I know, I know. It's been forever.
Where to start...
The last few weeks have been a real rollercoaster. At our last long training run on March 29- A 20 miler from Hopkinton to Newton, I finally managed to hurt myself for real. Best guess is that I've done something untoward to my left piriformis muscle. It's a little deal that holds your sacrum to your femur. I don't really know what caused it. I felt a little twinge there the night before the 20 mile run. I figured it was nothing and would either: A) Be gone by morning. or B) Work itself out during the run. Well, it worked itself IN during the run. By eight or nine miles, it hurt pretty badly. My teammate Kyrsten ran with me for a mile and noticed that I was limping. I then violated my own rule: "When you limp, you stop." At about 11 miles, Kyrsten offered to join me again- I would have been lousy company at that point so I declined. By 13 or 14 miles, I was reduced to an almost continuous walk. Then, the angels appeared. Kyrsten and Alyssa. They traveled with me to the Wellesley Community Center which is just short of 15 miles. A few bad jokes and some interesting conversation made the time painless. Coach Rick met me just west of the community center. He told me what I've told others many times during training for cycle events. The fact that I know he was right didn't make it easy to stop there- But stop there I did.
The next day, Sunday, I could hardly walk. Pain in the piriformis can literally be called 'a pain in the butt.' Damn but that hurt! Going down stairs was just silly! I would almost rather have just fallen down the stairs- It would have been over quicker! I ingested my own weight in ibuprofen and left for the New England Multisport Expo. Yes. I know that was stupid. But I'd agreed to volunteer there and had no way to let anyone know that I was going to be absent so off to Cambridge. Once I got there, I found that I could only walk about 10 steps without stopping. I figured at that point that it was some kind of soft tissue injury since I could feel something balling up as I walked and it would slowly relax if I stood still. Well, like an idiot, I stayed there all day. (Great expo by the way...) I hobbled home and figured that if it still hurt like this on Monday, I'd see the doctor.
Monday- I felt OK when I woke up. No pain. Hah! As soon as I got out of bed and took a step- Yikes! I called my doctors office at Acton Medical for an appointment. My primary care doctor was available but at another facility without x-ray capability. The nurse thought x-rays might be needed so she scheduled me with a different doctor at Acton for that afternoon. I limped into the appointment. I left believing that it was a soft-tissue injury but not knowing much else. The doctor was pretty dismissive. Actually, I thought he sucked. I won't name him here but I won't forget him either. He said "Use heat and ibuprofen. Here are some stretches. (Gives me a printed sheet.) I don't know about the marathon." Thanks doc.
So next step is to find someone who actually does know what they're doing. So I made an appointment with Marathon Physical Therapy with the swift approval of my regular doc. My first appointment was on that Friday. I made it clear that my goal was to be on the start line for the Boston Marathon. So with that in mind, Monica and Jody evaluated the mess that was me at that point. Since then, between Jody beating me up and seemingly endless heat/stretch/ice cycles, the improvement is measurable. The thought of not being sufficiently healed come April 21 still scares the crap out of me. I just keep telling myself and anybody else who will listen that I'm going to be on the Boston Marathon start line on April 21, 2008.
Jody as well as Coaches Rick and Lori have said not to run during the taper. Biking on the other hand is fine. So rather than sit around and eat bon bons, I've been riding during my taper. Yanno, the scenery changes a lot faster on a bike than on my feet!
I ended up being out of work the entire week after I got hurt. To pass the time and keep my head in the right place, I re-read Lance Armstrong's "It's Not About The Bike" and Donna Hicken's "The Good Fight." You all know who Lance is. Donna Hicken is the organizer of "26.2
with Donna: The National Marathon Against Breast Cancer"- The Half Marathon that Jill, Kyrsten and I ran in Jacksonville, FL in February. The books helped me to not only stay positive but to remember the Team in Training mission.
Speaking of staying positive. I've been thinking a lot lately about my friend Diana Golden-Brosnihan. The world lost Diana in 2001.
