I inadvertently put Mrs. LB through a lot of anguish recently. I didn't mean to do it, but she struggled because of me.
See, she knew I needed a new phone and she knew I'd kinda been wanting an iPhone. But she also knew that I have enjoyed both of the BlackBerrys I've had. So when she decided to get me a phone for Christmas, it came down to the iPhone or a new BlackBerry. And she couldn't decide.
I'm actually glad I didn't have to decide because I'm not sure what I would have chosen. On the one hand, the iPhone sounds cool because it has so many gadgets and can do so much. But I've had great success with the BlackBerry so there really was no reason to change.
Ultimately Mrs. LB went with the BlackBerry Bold, and the more I figure out how it works, the more I love it.
Now, I realize some of these things may not be so new, but the last time I went phone shopping was 2007, and we all know how fast technology changes. Like my old phone, this new phone has a music feature so I can store songs on there. I never actually got a memory card for my old phone but this one came with one so I have two gigs of space on there. So I figured I'd play around with the music feature, and I was able to upload songs on there and listen to them. The sound quality is amazing - it sounds just as good as my iPod does.
Then I got to thinking. The phone is about the same size as the iPod, and I have one of those carrying cases that straps on my arm which I use when I run. So I tried my phone in there, and it fit perfectly. I made and uploaded a playlist and used it on Friday when I knocked out 6.5 miles. It worked great! Now, I used my regular headphones as they fit perfectly into the phone. I used them mostly because I'm comfortable with them and was unsure of the headphones that came with the phone.
But on Monday I played around with those headphones, and my love for my phone went higher. Not only do those headphones have a great sound quality, but they double as a hands-free kit. So basically I can be listening to music on the phone and when I get a call the music stops and all I need to do is push a button on the headset and I'm talking on the phone. When the call ends, the music resumes.
How awesome is that? Again, it might be old hat for some people but this is all new to me.
The best thing about that particular feature is that I can take my phone with me to Surf City, but not only will I take it but I'll be able to use it as a music player and not worry about it dying on me like my iPod has been known to do. Plus, I can recieve calls on it without having to take it out of my sleeve or pocket or fuel belt or wherever I'd planned on carrying my phone.
I hope I don't get random calls during the marathon, but I will have Mrs. LB call me while I'm on the course. Hopefully it's not too loud and hopefully she can hear me. Now, I don't plan on having lengthy conversations with her but it will be nice to be able to hear a voice on the other end, and possibly get some encouragement that way. Plus, it will be nice for her because she'll be able to tell exactly where I'm at.
Originally, I was worried about the iPod. For a while it's been acting up. Often times, the iPod will be so where I can only hear through one ear, and that's a pain. Also, as it did during the Cedar River Run, the iPod will just freeze and shut down for no good reason. It's so frustrating.
But now I don't have to worry about that, as I'll be taking my phone/music player on the race with me and it's going to work out great. The fact that it has a camera (3.2 megapixel) on it is simply icing on the cake.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Motivational Mondays (Jan. 11)
Next Sunday will be the culmination of our training for the Surf City Marathon.
Technically, it is the third-to-last Sunday training run we'll have ahead of my first marathon. This journey that I began when I joined the Lopers back in July will come to a close soon enough, but next Sunday is the final gigantic obstacle in our path.
22 miles.
That's two miles longer than my previous "Longest Run Ever."
Honestly, I wasn't really dreading it nor was I nervous about it. After all, I'd done 18 and 20, and what's 22 compared to the 26.2 I'll face a little bit after that? On Feb. 7, I'll wish I could stop after 22 miles.
But after Sunday's 15-mile run, the amount of mileage in front of me sort of hit me head on.
My next long run will be 22 miles, what my pace leader called a dress rehearsal for Surf City.
Stomach, begin churning.
I'm worried about it for a few reasons. First, it's a distance I've never scaled before. Second, it's as close as I'll ever get to running a marathon without actually running a marathon. I imagine the marathon will have a lively atmosphere, there will be people cheering you on and the thought of my family and friends at the finish line might carry me the final mile or three. But this 22-miler is all about work, all about training, all about getting the mileage in and the distance done. There will be no glory on Sunday, no pictures at the end of the run. No medals.
But that's where the real glory lies, in the training. The race is a culmination of your training, and that holds true for shorter as well as longer races. And really, that holds true of anything, not just racing. What you put into something is what you can expect to get out of it.
I've put a lot into my training, so I expect a lot in return. I expect to finish Surf City. I expect to get through this 22-mile run. Is it going to be hard? Yes on both counts.
But I know I can do it. Soon, it will just be time to show it.
Technically, it is the third-to-last Sunday training run we'll have ahead of my first marathon. This journey that I began when I joined the Lopers back in July will come to a close soon enough, but next Sunday is the final gigantic obstacle in our path.
22 miles.
That's two miles longer than my previous "Longest Run Ever."
Honestly, I wasn't really dreading it nor was I nervous about it. After all, I'd done 18 and 20, and what's 22 compared to the 26.2 I'll face a little bit after that? On Feb. 7, I'll wish I could stop after 22 miles.
But after Sunday's 15-mile run, the amount of mileage in front of me sort of hit me head on.
My next long run will be 22 miles, what my pace leader called a dress rehearsal for Surf City.
Stomach, begin churning.
I'm worried about it for a few reasons. First, it's a distance I've never scaled before. Second, it's as close as I'll ever get to running a marathon without actually running a marathon. I imagine the marathon will have a lively atmosphere, there will be people cheering you on and the thought of my family and friends at the finish line might carry me the final mile or three. But this 22-miler is all about work, all about training, all about getting the mileage in and the distance done. There will be no glory on Sunday, no pictures at the end of the run. No medals.
But that's where the real glory lies, in the training. The race is a culmination of your training, and that holds true for shorter as well as longer races. And really, that holds true of anything, not just racing. What you put into something is what you can expect to get out of it.
I've put a lot into my training, so I expect a lot in return. I expect to finish Surf City. I expect to get through this 22-mile run. Is it going to be hard? Yes on both counts.
But I know I can do it. Soon, it will just be time to show it.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Cooking With Yvie: Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
It's been too long.
Here is the latest episode of Cooking With Yvie.
This time, Yvie shows how to make a fantastic dessert by one of her favorite chefs, Paula Deen. The recipe is here, and while Yvie doesn't show it, it's quite tasty to drizzle some caramel on top. Since we weren't actually going to use this for two days after we made it, we decided to save the caramel for later. And the bars went over quite well.
Anyway, here's the video. Enjoy.
Here is the latest episode of Cooking With Yvie.
This time, Yvie shows how to make a fantastic dessert by one of her favorite chefs, Paula Deen. The recipe is here, and while Yvie doesn't show it, it's quite tasty to drizzle some caramel on top. Since we weren't actually going to use this for two days after we made it, we decided to save the caramel for later. And the bars went over quite well.
Anyway, here's the video. Enjoy.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Keeping My Focus
Mrs. LB is wise. In case I hadn't shared that with you, she is.
She has suggested so many things to me before that I initially ignored but then turns out her suggestions were right all along. The Lopers club is a prime example of that, as she suggested I join it many months before I actually considered it.
So I will listen to her about Marathon No. 2 before I go making plans and registering for a race. Now, I might not be as extreme as she wants me to be but I will try and focus on Surf City until it's over and done with... try being the operative word.
Mrs. LB wants me to not consider any marathon until Feb. 14. That is, on that day it will be safe to talk to her about running another marathon. I understand her point totally. If I make grand plans now and then I get injured or the marathon turns out to be waaaaay harder than I thought, well, that'd be something I didn't exactly consider. And if I do actually register for a race and then can't run it, then I'm out a lot of cash.
However, she did throw me a bone. She said that if I want her and the girls to be a part of the whole race experience, then why not pick places we can travel to? That doesn't mean Tokyo or London, but it does mean places outside of SoCal. And that doesn't necessarily mean full marathons either. It could, but it could also mean a half or two here or there.
Of course, I've already started scouting out some races.
*biting tongue*
And while I'd love to post some of the cool races I've found and could make for awesome family getaways with a cool race to go along with, I'm going to bite my tongue and fingers (ouch) and wait until after Surf City to do so.
Let's just enjoy these next three-plus weeks and save our thoughts and energy for the big one.
She has suggested so many things to me before that I initially ignored but then turns out her suggestions were right all along. The Lopers club is a prime example of that, as she suggested I join it many months before I actually considered it.
So I will listen to her about Marathon No. 2 before I go making plans and registering for a race. Now, I might not be as extreme as she wants me to be but I will try and focus on Surf City until it's over and done with... try being the operative word.
Mrs. LB wants me to not consider any marathon until Feb. 14. That is, on that day it will be safe to talk to her about running another marathon. I understand her point totally. If I make grand plans now and then I get injured or the marathon turns out to be waaaaay harder than I thought, well, that'd be something I didn't exactly consider. And if I do actually register for a race and then can't run it, then I'm out a lot of cash.
However, she did throw me a bone. She said that if I want her and the girls to be a part of the whole race experience, then why not pick places we can travel to? That doesn't mean Tokyo or London, but it does mean places outside of SoCal. And that doesn't necessarily mean full marathons either. It could, but it could also mean a half or two here or there.
Of course, I've already started scouting out some races.
*biting tongue*
And while I'd love to post some of the cool races I've found and could make for awesome family getaways with a cool race to go along with, I'm going to bite my tongue and fingers (ouch) and wait until after Surf City to do so.
Let's just enjoy these next three-plus weeks and save our thoughts and energy for the big one.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Friday Leftovers (Jan. 8)
The holidays sort of put a cramp in my Friday Leftover posts but they're back, as I know you all were anxiously awaiting their return... or not.
Word Association
Play along here.
1. 365 :: Days
2. Tombstone :: Movie
3. Dumb :: Dumber
4. Intrusive :: Exclusive
5. Fat :: Boys
6. Axe :: Rose
7. Planned :: Parenthood
8. Spike :: Dog
9. Bleach :: Blonde
10. Shopkeeper :: Innkeeper
I don't even have an explanation to where some of these came from.
Shout Outs
A few blog buddies have some awesome races coming up and wanted to share.
* Christy of It Just Looks Like Slow Motion is running her first marathon on Sunday! She's running in the Disney World Marathon in Orlando, Fla., which is a fantastic venue for a race. At least, I think it would be. Anyway, I know she's going to rock those 26.2 miles and I'll be pulling for her from sunny SoCal.
* Mark of Random Ramblings signed up for the Mud Run! Woo hoo! He's going to run it on the next weekend that I'll run it, the third of the four races slated for June. I'm pulling for ya, Mark!
* She doesn't have a blog (but she should) but Tahoe Girl also signed up for the Mud Run!!! Wait... she lives in Michigan, you say? True, but she's going to be in SoCal in June, and will get to run the Mud Run!!! Double woo hoo!! Needless to say, I'm quite excited to meet her as we'll be out at Camp Pendleton on the same day. All hail Tahoe Girl! And she's running a half marathon in April because she's awesome.
* I'd love to be up in Washington on March 21. Blog buddies Zoë of run, Zoë, run! and Kerrie T of Mom vs. Marathon each signed up for the Mercer Island Half Marathon, along with a few of their other Seattle-area blog buds. Plus, Kerrie is tackling the beast and has decided to run a marathon, in early June. Mad props to both of you.
* I also just came across Tricia's blog, Endurance Isn't Only Physical. Check this post out. She went from wearing size 24/26 pants to wearing a size 8. In. One. Year. She's training for a half marathon and has plans for a full. Stunning transformation.
ADD *** Sue Ann Jaffarian of Babble n Blog is going to run the 2011 Los Angeles Marathon! Sue Ann ran the Mud Run last June and inspired a post of mine. She's an accomplished author, you know, which is doubly cool. Anyway, you know I'll be pulling for you, Sue Ann. And since the Lopers might switch back to training for the LA Marathon, I might even run the same race that day.
Under My Tree
I never got around to posting about some of the cool things I got for Christmas, so I'll do that now.
* Best present: It has to be my new BlackBerry Bold. It's so effing cool. I'm a crackberry fiend and this is totally better than my old Pearl. The Web looks like the Web, and I've got Pac-Man and Scrabble on there. They're only the demos and I'll have to dish out about 20 bucks combined to get them, but still, it's pretty sweet nonetheless.
* Running gifts: I scored in the running department. Mrs. LB got me two new pairs of running underwear, which I desperately needed since I kept washing the same three that I have over and over again. My SIL got me some running shorts, one of which zoomed up to the top of my running shorts list. The pair I love the best is a Nike dri-fit and it's very light. I can barely feel them on me. They don't have any pockets, so I'm going to have to debate whether I should use those in the marathon or take the ones I had originally planned to take. I also got running socks and a new pair of gloves, which I'll probably use at Surf City.
