B A C K

 

Incontinence aside, it was much like a Lincoln driving octogenarian in the fast lane on a Wednesday morning...but it was a successful run!

I'd forgotten the disparity between how good ideas sound at different parts of the day.  At 7 PM, running at 5 AM sounds like a great idea, romantic even.  But I got out of bed, wondering what I was doing, did some jumping jacks, 5 little pull ups, 25 itsy-bitsy pushups, 100 crunches and ran (loosely using the word here) two miles.  

The last two runs involved pulling a calf muscle.  Today, calf was fine.  The past month I've had a pretty severe chest infection.  This morning, I didn't choke on phlegm.  All in all, a good start to the day!

And yesterday I rode my bike.  That wasn't as slow, but still a bit slow.  Both cases, the idea was just to get back into the groove again.  

Yesterday I posted my ride on dailymile.com.  Then, I looked at the training profile for the past few weeks.  This is what I saw:

 

Nothing at all.  I'm pudgy, out of shape, still a little weak from illness.  But ...

It's

Great 

to

be

Back

Summer Rebuild Program Week 1

During the month of June I will begin basebuilding for running while taking some time away from intense cycling.  I also want to drop some weight, by the end of August I'd like to be in the 180's.  The last goal is to build some strength in my legs by hitting the gym, probably more in July than June. 

In January I plan on running my first marathon and need to be ready.  I want it to be a great experience.

I am also teaching summer school, which starts at 8 am and finishes as 3 pm.  I plan on commuting on the bike, at least for as long as it's tolerable.  The afternoon temperatures in the mid 100's with some stiff winds, last week had 35 mph winds on Tuesday, may take some of my vinegar.

Here's how I plan a basic day.

5 AM: Wake Up Call
5:30:  Pushups, pullups, squats and lunges, then a run.
6:30:  Breakfast and shower
7:15:  Ride to work
3:30 PM:  Ride home

Monday was a holiday and Tuesday was a work day, no students.  Tuesday I needed to take materials and such, so I drove my truck, but did get in a short run and a 25 mile ride after work.

Wednesday morning I went on a run, nice and slow, just trying to get used to running consistently again.  When I went to get on the bike only to find a flat rear tire.  The first tube I used got pinched between the rim and tire bead and popped.  The second tube had a short valve stem, making it double tricky to inflate.  But, we got it done.  End result is that I had to fly to work, getting there later than I hoped and a lot sweatier. 

Since the ride to work is down hill, it can be nearly effortless, save a few small inclines.

Thursday I had a recovery run, nice and slow.  The ride to and from school was without issue.  Friday I had a faster run, pushing a bit and an easy ride to and from school, but the bike started acting up, shifting strangely.

Upon examination it was discovered that the chain had a link that was frozen.  Since the chain had about 2000 miles on it, it needed to be changed anyway.  Luckily I was able to pick up a Dura Ace chain in Sierra Vista on Saturday.

Saturday was an off day and I blew my diet...so much for losing weight.  Sunday I took the dog for her longest run, 8 miles in about 1:14. 

Then, I put the chain on the bike, cleaned and tuned it up, and hit the road for a test ride...when I discovered just how steep a hill not one mile from my home is...14% grade!  Whoa, that's some serious climbing right in my back yard.  I may throw that into some of the rides on the way home.  The ride was just 16 miles, which I wanted to get in to total 100 evenly for the week.

So week 1 I did a good job running, amassing 24 miles.  The riding to work went well.  The diet, during the week was superb, but Saturday I blew it on pizza and beer. 

This week I need to increase my strength training, especially with some core work and gradually increase some of the running.  For now, the runs are basically unstructured, just heading out for a minimum of three miles a day.

With that said, not much else to share.  I had a 5K in the middle of June, but I'm not sure how hard I'll run.  I've had a cranky right hamstring for God-Only-Knows-Why. 

Thank you for reading, sorry for the lack of adventure or jeopardy in the post, but it's been a while and I wanted to check in.

April's in the Books ... May is gonna RAWK!

April took forever. 

It seemed like I did NOTHING but sleep, eat and stretch. 

I'm new to all of this endurance sports stuff and each experience is a huge learning experience.  While I've trained for three bike events, this was the one I trained for the best.  As such, the taper was painful and unexpected.  I hurt from head to toe for 10 days.  I'm so glad that's done.

I haven't yet gotten on the scale since last weekend, and I'm not looking forward to the message reading:

 

That said, I still managed to compile 506 total miles, but just 35 miles running.  I didn't want to risk a stupid injury running with a bike race coming up.   In April, I had my two best bike rides ever.  One was a solo 75 mile ride where I averaged 20.7 mph, even with traffic lights and other junk.  The second was Saturday's race.  The average speed wasn't that great, especially for riding in a group, 22 mph, but I had POWER that I never felt before.  That was exciting.

I won't be training for anything until mid-August, so I plan on doing some great base building over the next three months.  Diet, body composition, some swimming and so on.  It is so weird that losing weight while training for a big event isn't easy.  I did manage to drop about 10 pounds from the beginning of February until, well, just before the tapering.  While I had a great race Saturday, you can read about it here if you missed it, I feel guilty.  I like piling up miles and doing lots of pushups and pullups and so on.  The past two weeks of the taper were so easy, so sedentary, I just feel ... ick.   

I'll be making up for that in May.  Here's my list of things to do for the month:

• 150 Miles Running:  Feed the Beast To join me in the challenge, held on daily mile, click here. 
• Drop 15 pounds (Will weigh in on 5/1)
• Climb Mt. Wrightson (9,800 ft. mountain that dominates the local landscape...never climbed it)
• Complete the  inaugural Nogales Bicycle Classic, finish in under 2:45
• 6500 pushups
• 1300 pullups 
• Daily Ab Exercise (6 days a week)

May will also bring high school graduation for our oldest daughter.  I'm not sure how that will sit with us, but we're sure to find out soon enough!

Anyhow, I hope those of you that are healthy, stay so, and those that are nursing injuries recover quickly.  That said, I have this to say:  May, bring it!

Totally Worth It

Pain

Physical exhaustion

Hunger

Ice packs

4 am

Fatigue

No beer

Blisters

Sunburn

Time away from loved ones

Tapering

Racing makes training worth “it.”  To me, the rush on race day, even if it’s just a last minute 5K, is unbelievable.  Seeing friends before and after the race, competing against yourself, watching family and friends run, being cheered (where else in adult life are you cheered?), the free shirt, the medals and sometimes awards, and of course, the free post-race grub.  Race day is awesome.

But for me, the biggest draw is more subtle than those things; yet, far more powerful.  It’s something that many observers won’t pick up:  fulfillment of hard work. 

I believe that humans NEED work.  We need clearly defined goals and obstacles to those goals.  Without such things, we go a bit mad and perhaps assign importance to trivial things.  In training for a race we have goals and obstacles and no guarantee of success, even if we do everything perfect.  How much better can it get?  Isn’t that real life?

This is the last week before Saturday’s race.  I’m tapering.  It sucks.  But I’ve had time to think. I’ve realized that the pay off, the fulfillment of that hard work, is far greater than the lowered time, increased speed and so on.  

I’ve missed a couple of long training rides and a few short training rides due to various circumstances beyond my control.  I’m not very hopeful of obtaining my goal of a sub-3 hour finish for a 73 mile ride.  Yet, I’m very upbeat and happy.  I can’t wait to lay it out and see what happens.