Read about Diana here, here and here.
I didn't really get to know Diana well until high school. She was a few years behind me and until high school, I knew that she was the kid who had lost her leg to cancer. I got to know her better when she started to get involved with the theater group where I hung out. Diana didn't just enter a room, she exploded into it. She was all exuberance and positive attitude. She was also beautiful and there were more than a few guys with crushes on her, myself included. She was strong and tough and could knock most of us guys off of our feet with or without her crutches.
As you know, since you did your reading above, she became a world class skier. Not only did she compete and win against other disabled athletes, she also competed against athletes without disabilities.
Warren Miller, who is famous for his ski films said about Diana: "After you're with her for a few minutes, you totally forget her handicap,'' he said. ''She has her act together, and it's not an act.''
Not only did Diana prevail over her bone cancer, she was also a breast cancer survivor. Her breast cancer finally took her in 2001. It makes me sad that I lost touch with her. But I never forgot her. (If you ever met her, you couldn't forget her if you tried.)
Diana's name is on my Boston Marathon singlet. I'll be running not only in honor of Lindsey and our other honored heroes, but also in Diana's memory. It is an honor and a rare privilege to have known her. Diana set the bar high. I hope I can measure up.
Well, somehow or another, my blog ended up linked from the Breast Cancer Marathon website.
I heard from another of the bloggers- Jim aka RunningGeezer262- He sent me a quote that's also on his blog:
"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." -T.S.Eliot
Damn straight. I just may be going to far. I'll get back to you on that.
Dean Karnazes, an ultra-marathoner and all-around runner of outrageous distances said:
"Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up."
Another quote I've become fond of- Don Kardong (Olympic marathoner and world-class runner) said:
“Hills: You entered a marathon with hills? You idiot.”
'Nuff said!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Sunday, March 9, 2008
More nonsense from me...
26.2 with Donna... DO IT!!!!! OK, you can do 13.1 with Donna also!
Myself and two of my teammates, Jill and Kyrsten went to Jacksonville, FL for the
We didn't actually do the 26.2- We did 13.1- the half-marathon.
When you're used to 20 or so degrees in New England in the Winter, upwards of 75 degrees can be a bit of a shock to the system. My goal was to run the half in under three hours. Missed it by this ===> <=== much. 3:00:43. It WAS pretty darn hot. I was a hurtin' unit when I was done. We sat around for a while, listened to the band, had a beer and a snack, popped a couple ibuprofen and felt pretty good by the time we got back on the shuttle. I have to say that this event was really well-run. Even though it was an inaugural event, it had experienced race organizers and really went off very well. The people of Jacksonville were extremely supportive and there was excellent support on the course- Plenty of water stations and excellent traffic control. There were a bunch of people along the course with garden hoses spraying us- I could have kissed every one of them! It was a really hot day and I didn't make my time goal but it was a great experience and I hope to do that race again next year. This race is extremely walker-friendly. It would make a great first half or full marathon if you're so inclined. It's a great cause and very well run. Kyrsten and Jill both finished in well under 3 hours. Jerks.
So since then, I've been trying to get in some quality running time during the week. The weather and work has kept me mostly on the treadmill. I've had races every Sunday for the last four weeks. Today's was a 5-miler here in Lowell. I finished in just under an hour. Even though that's a relatively slow pace, if I can stay anywhere close to that during at least the first 20 miles of the marathon, I should be in fine shape to finish the Boston Marathon before dark.
I have to admit that lately the thought has entered my mind to drop the Boston Marathon idea and swap to a half marathon event. My knees have been bothering me quite a bit lately. Painwise maybe a 3-4 on a 1 to 10 scale. I have these little arguments with myself... I think at the bottom line are two issues: One is that I've already done three half marathons- Where's the challenge? (Not that halfs aren't challenging but it won't be new to me- Does that even make any sense?) Two is that if I drop out at this point, it will bother me forever. It will bother me enough that I'll try it again. I'm stupid like that. I think in that situation that the wear and tear on this petite little body would be cumulative. The big picture is that I should suck it up, shut up and stay with the program. The long runs are beating me up- No question. My main goal is going to be to try to stay injury-free (Other than the knees- I don't want them to get any worse!) while getting in as much mileage as I can. I think the couple spinning sessions that I've done are what is screwing up my knees. I think it's the flywheel deal. Regular exercise bikes and bicycles don't hurt.