* Most unique present: a friend of mine gave me some recipes in a notepad. What makes these unique are that they are from his cousin, who spent three years in prison and learned to bake there. So they are authentic prison baked goods recipes. Here's a sample:
Preheat oven 325 low fan
1 gal water in bowl
Add 20 pounds brownie mix
Mix w/paddle
Add 1/2 gal water
Mix 15 min
Oil 4 pans, add tray liners
Smooth out oil liners
Bake 25-30 min
Let cool 20 min
Cut edges, flip into clean pan
Obviously, it's for a large crowd. It's a pretty cool gift. Unique for certain.
Music For LB
I also got an iTunes gift card in my stocking and have used all but a couple of bucks of it. I have to choose my remaining two songs wisely. I bought myself the new Alice in Chains CD (I'm a big fan of theirs, and my first tattoo is off one of their CD covers). I also bought a couple of George Michael songs. Wow, I can't believe I just admitted that. Here I am, rocking out to Metallica and other hard stuff buying George Michael. But hey, I'm going to put both Faith and Father Figure on my Surf City playlist, and I'm going to enjoy listening to them. You got a problem with that?
Word Association
Play along here.
1. 365 :: Days
2. Tombstone :: Movie
3. Dumb :: Dumber
4. Intrusive :: Exclusive
5. Fat :: Boys
6. Axe :: Rose
7. Planned :: Parenthood
8. Spike :: Dog
9. Bleach :: Blonde
10. Shopkeeper :: Innkeeper
I don't even have an explanation to where some of these came from.
Shout Outs
A few blog buddies have some awesome races coming up and wanted to share.
* Christy of It Just Looks Like Slow Motion is running her first marathon on Sunday! She's running in the Disney World Marathon in Orlando, Fla., which is a fantastic venue for a race. At least, I think it would be. Anyway, I know she's going to rock those 26.2 miles and I'll be pulling for her from sunny SoCal.
* Mark of Random Ramblings signed up for the Mud Run! Woo hoo! He's going to run it on the next weekend that I'll run it, the third of the four races slated for June. I'm pulling for ya, Mark!
* She doesn't have a blog (but she should) but Tahoe Girl also signed up for the Mud Run!!! Wait... she lives in Michigan, you say? True, but she's going to be in SoCal in June, and will get to run the Mud Run!!! Double woo hoo!! Needless to say, I'm quite excited to meet her as we'll be out at Camp Pendleton on the same day. All hail Tahoe Girl! And she's running a half marathon in April because she's awesome.
* I'd love to be up in Washington on March 21. Blog buddies Zoë of run, Zoë, run! and Kerrie T of Mom vs. Marathon each signed up for the Mercer Island Half Marathon, along with a few of their other Seattle-area blog buds. Plus, Kerrie is tackling the beast and has decided to run a marathon, in early June. Mad props to both of you.
* I also just came across Tricia's blog, Endurance Isn't Only Physical. Check this post out. She went from wearing size 24/26 pants to wearing a size 8. In. One. Year. She's training for a half marathon and has plans for a full. Stunning transformation.
ADD *** Sue Ann Jaffarian of Babble n Blog is going to run the 2011 Los Angeles Marathon! Sue Ann ran the Mud Run last June and inspired a post of mine. She's an accomplished author, you know, which is doubly cool. Anyway, you know I'll be pulling for you, Sue Ann. And since the Lopers might switch back to training for the LA Marathon, I might even run the same race that day.
Under My Tree
I never got around to posting about some of the cool things I got for Christmas, so I'll do that now.
* Best present: It has to be my new BlackBerry Bold. It's so effing cool. I'm a crackberry fiend and this is totally better than my old Pearl. The Web looks like the Web, and I've got Pac-Man and Scrabble on there. They're only the demos and I'll have to dish out about 20 bucks combined to get them, but still, it's pretty sweet nonetheless.
* Running gifts: I scored in the running department. Mrs. LB got me two new pairs of running underwear, which I desperately needed since I kept washing the same three that I have over and over again. My SIL got me some running shorts, one of which zoomed up to the top of my running shorts list. The pair I love the best is a Nike dri-fit and it's very light. I can barely feel them on me. They don't have any pockets, so I'm going to have to debate whether I should use those in the marathon or take the ones I had originally planned to take. I also got running socks and a new pair of gloves, which I'll probably use at Surf City.
* Most unique present: a friend of mine gave me some recipes in a notepad. What makes these unique are that they are from his cousin, who spent three years in prison and learned to bake there. So they are authentic prison baked goods recipes. Here's a sample:
Preheat oven 325 low fan
1 gal water in bowl
Add 20 pounds brownie mix
Mix w/paddle
Add 1/2 gal water
Mix 15 min
Oil 4 pans, add tray liners
Smooth out oil liners
Bake 25-30 min
Let cool 20 min
Cut edges, flip into clean pan
Obviously, it's for a large crowd. It's a pretty cool gift. Unique for certain.
Music For LB
I also got an iTunes gift card in my stocking and have used all but a couple of bucks of it. I have to choose my remaining two songs wisely. I bought myself the new Alice in Chains CD (I'm a big fan of theirs, and my first tattoo is off one of their CD covers). I also bought a couple of George Michael songs. Wow, I can't believe I just admitted that. Here I am, rocking out to Metallica and other hard stuff buying George Michael. But hey, I'm going to put both Faith and Father Figure on my Surf City playlist, and I'm going to enjoy listening to them. You got a problem with that?
Thursday, January 7, 2010
One More Month
Today is January 7. For me, it will be a somewhat uneventful day. I have to take the girls to and pick them up from their respective schools. I have a boys soccer game to ref, a junior varsity game. I have to figure out what to do for dinner too. I'm thinking... wow, no idea. Maybe something in the slow cooker.
Uneventful. Probably not memorable. But a huge milestone nonetheless.
Today is one month before my first marathon. The Surf City Marathon is on Feb. 7. In one month, I'll be out there tackling on the beast that is the marathon head on.
Lately, when I think about the marathon - and I think about it a lot - I alternate between feeling nervous, like the there's-a-ball-of-nerves-taking-space-up-in-my-stomach type nervous, and excited about the race. I'm excited because I've been training for this race for a long time now. Plus it's going to be a memorable experience for certain, no matter what happens that day.
I'm not going to try and fret for the next month. It's almost here. I signed up for it. I'm nervous/excited for it. Let's go.
The next month will be for me to maintain that sort of mindframe. I don't want to get too worried because I won't do well. I don't want to get too excited because then I won't do well.
In terms of training, I have four long-distance runs left: 15 on Sunday, 22 the following Sunday, then 12 and 10 on the last two Sundays before the big day. I have to sprinkle in about two or three midweek runs between then. Funny thing is, I'm not as worried about 22 as I was for 20 or 18. Probably because I have 26.2 staring at me pretty soon afterward.
So now, the countdown begins in earnest.
Uneventful. Probably not memorable. But a huge milestone nonetheless.
Today is one month before my first marathon. The Surf City Marathon is on Feb. 7. In one month, I'll be out there tackling on the beast that is the marathon head on.
Lately, when I think about the marathon - and I think about it a lot - I alternate between feeling nervous, like the there's-a-ball-of-nerves-taking-space-up-in-my-stomach type nervous, and excited about the race. I'm excited because I've been training for this race for a long time now. Plus it's going to be a memorable experience for certain, no matter what happens that day.
I'm not going to try and fret for the next month. It's almost here. I signed up for it. I'm nervous/excited for it. Let's go.
The next month will be for me to maintain that sort of mindframe. I don't want to get too worried because I won't do well. I don't want to get too excited because then I won't do well.
In terms of training, I have four long-distance runs left: 15 on Sunday, 22 the following Sunday, then 12 and 10 on the last two Sundays before the big day. I have to sprinkle in about two or three midweek runs between then. Funny thing is, I'm not as worried about 22 as I was for 20 or 18. Probably because I have 26.2 staring at me pretty soon afterward.
So now, the countdown begins in earnest.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
For The Dogs
At Sunday's Loper meeting, our speaker discussed a topic that frankly wasn't of much interest to me, but got me thinking nonetheless.
Usually, our meeting revolves around things like running safety, motivation, hydration and other tips for running. Sunday, the meeting was for the dogs. Literally.
Our speaker talked about running with dogs.
It's not that I don't like dogs - I have two dogs myself. And I don't really mind runners who run with their dogs. It's actually kind of cool to see. But the thought of taking one my dogs out for a run is, well, laughable.
Usually, when you see people running with their dogs, it's a big dog. Maybe a German shepherd. A Dalmation. Perhaps a Rottweiler. But a Chihuahua? I think it would be impossible to see me running out on the street with my tiny Chihuahua and not laugh.
Maybe others run with Chihuahuas and look fine. Maybe if I see that - because I can't recall seeing that - I won't think it's necessarily funny. But for me, running with my dog would make me uncomfortable. Aside from the fact that I'd be more worried about the dog staying in front of me or keeping up, I'd feel strange with such a tiny dog in front of me.
But the speaker did say one thing about smaller dogs. When he began to talk about what kinds of dogs are not meant for running long distances, I was certain he would say a Chihuahua. But he did not mention them at all, instead saying that dogs with short snouts like bulldogs aren't really runner dogs. And when he began to say what breeds of dogs make for good running companions, he said toy dogs will surprise you with how much they can run.
That piqued my interest.
Not enough to want to take my dogs out for a run, but enough to at least possibly someday maybe over the summer or when I don't have a race to train for and I want to experience something new... maybe then.
Tevez: Can you pleeeeeeease take me for a run?
LB: No. I'll trip over you. Just run around in the backyard
and dig everywhere like you usually do.
Maybe I'm sounding a bit too harsh on my dogs. I'm actually thinking that if I were to take one of them out for a run (because the thought of both of them in front of me as I try and run is unsettling) they probably would respond well. When we take them on walks, which we don't do enough of, I've actually taken off running with one of them, Rooney, not Tevez. Rooney's got longer legs and looks like he could be a decent runner. And I did at one point consider running with one of them but quickly dismissed it.
Actually, the more I write and the more I think about it, I probably owe it to my dogs to go run with them.
(long pause, re-reads post)
Damn, I think I just talked myself into running with my dogs.
Usually, our meeting revolves around things like running safety, motivation, hydration and other tips for running. Sunday, the meeting was for the dogs. Literally.
Our speaker talked about running with dogs.
It's not that I don't like dogs - I have two dogs myself. And I don't really mind runners who run with their dogs. It's actually kind of cool to see. But the thought of taking one my dogs out for a run is, well, laughable.
Usually, when you see people running with their dogs, it's a big dog. Maybe a German shepherd. A Dalmation. Perhaps a Rottweiler. But a Chihuahua? I think it would be impossible to see me running out on the street with my tiny Chihuahua and not laugh.
Maybe others run with Chihuahuas and look fine. Maybe if I see that - because I can't recall seeing that - I won't think it's necessarily funny. But for me, running with my dog would make me uncomfortable. Aside from the fact that I'd be more worried about the dog staying in front of me or keeping up, I'd feel strange with such a tiny dog in front of me.
But the speaker did say one thing about smaller dogs. When he began to talk about what kinds of dogs are not meant for running long distances, I was certain he would say a Chihuahua. But he did not mention them at all, instead saying that dogs with short snouts like bulldogs aren't really runner dogs. And when he began to say what breeds of dogs make for good running companions, he said toy dogs will surprise you with how much they can run.
That piqued my interest.
Not enough to want to take my dogs out for a run, but enough to at least possibly someday maybe over the summer or when I don't have a race to train for and I want to experience something new... maybe then.
Tevez: Can you pleeeeeeease take me for a run?LB: No. I'll trip over you. Just run around in the backyard
and dig everywhere like you usually do.
Maybe I'm sounding a bit too harsh on my dogs. I'm actually thinking that if I were to take one of them out for a run (because the thought of both of them in front of me as I try and run is unsettling) they probably would respond well. When we take them on walks, which we don't do enough of, I've actually taken off running with one of them, Rooney, not Tevez. Rooney's got longer legs and looks like he could be a decent runner. And I did at one point consider running with one of them but quickly dismissed it.
Actually, the more I write and the more I think about it, I probably owe it to my dogs to go run with them.