This is the one year anniversary of my first ever race or any sort.  The December before last year’s race I went on an incredibly long ride, 33 miles (it was by far my longest to date).  I was dying at the end, hurting everywhere and completely gassed.  A friend told me about this particular race, and how it was 73 miles.  I remember thinking, “How could someone do that?”  I spent four months figuring out just that!

During training last year I didn’t struggle with losing weight because I had so much to lose, there was a lot of room for error.  I started at about 240, 60 down from the previous summer.  I felt great, better than I ever imaged I’d feel again.

I didn’t struggle with time to train either.  I just made the time…nothing save a family emergency would get in the way.  I told my boss, “Work will put me in my grave, if I let it.  I’m not attending the meeting, I’m training.“  (This was a weekly meeting, I skipped them all save one because I was tapering that week.)

Now I struggle dropping weight.  But I think I have that figured out.

Now I struggle with time.  I’ve got the confidence to know that I’m devoted and that I won’t slip back into my old lifestyle and I can focus more on work. 

Last year I struggled with confidence.  Can I complete this task?  Will these changes be permanent? 

Last year I struggled with anger and disappointment.  On one hand I was proud and excited, often just surprised by the changes.  But over time I became angry for ever getting so big and out of shape.  I’ve had to forgive myself, and that’s been a hard thing. 

I no longer struggle with confidence…I got this!  How about issues of permanence?  The vast majority of people that keep weight off for a year keep it off for good.  See ya later, 100 pounds. 

Anger?  Yeah, I still have a bit of that.  I still am disappointed with myself for the past 12 years.  But it’s a fire that burns deep; it’s part of who I am.  I have regrets, that shows I’ve learned.  And at mile 60, on Saturday, I’ll be out of glycogen, and my body will be burning fat inefficiently and be ready to revolt.  But, I’ll still have fuel. 

So yes, on Saturday, whether I finish sub-3:00 or not, I’ll be happy.  I’ll be happy that I have the opportunity and ability to participate.  I’ll be happy that I DO participate.  Saturday, I’m going to hurt a bit. 

So totally worth it!

It Wasn't My Fault!

Driving home last night just after 8 pm when the only thing on my mind was food.  I had eaten dinner, but at 4 o'clock.  It had been small.  It's not an unusual situation on Mondays and Wednesdays for me.  I'd just get home, shower, talk with my wife, go to bed.

When I got home, before I got to the door, I could smell 'em.

Secret recipe chocolate chip cookies!  And by secret I mean that these aren't of the grocery store variety, or even grandma's type.  These are a bit ... better.  The texture, the flavors, you'd just have to experience it to know.

My wife made a batch of cookies to appease her grouchy boss.  Business is way down and he'll have nothing to do.  So she made cookies.  Now he'll have something to do with his mouth other than complain. How sweet?

But me...I had a cookie down the hatch before you could say "blubber butt."  I had another and another.  They were just the right temperature, having cooled enough to not burn my mouth.

SO GOOD!

But I've been running "cookie miles" this week anyway.  My calf is injured and so I'm just going however I feel I can, usually very slowly.

Monday was 5.45 in 55:03.  I took the dog, she bonked.  Dropped her off after 3 miles and went back for another two.

Tuesday was 3.07 in 33:07.

Wednesday was 3.29 in 29:48.

This morning was 4.13 in 36.57, but the last mile was almost normal in 8:17 (and climbs about 200 feet).

***

In related news, I had planned on participating in a duathlon Saturday.  But with the calf being not very good and my daughter has a track meet, I'm going to cheer instead of participate.  I'm very happy with how she's doing, she's having a blast running.  Before, it seemed like a chore, but yesterday, she even ran on her own (outside of practice)!

Team SeaBiscuit's Inaugural Run

It is better to give than to receive.

Word.

Saturday was my dad's 63rd birthday.  The picture of my mother leaving on the one-mile walk really captures the mood of the day!

That evening he updated his facebook status.  It read:

Greatest birthday ever in seven thousand years of recorded human history.

How cool is it to have your best birthday at 63?

I thought it would be cool if all of his children could join him in a 5K.  My dad ran a lot when he was younger, but a string of Achilles problems and life in general eventually removed him from running and his weight ballooned.  In recent times he's lost about 80 pounds, is running several hours a week and is eager to run his first marathon.

As with most people that begin running, my dad has had a string of injuries from piriformis to ankle.  But he's tough and determined and has patiently worked through them all.  Thus, I've taken to calling him Seabiscuit.  In fact, for his birthday I bought him a RoadID bracelet inscribed with "Seabiscuit Racing."

For race day my sisters thought it would be a great idea if we had matching shirts.  They purchased the lovely chartreuse shirts and then decorated the backs for the occasion with #49 and Team Seabiscuit.

The race was the Boxer 5K, hosted by Vail Science Academy High School and put on by the always wonderful Steve Taggert.  The morning was beautiful, race time temp in the mid 60's, quite nice for this time of the year.  

 We lined up for a photo, but unfortunately, my mother had already left for the 1 mile walk.  The Easter Bunny sat in her place.  In the photo are 5 of the 6 grandchildren, two of the three spouses, all four children and my father.  He's wearing the red hat.

For the run I planned on hanging back with whomever needed company/support.  My dad was going to do the same.  My calf is strained from last week's 5K.  While my dad runs regularly, the others are in varying stages of fitness...meaning, my dad is in better shape than all of his children, save the oldest, me.

We all "took off" and talked, joked and had a great time.  We are a friendly, outgoing family, quite loquacious.  We talked to different participants before the race and during, and cheered them on as they looped back. 

At one point, my oldest sister said, "I'm having the best time I can remember!"  Later the other siblings shared similar sentiments.

As people returned and ran in the opposite lane I cheered, gave my buddy Bill (who finished 4th, first in age group) a high-five.  I loved it.  And I was surprised how much I enjoyed running 12 minute miles in a 5K...but that'll have to wait for another blog.

My oldest sister was pooped and began to walk and my dad hung back with her.  My other sister and baby brother decided to keep going, so I paced them.  My youngest sister exercises regularly, but has exercise induced asthma, has been ill, just moved to a new town and has a new job...and hadn't worked out in a month.  My brother has been trying to get into a running routine, but also has just moved to a new state (back to Arizona), has a new job, and has two young children.  We talked about and had a great time, just the three of us.  I can't remember spending time with us three only ever before.

As we approached the finish line I was in the middle.  My sister leaned over and said, "Whatever you do, beat Nathan!"  You'd have to know the family dynamics to catch the full meaning, but needless to say, somethings never change...and it cracked me up!  I didn't though, I let them both cross in front of me.

After turning in my tag, I went back out to catch the rest of the team.  My sister joined me.  We caught my dad and sister and walked back with them.  Eventually my sister-in-law, niece and nephew and brother showed up.

We cheered as a 79 year old man zoomed past us to finish.

If I haven't conveyed the fact that we had a GREAT time, I'm remiss.  Let me offer this evidence:

The picture is my dad first, me second and my SIL Katie, with her son Matthew on her shoulders.  Matthew has MD and, while I've not shared this with my family, on my RoadID is inscribed, "Race For Those That Can't," and it's for him.  But more on that later, too.

