Kansas Isn't Flat

NEW BLOG SITE

2011-04-06T05:57:00.001-07:00

Please head over to HispanicRunning.Com for the new blog site. Thank you!

Friday Morning 9 Miler

2010-10-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

Great run this morning to start the weekend of running related events. Nine miler in the am and ran at an average pace of 10:41 which is not bad for me at that distance and amount of time on the road. Absolutely perfect morning, crisp cool air with all the stars in the Kansas Sky! There were a couple of runners out closer to the 6am hour but I like it when I am one of the only runners on the road and have to look out for the zombies all by myself. I actually think that it helps my pace a little when I hear something and want to put some distance between me and them...! At the end of the workout I put on a little Podrunner music and it was a nice way to keep pace when I might have otherwise slowed down at the end of the workout. Check them out and buy a t-shirt to help keep the workouts coming!

2010 Worldwide Festival of Races

2010-10-11T07:46:00.001-07:00

Today I parcipated and finished my first half marathon distance as part of the 2010 Worldwide Festival of Races and I must admit it was harder than I thought. The first 10-11 miles were somewhat slower than my normal pace but this was intentional as I wanted to finish strong and not limp across the finish line. The overall average pace was 11:49, not too bad for a late-starter and still overweight runner. Here is the screenshot of my Garmin Connect information:

Begging to my usual impromptu decision making I decided to go buy some gels and nutrition because I thought it was the right thing to do on a run that I knew was going to be over 2 hours in length. What was really funny was that during my run I was listening to the most recent episode of the Extra Mile Podcast and the subject of nutrition was discussed with the founder of Hammer Nutrition. I learned a lot in that short discussion of nutrition that I am going to work into the upcoming training for a spring marathon, the newly renamed Oz Marathon in Olathe, KS which is held at the Garmin Headquarters. Back to nutrition.

I purchased a pouch of the Accel Gel and Cliff Shot Blocks both in a citrus flavor, Orange and Lime respectively. Those flavors were chosen because I was not sure of how any other "creamy" or strong type of flavor would have worked out on the road as this was the first time I was going to use any kind of nutritional product on the road. I think the gel was a better choice and a good one to build upon as it contains a bit of protein and everything I have ever read always states that a balanced approach is the best approach. The Accel also had a lower amount of sugar. This being said I am not finished experimenting with products and I have only tried three and there are many more out there to be sampled, I will probably go with some Hammer products next. Not really because I know about them from a scientific angle but they have always, in my short tenure, supported local races and I hear about them all over the podcast landscape. Water, or lack of.

Probably the most misjudged item on the run was water. I have a Ultimate Direction waist hydration pack with one bottle and I filled it twice on the run. Maybe it was a combination of slight dehydration and not enough on the route but I felt more dehydrated than anything else. The next two long distance races I have planned are supported and I will make sure to run a shorter loop or find a gas station or something to fill the bottle a couple more times. Finishing felt great!

Up until mile about mile 11 I felt strong and was running in the low 11's to high 10's on the pace scale, this whole time I had followed my intervals to the second and ran head high, eyes to the horizon. However somewhere along mile 11 the horizon began to dip and all I could focus on was the next few feet that lie ahead. My legs began to really feel tired, not cramped or ready to give out, just tired from the pounding. This was after all my first attempt at a 13 mile run. The second to last interval was slow and I did muster the strength to keep going, albiet slowly, to the finish and stopped the Garmin at 13.14 miles. There were no tears or cheering, just a nice sense of accomplishment and a desire to train for 26.2!

Thanks to all of my fellow runners worldwide who participated this weekend and especially to the race organizers and supporters, you all know who you are! Take a gander at the goodie bag!

What a great idea to fill a virtual goodie bag with items every runner needs, music, stickers, inspiration and links to important online resources. I look forward to next year's race and to all of my fellow runners across the globe running together in spirit!

First 2010 Kansas City Run in Shorts!

