Day 25

Two things today, an update on the running and a shameless plea for donations.

Ok, so I did run yesterday. I'm getting a bit of a schedule down where it's Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and either Saturday or Sunday so I'm getting in a good 4 days a week. Closer to the big day I'll probably kick it up to 5, but we'll slam into that wall when we get there.

The plan for this week was 3 on Wednesday, 4.5 or so on Thursday, and 6 or so on Friday, then depending on how I feel after/during the 6m, a little further on either Saturday or Sunday.

I headed out to Bayland Park off Bellair near Hillcroft last night and hit the trail there. The path is somewhere between .3 and .35 miles since I ran 9 laps in about 32 minutes. The shorter distance puts me right at 12:00 miles which is a decent enough pace, but I need to kick that down some over the next few weeks. The longer distance puts me at 10:00 minute miles, which is tollerable. I figure I'm somewhere in the middle.
After the 7th lap last night I walked a few steps to catch some breath and a guy flies past me. He's not much older, maybe 5 or 10 years (putting him in the 30-40 something bracket... I'll pause to let you add you own jokes here) .... and by the time I got going again he had built a good 1/4 - 1/3 lap lead on me. I decided I would catch and pass him if I could. At the end of lap 8 I'm less than 1/4 lap behind him and I can feel the adrenaline kicking in. I kick up the pace a little more and about 3/4 through the lap I catch him. At about that same time one of the football teams on the field right next to the track was doing something big because the crowd just went banannas... or they were going nuts over my FANTASTIC finish. I'll take the latter.

Long story short (too late, I know) I think I've crossed that magic threshold between hating running and simply disliking it a whole, whole, whole lot.

I'd still rather be doing just about anything else, but then again, the kiddos I'm running for would probably like to be doing anything else other than being abused by their parents. Every dollar I raise for this goes directly to Child Advocates, an organization that works to ensure that those kiddos get that opportunity to do "just about anything else". They help find stable, nurturing environments for the children caught--through no fault of their own--in an abusive household. By breaking the cycle of abuse they help ensure that a whole generation of kids can live, grow, and thrive in households that aren't build around destruction and abuse. Please help them help the children of Harris County by visiting their web site and giving something, anything. www.childadvocates.org

Day 22

I didn't run Friday. I had every intention of running... and voting, too, by the way... but I didn't do either.
So, for the record, that's 6 miles I didn't run Friday leading into the 10 that I was supposed to run Saturday.
Saturday was my nephew's birthday party and I woke up with a killer pain in my back, so I talked myself out of running (wasn't hard) especially since I didn't run the day day before. I go to the party with the whole fam and receive, of course, a good dose of shame I ran that afternoon. (I guess that's what family's for... thanks, guys, and Jay, too).
So, I packed in another 3.5 miles... nothing amazing. What was good, though, is that I didn't walk a bit of it (first time). I made my best time ever. AND I didn't have the desire to puke once! I'm getting better at this running thing. I'm not loving it, yet. In fact, somewhere around mile 2 I always question why anyone would want to do this and dream of riding my bike again. But I'm not needing to puke and its getting a little easier!
I'm traveling today and tomorrow, so I may hit a treadmill tonight if the hotel has one and take tomorrow off, but this Saturday I'm running more than 5 miles. I'M GOING TO DO IT.... unless I wimp out again.

Check back Wednesday for another shameless plea for money for Child Advocates, my sponsored charity.

Day 19

Ok, the Cards don't suck... yea they do. They all suck. Stupid team.
Oh well, now with the Astros out of the playoffs (at least they weren't swept this year) I can have my evenings (and some mornings--hangovers suck) back.
This weekend I'm going to run at least 8 miles on Saturday, possibly 10. Depends on whether or not I die after mile 6.
Today was scheduled to be a rest day, I'll probably run 4.5 or 6 miles.
Tomorrow will be a long run, maybe 8 or 10.
Sunday I take off.
I'm slowly coming to grips with the reality of running 26.2 miles. It's a long way. A long, long way. The distances I'm running, though, are getting easier. But then reality hits me that 4.5 miles is not even close to 1/4 of a marathon. I'd have to do 4.5 miles SIX FREAKING TIMES without slowing down to successfully complete this thing. This is not going to be easy. (How's that for the understatement of the year?)