Rich Haus, friend and TNT alumni, kindly pointed out to me that there are plenty of people who would love to be able to walk or run but can't. For all my whining, Rich is right. I know that I'll finish the marathon. I'm stubborn and the cause is right. I'll just make sure I take a couple days off afterward!
A couple pictures this week. One is yours truly chugging to the finish line of the Claddagh Pub 4-mile race on March 2nd. The other photo explains itself!
You all have a great week!
Myself and two of my teammates, Jill and Kyrsten went to Jacksonville, FL for the
Inaugural 26.2 with Donna The National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer!
www.breastcancermarathon.comWe didn't actually do the 26.2- We did 13.1- the half-marathon.
When you're used to 20 or so degrees in New England in the Winter, upwards of 75 degrees can be a bit of a shock to the system. My goal was to run the half in under three hours. Missed it by this ===> <=== much. 3:00:43. It WAS pretty darn hot. I was a hurtin' unit when I was done. We sat around for a while, listened to the band, had a beer and a snack, popped a couple ibuprofen and felt pretty good by the time we got back on the shuttle. I have to say that this event was really well-run. Even though it was an inaugural event, it had experienced race organizers and really went off very well. The people of Jacksonville were extremely supportive and there was excellent support on the course- Plenty of water stations and excellent traffic control. There were a bunch of people along the course with garden hoses spraying us- I could have kissed every one of them! It was a really hot day and I didn't make my time goal but it was a great experience and I hope to do that race again next year. This race is extremely walker-friendly. It would make a great first half or full marathon if you're so inclined. It's a great cause and very well run. Kyrsten and Jill both finished in well under 3 hours. Jerks.
So since then, I've been trying to get in some quality running time during the week. The weather and work has kept me mostly on the treadmill. I've had races every Sunday for the last four weeks. Today's was a 5-miler here in Lowell. I finished in just under an hour. Even though that's a relatively slow pace, if I can stay anywhere close to that during at least the first 20 miles of the marathon, I should be in fine shape to finish the Boston Marathon before dark.
I have to admit that lately the thought has entered my mind to drop the Boston Marathon idea and swap to a half marathon event. My knees have been bothering me quite a bit lately. Painwise maybe a 3-4 on a 1 to 10 scale. I have these little arguments with myself... I think at the bottom line are two issues: One is that I've already done three half marathons- Where's the challenge? (Not that halfs aren't challenging but it won't be new to me- Does that even make any sense?) Two is that if I drop out at this point, it will bother me forever. It will bother me enough that I'll try it again. I'm stupid like that. I think in that situation that the wear and tear on this petite little body would be cumulative. The big picture is that I should suck it up, shut up and stay with the program. The long runs are beating me up- No question. My main goal is going to be to try to stay injury-free (Other than the knees- I don't want them to get any worse!) while getting in as much mileage as I can. I think the couple spinning sessions that I've done are what is screwing up my knees. I think it's the flywheel deal. Regular exercise bikes and bicycles don't hurt.
Rich Haus, friend and TNT alumni, kindly pointed out to me that there are plenty of people who would love to be able to walk or run but can't. For all my whining, Rich is right. I know that I'll finish the marathon. I'm stubborn and the cause is right. I'll just make sure I take a couple days off afterward!
A couple pictures this week. One is yours truly chugging to the finish line of the Claddagh Pub 4-mile race on March 2nd. The other photo explains itself!
You all have a great week!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Reality bites...
Reality has set in. My confirmation for the Boston Marathon arrived today from the B.A.A. It's official... :o)
Monday, February 11, 2008
Bear with me...