2010-03-10T04:13:00.000-08:00

First run in Kansas City wearing SHORTS in 2010! Very beautiful 48F at 527am! Nice midweek EMR 5K, felt good the whole run and did not take any walk breaks. Slowed down a couple times and managed an overall 11:25 pace with nice bits of 8:39 mixed in as well...would really like to get the training average down into the 10's and high 9's by mid summer.

Sunday 6 Miler!

2010-02-28T08:08:00.001-08:00

Nice Sunday long run for the week, about 20 degrees out when I started but no wind to speak of so I warmed up quickly. Changed the loop slightly to get a couple of more hills along the way. They are not too steep, but just enough to break the pace a little. Listened to the Extra Mile Podcast which was a perfect companion!

Week 1 Half Mary

2009-12-26T18:11:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Today was the fourth and final workout of the week for my first half
marathon on April 18th, 2010. The half will be in Lawrence, KS and
should be a very hilly affair!
My workouts this week were all indoors on the treadmill as it has been
very cold (in the teens) in the mornings and it was for the best to
run indoors. Thankfully my mother in law recently purchased a
treadmill for our house making the gym obsolete. I went online and
got a Garmin footpod for my 405 and calibrated it with he GPS and
remarkably I have found it to be pretty accurate.
There were four workouts this week two two milers one five mile and
finally a six mile long run which I completed this afternoon in the
midst of a 12 inch snowstorm! My total mileage for the week was 18
miles, representing the longest week of running in my short running
career. I feel good about the week and other than some very minor
stiffness in my knees I feel quite good. Next week will be very
similar and will hopefulle be as good as this week!

Sent from my iPhone

It's Been Awhile

2009-09-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

Yes, it has been a while since I have posted and as I sit here on my lunch hour I thought I would recount a few things from the past month or so.

First of all I completed the longest run in my life, the KC Trail Nerds Clinton Lake 8.5 Mile Trail Race a few weeks ago in Lawrence, KS. It cannot go without saying that trail running is a completely different animal than road running or jogging. As I believe I mentioned after my first trail experience, I really love trail running! Each step is different and just as soon as you can find a "groove" the trail turns or the surface changes which require you to change as well. This time the trail was wet and muddy in sections and there were also sections with wet limestone which is super slippery. None the less I finished the race in 2 hours and felt great. What I think it did for me more than anything was prove to myself that I can do a longer run. My new goal is to complete the Olathe Half Marathon in Olathe, KS next April.

One of the main things I have been thinking about recently is my addiction to sugar and my overall laziness when it comes to eating well. Anyone would be remiss to try and abstain or force themselves to something extreme but with me I find myself nearly always leaning towards the "easiest" food option. The easiest food option is usually something pre-packaged, out of a box or from a quick serve restaurant...all, for the most part, less than the smartest choice. As of late I have also been reading and listening to folks talk about our addiction to sugar, processed sugar, in all forms - breads, sweets, almost everything packaged has high-fructose corn syrup.

I am not entirely sure what I am going to do about this addiction, but in the coming posts I hope to not only relate my running stories but also my fight to win the war against sugar!

2009 Course of Dreams Cross Country 5K

2009-08-03T19:37:00.000-07:00

Writing this entry I again realize that this race was another "first" for me...my first cross country race. I did not run in high school, or ever for that matter, but I did have friends on the cross country team and I never realized that there was no track or other type of distinct course, so it was great to run across some wide open fields at Shawnee Mission Park in Shawnee, KS.

I enjoyed the race immensely and was particularly fond of the weather! Overcast and cool!!

Coming into the finish I was thinking about how, maybe, one of these days I will get to my goal of a sub-30 minute 5K. I am sure that goal does not sound spectacular, but for someone who is just barely off of the couch and never ran after 6th grade PE it is a very aggressive goal. At this point I feel I can get to that goal in the next couple of months, I am working on my training and my nutrition which will hopefully, together, get me to that sub-30 minute goal!