Day 17

Today was supposed to be 5 miles. That won't happen for 2 reasons.
1. Someone needs to tell the Red Sox and Yankees that they are allowed to play a baseball game in less than 5 hours. Stayed up too late, can't get up early enough to run.
2. My wife is sick and I'll be tending to her tonight... and the NLCS celebrations after the Astros whip the deadbirds on their own turf.

Tomorrow is a 3 miler. I'll be running possibly a little farther than that.
Friday is supposed to be a rest day, I'll probably run since I'm sitting on my duff today. World Series should be starting sometime around then, though. I may be no good for most sports except couch-sitting. GO ASTROS!!!!!!!

Day 16

As of today, I have almost run a cumulative marathon. 26.1 miles in 5 hours 9 minutes. Not bad, but not good enough.

I packed in 3.4 miles today in 41 minutes. If the Memorial Loop is a shade under 3 miles, I'm a shade under 10 feet tall. I suspect if I run 3 laps around Memorial I'll end up closer to 7 miles than I will 9.

As I've said before, I'm running for a cause. Child Advocates speaks up on behalf of abused children in the court system to ensure they get a good outcome to their trials. They show the kiddos that there can be another way and not all grown-ups are out to hurt them. Please help me support this cause by contributing to Child Advocates online at www.childadvocates.org.
Thank you for your support.

Day 15

I ran Memorial Park on Friday. A good 3 mile loop, a good 30 minute run. When I first started training a few months back a 3 mile run took me nearly 45 minutes. This was done in just over 30. I feel real good about that. In fact, I didn't even hate running in Memorial... it was pretty ok. I didn't like it much, but I definately didn't hate it. Next Friday I'm going to extend that out to a 6 mile run.
I skipped the weekend... too much family stuff to do.
However, this week I'm going to start working in regular lunch-runs since I can get in a 30 minute run every day or every other day during lunch.
Once or twice a week I'll be able to work in a longer run before or after work... this'll work out ok.

Today was scheduled as a rest day. I'll be following the schedule today.
Tomorrow is scheduled to be 3 miles. I may actually run a litte more than that.

Day 11

Ok, I didn't run yesterday. I was sick... legitimately, not "sick of running"... though I *am* sick of running. Everyone in my whole family has come down with some weird bug. I'm pretty sure I'm out of the woods.

Today is scheduled for a 3 miler and cross training tomorrow. I'll do my 6 this evening and maybe 3 tomorrow. 6 miles will officially be the farthest I've ever run without being chased. It's odd, I rode my bike across Texas 5 times now, over 2000 miles total, and 6 miles running seems like this huge, insurmountable obstacle. And I'm training fro 26.2? Wow. I've been told I'll get addicted to running. It happened with cycling, I don't see why it couldn't happen with running, too.

I got some cool new aero-bars for my bike so I may do the cross training things afterall. We'll see. As it is, when they say "cross train" I read "watch game".

Day 9

Ok, Saturday I was supposed to run 12 miles... I ran 3.5. My legs were still dead from running earlier in the week, get off my back. I did run it faster than the last time I ran the same route, so it wasn't a total loss.

Today I'm scheduled for a rest day. I'll be doing that, no prob.

Tomorrow I'm scheduled for a full 6 and plan on hitting that.

There's a foot bridge part way down the route I run that has a road block over the entrance so you don't drive a car or bike over the bridge. On the side of the road block the word "numb" is spray painted. As I passed the sign I chuckled because at that point I was anything but "numb". My legs were acheing, by back was protesting, in general, I didn't want to be there. But then I thought of the kids I'm running for. They don't want to be in the situation they're in. Despite the fact that they don't know anything different--they've likely always lived in an abusive environment--they know something's wrong.
At some point, they just go numb and then we've lost them.
Child Advocates is fighting to get in before the kids hit that point and breath fresh energy into their lives. Help me support that cause. www.childadvocates.org
Thank you.

Day 4

Didn't run this morning... in fact, could barely walk this morning. Did I mention I hate running? I ride my bike 140 miles and there's no soreness. I run 4.5 miles, and BAM! I can barely walk.

But that's ok... in 50 miles or so there will be no more soreness. Maybe even 5 more miles or so.
It's raining right now and the Astros are playing, so I may not run tonight. The couch is looking real comfy rught now and I'm working real hard on finding a good excuse not to run.
Tomorrow's a rest day, so I need to get off the old deriere and run. It's only 3 miles.... what am I being such a wimp for?