...for a minute. I figured something out this past week. At first it sounds bad, but really, it's a positive discovery.
I figured out that no matter what I do, I do not, and will not like long distance running. 5K's (3.1 miles) and the odd 10K (6.2 miles- duh!) with a 5-miler thrown in here and there are fine. Beyond that I really don't like running.
The seed for this epiphany was planted in an email from Coach Rick.
It would seem that this kind of thought process would be counter-productive. Not so much. I'm no longer trying to figure out why I don't fall into a good rhythm or 'groove' when I run. I'm not trying to figure out why I'm so slow. (Being the Fat Man doesn't help there!) I'm not trying to figure out why the distance increases are so hard. I'm not a natural runner. Some people are, and some people are not.
So what does this mean for my Boston Marathon? It means that I'll try some different things in training- I just bought two of Jeff Galloway's running books. I'm going to try some set run/walk intervals instead of the hit-or-miss run/walk I've been doing. No more worrying about how slow I am. I'm actually starting to enjoy training more.
For me, the Boston Marathon isn't going to be about speed. It's going to be about completing a mission- to raise money to fight blood cancer and achieving a personal goal. I do believe that this will be my one and only full marathon- I'm going to do the most with it that I can.
So there!
Saturday's run was a short one for me- The team did 15 miles. I did six miles and then went to a spinning class with the TNT cycle team. Saturday was the first cycle training. Since I was in Las Vegas during the season kick-off, I wanted to meet some of the new teammates. So far, a small group- But it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the fight in the dog; Our group is small but mighty!
I don't know if I mentioned this but I signed up for a sprint triathlon in August- Even though it's the wrong order (A triathlon is swim/bike/run.) the run/bike thing was an eye-opener. It's going to be a fun summer!
This coming Sunday feb. 17, my teammates Kyrsten and Jill will be running the National Breast Cancer 1/2 Marathon along with yours truly in Jacksonville, FL. I CAN"T WAIT for some warmer weather!!! (Las Vegas was only marginally warmer than Massachusetts.) I'll be staying with friends in Melbourne, FL for the rest of the week and flying home on Friday. Back to team training on Saturday and then a three-mile race on Sunday the 24th. Hmmmmm... For someone that doesn't like running, I have a lot of it lined up...
I just got done with five miles on the treadmill. Time to clean up and get to work.
Everyone take care and have a great week!
I figured out that no matter what I do, I do not, and will not like long distance running. 5K's (3.1 miles) and the odd 10K (6.2 miles- duh!) with a 5-miler thrown in here and there are fine. Beyond that I really don't like running.
The seed for this epiphany was planted in an email from Coach Rick.
It would seem that this kind of thought process would be counter-productive. Not so much. I'm no longer trying to figure out why I don't fall into a good rhythm or 'groove' when I run. I'm not trying to figure out why I'm so slow. (Being the Fat Man doesn't help there!) I'm not trying to figure out why the distance increases are so hard. I'm not a natural runner. Some people are, and some people are not.
So what does this mean for my Boston Marathon? It means that I'll try some different things in training- I just bought two of Jeff Galloway's running books. I'm going to try some set run/walk intervals instead of the hit-or-miss run/walk I've been doing. No more worrying about how slow I am. I'm actually starting to enjoy training more.
For me, the Boston Marathon isn't going to be about speed. It's going to be about completing a mission- to raise money to fight blood cancer and achieving a personal goal. I do believe that this will be my one and only full marathon- I'm going to do the most with it that I can.
So there!
Saturday's run was a short one for me- The team did 15 miles. I did six miles and then went to a spinning class with the TNT cycle team. Saturday was the first cycle training. Since I was in Las Vegas during the season kick-off, I wanted to meet some of the new teammates. So far, a small group- But it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the fight in the dog; Our group is small but mighty!
I don't know if I mentioned this but I signed up for a sprint triathlon in August- Even though it's the wrong order (A triathlon is swim/bike/run.) the run/bike thing was an eye-opener. It's going to be a fun summer!