2009 Start 2 Finish 5K

2009-07-26T15:11:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Start2Finish 5K was a great event for me as the finish line was at the University of Kansas Edwards Campus in Overland Park, KS and both Big Jay and Baby Jay were in attendance. The name of the race comes from the effort by Johnson County Community College and the University of Kansas to attract students to complete their education at JCCC and then KU. I am sure they are after locals who may have taken time off after high school or maybe had a year or so of college and desires to go back and complete a degree. 2009 was the second year of the event and as you can see from the video there were not that many runners, none the less it was a great group and I ran (yes, pun intended) into a neighbor of mine who I see every now and then running in the neighborhood. Speaking of the neighborhood the race started just a mile from the house and the day was great...overcast, relatively low humidity and a low temperature for this time of year in Kansas.

As I rolled up to the starting line I did have some doubts about my ability to run a good race as I had taken most of the week off to nurse some soreness in my left knee and lower leg. I had been walking several nights and iced the knee and shin area several times to try and help ease the soreness. I am happy to say that the leg felt great and there was really no soreness at all. I did take a walk break at the water stop and at the top of the hill but ran strong across the finish line (or at least what I felt was strong!).

2009 Eudora Horsethief Run 5K

2009-07-14T19:31:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know Eudora, KS is a pretty small town in the north eastern part of the State and is very near Lawrence, KS which is home to my alma matter, the University of Kansas. Until race day I had not spent much time at all in Eudora although I had been there a couple of times to visit clients a time or two, the only thing I remembered about Eudora was the Chinese-Mexican restaurant on the main street which folks refer to as ChiMex!

The morning of the race I was quite nervous about the race because I hadn't run much the past week to 10 days because of the shin splints I have been experiencing. I managed to get up a few minutes earlier than I probably would have normally, but I wanted to get some good ice-time on my leg before the run began. We arrived to the race with a little extra inspiration: Valeria!!

Today was Valeria's first race with daddy and I had a lot of fun with her, thinking about her waiting for me at the finish line, I am not sure I ran any faster, but it was great to have her there at the race.

The course was a flat and fast (for some) route through the south part of town passing through mostly residential neighborhoods and past the school with a finish on Main Street. I managed to finish in just over 32 minutes according to my Garmin although the race time was 33 and change, I also noticed my Garmin estimated the course to be a little longer than 5K. Weather...well the weather was great and perfect for a morning 5K in the middle of Summer in Kansas. A little humid, not too hot but nice and overcast which for me is a plus because I do most of my running in the early morning without the Sun and I can really feel it when I run in the afternoon or mid morning when the Sun is hanging high in the sky.

As can be seen from the splits the first mile was very good for me, in fact it may be the fastest mile I have ever run! Mile two was great and I did stop after mile two to grab a drink at the water stop. It was funny because I was thinking about water for a while because it was humid and it seemed to make me much thirstier than usual, but to my delight water was just in sight! After the water stop (or walk, I didn't fully stop) I walked for about 2 minutes and tried to finish strong. Coming across the finish line I felt really good and thought a lot about how I can make my next race even better.

Speaking of my next race, as you can see from my listing of races to the right I have a couple on the horizon. The first is a cross county run and the second one is a race from one college to another and starts just a mile away from my house. I am trying to get some cross training in as I am still feeling some shin splints and I want to be ready for my 10K in the fall for the Worldwide Festival of Races. Hey, why don't you join me!!!?? Take a look at the WWFOR website and sign up, I think it is a tremendous concept that can unite folks from all over the world!

Take care, God bless and have a great week of training and racing!!!

2009 Lenexa Freedom Run5K

2009-07-08T18:15:00.000-07:00

Last week on the birthday of our Country I had the opportunity to run in the 2009 Lenexa Freedom Run 5K event in Lenexa, KS. The event also has a 10K which would be two loops of the course as it is a nice loop around the Lenexa area starting at Old Town Lenexa passing through an area of commercial buildings and back to Old Town. One of the neat things about the race was that it started about one mile from my house, so it was basically a run around another part of the neighborhood.

The event itself is organized by the City of Lenexa so the checkin was at the Lenexa Community Center and the Mayor himself made some welcoming remarks and started the race. I was surpised to get the race in at all because overnight and earlier in the morning we had thunderstorms in the area, in fact the "skies parted" just about 45 minutes before the race began. As a result of all the moisture it was very humid even though the temperature was relatively low for this time of year.

