So once again I'm finding myself 16 miles behind on this blog, but the point of this blog isn't supposed to be perfect its a record its a form of communication and a way of making memories. My last post came after my disappointing run on Friday. "oh what the difference a day, week, month, year makes" Right? I find its hard to look at each run independently but rather as a collection of what has been done and a projection of what is to be. I find patterns. I search for them. The same is true with my running. One bad run tends to find its way into the next, despite my best efforts at starting anew. My run on Saturday was a perfect continuation of Friday's run. The first mile I realized my mistake of doing two pace runs in row. My legs felt like with every step I was fighting quicksand. My goal for my pace run was 9:00 minutes/mile. The first mile I hit 9:09. Blazing right? well I hate to say that it was the highlight of my run. My miles fell slowly and labored with each new beep of the watch. The times were an impressive 9:29, 9:47, 9:56 and finally 10:01. I told you. The entire run I kept trying to up the pace and yet I watched the minutes add up. Almost 4 miles in a quote popped into my head. From The Incredibles, Mr. Incredible asks a little boy "what are you waiting for?" and in a response that few would say but all think the little bubble blowing boy says "I don't know,something amazing, I guess"
I couldn't help but laugh. After 4 miles of labored, terrible running there I was laughing because I was waiting for something. Something Amazing. I am wanting to be perfect in my training. This simple quote drove in to me a lesson. That lesson was that I am not the one waiting. I am the one putting in the miles. I am the one who is almost at the end of week one training. There's 17 more weeks to be perfect. For not having done a paced run in almost 8 months, the disappointment seemed to give way to a peace about my runs.
This takes me up to my long run on Sunday. With a lighter step and a new resolve I set out. My total run was 8 miles. My goal was 80 minutes so a 10 minute mile. This is 75 seconds off of what I am wanting my marathon pace to be. (turns out this was a good guess as to how much slower long runs should be) Immediately, I felt as though the miles were running themselves. My times were 9:50, 10:03, 10:12, 10:07, 10:15, 10:04, 10:02, 10:10 for total of 1:20:49. I wound up less than a minute off the pace. I had to improvise a route as I guessed distances wrong. On my run the only thing I was thinking about was 10 minutes, stay at ten. I fell slower but overall only 49 seconds over eight miles. Twice in the run I decided to run through puddles and not go around. Terrible mistake. I ran the remaining miles with soaked shoes and socks. I made wrong turns and I ended up seeing new parts of the city, but i kept hitting that 10. I was obsessed even as the legs began to give out. What a difference a day makes......Is definitely the truth my bipolar runs continue but still I long for the runs like Sunday.
On a different note. We have our trip planned out for christmas! We are going to London. Then we are meeting Mark and Natalie in Madrid then going to Paris and Barcelona. It is going to be once in a lifetime trip and i'll get to see some of these cities while running. On an even lighter note Stevie found out today that she will be getting paid in the next couple days! thank you for all the support and love. We are definately learning from this experience and adventure. Until another time.
later days,
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Friday, December 9, 2011
One over (Cake Walk)
Sorry for the delay in posts. I have some catching up to do. Just to let you know how this week ended, our laptop charger decided that it was going to melt through the casing and start to spark.....In other words we lost our laptops early on Thursday. Sure enough it was a holiday in Spain which meant NO WHERE WAS OPEN. We were stuck with two laptops and zero battery life. We ordered a new charger from amazon before the computer died and we were planning on waiting it out until it arrived. We ended up needing to go to the grocery store and we stopped in an electronics store on the way and luckily they also had chargers. So now we purchased a laptop charger from Spain which we are able to return within eight days so we are using it until the one comes from amazon then we are returning the store bought charger. So in summary we are currently using borrowed laptop charger.