This coming Sunday feb. 17, my teammates Kyrsten and Jill will be running the National Breast Cancer 1/2 Marathon along with yours truly in Jacksonville, FL. I CAN"T WAIT for some warmer weather!!! (Las Vegas was only marginally warmer than Massachusetts.) I'll be staying with friends in Melbourne, FL for the rest of the week and flying home on Friday. Back to team training on Saturday and then a three-mile race on Sunday the 24th. Hmmmmm... For someone that doesn't like running, I have a lot of it lined up...
I just got done with five miles on the treadmill. Time to clean up and get to work.
Everyone take care and have a great week!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Halfway there.
Saturday's training was 13 miles. OK, well it's not exactly half seeing as the marathon is actually 26.2 miles but it's close enough for me.
My knees hurt, my ankles hurt, my feet hurt... Saturday... Hurt. Yanno, sometimes I think I'm the only one who's hurting out there. I know some of my teammates have had some injuries. Although I've been hurting at times, I'm not injured. Hopefully I can keep it that way!
I still struggle with the mental game. I've found that picking a visual goal and then picking another and then another, etc. makes the time go by. When I have a day like Saturday, it's difficult to ignore the pain- Difficult but not impossible- More like choosing not to give in. Dean Karnazes (50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days among other fairly crazy endeavors.) has a great quote: "Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must; Just never give up." I haven't crawled yet. Yet.
Only a few weeks until the breast cancer half-marathon in Jacksonville, FL~ Our long runs will be over 15 miles by then- The half will be like a break!
No long run for me this weekend- I'll be in Las Vegas at a trade show. Hopefully missing a long training won't be a set-back. I won't be doing any running in Vegas but I won't be there all that long. I'll be on a red-eye Sunday night to work at the police academy Monday morning. That should be a real treat. Back to running on Tuesday though!
That's all for now. Gotta go pack! Have a great week and weekend everyone!
My knees hurt, my ankles hurt, my feet hurt... Saturday... Hurt. Yanno, sometimes I think I'm the only one who's hurting out there. I know some of my teammates have had some injuries. Although I've been hurting at times, I'm not injured. Hopefully I can keep it that way!
I still struggle with the mental game. I've found that picking a visual goal and then picking another and then another, etc. makes the time go by. When I have a day like Saturday, it's difficult to ignore the pain- Difficult but not impossible- More like choosing not to give in. Dean Karnazes (50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days among other fairly crazy endeavors.) has a great quote: "Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must; Just never give up." I haven't crawled yet. Yet.
Only a few weeks until the breast cancer half-marathon in Jacksonville, FL~ Our long runs will be over 15 miles by then- The half will be like a break!
No long run for me this weekend- I'll be in Las Vegas at a trade show. Hopefully missing a long training won't be a set-back. I won't be doing any running in Vegas but I won't be there all that long. I'll be on a red-eye Sunday night to work at the police academy Monday morning. That should be a real treat. Back to running on Tuesday though!
That's all for now. Gotta go pack! Have a great week and weekend everyone!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Heartbreak.
Hill that is.
Saturday was a 12 mile excursion including the famous Heartbreak Hill. I was underdressed and under-confident. I swear it got colder during the run. Also, much of the return leg was into the wind. At my speed the wind doesn't really change much- I just continue to be slow! But it was a cold wind. Cold wind + sweat + no hat = big freezy head. No calf cramps though. I think between plenty of water during the week, electrolyte replacement, "The Stick" and enough bananas to make a monkey jealous, that problem is behind me. It's time to start thinking about nutrition during the runs. I was really hungry during the last mile. Gels... Mmmmmmm!
