Day 14116, & hit a bump in the road...

So, literally, I hit a bump in the road. Well, no, not literally. Actually, I was hit on the road by a car when it bumped into me while I was running. True story. But I'll get to that in a minute.

Do you want to know the hardest thing about marathon training? Time management. That is pretty much the do or die skill set needed to successfully train for a marathon. Now, I am sure we can all come up with a list of people who have very poor time management skills and have successfully completed such an undertaking. Those people though? Obviously, they possess an extraordinary skill or two that allowed them to squeak by without managing their time.

Me?

Time management master. I can handle everything I take on. Why set your self up for failure, I say. If you can't be certain you will succeed, then you probably shouldn't be trying it in the first place. You'll only embarrass yourself...

And then, some dickhead comes up and throws a wrench into your carefully mapped out time management plan and fucks up your whole delicately balanced life.

Yeah, you guessed it. Someone quit their job a few weeks back. Restaurant 2 lost a line cook and now everything has been turned upside down to compensate. So, restaurant 1 sends a kitchen manager to cover the line at #2, leaving #1 weak. So, #1 reschedules Chef to be around more in the evening, leaving me to cover the morning.

Why does this matter, you ask?

We all know that I cannot run in the afternoon, post work. Too hot!

How in the world am I supposed to get up at 4:30 am, wake up my legs and brain, run, get back home, stop sweating (which can take up to 45 minutes), get ready for work, and be there by 7:30? Well, it's actually not that hard, as long as I am not trying to fit an 8-10 mile run in there.

But, now throw in the fact that I might have been at work until 9 the night before. And that I cannot just rush home, jump in bed, and immediately experience quality rem sleep.

See my problem? How in the world am I supposed to be able to drink beer and still train for a marathon if all these dumbfucks keep screwing up my plans???

And remember- this is important- I started running so that I didn't have to cut back on the beer drinking. Voila! Full circle...

I am such the master storyteller...

Anyhoo, last week was ok. I made it work. And, then there was the "cold" front that came through. That always helps.

Sunday was a nice 4.ish something (I forgot to write it down)
Monday was the off day, as I had seen the forecast for the rest of the week
Tuesday, 6.25 miles
Wednesday, 1.7 miles of early morning garbage. My legs felt like overcooked pasta
Thursday, as if it was sent from heaven, was a perfect 10.4 miles, at 9 am, in the 70s, low humidity, with an average pace of 9:21, and a negative split.

And that is when I got hit by the car. Running by Vanderbilt, with the walk signal, I was reminded of how few people look to their right when turning right on red. Instinct took over fast and I jumped, thereby preventing the car from actually hitting me. Basically, I jumped onto the hood. Damn, those people looked scared as I ran off. It really was a hit n run...

Friday, I ran a quick 5.0 and it felt good after the long run that preceded it.

Friday night I decided to run the 4th of July 10K, my first race in two years. Note to self: DO NOT COMMIT TO RUNNING RACES WHILE DRINKING!

Saturday, knowing I had the race that I was completely unprepared and unrested for, still wanting my goal mileage for the week (which ends on Saturdays,) I ran a slow 3.75.

So, the weekly total was a little light at 31.5-ish but not bad.

And then the race...

I had to close the restaurant Saturday night so I didn't get out until 10. Got home, ate brown rice for dinner, and made it to bed by 11. Up at 4:30 for the 7:00 start.

I still wasn't overly concerned. 6.2 miles? Easy. Especially with my plan to run the first half comfortably and then barrel through round 2 (double loop.)

I won't go into the specifics of the poorly organized race. I had run this series before and it was far better then. I'll just say that I picked up my packet (which took almost 30 minutes,) rushed to stretch and warm up (which I hate doing that way,) and then waited for the race to start for way too long (7:20!)

Mile 1, 7:44
Mile 2, 8:08
Mile 3, 8:04
Mile 4, 8:56
Mile 5, 9:05
Mile 6, 8:55

See? I ran it just as I had planned! Only backwards...

I have never run a 5K, so at least I PR'd that one. According to Garmin, I was 24 and change for the 5K half, which put me 30 something-th. And, I did consider quitting then, but I barreled forward. I was glad to have finished, but it was miserable. I was not ready. I had overdone the mileage for a race week. Blah blah blah.

But, on the other hand, I PR'd it, however slightly.

