Chicago bound... Again

So I am on my way to Chicago (again) to work the third shift for the next two weeks, supporting a client implementation. I'm the last one standing from my project team... one would think that I could find someone to work this for me, but i guess my loyalty got the better of me. Makes it hard to do any type of training, but I'll make it happen.

Actually heading to Crystal Lake. Isn't that the whole Jason Voorhees thing? Wasn't Friday the 13th?

Grateful listing 7/15

25) free pretzel m&ms
26) delta upgrades
27) open table reservations

Hanging out in Chicago

Flew out to Chicago yesterday to meet with a client team here.  This is one of my neverending projects; I just can't get the open action items closed.  Zaps my energy... after the last year or so, I really just need it to end.  Got barely any sleep past night...

Apart from that, I found out that there are charity slots open for the Ironman in Florianopolis, Brazil, but they are going for $1,300 - half to register and half to a charity.  I am seriously considering it, and I know if I do that, I am all in.  It's the event I want, so more to come! 

Gratitute to:

22) Friends who check in with you when they haven't heard from you in a while

23) The Daily Show / Colbert Report hour on Comedy Central and the laughs it gives me

24) Graham's 10 year tawny port

Palm trees have spikes. Did not know that.

I was out for a little run today, and there was an innocent looking branch laying across my path.  "No problem," I thought, "I'll just kick it out of the way."

Kind of looked like it came from a tree like the one on the left.


Next thing I knew, my toe was hurting.  Like really hurting.  Like it was stabbed.  Throbbing.  I stopped and took my shoe off, and saw just a little wooden tip sticking out.  It was pretty well stuck in there, I had to take my shoe off and push it back out through from the inside.  I couldn't believe it.. this spike had jammed though the "leather" of my shoe, and straight into my toe!

 

 So my toe is a bit hurt. And I'm keeping the spike that did it.

10 Years as an IBMer

I have officially finished my 10th year as an IBMer.  The work in my work-life balance equation - but I have probably have given over 50% to them over the years!  Last year, I travelled for work all but three weeks, and stayed on a client site five weekends.  But it is what keeps me employed... and provides the challenge to keeping a schedule.  I've been in closet sized fitness rooms with broken treadmills (I had one shut off while I was running.  It stopped, but I kept going!  They gave me free parking - not sure the connection.) I've run through the dark, then found that there was no path beside a busy stretch of highway.  I have even completed 19 miles on a treadmill, due to the heat outside.  And somehow, I have found a way to run 7 marathons through it all.

I have renewed my commitment to making it happen.  I know I can; I just have to put myself in the mindset.  As I pursue a Smarter Planet*, I can also pursue a stronger me - I don't need to sacrifice one over the other. 

* Smarter Planet is an absolutely brilliant, timely presentation of the current state of technology, and what we can do in the near future.. this vision is one of the things that keeps me going throughout the day. 

Bananas are good for you. Honest.

I am laying here watching The Good Son, a 1993 psychological thriller in which Macaulay Culkin plays this crazy ass kid tormenting the younger Frodo Baggins, Elijah Wood.  All this after watching Sanctum in IMAX 3D, and  a wonderful dinner at Terrace at the Ellis Hotel.  Had the sweet potato gnocci and the braised short ribs.  Incredible.  What a night!

Lobster Bar BCP

Of course, now I feel like a little like a troll.  I was pretty good early in the day, having only a smoked turkey hot dog (what a weird collection of words!) and even on a wheat hot dog bun before the movie.


At the movie, I did indulge in some popcorn - why else would one go to a movie? - but insisted on just a smidgen of the simulated butter-like topping.  


I even missed my 3 mile easy run.  I am breaking down!


So, watching a movie plus a great meal plus, oh yeah forgot to mention, banana cream pie at Chops Lobster Bar, plus a missed run.  Let's call this day shot and move onto the next one!   

Put some panties on before you touch the food.

Just watched Death at a Funeral on Netflix.  Wildly funny.

"I've got to get myself together. Everything is copasetic. I'm gonna forget about the poo poo in my mouth!" is probably the most inappropriate quote in any movie, ever. 

Part way through, Oscar (that is not a valium high) ends up naked on a rooftop.  Then, I realized he is another of the Gentleman of '73 - James Marsden.  I really can't believe he was born in the same year as I was.  Damn.  Is it even possible to get twice his bodyfat?