Day 3

Was supposed to run 6 miles today, ran 4.6. Thought the route was closer to 6, though... I wasn't just slacking.
Tomorrow's on tap for a 3 miler. No problem.
For a brief shining moment as I sprinted across Braes Boulevard this morning I remembered how much fun I had in High School when I was about 25lbs lighter and ran 5k's every week and was spry and agile. Then my legs got all rubbery and I remembered why I didn't sign up the next year. Did I mention that I hate running?
It occured to me somewhere between mile 1 and 4 that anyone who volunteers to run a marathon must be nutty. As legend has it, the first guy who did it dropped dead at the end. For someone to see that and say "that looks like fun", something has to be disconnected between his ears.
Of course, I rode my bike for 140 miles last weekend... and now I'm training for running a marathon. I don't doubt that something is disconnected.
Regardless, it's for a great cause. If I can inflict a marathon on myself and at the same time raise enough money to prevent just one child from having a lifetime of abuse inflicted on him, then it will have been worth it.
I've received my first contribution from one of my riding teammates/partners. Thank you Mark for making a difference in the life of an abused child.
You, too, can make a difference in the life of an abused child by visiting www.childadvocates.org and supporting the cause. And even if you don't contribute, you can still get involved in several other ways with the organization. They are constantly finding new ways to get volunteers involved in the fight against Child Abuse. Just yesterday the Mayor gave Derrick Davies a certificate of commendation and named the day after him for hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada (talk about nutty) and raising awareness and funds to prevent child abuse. Check out his website at www.hikeforkids.com which also supports Child Advocates. Great job, Derrick!
(You don't have to run a marathon or hike 2600 miles to save kids lives, there are other opportunities if you want to get involved... opportunities that are far lower impact.)

Day 2 Addendum

I was reminded that I left out some details of the elevator incident... then I remembered a couple more.

Not only did I run into co-workers riding up the one floor in the elevator, they picked me up to ride my one floor, then rode back down before going to work. I stepped down to the lazy train, but they stepped down, grabbed a ticket, and gave the conductor directions on where the train should go. But in all fairness, I'm the one "training" for the marathon.

Also, after informing my loving co-workers of my intent take revenge on my body for admirably completing yet another feat of endurance (the MS150), they offered such healthy fare as soybean burgers and veggie burgers. But no, I held fast to my resolve and bypassed the healthy food, bypassed the healthy stairs, and stuffed 1/2 lb of steaming meat into my body. Mm Mm good.

But in all seriousness, I am not just running a marathon in order to earn the right to ride an elevator or stuff my gut with bacon. I'm doing it so that 1 more child in Harris County will know without a doubt that there is someone who will stand up for them. So that 1 more child will know that heroes still walk... and sometime run... on this big blue marble of ours.
Go check out Child Advocates' web site and nagigate your way to the netdonor page. www.childadvocates.org. You can also go to the marathon page, but the fine folks at the marathon will take an administrative fee out of your donation and contributing directly bypasses that fee.
Thanks for your support.

Day 2

Today's training was cross training. I'm not going to do that. I'm chalking up another rest day. Take that, online trainer.

Yesterday I leave the office for lunch and as I'm heading down the hallway I make the decision to take the elevator instead of the stairs up the single floor to the parking garage. Ever since college people who take the elevator right next to the stairs for anything less than 5 floors have annoyed me to no end. In college I lived on the 7th and 16th floor and had to wait endlessly for people to get off the elevator on floors 1-5 and it just bugged me. I'd ask them "is you knee hurt?" or "feet are sore, eh?" and really try to shame them into dragging their lazy butts up the stairs so I wouldn't have to wait for them. But there I was, deciding to use the elevator because my legs were still worn out from the weekend.
So the door opens and there are 5 co-workers of mine, riding the elevator back from lunch... and there's me, Mr. MS150 biker, Mr. Marathon-man, Mr. Mucho-Macho, riding the elevator en-route to a giant double grease, bacon burger. MMMm.... and that burger was good.
I almost ran last night... but it was raining and I got a reprieve--or an excuse.

Tomorrow, 6 miles. I plan on running that.

Day 1

I've now completed my final cycling event of the year, the 140 mile, 2 day, bike to the beach supporting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Today I was taunted by my online training guide informing me that today's schedule has 3 miles of running. I don't think I'll be doing that. Tomorrow has cross training on tap... that might happen, though I may sit on the couch.
Below is a brief recap of the ride. It was a great way to end the season. I think I'm ready to hit the marathon training hard... Wednesday.