(long pause, re-reads post)
Damn, I think I just talked myself into running with my dogs.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Surf And Sand
First off, I want to apologize to some of my readers. I'm sorry I can't send some of this totally awesome weather your way, if in fact you aren't basking under the same sun I am. And I hope the following pictures don't offend you or make you kick your wall or the door or whatever is near you while you wish the sun was as kind to you as it is to me.
On Saturday, I was hit with a full dose of non-winter weather while others across the nation suffered in near- or sub-freezing temperatures, trying to stay warm somewhere. We went to Huntington Beach for our first family trip of 2010, which is also our first trip of the new decade.
Why Huntington Beach? Well, for starters it's a beach, and since it's January and cold and snowing elsewhere in the country, we took advantage of living in SoCal and headed out to a local beach.
Huntington Beach also happens to be where I am going to run my first marathon. It is the site of the Surf City Marathon, which will go down on Feb. 7. Huntington Beach is also known as Surf City and we knew why pretty early in our trip.
the surfers had nearly everything to themselves
The only people in the water were surfers. Now, while the weather was nice, the water was cold, so only the dedicated surfers were willing to brave the cold.
surfers, ducks and seagulls were the only souls in the water
While the water was cold, it was about the only thing that was during our visit. We all took jackets with us, as is our custom in this time of year. Yes, we actually have to make a point of it not to forget jackets. But we left our jackets in the truck as we had no need of them out on the pier and on the beach.
looking at the waves from atop the pier
Aside from the surfers, the sand was crowded with another sort of athlete: the beach volleyball players. These weren't the sort of leisurely, let's-knock-the-ball-around type of volleyball games. These appeared cutthroat and very competitive. The attire for many seemed to be either shorts and no shirt for the guys or a bikini for the ladies, and they had the bodies to go along with said outfits. No pudginess allowed.
these volleyballers don't mess around;
bring it or don't bother showing up
I wouldn't exactly fit in with that crowd; after all, on the rare occasion I play volleyball, I'm just happy to get the ball over the net.
After making our way to the end of the pier, we strolled back and figured we'd let the girls dip their feet in the water. The water was cold but they didn't seem to mind. They were eager. They each love the beach and the water, and since it was a sunny day - maybe not hot but warm and sunny for sure - it probably didn't really register in their head that it was January and what that means in terms of water temperature. But they didn't really care.
the girls took their shoes off to go near the water
They were pretty eager to go.
and away they go
They probably played about five minutes in the water or so. We probably could have let them play longer but they probably would have gotten all wet or something, they probably would have fallen down and then that would have been bad because we didn't have a towel or change of clothes.
As it turned out, they only got the bottoms of their pants wet.
junior members of the Polar Bear club
But the main reason we went to Huntington Beach was to scope out what the scene will be like during the marathon. Well, the true scene we won't be able to get a real feel for until the day before. But we wanted to have an idea of where the start and finish lines would be, how accessible they are to the beach, what the parking situation is like and what sort of hotels were within walking distance of the start line (if there were any that weren't completely booked of course).
We're still not sure of what streets will be shut down. The marathon course starts and ends on Pacific Coast Highway, or PCH, and I believe that won't be totally closed down on that day. It's two lanes, so it might go down to one lane. Not sure. But I saw the general area of where the start line will be and where the finish line will be. We were on the pier, and the pier is roughly around Mile 25. I've had it in my head that once I get to the pier, I'll almost be done. Of course, I'll have to pass it on my way out, so I'll have more than four hours between sightings that day.
But somewhere on the other sides of these palm trees is PCH, where I will run the marathon.
somewhere off in the distance will be Mile 2 (way out)
and Mile 24-25 (way back)
the hotel off in the distance is the Hilton Waterfront Hotel
and the start line will be right across from there
Now, when I run and try and envision the race, I'll have the actual setting to ponder as well.
On Saturday, I was hit with a full dose of non-winter weather while others across the nation suffered in near- or sub-freezing temperatures, trying to stay warm somewhere. We went to Huntington Beach for our first family trip of 2010, which is also our first trip of the new decade.
Why Huntington Beach? Well, for starters it's a beach, and since it's January and cold and snowing elsewhere in the country, we took advantage of living in SoCal and headed out to a local beach.
Huntington Beach also happens to be where I am going to run my first marathon. It is the site of the Surf City Marathon, which will go down on Feb. 7. Huntington Beach is also known as Surf City and we knew why pretty early in our trip.
the surfers had nearly everything to themselvesThe only people in the water were surfers. Now, while the weather was nice, the water was cold, so only the dedicated surfers were willing to brave the cold.
surfers, ducks and seagulls were the only souls in the waterWhile the water was cold, it was about the only thing that was during our visit. We all took jackets with us, as is our custom in this time of year. Yes, we actually have to make a point of it not to forget jackets. But we left our jackets in the truck as we had no need of them out on the pier and on the beach.
looking at the waves from atop the pierAside from the surfers, the sand was crowded with another sort of athlete: the beach volleyball players. These weren't the sort of leisurely, let's-knock-the-ball-around type of volleyball games. These appeared cutthroat and very competitive. The attire for many seemed to be either shorts and no shirt for the guys or a bikini for the ladies, and they had the bodies to go along with said outfits. No pudginess allowed.
these volleyballers don't mess around;bring it or don't bother showing up
I wouldn't exactly fit in with that crowd; after all, on the rare occasion I play volleyball, I'm just happy to get the ball over the net.
After making our way to the end of the pier, we strolled back and figured we'd let the girls dip their feet in the water. The water was cold but they didn't seem to mind. They were eager. They each love the beach and the water, and since it was a sunny day - maybe not hot but warm and sunny for sure - it probably didn't really register in their head that it was January and what that means in terms of water temperature. But they didn't really care.
the girls took their shoes off to go near the waterThey were pretty eager to go.
and away they goThey probably played about five minutes in the water or so. We probably could have let them play longer but they probably would have gotten all wet or something, they probably would have fallen down and then that would have been bad because we didn't have a towel or change of clothes.
As it turned out, they only got the bottoms of their pants wet.
junior members of the Polar Bear clubBut the main reason we went to Huntington Beach was to scope out what the scene will be like during the marathon. Well, the true scene we won't be able to get a real feel for until the day before. But we wanted to have an idea of where the start and finish lines would be, how accessible they are to the beach, what the parking situation is like and what sort of hotels were within walking distance of the start line (if there were any that weren't completely booked of course).
We're still not sure of what streets will be shut down. The marathon course starts and ends on Pacific Coast Highway, or PCH, and I believe that won't be totally closed down on that day. It's two lanes, so it might go down to one lane. Not sure. But I saw the general area of where the start line will be and where the finish line will be. We were on the pier, and the pier is roughly around Mile 25. I've had it in my head that once I get to the pier, I'll almost be done. Of course, I'll have to pass it on my way out, so I'll have more than four hours between sightings that day.
But somewhere on the other sides of these palm trees is PCH, where I will run the marathon.
somewhere off in the distance will be Mile 2 (way out)and Mile 24-25 (way back)
the hotel off in the distance is the Hilton Waterfront Hoteland the start line will be right across from there
Now, when I run and try and envision the race, I'll have the actual setting to ponder as well.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Motivational Mondays (Jan. 4)
Welcome back to the rat race.
For many, today is the first day back to school, back to work, back to whatever, after spending some down time to celebrate the holidays and ring in the New Year. I don't know about you but for me, January is always such a drag. All of our Christmas stuff is in boxes and I have to take the lights down from our house today. Then, it's right smack into the beginning of a long, cold month. And where's the joy in that?
I'm going to try and combat the usual holiday letdown with some January cheer. For me, the holidays now are just another mile-marker in my quest to reach my goals. I have running goals as I wrote on the 1st, but I also have family and nutritional goals as well.
My main nutritional goal is to get back to the routine that helped me drop 120 pounds. It's actually pretty simple:
7 a.m. Breakfast (200-400 calories)
9-10 a.m. AM snack (100 calories)
Noon-1 p.m. Lunch (300-400 calories)
3-4 p.m. PM Snack (100 calories)
6-7 p.m. Dinner (600-900 calories)
That's just sort of a rough outline. My goal is to get around 1800 calories a day. It's tough especially with running now because you have to fuel your body properly before long runs and then you have to recover after them, and that means calories galore sometimes, but it's still a good rule of thumb for me because it worked so well for me from early 2006 to late 2007 and all of 2008.
Yeah, 2009 was a bit rough in the food department. It could be called as The Year of Eating Dangerously for me because I didn't always stick to the above guide. I was always picking at stuff, it seems like. It's hard because I'm at home and there's just small things to pick at but small things add up. If I hadn't been running so much, I don't know how it would have affected me as I fit into all my clothes just fine.
In some ways I think the running though has given me a bit of a false sense of confidence. It's like I'm telling myself 'I ran 15 effing miles today, of course I can have a second helping.' But that's not the right mentality.
So my major goal for this year will be to get back to the tried-and-true and go from there.
As far as combating my January gloom, it might not be as tough this year as other years. I have a huge event on Feb. 7. Have I mentioned the marathon I'm running? It's a little 26.2 race that is staring me down. It's going to try and knock me on my arse way before I even get to the start line, but for me this whole month and the first few days of February will be about not letting Surf City get the best of me.
And I can't let this gloom drag me down if I want to come out on top.
For many, today is the first day back to school, back to work, back to whatever, after spending some down time to celebrate the holidays and ring in the New Year. I don't know about you but for me, January is always such a drag. All of our Christmas stuff is in boxes and I have to take the lights down from our house today. Then, it's right smack into the beginning of a long, cold month. And where's the joy in that?
I'm going to try and combat the usual holiday letdown with some January cheer. For me, the holidays now are just another mile-marker in my quest to reach my goals. I have running goals as I wrote on the 1st, but I also have family and nutritional goals as well.
My main nutritional goal is to get back to the routine that helped me drop 120 pounds. It's actually pretty simple:
7 a.m. Breakfast (200-400 calories)
9-10 a.m. AM snack (100 calories)
Noon-1 p.m. Lunch (300-400 calories)
3-4 p.m. PM Snack (100 calories)
6-7 p.m. Dinner (600-900 calories)
That's just sort of a rough outline. My goal is to get around 1800 calories a day. It's tough especially with running now because you have to fuel your body properly before long runs and then you have to recover after them, and that means calories galore sometimes, but it's still a good rule of thumb for me because it worked so well for me from early 2006 to late 2007 and all of 2008.
Yeah, 2009 was a bit rough in the food department. It could be called as The Year of Eating Dangerously for me because I didn't always stick to the above guide. I was always picking at stuff, it seems like. It's hard because I'm at home and there's just small things to pick at but small things add up. If I hadn't been running so much, I don't know how it would have affected me as I fit into all my clothes just fine.
In some ways I think the running though has given me a bit of a false sense of confidence. It's like I'm telling myself 'I ran 15 effing miles today, of course I can have a second helping.' But that's not the right mentality.
So my major goal for this year will be to get back to the tried-and-true and go from there.
As far as combating my January gloom, it might not be as tough this year as other years. I have a huge event on Feb. 7. Have I mentioned the marathon I'm running? It's a little 26.2 race that is staring me down. It's going to try and knock me on my arse way before I even get to the start line, but for me this whole month and the first few days of February will be about not letting Surf City get the best of me.
And I can't let this gloom drag me down if I want to come out on top.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
The LB Store!
Did you not get what you really wanted last month? Do you feel that maybe what was under the tree wasn't enough?
Well have no fear. We here at Muddy Runner have you covered.
Not only can you calm those nerves but you can do so while representing Muddy Runner and more specifically yours truly.
Check out these doozies.
an awesome LB baseball hat
What a great way to keep the sun out of your eyes than with a sporty cap.
an awesome LB beanie
Is it cold where you live? How about representing with an LB beanie? It's Nordic, which means it's rad.
a super-cool scarf
You can't get the beanie without a matching scarf. Then you'd really be warm.
an awesome LB tee
What about a t-shirt? This one is colorful and stylish, and you can't beat that combination.
we love this tee
Why not profess your love? You'd be stylin' in doing so.
If you have enough clothes and such, how about some other LB items?
an awesome LB flag
Hang this on your wall or fly it proudly in front of your house.
an awesome LB chair
Sit for a spell in your very own and unique folding chair.
an awesome LB tow hitch cover
Add some more testosterone to your truck with this bad boy.
Have you decided which ones you're going to order? Because I know you can't get just one. Myself, I think I'll go for the hat and tow hitch cover. I'd be kickin' ass and looking good while doing so.
Um... yeah, the LB Store... woo hoo!
