tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71749676519461472182024-03-13T15:00:34.671-04:00Locker 29Building The Active Runner DadGreghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.comBlogger526125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-66947605136170264952013-05-30T21:18:00.000-04:002013-05-30T21:18:17.710-04:00Injury Time Out.My ankle is messed up, swollen, hurts to run, shaped oddly in comparison to the other, so I went to my doctor for an X-rays. Doctor says that I have no acute injury, but an old fracture that has healed and to tape it or wrap it. I find this odd because I am having all sorts off issues now, and I don't know of anytime that I have fractured my ankle (not to say that it is not possible b/c I've had a tons of sprains). I am playing things safe and scheduled an appointment with the orthopedist on Tuesday, and I am trying to prepare myself for the words: Stress Fracture.Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-19823349544541216742013-04-29T10:56:00.001-04:002013-04-29T10:56:13.675-04:00A Quick Post About How I Feel at the Moment!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1tjUVN4B3Px_SRAfb3vf2iixfxTDjJ2xmDKsv37x4bCISw_Le_PonVrR1SoatUCW1j1j-B5I827rmgtTPN5A038yEeYBhyphenhyphenKSv_jNfmQ10W3BkKg-ONmT1YTstMDIoV6ZjjIEldeVx-yc/s1600/282897_10151385708204772_1087354544_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1tjUVN4B3Px_SRAfb3vf2iixfxTDjJ2xmDKsv37x4bCISw_Le_PonVrR1SoatUCW1j1j-B5I827rmgtTPN5A038yEeYBhyphenhyphenKSv_jNfmQ10W3BkKg-ONmT1YTstMDIoV6ZjjIEldeVx-yc/s400/282897_10151385708204772_1087354544_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-67442123839069424722013-04-22T15:40:00.000-04:002013-04-22T15:40:42.114-04:00Run Raleigh Half Marathon 2013 Race Report -- AKA The Beast of Ashe Ave.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I hadn't panned to run this race because of it proximity to both the Tobacco Road Half and allergy season. However, Hiroko's former employer's were one of the sponsor and were were able to a free entry while she was still employed with them, so I decided to run. </div>
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Pre-Race: </div>
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Prior to the Tobacco Road Half Marathon on March 17th, I was fighting injury and worrying about finishing the race. Following that race, things got really hectic, and I decided to just give myself a bit of a rest until this race. I ran some shorter runs, but nothing more than five miles. I biked to work, and began stroller runs with Kaito, who would be turning 6 months old on the day of the race. During the Tobacco Road Half, I stayed with the 2 hour pace group in hopes hitting that mark and not pushing my injured calfs too much. After the race, I felt like this might have been a mistake and that I could have run harder earlier in the race without really effecting the end of the race. So going in to the Run Raleigh Half Marathon I had it in my mind that I might just run at whatever pace felt good and not worry about fading at the end. This decision was aided by the knowledge that there a big fat hill sitting right on the 12 mile mark that I was planning to walk up unless I just felt amazing when I hit the hill.</div>
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Start of the Race:<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiztMzGOZmVQzBo8-vbe-BjTfIb4O34ruDB3DLVi86ZdDBv6UISPdOkRTpKnwZfzay4o7aFspvC0RSSkFWl-6UVdO0oKoyKWsoKalIGVdmzxP1uZ326V2FMFd5IEWd4-7ZC8mftT5aIFY/s1600/run+raleigh+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiztMzGOZmVQzBo8-vbe-BjTfIb4O34ruDB3DLVi86ZdDBv6UISPdOkRTpKnwZfzay4o7aFspvC0RSSkFWl-6UVdO0oKoyKWsoKalIGVdmzxP1uZ326V2FMFd5IEWd4-7ZC8mftT5aIFY/s640/run+raleigh+1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start of the Run Raleigh Half Marathon: I am 759</td></tr>
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Mile 1-3: I started behind the 2 hour pace group, but worked my way up to them by the end of the first mile. I attempted to do as little waeving and dodging as possible before the everyone thinned out. Luckliy, this race is still on the smallish side and run on pretty wide streets so I was able to keep on a fairly straight line. Shortly after the 1 mile Mark, I passed the 2 hour pace group and decided that regardless of the outcome I was going to push myself and run at a pace that felt right.</div>
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Mile 1: 8:57</div>
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Mile 2: 8:48</div>
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Mile 3: 8:57</div>
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Miles: 4-6:</div>
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By the end of Mile Six, I was really enjoying myself, we were running in the morning sun and the weather was perfect. Miles 4 and 5 had felt much better than they had a Tobacco Road and despite this race being run on concrete rather than the ultra forgiving compacted gravel of the Tobacco Trail, I was feeling really strong. I had decided to wear my I-pod, and I found some serious motivation from Journey, Incubus, the Beastie Boys, and Massive Attack. I took on a nice little hill a the end of the sixth mile without feeling any real strain and was beginning to have a good feeling about this race, if I could survive the Beast of Ashe Avenue.</div>
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Mile 4: 8:54</div>
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Mile 5: 8:55</div>
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Mile 6: 9:04</div>
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Mile 7-9:</div>
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At the end of Mile 7 Kanye West's Jesus Walks provided me with a nice boost along with Massive Attack's Teardrop. Right around the 8 mile mark we left the roads and dropper down onto the Raleigh Greenway system, which we would stay on until just before Mile 12 and the Beast of Ashe Avenue. I felt really dialed in and focused at this point. I love when your running and get that point where your mind just kind of switches off and you feel like your body is just on auto pilot. That is how I felt through these miles, like some kind of running Buddha. </div>
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Mile 7: 8:58</div>
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Mile 8: 8:55</div>
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Mile 9: 9:06</div>
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Mile 10-12:</div>
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The time of struggles -- Mile 10 was mostly up hill. I kept trying to convince myself that I wasn't slowing down, but I knew the truth. As soon as I hit the 10 mile mark all of my mental focus kind fell apart and all that I could think about was that stinking motherless whore of a hill on 12 that was going to kick my ass. Music wasn't helping, nor was Gu. That hill was all I could think about. Yeah, it's not really the best way to keep it together, but at this point. I wasn't really keeping it together. I knew that the 2 hour pace group was gaining on me, and I was sure that I wouldn't be able to fight them off. As soon as I got off of the greenway I could see the beast, I decided to try to run up it, and got about a quarter of the way up when I just knew it wasn't going to work. I needed to walk it. I could see the two hour pace group gaining on me, but I knew I could get over the Hill before they caught me. Just as I crested that beast, I made myself a promise to run this race again next year and run up that mofo!</div>
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Mile 10: 9:20</div>
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Mile 11: 9:32</div>
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Mile 12: 10:10</div>
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I would love to tell you how I was able to rally and fight off the 2 hour pace group, but it wasn't meant to be they caught me with less than half a mile to go as I struggled to run/walk my way to the finish. I was able to muster up a small kick for the last two tenths of a mile that nearly caused me to puke but helped to secure a brand new shiny PR by 22 seconds!</div>
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Time: 2:01:18 </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-1Hi6hZQHJj5W6uUgiucJWkP65_RRkU3mVrMlGV5yB2jq4mVhyphenhyphenGrNo5YjEUURYtlyszIbMZRKOCZnZmF9M2ObDHstXF-JzT1UEyLD16wqwciU0VxDWXcA6Rq4ZP-yuZDAuYWdIgrvP8/s1600/Run+Raleigh+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-1Hi6hZQHJj5W6uUgiucJWkP65_RRkU3mVrMlGV5yB2jq4mVhyphenhyphenGrNo5YjEUURYtlyszIbMZRKOCZnZmF9M2ObDHstXF-JzT1UEyLD16wqwciU0VxDWXcA6Rq4ZP-yuZDAuYWdIgrvP8/s640/Run+Raleigh+1.png" width="640" /></a><br />
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Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-27637965516294865942013-03-21T13:22:00.000-04:002013-03-21T13:22:58.896-04:00Tobacco Raod Half Marathon Race Report <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk18_3CN6dJOWxyk-xtGkJGMglSfapeP685E1Or4aUFeKIuT3kQ5xDKfnduIA-bEEc9L8oC9c5xDS9LLd9UVYDTe4XO3N7HMFfBSE29ez1zdoNbVhCbo7Ieq8puUbArNsXoy78VOK2wgw/s1600/IMG_7889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk18_3CN6dJOWxyk-xtGkJGMglSfapeP685E1Or4aUFeKIuT3kQ5xDKfnduIA-bEEc9L8oC9c5xDS9LLd9UVYDTe4XO3N7HMFfBSE29ez1zdoNbVhCbo7Ieq8puUbArNsXoy78VOK2wgw/s400/IMG_7889.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
Pre-Race Goals:<br />
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<li>Sub- 2 hours -- Not yet, but soon!</li>
<li><strike>Beat My PR of 2:03:33</strike> Race time of 2:01:40</li>
<li><strike>Not get injured and run the whole race</strike> No injuries to report.</li>