All in all I enjoyed the race and my finishing time was just over 34 minutes which was about 2 minutes slower than my PR a few races ago. For some reason my lower left leg has been bothering me a little during my runs so I took it pretty easy and did not push it too much at all. I took a couple of short walk breaks at the water stops but finished under full power which always makes me feel good. Even though my "full power" is not nearly fast at all it feels good to run across the finish line, I always try to finish strong! I think one of the neatest thing about running is that you are in absolute control (barring injury or some other unforeseen impediment) of the effort you exert and even when you are moving slow if you are pushing hard and with full effort I think that it is an accomplishment.

Next week I am participating in the Eudora Horsethief Run in Eudora, KS, I know it is a 5K and that's about it! I will post my video and photos if I have them.

Have a great week of running, racing and training!

2009 Summer Intro Trail 5K

2009-06-22T20:00:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I ran my first trail anything and had a fantastic time thanks to the Kansas City Trail Nerds. Quite a while back I had seen this race on a running website and put it on the calendar because I have wanted to get out and run on the trails and thought something like this would force me to get out and about. Well...it never happened and I showed up on Saturday morning with no real idea what to expect.

The day was almost perfect, sunny but not too hot and considering how hot it has been and how hot is now, I really don't know how we got such a good day. The course was out at Wyandotte County Lake Park on the Western edge of Wyandotte County, Kansas. Truthfully I was not really sure where to go as I had never been out to that part of the area, after a couple of wrong turns I managed to get to the start area and made my way over to the park shelter to register and pay for the race. I enjoyed the atmosphere as it was very cordial and inviting...and the event was only $8!! So I paid and made my way around the little park area to try and warm up a little, it was my second week of little or no running because of my schedule and some lingering lower leg pain that thankfully did not surface at all during the race.

The Race. Wow. For my first ever adventure out on the trails I had a blast! The first part of the course was not very technical as it was pretty flat and only a few obstacles and mud along the route. After a mile or so we hit the turn around point and there was some water so I took a breather and headed back to the finish. Although the first part of the course was somewhat flat I was not used to the mud and tree limbs (both overhead and below) and the jumping and dodging was a new experience while running. On the way back things got much more interesting as there was a rather long uphill section that really beat me up. I did not actually have to "climb" anything but I did have to go slow and make it up an incline, this section seemed longer than it was and soon I was back on the downhill to flat section and on to the finish.

Finishing the race felt good and I was glad to have finished under full power!

Everyone I met was extremely nice and there was lots of encouragement from the other runners along the way. I hope to make several more events and some training runs in the evening, I did join the group and will be sporting my t-shirt sometime soon. If you are in the KC area I encourage you to get out and make one of the Trail Nerd's events, you won't regret it. There is a 5K this weekend that appears to be out of my league...I may show up and cheer the finishers on, who knows??

My time was just under 37 minutes...a new trail PR for me!!!

2009 Rock Chalk Run 5/10K

2009-06-17T17:55:00.000-07:00

This was my first year to run in the annual Rock Chalk Run 5/10K at Clinton Lake in Lawrence, KS. The event was held the day before the Ironman Kansas 70.3, so it was kind of cool to be a small part of what was about to come! The expo was outdoors and there were several vendors which my wife and I enjoyed after the race had ended. Rock Chalk Run is a benefit for Health Care Access in Lawrence which provides much needed medical care to those folks in our community who are not otherwise able to see medical professionals regularly.

The day was quite nice for a race as it was overcast and cool with relatively low humidity for this time of year in Kansas. As it was my first run around Clinton Lake I was a little unsure of how the course was going to be laid out. Turns out it was a route around the campsites and was quite flat and fast (at least for those folks who run fast) I was initially hoping to run to a PR but did come up a little short of that goal. What I did notice on the race was the mile marks were exactly coordinated to my Garmin 405, as a slow, fat runner it really does not make a hill of beans worth of difference what my unnecessary Garmin says...but it does make it a whole lot of fun to hear the laps beep at the second you are hitting the marked miles.