Now what would a family outing be without two things...first, the cute thing, and second, the embarrassing thing.

1.  First, cute.  My nephew Matthew is stomping on ants.  His little sister, Lainey, watches and studies, then copies in every detail.  Typical ...  

But Katie noticed that at the same time I began to stretch out my bum calf, my sister Amber watched and studied.  Then she said, "Oh, that's what I should be doing now," and did exactly as I'd done.

2.  It was a small race.  My dad won first in his AG, but was the ONLY one in his AG.  When he was called up for his prize, he took a picture with the Easter Bunny, as all winners had done.  And he said, "Where's the Playboy Bunny."  Of course, my mother was horrified and somehow fulfilled, as if she knew he would say just that.

I was raised with the notion that a family that eats together stays together.  But I think that this run was the strongest bonding experience I've experienced with my family.  I'm so happy that everybody participated and am truly touched by the whole experience.

Just Run!

Is it a goal?

Is it a limitation? 

Before I go further, I'd like to thank a Rock-Star Loopster, Dean.  If you missed it, Dean shared a transformation he's undergone in the past few years, in his 50's!  It is pretty amazing.  But beyond that, he encouraged others to share their stories, victories, and pictures of their first and most current race photos.  

What really "got me" was reading all of the stories of transformation and progress that were posted in response to Dean's request.  Even those that never got out of shape and have maintained a healthy lifestyle moved me!  And then the dagger...a lot of people hadn't lost any measurable weight over the past few years but went from a bit pudgy to Fireman or Firewoman Calendar worthy.  

Reading all of those stories changed my perspective, literally.  I'm impatient, but worse, I have to admit I've been a bit petulant lately.  I get frustrated because some arbitrary measure of success isn't happening.  That is, I'm not dropping any weight.  Since I haven't been racing I've not seen significant growth in that realm either.  Having only six months under my belt since my first 5K, I've got the experience of an infant, which means, I lack the scope to understand that what I am doing is paying off.  Reading those stories has given me confidence and patience.  

Yesterday I had a great race, came up lame (my own fault really, I was out late the night before, didn't prepare for the race and wasn't hydrated properly and my calf was cranky before I started).  Still, I'm charged over my PR (20:09, previous 5K was 20:33), not to mention it had a pretty serious hill.  And while I wanted to do well on the race, I didn't have a strategy to break 20 minutes.  I just ran.

I came up lame and limped, often hopped, the last quarter mile.  And I finished in 20:09, a great time for me.

And I just ran!

So when is a goal a limitation?

In the Army people run a 2 mile timed test.  Different times earn you a percentage.  For my age group at the time, 11:54 for 2 miles was 100%.

With the exception of my first Physical Fitness Test, when I had the body of a heavy drinking, heavy smoking college drop out, all of my 2 mile times were under 12:30.  But the goal was 11:54.

I wasn't happy with running low to mid 12's.  I wanted that 11:54.  BAD!

And the goal loomed large in my mind.  It pushed me to run hard and, ultimately, fizzle before the finish.  We didn't train to run a two mile race, we just ran four days a week, between 3 and 4 miles in large groups, usually at a painfully slow pace.

So each race everything stayed the same.  I had the same training and the same habits...I also had the same goal and, most importantly, the same approach.  I was anxious, wanted to prove to myself I could get it!  And each time I had the same result, 12:10, 12:22, 12:xx...but not 11:54.

Then I turned 22.  The time requirement to earn 100% changed from 11:54 to 12:35.  

On the next physical fitness test I was very relaxed on the run.  I didn't toe the start line, but instead mingled around in the back of the pack as the test began.  I strode nice and loose, just enjoyed the experiencing of running. 

I finished the run in 11:30. 

I had no goal.  I had ran 12:35 with bronchitis, literally.  So, I just ran!

And this is what Dean's post, and the responses, led me to ponder.  Perhaps goals (time-specific) are limitations.  For me they are. 

Who would imagine that huge improvements in running would be made by him, and others, as they get well past their prime?  How can people run faster at 50-something than they did at 30-something? 

Here's what I'm taking away, and what I'd like to share:  I'm going to try my best to run (or ride) relaxed on race day.  That's when I have the best time (both on the clock and in experience).  My goal should be enjoying the gift of racing, being healthy and wonderful company. 

I will train hard, see how it shakes out race day.  If I place, set a PR or even win, who cares?  That's not what this is about.

In other words, just run!

Funktown - Burned Down

It felt as if the wind had personality, and was angry ... at me.  It whipped me, pushed me, slapped me around for 80 miles today.  I took it, all of it, and never faltered.  I never thought of seeking shelter, calling home for my wife to come get me.  The wind punished me over the 3200 feet of climbing.  Climbing up the second to last big hill the signs warning of a winding road ahead rocked back and forth.  The trees bent steadily to the wind's insistence.  I loved it!  At mile 70, when I finally turned so I had a tailwind, I slammed down the gears, finishing mile 75 in under 3:00 on dead legs. 

Funktown -- burned down! 

I burned that funk to the ground...or, maybe I shouldn't take credit, but it's burned and that's the important part. 

Maybe it is because I had a hard, but yet relaxed ride Thursday, that reset my perspective.  Maybe it's because it's my anniversary and I'm very happy about that.  Yesterday we celebrated, low key, as is our fashion.  We went to the movies, saw The Hunger Games, with our youngest daughter.  Funny, but we've gone out as a family for our anniversary three of the past four years!  We just get along, I guess.

Maybe funktown burned down because of pent-up emotional energy.  This week our dog died unexpectedly (perhaps an owl got her).  My oldest daughter joined the National Guard (they can provide an avenue by which she can be a veterinarian), and has her first drill this weekend.  My wife had an upper GI scope done Monday and luckily her gal bladder is fine and she just has an ulcer.  

Anyhow, because of a stiff back and a very humbling route planned today (I love and hate this ride), I took yesterday off from all exercise.  I checked the weather last night and the forecast called for headwinds both ways of an out-and-back 80 miler.  Seriously.  Fifteen mph winds with gusts up to 20 heading east until 10 am, then from the south for a short time, then from the west from 11 on, all day the speed picking up.  Wow!

Maybe the funk is busted because I mentally focused last night, running through a check list of goals, items of focus and especially steeling my nerves for what lay ahead today.

Regardless, my average pace was very slow, 16 mph, but my effort and focus were as good as I've ever had on a ride.  I'm pretty charged up!

I did manage to take a few pictures today.  You can see them all here.  

The picture above is one of my favorite stretches of road.  It's on Arizona State Highway 82, just west of Patagonia, Arizona.

And old stone home I always love looking at.  It was built long before the two-lane highway existed.  How upset do you think they must've been when the route went right THERE!?

Yup, there's wine in Arizona...even a 5K that the wineries host where you get to sample various wines after the race!

An old abandoned ranch house north of Nogales, Arizona.

Some of the wild life!

The Santa Cruz River.  Not much water this time of year.

The picture above is taken just before an OSOM stretch of road, when headed this direction.  It's about 4 miles of down hill....think 40 mph on a bicycle down hill. 

The picture below is Mt. Wrightson, which my brother-in-law and I will be climbing on May 5th.  I'm super-excited about that!  I've been wanting to climb that thing my entire life, just never have.