Brief recap:
7:55am, 10-2--the temperature drops about 5 degrees and the wind shifts. Cold front comes into San Antonio.
8:00am--Ride starts.
8:10am--Rain starts.
10:00am--Rain stops.
11:00am--Lunch
12:00pm--Rain starts again.
12:30pm--Rain stops again. We were riding right on the front edge of the cold front, so we kept coming into and out of the rain. At this point we got in front of the rain and stayed there. No more rain for the rest of the ride.
2:30pm-ish--Hit the camp. Good ride.... no, great ride.
8:00am, 10-3--Launch. I'm almost certain I'm behind my other teammates, so I'm cranking hard out of the gates.
10:30-ish--Lunch. Mmmmm.... Still haven't caught up to the other riders. Back on the road in 30minutes. Lots of riders still around me, very different from last year.
11:30--Last hill passed. Rest stop ahead. The whole route from here is flat and into the wind. 17 miles to go... roughly another hour. I'm now almost certain I left before my riding parnters. I haven't seen hide nor hair of any of them.
11:50am--Last rest stop reached. Passed a kid I met yesterday who is 14, planning on getting his race license next year, and was fighting like a crazy person against the wind. For any of you who care, tuck your knees in, get your head down, pick a low gear, a steady pace, and that old guy who's twice your age you dropped yesterday won't blow by you like your standing still. Passing him felt good... real good.
12:20pm--Finish line. Hit my goal of finishing before 12:30. Spotted my riding partners. Turns out they left a little after me (not much) and finished a little before me (also, not much). I think they passed me at one of the rest stops--they only hit the even ones, and I hit all 3 after lunch. Next time I'll have a better description than "The one in black shorts and a bike helmet".
Hekkuva ride... now time to train for the marathon... Wednesday.

Day 1

Today I was greeted by my online training update informing me of the miles I won't be running today. It's 3, by the way. Tomorrow I'm supposed to cross train. I may do that... or I may sit on my couch. We'll have to see.
Over the weekend I rode in my last big bike tour of the year... 140 miles from San Antonio to Corpus Christi with an overnight stay in Beeville. Wow, what a ride! Today I'm tired, but I feel better than I felt on any ride. Total miles were 140, top speed 34mph, average speed 17.1mph. Overall time in the saddle was 8:13:42. That is probably the coolest. I haven't done one of these things in less than 10 hours ever and I have never once ridden my bike that far, that fast. Again, wow. I think I'm ready to start hitting the marathon hard... Wednesday.

Brief recap:
7:55am, 10-2--the temperature drops about 5 degrees and the wind shifts. Cold front comes into San Antonio.
8:00am--Ride starts.
8:10am--Rain starts.
10:00am--Rain stops.
11:00am--Lunch
12:00pm--Rain starts again.
12:30pm--Rain stops again. We were riding right on the front edge of the cold front, so we kept coming into and out of the rain. At this point we got in front of the rain and stayed there. No more rain for the rest of the ride.
2:30pm-ish--Hit the camp. Good ride.... no, great ride... even with the rain.

8:00am, 10-3--Launch. I'm almost certain I'm behind my other teammates, so I'm cranking hard out of the gates.
10:30-ish--Lunch. Mmmmm.... Still haven't caught up to the other riders. Back on the road in 30minutes. Lots of riders still around me, very different from last year.
11:30--Last hill passed. Rest stop ahead. The whole route from here is flat and into the wind. 17 miles to go... roughly another hour. I've come to the conclusion my teammates are actually behind me.
11:50am--Last rest stop reached. Passed a kid I met yesterday who is 14, planning on getting his race license next year, and was fighting like a crazy person against the wind. For any of you who care, tuck your knees in, get your head down, pick a low gear, a steady pace, and that old guy who's twice your age you dropped yesterday won't blow by you like your standing still. Passing him felt good... real good.
12:20pm--Finish line. Hit my goal of finishing before 12:30. Found my teammates. Turns out they started about the same time as me and passed me at one of the stops. I guess in a pack of 3000 riders you need a better description than "the one in black shorts and a bicycle helmet" to find someone.
Hekkuva ride... now time to train for the marathon... Wednesday.