Rising above the Labyrinth

"I have approximate answers and possible beliefs and different degrees of certainty about different things, but I'm not absolutely sure of anything, and many things I don't know anything about, such as whether it means anything to ask why we're here, and what the question might mean. I might think abit a little bit, but if I can't figure it out, then I go on to something else. But I don't have to know an answer.... I don't feel frightened by not knowing things, by being lost in the mysterious universe without having any purpose, which is the way it really is, as far as I can tell, possibly. It doesn't frighten me."~Richard Phillips Feynman

I have been on an interesting journey over the last year or so, one that I am not entirely sure how I started, nor how it eventually ended. What I do know is that I was stressing over being 174 and trying to get to 169.9 pounds in June of 2008. In October 2009, I had creeped up, to somewhere in the neighborhood of 185, even though I was training for two back to back marathons. By September 2010, I topped out at 217.

There were a number of changes that may have spurred this on, a significant one being my generally sad performance in the two marathons. I had been working pretty hard at the training program, but seemed to crash and burn almost from the start of the first one - like the flame in my heart just went out. My desire to train for anything was just simply gone.

Since then, my focus has been on work - and of course, that on which one puts his attention grows. I've earned a promotion, which is great; unfortunately that means the travelling increases, and my ability to train becomes increasingly difficult, now that I am ready to move back into that flow. I have risen up above the labyrinth, and found my bearings, and am ready to find my way back into a healthy lifestyle.

The good news is that I have already shed 12 pounds, and am down to 205. I have a long way to go before I hit the healthy BMI, but I am not going to obsess on it. I just have to move steadily at it. One step at a time, no pun intended.

Seven-Month Investigation Turns up 15 Incidents of Fiery iPods

Seven-Month Investigation Turns up 15 Incidents of Fiery iPods

For seven months, a reporter fought Apple’s lawyers to obtain documents concerning iPod media players. The end result? An 800-page report including 15 burn and fire-related incidents with iPods.

Holy crap, I hope mine doesn't spontaneously combust on a run!

Posted using ShareThis

Slight Slippage

So I am starting to become complacent. Just 3 weeks in, and I am seeing results, so slacking off. I know it's not best, but pretty typical of me really. I hate routine; I thrive on constant change, growth, improvement. I feel right now that I am starting to repeat repeat repeat - same foods, same work outs (although Jill doesn't have me do the same things each week, she mixes it up pretty well) same running routes. I think I need to mix it up, and get myself re-energized. Right now I am 7 miles behind plan for the week, but I hope to make it up tomorrow with a 10 mile run - the "big loop."

Oh, speaking of Jill, she played a trick with my head. She had a list of sets written out for me, and I saw we were at the end... and she made up 2 more sets! And not easy stuff either, stuff that made me hurt a bit. I was secretly happy that I got more inot the session, but I have to pretend to be outraged!

Goal Setting & Training Schedule

I set up some goals on Nike+:




My basic rebuilding training for the next month is Mondays off, weight and bike days on Wednesday and Friday, 30 min runs on Tuesday and Thursday, Saturdays off, and Sunday with a longer run.

Week Ending Long-ish Mile Day
03/29/09 - 2.5
04/05/09 - 6.0
04/12/09 - 3.0
04/19/09 - 7.5
04/26/09 - 3.0

I've set up my schedule for April in my Buckeye Outdoors page.

I'm back on my way

The past few months, I have been very very bad. After I broke my arm, I lost a little bit of motivation. I compelted the Green Mountain Marathon in October, and the Disney in January, but both completely by sheer willpower - I was very, very slow and barely made Disney (although I did answer a call from my Mom at mile 23 telling me my sister was pregnant again!)


Anyway, I am looking forward to getting back in the swing. I will be working with Sean, my co-worker, to determine what events we want to complete running wise, and I will be attempting the Seismic Challenge in October.


I got some money from Christmas to buy a bike. That's a goal that I need to lock in on.. I am way behind that schedule.

sfm tomorrow...

Tomorrow is the big day - the San Francisco Marathon! Almost 6 months of thinking about it will be over at the end of the day tomorrow.

This morning I am going into the city and picking up my race packet, but after that, I am probably not doing the best pre-race preparation. I am going to drive up to either Amador or maybe just get to somewhere in Sonoma. It's just to buy some port, but I may have to do one or two tastings. I would HAVE to, right?