Here's how I set up the display on my Garmin 405 for riding.  A lot of cyclists apparently hate it, but this shows me what I need, HR, cadence, and speed.  A HR of 108 means I'm obviously not working real hard while taking pictures! 

As Advertised: Arizona's Toughest Trail Half Marathon

I came running down a dry creek bed, feet being swallowed by soft, course sand, the grit working its way into my socks.  My feet just conformed, relaxed in the sand.  I loved it.  It was soft, it was flat.  There weren't any foot grabbing crags, no two foot high steps, no drops requiring my hands on a boulder on each side of the trail, dipping myself down.  No cactus to avoid, sharp turns to catch and no stretches of trail just wide enough for one foot at a time.


I was thankful for the smooth terrain, the first I'd seen in nearly three hours. 

As I came around the slow bend, the finish line opened up before me ... and I was shocked.  There were people laying in the dirt, crying.  Runners were bloodied, others having cactus removed from various body parts.  There was a man with a blown knee being helped along...and all while the peppy music played.

My wife and mother were there, cheering me along.  They looked relieved.  It was an hour after my projected time!

As I came in a woman behind them said, "Oh, here comes the one with the hurt hip."  Shortly after I got there another man limped across and she said, "And he's got the busted ankle."

Runners trickled in, dazed, bleary eyed.  This raced fit its billing as Arizona's Toughest Trail Half Marathon!  The problem is ... that billing is on a website belonging to someone other than the race director, I didn't see it until after the race.

I came in with a time of exactly 3 hours, on the nose.  For a half marathon, crazy!  My first half marathon was 1:42 and change and I just BS'ed the entire run.  The winning runner today came in just under 2 and a half hours!

But I was whole, unbroken.  All the skin was on my body, save what was rubbed raw by my backpack (under my right arm and two spots on my lower back).

I ran with the lead pack for the first four miles, just going by how I felt.  I was going too hard, we all were, the climb was intense, the terrain 100% unforgiving.  But, I figured I'd slow down and relax once I got to the top.  Little did I know, that wouldn't happen for 4 miles!

When I reached the top my piriformis really hurt.  I tweaked it somehow during my duathlon three weeks ago.  I figured I'd baby it for a while and let it loosen, but as it turned out, jumping over boulders, twisting around and through rock slides while climbing or descending over 400 feet per mile, isn't a nice thing to do with a bum ... with a bum bum.  It progressively got worse and went from the okay kind of pain, to the watch out now or you'll be laid up for months kind of pain.

In hindsight, I think that was the best thing that could've happened.  I was beat and sore, but mentally fresh the whole run.  I ran with a young lady for a while and I began walking up the hills while she ran.  I stayed right with her!  She was stumbling and I feared she'd fall.  I feared a fall there would result in a broken arm or worse.  She was an experienced trail runner and discussed the importance of focus and how your mind can't wander for a moment out "here" or you'll be down.

I lost her, or she lost me, down the hills.  I limped down favoring my right leg, stepping up and down left leg first for 8 miles.  Now I know what the advice of a seasoned trail runner who said, "Run when you can, walk when you must," really meant.

After coming up lame I only passed one person, the man with the busted ankle.  I offered him help, but he was fine, just hurting.  We both had an opportunity to cut three miles off of the run and just limp back with a DNF, but neither of us did.  I can't say how long he though of it, but the thought crossed my mind for about a nano second ... I couldn't have lived with myself.

It was tough out there.  Shortly before the race, a repeat runner warned me, saying, "If you need rescue, the rescue vehicle will be a horse."

And what did I win for my completion?  Let me show you!

The race wasn't well organized, unfortunately.  The reason being that they expected around 30 to 40 people and had to turn people away after 80 showed up!  There were no emergency services, and they would have been used today.  There were fewer aid stations than advertised, even though they were said to be unmanned.  And, the description of the race was, "This is a challenging route."

Challenging:  The first mile was a fairly smooth incline, but the next three climbed 1200 feet total ... 1200 feet of rock.  The next two dropped just shy of 600 feet.  The next three each climbed and dropped about 300 feet, each.  That is, mile eight, for example, climbed 375 feet and dropped 313 feet.  Down again, up again.  You'd run two feet one direction, the next two feet in another, none of it remotely smooth.

And you know what ... I loved it.  It really felt like a sense of accomplishment.  But, this would not be a "B" type race, as I'd approached it.  Would I run it again?  Maybe, but it would have to be the focus of my training, not something to do to get a break from the bike!

And now for a few pics.  First up is the race support vehicle:

 

Did I mention it was rocky? 

Pre-race:

Cactus:

Sahuaro Cactus:

Some of the wild flowers:

I approach the finish as a pair of hikers leaving in the background:

 

Done and Done!

The spoils of victory:

I guess by the look on my face, I wasn't happy:

 

Dear Food:  Get in My Belly!

Whatchootalkinbout?

All said, this was more than I was ready for.  I need to shed some pounds, get into better running shape before trying something like this again.  But, all in good time. 

LONG term plans?

I have a friend that's 69 years old.  I've known him for quite a while and we get along well.  He's active, rides his bike, coaches the HS basketball team and hits the gym a few times a week.

He's always been very supportive of me as I've lost weight.  Diet and exercise has been a frequent topic of conversation.  But yesterday, it was a bit different.

He asked my age and then said he started running marathons about the same time.

"You should keep doing it.  I got hurt, but not that hurt, and quit, wish I never did."

The longevity of my new lifestyle is a major concern of mine.  I don't want to fall back into my old weighs (see how I did that ... huh, eh, that was good, right).  In fact, it's something that is a major fear of mine.  I don't mind gaining a few pounds later in life as I age, but I don't want to stop being active.

But as of now, I'm still very new.  I started exercising in July of 2010, started training for a bike race in January of 2011, and had my first running race in October of 2011. Because of those facts, I don't want to look too far ahead and lose sight of what I'm doing now and why.  (One of my foundations is to my actions be true to my motivations.)  I'm doing these things now because to not do them is wasteful.  It's neglecting the gift of good health, something I'll not always have.  I want to use it now, while I have it.

So, I wonder what kind of old man would I like to be?  What level of activity will I want to maintain?  What will keep me going?

My questions for you are:

1. What keeps you going?
2. How do you see yourself in relation to exercise and even racing as you age?

That said, a quick report on my February.  I only ran 66 miles, which is three less than the month before when I was "off."  The hamstring injury accounts for that.  However, I rode 507 miles in February!  That makes a total of 573, my third highest month ever.  Not too bad for missing an entire week due to injury and four unplanned days due to work/meetings/life-in-general.  

Let's see what March brings.  I know it has a trail half marathon in the mountains that will surely kick my butt.  I also know I will have some serious riding this month.  Should be awesome!

UCHC Super Sprint Duathlon RR

When I signed up for the UCHC Super Sprint Duathlon I signed up to win.  But then I realized that someone else would probably sign up, too.  There's always that, isn't there?

This was to be my first attempt at a duathlon and I signed up for the longer of the two offered courses.  The course was flat and fast, and Kate Anderson, the race director, was awesome.  I've met her in person once before and she recognized and recalled my name, as well as my wife's name!  Impressive.

About seven weeks before race I began to add a short, easy run after each ride.  I did that for two weeks.  Then I had my first brick training and loved the change.  Not only were the workouts harder because of the two sports, but it was fresh and new.  I was pumped and felt I was going to really kick butt.