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Background:<br />
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Going into this race, I was on edge because I hadn't run a race since November, and my last Half Marathon was in May of last year. I had been on a race hiatus since Hiroko entered her third trimester of pregnancy. After Kaito was born I ran in our local Turkey Trot because it is next to my house and one of my favorite local races. I kind of promised that I wouldn't run anything until March just because the logistics of a family with two working parents and a newborn living in area with no family support, just doesn't really need race day stress added to it all that often. <br />
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However, I was able to train for the race fairly well by getting up at some ungodly hours and fitting in lunch runs and home workouts. In fact, I was feeling rather good about the prospects of a PR until I went for my 12 mile long run three weeks before the race and ended up limping home with a calf strain. From that point on my nerves were on edge and I was going a bit taper crazy. However, by race day, I got myself to a point where I thought that I had worked out my leg issues enough to carry me through the race.<br />
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The Race: The Tobacco Road Half Marathon is an out and back race run mostly on the American Tobacco Trail, which is a rails to trails project here in the Triangle and is <a href="https://twitter.com/ShalaneFlanagan/status/6062838988668928">Shalane Flanagan's favorite place in the world to run.</a> The course is pretty tight, and is a series of long slow inclines and declines, and is run on a very forgiving compacted gavel surface. Some people don't like the cramped feeling of this race or the out and back nature of the course, but these aspects really appeal to me. Plus, I having everyone bunched so closely together helps to balance out the lack of crowd support. The only thing that I don't really like about the course is the up hill at the very end of the course as you enter the USA Baseball training facility.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyfr8NISNPXCbxHAQDSx8sS9jKDNvYpaxoaO9lpcKW8QsAA3Zb2ECUd701H5z6MgLHU7YQHTXvxFKhaCtCbDxB-lRyMOF3bFORGuJgkfkcMZ2bjEgFHW_naHifZSLxv7x0b7cADtjIriE/s1600/IMG_7892.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyfr8NISNPXCbxHAQDSx8sS9jKDNvYpaxoaO9lpcKW8QsAA3Zb2ECUd701H5z6MgLHU7YQHTXvxFKhaCtCbDxB-lRyMOF3bFORGuJgkfkcMZ2bjEgFHW_naHifZSLxv7x0b7cADtjIriE/s400/IMG_7892.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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My plan was to find the 2 hour pace group and try to stick as close to them for as long as possible. I knew that the nature of the injury I was carrying into the race would allow me to run pretty much pain free until around eight miles. After the eight mile mark, I had no idea, but I hoped that a lot of taping and the softer surface than the pavement I had trained would make a difference and keep my calf from acting up. Luckily, I was right. I got a little tight, but nothing worse than you would expect from a half marathon. The weather was all you could ask with temps in the mid 50's, and aside from a little cross wind at the end of the race, the day was just perfect.<br />
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Most of the first three miles were run with the Full Marathon folks and were on paved roads. During this portion I just tried to avoid getting caught up in the crowd and boxed in . I'm no fan of the first miles of any race and this one is no different. Personally, I find the first two mile of this race a bit of a drag, but that is only because I just can't wait until we hit the turn onto the ATT.<br />
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Mile 1: 9:01<br />
Mile 2: 9:12<br />
Mile 3: 8:52<br />
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Miles 4,5,6: saw the course get a bit more cramped as the faster runners began to make their way to the turn around and come back past us. I like this part of the race because I get to lose myself in a bit of in race spectating. A few times I did have to work my way through groups of runners, and water stops are always an adventure.<br />
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Mile 4: 8:53<br />
Mile 5: 9:09<br />
Mile 6: 9:21<br />
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Mile 7,8,9: I was dreading this portion of the race. I knew if I were going to have injury issues the would happen here, but the only thing of any real interest to happen was a near fight between two guys. I'm not sure what happened, but a guy and a girl got tangled up just past a water stop and another guy didn't like it. I started puffing ups his chest and trying to start a fight. Other people shouted him down and everyone kept running. <span style="font-size: large;"><strong> My take is if you got that much energy to start a fight. You're not running had enough. </strong></span><span style="font-size: small;">The whole thing was just dumb. I have no idea if he said something or what, but that is not what anyone came out to see.</span><br />
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Mile 7: 8:52<br />
Mile 8: 9:05<br />
Mile 9: 9:08<br />
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Miles 10, 11, 12: The slow incline began to take a toll and I had to watch the pace group slip past me. But, I did my best to keep them in sight, knowing that I was still heading for a good sized PR, regardless. I hooed that I would be able to real them in, but as much as I struggled to keep up, I just couldn't find the gear that I needed to pull them in, so I just tried to stay focused on running the race that I had in me. <br />
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Mile 10: 9:26<br />
Mile 11: 9:34<br />
Mile 12: 9:30<br />
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Mile 13 and .1: I wanted to give a kick, but there was no kick. It was just time cruise in and be happy with my finish. The last portion of the race on the road was just punishing and I was glad to get through it. But, I had no complaints at all considering I was PR-ing by nearly 2 minutes.<br />
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Mile 13: 9:45<br />
.1: 1:52 (9:33 pace)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiroko's co-worker Paul and I at the finish</td></tr>
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<br />Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-64889550463012661922013-03-19T13:57:00.000-04:002013-03-19T13:59:14.907-04:00A Few Photo's From The Tobacco Road Half Marathon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm still trying to put together my thoughts for a full race report. But here are the photo's that Hiroko took of the Half. I ran a good race and set a PR of 2:01:40, which I am pleased about. The day went much better than I hoped, and I enjoyed this race more thatn any of my other half marathons. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4HMAgR9qEMIx0AExSebUOhiS5tILkIQW2yMy6NJoLilGaSsxFtBScl2Gemm3CDOhE3TZXx8jyC8fJLpqFPRh9Gbh4_rd0zPpzihfKlfsXqyCxniMizYY7MXE-zCzk1LxWEqaUCBBd3M/s1600/IMG_7891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4HMAgR9qEMIx0AExSebUOhiS5tILkIQW2yMy6NJoLilGaSsxFtBScl2Gemm3CDOhE3TZXx8jyC8fJLpqFPRh9Gbh4_rd0zPpzihfKlfsXqyCxniMizYY7MXE-zCzk1LxWEqaUCBBd3M/s400/IMG_7891.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Biggest Fan</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Cheer Squad</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did I mention that this was his first race.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the finish with Paul</td></tr>
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<br />Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-4151915483051868742013-03-08T10:35:00.000-05:002013-03-08T10:35:03.563-05:00Holy Half Marathon Freakout!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well the Tobacco Road Half Marathon is finally here! It will be my first half in nearly 10 months and I am going <strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">. . .</span></strong> <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><strong>. . .</strong> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">. . .</span> <br />
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My right legs has picked this time to basically fall apart. My Hip flexor has a knot in it the size of a double A battery, My Peroneus muscles are in full on riot.</div>
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At this point, I just want the next Sunday to hurry up and get here. Once I am running, everything will work itself out. I'll either be able to run the race that I want or I won't , but at least the worrying will be behind me.</div>
Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-61402391374031048592013-02-25T15:08:00.000-05:002013-02-25T15:08:17.422-05:00To Get Involved or Keep Running?I've seen the plot line played out countless times on film, in books, on tv, someone needs help and countless passersby keep their heads down and keep walking. I've always thought that I would stop. I would help out. When I was younger, I was certain that I would not put my head down and keep to myself no matter what the risk. But, as I have gotten older and have more to risk (a wife and a small child), doubts have begun to keep in. If I faced that situation what would I do? Would I stop? Would I keep going? I've thought about it many time, but I was never tested until Sunday's run.<br />
