Plan for the week

Steph and I got our long run in on Saturday. I did 11 and she did 10. It was great. It's nice to be back running the longer training runs. It seems the long runs I've been doing lately have all been races. We both were happy with the run although Steph is suffering from some physical problems.

She's having some problems with her shoes. They aren't new and have been the same model she's always run in, but she's having black toenail problems and blistering on the top of a few of her toes. Anyone have any ideas why?

On Tuesday, I leave for a trip to Indianapolis. I'll be back on the 3rd, so my training schedule is a little screwy. This week I did 3-5-3-5-11 for my runs. Next week, I'll do 3-6-3-6-12 for a total of 30 miles for the week. I'll also bike 45 miles and swim a little over 1.5 miles. Hopefully, the travel won't interfere too much.

Woot!!
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To donate to the Carolyn E. Miller Steps for Solace Fund, please click here. I am raising $25 thousand to provide comfort and solace to cancer patients seeking treatment.

Those who hear not the music think the dancer mad*

On the last day of class at the end of every semester, I give my students a lecture that has nothing to do with the course I'm teaching. I call it the "Lucky" lecture. It goes something like this:

All of you are lucky.

By the mere fact that you are sitting in my classroom means that you are lucky. You somehow managed to get to a point in your life where you decided and had the means to attend college. Nearly 2 billion children live in the developing world. One in three never completes the fifth grade. Many of them will die today for the simple reason that they have nothing to eat.

So, you are lucky.

You woke up this morning and probably the hardest problem you had to face was what to wear and if you were coming to class or not. Young adults, like you, in other countries wonder if they will wake up in the morning. Will they be murdered in their sleep because someone doesn't agree with their religion, politics, or race? Will they face the impeding death of their mother or father from HIV/AIDS? Will they be corporally punished because they drove a car without a male relative, or didn't wear the appropriate clothing in the presence of men?

You are lucky.

I tend to focus on the fact that, as students, they have the whole world in front of them. And because they are lucky, they have an obligation to those people who aren't. They have a duty to make a difference for those who cannot make a difference for themselves.

And, most importantly, I tell my students that they can make a difference. All it takes is the desire and the correct application of that desire. In order to make a difference in the world, not only do you have to want to, but you also have to take some action to see it realized. You can't just talk about it. You have to do it.

You have to do it.

I get so tired of hearing about these self-help books (and Oprah) that talk about visualizing the things you want in your life. Somehow, by doing so without any action, they become a reality.

I think Gandhi got it right: Be the change you wish to see in the world.

You must act. The will to act is all that matters.

Every moment, there is a choice we all face. To either do nothing or to do something. It is very simple. We either have the will to act and make a difference in our lives and other's, or we do not.

What music do you hear?

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*HT to XT4 for the title.

To donate to the Carolyn E. Miller Steps for Solace Fund, please click here. I am raising $25 thousand to provide comfort and solace to cancer patients seeking treatment.

Wow!!

The below is long, but very, very worth it.....


I ended up biking 21 today.

Take it and run Thursday

Today's theme over at Runner's Lounge is "13 words or less: "You are runner...Finish the thought in 13 words or less".

Here's my go:

You are a runner...when you say you are.

As a runner, I've found that a lot of folks get caught up in defining if they truly are a runner or not. I say that if you think you are a runner, then you are. For some folks, it means they have to complete a race. For some, it means that have to run a certain pace. For others, it may be just getting out and moving your feet faster than a walk.

For me, it took running a marathon before I could call myself a runner. But, I'm a bit crazy. Whatever works for you is what I say.

In terms of my training, today, I swam a little over a mile. I was planning on a 25 mile bike, but the weather has not been cooperating, so I'll probably skip it today. Tomorrow is 5 mile run and swimming again. On Saturday, I'll do an 11 miler.

Oh, I forgot to mention that while I was on vacation, I did my first open water swim in the Atlantic ocean.

Wow!!!