Okay, I'm actually not taking up a second career as a salesmen because I'd make a pretty bad one. These are actually all products of LB... as in CSULB, or Cal State Long Beach. I used to have an LB hat and I'd wear it quite often, and people would always assume that I was a Long Beach State grad. Ha! No, I'd tell them, just my initials. Not that there's anything wrong with that school (my brother hot his Master's degree and his wife got her bachelor's and Master's there) but that's not the reason I sport LB.
Quick side story: Mrs. LB actually gave me that nickname, LB. I've had some other nicknames... one friend of mine nicknamed me the Beast, because it rhymes (sort of) with my first name... Luis the Beast (I pronounce my name loo-ees, not loo-iss).
One easy Christmas or birthday present for me is one of these things... well, except the girlie shirts of course. But I don't get them too often, so I'll just have to go to the CSULB online store and get some myself.
Well have no fear. We here at Muddy Runner have you covered.
Not only can you calm those nerves but you can do so while representing Muddy Runner and more specifically yours truly.Check out these doozies.
an awesome LB baseball hatWhat a great way to keep the sun out of your eyes than with a sporty cap.
an awesome LB beanieIs it cold where you live? How about representing with an LB beanie? It's Nordic, which means it's rad.
a super-cool scarfYou can't get the beanie without a matching scarf. Then you'd really be warm.
an awesome LB teeWhat about a t-shirt? This one is colorful and stylish, and you can't beat that combination.
we love this teeWhy not profess your love? You'd be stylin' in doing so.
If you have enough clothes and such, how about some other LB items?
an awesome LB flagHang this on your wall or fly it proudly in front of your house.
an awesome LB chairSit for a spell in your very own and unique folding chair.
an awesome LB tow hitch coverAdd some more testosterone to your truck with this bad boy.
Have you decided which ones you're going to order? Because I know you can't get just one. Myself, I think I'll go for the hat and tow hitch cover. I'd be kickin' ass and looking good while doing so.
Um... yeah, the LB Store... woo hoo!
Okay, I'm actually not taking up a second career as a salesmen because I'd make a pretty bad one. These are actually all products of LB... as in CSULB, or Cal State Long Beach. I used to have an LB hat and I'd wear it quite often, and people would always assume that I was a Long Beach State grad. Ha! No, I'd tell them, just my initials. Not that there's anything wrong with that school (my brother hot his Master's degree and his wife got her bachelor's and Master's there) but that's not the reason I sport LB.
Quick side story: Mrs. LB actually gave me that nickname, LB. I've had some other nicknames... one friend of mine nicknamed me the Beast, because it rhymes (sort of) with my first name... Luis the Beast (I pronounce my name loo-ees, not loo-iss).
One easy Christmas or birthday present for me is one of these things... well, except the girlie shirts of course. But I don't get them too often, so I'll just have to go to the CSULB online store and get some myself.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Goals Galore
I've been going back and forth about my running goals for this year. I am not sure if I can be realistic right now in terms of specific goals. I know that I will run in two races in 2010, and I have a general idea of what other sorts of races I'll want to participate in. But for me to write down and commit myself to filling out my race calendar right now would be irrational.
Still, I do want to have goals and I will put them down right now to give myself some things to shoot for next year.
* Run my first marathon. This is a gimmie, right? Well, to put it on here, it is. I've already registered and fully intend on participating in it. The run itself is no gimmie, though. Still, this is a great goal for me nonetheless.
* Run a Mud Run. The June 5 Mud Run is the second race that is on my calendar as a for sure. As far as the time goes... my goal will be to set a new Mud Run PR and to get as close to one hour as possible, and to beat my trash-talking brother Danny in the process.
* Set a new Half Marathon PR. I should probably have set a goal to run a sub-2 hour Half Marathon but I still don't know if that's possible for me. But I do know that I can and will shatter my finish time of 2:14:50 from the Run Through Redlands whenever I run my next Half. I think it very well could be the 2010 Run Through Redlands. If so, the hills will be challenging but hopefully the weather complies and it won't be so hot that day.
* Run a 5K. I want to run another 5K. I've run one 5K, back in June 2008. It was my first-ever race and I finished with a time of 25:05. I'm fairly confident that I could beat that time now, but I haven't attempted to run a 5K since as I've moved on to running longer races. I think the best thing for me would be to just come across a 5K, register and run it. I don't want to plan it too far in advance as I think it could just fall into my lap.
* Keep a running journal. I know, this blog kind of serves as a running journal in the sense that I track my training on here, set goals, write race recaps and all that good stuff, but I don't log every run on here. I'm sure few want to read about every little 5-miler I crank out, such as Wednesday's uneventful five-mile treadmill romp. Well, it was eventful in the sense that it was my last run of '09, but aside from that it will blend into the other treadmill-runs-in-the-garage I've ran. And that's the thing. I don't want those runs to vanish. I want to have something tangible to point to, to say "this is what I did on such-and-such day." I already have the journal itself, so we'll see how this one works out.
* Run a lot of miles. This one's lame, I know, but I'll explain. Lately all over the runners' part of the blogosphere, I've seen bloggers writing about how many miles they've ran, and the magic number for many seems to be 1,000 miles (except for Katie who is going to shoot for 2,010 miles in 2010! awesome!). Naturally this has led me to wonder how many miles I ran in '09 and how many I can realistically run in 2010. I don't know if I can run 1,000 because it seems like a lot (duh). It's an average of about 20 miles a week. I'm doing more than 20 miles a week now, and if things go well in January I will run at least 110 miles (counting the scheduled long runs and at least two five-milers midweek). Add in the marathon distance plus the few scheduled runs after Surf City, and we're getting past the 150-mile mark. But it's the post-marathon running I'm unsure of, whether or not I'll have a spring race to train for. So, my sort-of goal is to run 1,000 miles, but my official goal I suppose will be to get to as close as 1,000 miles ran as possible.
* Run more days than I don't. This one seems like an easy one. And it's the one I hope I can really reach. Right now I probably run three days a week. I'd love to run at least four days a week, but my schedule sometimes doesn't allow for that. But I'm going to strive to meet this one.
I suppose that's about it for my running goals for twenty-ten. Hopefully for twenty-eleven I'll have even greater goals (set a Marathon PR! run a second sub-two hour Half!) after what could be my best running year ever.
Still, I do want to have goals and I will put them down right now to give myself some things to shoot for next year.
* Run my first marathon. This is a gimmie, right? Well, to put it on here, it is. I've already registered and fully intend on participating in it. The run itself is no gimmie, though. Still, this is a great goal for me nonetheless.
* Run a Mud Run. The June 5 Mud Run is the second race that is on my calendar as a for sure. As far as the time goes... my goal will be to set a new Mud Run PR and to get as close to one hour as possible, and to beat my trash-talking brother Danny in the process.
* Set a new Half Marathon PR. I should probably have set a goal to run a sub-2 hour Half Marathon but I still don't know if that's possible for me. But I do know that I can and will shatter my finish time of 2:14:50 from the Run Through Redlands whenever I run my next Half. I think it very well could be the 2010 Run Through Redlands. If so, the hills will be challenging but hopefully the weather complies and it won't be so hot that day.
* Run a 5K. I want to run another 5K. I've run one 5K, back in June 2008. It was my first-ever race and I finished with a time of 25:05. I'm fairly confident that I could beat that time now, but I haven't attempted to run a 5K since as I've moved on to running longer races. I think the best thing for me would be to just come across a 5K, register and run it. I don't want to plan it too far in advance as I think it could just fall into my lap.
* Keep a running journal. I know, this blog kind of serves as a running journal in the sense that I track my training on here, set goals, write race recaps and all that good stuff, but I don't log every run on here. I'm sure few want to read about every little 5-miler I crank out, such as Wednesday's uneventful five-mile treadmill romp. Well, it was eventful in the sense that it was my last run of '09, but aside from that it will blend into the other treadmill-runs-in-the-garage I've ran. And that's the thing. I don't want those runs to vanish. I want to have something tangible to point to, to say "this is what I did on such-and-such day." I already have the journal itself, so we'll see how this one works out.
* Run a lot of miles. This one's lame, I know, but I'll explain. Lately all over the runners' part of the blogosphere, I've seen bloggers writing about how many miles they've ran, and the magic number for many seems to be 1,000 miles (except for Katie who is going to shoot for 2,010 miles in 2010! awesome!). Naturally this has led me to wonder how many miles I ran in '09 and how many I can realistically run in 2010. I don't know if I can run 1,000 because it seems like a lot (duh). It's an average of about 20 miles a week. I'm doing more than 20 miles a week now, and if things go well in January I will run at least 110 miles (counting the scheduled long runs and at least two five-milers midweek). Add in the marathon distance plus the few scheduled runs after Surf City, and we're getting past the 150-mile mark. But it's the post-marathon running I'm unsure of, whether or not I'll have a spring race to train for. So, my sort-of goal is to run 1,000 miles, but my official goal I suppose will be to get to as close as 1,000 miles ran as possible.
* Run more days than I don't. This one seems like an easy one. And it's the one I hope I can really reach. Right now I probably run three days a week. I'd love to run at least four days a week, but my schedule sometimes doesn't allow for that. But I'm going to strive to meet this one.
I suppose that's about it for my running goals for twenty-ten. Hopefully for twenty-eleven I'll have even greater goals (set a Marathon PR! run a second sub-two hour Half!) after what could be my best running year ever.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
End Of The Best Year
I can't believe how far I've gone in one year. When I think back to the runner I was at the end of '08 to the one that I am now, heading into 2010, it almost feels like night and day. I guess it's just the natural progression of running. You have to start somewhere, and you have to take that next step and then the next one and so on and so forth. Still, it's very motivating to think about my year in running, particularly the last three months of '09.
I had intended to close out 2009 the way I opened it, with a five-mile run, but life got in the way so no run today. I really hope that I am able to run on Friday, on New Year's, and I hope that I can get out there and run 10 miles. It would be great to be able to do so, to make my first run in 2010 a nice double-digit run. I don't intend on drinking alcohol tonight so if I can avoid that, I should be good to go.
Anyway, a couple of things for my last post of 2009. First, the MUD RUN!!! We're going to sign up for the June 5 edition of the Camp Pendleton Mud Run. Registration opens at midnight PT on Jan. 1. That's Friday!! This race will sell out probably by Monday, so I suggest you sign up on Friday if you want to do it. There are four total races, all in June: 5, 6, 12 and 19, but because of a little soccer tournament going on in Africa (which I'll gladly follow from the comforts of my home) we've settled on running in the first of the four.
We'll probably have a contingent of six out there, possibly seven, all of us Desert Tortoises (our Ragnar Relay team). And since it's in early June, there's only five months from now until the race. The Mud Run is awesome, and I'm going to go for a PR. I want to get as close to an hour as possible since I don't think I can finish the race in under an hour. But it will be fun no matter what my time is.
Also, a big Happy New Year to everyone out there who reads my blog. It's very motivating to be able to report back to you about my successes and failures, goals and dreams, setbacks and PRs. I intend to do more of the same in 2010 as I did in '09, and I hope you all are up for the journey.
queue Auld Lang Syne...
I had intended to close out 2009 the way I opened it, with a five-mile run, but life got in the way so no run today. I really hope that I am able to run on Friday, on New Year's, and I hope that I can get out there and run 10 miles. It would be great to be able to do so, to make my first run in 2010 a nice double-digit run. I don't intend on drinking alcohol tonight so if I can avoid that, I should be good to go.
Anyway, a couple of things for my last post of 2009. First, the MUD RUN!!! We're going to sign up for the June 5 edition of the Camp Pendleton Mud Run. Registration opens at midnight PT on Jan. 1. That's Friday!! This race will sell out probably by Monday, so I suggest you sign up on Friday if you want to do it. There are four total races, all in June: 5, 6, 12 and 19, but because of a little soccer tournament going on in Africa (which I'll gladly follow from the comforts of my home) we've settled on running in the first of the four.
We'll probably have a contingent of six out there, possibly seven, all of us Desert Tortoises (our Ragnar Relay team). And since it's in early June, there's only five months from now until the race. The Mud Run is awesome, and I'm going to go for a PR. I want to get as close to an hour as possible since I don't think I can finish the race in under an hour. But it will be fun no matter what my time is.
Also, a big Happy New Year to everyone out there who reads my blog. It's very motivating to be able to report back to you about my successes and failures, goals and dreams, setbacks and PRs. I intend to do more of the same in 2010 as I did in '09, and I hope you all are up for the journey.
queue Auld Lang Syne...
Muddy Runner Dirty Dozen: No. 1
This is it. My number one post of the year. I felt quite proud for having run the Run Through Redlands Half Marathon, for several reasons.