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My wife works on Sundays and I stay home with our son. She needs to be at work by 9am, so if I want to get in my long run, I must get up around 3:30am. It's awful, but I do it so that I have enough time to get home, shower, and watch our son while she gets ready for work. My alarm went off at 3:30am just as the sky opened up and rain began to pour, so I waited about 15 minutes to see the weather would change, which it did, so I got up drank my coffee and got ready for my run. I was ready to leave at around 5:15, told my wife I loved her, checked on my son, and left. As I stood outside my apartment in the dark waiting for a satellite signal for my watch, I look at the clouds moving across the darkened sky and wondered the rains would return. I thought about taking my phone with me, but I loath carrying it on a run. It took a while to catch a signal, and I thought about going in and getting the phone, but our cat has been making a mad dash for the door lately and the thought of chasing after a cat for the next hour while should be running was enough for me to leave it behind. Now, I can't believe it. I left my phone because I was afraid of letting my cat out. Really! Really! How silly. <br />
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I ran through my neighborhood and turned onto Hillsborough Street and the corner of Gorman. The street is a high traffic street and runs from the Capital building westward, past the NC State Campus, and into Cary. I began to run toward NCSU. From where I run it is well lit, but there are often a few homeless people and drunks that will cause a stir, but they are mostly harmless because the street is well patrolled by both Raleigh PD and Campus Police. Also there are a few coffee shops that open early, so I feel fairly safe running on the street. However, since I work at the University and receive the campus crime reports in my work e-mail, I know that there are some robberies and traffic accidents involving pedestrians, so I know that I need to remain alert. As I ran past Cup A Joe, I could see the clock on the wall and that it was still well before 6am. My mile marker was just up ahead and I was feeling good about the first mile. midway through the next block, I saw something laying in the street in the middle of the right hand turn lane. At first I couldn't make it out. But then, I saw the shoes.<br />
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My mind began to race, and my first though was that the person had been hit by a car and was dead. He was near the cross walk but not in it. I thought someone hit a person and just left them to die, but just as I thought it I heard him call out "help me, someone help me." As I got closer I got the feeling that he hadn't been hit by a car. Maybe he's drunk. He was young , collage age, he could be drunk. But also somewhere in my mind fear started to creep in. What if this is a trap. The way he was laying and holding himself I couldn't see his hands. He kept yelling and I didn't know what to do. He wasn't looking at me a I approached, and I was kicking myself for leaving my phone. I wanted to move him out of the street, but I didn't want to touch him if he was badly injured, and I was scared. I'll be honest. I couldn't see his hands and was afraid of what might be in those hands and somewhere deep inside I thought it. Just keep going. Put your head down and keep going. Someone else will be by and help. I am not proud of it, but the thought was there. The street was dark, I was alone, and it wasn't one of the situations where things just happen and you don't have time to think. I had time to think and part of me was saying "this is not you're problem. But, it was my problem. There is a person laying in the street yelling for help, and if it were my son, I would want someone to stop and help.<br />
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Just as I got right next to him, I saw the lights of a store on at the next corner, so I decided to run there for help. He wasn't bleeding, and if he had been, I wouldn't have known what to do so I kept running and thought that if a car comes I can step into the street and direct them around him. I hadn't spoken to him as I went by and when he saw me run past, he began to yell for me to help him. I felt awful. Even though I knew that I was going for help, the fact that he thought that I was leaving him, made me sick to my stomach. His voice sounded more desperate and I yelled back that I was going for help. Just then I saw a man and a woman walk out of the store just ahead of me. I asked them to call 911, which the man did as we walked back towards the guy laying in the road. He was young, holding his stomach and saying that it hurt. I couldn't smell alcohol, didn't see vomit, and his voice wasn't slurred. However, he wasn't saying much and wouldn't tell us what was wrong. His clothes were dry, so he hadn't been out in the storm, and they were disheveled, but it was hard to tell if he was homeless or a young skater kid without the best personal grooming. He was shaking and talking, but he never told us what was wrong the entire time we waited for the police. Cars drove by, none stopped, they looked, slowed and kept on going. Once the police, fire truck, and rescue squad arrived, I told them the little that I knew and asked if they need me to stay. I was told I could go, so I continued on with my run without finding out what was wrong. Over the next 10 miles I kept thinking about what had happened and one thing finally came to mind. I am glad that I stopped. And I hope that I will next time, but I won't be able to say for certain that I will until I find myself in that moment. There are just to many variables, and I can understand the temptation to not get involved. Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-42097397443713034062013-02-13T18:57:00.002-05:002013-02-13T18:57:44.874-05:00The Thorniness of Going It AloneI haven't gone on a group run or workout since early summer. When I quit the Y last year, I thought that I would struggle to find the motivation to workout. Nor did I think that I would be able to force myself to workout at home. However, much to my surprise, I have been able to motivate myself and have actually been more diligent about my workouts than I was when I attended fitness classes on a regular basis. I didn't think that running alone would be an issue. I have always enjoyed my alone and time growing up as an only child has kind of prepared me to deal with long periods of solitude. So, I don't feel The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (shout out to Silltoe), which is a major blessing. I do tend to get bored running the same route after a while but that would occur regardless.<br />
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The main issues that I have about running and working out alone are that it is easy to get in a training rut. I have made an effort to incorporate some of the exercises that I dislike into my workouts, but when going it alone it is very easy to just do the things that you enjoy day in and day out. And when it comes to running, there is no one around to force you to push the pace or go a bit longer than you planned. Over the past few weeks, I have had some over use strains that I think are the result of my lack of attention to stretching and an imbalance in my workout. I am making an effort to correct the issues, but when your going it alone, it easy to fall back into the same habits. Also, I think that running with other people might just be what I need to push myself out of my comfort level and grow as a runner. Once the weather improves and the time change happens, I'll try to take advantage of some of the local group runs when I get the opportunity. I'm not sure really need to return to taking fitness classes if I am able identify the exercises that I normally avoid and put then into my routine at times. So far, things have gone much better than I expected that they would once Hiro returned to work from the baby, and as long as I can pay attention to the needs of my body and my family, I'll be a happy running dad in 2013.Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-7363193084159239082013-01-30T11:18:00.000-05:002013-01-30T11:18:33.024-05:00Hitting the Starting Line ColdI'm not sure about you, but I like to run an 8k or a 5k a few weeks out from running a Half. It is a good way to judge where I am physically and to get out some of my pre-race jitters. Unfortunately, do to some self-imposed travel restrictions, and some baby imposed schedule issues. I can't find a good race to run before The Tobacco Road Half Marathon on March 17th, which means that I have not run a Race since November and have only run that one since June. <br />
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I have trained and feel ready to tackle the distance, but I'm kind of afraid that I'll either flame out in the beginning of the race or run too conservatively because in an attempt to avoid going out too fast. Granted, these are the same anxieties that I usually carry into every race, but I often use my previous race as a point of reference to quell my paranoia. In this case, I am just going to have to adjust on the fly because I have no other options. One thing is for certain, the race will quickly be upon me, and I am looking forward to lacing "em up and making yet another stab at a sub 2 hour half! Sunday, I did a very icy 10 miler in Umstead park that felt awesome. I had not run in Umstead since the start of my wife's third trimester some time in August, and I had missed those damn hills in a way that I could have hardly imagined. Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-83090683891503606632013-01-23T10:35:00.000-05:002013-01-23T10:36:07.601-05:00Two Weeks of Baby Balancing Workouts For the last two weeks my wife and I have been passing our son back and forth as we work around each others schedules, and I've been trying to get in my runs and keep my workout schedule where it needs to be. Fortunately, I think that we have done well and being alone with my son has caused me to make some positive changes as well. For one, if the weather is nice I am much more likely to go for a walk. Kaito loves to ride in his stroller and a 3.5 mile stroller walk is and awesome way to get him to take a nap while burning a few calories. Also, I am so busy around the house with diaper changes, feedings, bottle washing, dishes, laundry, clean ups, and playtime that I don't have time to sit around and snack. When I do go for a snack it is usually something easy like an apple or orange. <br />