As I mentioned earlier the course was set up to be fast and fun, as a matter of fact I started out a little too fast (for me) and did the first mile in about 9:35. I felt very good this mile and made it well into mile two before I started to slow down. What has been interesting along this (short) running adventure of mine is that my legs and muscles tire before I have to slow down due to cardiovascular fatigue. The rest of the race was a rather slow wog or slog since and coming into the finish I was not distressed but I did feel more winded than I have in training and other races I have run. I do know that I did not get as much training in over the past couple of weeks (just check the LACK of workouts on my Go Wagon) due to travel for work and other commitments. What I am going to have to do is just make a committment to get my but out of bed in the a.m. and make my running a priority again. Now that it is pretty much a sauna here in Kansas the morning runs will be much better than trying to get a run in after work in the heat of the day. Even when you wait until the sun goes down you feel tired from fighting the heat during the day.

All in all I think the folks who put on the RCR 5K did a wonderful job and I will be there next year!

2009 Amy Thompson Run to Daylight 8K

2009-05-30T07:16:00.000-07:00

For my first Video Blog I took some video and photos, along with my wife, at the 2009 Amy Thompson Run to Daylight 8K in Kansas City, MO. The run supports brain injury research and attracts over 2000 runners and walkers each year. This year was a perfect day to run, not too warm and overcast with little or no wind at all to speak of, all in all...superb.

This run was an 8K (4.97m) and my longest race to date, I managed to only walk at the two water stops which was somewhat a surprise as I did not run at all the week prior due to some health issues and soreness in my left knee. When we arrived at the race my wife and I were happy to see our friends Rachel, Jennifer, Carlos and Angela who were all running in the race, we knew they were going to be there but sometimes you never see the folks you want to see.

Along the route I felt pretty strong, I am not a fast runner but managed to finish in under an hour, although the course was a little hillier than I am accustomed to running. The last 100 meters or so was up a hill to the Loose Park Pavilion for the finish and I tried to run strong and finish feeling fast...although fast is a relative term.

My next race is the Intro to Trail 5K and will be in a couple weeks out in Wyandotte County Park. From reading the website the course sounds like it will be fast and lots of fun, not too technical for my first trail race.

Take care and see you out on the road!

Olathe Running Club Heart & Sole Classic

2009-05-07T04:52:00.001-07:00

Last weekend was the Heart & Sole Classic hosted by the Olathe Running Club, it was a 5 and 10K race through the scenic areas of old downtown Olathe, KS. It was a beautiful day with slightly cloudy skies and a temperature somewhere in the upper 50's...perfect weather to run! Not sure how many participants there were although what was really cool was the number of kids that were out and running the race. Apparently there is a fitness program in the school district that got these kids out of bed because they all seemed to be wearing "team" shirts with their school name, even the teachers were out in force. I enjoyed this because for one, several of those little kids beat me and the other is that as a parent of a 5 month old I have some hope that physical education and fitness is still being taught in the schools...now if we could just get back to focusing on music and the arts!

For the me race was a bit of a milestone because it was the first time I did not take a walk break in the three miles! I did slow down for a few seconds to grab water but other than that I plodded along listening to Kelownagurl's podcast. I don't think I am at a point where I would say the 5K distance is easy, mainly because I am still very slow (32 minutes), but the miles are starting to go by without as much strain as they did just a couple of months ago.

Coming up I have three races on the Calendar: the Amy Thompson 8K on Memorial Day, the Start2Finish 5k and the Course of Dreams 5K which is a cross country race, that should be interesting. I am also planning for a trail 5K called the Intro to Trail put on by the folks over at PsychoWyco...I think I will have a lot of fun at that one, I would like to mix in some trail running on a regular basis.

Well...off to work! Thanks for reading and if you are not already following me on Twitter please do!

Sabates Eye Centers Trolley Run

2009-04-28T18:27:00.000-07:00

Queuing up for the bus to the start

This past Sunday I ran in the 21st annual Trolley Run to benefit the Children's Center for the Visually Impaired a four mile run through some of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the Kansas City Metro area. The Trolley Run is the race that all of the racers and non-racers love to participate in because it is for such a great cause and it allows walkers and baby strollers so that all members of the family can participate.