It was a half marathon, my longest race distance to date. It cemented my status as a runner and let me know that I can set goals and achieve them, even tough goals that involve 13.1 miles.
But it also let me reflect on how I used to be and the runner I'd become.
*****
Originally published April 20
Motivational Mondays (April 20)
Impossible? What's impossible?
That this person can't lose the weight?
That this severely overweight guy can't change his lifestyle?
That the fat won't come off, no matter what?
Well, I can vouch personally that nothing is impossible.
And I've got 13.1 miles to back me up.
***
It was a half marathon, my longest race distance to date. It cemented my status as a runner and let me know that I can set goals and achieve them, even tough goals that involve 13.1 miles.
But it also let me reflect on how I used to be and the runner I'd become.
*****
Originally published April 20
Motivational Mondays (April 20)
Impossible? What's impossible?
That this person can't lose the weight?
That this severely overweight guy can't change his lifestyle?
That the fat won't come off, no matter what?Well, I can vouch personally that nothing is impossible.
And I've got 13.1 miles to back me up.***
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Constructing LB's Ultimate Playlist
Over the past several weeks, I've been slowly adding songs to my Surf City playlist. I've just thrown them in one or two at a time as I didn't want to try and come up with songs for my ultimate playlist in one sitting.
It's funny because I don't run with my iPod on my long runs, but for the marathon my iPod seems almost as indispensable as my fuel belt. I guess I should get to that in another post, but for the time being I wanted to try and plan out my playlist.
It's going to be a long playlist. Really long. Almost five hours long. I intend on finishing sooner than five hours but I usually err on the side of caution with playlists and make them longer than I need to, just in case.
So I've got to fill up a five-hour playlist with music, and do so in a way that will inspire when I need inspiration, relax when I need relaxing, motivate when I need motivation, sooth when I need soothing and accompany when I need a companion.
Easy, right?
Well, not exactly. But I'll get there.
I think what I'll do is to divide up the playlist in thirds, kind of like I did for my half marathon playlist. In that playlist the final third was all Metallica songs, the middle third was all Johnny Cash and the first third was a mixture of songs intended to help ease me into the race and get me into a comfortable pace for the middle miles.
I'm not so much worried about time entering this race, but I will need to keep my pace in check. A too-fast start will be brutal for me at the end of the race so I need songs up front that will likely settle my nerves and hold me back a bit. I know myself, and I know that my tendency will be to run faster than I should be running. So the right songs will help me focus and remember the things that I'll need to do in those early miles to help myself come the later ones.
At about Mile 9, the Surf City path takes you from running through an inland part of the beach town to running along Pacific Coast Highway, which from what I've heard is a long out-and-back stretch. I'll have to figure out how long into the playlist that will be and try and time it accordingly, as that will be the second part of the playlist.
I'm guessing I'll need some tried-and-true running songs there for companionship, songs that have been helpful in previous races but not ones that fall into the "heavy artillery" category. I have to save up the big guns for the last part of the race. But certainly here I'll need songs that will help get me to Miles 9-19, a 10-mile stretch that will likely feature some nice scenery, flat running, the Pacific Ocean as well as increasingly tired legs and possible mental issues.
The third part of the playlist, hopefully, will take me from Mile 20 to the end. It's been said that Mile 20 is the halfway point of a marathon, in that the first 20 miles are tough but the last six miles are excruciating. So, I'll need the heavy artillery for this last stretch. I might actually start it a bit early but for the last part of the playlist I'm going to need all the songs that inspire and motivate me the most. Physically at this stretch I will have nothing left to give, so I need the songs that rile me up and draw emotions.
And in order to maximize the effect of music and the playlist, I'm going to stop listening to music altogether for the last two weeks prior to the marathon. It's impossible to keep from hearing music of course but I'm not going to play music, listen to music while I write or cook or drive or whenever I usually listen to music and I'm going to give the iPod a two-week break before calling it back into action full force. I figure that will give me something to look forward to, to listen to music once more.
So basically I have about three weeks to finalize my playlist and put it together so I won't have to think about that in the lead-up to Surf City. There will be a million other things to worry and think about, so one less thing will be nice.
It's funny because I don't run with my iPod on my long runs, but for the marathon my iPod seems almost as indispensable as my fuel belt. I guess I should get to that in another post, but for the time being I wanted to try and plan out my playlist.
It's going to be a long playlist. Really long. Almost five hours long. I intend on finishing sooner than five hours but I usually err on the side of caution with playlists and make them longer than I need to, just in case.
So I've got to fill up a five-hour playlist with music, and do so in a way that will inspire when I need inspiration, relax when I need relaxing, motivate when I need motivation, sooth when I need soothing and accompany when I need a companion.
Easy, right?
Well, not exactly. But I'll get there.
I think what I'll do is to divide up the playlist in thirds, kind of like I did for my half marathon playlist. In that playlist the final third was all Metallica songs, the middle third was all Johnny Cash and the first third was a mixture of songs intended to help ease me into the race and get me into a comfortable pace for the middle miles.
I'm not so much worried about time entering this race, but I will need to keep my pace in check. A too-fast start will be brutal for me at the end of the race so I need songs up front that will likely settle my nerves and hold me back a bit. I know myself, and I know that my tendency will be to run faster than I should be running. So the right songs will help me focus and remember the things that I'll need to do in those early miles to help myself come the later ones.
At about Mile 9, the Surf City path takes you from running through an inland part of the beach town to running along Pacific Coast Highway, which from what I've heard is a long out-and-back stretch. I'll have to figure out how long into the playlist that will be and try and time it accordingly, as that will be the second part of the playlist.
I'm guessing I'll need some tried-and-true running songs there for companionship, songs that have been helpful in previous races but not ones that fall into the "heavy artillery" category. I have to save up the big guns for the last part of the race. But certainly here I'll need songs that will help get me to Miles 9-19, a 10-mile stretch that will likely feature some nice scenery, flat running, the Pacific Ocean as well as increasingly tired legs and possible mental issues.
The third part of the playlist, hopefully, will take me from Mile 20 to the end. It's been said that Mile 20 is the halfway point of a marathon, in that the first 20 miles are tough but the last six miles are excruciating. So, I'll need the heavy artillery for this last stretch. I might actually start it a bit early but for the last part of the playlist I'm going to need all the songs that inspire and motivate me the most. Physically at this stretch I will have nothing left to give, so I need the songs that rile me up and draw emotions.
And in order to maximize the effect of music and the playlist, I'm going to stop listening to music altogether for the last two weeks prior to the marathon. It's impossible to keep from hearing music of course but I'm not going to play music, listen to music while I write or cook or drive or whenever I usually listen to music and I'm going to give the iPod a two-week break before calling it back into action full force. I figure that will give me something to look forward to, to listen to music once more.
So basically I have about three weeks to finalize my playlist and put it together so I won't have to think about that in the lead-up to Surf City. There will be a million other things to worry and think about, so one less thing will be nice.
Muddy Runner Dirty Dozen: No. 2
Now on to the top two.
I may have ranked my races/runs at some point by now, who knows? It's so difficult to rate races and runs and experiences. What matters more - personal accomplishments or sharing the highs and lows of running with others? What means more - meeting a personal goal or achieving something as a team, as a unit?
It's really impossible to gauge, not only from person to person but for yourself as well. One day, I think my half marathon was my greatest feat of '09. The next, I think my 10K PR was greater. And another day, I feel best about the Cedar River Run.
Regardless of what moment ranks as number one, this post is the culmination of what I think is the greatest combination of '09 in terms of running - participating in the Ragnar Relay and having had the chance to share the experience with all of my readers.
***
Originally published Oct. 13
Ragnar Relay, Part III: The Desert Tortoise Society
Part three of three of the Desert Tortoises' Ragnar Relay experience. Here are links to Part I and Part II of this three-legged journey.
Ragnar Relay, Part III
Following the completion of our respective second legs, Van Two members were in a bit of a whirlwind. Physically, we were spent. We'd run a combined 75 miles already, and all of that since 2 p.m. Friday. It was about 6 a.m. Saturday, so we'd exerted a lot of energy in a short amount of time.
The recent accident that took the life of a fellow runner was also fresh in our minds, and while we tried to focus on our experience, I couldn't (and haven't been able to) shake off the sadness.
We tried to recover physically by going to breakfast. We drove around and around until we finally found our destination: the Green River Valley Casino, home of the Original Pancake House. At the time, I didn't care if it was the Original or the Copy, I just wanted to eat.
The seven of us ordered our food (another Ragnar team ate nearby and we waved hello to them) and while we waited, I stretched. I thought the waiters/hostesses might think it odd to see someone doing full-on stretches in the middle of an empty restaurant, in the wee hours of the morning, but I could not care less. I was on the ground, thinking about the Loper who leads our weekly stretches after our Sunday runs, trying to reach for my ankle while I sat on the ground.
I wasn't quite thinking about my third and final run because I knew if I would have started thinking about it, I would have become overwhelmed. It was supposed to start between noon and 1 p.m., in other words, right as the sun was overhead. My first two runs were run in the darkness, so that would be a new and different experience. I didn't want to start psyching myself out, so instead I just chowed down five pancakes and a plate of potatoes (hash browns, not really hashed... or brown).
As we dragged our legs out of the casino, we were suddenly surrounded by a mass of runners. Except they weren't Ragnar participants. No, they were there for a 5K. I couldn't help but laugh. A 5K? That's it? I don't look down on race distances or anything like that, but the thought of a 3.1-mile race seemed so insignificant at the time. After all, we'd just finished running 70-something miles.
With stomachs filled to the brim, we piled into the van and made our way to Exchange Point 30. There, we would begin our journey and each of us would run our final legs.
But would we rest?
This Exchange Point was at an elementary school, and there were plenty of vehicles there. Still, I was interested in only one thing, and I soon spotted it. Behind a chain-link fence, on the other side of the street was a place to sleep. I grabbed a sleeping bag, the towel that served as my pillow and bade farewell to my van-mates. They were welcomed to join me, but nobody did. I found a spot about 20 yards away from other runners/sleepers, unfolded the bag, crawled inside and closed my eyes. The sun was already shining down on us, so I put on my sunglasses and crashed.
About two hours later, my stomach woke me up and I had to go find a bathroom. The porta-potties ranged from gross to really, really, really gross but I didn't care.
I felt refreshed, ready to begin our final trek, ready to help the Desert Tortoises along to the finish line. But even though I felt refreshed and ready to go, we wouldn't be going for another hour. Van One had hit some problems as blisters and fatigue set in. We were running about 1 hour, 40 minutes behind our projected time, though we'd been behind when we handed the bracelet off to Van One a few hours back.
I wasn't so concerned with our finish time, though. I was only disappointed in that because it meant my run would be later in the day and the heat might start to have an impact on me.
Meanwhile, Jesse was starting to regain his health. He said he shook his knee around and felt it pop, and afterward it felt good once more. He said he was willing to try his leg but I wasn't sure if that would have been a good idea or not. He seemed determined and some of the other van-mates supported him so I figured I'd support him to.
Eventually, Van One pulled into the Exchange Point and we were a team once more, albeit for about 15 minutes. Vanessa (Runner 6) was within sight and we gathered at the Exchange Point to cheer her on. She handed off the bracelet to Jon...
... and after a quick photo-op, he began his final leg.
And that was it. Van Two was off. Jon tore through his 4.0-mile run, finishing in under 40 minutes.
Next up was Alex, and he had 4.2 miles to scale. While Alex was on the course, Jesse was preparing himself for a run. I did not know if he was really ready for it or if he just felt like he had to step up because the rest of us had run so much.
Whatever the case, as Alex approached the end Jesse took his place in the Exchange Point. Alex finished his run in about 40 minutes...
... and off Jesse went. We first passed him after he'd been running around half a mile. He seemed okay, and at the mile mark we got off to give him some water. He kept chugging along the course and seemed determined.
Jesse was close to the finish line as we passed him for the last time and we cheered him on from the van. He seemed determined to finish strong as he increased his speed, passing a few runners along the way.
The last stretch, he'd tell us later, was quite tough but he saw the run through, finishing his 3.5-miler in about 30 minutes. Excellent time if he ran it healthy and under normal circumstances, but given that his knee had been in pain and he'd had little sleep in the last 30 hours, it really was remarkable.
Elvia took off, and so did our momentum. Jesse's effort and the two previous successful runs were really contagious, and Elvia's grit and determination only added to that.
