Its Snowing Again!!

Well, so much for my 4 mile race today! We just got 4 inches of snow dumped on us overnight. Its a blistering 17 degrees outside. There is no way I'm going to run this race. Well, I'll be looking for something really soon in 2009. I'm having a 5k itch now!! I did a 5k tempo run the other day, and I'm kinda sore in my legs... thats telling me that I'm losing it. Well hope everybody has a happy new year... this was a triumphant year for me (i did the marathon). The thing that sux4me is that I'll be in a new AG next year, and they are pretty fast... the 35-40. Well, that just means that I have to get faster to... so I run on...

Addendum:

Well since I couldn't run the race today, I decided to do a lil somethin on my own, on the dreaded treadmill of course. But the funny thing is, on this treadmill run... felt like I could run forever, but had to stop because had to get ready for dinner with the fam...
0.5 mile warmup 8:30 mpm
4 miles at 7:30 mpm
0.5 miles at 7:03 mpm
0.5 miles at 6:40 mpm
0.1 mile stride at 6:00 mpm

Well thus ends my 2008 embarkment on the running thing. My resolution is to PR every race distance. That means I have to run more. My 2009 goal is at least to run 1,500 miles.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Its Winter Again!!

Well, we just had 60 degree weather yesterday. I decided to do a ten mile easy run. Nothing easy about it. That was the most slushy and muddy run I ever ran. There was no way I was going to do a tempo run... plus all of the snow had not melted. Now today its 30 degrees and windy!! Half of the area lost power. I was at a jazz concert last night and the power went out too. But the band kept playing!! Now THAT'S music, where you dont have all that electronic stuff to hide your imperfections. (i'm an ex-trumpeter, so i'm biased). On my way home last night, a street light had fallen probably a few minutes before I got to it... those things must weigh a ton!!!! Pieces were all over the place!! Now today, since I dont forsee any 60 degree weather any time soon, I did a 5k tempo run. The first 2.5 was around a 7 minute flat pace... the second half (25mph wind in my face) was a lot slower. Total avg 7:25 mpm pace. Aside from the wind tearing me up, I felt fine. I'm 75% sure I'm going to run this 4 mile race on New Years Eve. Hoping to have 7:10 pace or below, but i havent run a "fast" race in soooo long, we'll see, and I run on...

Its Summer Again!!

First off... hope everybody had a nice Christmas.

OK, got that off my chest!! I'm thinking of this New Years Eve 4mile race. I think I am going to do it. Just to give myself something to try and surpass in 2009. It has been sooooo cold. I think every year for the past 4-5 years its been getting colder and colder in the winter. We just got over 8 inches of snow dumped on us with single digit temps EVERYDAY!! So why was it that cold yesterday, and today its 60 degrees?? What is REALLY going on?? Tomorrow its supposed to be back below freezing!! So I'm going to try and get a long run in today... better yet... try and get some 400 repeats. I know tomorrow will make for a slippery ride to and from wherever I plan to go when this melted snow freezes over. Too bad its illegal to put chains on your car tires!!

At last I am finally pain free. My last to runs have had no pain. So after the New Year, after I starve off all this holiday fat, I'll be back to training again. I plan on a spring marathon, haven't decided yet. So its back to the pavement I go, and I run on...

1,000 Miles a Runnin...

I FINALLY got to the 1,000 mile mark!! Who would have ever thought that I would be running that far?? I know for the more seasoned runners, this is a minor milestone, but its major for me!! I've slacked ALOT since my marathon. My hip is still bothering me around mile number 4 of my runs. I'm just going to have to deal with it. We just got 8 inches of snow yesterday, so my milestone was achieved while on the dreaded treadmill... oh, did I say I got it back to working (somehow). I just hope it dont blow up in my face. It gives a stale smell sometimes, like something burning. But it goes away.

I've been doing too much slow running... I have a 4mile race on new years eve. Dont know if I'm going to do it. I aint ran fast in AGES!! The last I remember was the last 1/4 mile of the Brooksie Half Marathon where I sprinted (downhill) to the finish, narrowly missing Brian Sell... relatively. So my resolution is to do more "quality" running (for those who dont know, that is NOT slow running or easy running). I planned on going sub-20 in the 5k this year, but dont even remember my last 5k. Those things are getting so darn expensive. I cant fathom $30 for a 5k, that will last only 20 minutes and some change.

So watch out 2009... I'm planning on PR'ing everything... my first goal is to PR my half marathon. I gotta drop some more weight, since halloween, i have been slothful and eating sweets like its going outta style (i'm a sucker for chocolate... and i'm 100% MAN). I have to strengthen my legs too. Lunges, squats and leg extensions... no pain no gain. But right now, I'm inaugurating myself into the 1,000+ mile club. And before the non-runners start talking about how "corny" this may sound, lets see you run 1 mile, uno!!! If you can, then I give you a whole year to do that 1,000 times!! So i run on...

IT'S COLD OUTSIDE!!

Well, just a quick update. I'm pretty much done with my P.T. sessions. Helped a little, but I think it had more to do with me taking it easy. I can run 9 miles without significant pain now. I'm doing strengthening (lunges and squats and leg raises) and am soooo sore for now. I feel that my endurance is a little less than when I ran my marathon. My 9 milers seem to be a bit tougher than before. That was to be expected.

Now this cold... some people were complaining that they had to run a 30-40 degree marathon. I wish I could run in that temperature. That is NOT cold. It has been teens and single digits for the past week and a half here, and the windchill makes it feel like below zero. Now that's cold. When the sweat freezes the hat you are wearing and you get a freezer burn on your forehead!!! THAT'S cold. We just got a couple of inches of snow also. I did my 9 miler in the snow... had to pull out the Yak Trax. Slowed me down, but made the run manageable. My treadmill has finally died on me. Now its to the pavement or nothing at all... actually I have a membership at the YMCA, but that's a long drive when I could be running.

I'm going to go ahead and sign up for a spring half marathon and a summer trail half marathon. I may repeat the Detroit full marathon and maybe even some other marathon thrown in the mix. But at least now I know to stretch and train specifically for a marathon to avoid getting injured again. Just a brief update... and I run on ...