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My workouts and runs have dropped off a little, but a lot of that is to do with getting use to our new schedules and finding out what works and what doesn't. Also, I lost one day due to a migraine, which pre-baby wouldn't have matter all that much but was more difficult to reschedule now. It is interesting that in the past my schedule had nothing but flexibility, which sometimes led me to put off a workout thinking that I could do it later in the day, only to to delay again and again, until I ended up skipping it. Now, I know that if I don't get up at 4am on Saturday morning, I am not running that day. So in some ways the nature of my schedule is adding motivation to my workouts, which is something that I would not have expected. We'll see if this continues but as of now things are going well, and I am off now, because I have no more time in my schedule for blogging today. Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-15703973855533464882013-01-06T22:04:00.002-05:002013-01-06T22:06:40.636-05:00New Challenges for a New YearI would LOVE to tell you that I am setting new distance goals for 2013, or a new pace goal, maybe even a foray into the Marathon, but those goals are all secondary at this point. My wife's maternity leave ends this week and rather that put or son in daycare (we don't have family in the area to help), we've decided to just work around our work schedules. Luckily, I can work from home a little and my wife schedule is flexible enough to mostly work around mine. However, workouts and runs will all be subject to very narrow windows that will be inflexible.<br />
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My son is still too small to go in the running stroller yet, but we will be incorporating lots of long walks in to out exercise regime. Over the Christmas holiday I made a concerted effort to begin working out at home rather the relying on the gym, so that I can get in my workout on days when a trip to the gym becomes an impossibility. Kaito is pretty good about sleeping after walks and after he eats, so I should be able to get my exercises in during those times on most days. In addition, I've taught myself to incorporate household chores into my workouts. My main concern is finding time for long runs. Any run under 6 miles can be sandwiched into a lunch hour or done early before work hours, but those runs over six are going to mean no sleeping in on weekends and I will have many a sleepy day ahead of me. So really for this year, my goal is just to stay fit, keep running, and do more than my fair share of taking care of my son, the house, and our cat.<br />
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I see keeping it all together as my big challenge for this year, and frankly, I am looking forward to it because . . . well I am awesome at wasting time. Since I've become a dad there are many other things that I would like to be awesome at rather than wasting time, for an example see the video above.Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-38567523238680471142012-12-05T04:11:00.001-05:002012-12-05T04:11:48.840-05:00My World At the Moment<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdcxzjpDZE3C7cMP9g8Zqk0P4YeTvNQveFaNFDySAOEa-Y6_oaGyLm3N9f8VDrUuIltToN6_QiQfdmINlG0IyroBJKMa4zIn2aVQJWpBIs4ruD5McxDRn8qbKIPayzMRzu0QriY6JuOHM/s1600/upsidedown-world1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdcxzjpDZE3C7cMP9g8Zqk0P4YeTvNQveFaNFDySAOEa-Y6_oaGyLm3N9f8VDrUuIltToN6_QiQfdmINlG0IyroBJKMa4zIn2aVQJWpBIs4ruD5McxDRn8qbKIPayzMRzu0QriY6JuOHM/s320/upsidedown-world1.jpg" width="320" /></a>On October 14th my world turned upside down. Kaito's birth was a couple of weeks early and even though Hiroko and I were pretty well prepared, you're never really prepared to deal with a new child . . . never. . . ever. . . and we weren't. Three day's after his birth I found myself checking my son in to the Hospital, sleeping on couches and chairs as he spent two days being treated for Jaundice. Not where we expected to be. But finding myself in a children's ward among kids and parents, who were dealing with devastating illness like cancer, opened my eyes to the realities of fatherhood rather quickly. And despite Kaito's illness being fairly routine, let me tell you, when someone hooks your three day old son up to a machine to monitor his vital signs, it will make you go weak in the knees. Two day's later, we were home and doing fine, but the realities of parenthood were stark and boundless joy mixed with cold hard panic and fear with nearly every moment. <br />
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I managed only two runs in the first three weeks of parenthood, and despite missing running, my responsibilities to my wife and son took priority over everything. I routinely forgot to take my inhaler, didn't bother to even check the score of the Raider game, and didn't turn on the TV for weeks. Blogging not only fell to the wayside, it nearly fell off the map when the responsibilities of parenthood combined with a new job at work. However, slowly, day by day, as I've gotten more sleep, my life has begun to feel slightly more manageable . . . at times. I've found time to run and workout regularly, the Raiders have been so Godawful that I don't even waste my time, hockey is on strike, but The Walking Dead and Radio Lab still provide my with some nice entertainment, and I even managed to run a race . . . . with only three hours of sleep. <br />
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And there is Kaito . . . he is now the center of everything. Words are feeble things that can't hold the weight of meaning needed to describe the love a parent holds for their child, and I am not a skilled enough writer to adequately put them to the task. Let me just say that the feeling of his hand wrapping around my finger will never fade from my memory. And I never knew joy until I felt the softness of his hair or his feet kick the palm of my hand. I can go on and on and on, but it is getting late and sleep in a rare commodity these days. Not sure when I'll get back to blogging regularly, but when I find the time, I'll continue to write about the place in my life that I have carved out for running. <br />
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Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-18900747143061695762012-10-11T10:34:00.002-04:002012-10-11T10:35:11.024-04:00An Admission that I Suck and Shout Out to Morgan & Spike as They Get HitchedOriginally, I had a grand idea of organizing a virtual run in honor of Morgan & Spike's wedding, but<strike> I SUCK</strike> I have been swamped by a position change at work and baby <strike>freakouts</strike> planning and have had to scrap the idea. Many MANY apologies to Morgan and Spike.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">However, <span style="font-size: small;">if you are running this weekend and think about it. Please send a shout out to Morgan and Spike on there wedding day! They're AWESOME people and are taking the first step in their new lives together this weekend.</span></span>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-43751011842683488152012-09-24T11:23:00.001-04:002012-09-24T11:23:53.209-04:00A Happy Little Runner Running Through A Bob Ross WorldSaturday's run was just enough of a struggle that it caused me some concern about running on Sunday. My plan had been to make an attempt a topping my weekly mileage out at 30 miles, which would be my new high water mark. But, Saturday, had been a bit warmer than I had expected, and I was feeling the miles more than I should. However, since I am inching close to the uncertain times of Hiroko's pregnancy, I thought that I had better go for 30 miles now. Luckily, the morning was nice and cool with just enough cloud cover and strong breeze that kept everything nice and cool.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFxaXNl7zzXfFjN5duRGWo6hr3Zmt4VUI4iv7mpJPamOwqG9Gke2olfoUKmpVz9ZR1FHcqU1FoPyH3Gsr2sEeYVnugVlzhgwncbys0znd1LU9TmVlmRl9ove3LQLtKK25tFy9TBwl4yE/s1600/3485661297_3d993506f0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFxaXNl7zzXfFjN5duRGWo6hr3Zmt4VUI4iv7mpJPamOwqG9Gke2olfoUKmpVz9ZR1FHcqU1FoPyH3Gsr2sEeYVnugVlzhgwncbys0znd1LU9TmVlmRl9ove3LQLtKK25tFy9TBwl4yE/s400/3485661297_3d993506f0.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to the Greenway at Meredith College</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have been running the same route over the last few weeks in order to stay closer to home and get used to wear most of my runs are going to take place over the next year or two. Luckily, the Greenway near my house really offers a lot of interesting sights as well as a challenging course.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://bobross.com/photos/BTMD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://bobross.com/photos/BTMD.jpg" width="252" /></a></div>