I wasn't really panicky, but it certainly was a new experience. I think my SCUBA training helped a lot. I've read that a lot of folks freak out when they swim in open water as they can't see the bottom. I'm not really worried about that and I think it's because, in SCUBA, sometimes you can't see anything around you. Especially when you SCUBA at night. The waves weren't that bad either. All in all, it was pretty fun.

Woot!

25 yards to 1 mile (in a month)

Before Steph and I went on vacation last week, I went for a swim. Not just any swim, mind you. I was planning on swimming a mile. That's right. A MILE!!!

And, I did it!!!

I jumped in the pool and 33 minutes later, I hopped out having swam 1750 yards. Woooohooo!!!!! Officially, it took me 33:32.

A month ago, I was barely able to swim 25 yards. How cool is that? I've found that, with most things, persistence is the name of the game. And, because I was persistent, I now can swim.

Now comes time to concentrate on the next 1.4 :)

In Steps for Solace news, I was interviewed yesterday by our local CBS affiliate. You can find the clip here. Ignore the commercial. On Friday, I do a local radio show. Wish me luck :)

I ran 3 miles today.

Woot!!

Steps for Solace Fund

Today, Steph and I are officially announcing The Carolyn E. Miller Steps for Solace Fund. We are establishing this endowed fund in the memory of my mother who passed away two years ago from esophageal cancer and my father who passed away from melanoma when I was two. You can see the initial story here.

The fund will help make patient visits to the WVU Cancer Center Clinic as pleasant and personalized as possible. It will be used to provide beverages, newspapers, magazines, and assistance with such things as finding the perfect wig or scarf.

It takes 25k to endow it. And, I'm looking to raise that money by October when I run the Marine Corps Marathon. What!!!! How can I raise 25K by October?

Well, see that's where you come in.

Those of you who read my blog, please consider donating. If you can't donate, please spread the word. If you run or own a business, consider a gift. I'll happily wear your logo as I complete the marathon this fall. Everything helps.

If you'd like to get involved and run (either in real life or through the blog) with me as I train, let me know. I'd be happy to have you along. We can help each other prepare for the big race.

All donations are tax-deductible and you'll get a personal thank you from me :)

You can donate online at the WVU Cancer Center.

Today I biked 20, ran 5 and swam 800m.

Woot!!

Take it and run Thursday

Today's theme over at Runner's Lounge is:

Finish this thought 'As you start your marathon (half-marathon) training, don't forget...'

So here's my advice. This is more for a marathon than a half.

Don't forget:

1. To not injure yourself. An injury will cost you the chance of starting the race. The goal is to get to the start line. Once there, if you followed the training, you'll finish.
2. Be flexible. If you don't allow yourself to mess with your training schedule a little (not a lot), you are not going to be mentally prepared for the race. Life comes up. You have to be willing to spend time not training. I speak from experience here. I have a hard time not going 100% full-tilt, to the detriment of my family and friends.
3. Enjoy the training. Especially the long runs. There is something magical about the longer runs. It's just you and the trail. It's incredible.
4. Do not run in the middle of the day. As the days get hotter, be sure to get your run in the morning or the evening.
   
5. The end goal. Race day is like nothing you've ever experienced. Enjoy it. If you're like me, you'll get hooked and want to do it again.

That's about it. Have fun running :)

In terms of my training, I swam again today. I swam 500 yards straight and then I lost count of the laps, so I just started swimming for time. I swam a 15 minute stretch and then another 10 minute stretch. With my cooldown, I swam about 2000 yards.

Tomorrow, I 'll be swimming again and then Steph and I head out on vacation. So no posts next week. See you when we return.

Woot!!

Rest

Well, I decided to take a little rest this week. After the grueling race on Saturday, I decided that my legs need some rest. So, I ran on Tuesday and then decided I wouldn't run again until Saturday. My legs are still sore and my left heel is a little sore as well.

So, all I've done this week is swim. And, let me tell you, I am swimming well. I did 3 x 400 yard repeats today. I could have done more too. Woot!!!