Then ...  on a day when I came home to someone having destroyed the main waterline into my house, I hurt my hamstring.  That was a month ago, yesterday.  I took a week off from everything, then slowly began to ride my bike and run short, slow distances and incredibly slow paces.  To further complicate things, I'm having an incredibly stressful time of things lately.  My wife is not well, needs gal-bladder surgery, oldest daughter is about to graduate high school and then the normal stresses of working two jobs and trying to make ends meet.

Perhaps because of all of the stresses, I was particularly excited about today's race.  I couldn't stop talking about it, reading about duathlons, and rehearsing my plan.  My plan was this:

• Have a Clifshot thirty minutes before the race
• Run the first two miles NO FASTER than 14 minutes, the closer to 15, the better
• At the transition, kick off the running shoes without untying them, throw everything on, adjust while riding
• Be conservative on the first half of the ride.  Open up a bit on the 3rd quarter and hammer the last 4 miles.
• Consume a Clifshot during the 3rd quarter of the ride and make sure to have consumed the bottle of accelerade before the ride's completion.  
• Loosen shoes while coasting towards the transition area.  Once there, sit on the ground to put on shoes
• Run the next half mile to loosen up, then fly through the last mile and half, hamstring-willing
• HAVE FUN, DON'T GET HURT

I knew how fast I hoped to run and figured I could do that pace safely.  I knew how that speed would compare to other people.  I wasn't sure about the ride.  I knew that I had to have a greater effort on the bike because my hamstring doesn't effect my riding too much.  But I wasn't sure how that would be in relation to other riders.  I was really curious.

This morning I got up and everything was frozen solid.  It wasn't that cold, about 28 degrees, but humid.  For running alone, it would've been awesome, but I dreaded the ride if it didn't warm up, a lot!  So, I packed my arm and leg warmers as well as my winter riding gloves.

I got to the race sight, picked a prime location to in the transition area.  I ran a warm up mile and milled around noticing that the participants of the duathlon were quite different than your average 5K.  In general, much fitter, but still very friendly and warm.

The duathlon had two distances and also some relay teams.  All started at the same time.  So, I reminded myself of my plan before starting.  I couldn't get caught up trying to keep up with someone on the first run.  They may be running one mile of the relay where I was two now, riding 16 miles, then running two more.  

At the start of the race I did a good job cruising along at a 7:30 pace.  My leg and knee were in neoprene wraps and even at that pace I could feel the hamstring wasn't right.  So I just kept my stride short and focused on my pace.  My father volunteered and was policing pedestrians from clogging up the path.  I asked him to trip a group of runners ahead of me the next time around and got a big laugh from him.  In the picture below I'm rounding the lake for the first time at the one mile marker coming in at 7:13 and feeling awesome.

The second mile my hamstring felt a bit better and I went a little faster, finishing it in 6:48, which surprised me!  My hamstring wasn't real happy with me when I stopped to change shoes, but I'd deal with that later.

I hit the transition area slightly ahead of someone I'd befriend, Ivan, who I'm watching walk away with his bike and his running shoes.  I wondered at the time if I should've not switched shoes, but more on that later.

The bike route was a figure eight, which made breaking it apart into sections of intensity very easy.  I followed Ivan a few hundred yards back on the first loop.  Drafting was strictly prohibited, so no need to close the gap.  After about 3 miles we caught a young man who was FAST on the run.  I remember him because he looked like a stud and was DECKED out in tri-gear, and not brand new clothes either.  On the second loop I passed the youngster...just sticking to my plan.  I figured for sure he'd be competing for the overall win for sure!  Don't judge a book by its cover!

The first loop's average speeds were 15.9, 18.4, 22.2.

About half way through the second loop I decided to speed up a bit more and passed Ivan.  I caught a few other people and passed them.  Towards the end of the second loop someone FLEW past me.  I could've kept up and was tempted, but remembered my plan and stuck to it.  I'm pretty sure he was in a relay anyhow!

That was the only person to pass me.  I knew I had to create some space between me and the people I passed because my hamstring was sure to limit my second run.  It told me so in the transition area.

The second loop's (same route as the first) average speeds were 16.9, 20.7, 21.1.  Notice mile three was slower.  That's when the fast dude passed me and I decided to stick to my plan...funny I actually slowed down!

The last two loops didn't line up so nicely for the splits comparison as it wasn't a perfectly round mileage.  But regardless, I did my fastest riding on the last loop.

I coasted into the transition area, having properly fueled as planned.  I felt good, but was tired.  I felt strong on the bike and didn't see a soul that I had passed.

 Not only did my hamstring bother me on the second run, my lack of training became very evident.  My hips were killing me, these tiny muscles cramping.  I was running all alone for the first mile, and having nobody to follow (a few slower people from the shorter course were running) and being in pain, my pace slowed.  I finished the first mile in 7:40. 

As I crossed the first mile of the second run my youngest daughter screamed, "You look purple."  During the entire race I thanked all volunteers and on the last route they offered me encouragement to which I responded with a primal groan.

Then one man passed me.  (You can see him in the picture above.)  I knew him from a 5K in December.  He was a much faster runner than me even when I was healthy.  I did speed up a bit, keeping my stride short.  But he pulled away.  Then Ivan passed me.  I sped up and kept with him, using him as a pacer, but never entertained ideas of trailing him until the end and then sprinting past.  Had my leg been healthy, I'd definitely had tried just that.  (He shared later that he was certain I was going to do just that).

Remember the picture above where I'm watching Ivan?  I beat him on the first run and the ride...but he passed me during the transition area, it essentially costing him no time, costing me a couple of minutes.  He finished just in front of me.

I finished in 1 hour and twelve minutes and some-odd seconds.  And while I was really hurting, I loved it.  I think the picture below is a testament to both facts.

I learned I love duathlons.  I can't wait to try another.  It was a great day.  The race was well planned and supported.  Further, there was lots to do for the spectators.  First, the route had racers almost constantly around the main area because we ran two loops, rode four and ran two more loops, all crossing in close proximity to the start/finish area.  Second, there were kids putting on shows to entertain the spectators in the times when runners were not around.

At the end, I was spent and my hamstring hurt, but not in a real bad way.  I've been on ice and will rest it from running for a couple of days.  I have a trail half marathon coming up in three weeks, and in the mean time, I'm continuing training for a bike race in late April (my true focus).

The last thing that happened was pretty cool.  There were awards given to athletes that were inspirational.  To be considered someone had to nominate you and apparently my wife nominated me.  I was selected as an honorable mention and as my reward I get a free Road ID.

Week 2 Review and a Funny Story

I'm about to hurt my shoulder.

I did a good job last week, if I may say so myself. 

Yup, patting myself on the back!

My goals for Week #2 were:

1. No cookies
2. Keep a Food Journal
3. Sleep Well
4. Stay Injury Free

Cookies:  I did well.  I had one on accident, literally.  During a meeting I was starving.  There was a plate of cookies and I grabbed one.  Only after I ate it did I realize it was a cookie!  I could've said, "In for a penny in for a pound," but I stopped there.

Food Journal:  Yes, and I'm glad I did.  I am discovering things in my diet that need refinement, some things surprising.  For example, I don't eat much bread (maybe 2 pieces a week), no potatoes and of course this week, no cookies.  Still, my carbohydrate intake was 68% and my protein was about 16% this week.  Perhaps increasing the protein will help with repairing muscle damage?  I've been quite sore this week.

