Chicken Soup

yesterday after work I spent about 4 hours doing homework and getting help with SQL. I then took my CCD class to confession and I went back an hour later to go myself. I was making it on coffee since I didn't get to nap but my wife, Annemarie, made chicken soup for supper along with sourdough toast and I had a few beers. This morning I got to run since my class is going to 10 O'Clock Mass. It was the BEST run I have had in awhile. 10.1 mile in 1:20:42 for a 7:59/mi. pace. I feel great. I f I could only run that for the Yuengling Shamrock, but I just want to have a good time and enjoy the race.

Snow, snow, snow

I ran this afternoon after a nap. My congestion went away after a couple of days and I have felt good most of the week. I started out today with no snow and by the time I was a mile down the road it was snowing. At 2 miles I couldn't see the cars coming it was snowing so hard. By mile 4 it had stopped completely. I usually love running in the snow but the traffic was really heavy so it wasn't as much fun as usual. I ran 5.3 miles in 44:08 for an 8:20/mi. pace. It was the first time I ran outside since Sunday. My legs have been tired lately and I have been banging them up at work. This will be a low mileage week unfortunately, I just haven't had the time to run. This will also be a low mileage month because of tapering for the marathon and then not running it. The rest probably did me some good since I feel like I ran too many high mileage days in January.

Thursday Continued

I did run 7.2 miles today at the gym. Total time: 1:05:54. I was watching the health care debate and thinking of all the people in the U.S. who are obese. If people would just get some exercise most days our country's health care costs would probably considerably less.

Busy! *

Between work, classes, running and life in general I have been going non-stop for days. I haven't gotten enough sleep to run well and my homework is taking a lot longer than it should. Am I stupid or do I not have the background to do the work? I need at least another 2-2.5 hours of sleep after work to function and I get on a roll and then I need to make supper for the family. Than off to class!

I ran Tuesday, 5.2 miles, in 46:38 on the treadmill. This was actually fast for me on the treadmill, 46:38, 8:58/mi. I did withdraw from my ASP.NET class, so I can get a little more sleep and try to learn SQL and advanced web design both of which, if given the time, I can learn.

Here is what a lot of people are thinking and doing after the Myrtle Beach cancellation,http://www.news-record.com/content/2010/02/24/article/running_shorts_no_is_the_middle_word_of

the telling words are "...McDonald figures he spent $400 but has no race to show for it. For that reason, McDonald put Myrtle Beach clearly in his rear-view mirror.

"I don't want to go there at all," he says. "Why should I reward them for making me spend 400 bucks for nothing?"

It may be tough for me to get back since this economic downturn has hit my wife and I hard. Plus I had hoped to get another star for the Marathon Maniacs and now I'll be one race short.

I will run today and I may add to this post or write something new later.

Tired

After running 20 last Thursday I took 2 days off. A lot of people are sick at work and I guess that I was susceptible to something because I am congested now. I'm a little tired so after running 6.1 miles yesterday in 52:38, 8:37/mi. I took today off. My HR was really high yesterday for almost 2.5 miles and then it came down to my normal average. I didn't feel like I was struggling but I did feel slow at first. Hopefully, having the day off tomorrow will help and I will be running well again by Thursday. Reading SuperFreakonomics to give myself a little break from running books. I have my SQL class tonight so I have to go study.

Tough 20

I decided to run my 20 miler today although I didn't feel like running early. So after going to WholeFoods, I came home and left about 11:10. I didn't feel good for 8 miles; I never run as well after eating breakfast. Usually I have a PowerBar and a banana and feel good starting out. I was hungry this morning and had to eat.

It was windy but sunny. 20.1 miles in 2:56:58, a 8:48/mi. pace. The Bert Yasso book I just finished seemed to say that I run my long runs too fast and since I didn't feel all that great I did try to pace myself and run a little slower. It was about the same as usual except for the beginning and mile 15-17. Overall I felt good and now have my 20 done for the month. Hopefully, all goes well at VA Beach.