This week was definitely an interesting week. We had two holidays one on Tuesday and one on Thursday. So naturally I only had work on Monday and Wednesday. Not saying I do all that much but a day off is a day off. On Monday, I had private lessons with a 13 year old. She was learning about the united states and happened to mention that she was going to end up needing to memorize them. Naturally being an expert on the subject we pulled up on the laptop "fifty-nifty united states" song. We then proceeded to sing and talk about all the states and where they're located for the next forty-five minutes. Apparently she was more fond of the western states cause about every other one she would say " Oh I love Montana" or " Oh I love (insert western state here)" When asked why she really liked those states she replied, "the eastern states are too small and confusing.....most of these are rectangles!" Fair enough, that's a good enough reason for me.
Now down to recaps of the runs this week. Starting with tuesday. Tuesdays run was a five miler. I ran this one again with Stevie and kept a moderately light pace. The run was going well until about mile three. At mile three i felt a familiar tickle on the outside of my ankle. This led to a two mile silent debate about whether or not to break stride and reach down to itch the tickle. On one hand, if I did try to appease the itch there's no guarantee that it will be sufficient and need more attention. On the other hand, I didn't feel I wanted to break stride as we had a fairly consistent pace. (pacing is definately one area of running i am working on. My pace chart from my Garmin looks more like a roller coaster than a graph). In the end I decided to push through the agony of the little itch on the outside of my right ankle. Good thing there was only two miles left because it was driving me CRAZY. The run was a successful run. I still felt the optimistic wave was carrying me as thoughts of Rocky with his hands raised high and the theme song filled my head. Five miles "Cake walk"
Wednesday, I had a rest day. We had a full day of classes at school then a full evening of private lessons. I had the next two days off so I moved my rest day up one day. My next run was Thursday. Now I have two rest days scheduled but I had skipped the first on Monday as i feel it is important to work the legs out after the long runs on Sundays.(I'm still trying to figure out a good schedule for rest days that corresponds with my work schedule) Thursday we kept it light and easy with a one and a half mile jog with a slightly elevated pace. This run was uneventful as it was a very short very quick run.
This brings me to today! I caught up already on the blog but that is neither here no there. Today's run was the reciprocal of Tuesdays "Cake Walk". Now, it was just myself on this three miler. I stayed on the same path on the out of the way, outskirts farm road. Now this road today offered very little distraction from my bipolar run. The run started off really well I picked up the tempo just to test my legs before my pace run tomorrow. The first mile I hit under the mark I wanted. I was aiming for a 9:00 minute mile and hit 8:42 for the first mile (told you i'm terrible at pacing). The first mile flew by and my spirits were high. Mile two was roughly the same but with a slightly different time of 8:49. This is were something hit the fan. I lost the focus on my breathing and my stride became labored, and for the first time I thought "what did I get myself into?" This is week one! None of my expectations of pessimism's time frame had it starting in week one... Week three or week four EARLIEST! So with half a mile left I regain some of my form and finish slightly stronger than the previous half mile. This was definitely a wake up call. Now that all I'm picturing is Rocky in the early rounds getting his head beaten to a pulp. This isn't how it's supposed to go! He's not getting beat he's merely blocking the punches with his face, but Rocky was beat, beat bad.
This view has cemented itself in my head and spills over into my preparation for my pace run on Saturday! A three miler threw a sucker punch and caught me off guard and I'm preparing for the five miler. I know to take every run as an individual event and to not assume one run will be the next days. I've experienced that enough in my limited running career. But it's hard not to when the next days is a five mile pace run in week one of getting ready for a 26.2 run. The daunting, sinking, SOS feeling still clutches to my thoughts but tomorrow is a new day and will bring a new run.
Later Days
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Beginning
This blog has been on the idea board for quite some time. For one reason or another the idea stayed pinned to that mental cork board. I couldn't bring myself to start. Its a daunting task to figure out what people would want to read about MY LIFE. It's a fruitless task trying to figure out what other people want or expect out of your own blog. So it came down to me deciding it isn't about the people reading, this blog is about myself and for myself. However, I do hope readers appreciate my blog and I am hoping that it will give some sort of entertainment value.
The Blog was originally decided upon as a way to share stories from my adventure in Spain. Turns out I arrived in the country three months ago. OOOOOOPS. Time has a way of creeping by and leaving one saying " I can start that tomorrow, no harm done." However, tomorrow turns into weeks and those weeks creep into months. Until here you sit three months down the road thinking "what happened". I will never say that it was out of business that this blog was not created earlier. It was sheer procrastination and anxiety about putting my writings out there for all to see. So three months have gone by and it's about time for this blog to be started.