I've been having trouble with the mental game. I spent a good part of the 'run' wishing that it was over. I realize it's a big TNT no-no, but I may start bringing my MP3 player to training runs. I end up by myself a lot because I'm so damn slow! :o) Tunes really help on my weekday runs and the treadmill. I'm still brutally attentive to the clock so time really crawls sometimes. I need to find 'the zone.' On my weekday outdoor runs, I'm not a clock watcher. I don't know why. On the treadmill, my eyes are glued to the clock. Maybe that's because it's right in front of my face. I'd love to be able to close my eyes on the treadmill. If I closed my eyes on the treadmill, I suspect I'd become the day's entertainment pretty quickly.
Speaking of the treadmill. (7 miles on it today) I've noticed that I pay much more attention to my form on the treadmill. Maybe that's because if you screw up badly enough, it will spit you out like a cartoon character. I'm still not completely sold on the treadmill idea but it's a good workout and there's no snow. I've heard of people doing full marathon training on a treadmill. Interesting concept but I don't think that would be ideal for me.
One of the big differences between cycling and running for me is that the cycling is much more social. Cycling tends to be more of a group thing where there really isn't alot of competition (Except for Keith! OK, and Anna too.) Runners seem more competitive even if only with themselves. Don't get me wrong- The marathon team is great- Everyone has been very supportive. (Even if they're thinking something else in their heads!!) It's not a complaint about runners- No no no! -Just an observation!
Saturday's run made me realize that I need to crank it up a notch during the week. I think I'm going to stick with two runs during the week and a long run on Saturdays, but I'm going to jack up the intensity. I'm going to work some more cross-training in with the runds as well.
This week's photo kinds of sums up my attitude!
See you soon!
Saturday was a 12 mile excursion including the famous Heartbreak Hill. I was underdressed and under-confident. I swear it got colder during the run. Also, much of the return leg was into the wind. At my speed the wind doesn't really change much- I just continue to be slow! But it was a cold wind. Cold wind + sweat + no hat = big freezy head. No calf cramps though. I think between plenty of water during the week, electrolyte replacement, "The Stick" and enough bananas to make a monkey jealous, that problem is behind me. It's time to start thinking about nutrition during the runs. I was really hungry during the last mile. Gels... Mmmmmmm!
I've been having trouble with the mental game. I spent a good part of the 'run' wishing that it was over. I realize it's a big TNT no-no, but I may start bringing my MP3 player to training runs. I end up by myself a lot because I'm so damn slow! :o) Tunes really help on my weekday runs and the treadmill. I'm still brutally attentive to the clock so time really crawls sometimes. I need to find 'the zone.' On my weekday outdoor runs, I'm not a clock watcher. I don't know why. On the treadmill, my eyes are glued to the clock. Maybe that's because it's right in front of my face. I'd love to be able to close my eyes on the treadmill. If I closed my eyes on the treadmill, I suspect I'd become the day's entertainment pretty quickly.
Speaking of the treadmill. (7 miles on it today) I've noticed that I pay much more attention to my form on the treadmill. Maybe that's because if you screw up badly enough, it will spit you out like a cartoon character. I'm still not completely sold on the treadmill idea but it's a good workout and there's no snow. I've heard of people doing full marathon training on a treadmill. Interesting concept but I don't think that would be ideal for me.
One of the big differences between cycling and running for me is that the cycling is much more social. Cycling tends to be more of a group thing where there really isn't alot of competition (Except for Keith! OK, and Anna too.) Runners seem more competitive even if only with themselves. Don't get me wrong- The marathon team is great- Everyone has been very supportive. (Even if they're thinking something else in their heads!!) It's not a complaint about runners- No no no! -Just an observation!
Saturday's run made me realize that I need to crank it up a notch during the week. I think I'm going to stick with two runs during the week and a long run on Saturdays, but I'm going to jack up the intensity. I'm going to work some more cross-training in with the runds as well.
This week's photo kinds of sums up my attitude!
See you soon!
Sunday, January 13, 2008
De Plane...
Who remembers Herve Villechaize? Tattoo from the Fantasy Island TV show? If you do, your age is showing...
Actually, it's "De Pain." It's been a tough couple weeks. I've had some kind of simmering upper respiratory thing going on. I finally got to see the doc on Thursday Jan. 10. I have myself some amoxicillin now so hopefully this illness will soon be gone.