I have been thinking about my race plan. I know that I need to keep to an 11 minute mile for the first 5 miles. It's going to be rough, but I have to do it. I also know if I get past Mile 16.5, I should be good to go to the end, since it is largely downhill from there. I am still thinking about the middle space.

I am feeling a little bit of tightness and soreness in my calf that I am a little bit worrited about. I think the half marathon may have put a little mome strain on it than I anticipated. I don't think it is going to have too much of an issue tomorrow - I'm excited and waiting!

Swimming in the ocean

Went to Clearwater, FL over the weekend, and took a dip in the ocean. First of all, I realized I have no swimming ability, so didn't really swim, just dove for shells. They were nice shells I found, and I really did some soul searching about my prospects of completing a triathlon.

As I tried to swim, I realized that I think that I will be able to, but I need to learn how to really swim correctly. Found this video on youtube from coach-janet.com that I think I will start to try these tips. I don't have a place to swim at the moment, and I don't know if I will before next year, given my strategy, but I think I might want to start earlier. Anyway, it's been on my mind.

Kathy Griffin and the IT Band

Saturday was the "Celebration Run" with the AIDS Marathon Training Program. Unfortunately, it wasn't at the regular meeting place, but in the city. I went over at 7 am, when we were supposed to meet, and I could not find the team anywhere. I guess it is my own damn fault for not getting back on a distribution list for the e-mails.

So I decided to try it on my own. I know when I am training between San Francisco and the Green Mountain marathon, I will need to do it alone anyway, so I tried it out. Unfortunately, I didn't get far... actually, it was quite far, just not far enough.

I started off quite determined and confident; ready to do the "big loop" three times. First loop went fine, but the second wasn't as rewarding. Somewhere around mile 12, I started with an incredible pain in my left hip. It kinda felt like it was inside, like (i found out later) bursitis. I actually had to sit for a bit.

I kept up until mile 15 and on my way back by the house, I stopped by the Safeway, picked up a Powerade (Mountain Blast, yey!) and downed a GU. The vanilla bean flavor was incredible! After sitting for a minute, I could barely move without pain. I walked the rest of the way home.

I tried a quick soak in the tub, thinking that might help, and then got all my work out clothes back on and started out again, about an hour later. It was still painful to run, and even walking was difficult. I gave it up for the day.

As I was trying to figure out what was going on more, I realized that there was a spot - about where the IT band connects to the hip - where it was painful just to touch. Almost felt like I had hit it somehow. I seem to remember that maybe I did, but I can't remember when or how.


Even later that evening, at the Kathy Griffin show, it was still difficult to walk up the stairs. She was pretty funny, but was worried that she'd over run the curfew, and have to pay $5,000 a minute, so I think she cut off early.

After the show I went and picked up some ibuprofin, and some Ben-gay. Both seemed to help - this morning I felt no pains, and would walk and run without issue. That makes me think it was something inflamed that the ibuprofin took care of. The Ben-gay, even though it smells, was great on my shoulders, too.



So, long story short, even with all the running I HAVE done, I have only hit one 20+ miler. I think that is going to be a problem, but it is the best I can do. I am too close in I think to try to get another one in - especially since I have the Napa to Sonoma half marathon next weekend. I am pretty excited about that, actually. Will probably take it pretty slow, maybe marathon pace, doing a 4:1 split, and targeting an 11 minute mile, since I am only slated for 8 miles next weekend. a 2:23:53 half would predict me at a 5:00 full, accoring to Runner's World's race prediction.

I'll do 4 or 5 on Tuesday and Thursday, although the 9 mile loop is getting pretty easy to do. Don't want to over do it, and end up injured for the big day. Hopefully there will be no issues this week.

Bogged Down

Since I taking my vacation, I have had a really hard time getting back in the swing of my program. And the heat hasn't helped at all. And feeling a little sick since Orlando. And taking all that time to think up excuses.

I am trying to figure out why I seem to get to a point where I am making progress, losing weight, feeling good, and then I start to wind down, give up in a sense. I don't like to think I am lazy or undisciplined, but I really think I am. More often than not I end up trailing off and not really finishing. I am starting to feel it now. Right back to where I was when I started this whole journey back in September.

Earlier this week, I was feeling really run down. I think I picked up a cold in Orlando; maybe on the plane. Stuffy nose, just tired. Even today, I felt really tired.