First, I want to describe the reasoning behind the title of the blog. " There is no step two" This was a quotation from a television show How I Met Your Mother. The quote came from a character Barney describing the simplicity of running a marathon: “Step one, you start running. There is no step two.” Done, you start running and there's nothing else to it. Right? Maybe there is some truth in that. Being in Spain i have decided to adopt the moto "there is no step two". However, in my daily life it comes to light as simply saying "yes". "Do you want to participate in a bouldering competition?" I answered with a hesitant yes because i hadn't climbed in countless months.....That evening was one of the best we've had here. I've said yes to trying all sorts of food that i normally would shy away from. For example a spread to put on bread made from liver, topped with lime jam.....It was good, and it was good for experiencing the cuisine that Spain offers. I am trying new things learning about a culture by means of a simple word. YES!.
The phrase "There is no step two" has a more direct relation to the ideas of this blog. This blog is going to be used as both stories from the strange daily life I encounter, and the training for my first marathon. I am starting the road to 26.2 mile run through the streets of Madrid by a 3 mile run on the outskirts of Ciudad Real. The road of my first run is a farm road that leads away from Ciudad real. Ciudad Real by the way is the city in which we live. It is a small city (70,000 people) packed into a Rhonda (street that encircles the city). The Rhonda if followed in its entirety would last maybe six or seven miles tops. Ciudad Real is small but its home. The runs will be for the most part on the outskirts on barely used farm roads. These roads provide views of the surrounding mountain ranges, the (brought back to life by a few rains) farmland, traditional farmhouses and many other views unique to this running experience. The longer runs on my training will take me much further out and most likely to nearby villages.
The training will also be done in many different countries. For the holidays we will be traveling to England and Paris. Much later on the training will be continued in Italy and hopefully even the US over Easter and Ireland over St. Patrick's Day. I will encounter many different cultures, languages, and people. The blog will be my training log but more importantly the experiences that I have given the amazing opportunity to tour these amazing places on the oldest of transportation techniques.
Now for some specifics of my training. I am participating in the Madrid Marathon on April 22, 2012. I am using Hal Higdon Intermediate 1 marathon training schedule. This schedule will be slightly modified to incorporate some speed work from the Advanced guide. I am using a Garmin Forerunner 405 to keep track of all statistics including time, pace, distance, elevation, and heart rate. Finally, I am running in Brooks adrenaline GTS 11. It is my first time running not in Air Pegasus Nike shoes. After, a few runs I find them incredible, but we'll see how they feel when the miles add up.
So my first run of my training was yesterday Dec. 5, 2011. This was an easy paced run. My wife Stevie came with me so we weren't in any great hurry to push the pace on day one. We went on an out and back down a farm road near our apartment ( i will work on getting maps in my blog of my runs). The weather was incredible as to I continued to wear shorts and only a light jacket. Of course the first day's run was amazing. All the thoughts of glory and pride about finishing the marathon in 18 weeks masks the weeks 2-17's roller coaster ride of runs. With optimism running high and complete confidence in myself the run was smooth. The one issue I will continually struggle with is that the elevation of Ciudad Real is almost double Lee's Summit. I am getting used to it but i still find myself caught off guard by it. The city is extremely flat and only contains one "real" hill but as my runs get longer I will venture out into more hilly and mountainous terrain. For now the future is bright and all systems are "GO".
On a more serious note though my wife and I are in a struggle with attempting to get her paid. My school is paying me but her school doesn't have the funds. We have enough money coming in through private lessons and my work but just say some prayers of patience and resolve for this solution. We've contacted all the people that we need to and the teachers at Stevie's school are helping but it is still a very unpleasant time for us.