Sleeping well...no problem in week 2.

Injury free, yup, good to go there too.

I completed all workouts, though the long ride was about 7 miles short.  I ended up riding my bike to Tucson, to my parent's house.  They lived 68 miles away and my ride called for 75.  That said, I averaged 21.5 mph, but the downhill nature of the ride and a tailwind helped!

I ran a total of 22 miles and rode 164.  I had two good sessions at the gym.  

Last week my weight loss wasn't as dramatic, which was good.  I lost 4 pounds in week one but just one in week 2.  The thing that concerns me is that in week two my body fat went up, while the weight went down, meaning I lost muscle.  So I'll be increasing my protein this week. 

During week three I will be resting a bit.  It's been over two full weeks since I had a day with nothing.  My long ride will be just 50 miles and I'll be taking it easy because this Saturday I have my first duathalon.  It's a 2 mile run, 16 mile ride, 2 mile run.  I'm hoping my hamstring will behave for me.  I want to compete but have no idea what to expect, how I'll do or anything.  Since I've been injured I've not done any brick training for a month, and I had just barely started. 

So, Week 3 Goals Are:

1. No cookies
2. Food journal
3. Sleep Well
4. Rest Well

Story time:

Yesterday I was at the University of Arizona with my family.  My daughters raise guide-dogs for the blind and the weekly outing was at the UofA.  While there I reminisced.  I remembered Larry.  Larry and I were both math majors.  Larry was a nice guy, short and squat, loved to talk, had opinions on everything, but was a nice young man.  As such, he wasn't so great with the ladies.

Then one day, the stars were aligned, or something.  It was a Thursday morning, like any other, at first glance.  Except that day, Larry was studying alone in the math building.  The usual crew, myself included, were nowhere in sight.  And yet, as it turned out, the day was exactly like all the others for Larry.

A squadron of cheerleaders showed up looking to cram for their upcoming college algebra test.  Larry was there, loved to talk, had complete mastery of college algebra, and was very willing to help.  Larry told the story ... he helped, the laughed, he talked, they touched his arm, looked at him, paid full attention to what he said. 

Then ...  he sneezed ...

and at that exact moment ...

FARTED.

He quickly collected his things and left without response.  His embarrassment was without measure.  But it was such a good story that he could not keep it to himself either. 

And making this a Disney story, Larry is a trust fund baby, who found a perfect match.  He's happily adjusted and doing well. 

With that said, happy running. 

Progressively Zen

This morning I literally gave the alarm an ugly look.  But ... for the first time in over a week I didn't stir all night nervous about missing my morning workout.  I slept well and that's a big thing!

I rolled out of bed at 4:15, (Mondays I work from 7 am until 8 pm, so 4:15 the next morning comes fast) and following my morning routine, warmed up and hit the road for another zen run (no time constraints, only running by feel).  This was going to be a 4 miler though, instead of two.  And, instead of driving to somewhere flat, I was running from home.  Two big things also!  I'm starting to feel like Seabiscuit, too!
 
In the graph below you can see how the terrain is around my house.  This is the flattest run I can do leaving my home.  

As you can see, the first two miles are down hill, dropping from almost 3,700 feet to 3,450 feet.  It's an out and back, so, the last two are up.  I decided, depending on how the leg felt, that it might be interesting to see if I could do a progressive run, made a bit trickier to pull off because of the elevation. I had my garmin with me, but agreed NOT to check pace or time at all.  I just wanted it to see how I did when I was finished. 

Mile one I just loosened up, concentrated on keeping my stride short.  Mile two, down hill also, so I did more of the same.  On mile three I had to slow down twice (I think) as the hamstring began to tighten.  I concentrated on shortening my stride for a minute or so, then sped up again.  The last mile was my best, though certainly not fast, but for being just fourteen days off of the hamstring strain, I'm happy with it.

All told, I did the run in 38 minutes which is considerably slower than normal (about a minute and a half per mile slower), but was fast enough that with the heavy clothes I was wearing, I got a good sweat.  Anyhow, as you can see in the picture above, I went faster as the terrain got steeper and did so while maintaining a short stride and keeping the hamstring happy!

I guess I won't be trying to run the last leg of the duathalon (2 miles) in under 13, but hey, I'll be able to run.

Dear Hat, I Love You

I love my hat.  When I first started getting serious about this whole endeavor of exercise and weight loss, my first purchase was the hat.  Sports Authority, $20.  I picked it because it was black, stretched, lightweight and fairly low key.

And since then, beneath my hat I have endured.  I have had injury and disappointment, frustration and pain, suffering, self-doubt...and of course all of the good stuff those things bring.

When I bought the hat I couldn't run 1 mile, I couldn't do two pull ups.  I weighed 275 pounds (had already lost about 25).  Now, wearing the same hat, I do 5 sets of 10 pullups, run two miles as a way to stretch an injured hamstring, and am still over 200 pounds, but around 15% body fat.  I'm going to train for, and run my first marathon in this hat.

Never before has a material item been with me through so much.  When I pack to go somewhere for a weekend, I throw the hat in the bottom of my bag so I can take it on a run.  Every time I go the gym, I have the hat.  Every summer run I take, the hat is on.  It's a very rare event that I'm running without it.  If I could figure out how to wear it under my helmet, I'd ride my bike with it too. 

I lose my keys, have lost my wedding ring.  I misplace my belt regularly.  But the hat, it's never misplaced.

So when I'm told that the hat should be burned, tossed out, or that I need a toxic waste handling permit to wear the thing, I'm a little put-out. 

Maybe I'm missing something.  You decide.

 

Today, Tuesday, I did a lot better eating.  I haven't done a fancy excel spreadsheet yet, but finish in around 2,400 calories.  According to Garmin, my ride burned 1,200, plus I ran three miles today.  I'm exhausted and can't believe it's only day 2.  I'm so pumped about making all of the early morning workouts that I wake up several times a night thinking it's time to go!  

Last thing:  Granola Bars Recipe (We have flax seed and chia seeds, whatever nuts are around and a tiny bit of chocolate chips in ours).

Granola Bars

Tastes much like Woodstock Cookie Company Granola Bars.
From Bonnie Chase, Adapted by Jessica Bickford

Mix together dry ingredients:
2 C oats
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C wheat germ or wheat bran
1 t cinnamon
1 C whole wheat flour
1 C whatever (chocolate chips, cranberries, pecans, etc., etc., etc...) (I often use 1 cup ground nuts and ½-1 cup chocolate chips)
3/4 t salt

Optional Nutritional Additives: 1/4 C soy lecithin; 1 T gelatin; hemp, chia, or flax seeds (I use ¼ to ½ cup ground flax seeds.) ; steel cuts oats...use your nutritional imagination! 

Now mix in wet ingredients:

1/2 C oil
1/2 C honey or maple syrup
2 eggs
2 t vanilla (I’ve been known to omit this without any major disruptions)

Mix well and press into a well-greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool 5 minutes and cut bars, but do not remove them from the pan or eat them until they've cooled COMPLETELY.

I'm Not Like Those Gym Rats Anymore

With the injured hamstring there's no running and I'm not going to ride until Saturday, at the soonest.  Ice and rest and so on until then.  I've been vigilant with my diet, which is a big victory for me, something I've not been able to do when injured in the past. 