Indoors on Treadmill

The last 2 days I ran on the treadmill at the gym. I'm signed up through March although I can no longer afford to pay the monthly family rate. As a family we did not use the gym enough. I only used it from December to April and I really don't like running on a treadmill. However, the soft surface does really help my legs.

Yesterday I ran 9.7 miles and today 4.1 miles. I did want to get in a 20 miler soon, in the next 10 days, to be ready for the Shamrock Marathon.

Running in Wake Forest NC

Just back from a 9.5 mile run with my son. He lives in Wake Forest NC just outside of Raleigh. It was bright and sunny and we had a great time. This certainly made up for missing the marathon. I took some pictures after and may post some since it was a beautiful, although busy, route.

Myrtle Beach Marathon Cancelled!!!

Yes we went down to Myrtle Beach just to see the snow on palm trees.
At the expo they said that the start time was moved to 7 AM; then at about 11 PM they cancelled due to the weather. Since I'm from CT the weather did not seem to be a factor. If they had postponed the start until 9 AM everything would have been OK; no ice or snow on the road and they could have ended the race for all participants @ 3 PM. I guess that wasn't an option.
There were a lot of angry people at my motel. Since I am scheduled to run a marathon in March, April, and May it doesn't seem so bad. But now I have to find the time to run my 20 in the next 2 weeks. Also I missed getting SC checked off my list of states I have run a marathon. My wife and I will just have to come back another February to visit my son and I'll run it then. Hopefully, next time there won't be any snow.
So I ran 6.8 miles on a treadmill at the Marriott instead of in the race.

UpDate

Well I ran 6.2 miles on the treadmill on Tuesday because my ankles were still tight.

I decided yesterday to take 3 days off for this race; I usually take 2 but I have had success with 3 so I felt OK doing it, not real happy , but OK.

Since I live in CT and we were scheduled to fly into Baltimore there is a problem with the flight.

I am on hold right now with Southwest; wait time 47-60 minutes.

I just got off the phone with Kris from Southwest, who was very nice, and our flight is now direct to Raleigh but we have to go early since we can not print our boarding passes from our computer.

I was afraid that this might be my third cancelled marathon; I got hurt for Chicago 2006, and my wife was sick for Vegas 2006. This will be my thirteenth state.

Sunny Monday

I just got back from a 7 mile run. I didn't run at all Saturday or Sunday; I needed to rest my left ankle. It felt better today but I was a little tired from working even though I only worked 4.5 hours. This seems to happen to my ankle in the winter. I probably should go inside on the treadmill but I just don't like running on treadmills any more. 8:44/mi. with a HR range of 130-156 is OK. I'll roll my ankle using the foam roller and I should be ready to go for tomorrow.

Feeling Stressed

My ankles have been bothering me so I haven't run as much I would have liked this week. Thursday I ran 10.5 and Friday 4.1. I took off yesterday work and visiting relatives did not allow me enough time to get out. I ran 31.7 for the week and 21 miles so far for the month. I wish my ankles felt better.

I am trying to learn SQL Server, ASP.NET, VB 2008, Dreamweaver and other programs in my classes and it is overwhelming me at the moment. Plus we have not had as much work at Target as I would like to have. I'm sure the marathon will perk me up; I can't wait to go to Myrtle Beach!

Time Flys...

I can't believe I haven't written an entry since last Thursday. I take classes now Monday - Wednesday so I'm really busy at the beginning of the week, besides family, work, running, etc. Some days I'm tired like last Friday and I didn't run.

Saturday I was able to go 7 miles right after work at 8:43/mi. and Sunday I went 10.7 miles at an 8:38/mi. pace. BUT I paid the price; my legs were shot. I used the foam roller 3 times but my legs were tired Monday so I took the day off. I ran 208 miles for January; a good foundation for the Myrtle Beach Marathon. Today I was able to go for 6.4 miles at 8:17/mi. and I felt good.

Besides my text books, I'm reading "The Runner's Guide to the Meaning of Life" by Amby Burfoot, "Brain Training for Runners" by Matt Fitzgerald and "Running Through the Wall" by Neal Jamison.