If you have any comments or suggestions on topics or training techniques please feel free to leave them.
later days,
The Blog was originally decided upon as a way to share stories from my adventure in Spain. Turns out I arrived in the country three months ago. OOOOOOPS. Time has a way of creeping by and leaving one saying " I can start that tomorrow, no harm done." However, tomorrow turns into weeks and those weeks creep into months. Until here you sit three months down the road thinking "what happened". I will never say that it was out of business that this blog was not created earlier. It was sheer procrastination and anxiety about putting my writings out there for all to see. So three months have gone by and it's about time for this blog to be started.
First, I want to describe the reasoning behind the title of the blog. " There is no step two" This was a quotation from a television show How I Met Your Mother. The quote came from a character Barney describing the simplicity of running a marathon: “Step one, you start running. There is no step two.” Done, you start running and there's nothing else to it. Right? Maybe there is some truth in that. Being in Spain i have decided to adopt the moto "there is no step two". However, in my daily life it comes to light as simply saying "yes". "Do you want to participate in a bouldering competition?" I answered with a hesitant yes because i hadn't climbed in countless months.....That evening was one of the best we've had here. I've said yes to trying all sorts of food that i normally would shy away from. For example a spread to put on bread made from liver, topped with lime jam.....It was good, and it was good for experiencing the cuisine that Spain offers. I am trying new things learning about a culture by means of a simple word. YES!.
The phrase "There is no step two" has a more direct relation to the ideas of this blog. This blog is going to be used as both stories from the strange daily life I encounter, and the training for my first marathon. I am starting the road to 26.2 mile run through the streets of Madrid by a 3 mile run on the outskirts of Ciudad Real. The road of my first run is a farm road that leads away from Ciudad real. Ciudad Real by the way is the city in which we live. It is a small city (70,000 people) packed into a Rhonda (street that encircles the city). The Rhonda if followed in its entirety would last maybe six or seven miles tops. Ciudad Real is small but its home. The runs will be for the most part on the outskirts on barely used farm roads. These roads provide views of the surrounding mountain ranges, the (brought back to life by a few rains) farmland, traditional farmhouses and many other views unique to this running experience. The longer runs on my training will take me much further out and most likely to nearby villages.
The training will also be done in many different countries. For the holidays we will be traveling to England and Paris. Much later on the training will be continued in Italy and hopefully even the US over Easter and Ireland over St. Patrick's Day. I will encounter many different cultures, languages, and people. The blog will be my training log but more importantly the experiences that I have given the amazing opportunity to tour these amazing places on the oldest of transportation techniques.
Now for some specifics of my training. I am participating in the Madrid Marathon on April 22, 2012. I am using Hal Higdon Intermediate 1 marathon training schedule. This schedule will be slightly modified to incorporate some speed work from the Advanced guide. I am using a Garmin Forerunner 405 to keep track of all statistics including time, pace, distance, elevation, and heart rate. Finally, I am running in Brooks adrenaline GTS 11. It is my first time running not in Air Pegasus Nike shoes. After, a few runs I find them incredible, but we'll see how they feel when the miles add up.
So my first run of my training was yesterday Dec. 5, 2011. This was an easy paced run. My wife Stevie came with me so we weren't in any great hurry to push the pace on day one. We went on an out and back down a farm road near our apartment ( i will work on getting maps in my blog of my runs). The weather was incredible as to I continued to wear shorts and only a light jacket. Of course the first day's run was amazing. All the thoughts of glory and pride about finishing the marathon in 18 weeks masks the weeks 2-17's roller coaster ride of runs. With optimism running high and complete confidence in myself the run was smooth. The one issue I will continually struggle with is that the elevation of Ciudad Real is almost double Lee's Summit. I am getting used to it but i still find myself caught off guard by it. The city is extremely flat and only contains one "real" hill but as my runs get longer I will venture out into more hilly and mountainous terrain. For now the future is bright and all systems are "GO".
On a more serious note though my wife and I are in a struggle with attempting to get her paid. My school is paying me but her school doesn't have the funds. We have enough money coming in through private lessons and my work but just say some prayers of patience and resolve for this solution. We've contacted all the people that we need to and the teachers at Stevie's school are helping but it is still a very unpleasant time for us.
If you have any comments or suggestions on topics or training techniques please feel free to leave them.
later days,
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