Age: 12/23
Sex: 74/171
OA: 115/344

128 days to marathon. Have I mentioned, I have lost 15 pounds in the last 2 months? And that I need to go purchase some 31s...

Day 13384, & a quick race recap...

So, I am in Dodge City, KS and I am a bit hungover today, cause that is how we roll at Granny's...

Anyway, a quick race recount:

According to Garmin, I did really well.  According to the race people, not so much.

I started Garmin about 5-10 seconds before I made it to the start mat.  I also forgot to stop him until I had made my way past those annoying people that try to get your chip and gotten some water, probably another 10-15 seconds.

So, in the world according to Garmin, I ran just over 54:00 and just under an 8:34 pace, broken down as follows:

Mile 1-7:56

Mile 2-8:11

Mile 3-8:25

Mile 4-8:54

Mile 5-9:20

Mile 6-9:07

I am pretty happy with my 5K time, under 25:00.  Clearly, however, that first mile was way too fast for me and burned me out too soon.  Lesson learned, again...

Now, according to the race folks, I was 54:09.  I think that this was the clock time, not the chip time.  Only the one time is posted and they are listing my pace as 8:44, which seems high.  Either way, I beat my previous 54:52, so I don't really care.

Also, true to form, I came in right down the middle:

Age: 15/32

Sex: 84/156

O'All: 105/276

I have quite a bit of blog material from my day yesterday, both the race and my travels.  I will try to get to the rest of it later today.

Day 13381, & my leg is sore...

So, my right calf is sore.  Well, not really the calf, just the muscle that runs down the side of the inner calf.  

I assume that I hurt it somehow after my long run Saturday, followed by 2 faster runs Sunday and Monday.  

Anyway, it doesn't hurt to walk on it, or run on it for that matter.  It is just tender and feels a bit swollen.

So, as I have the 4th of July 10K here on Friday, I opted for a 2.5 mile elliptical warm up before my training yesterday.  I forgot how much I hate the elliptical machine.  Tomorrow, for training, I will probably stick with the elliptical again.  Why push it?

Cut to the chase, you say?

Last week was great at 36 miles.  This week looks like it will end up in the low 20s, depending on how I feel after the race.  Also, my long run will be in Dodge City.  I have no idea how I will find a good route so it could go either way.

Race goals:

At worst, I will beat my 54:52 at an 8:49 pace

Hopefully, I will hold under an 8:30 pace, coming in under 52:45.

At best, I will come in under 52:00, and I will drink many a celebratory beer on the flight(s) to Kansas.

We'll see...

Day 13374, & I might have seen the wall come down...

So, just to be clear, the wall I referred to in the last post was not only in reference to running. Sure, the analogy was inspired by running. Sure, it was on my mind, as I has just listened to Clay talk about his bad run last week.

All true, but...

My wall was much, much bigger. It was a work wall, home wall, life in general wall, and yes, also a running wall.

Now, in order, I will quickly tell you about each:

We designed our restaurant concept to be fairly recession-resistant. We did not design it to be George W Bush-135.00 a barrel- mortgage crisis- real estate is in the tank- recession- resistant. Who can do that? Well, apparently The Cheesecake Factory can, which is ridiculously annoying. Nuff said.

On the home front... Well... Let's just say that Jay and I do not compartmentalize our feelings very well. Just close your eyes and imagine working with your significant other, full time, in a public setting... OK? How is that dream working out for you? Moving on.

On the topic of life in general... It's just hot! I don't like being sweaty. Well, I don't like it when all I am doing is getting the mail. Sweaty, in general, is just not pretty. Note: there are a few exceptions to this rule that I need not explain...

Finally, on the running front, I did indeed hit a wall last Saturday. My planned 12 mile run turned into a very poor 6 miles at a 10:13 pace. And, here's why...

A. I had been on what I am only able to reconstruct as a 20 day stretch of running activity. I realize that I should probably have taken a rest day or two in there, but I didn't, until last Thursday (due to work related traumas) and Friday (again, due to work related traumas)...

B. As I was running by anyway, Jay made me stop at the restaurant to see him on my long run. Stopping is never a good idea. Stopping for 10 minutes? Insane...

Regarding stopping, I give you my new nemesis...








So, yes, I did hit the wall with the running, too.

Maybe, I do need to run another race. I had planned the 4th of July 10K here, and a 10 mile race in the Adirondacks. Now, however, I am going out west to Dodge City, Kansas to see my grandmother on her 94th birthday. I am sure the blog posts will be entertaining and frequent on this trip...