At this point, I have 1,875 days to complete an Ironman. I need to keep that goal in mind. There is so much to do to make that happen. I really can't let up now.

• 26 mile run this weekend. I think that will get me going.



• Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon the next weekend.

Now that I am thinking about it, it may be because I am not yet at the goal I wanted for my birthday, and I can't really see a way to get to it. I was targeting 35 by 35. I only hit 15. Kinda depressing, really.

I don't know how that makes me feel - to acknowledge that I failed. Miserably.

“We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.”

Jesse Owens quotes (American Athlete, 4 time Gold Medalist in Track and Field at the 1936 Olympic Games, 1913-1980)

It's time to get serious again. Back on the plan. I can do this, and do it well.

Go Team!

Holy Smokes!

This is what I was running through this week? All of the bay area is covered by a blanket of smoke. Glad I am getting out to Orlando for the next week!

Skipping to Orlando

After the 23 miler last Sunday, I was feeling a little beat, so I skipped my Tuesday run. I did get out for a 8 1/2 mile run tonight, which actually felt pretty good. 11:06 min per mile, using the 4:1 split.

I am on my way to Orlando for the next week, for an IBM Maximo Education Event. That's the software I am deploying here in California (and will be until September of next year.) I am a little excited about meeting some of the people I've hear about in the practice, but I am not so excited about my training schedule while I am gone.

<- Which Orlando am I going to?

I didn't do that well last time I was in Orlando not that long ago (tricountable: 30% of goal - oops!) and I am kind of thinking that I might end up in a similar situation. I guess the good news is I have got in half the miles I need for this week, and another 9 miler tomorrow might do it for this week. Next week, I might not be in such good condition. Have to get 20 in for the week at some point.

It is time for some new shoes, and I'll start looking for a replacement on my Nikes when I get back. 350 miles. I want to have some well broken in shoes - but not that well - by the marathon August 3.

Triathlon man bitten in two by great white shark - Times Online

Triathlon man bitten in two by great white shark - Times Online

A swimmer lagging behind a group training for the triathlon was killed by a great white shark near San Diego yesterday, in a rare fatal attack off southern California.

Let's file that under motivation, and challenges.

14 Miles and the Aftermath

Well, Sunday was a 14 mile day. The actual run went pretty well, but I wasn't aware of the degree of hills that we'd be doing - Berkeley is quite hilly! The elevation change was something like 600 feet over a few miles. It was quite aggressive, and our large group of 15 got split in half as we continued on down the hills. I joked that my body fat was getting jarred off by all the impacts coming down the hill.. I only wish it was true!

We finished with a 12:49 pace. I think I could have done better, but I really wanted to finish with my group all together. I am now in the 12:00 pace group, but with the hills this week, we finished a bit slower. Good news is that the actual marathon doesn't seem to have as many hills - even though it is San Francisco. It's going to be tough to get in under 5 hours, but I am going to still work it!

Monday was a planned rest day; spent it with my mom, grandmother, and aunt. Unfortunately, we drove a very long time - to Santa Cruz and back through the redwoods. Now my legs are suffering. Tightness in my calfs and a twinge in my hamstring. But still did a nice easy 3.5 mile run (ended up at 11:05 pace) and it's loosening up a little bit. Price I have to pay, I guess.

Tough Day

Actually the whole week has been a little tough. I've got a lot on my mind - with the job and with the personal life. I took awhile to decide if I was going to run at all, and didn't get out there until 8:30 pm. I was trying to decide if I should do 5 today, and 2.5 tomorrow, or just do 7.5 tomorrow. Since I wasn't able to get out Tuesday, I did my run and the bike, upper body, and ab work all on Wednesday, then woke early this morning, so I really think I am overly exhausted. I wish I could sleep in, but I have to get in for a meeting at 8:30.. yet again.

I did the first two miles on the treadmill, but found that to be excessively boring and the exercise room at my apartment complex was so HOT. Sweating like crazy.

Did the next mile and a half around the block. Thought hard about just going in, but somehow, something kick in, and I picked up the next half mile and little bit to end up at 4.3. Pretty good for today.

I ended up totally resetting my iPod, hoping my Nike+ won't crap out on me again. I still love it, just a little upset at it. Behind on two challenges now. How sad for me. I guess I only really need to make up 3 miles, but it will be difficult on one.

Less than 5 miles away from my 100 mile training mark!