I did go on a walk this afternoon and threw in 7 minutes of very slow jogging.  It was so slow that the dog didn't change her gait!  A few times I felt a dull twinge, but nothing bad.  All in all, it was good to do.

After that I went to the gym.  Lately, when I've gone to the gym, it's revolved around a run.  Either I'd run before, or after doing a circuit.  I gave up "weight lifting" for the purpose of building pretty muscle in June.  Today, the purpose to the gym was just to lift weights and get my heart pumping a bit.  My "heart" wasn't into it and I had a fairly "ugh" workout.  Everything in my mood said, "I'm here because I'm injured."

But, I went and am glad I did.

On a side note:  Some of the reading I've done lately suggests that I'm not optimizing my weight lifting as an endurance athlete.  I've been reading that endurance athletes benefit most (in race performance) by lifting very heavy weight for very few reps, but only one set and one exercise per muscle group.  That's totally opposite of what seems logical, but that logic, when examined, is very flawed.  More on that, another day.

Each time of day has a different type of lifter.  Here, in the evening, there's a lot of border patrol agents that are very much into bulking up and being big.  I'm predisposed to that, genetically.  I put on bulky muscle super fast and build strength very quickly.  But today I noticed that I was a lot slimmer than those guys!  I'm not talking about body fat, those guys are fit.  But in sheer bulk...I no longer have street credit in the weight room.

Six months ago I weighed what I do now, within, give or take, five pounds.  But then I still wore XL shirts and they were tight around the chest and arms.  I couldn't use the blood pressure machines as my arms didn't fit in them.  I wasn't lifting weights a lot, that's just how I'm built. Mind you, in no way do I look like an endurance athlete, and while tomorrow is weigh-in day, but I'm still going to be over 200 pounds.

Now a large sized shirt is roomy.  I slipped my arm right in a blood pressure machine's cuff this weekend and used it in comfort.  The belt I bought in August is no longer of any use and the smaller belt has two holes left.  This week I wore pants that my legs didn't fit in well before, making me leave them in the closet since early fall. The veins in my arm stick out through my compression shirt. 

So I'm wondering, where is the weight going? 

Well, as my father said, if the number on the scale is your goal, you're going to be going mad!

Running Away

Tomorrow is a 5K, one I hope to break 20 minutes.

This has been the worst week of teaching ever.  I won't get into it beyond that, and I just mention it to identify a source of major stress.  Normally, work provides little or no stress, but this year, things are a bit different.  Money has also been incredibly tight, and I got a call from the community college director saying that one of my classes probably won't "make," meaning there wouldn't be enough students to run the class.  (Four days later there were enough students to keep the class, but I'd already experienced a lot of stress by that point.)

Starting yesterday I had a bit of dizziness, most of it is the disorientation you feel when you have a new pair of glasses.  But some of it has been a bit worse.  I think it's due to some sinus/ear congestion.  I hope it's not crazy blood pressure due to stress! 

I've also been experience some knee irritation and swelling.  I am hoping this is due to a not yet properly set up new bicycle.  The symptoms are consistent with that, but still, running on a puffy knee isn't a good idea.  My rule of thumb for that is that if the swelling is more than a tablespoon's size when the knee is fully bent, or if there is any pain, no running.  I've not run since Tuesday, just two miles on the dreadmill.


I'm looking forward to the 5k, the escape and challenge.  However, if I'm not feeling great, I'm not going to push for sub 20.  :(  Another day.

Running is an escape, but meeting a goal, that's even better.

I'm Gonna Break 20 This Time

I have a 5k on Saturday.  I'm stoked.  It's just a 5k, I know, but I'm pumped.  I've not trained for it and I won't be resting up for it either.  But, it'll be my third and I'm going to break through the 20 minute mark this time, I know it.  Well, I really believe it anyway.

Actually, I've been a little nervous about injury lately.  I've been fairly liberal with days off of running, even when they've not been planned, if things didn't feel quite right.  In addition, I've got structure, each run has a purpose.  I feel good, very sore today, but good.

Then today at work I was talking with two friends who are both runners, more so than I.  They're both injured.  One is walking, the other just took a solid month off.  I'm standing between them feeling like...I'm next.  It's as if I'm a soldier in the Revolutionary War and my compatriots on each side have just gone down.

Boom.

Down on the left.

Boom.

Down on the right. 

I'm exposed.  I'm next?

If and when injury occurs, I know it's just part of the whole experience.  A strained hamstring now might help prevent an enlarged heart at 55.  I think I've learned to listen to my body and see signs of over-use before they become injuries, at least some of the signs.  But I'll continue my planned rest, ice, compress, stretch, use the foam roller and keep the structure and focus.  Throw in smart decisions while running and that's all I can do, right?  That sounds like patience to me.  I suck at patience.  It's something I have to work on daily.

Patience...on Saturday trying to break 20.  I'm going to be patient the first two miles this time and then slam through the third.  First two miles I'm going to try and be 6:40, then let it loose a bit on mile 3 and 0.1. 

But what I really want to share is just some of the experience of being a runner while not running.

I Surprised Myself

For those not familiar with SmartCoach, it's software that uses your latest race time and distance in combination with your average miles run per week to create a training program tailored to you so you can run a specific race well. 

I've been trying to run consistently since last May.  However, injury after injury, then training for a bike race have prevented me from amassing much running experience.  In fact, I've only run more than 20 miles in a week twice, the highest being 23, this week!  The point being, I feel that I'm still very new to running.  I feel I'm just getting my running legs. 

 SmartCoach said that today I should run a long, slow run ... 10 miles (no problem) at 8:22 pace (what!?!?!).  I ran faster than that for my half marathon, but I was rested for that, it was down hill, and it was a race environment, everybody's pumped! 

Yesterday was a terribly stressful day and I woke this morning feeling tired.  My left knee has been a bit cranky (I think from not having my new bike dialed in properly), and my legs were a bit sore from yesterday's run.  There was only the slightest hint of swelling in the knee if it was bent completely backwards.  So, I brushed my teeth, threw on my Five Fingers, tossed a band aid (have a problem toe getting blisters) and a Cliff Shot in my pocket.

Mile 1, 8:18:  Felt okay, just easing my way into the run.  It's down hill and super easy.  Legs are sore, but nothing I could deal with.   

Mile 2, 8:17:  There's a crazy steep hill, but fortunately it's very short this direction, dropping farther on the other side than this side climbs up.  I slammed up the hill trying to maintain my pace.  This got my heart rate up quite a bit.

Mile 3, 8:28, Mile 4, 8:26, Mile 5, 8:25:   I've done this route before.  This is a very tough stretch, all up hill, with a few short climbs and one significant, long climb.  I was happy to be under 8:30 here while not killing myself.  Average heart rate still around 145 or so.  During my 5 my legs hurt, my feet hurt, my hips hurt...I was getting tired.

Mile 6, 8:18, Mile 7, 8:20, Mile 8, 8:20:  What I goes up, must come down.  These are gradually down hill miles.  I took my cliff shot shortly after beginning mile 7.  During mile 8 I really started to fatigue. 

Mile 9,  8:50:  HUGE hill.  Did I mention there was a HUGE HILL on this mile?  If not, I'm sorry.  I had a few signs of cramping before the hill, but none ever developed, thankfully.  When I got up to the top of the hill my glutes were SCREAMING at me. 

