o-sphere members. Thanks Everbody!

Moving On

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:03:00 +0000

Hey. How are things? Yeah? Me too. I stopped taking pain killers today. So if in the last two and one-half weeks you haven't received any bizarre, rambling voice mails from me, consider yourself fortunate. I have a history of making strange calls while under the influence of prescription medication. After I had wisdom teeth pulled a while back I made a call to my team at work. Really bad idea, though they enjoyed it for a very long time... :)

Thanks for all the encouragement. It is very meaningful to me.

The back is recovering slowly. I am up and moving about. I am mostly standing up straight now, and the "crooked little man"-nomer which I had aptly picked up earlier, mostly doesn't apply anymore. There has been no running yet due to the pain and such, but it has crossed my mind a few times.

I finally updated the spreadsheet. That was a hard thing to do. It reminded me why I do/did this running thing. Why? Because I like to accomplish things. On rare occasions I have actually enjoyed the running. But mostly, I like putting numbers in my spreadsheet. I like moving the bar graph. I like making check marks next to things like, ran a marathon - check, ran 800 miles in a year - check, ran every day for a 670 days - check, ran an ultramarathon - ?

My thoughts are still percolating on what to do next and when. Thanks for the suggestions. I hope this blog post finds you pursuing, and doing, and achieving, whatever those goals you have are. Reading your blogs it sounds like many of you are doing just that. Grats.

Final Streak Stats:

# of days in a row of running at least one continuous mile: 670

Total mileage: 1514.71 miles

Total time: Eleven days, twenty hours, forty-five minutes, and forty-five seconds. (17085:45 minutes, if my math is correct...)

Average run: 2.2071 miles, in 25 minutes and 15 seconds, 11:27 mins/mile pace.

Longest run: 26.2 miles in 5:13:38

Countries run in: USA, Kenya, England

States run in: California, Nevada, Montana, Colorado, Washington D.C.?!?, Florida, Oregon

Times I ran with my shorts on backwards: more than I care to admit

Times I ran in dress shoes because I forgot running shoes: >10

Times I had to drop "the Double D" on the side of the road during a run: yeah...about that...

Times I waited until 11:40 pm or later to start my run for the day: Innumerable

God is Good to me.

Moving on...more running to come...