Being sick made running entirely un-fun. I was tired all the time and wasn't running during the week- Only at the Saturday team runs. 9+ miles in Grafton. Nothing is flat in Grafton. It's all either up or down. I only managed 5.5 or so miles at last weeks team run and then this past week, work and being sick kept me off the road. Yesterday's team run was 11 miles. I can honestly say that yesterday was the single worst training day I've ever had for any sport at any time. (Well, I broke my right femur on Dec. 26, 1976 at wrestling practice- But I got morphine for that...) I had bad cramps in my right calf, because of the cramps, my stride changed hurting my right knee. Blech. At least training probably can't get much worse. Not enough water during the week I think. Maybe not enough potassium and electrolytes either. I'm going to be a chimp with gills this week. Which means a lot of bananas and water like a fish. Which reminds me of a joke:
What do you call a fish with no eyes?... A fsh.
Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitresses.
John Engdahl, one of our honorees came to training yesterday to talk to the team before the run. John is a cancer survivor, former TNT marathoner and all-around great guy. John is pretty funny and he always motivates me. I probably owe the fact that I finished the training run (Walk?) yesterday to John!
We're solidly into double-digit team runs now so I have to make training during the week a higher priority. I think the next couple days are going to be a wash for outdoor running so I will hit the gym. I'm not a big fan of the treadmill but it's better than sitting at home eating donuts.
No new photo this week because: A) I am lazy and B) I have no new photos to post. So instead I'm posting a couple links. One is to make your own Southpark character and the other is to make your own Simpsons character. What do these have to do with leukemia or marathons? Nothing. But you need a laugh every once in a while. Those of you who enjoy making cop and donut jokes will appreciate the Simpson's loading icon- I know who you are.
http://www.sp-studio.de/
http://www.simpsonsmovie.com/main.html
Have a great week everyone!
Actually, it's "De Pain." It's been a tough couple weeks. I've had some kind of simmering upper respiratory thing going on. I finally got to see the doc on Thursday Jan. 10. I have myself some amoxicillin now so hopefully this illness will soon be gone.
Being sick made running entirely un-fun. I was tired all the time and wasn't running during the week- Only at the Saturday team runs. 9+ miles in Grafton. Nothing is flat in Grafton. It's all either up or down. I only managed 5.5 or so miles at last weeks team run and then this past week, work and being sick kept me off the road. Yesterday's team run was 11 miles. I can honestly say that yesterday was the single worst training day I've ever had for any sport at any time. (Well, I broke my right femur on Dec. 26, 1976 at wrestling practice- But I got morphine for that...) I had bad cramps in my right calf, because of the cramps, my stride changed hurting my right knee. Blech. At least training probably can't get much worse. Not enough water during the week I think. Maybe not enough potassium and electrolytes either. I'm going to be a chimp with gills this week. Which means a lot of bananas and water like a fish. Which reminds me of a joke:
What do you call a fish with no eyes?... A fsh.
Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitresses.
John Engdahl, one of our honorees came to training yesterday to talk to the team before the run. John is a cancer survivor, former TNT marathoner and all-around great guy. John is pretty funny and he always motivates me. I probably owe the fact that I finished the training run (Walk?) yesterday to John!
We're solidly into double-digit team runs now so I have to make training during the week a higher priority. I think the next couple days are going to be a wash for outdoor running so I will hit the gym. I'm not a big fan of the treadmill but it's better than sitting at home eating donuts.
No new photo this week because: A) I am lazy and B) I have no new photos to post. So instead I'm posting a couple links. One is to make your own Southpark character and the other is to make your own Simpsons character. What do these have to do with leukemia or marathons? Nothing. But you need a laugh every once in a while. Those of you who enjoy making cop and donut jokes will appreciate the Simpson's loading icon- I know who you are.
http://www.sp-studio.de/
http://www.simpsonsmovie.com/main.html
Have a great week everyone!
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