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I go through two tunnels, cross run bridge, run through a college campus, a museum, past a research farm, a small lake and into a State Park all in the span of five miles, which makes this a pretty awesome place to run. Sunday, I began to feel like as though I were running through a world created by Bob Ross. The sky was impossibly blue, and filled with happy clouds and happy trees, which just caused my run to pass by with an amazing senses of calm and ease. Frankly, the feeling actually mirrored the calming high that you get from watching an old episode of Bob Ross' show. I ended up doing 11.5 miles and crossing the 30 mile mark in a rather peaceful fashion that left me with the feel that good old Bob was smiling down on me saying something like "let's just add a happy little runner on the side of this road". Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-25812182228274180532012-09-14T13:30:00.000-04:002012-09-14T13:30:56.038-04:00Turkey Love Run!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/entertainment/spew-blog/2010/11/varsity-grill-frozen-turkey-bowling-tacoma/uploads/blogs/25688-banner-turkey625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/entertainment/spew-blog/2010/11/varsity-grill-frozen-turkey-bowling-tacoma/uploads/blogs/25688-banner-turkey625.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Bowling was one of my PE classes in college. Yep. Bowling. One of the things that remember from that class was that three strikes in a row is called a Turkey. After Sunday's awesome run and Tuesday's fantastic run, I set out yesterday morning on mission for my 3rd great run in a row. It was going to be my Turkey run. The morning was cool so I decided to run through the Museum park near my house. The area is beautiful on mornings when there is a little fog, and it didn't disappoint yesterday. I ended up doing 6.5 miles and just enjoying the heck out of my Turkey Love Run! I've No idea when the last time I had three runs like this in a row. </div><br />
Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-11434029286414990422012-09-10T13:57:00.000-04:002012-09-10T13:57:46.825-04:00Assembling a Great Run<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_OrymQG4Bj2N_1fj8Pi_aA55_K9uJ0jjk6Ro5VSqnQeWaG2m_T4aJSw8rw9JiZOWMNAANskoKEKjXbfSLRJ91PKgmPnGS46DY2a9hPmJmMkszXiAnO7Dan6kDHbFPDMyGNaEjKMcz_E/s1600/dy1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_OrymQG4Bj2N_1fj8Pi_aA55_K9uJ0jjk6Ro5VSqnQeWaG2m_T4aJSw8rw9JiZOWMNAANskoKEKjXbfSLRJ91PKgmPnGS46DY2a9hPmJmMkszXiAnO7Dan6kDHbFPDMyGNaEjKMcz_E/s400/dy1.jpg" width="387" /></a></div>Running has been a soul crushing catalog of everything that sucks over the last few weeks. Sometime in early to mid August, the wheels just came off and nearly all of my runs just turned to excrement! Heaping piles of EXCREMENT! Mile after mile spirit snatching crappy crappy runs. The only thing that helped was running trails, but then scheduling and late summer thunderstorms conspired to take trail running away, leaving me to slog along the city streets of Raleigh. My mileage has been sinking quick, runs have gotten cut short, and I've been wondering if I am suffering from burnout. Or perhaps, it is anxiety caused by my impending fatherhood. To top things off my shoes smelled worse than Basil's litter box and all of the music on my I-pod was putting me into a coma! Arrgh! <br />
<br />
Luckily, yesterday seemed to offer me hope that things are going to get better. Aside from the weather improving, and the realization that my fall allergies begun, which require some medication, I had three big things come together.<br />
<ol><li><b>Brooks Ghost 5's</b></li>
<li><b>I Was Totally Destroying It</b></li>
<li><b>Angry Angel Beer</b></li>
</ol>Last week my wife and I decided that, even though the Asics I had worn during the summer had many more miles on them, the stench was too much and they had to go. I wasn't really happy with the clunky nature of the shoe, so I decided to try something different. Luckily, the running store that I shop at had a pair of Ghost 5's in my 15 wides! As soon as I put them on I knew this was it. I did two short runs in the earlier in the week and the felt awesome. However, during my run on Sunday, I realized that I had long last found "my" shoe and know how Cinderella felt when she put on the glass slippers!<br />
<br />
Also, One of my friends posted a song from a band <b>I Was Totally Destroying It</b> that I had seen a few years back and really liked but hadn't bought any of their Cd's. So last week, I bought I bought Preludes their 2011 offering, and wow! It was just what I needed. I love the whole CD. It is awesome when you find a local band that you really like and can easily identify with. I listened to this CD three times over the course of my 10 miler. Both the music and the lyrics were appealing and help push me along as I ran.<br />
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Confidentially or maybe not, in two of their songs <b>I Was Totally Destroying It: </b><i>All Get Lucky</i><b> </b>and<span style="font-size: small;"> <i>With You Now</i></span> the lyrics refer to someone as an Angry Angel, which is interesting because a local brewery that I like <a href="http://bigbossbrewing.com%20/">Big Boss Brewing Company</a> makes a beer called Angry Angel and I just happened to have one in my fridge. Every time those songs would played I would begin to think of just how good that beer was going to taste when I got home. It was great fuel for an awesome run.<br />
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. . . And awesome it was. I tackled 10 miles for the first time in nearly a month, and more importantly, I finished this run stronger than I started it. I can't recall the last time that I felt stronger over the last five miles that I did over the first. I just hope that this run is a sign of things to come and not just a momentary blip.<br />
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Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-90620567492059846232012-09-04T15:21:00.001-04:002012-09-04T15:33:25.996-04:00Best Wishes Virtual Run October 13th to 15thMany of people in the Blogging and running world know these two, right?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLLqbeD6pxO7Jls8bphj5QhOEy8m8N1t44iCg1HQamqBoBx8TV1IDMMdjbsPyJtB1fdj-dB15ZPCyORXwdS2iD8qnUXMEuqlEI1rnuWUWeoPeP9Xdayw0AZm_EIXLo4ZXhyphenhyphenFmRXYOZxA/s1600/Jump.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLLqbeD6pxO7Jls8bphj5QhOEy8m8N1t44iCg1HQamqBoBx8TV1IDMMdjbsPyJtB1fdj-dB15ZPCyORXwdS2iD8qnUXMEuqlEI1rnuWUWeoPeP9Xdayw0AZm_EIXLo4ZXhyphenhyphenFmRXYOZxA/s400/Jump.jpeg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image stolen and used without permission, don't be mad! Please!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="http://cautionredheadrunning.blogspot.com/">Morgan</a> & <a href="http://runningspike.blogspot.com/">Spike</a> are two of the best people that I never met in real life, but interact with via the wonderful world of the Internet, and as many of you know, they are getting hitched on October 13th. Morgan has been the most supportive and encouraging person of my running, fitness, and blogging life. Her comments and have meant so much to me, and I wanted to let her know just how much her encouragement means to me. When she was suffering from a stress fracture and couldn't run for around a year, she still took time to read about my running life and send me some encouraging words. It meant the world to me, and I think that I have found a way to say thank you.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Plan: <i><span style="color: red;">A Best Wishes Virtual Run For Morgan & Spike</span></i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b> <b><span style="font-size: large;">When: <i><span style="color: red;">Anytime Between October 13th and 15th (the wedding is the 13th and Morgan's Birthday is the 15th)</span></i></span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What You Do: <span style="color: red;"><i>Take a run in honor of Morgan & Spike, send me an e-mail at: gregjd77@gmail(dot)com and tell me the number of miles you ran in honor of Spike and Morgan. Links post, and pictures would be awesome as well! All will be shared with Morgan and Spike. I plan to do a write up of every ones effort and share it on by the end of October. (Adam at the Boring Runner is also planning to help as well and I'll add a link to his page shortly)</i></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;"><i><br />
</i></span></b></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>What You Get<i>: <span style="color: red;">A warm fuzzy feeling inside for having done something nice for two people on their wedding day.</span></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: red;"><br />
</span></i></b></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>What I Get: <span style="color: red;">The same warm fuzzy feeling. Nothing more. I do not wish to profit from this in way. I don't do promotions on my blog, nor do I have ads or profit from my blog in anyway.</span></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Do you have to know Morgan or Spike to participate<i>: <span style="color: red;">No, not at all. On my wedding day total strangers went out of their way to congratulate my wife and I and wish us well. It was wonderful!</span></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: red;"><br />