Now, originally she was only supposed to run 3.1 miles and my leg was slated for 6.3 miles, but once we got to the penultimate Exchange Point, we were told that Leg 34 (Elvia's) was increased to 4.1 miles and Leg 35 (mine) had been decreased to 5.3. I was quite enthused that I would not have to run more than six miles. I would have been able to do it, I believe, but the sun and the fatigue could have done damage, and I suspect that was the reason the change was made.
While I felt bad for Elvia - she was expecting to run three miles but would have to run a fourth without knowing/preparing for it - I couldn't help but celebrate my good fortune.
Still, the last thing I wanted to do was to lose my focus. I had done well to prepare myself mentally for the run, had stocked my fuel belt with Gatorade, had a packet of Gu ready, had my iPod set on my third and final playlist, had my sunglasses on (oh, what glory not to have to wear the headlamp!) and even got some sunblock sprayed on me.
I kept an eye out for Elvia.
When I finally spotted her, that was it. I was on. Five miles separated me from the final runner, the final leg, the run that would culminate the entire team's journey. The last thing I was going to do was to fail, to let my team down, to bring to a crashing halt the momentum started by Jon, carried on by Alex, elevated by Jesse and now moved forward by Elvia, and supported all along by the unyielding efforts of our beloved driver and teammate Fausto. We had all worked as a team from the moment we got together and I had to see my end through.
So when Elvia slapped the bracelet on my wrist, I was ready. More than ready. Letting my team down was not an option. It just wasn't in my plans.
I set off on my final 5.3 miles of the Ragnar Relay. Despite not getting much sleep and having run some 14 miles already, I felt good. Felt great. I got into the run pretty quickly and tried to keep myself from running at a too-fast pace. I did, after all, have to battle the conditions.
A few runners passed me by, and I had to especially stay focused when that happened. I did feel bit more competitive at this point than I had in previous times during the race, mainly because it was the end and I always feel the need to finish strong. But I did well to keep my emotions in check.
Before my run, I'd told my team that I would need some assistance in the form of water. Since I had my fuel belt, I wouldn't need it to drink but I wanted some water splashed on me to keep me cool. So at the three-mile mark, Jorge complied.
Feeling refreshed and enthused at having seen the Tortoises showing me their support, I knew the finish would come soon enough. And when I saw the "One Mile To Go" mark, I was raring to set a new mile PR.
Of course, that was never going to happen. Fastest I've ever run a mile was in about 6:57, and there was no way that was going to happen under the circumstances. But I upped my pace down the last stretch, off a road from the one I'd run the first four miles. The terrain was fine, the sun was hot and I was close to the finish. I even passed a couple of runners.
I got close to the finish, took my bracelet off and tried to slap it on Jorge's wrist. Instead, I fumbled it and had to hand it to him to send him on his way for the last five miles of the race.
I was thrilled to have reached the finish line. It was a glorious end to a long journey. But the journey wasn't over quite yet. Jorge, after all, was still on the course. And we needed to meet him at the finish line.
As we made our way to the van, Jesse had relayed a story to me. While they waited for me at the Exchange Point, an older lady had asked him if they were part of the Desert Tortoise Society. See, on our van we'd painted tortoises and written "Desert Tortoises" in large green-and-white letters. Jesse said he was surprised by the question and that he told her that we were part of a relay race team named the Desert Tortoises.
It's funny though, because we did form some sort of Society during the race. Ragnar Relay participants, we quickly found out, were friendly, willing to help out, and all there for the same thing: to have fun and to have a memorable experience, all of which made the tragic loss the night before more difficult.
We were a society, though, a unit. A team. That much was evident during the final run. By the time Jorge had crossed the finish line, we had shaved off about 40 minutes from out deficit. We tore through that last set of legs as if it was our first, as if we had fresh legs and a full night's sleep behind us.
All in all, Van Two ran about 98 of the 171 miles, and did so in about 25 hours. Overall, our team finished in 28 hours, 15 minutes, 3 seconds. We finished 130th out of 182 teams. But those were all details. We were happy with having finished the race, having met a tough challenge head on and come out better for it on the other end.
Members of Van One here: Chris, Mychael (my sister-in-law), Danny (my bro), David, Jennifer and Vanessa.
My beloved van-mates: me, Alex, Elvia, Jesse, Jon, Jorge and Fausto kneeling in front of us.
We ARE the Desert Tortoise Society.
And damn, does it feel good.
I may have ranked my races/runs at some point by now, who knows? It's so difficult to rate races and runs and experiences. What matters more - personal accomplishments or sharing the highs and lows of running with others? What means more - meeting a personal goal or achieving something as a team, as a unit?
It's really impossible to gauge, not only from person to person but for yourself as well. One day, I think my half marathon was my greatest feat of '09. The next, I think my 10K PR was greater. And another day, I feel best about the Cedar River Run.
Regardless of what moment ranks as number one, this post is the culmination of what I think is the greatest combination of '09 in terms of running - participating in the Ragnar Relay and having had the chance to share the experience with all of my readers.
***
Originally published Oct. 13
Ragnar Relay, Part III: The Desert Tortoise Society
Part three of three of the Desert Tortoises' Ragnar Relay experience. Here are links to Part I and Part II of this three-legged journey.
Ragnar Relay, Part III
Following the completion of our respective second legs, Van Two members were in a bit of a whirlwind. Physically, we were spent. We'd run a combined 75 miles already, and all of that since 2 p.m. Friday. It was about 6 a.m. Saturday, so we'd exerted a lot of energy in a short amount of time.
The recent accident that took the life of a fellow runner was also fresh in our minds, and while we tried to focus on our experience, I couldn't (and haven't been able to) shake off the sadness.
We tried to recover physically by going to breakfast. We drove around and around until we finally found our destination: the Green River Valley Casino, home of the Original Pancake House. At the time, I didn't care if it was the Original or the Copy, I just wanted to eat.
The seven of us ordered our food (another Ragnar team ate nearby and we waved hello to them) and while we waited, I stretched. I thought the waiters/hostesses might think it odd to see someone doing full-on stretches in the middle of an empty restaurant, in the wee hours of the morning, but I could not care less. I was on the ground, thinking about the Loper who leads our weekly stretches after our Sunday runs, trying to reach for my ankle while I sat on the ground.
I wasn't quite thinking about my third and final run because I knew if I would have started thinking about it, I would have become overwhelmed. It was supposed to start between noon and 1 p.m., in other words, right as the sun was overhead. My first two runs were run in the darkness, so that would be a new and different experience. I didn't want to start psyching myself out, so instead I just chowed down five pancakes and a plate of potatoes (hash browns, not really hashed... or brown).
As we dragged our legs out of the casino, we were suddenly surrounded by a mass of runners. Except they weren't Ragnar participants. No, they were there for a 5K. I couldn't help but laugh. A 5K? That's it? I don't look down on race distances or anything like that, but the thought of a 3.1-mile race seemed so insignificant at the time. After all, we'd just finished running 70-something miles.
With stomachs filled to the brim, we piled into the van and made our way to Exchange Point 30. There, we would begin our journey and each of us would run our final legs.
But would we rest?
This Exchange Point was at an elementary school, and there were plenty of vehicles there. Still, I was interested in only one thing, and I soon spotted it. Behind a chain-link fence, on the other side of the street was a place to sleep. I grabbed a sleeping bag, the towel that served as my pillow and bade farewell to my van-mates. They were welcomed to join me, but nobody did. I found a spot about 20 yards away from other runners/sleepers, unfolded the bag, crawled inside and closed my eyes. The sun was already shining down on us, so I put on my sunglasses and crashed.
About two hours later, my stomach woke me up and I had to go find a bathroom. The porta-potties ranged from gross to really, really, really gross but I didn't care.
I felt refreshed, ready to begin our final trek, ready to help the Desert Tortoises along to the finish line. But even though I felt refreshed and ready to go, we wouldn't be going for another hour. Van One had hit some problems as blisters and fatigue set in. We were running about 1 hour, 40 minutes behind our projected time, though we'd been behind when we handed the bracelet off to Van One a few hours back.
I wasn't so concerned with our finish time, though. I was only disappointed in that because it meant my run would be later in the day and the heat might start to have an impact on me.
Meanwhile, Jesse was starting to regain his health. He said he shook his knee around and felt it pop, and afterward it felt good once more. He said he was willing to try his leg but I wasn't sure if that would have been a good idea or not. He seemed determined and some of the other van-mates supported him so I figured I'd support him to.
Eventually, Van One pulled into the Exchange Point and we were a team once more, albeit for about 15 minutes. Vanessa (Runner 6) was within sight and we gathered at the Exchange Point to cheer her on. She handed off the bracelet to Jon...
... and after a quick photo-op, he began his final leg.And that was it. Van Two was off. Jon tore through his 4.0-mile run, finishing in under 40 minutes.
Next up was Alex, and he had 4.2 miles to scale. While Alex was on the course, Jesse was preparing himself for a run. I did not know if he was really ready for it or if he just felt like he had to step up because the rest of us had run so much.
Whatever the case, as Alex approached the end Jesse took his place in the Exchange Point. Alex finished his run in about 40 minutes...
... and off Jesse went. We first passed him after he'd been running around half a mile. He seemed okay, and at the mile mark we got off to give him some water. He kept chugging along the course and seemed determined.
Jesse was close to the finish line as we passed him for the last time and we cheered him on from the van. He seemed determined to finish strong as he increased his speed, passing a few runners along the way.
The last stretch, he'd tell us later, was quite tough but he saw the run through, finishing his 3.5-miler in about 30 minutes. Excellent time if he ran it healthy and under normal circumstances, but given that his knee had been in pain and he'd had little sleep in the last 30 hours, it really was remarkable.
Elvia took off, and so did our momentum. Jesse's effort and the two previous successful runs were really contagious, and Elvia's grit and determination only added to that.
Now, originally she was only supposed to run 3.1 miles and my leg was slated for 6.3 miles, but once we got to the penultimate Exchange Point, we were told that Leg 34 (Elvia's) was increased to 4.1 miles and Leg 35 (mine) had been decreased to 5.3. I was quite enthused that I would not have to run more than six miles. I would have been able to do it, I believe, but the sun and the fatigue could have done damage, and I suspect that was the reason the change was made.While I felt bad for Elvia - she was expecting to run three miles but would have to run a fourth without knowing/preparing for it - I couldn't help but celebrate my good fortune.
Still, the last thing I wanted to do was to lose my focus. I had done well to prepare myself mentally for the run, had stocked my fuel belt with Gatorade, had a packet of Gu ready, had my iPod set on my third and final playlist, had my sunglasses on (oh, what glory not to have to wear the headlamp!) and even got some sunblock sprayed on me.I kept an eye out for Elvia.
When I finally spotted her, that was it. I was on. Five miles separated me from the final runner, the final leg, the run that would culminate the entire team's journey. The last thing I was going to do was to fail, to let my team down, to bring to a crashing halt the momentum started by Jon, carried on by Alex, elevated by Jesse and now moved forward by Elvia, and supported all along by the unyielding efforts of our beloved driver and teammate Fausto. We had all worked as a team from the moment we got together and I had to see my end through.
So when Elvia slapped the bracelet on my wrist, I was ready. More than ready. Letting my team down was not an option. It just wasn't in my plans.
I set off on my final 5.3 miles of the Ragnar Relay. Despite not getting much sleep and having run some 14 miles already, I felt good. Felt great. I got into the run pretty quickly and tried to keep myself from running at a too-fast pace. I did, after all, have to battle the conditions.
A few runners passed me by, and I had to especially stay focused when that happened. I did feel bit more competitive at this point than I had in previous times during the race, mainly because it was the end and I always feel the need to finish strong. But I did well to keep my emotions in check.Before my run, I'd told my team that I would need some assistance in the form of water. Since I had my fuel belt, I wouldn't need it to drink but I wanted some water splashed on me to keep me cool. So at the three-mile mark, Jorge complied.
Feeling refreshed and enthused at having seen the Tortoises showing me their support, I knew the finish would come soon enough. And when I saw the "One Mile To Go" mark, I was raring to set a new mile PR.Of course, that was never going to happen. Fastest I've ever run a mile was in about 6:57, and there was no way that was going to happen under the circumstances. But I upped my pace down the last stretch, off a road from the one I'd run the first four miles. The terrain was fine, the sun was hot and I was close to the finish. I even passed a couple of runners.
I got close to the finish, took my bracelet off and tried to slap it on Jorge's wrist. Instead, I fumbled it and had to hand it to him to send him on his way for the last five miles of the race.
I was thrilled to have reached the finish line. It was a glorious end to a long journey. But the journey wasn't over quite yet. Jorge, after all, was still on the course. And we needed to meet him at the finish line.