Mile 10, 8:14:  I think my Garmin screwed me here.  It said my mile wasn't done until I was a good 100 yards past where I normally stop.  But regardless, this is a tough mile, climbing about 250 feet steadily the whole way.  It takes a lot of concentration for me to maintain a steady pace on this mile, but it's where I feel I should be pushing.  And the last mile being the best one, that's what I'm talking about!

Here's the Garmin Report of the run.

Now to move some furniture and then iron some clothes! 

Sabino Canyon Trail Run, Seabiscuit and The Missing Family

My parents live in Tucson, which is awesome because they usually feed me and are a lot cheaper than a hotel!  I signed up to do a Saturday morning run on the far north east Side of Tucson, about two hour's driving from my home. I drove to their place Friday afternoon and spent the night.  When I arrived my dad was watching Seabiscuit.  I don't really like a lot of movies and it looked predictable, so I never saw it.  Turns out that the movie wasn't half bad, and I loved the story.  If you don't know the story just know this:  The jockey and the horse were  never expected to do anything, and shortly after success, both were seriously injured.  The horse had a torn ligament, the jockey a shattered leg.  You can guess the rest.

After the movie we went out to dinner taking in some fantastic Ethiopian cuisine!  What a treat that was!

Saturday's run wasn't a race.  See, this weekend marks the one year anniversary of an event that shook the Tucson and southern Arizona community.  Last January a young man attempted to take the life of Gabrielle Giffords, and killed several others in the process.  One of the lives he took was of Gabe Zimmerman, who I learned today was active in the Tucson running community.  In fact, his father was a founding member of the Tucson Trail Runner's Club.

To remember the life of a "friend and competitor," SAR and The Tucson Trail Runner's Club held events, free of charge, all over Tucson today.  I participated in a trail run at Sabino Canyon, with my father.  My father is recovering from a ruptured Achilles in September, but has been running stronger and longer and really enjoying life because of it!

We showed up a bit early, and it was COLD.  There was a good turn out, over the 200 person cap set by the Forest Service.  There were no bibs, no clock, just a run to remember.  It was interesting what was said before the race.

One of the board members, Jim, I think, of SAR, said that part of their mission was to create healthy communities.  He said that everybody thinks of running as healthy for your body, but that what they wanted to do was a lot more than physical health.  They wanted to promote healthy lifestyles, but running as a community event that promote healthy minds and spirits.  Then he and another spoke briefly about Gabe Zimmerman, running with him and competing against him.  It put a person where, for me, had just been a name.

In the picture you see a mother and daughter signing one of the three posters put out for people to sign and perhaps write something they feel or remember. 

Our run starts and I saw the person who just beat me on the 5K race a few weeks ago.  I caught up to him, cutting through people, jumping over rocks, ducking under trees, having a great time doing it.  His name was Bill, he's two years older than me, an amateur musician and has a math degree and two children.  Striking how similar we were!  We ran the entire course, finishing way ahead of anybody else running the short 4 mile distance.  (There was an 8 mile and a 16 trail run too.)  You can click here to see the Garmin-recorded details.

It was a beautiful run, some trail, some asphalt.  We crossed some running water, ran up and down some hills which caught me by surprise to be sure!  They were steep.

Feeling great after my run I stopped and ate a cookie, some oranges and had some water.  I found my mother and got my phone to take some pictures.  After about 30 minutes I began to wonder where my dad was.  About that time  I overheard someone informing one of the SAR board members that a man took a spill and was limping badly.  He said that his Achilles was already injured and appeared re-injured.

I headed back out on the trail looking for my dad.  The trails we ran cut across the roads that are used to access some of the lower parts of the canyon.  I worried that he'd miss the turn on his way back, adding about a mile to the trip.  I also worried that I'd have to help him walk back, worried about his spirits and worried about how bad the injury would prove to be.  I mean, it had already been significant, maybe a complete tear this time!

Eventually I make it all of the way out, taking a few pictures along the way, but no sign of my dad.  I'm beginning to worry.  I ran across the trail, limiting the time I could miss him significantly.  Plus, from what the person said, he was still a long way down the trail.

My phone rings but it's not a number I recognize.  Turns out it's Jeff, a gentlemen who, with his wife, help my wife with Bountiful Baskets, which is a kind of like a food co-op, kind of.

He said, "Hey, are you guys showing up today?  The truck is here (at the pickup point), but we have no paper work."  My wife runs the this site and has all of the "stuff."

It was 9:30.  Jeff and I both thought she was supposed to be there at 9:00.  She's NEVER late...EVER.  I explained that I had spoken to her morning but had no idea where she was and I was 80 miles north, but that I'd call and let him know.

I called.  Voicemail.

I called again.  Voicemail.

My wife and I never have "words."  But, this past week I kind of got on her case about leaving her phone on vibrate and in her purse.  She can be impossible to contact sometimes.

I called again.  Voicemail.

I texted her.  Nothing.

I called and I looked for my dad. I called and I looked for my dad.  I called and I looked for my dad.

My oldest daughter was in Tucson at my in-laws' house.  She was performing at the UofA Junior/Senior Honor Band.  She wouldn't help.  I called my youngest daughter.  Her phone didn't even ring.

I called Jeff and explained.  I'm walking down the trail, calling, looking for my dad, worried about my wife, was she in an accident?  What could've happened?  Jeff said he'd go look for her.  

At almost 10 I called my youngest daughter's friend.  She answered the phone.  She was with my wife and daughter!

Jeff calls me, tells me everything is fine, they showed up.  Turns out that the truck was early, everybody was early, my wife was on time.  Her phone...on vibrate.  Daughter's phone...dead, charging at home.

"You're cute when you're mad," she says loudly so I can hear her on Jeff's phone. 

Shortly after I received a call from my dad.  He was back at the car, I had missed him.

I'm not a high-stress person, but at this point I was stressed. 

We get back to my parent's house and I start an ice bath in a storage tub for my dad.  There's already significant swelling and pooling blood.  He's got road rash on my arm, his running/compression shirt I got him for Christmas is torn (like a real runner!), and he's got road rash on his legs. 

He said that he saw something off to the side while running through a rocky portion of the trail, lost his concentration and stumbled.  As he went down, somehow it "popped."  Not good.

I spent the rest of the day with my mother, driving around town looking for a walking boot, striking out.  We exhausted our Saturday measures short of a trip to Urgent Care (he'll see his doctor Monday), and I take a shower at their house.

I sat with my dad for about twenty minutes and we just talked.  Then I hit the road, drove 40 minutes across town to my inlaws' house where we immediately loaded up and drove 20 minutes back to the university where we had to fight for parking to see my daughter's concert.  The concert was FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC.  There were kids from 35 schools from all over Arizona, Nevada and California performing.  Wow...what they pulled off with two days work was impressive!

As I'm sitting there at the concert I'm thinking, My dad is Seabiscuit!  Oh, this is gonna be good!

After it's all said and done I'm fried.  I'm beat.  I'm toast.  I'm physically and emotionally drained.  I'm not sure if I could handle much more "vacation!"

And tomorrow morning, according to SmartCoach, I'm supposed to do a 10 mile run at 8:22 pace.  Come on now...

Until next time folks, thanks for reading and happy running!