</span></i></b></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Do Morgan & Spike know about this: <span style="color: red;"><i> I am not trying to keep it a surprise and did ask permission. This is my way of attempting to do something nice for a couple on their wedding day. </i></span></b></span>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-69454046562056806802012-09-04T15:07:00.000-04:002012-09-04T15:07:51.136-04:00Run Raleigh Labor Day 8k Pictures.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-cE0IUbh9l6s1iccvSb8Rl_ntb978a3g9VNhkDRP7fKyYzoOBlYHOD9fRBKxYxKFrElqqkqFq5FMib2sL04B0HR-plTCEVeo-fe-muzlEla-enC0cAqh_Z1_m1d4C4Dz8UMxBMEhJBg/s1600/026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-cE0IUbh9l6s1iccvSb8Rl_ntb978a3g9VNhkDRP7fKyYzoOBlYHOD9fRBKxYxKFrElqqkqFq5FMib2sL04B0HR-plTCEVeo-fe-muzlEla-enC0cAqh_Z1_m1d4C4Dz8UMxBMEhJBg/s400/026.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTzxQ5fK8dF9ypHAbB5mufur3lTBBfDirHc1IBdn7N5FvJJGSgNKSxyCtsQcfxMxohfG7RS1-KqoXl-_RlFWT1fPe0yqB_m3VTtD4WHHHPZdPNC7qHG_f6uUiyOlMuOZiJOocMNEXNiDg/s1600/027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTzxQ5fK8dF9ypHAbB5mufur3lTBBfDirHc1IBdn7N5FvJJGSgNKSxyCtsQcfxMxohfG7RS1-KqoXl-_RlFWT1fPe0yqB_m3VTtD4WHHHPZdPNC7qHG_f6uUiyOlMuOZiJOocMNEXNiDg/s400/027.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><strong>Pre Race</strong></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3vdXtJ75fseVzj7I6qGL22NOT8bJy3rwQuIbbsZUUHUYJQo8MTOLfnJ-2tXnHlp9DThJ7b4Il8PnUy6TIn-T10tsEqwTjROkjOL5pot1UFWZVvPIfNnsbpqSeADGp4cTXyGkbMkuavsQ/s1600/028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3vdXtJ75fseVzj7I6qGL22NOT8bJy3rwQuIbbsZUUHUYJQo8MTOLfnJ-2tXnHlp9DThJ7b4Il8PnUy6TIn-T10tsEqwTjROkjOL5pot1UFWZVvPIfNnsbpqSeADGp4cTXyGkbMkuavsQ/s400/028.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgf3TjUxBt8pFfvWTAsNQGO4XelnRAHlwWD5DWNNx8EomyWPYc5AZHHKvAB-LKYXQUV9frPlknB7nSaqbFU28E_v44KzGT7eYTSNGOjchyphenhyphenGSQk_DC25Gxqw0W-r543voA21LGfwPuMd2w/s1600/029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgf3TjUxBt8pFfvWTAsNQGO4XelnRAHlwWD5DWNNx8EomyWPYc5AZHHKvAB-LKYXQUV9frPlknB7nSaqbFU28E_v44KzGT7eYTSNGOjchyphenhyphenGSQk_DC25Gxqw0W-r543voA21LGfwPuMd2w/s400/029.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rqfOZgEw7RyCFe3nXrlUCvzRT2nNdp6VSOHMm62qcjGntBJhsxnQW9PR9-DGlP3EKlov9kgDnXRf1NAkvDQwEqn-r9sOGWQeTtGOegv8E3wb1PH0LfvfvWjdj4Oa5xcBR8NZg8pPueI/s1600/030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rqfOZgEw7RyCFe3nXrlUCvzRT2nNdp6VSOHMm62qcjGntBJhsxnQW9PR9-DGlP3EKlov9kgDnXRf1NAkvDQwEqn-r9sOGWQeTtGOegv8E3wb1PH0LfvfvWjdj4Oa5xcBR8NZg8pPueI/s400/030.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMXRoC4xQUh_Sdav-8LKaJf3OMIb-FScuRJ6ndf_WaYMcAq7sjtHnIJtUzJROWboP1ufhSNiDaXRjXx-wduIKt0-nsliy1M8_eRIOkdFi9a3rsGD3GbW7GkaizupKpBPHhUBMIkDWank/s1600/031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMXRoC4xQUh_Sdav-8LKaJf3OMIb-FScuRJ6ndf_WaYMcAq7sjtHnIJtUzJROWboP1ufhSNiDaXRjXx-wduIKt0-nsliy1M8_eRIOkdFi9a3rsGD3GbW7GkaizupKpBPHhUBMIkDWank/s400/031.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3-TvEFblPs8NnqRQM2TRTYBD9FDGS0JATAE7vhfdxNEnj3Hwo-6zPci28g7iI7YqwHty1eqOTn7Z6NyBYVtEDsxeXoOZFcK99xYn75dzyq8PTvXw-tr_64ePZpFqcKQyTSTYc2-W3X0/s1600/032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3-TvEFblPs8NnqRQM2TRTYBD9FDGS0JATAE7vhfdxNEnj3Hwo-6zPci28g7iI7YqwHty1eqOTn7Z6NyBYVtEDsxeXoOZFcK99xYn75dzyq8PTvXw-tr_64ePZpFqcKQyTSTYc2-W3X0/s400/032.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKN_JZwNCnpMerxkS1bmw21yFV16890N8ZJ5kSQhyfvRjNHqaLH1yXGPjeO_Z1r1ZO9VhTbBrYRRA2Mi7WqID3NsIrZgfz5w5aCv8FZmoh0KjfcDGeAlfspHjt23rBZVQJhkctf19ALuY/s1600/033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKN_JZwNCnpMerxkS1bmw21yFV16890N8ZJ5kSQhyfvRjNHqaLH1yXGPjeO_Z1r1ZO9VhTbBrYRRA2Mi7WqID3NsIrZgfz5w5aCv8FZmoh0KjfcDGeAlfspHjt23rBZVQJhkctf19ALuY/s400/033.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAJljXsrU8cFvkcFXTvNL0fywxYw4jjduQCkInTKPs52wKpxX8gLQEOLfOEz_ITT62ZmpWaosCV5FWa9hGK36el4cBOC-suTiQzvzFtsvEBfO0joPWxnwsDMkXDKCoInU2X6hgYrC0so/s1600/034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAJljXsrU8cFvkcFXTvNL0fywxYw4jjduQCkInTKPs52wKpxX8gLQEOLfOEz_ITT62ZmpWaosCV5FWa9hGK36el4cBOC-suTiQzvzFtsvEBfO0joPWxnwsDMkXDKCoInU2X6hgYrC0so/s400/034.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><strong>The Race</strong></span><br />
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Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-38681256291818077502012-08-27T15:28:00.000-04:002012-08-27T15:28:46.868-04:00Raleigh 8000 Race ReportLast Year's Raleigh 8000 was run on the edges of Hurricane Irene. In addition, it was my first race following my illness and development of Asthma, so my only goal at the time was to not pass out while running. Puking was fine as far as I was concerned, but passing out was bad. Fortunately, I managed not to puke or pass put, but finish the race with a bloated time of 48:39.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCG_rcZf4WBNIlRSjZhlTc5qfW_BiH6vRTZFm2VtEOttCCY6oR3I3t4yIgcV4dgNhd5MBhzeEHOPICl6SGmcQLRj6usXaqDfnA2Vqn75ZM7Y2CI89wJkaBh8hw6LlDsI4BJ6_6FjBf1E/s1600/080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCG_rcZf4WBNIlRSjZhlTc5qfW_BiH6vRTZFm2VtEOttCCY6oR3I3t4yIgcV4dgNhd5MBhzeEHOPICl6SGmcQLRj6usXaqDfnA2Vqn75ZM7Y2CI89wJkaBh8hw6LlDsI4BJ6_6FjBf1E/s400/080.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start of the Race </td></tr>
</tbody></table>This year the weather was nearly perfect, but the race would once again follow a layoff from racing. This time the lay off was by choice and was not related to injury or illness. I had decided in the spring to use the summer as a time to just run and work on getting fit without the need to focus upon a certain race. This decision was also aided by the fact that my first child is due to arrive in late October and wouldn't allow me to commit to any one race beyond September. So, I was happily signed up for the few races that were outside the official baby arrival watch dates. Besides, the Raleigh 8000 incorporates the Greenway of Shelley Lake, which I really like running. I also was set to run in another 8k the following week, so I figured that I would use this race to knock some of the rust off and be ready for the race on September 2nd in downtown.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chugging up the hill at the end</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The Course:<br />
<br />
<br />
In a word: Hilly. It starts on a downhill, then goes right into an uphill, followed by another downhill. around the lake the course is deceptively rumbly with a couple of potential bust you butt declines. After a lap around the lake it ends with the same hills that started the race in reverse order.<br />
<br />
I felt good before the race. My warm up went well, but since there were only two port-a-johns for the race (WTF), I had to sneak in the McDonald's bathroom, which was kind of annoying. I am not really sure what was up with that. Honestly the whole race was rather bare bones. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Better view of the hill at the end</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<br />
The Race<br />
<br />
This race seemed to really only draw serious runners. Nearly everyone running seemed fairly fit and experienced, which was a big contrast from the charity races that I had been running int the spring and fall. However this made it a bit hard to tell where I should line up so as to be near people running at my pace. In addition, I hate beginning races on a downhill because it is so easy to screw up my pacing from the out set. <br />
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I think that the down hills start and my fear of the uphill finish led me to hold back more than I needed to in the race <br />
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Splits:<br />
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Mile 1: 8:14<br />
Mile 2: 8:27<br />
Mile 3: 8:46 <br />
Mile 4: 8:58<br />
Mile 5: 8:07<br />
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I felt good during the entire race and ran well, but I don't think that I pushed myself at all until the final mile, which I think was some pretty good work on my part considering it was my fastest mile and took place over the largest elevation gains of the race. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just happy to be back in a race</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Overall, this was a good way to shake off the rust, I finished the race in 42:30, which was not a PR but a world of difference from last years time, and I hope that it will help me run harder in next weeks race. Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-23347713681050630632012-08-25T14:24:00.000-04:002012-08-25T14:24:22.266-04:00A Few Photos From the Raleigh 8000 Here are some pictures of the Raleigh 8000 that my wife took. Feel Free to share them.<br />
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Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-11838948791933873142012-08-15T12:02:00.000-04:002012-08-15T12:02:22.763-04:00Hitting the Trail and Kicking Jean-Paul Sartre in the Teeth Recently, I've felt like the spirit of <span class="nowrap">Jean-Paul Sartre has jumped on my back and insisted that I carry</span> him on all my runs while he reads Being and Nothingness to me. The busy season at work hit right as the busy season for baby planning got into full swing, and my life has gotten crazy. Granted, I know that once the baby arrives it will be worse, but I just can't wait way. I'm too excited for words. Frightened out of my mind as well, but I am still excited. Luckily, I have managed to keep up with running and working out over the summer, but it has started to wear on me. I won't lie it has been difficult at times, but Running is important to me, so I've made sacrifices and been flexible. I've run in the evenings despite brutal heat, I've switched rest days, and I done cross training at lunch so I could sleep in and give my body rest following long nights of baby shower planning, Bradley classes, and moving. I even switched gyms to the University gym where I work rather than the Y because it is more convenient (and cheaper). However, running without a major race on the horizon has gotten increasingly difficult. I've start to ask myself does it really matter if I skip a day or if I don't hit 20 miles for the week. I feel like I'm being visit by the spirits of dead French existentialists, who want me to feel nothing and embrace pointlessness of my Sisyphean toil.<br />