I had picked out a few other races, but then I registered for the Murfreesboro 1/2 on Oct 11th. That screwed up a number of the planned races. Oops! Time for a calendar... I am now on a search for some training races. Training races, you say? Why yes, I did...

I think I have picked my first marathon. In fact, I started a 16 week rookie training schedule on Monday. I should be ready for the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon by the end of October, allowing some inevitable adjustments to my training regimen.

All said, I need some 10Ks, 20Ks, 10 milers, and 1/2 marathons to choose from. All should be close to Nashville (3-4 hour driving radius), as I will also be opening that new restaurant in September...

I picked a hell of a time to start running...

Our water plants bloomed today...

Whatever it takes to smile, right?

Day 13340, & the previous day recollected...

So, I planned ahead.  I planned to start slow.

I had "analyzed" my Garmin runs.  I had thought through my shortcomings and mistakes.

Start slow.

Normally, I run about a 9:15 to 9:30 pace on any run of substance.  My best, to date, had been a 3 mile run at an 8:58 pace.  All other attempts at speed have been met with some kind of defeat.

Start slow.

I decided that this race was really just a practice race.  It was just a Saturday hill run.  No pressure.

Start slow.

It was a nice opportunity to run with Lil' Bit.  Quite a few friends were running actually.  Why not enjoy the "fun run" part and just have a nice, social morning activity?  I even told Lil' Bit that I would hang with her at first, but that I might wander ahead after a few miles.

Start slow...

BANG!

Off I go, at a, 8:05 pace!  Uphill at an 8:05 pace.  Oh well, plans are just for dorks anyway!

Bye Lil' Bit!  See you in 55...

Yeah, first race.  I knew that I was surrounded by runner folks.  You know, those people.  The ones that judge you if you look like you are a newbie.  The ones that are all like "I am gonna kick your ass, you Garmin wearing amateur!"

Yeah? Well, fuck you! 

So, I felt a bit like I had something to prove.  Did I?  No.  But I felt pretty good as I chased the lead group up the initial .8 miles of hill.  Then people started to pass me.  No big deal.  A few cute boys ran by, shirtless.  I chased them a bit.  Then, a guy passed me, about 40, in his "gear" with a GU in his back, shirt pocket...

This is a 6.3 mile run, I thought to myself.

Really? He needs a snack in the next 45 minutes?

I ate 2 bowls of Cheerios this morning.  I feel full.

Then a few others ran by, including the woman with her dog, who later did his business in the middle of the street.  Always nice to dodge crap in the road.

After some nice flat, I finished mile 2 in 8:30.  Then, back up to the "city."  The good news here was that once I got up there, I got to run down a bridge to the Stadium.  Ahh, rest.  Mile 3, 8:45.

Now, had this race gone as planned, I would have had energy to spare at this point.  Nope.  Instead, when I saw the 5K marker, I felt tired and wanted to quit and run home (as this was also the part of the course closest to my house.)

No quitting.

Once I made it to the Gateway Bridge (the biggest hill of the race,) my playlist kicked in as planned.

Yeah, judge me if you want, but I got over the hill.

Then, as if a gift of encouragement, I passed GU guy, and his GU was gone.  Huh?  Shoulda had breakfast, bitch!

Then, my favorite moment.  Mile 5, water station.  The guy from Team Nashville, the guy that sold me my Brooks, the guy that yelled at me for running to soon in my running program, that guy...  He handed me my water.  I think he recognized me.  He grinned...

Then came the hard part.  The last mile.

I had looked at the course.  I thought I had it down.  No, apparently not so much, as I kept thinking I was almost done.  And every time I thought I was about to see the finish, I was directed to turn in the opposite direction.

For example, this hill, unexpected... I do love this picture, as you don't see anyone in front of me.  It is like I am winning!  And this song didn't hurt at the time, either.

Then, at 5.7 miles, a guy, same age, a bit heavier, slowed to a walk.  Now, I can't criticize.  It WAS mile 6 and he WAS still ahead of me.  He obviously had some stamina.  So, it was my job to keep him going.

"Half a mile to go! Pick it up! 10 minute mile! Move it! The faster you move, the sooner you're done!"

And he did.  Right next to me.  I felt like an inspiration.  Then I realized that he thought I meant that I was running a 10 minute mile.  Oops!  Well, I am sure he figured it out on his own...