As we made our way to the van, Jesse had relayed a story to me. While they waited for me at the Exchange Point, an older lady had asked him if they were part of the Desert Tortoise Society. See, on our van we'd painted tortoises and written "Desert Tortoises" in large green-and-white letters. Jesse said he was surprised by the question and that he told her that we were part of a relay race team named the Desert Tortoises.
It's funny though, because we did form some sort of Society during the race. Ragnar Relay participants, we quickly found out, were friendly, willing to help out, and all there for the same thing: to have fun and to have a memorable experience, all of which made the tragic loss the night before more difficult.
We were a society, though, a unit. A team. That much was evident during the final run. By the time Jorge had crossed the finish line, we had shaved off about 40 minutes from out deficit. We tore through that last set of legs as if it was our first, as if we had fresh legs and a full night's sleep behind us.
All in all, Van Two ran about 98 of the 171 miles, and did so in about 25 hours. Overall, our team finished in 28 hours, 15 minutes, 3 seconds. We finished 130th out of 182 teams. But those were all details. We were happy with having finished the race, having met a tough challenge head on and come out better for it on the other end.
Members of Van One here: Chris, Mychael (my sister-in-law), Danny (my bro), David, Jennifer and Vanessa.
My beloved van-mates: me, Alex, Elvia, Jesse, Jon, Jorge and Fausto kneeling in front of us.
We ARE the Desert Tortoise Society.
And damn, does it feel good.Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Almost Home
On Sunday, I ran 15 miles. It wasn't exactly a ho-hum run, even though our pace was slow - we finished in about 2 hours 55 minutes. And it wasn't exactly a memorable run - three of us finished. But it was a great run for several reasons.
First, it was 15 miles and no matter how much I run, 15 miles will always be an awesome distance to run. It's longer than a half marathon and a distance I've only recently conquered.
Secondly - and perhaps more significant for me - it is the second-to-last long run before Surf City. No, we won't be throwing in any six-milers on Sundays in January, but these are the runs we'll be doing come next month: 12 miles, 15, 22, 12, 10. I like 12-mile runs. I really like 10-mile runs. Those are still long runs to me but there are certainly differences between 10-12 miles and 15-plus.
I can run 10 miles in less than two hours. I can run 12 miles in less than that too, probably, though in our running group we've typically finished those runs in about 2 hours 10 minutes or so, give or take.
It's not to say that I don't have fun running 15 miles or more. My 20-mile run was a great accomplishment. And I know that I'll enjoy running 22 miles. But it just seems a bit relaxing knowing that I'll only have to run more than 12 miles twice in the next month.
There is a flip side to all of this, though. The fewer long runs, the fewer training runs, the closer we get to the marathon. And for me, that will be the run to end all runs. So yeah I'll be a bit nervous for that. But that's a bridge I'll cross when I get to it.
For now, I'm going to enjoy the enjoyable thought of having nearly scaled all of my long-distance training runs.
First, it was 15 miles and no matter how much I run, 15 miles will always be an awesome distance to run. It's longer than a half marathon and a distance I've only recently conquered.
Secondly - and perhaps more significant for me - it is the second-to-last long run before Surf City. No, we won't be throwing in any six-milers on Sundays in January, but these are the runs we'll be doing come next month: 12 miles, 15, 22, 12, 10. I like 12-mile runs. I really like 10-mile runs. Those are still long runs to me but there are certainly differences between 10-12 miles and 15-plus.
I can run 10 miles in less than two hours. I can run 12 miles in less than that too, probably, though in our running group we've typically finished those runs in about 2 hours 10 minutes or so, give or take.
It's not to say that I don't have fun running 15 miles or more. My 20-mile run was a great accomplishment. And I know that I'll enjoy running 22 miles. But it just seems a bit relaxing knowing that I'll only have to run more than 12 miles twice in the next month.
There is a flip side to all of this, though. The fewer long runs, the fewer training runs, the closer we get to the marathon. And for me, that will be the run to end all runs. So yeah I'll be a bit nervous for that. But that's a bridge I'll cross when I get to it.
For now, I'm going to enjoy the enjoyable thought of having nearly scaled all of my long-distance training runs.
Muddy Runner Dirty Dozen: No. 3
Now, I tried to keep the countdown to things that happened earlier in the year, at least, in the first half of the year or so. But a recap of '09 just would not be complete with what I consider my greatest non-race run of my life.
It just wouldn't.
*****
Originally published Nov. 23
Motivational Mondays (Nov. 23)
I normally set Mondays aside for a Motivational Monday post, and while today is not exactly identical to other such posts, I believe this post to be quite motivational. So instead of postponing this a day to include something that is solely to motivate, I'll let this serve that purpose. It's long but it was a long run after all...
***
Sunday morning was not like any other morning. For one, I was in Seattle on a business trip. Add in my restless sleep and it was a unique start to the day. I first saw the alarm clock at about 3:20 a.m. and after that, I barely slept.
18 miles. And it's cold.
It had been rather chilly upon my arrival in the Emerald City on Saturday. I wore a beanie and gloves most of the day and was still rather cold. But this morning, I would have to deal with the cold and the rain somehow. I first look outside my hotel window before 4 a.m. and noticed a lack of rain, though the parking lot was quite wet. But every time I looked outside afterward, there was a steady drizzle.
The weather forecast had called for temperatures in the low 40s, rain and wind.
Great. As if I need something else to deal with.
The thought of the wind jarred me out of bed sometime around 6:30. The wind was supposed to start blowing hard where I would run, the Cedar River Trail, sometime around 10 or 11 that morning, so I realized that the sooner I left, the more likely it would be to avoid that.
Time to get dressed.
Pushing thoughts of how drenched I would get aside, I got dressed. First, I taped the nips. Last thing I need is to have that rear its ugly head again. Then, I put on my skin-tight undershirt. On top of that, the moisture wicking shirt I picked up on Friday. Then, my brand-new jacket I got as a gift on Saturday at the stadium. I wore my running underwear, one of my better pairs of shorts, a new pair of socks that was supposed to keep my feet dry and my shoes. Got my gloves as well, a hat, Gu, The Garmin, fuel belt.
I walked outside and was surprised to feel that it wasn't the blast of cold ice I expected. Counting that as good fortune, I got in the car and zipped off to find the start point.
Now where is that place?
I was looking for a road that I ultimately must have passed up. Two freeways had spilled me onto the road I was on now, but there was no sign of the next street. But I spotted my destination, the Cedar River Trail, and remembered reading how there were parking spots all along the course, so an opening ahead adjacent to the trail was where I finally parked the car.
You ready for this?
It was around 7:20 or so by the time I parked. The rain had not let up but it was mostly a drizzle, nothing like Ray Bradbury's Hard Rain. I turned on The Garmin, got my Gu together, filled up the fuel belt bottles with Gatorade and stepped outside.
Aw, this ain't bad.
Initially, it wasn't. Yes, it was cold. Much colder than I'm used to during my Sunday morning runs. But I wasn't quite a ball of ice. I felt good. Prepared.
Let's do this.
After several steps along the trail, I took off. I didn't want to run fast but I guess I couldn't help it. My pace was under nine minutes when I looked at The Garmin the first time, so I slowed down. I suppose it was the anxiety and pent-up energy I was releasing.
The trail cut a path between the road I'd taken and a series of houses. Above, the sky was a gray canopy of moisture. Beyond that, there were unconfirmed reports of a sun but I never was able to verify the existence of said sun. The canopy couldn't hold all its moisture so we benefited from that underneath. Leaves covered the trail, but aside from a few puddles the trail was visually enticing.
Somewhere, my Lopers are running under sunny skies.
Of course, the Lopers were running their own 18-mile course, and while it was the same distance as I'd run, my run was not quite like theirs. Still, I felt strengthened knowing that they were out there tackling their own 18-run monster.
Oh my. Look at that.
There up ahead, loudly announcing its presence, was the Cedar River in all its glory. This wasn't the streams we have at home. This was a bona fide river, slicing a path between evergreen trees and other weathered vegetation. I felt humbled by the river. I wanted to salute or somehow acknowledge the mighty river, but just kept running. I wondered how many people had depended on this river, in this very spot, 400 years ago. 500 years ago.
Aw man, don't do this now.
Jarring my memories of some scantily-clad natives taking fish out of the river was silence. I'd had my iPod on but suddenly it ceased playing music. The iPod is almost four years old, and it's been through a lot so it goes out on me often. But this was not the time to be left alone. I ran about a half mile when I decided that it was worth the effort to take it off and try and reset it. Careful not to allow water on my shirt, I zipped open the jacket long enough to take the iPod out of the carrier and reset it. Once it got going again, I placed it inside the jacket pocket.
Stupid thing.
Up ahead, I saw a figure. I'd been alone on the trail the whole time and wondered if anyone else was out there somewhere, running towards or away from me. But this confirmed that indeed I was not alone. The figure ahead was moving quickly towards me, running at a much faster pace than me and we said hello to each other when we crossed paths. I smiled broadly.
I'm not the only crazy guy out here, I guess.
I was past the six-mile mark and had not been running an hour yet. Probably too fast of a pace but figured I'd start to take it easy. The trail now had snaked underneath a bridge and spilled me out on the other side when...
Hey, that lady looks familiar.
Coming to a halt off her own run was someone I'd seen pictures of just recently. Kerrie of mom vs. Marathon was smiling, saying hi and I smiled back, surprised to have seen her. She introduced me to her running partner, Zoe of Run Zoe Run, and we chatted briefly about the weather. It hadn't really rained on Saturday but of course now it was raining.
"It's okay, though. I might as well experience Washington and what it's all about. Bring it," I told the two local ladies.
We posed for a quick picture or four. Kerrie's phone couldn't quite get us all in frame but finally a sideways tilt of the phone worked wonders. She was gracious enough to share the picture with me.
We parted ways and I was once again on my own. I was not quite yet at seven miles but I felt energized, invigorated, enthralled by having ran across Kerrie. It's a moment I'll carry with me forever.
And she has no choice but to run in this crap.
Quite true. Kerrie and Zoe and the other Seattle bloggers I'd stumbled upon have no choice but to run in the rain. Next week in fact is a half-marathon that I believe they are all training for. Kerrie and Zoe had already ran about nine or 10 miles by the time I'd caught up to them. I'm lucky. And I felt guilty telling them that my marathon was going to be in Huntington Beach. The low that day is usually 48 degress, in other words, about eight degrees warmer than it was when I stepped out of the car this morning.
Okay, that really sucks.
The iPod had stopped once more. I tried to resuscitate it but no luck. The screen looked strange, and since it couldn't and wouldn't last even half the distance, I decided to scrap it and do the run myself. Quickly, I came upon a gazebo that was off the path a bit. I was at around 8.92 miles and figured I'd run to it, and when I got to 9.0 miles, I stopped to take a drink and gather myself.
Now you just have to run back to the car.
While it wasn't that easy, that's what I needed to do. The scenery had changed a bit. I was still near the river but I'd taken a path under a bridge so I was on the other side of the street from where I'd started. The rain was still a pleasant companion and had started to take its toll on me. My shoes had been fine up until that point. My feet were becoming increasingly cold and I don't know if it was water and cold or just the cold temperatures but they were certainly cold.
Soon, I had gone underneath the bridge once more and was back on the other side of the street. I wondered where Kerrie and Zoe had gone off to. I pictured a dry, warm setting with coffee and conversation... precisely the opposite of my own experience.
swish swish, swish swish, swish swish, swish swish
thud thud, thud thud, thud thud, thud thud
Who needed the iPod when I had my own jacket and shoes to make a unique brand of music? Okay, it was sound, not really music, but it was rhythmic.
I was slowing down. I was nearing Mile 12 and was at or close to two hours. By the time The Garmin read 12.0 miles, I was on the north side of 2 hours. My thought of finishing the run in under three hours was gone, and even though it wasn't much of a goal, I wondered how long I'd run.
You've never ran more than three straight hours before. You gonna make it?
My feet were increasingly colder. No longer did I have shoes and socks but rather a mass of cold. I tried to ignore it until, at around mile 14, I couldn't any more.
My feet hurt.
I admitted my pain but I didn't want to think about my feet. I didn't want to think about my legs or my back or my arms or anything. I tried to stay focused, tried to use the bill of my hat as a target, to keep my eyes directly underneath and pointing forward. No use in worrying about my feet. There would be time to worry about them afterward.
Three more miles. Come on man, you laugh at three miles.