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They know that I would love nothing more to run a Half Marathon this fall, but with the unknown arrival time of my son looming, it is just not a real option. The spirits of these dead French intellectuals noticed recently that despite my desire to run and exercise being present, my spark was noticeably lacking. I am just pushing rocks up a hill knowing that they're going to roll back down. Damn You Camus!!! I have gotten tired of running in the same places, covering the same ground, and efforts to change things up haven't seem to help. Sartre just keeps jabbering away in my ear with each step I take! I think he wants me to wear a beret. <br />
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However, changing gyms seemed to really help reignite my workouts. I enjoyed walking into the campus gym and thinking about all the different ways I could change my workouts or make my current workouts fit in this new place, and I found myself eagerly anticipating my next workout. The French Philosophers didn't have membership cards so I was able to leave them at the door as they began to talk about<span style="font-size: small;"><span dir="auto"> Jacques Derrida behind his back.</span></span> The effect changing gyms had on me got me thinking about what I could to help my running. I thought about doing track workouts, but the track is really where I go to alleviate boredom, plus I have been trying to incorporate sprints into my cross training, so the track didn't seem like the answer. I thought about going to different parks and tried changing routes, but it just wasn't working. I mixed up my music, tried running without music but that just invited Sartre to being talking to me about his life with Simone de Beauvoir, which just got weird! My spark just wasn't there. I blamed the heat. I blame the heat for everything, but on days when it was cool, still no spark, no fire, no passion, I was running because that's what I do. In my head I was screaming damn it . . . I am <span style="font-size: x-large;">Sisyphus!</span><br />
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I was beginning to resign myself to my running life turning into a feeling-less Prozac-esque haze until, I could start training for my next big race, but luckily the answer hit me on my way to Umstead on Sunday . . .Trails! I should run trails! I love running trails. Trails were where my passion for running was born and that is where I knew that I would find it again. So, instead of heading to the airport entrance to Umstead, I pulled my car in the the main parking lot where several trail heads are located and hit the old Company Mill Trail.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5xlIE9Ou2yzvn85L3Sd8QvraXFPS3b-4wRJNmR6ohUT1MnaGbTbwYwa6lly4jc75uHK_rtZruHJGCUT8AWPK5PjhUtLOAkNrVhp6YUvlOyJiCnZYGaNlJc2ZtjV2k7ol7s68yTxHYOU/s1600/IMG_0242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5xlIE9Ou2yzvn85L3Sd8QvraXFPS3b-4wRJNmR6ohUT1MnaGbTbwYwa6lly4jc75uHK_rtZruHJGCUT8AWPK5PjhUtLOAkNrVhp6YUvlOyJiCnZYGaNlJc2ZtjV2k7ol7s68yTxHYOU/s400/IMG_0242.JPG" width="400" /></a>Hello Spark! I was in love again. I could see vivid color and the<span style="font-size: small;"> <span class="mw-headline" id="Existential_nihilism">Existential nihilism that was threatening to take over my running was gone! I kicked Sartre in the teeth as I ran along side of a rain swollen stream, I chucked Camus into oblivion as I hurdled a fallen tree that blocked the path. Halfway though my run I felt like scream that I wasn't going to wear their stinking beret because I got my spark back and the fire was burning bright! Trails were my answer. I hadn't been running trails because I was afraid of getting injured before a race. But, with no major races upcoming, trails were once again an option. I love the level of concentrations that running trails require. I need to focus on the ground in front of me that it was easy to ignore the whispers, shouts, and cries of all the long dead French philosophers questioning my reason for running. The trails were my salvation, and I just enjoyed my run with a peace that has been lacking for the last few months.</span></span>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-10126416619626255492012-08-01T16:49:00.000-04:002012-08-01T16:49:20.679-04:00In the Radio Edit Words of Cee Lo Green<span style="font-size: x-large;">Forget You July! </span><br />
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No, this is not a repeat of yesterdays' post. Granted, I was so frickin happy that it was August that I nearly peed myself when the clock struck midnight, but that's beside the point. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.spinner.com/media/2010/12/ceelo-456-jc122110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.spinner.com/media/2010/12/ceelo-456-jc122110.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>No the reason that I am quoting from Cee Lo's song book is that as of yesterday morning I was sitting on 90 miles for the month, with only a 4 miler on tap for the day. After oversleeping in the morning, and missing my run, July began to taunt me with what had to be the mildest weather of the month. And this I could not take. <strong>July</strong> (<span class="nowrap"><sup class="noexcerpt"><span class="IPA" style="color: #0000ee; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: bold 80%/normal sans-serif; padding: 0px 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:En-us-July.ogg" title="File:En-us-July.ogg">i</a></span></sup><span class="IPA" title="Representation in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English"><span style="font-family: Arial Unicode MS;">/</span></a></span><span class="IPA"><span style="border-bottom-color: currentColor; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px;" title="/dʒ/ 'j' in 'jam'"><span style="font-family: Arial Unicode MS;">dʒ</span></span></span><span class="IPA"><span style="border-bottom-color: currentColor; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px;" title="/ʊ/ short 'oo' in 'foot'"><span style="font-family: Arial Unicode MS;">ʊ</span></span></span><span class="IPA"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English#Key" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English"><span style="border-bottom-color: currentColor; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px;" title="/ˈ/ primary stress follows"><span style="font-family: Arial Unicode MS;">ˈ</span></span></a></span><span class="IPA"><span style="border-bottom-color: currentColor; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px;" title="'l' in 'lie'"><span style="font-family: Arial Unicode MS;">l</span></span></span><span class="IPA"><span style="border-bottom-color: currentColor; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px;" title="/aɪ/ long 'i' in 'bide'"><span style="font-family: Arial Unicode MS;">aɪ</span></span></span><span class="IPA" title="Representation in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)"><span style="font-family: Arial Unicode MS;">/</span></span></span> <span class="Unicode" title="English pronunciation respelling"><i><span style="font-family: Arial Unicode MS;">juu-<b><span class="SMALLCAPS" style="font-variant: small-caps;"><span class="NOCAPS" style="text-transform: lowercase;">LY</span></span></b></span></i></span>) is the seventh month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars, the month that marks both the birth of our nation and your's truely, had been mocking me for the better part of 31 days. And, I was sick of it!<br />
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So with less than 6 hours to go, I decided to lace em up after work and sing July a lullaby from of my Green's that you may have heard a time or two. The run was a struggle because, even though the temps were mild in comparison to what we have been experiencing. it was still pretty dang hot! However, I was able to tough it out, get my 10 miles, cross the century mark for the second straight month and tell July to . . . <br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: x-large;">Forget You!</span></em></strong><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: x-large;">So hit it Mr. Green! </span></em></strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/uErUVGoQLSA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-28545343922931631252012-07-31T11:39:00.000-04:002012-07-31T11:39:36.187-04:00GOOD BYE JULY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When you don't have anything good to say about someone isn't best to say nothing at all? Well, that is how I feel about July! It's been miserably hot, and I've been busier than all get out. (that's a little WV speak there for you). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hiroko and I moved to a larger place to accommodate <strike>my race medals and gear</strike> our son, who is doing his best to arrive in time for his first Halloween! Painting and moving in NC during the month of July . . . not the best idea ever, but we did it. And, now there is a nice blue room and a baby Jogger waiting for my boy! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I still able to get in 90+ miles this month and several good workouts, but most of my runs were painful sweat and bonk fests that had screaming<span style="font-size: x-large;"> "Thundering Jehosophat, July you merciless Son Of A Beehive, go Shitake Mushroom yourself!"<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">or something like that. Fatherhood is coming, and I need to start editing the language . . . a lot. But, it looks like I may just have survived this month, so I am happy to say to July a very G rated . . . </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://twistynoodle.com/media/img/r/astronaut/good-bye-adios/good-bye-adios_coloring_page_jpg_468x609_q85.jpg" width="308" /></div>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-9023738330893165242012-07-13T11:04:00.000-04:002012-07-13T11:04:41.944-04:00Rule 1 of Fitness Classes: Good Instructor = Good Class<a href="http://www.acefitness.org/images/reinvented/GFI-Main-img.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="http://www.acefitness.org/images/reinvented/GFI-Main-img.jpg" width="400" /></a>Recently, I saw a someone on twitter, saying basically that a fitness instructor should look like they are in great shape, otherwise they can't inspire people to work hard. The comment seemed silly to me more than anything, but it did make me think about what I valued most in an instructor, which motivated me to go to a class that I hadn't attended while Friday's were my rest day. However, I moved my rest day to Monday, so I have no excuse other than not wanting to take a 5:30am class. The class is taught by the person I think of as the best instructor at my gym, so during today's class I really paid attention to the things that I thought made her the best.<br />