MIles 4-6 were all right at 9:00.  Then, when Garmin hit 6 miles, and I KNEW I had to be close, I kicked it up.

Here I am, 1 block from the finish, running at a 7:30 pace.  Wow!  No GU and yet I was huffin' it and was still ahead of GU guy, et al.

I have watched very few races.  I have to say though, the finish line looks completely different when you are running towards it.  

I finished 92 out of 222.  Apparently, when you finish in the middle, you pretty much finish alone.  I saw no one in front, and no one behind.  Very weird.  Kinda like...

I really wanted that scene from Vanilla Sky when Tom is in the middle of empty Manhattan; but, I couldn't find it.  Oh well, trust me.  It was weird to run alone on the closed street.

54:52.  I beat my median goal, on all accounts.

Meet Lil' Bit.

Oh yeah, and I saw the guy I encouraged.  After the race, he was walking by with his wife and his 2 cute babies.  He thanked me for the push.  That felt great.

I think I have gone race crazy.  

When is the next one?

Day 13339, & my first race day...

Nashville Civic Design 10K this morning.

I had 3 goals, listed in descending order of probability: under an hour (damn straight!), under 55 minutes (umm, maybe?), and under 53 minutes (yeah, right!).

Gun time- 55:02
Chip time- 54:52, 8:49 pace

The race turn out was low, but I will appreciate the fact that my first race was easy to navigate.

Age: 8/14
Sex: 59/116
O'All: 92/222

Not bad for my first...

I will post some pictures and commentary later...

Day 13337, & Greg is back...

Or, alternatively, "How to train for a 10K in 4 days..."

So, as I mentioned, Greg has been gone since the day after Mother's Day.

I worked a lot.  Not a lot, like 80 hours or anything; more like a lot, like 50 hours in 4 days...

Yuch!

I went in about 10 and left at about 11.

Yuch!

Anyhoo, he got back today.  Meanwhile, I had help a few days.  I didn't have to run the floor on Tuesday, or Wednesday...

And Wednesday, I got a "night out with regular people" evening.  Jay and I were supposed to have a date with Catherine and Bryan.  Jay had to cancel at the last minute.  The great koi/pond crisis of 2008 began at 5:15 yesterday, just as Jay thought he had successfully hooked up the new pump and filter.  Instead, the world stood endangered, ready to end, and he clearly had not showered.  

"I want to go, but I can't," he said, "The fish need me..."

So, we went without him.  They invited recently divorced friend Kirk.  Divorced? Not so important, but hey, life is about details...

So, here we are at Germantown, enjoying a bit of pre evening cheer.

And here is Catherine, hopping into their new Prius.  I have to say, as annoyed as I am with the Prius aesthetic, it is a pretty cool car.  

Quiet as a mouse, great gas mileage, and the backseat is about as roomy as the living room of my first apartment--not so much, as a living room; a lot as a back seat...

And...

It is quite high-tech.  

Pretty cool for those of us that like gadgets and accident-causing buttons and touch screens in our cars...

Anyway, our green, carpooling, electric-hybrid contribution to the Earth was all in  the name of...

HIIIILARIOUS!

I have not laughed so hard in forever.  Sadly, I can't recap much more of the evening, as I was a bit in my cups by the end of the show.  I did "film" several clips, but the youtube versions were just so much better quality...

But, of course, all roads, and evenings, lead to...

3 Crow.

This morning, ouchy...

Meanwhile, in regard to the alternate title, I registered for my first race.  I am running the Civic Design 10K this Saturday at 10 am.

I decided to do so last Monday evening, at the urging of my friend Melissa.  I said I wasn't ready to run a race yet.  She said that I would keep saying that until I actually got it over with.  A point I couldn't argue.

So, I "trained" for 2 days.  

Tuesday, I tried my own private 10K, a flat 10K mind you.  Well, it ended up as a private 7.5-ishK.  Not so good.

Wednesday, I tried a street run, with bridges.  I wanted something similar to the race course.  Again, not so good.  4.8 miles, but WAY SLOW.  Wednesday will be the day that goes down as the day I learned why traffic lights are bad.  Cruising along at a 9:00 pace, hit the red light (for three minutes) and couldn't get my pace back, ever...

Today? 1 mile treadmill warm-up for a non-leg, non-weight training day.  

So, my first timed race starts in 32 hours.  God willing, it will be over in 32:56 or less...