While I don't think of three-mile runs as a joke, I do quite often run more than three miles. Actually, most every time out I cross the 3.0-mile mark. But this time, of course, I'd already had 15 miles under my belt. And then there was the rain. The relentless rain. It was mostly a drizzle to be honest. A drizzle that at times grew a bit stronger. And other times it even cleared up. But it would have taken a long time to fill a bucket with rainwater under this sort of drizzle.
But it was enough to drench you after it pelted you for nearly three hours. And drenched I was. I couldn't feel what part of my face was sweat and what part was rain. My hat had served its purpose, taking the brunt of the rain and keeping it out of my eyes. I never got a drop of rain that hit me in the eyes.
The river was now more audible than it was when I'd had my iPod but I couldn't hear it too much over the shouts from my body. The trees and vegetation that had greeted me on my way out were now encouraging me to finish despite the rain's attempt to slow me down.
Two more miles. That's nothing.
I had been stopping for short walk breaks every mile for the last few miles. It grew harder to do so, simply because I had to start running again, usually with an audible grunt. My cold feet were not responding well to the constant pounding and my pace was slow. But I had to power through that. I thought of my blog buddies, my loyal readers who are there to support me in all my running adventures. I thought of the new Seattle-area bloggers I found, how helpful and encouraging they'd been and how great it was to have met a pair of them. I thought of the Lopers, who were probably done at that point, celebrating their own conquest. And I thought of my family and how Yvie had wished me good luck on my run on Friday before I said bye to her.
There was absolutely no way I was going to let any of them down. Nope. Not a chance. I might have been in pain, might have been cold and wet and tired and achy but I was going to finish this run no matter what. That's one thing I've learned throughout my running. I don't do this just for myself. I feel it's an obligation of mine to see my runs through for my friends and family. I refuse to fail, to fall short and then have to explain myself to anybody. That's just not an option.
Like a carrot dangling in front of a horse, I saw my car up ahead. I knew I could do it. The Garmin had read 17.55 the last time I'd looked at it but I did not let my gaze wander down until I got to a bridge very close to where I'd started. I slogged to the bridge, feet aching.
17.95
Oh my God! I'm so close.
A few more painful steps later and The Garmin read 18.0.
Oh, I'm done. It's over.
I shut The Garmin off, panted audibly and groaned a few times as I tried to gather my footing.
You did it.
It just wouldn't.
*****
Originally published Nov. 23
Motivational Mondays (Nov. 23)
I normally set Mondays aside for a Motivational Monday post, and while today is not exactly identical to other such posts, I believe this post to be quite motivational. So instead of postponing this a day to include something that is solely to motivate, I'll let this serve that purpose. It's long but it was a long run after all...
***
Sunday morning was not like any other morning. For one, I was in Seattle on a business trip. Add in my restless sleep and it was a unique start to the day. I first saw the alarm clock at about 3:20 a.m. and after that, I barely slept.
18 miles. And it's cold.
It had been rather chilly upon my arrival in the Emerald City on Saturday. I wore a beanie and gloves most of the day and was still rather cold. But this morning, I would have to deal with the cold and the rain somehow. I first look outside my hotel window before 4 a.m. and noticed a lack of rain, though the parking lot was quite wet. But every time I looked outside afterward, there was a steady drizzle.
The weather forecast had called for temperatures in the low 40s, rain and wind.
Great. As if I need something else to deal with.
The thought of the wind jarred me out of bed sometime around 6:30. The wind was supposed to start blowing hard where I would run, the Cedar River Trail, sometime around 10 or 11 that morning, so I realized that the sooner I left, the more likely it would be to avoid that.
Time to get dressed.
Pushing thoughts of how drenched I would get aside, I got dressed. First, I taped the nips. Last thing I need is to have that rear its ugly head again. Then, I put on my skin-tight undershirt. On top of that, the moisture wicking shirt I picked up on Friday. Then, my brand-new jacket I got as a gift on Saturday at the stadium. I wore my running underwear, one of my better pairs of shorts, a new pair of socks that was supposed to keep my feet dry and my shoes. Got my gloves as well, a hat, Gu, The Garmin, fuel belt.
I walked outside and was surprised to feel that it wasn't the blast of cold ice I expected. Counting that as good fortune, I got in the car and zipped off to find the start point.
Now where is that place?
I was looking for a road that I ultimately must have passed up. Two freeways had spilled me onto the road I was on now, but there was no sign of the next street. But I spotted my destination, the Cedar River Trail, and remembered reading how there were parking spots all along the course, so an opening ahead adjacent to the trail was where I finally parked the car.
You ready for this?
It was around 7:20 or so by the time I parked. The rain had not let up but it was mostly a drizzle, nothing like Ray Bradbury's Hard Rain. I turned on The Garmin, got my Gu together, filled up the fuel belt bottles with Gatorade and stepped outside.
Aw, this ain't bad.
Initially, it wasn't. Yes, it was cold. Much colder than I'm used to during my Sunday morning runs. But I wasn't quite a ball of ice. I felt good. Prepared.
Let's do this.
After several steps along the trail, I took off. I didn't want to run fast but I guess I couldn't help it. My pace was under nine minutes when I looked at The Garmin the first time, so I slowed down. I suppose it was the anxiety and pent-up energy I was releasing.
The trail cut a path between the road I'd taken and a series of houses. Above, the sky was a gray canopy of moisture. Beyond that, there were unconfirmed reports of a sun but I never was able to verify the existence of said sun. The canopy couldn't hold all its moisture so we benefited from that underneath. Leaves covered the trail, but aside from a few puddles the trail was visually enticing.
Somewhere, my Lopers are running under sunny skies.
Of course, the Lopers were running their own 18-mile course, and while it was the same distance as I'd run, my run was not quite like theirs. Still, I felt strengthened knowing that they were out there tackling their own 18-run monster.
Oh my. Look at that.
There up ahead, loudly announcing its presence, was the Cedar River in all its glory. This wasn't the streams we have at home. This was a bona fide river, slicing a path between evergreen trees and other weathered vegetation. I felt humbled by the river. I wanted to salute or somehow acknowledge the mighty river, but just kept running. I wondered how many people had depended on this river, in this very spot, 400 years ago. 500 years ago.
Aw man, don't do this now.
Jarring my memories of some scantily-clad natives taking fish out of the river was silence. I'd had my iPod on but suddenly it ceased playing music. The iPod is almost four years old, and it's been through a lot so it goes out on me often. But this was not the time to be left alone. I ran about a half mile when I decided that it was worth the effort to take it off and try and reset it. Careful not to allow water on my shirt, I zipped open the jacket long enough to take the iPod out of the carrier and reset it. Once it got going again, I placed it inside the jacket pocket.
Stupid thing.
Up ahead, I saw a figure. I'd been alone on the trail the whole time and wondered if anyone else was out there somewhere, running towards or away from me. But this confirmed that indeed I was not alone. The figure ahead was moving quickly towards me, running at a much faster pace than me and we said hello to each other when we crossed paths. I smiled broadly.
I'm not the only crazy guy out here, I guess.
I was past the six-mile mark and had not been running an hour yet. Probably too fast of a pace but figured I'd start to take it easy. The trail now had snaked underneath a bridge and spilled me out on the other side when...
Hey, that lady looks familiar.
Coming to a halt off her own run was someone I'd seen pictures of just recently. Kerrie of mom vs. Marathon was smiling, saying hi and I smiled back, surprised to have seen her. She introduced me to her running partner, Zoe of Run Zoe Run, and we chatted briefly about the weather. It hadn't really rained on Saturday but of course now it was raining.
"It's okay, though. I might as well experience Washington and what it's all about. Bring it," I told the two local ladies.
We posed for a quick picture or four. Kerrie's phone couldn't quite get us all in frame but finally a sideways tilt of the phone worked wonders. She was gracious enough to share the picture with me.
We parted ways and I was once again on my own. I was not quite yet at seven miles but I felt energized, invigorated, enthralled by having ran across Kerrie. It's a moment I'll carry with me forever.And she has no choice but to run in this crap.
Quite true. Kerrie and Zoe and the other Seattle bloggers I'd stumbled upon have no choice but to run in the rain. Next week in fact is a half-marathon that I believe they are all training for. Kerrie and Zoe had already ran about nine or 10 miles by the time I'd caught up to them. I'm lucky. And I felt guilty telling them that my marathon was going to be in Huntington Beach. The low that day is usually 48 degress, in other words, about eight degrees warmer than it was when I stepped out of the car this morning.
Okay, that really sucks.
The iPod had stopped once more. I tried to resuscitate it but no luck. The screen looked strange, and since it couldn't and wouldn't last even half the distance, I decided to scrap it and do the run myself. Quickly, I came upon a gazebo that was off the path a bit. I was at around 8.92 miles and figured I'd run to it, and when I got to 9.0 miles, I stopped to take a drink and gather myself.
Now you just have to run back to the car.
While it wasn't that easy, that's what I needed to do. The scenery had changed a bit. I was still near the river but I'd taken a path under a bridge so I was on the other side of the street from where I'd started. The rain was still a pleasant companion and had started to take its toll on me. My shoes had been fine up until that point. My feet were becoming increasingly cold and I don't know if it was water and cold or just the cold temperatures but they were certainly cold.
Soon, I had gone underneath the bridge once more and was back on the other side of the street. I wondered where Kerrie and Zoe had gone off to. I pictured a dry, warm setting with coffee and conversation... precisely the opposite of my own experience.
swish swish, swish swish, swish swish, swish swish
thud thud, thud thud, thud thud, thud thud
Who needed the iPod when I had my own jacket and shoes to make a unique brand of music? Okay, it was sound, not really music, but it was rhythmic.
I was slowing down. I was nearing Mile 12 and was at or close to two hours. By the time The Garmin read 12.0 miles, I was on the north side of 2 hours. My thought of finishing the run in under three hours was gone, and even though it wasn't much of a goal, I wondered how long I'd run.
You've never ran more than three straight hours before. You gonna make it?
My feet were increasingly colder. No longer did I have shoes and socks but rather a mass of cold. I tried to ignore it until, at around mile 14, I couldn't any more.
My feet hurt.
I admitted my pain but I didn't want to think about my feet. I didn't want to think about my legs or my back or my arms or anything. I tried to stay focused, tried to use the bill of my hat as a target, to keep my eyes directly underneath and pointing forward. No use in worrying about my feet. There would be time to worry about them afterward.
Three more miles. Come on man, you laugh at three miles.
While I don't think of three-mile runs as a joke, I do quite often run more than three miles. Actually, most every time out I cross the 3.0-mile mark. But this time, of course, I'd already had 15 miles under my belt. And then there was the rain. The relentless rain. It was mostly a drizzle to be honest. A drizzle that at times grew a bit stronger. And other times it even cleared up. But it would have taken a long time to fill a bucket with rainwater under this sort of drizzle.
But it was enough to drench you after it pelted you for nearly three hours. And drenched I was. I couldn't feel what part of my face was sweat and what part was rain. My hat had served its purpose, taking the brunt of the rain and keeping it out of my eyes. I never got a drop of rain that hit me in the eyes.
The river was now more audible than it was when I'd had my iPod but I couldn't hear it too much over the shouts from my body. The trees and vegetation that had greeted me on my way out were now encouraging me to finish despite the rain's attempt to slow me down.
Two more miles. That's nothing.
I had been stopping for short walk breaks every mile for the last few miles. It grew harder to do so, simply because I had to start running again, usually with an audible grunt. My cold feet were not responding well to the constant pounding and my pace was slow. But I had to power through that. I thought of my blog buddies, my loyal readers who are there to support me in all my running adventures. I thought of the new Seattle-area bloggers I found, how helpful and encouraging they'd been and how great it was to have met a pair of them. I thought of the Lopers, who were probably done at that point, celebrating their own conquest. And I thought of my family and how Yvie had wished me good luck on my run on Friday before I said bye to her.
There was absolutely no way I was going to let any of them down. Nope. Not a chance. I might have been in pain, might have been cold and wet and tired and achy but I was going to finish this run no matter what. That's one thing I've learned throughout my running. I don't do this just for myself. I feel it's an obligation of mine to see my runs through for my friends and family. I refuse to fail, to fall short and then have to explain myself to anybody. That's just not an option.
Like a carrot dangling in front of a horse, I saw my car up ahead. I knew I could do it. The Garmin had read 17.55 the last time I'd looked at it but I did not let my gaze wander down until I got to a bridge very close to where I'd started. I slogged to the bridge, feet aching.
17.95
Oh my God! I'm so close.
A few more painful steps later and The Garmin read 18.0.
Oh, I'm done. It's over.
I shut The Garmin off, panted audibly and groaned a few times as I tried to gather my footing.
You did it.
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