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Good Fitness Instructors = Good Class is pretty much a no-brainer, but considering how many classes I have taken with instructors that were just crap for various reason, it is always refreshing when you take a class with a good instructor. This morning I took a butt-kicking circuit and spin combination class at my gym with Holly. I have multiple reasons why I think she is a good instructor:<br />
<ul><li>Her classes are fun and her attitude is engaging (even at 5:30am). </li>
<li>She provides detailed instructions about the exercises, breaking it down and not only explaining how things will feel if were are doing something right or wrong, but also explaining how the exercise works if done correctly and what happens if done incorrectly.</li>
<li>She'll exercise along with us, but also stop to make sure we are doing things properly and give people individual instruction when needed. She is almost always scanning the class making sure that people are doing things correctly.</li>
<li>Most importantly -- she is able to make you want to push yourself without pressuring you or make you feel intimidated. This is a tightrope that most instructors struggle to deal with because either they come off overly perky and cracked-out or overbearing like the DI from Full Metal Jacket. Holly seems to realize that the most powerful form of motivation is internal and not external. It is hard to describe, but instead of just telling the class to push harder, she'll motivate you to chose to push harder, which to me, seems like a much more skilled approach. And, is much more effective because I won't have her running beside me during long run telling me to keep going.</li>
</ul>Over time, I have come to understand what I am looking for in an instructor and have gotten picky about which classes I take. I used to take classes based upon the type of activity, but I am now much more likely to take a class based upon the instructor rather than the activity. Here are some examples of what I think makes a bad instructor and the type of things that I want to avoid:<br />
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<ol><li>Paying no attention to form -- Sadly, over 90% of the fitness classes I have taken have been with instructors that do not demonstrate or explain proper form to the class, nor do they correct the form of the participants. </li>
<li>Treating the class as your own personal workout -- Can't tell you how often I been in classes where the instructor pays no attention to the class, the level of the students, but instead is just trying to get in a "paid" workout. </li>
<li>Never changing up the class: Boring. There is one class at my gym that I have not taken in a year, but I could tell you the whole routine right now. It NEVER changes. Ever!</li>
<li>Inappropriate exercises for the level of the class: Just because your personal trainer taught you a killer exercise, doesn't mean that you should incorporated it in to the classes you teach. I took a class with an instructor that did this and hurt people. Her trainer was paid to evaluate her level of fitness and gave her exercises that were appropriate for her, but she mistakenly tried to do the same exercise in a group fitness class and routinely caused injuries to her students. It is also possible to have and instructor who doesn't challenge a class as well, but that is usually a much less serious problem. </li>
<li> Getting too chummy or cliquish with students: We all want to build a good feeling of community in these classes, or we would be working out on our own or with trainers. But sometimes, a good community can become insular and begin to make people feel excluded. Early morning workout classes and spin seem to spawn this type of thing, Spin because of territorialism and early classes because it is usually the same small group of people, who attend consistently. </li>
</ol>What do you think makes a good instructor or a bad one? I would love to hear what other people think!Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7174967651946147218.post-50616084273668589222012-07-09T19:13:00.000-04:002012-07-09T19:13:17.398-04:00Standing Desk -- Building the Active(Standing) Runner Dad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8Tf-QtUb811NjKLspjwH3HBSVuSNfKvLZRi-cl-pfsbUBTVNbB4criaYvqFUZcSLh_ybQ-fa7ZrpQZU6XAW-tWNQS71utVuns7V1j0_3m3a56oa-HPVSdNFzacyhX7NvGo6kG9meCQ4/s1600/hemingway-standing-desk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8Tf-QtUb811NjKLspjwH3HBSVuSNfKvLZRi-cl-pfsbUBTVNbB4criaYvqFUZcSLh_ybQ-fa7ZrpQZU6XAW-tWNQS71utVuns7V1j0_3m3a56oa-HPVSdNFzacyhX7NvGo6kG9meCQ4/s400/hemingway-standing-desk.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>Yes. I am one of those guys. I've jumped on to one of the huge tends of 2012, the return of the standing desk. As trends go, it could have been worse, I am not sporting Bieber haircut, wearing skinny jeans, or having "cute" <a href="http://orangehologram.tumblr.com/post/23375334125/zooey-deschanel-is-that-rain-siri-what-i">Zooey Deschanel chats with Siri</a>. Meh.<br />
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But, regarding the standing desk, I have pretty much bone all in. I didn't jump on the Standing Desk Band Wagon on a whim either. I put a lot of thought into it before I made the switch. While I was teaching in Japan I spent most of my day standing. I estimate that I spent over half of my work day standing for three years, and I enjoyed it for the most part. I really only sat when I did private lessons and even then we would still get up when practicing conversations. In fact, one of my most difficult class was a private lesson right after lunch that I struggled to get through because of drowsiness. <br />
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Once, I returned to America my days of desk toil and drudgery began. My legs started to have all kind of stiffness, my back was sore all the time, and occasionally my sciatic nerve would fire off send white hot electrical pain shooting down my leg. At first I began to wonder if my old dog was up in dog heaven with a voodoo doll getting revenge on me for all the times he got drilled by the invisible fence. By that time, I had already began exercising, running, and reading tons of material on healthy living. At some point, I began to come across <a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/04/25/135575490/sitting-all-day-worse-for-you-than-you-might-think">articles about how harmful it was to sit</a> for hours on end, which really resonated with me. However, making a switch to a standing desk in my old office was impractical to say the least. But rather than ignore the issues I was having, I began to stretch, use the foam roller, and experiment with different chairs and sitting positions. <br />
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Fortunately, I changed offices several months ago, so when I again found articles about how bad sitting was on the body. I really started to give the standing desk some serious consideration. I came across several articles like this one from <a href="http://artofmanliness.com/2011/07/05/become-a-stand-up-guy-the-history-benefits-and-use-of-standing-desks/">The Art of Manliness</a>, which made me take direct action. On June 15th I created my own standing desk out of a small filing cabinet and my old desk. The change to the standing desk was a big topic of conversation around my office for a few days, and it has taken me some time to work things out logistically (like finding room to sit and eat lunch), but with exception of a few days following long runs, I have had few regrets out switching to the the standing desk. But, the changes have been pretty dramatic. In less than a month, my back and legs have begun to feel much stronger, the pain in both have subsided dramatically, the nerve in my leg no longer fires off randomly, and I feel much more energetic. I don't stand the entire day. I'll sit when I while I am on the phone or when someone come in for a long conversation, and I of course I sit at lunch. So far the only real issues have come up following some long runs when my feet felt swollen even before going to work, but overall, I think that the standing desk was a great choice for my long term health.Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01665891188430152894noreply@blogger.com0