Check out the TRI outfit below.....I wore it at the race Saturday....try to ignore the chest hair . Steph says I look like I belong in Starsky and Hutch. I say I need a gold chain.


Woot!!!

Swim caps are the shiznit!!

I bought my first swim cap last week and finally got a chance to use it today. Wow. What a difference it makes. I didn't think it would be that big of a deal, but it really helps. Not only does it keep me more aerodynamic through the water, but since it covers my ears, I don't get any water in them (not really anyway). I felt like I actually swam better today because of the cap.

All I did was swim today. I did 3 x 300 yards and then a few 100 yard repeats. I was very pleased to do the 300 yards repeats. I can swim 300 yards in about 6:30. I know, I know. Not fast. But, at least I can swim it.

I didn't do any biking or running today as my legs are very sore. I don't really know why, but they hurt like hell. I did finish Saturday's half 10 seconds faster than I finished the Cinci Half. And, I walked about a half mile on Saturday during the race. I guess I was pushing it pretty hard and my legs are telling me about it :)

Tomorrow I intend to work out some of the lactic acid. I have a day of biking 20 and running 5.

Woot!

2008 Decker's Creek Half-Mary Race Report

Man, what a hot @$!$$%^% race!!!!!!!!

Yesterday, Steph and I got up bright and early to get to the start line for the 2008 Decker's Creek Half Marathon. The plan was to show up at a local park and then take a bus to the start line as the beginning is in Masontown (a town 13.1 miles away from the finish line). So we got to the park around 7:45am or so. The race started at 9am.

So, if you have been living under a rock, the weather here on the east coast has been unbearably hot. The race started in 80 degree temps. It ended in the 90s. Ugh!!! I don't think either Steph or I were ready for that kind of heat.

Nonetheless, we performed great.

I finished under 2 hours again (1:58 something) and Steph finished in 2:13. I placed 128 out of 304 and Steph placed 192. I would have finished about 6-8 minutes faster, but I had to take a potty break and I had to walk about a half mile because of the heat. Steph had to walk as well. I'll update this post with the official times once they are published.

Some things that stand out:

1. The course was along a rail-trail so it was flat (actually it had an elevation loss of about 800 feet).
2. The course was pretty much through the forest for about 10 miles. I was pretty disappointed in the lack of scenery. The shade was nice however.
3. Running along a rail-trail is kind of tough in the beginning as there isn't a lot of room to pass.
4. I began to feel a little nauseous during the race and I think it was because I was drinking too much. The water/powerade was sloshing around in my stomach.
5. Me and 3 or 4 other runners ran together for practically the whole race which was great as we helped pace one another.
6. Towards the end, our local Southern States store hung two hoses up on the course so we could run through a shower of water. What a relief!!
7. The post-race goodies were great!! Steph won a first-aid kit and the food was excellent.
   

All in all, I'm glad I finished in the time I did. But, I wasn't very happy with the time of the race. It should have started at like 6 or 7 instead of 9am. I'm surprised they didn't have more dehydration problems with the participants. Steph and I did hear that one ambulance left with someone.

Anyway, next week is more biking, running, and swimming. The following week Steph and I head to the Outer Banks for vacation. Although there won't be much vacationing from my training. My TRI in August is coming up and the Marine Corps Marathon will be here before I know it :)

Woot!!

UPDATE: Official time for me was 1:58:22. Steph's was 2:13:48.

First day of Marathon training

Today was my first day of marathon training. I ran 3 miles. My mileage this week will be around 24 miles as Steph and I have a half-mary on Saturday. Also, I'll be in Orlando for most of this week so things will be a little screwy. After this week, my weekly mileage will slowly increase until October. I'm following Hal Higdon's Intermediate plan which will have me running 5 times a week. I'll also do 3 or 4 long runs of 20 miles or greater.

I have to say that I'm pretty excited about training for another marathon. This year will be a tad different as I'll also be training for my first tri as well (which will be in August).

Here's to a successful training regimen :)