Cutting chips at the finish

I must admit that I was very excited to run in the race because it was to be my first event at a distance longer than the standard 5K and I wanted to prove to myself that I could make it farther than I had gone before in an event. At four miles it is just a tiny bit longer than a 5K, but for me it represented a distance that I don't run very often, even in training runs. Since I started running in February I have trained with the Podrunner series of interval training and most runs have varied between 2-4 miles of run/walk intervals, just now in my training am I begining to get to the 4 mile and beyond distance on a regular basis. These longer runs are part of the Freeway to 10K series of Podrunner Intervals, my goal is to run in the Zen Run 10K as part of the Worldwide Festival of Races later on in the year....OK back to the Trolley Run.

Waiting for the bus to the start

The morning did not get off to the most splendid of starts because for the preceding few days we had some very severe weather in the area including Tornadoes which caused damage to homes just a few miles away. Up until the last minute I really was not sure we were going to get the race in, but in the last few moments...as they say...the skies parted and the day shaped up to be a beautiful one, even if it was a little windy. The wind provided a nice tailwind!

The National Anthem

Blurry action shot of the runners

My finishing time was 43:02:02 which averages out to about a 10:45 pace...not the fastest in the world but for me I was very pleased with the results. Probably the most pleasing result was the fact that I did not take a walk break other than to slow down at the 2 mile point to take some water, I did walk a few steps while drinking but quickly got back to running. Surprisingly I felt strong and only once felt anything other than confident about my performance in the race. Going into the morning I was not sure how I was going to fare because I had been fighting some stomach issues and only ran once during the week before the race. My training overall has been a little sporadic due to some health issues and erratic travel at work, not to mention a beautiful baby daughter at home that makes it hard to leave for a run in the evening, not because she is telling me not to go (my wife is very supportive) but that it is hard to leave her while she is awake since I don't see her during the day while I am at work.

Me at the finish!

All in all it was a wonderful day and I can't wait until this weekend for my next race, the Olathe Running Club's Heart and Sole Classic 5K! See you on the road!

Hasta pronto!!

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T20:09:00.001-07:00

Just arrived back home in Kansas City after spending Easter weekend in
Hutchinson, KS my hometown. I managed to get a run in on Saturday
night, a three miler (and a slow one at that) around the downtown area
of town. It was a good night for a run as it was a litttle cool so
once you got running and warmed up a little it was almost perfect. My
runs are still slow and still somewhat disjointed as it seems it takes
me a while to get into what I would call a rhythm and I am sure my
form has much to be desired. All in all it was a good week, Week 3 of
the Podrunner Freeway to 10K series from podrunner.com, if you are
looking for a good training partner I think youveould like the
podrunner series. They have a Couch to 5K series, a Gateway to 8K and
the Freeway to 10K all with music from Beatport.com. In the 10k
series there are training tips from Coach Jenny, not really sure who
she is, but none the less, the tips are a nice touch. My next race is
coming up in two weeks, the Trolly Run, it is a 4 mile race and this
will be my first race other than a 5K distance so I am working this
week on running a little farther and putting some quicker intervals in
the training so hopefully I will start to spped things up some. I
definately do not have delusions of grandure, but I would like to get
to a sub 10 minute pace before too long.

Have a great week and get out and enjoy your run!

Sent from my iPhone

Olathe Marathon (5k for me)

2009-04-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

Today was the rescheduled Olathe Marathon, Half Marathon and 5k, I ran the 5k and am happy to say that it was a PR, over 1 full minute better than my first race a few weeks ago. The day was nice and sunny but very windy so it felt much colder than the actual temperature. I managed to run this race only pausing for about 50 seconds to walk a little and that was at about the 2 mile marker. The course was basically flat with very little change in elevation other than a pedestrian bridge in a park that was only a few feet change, I think the whole course only deviated by about 50 feet which is very minimal. Runners seemed to be having fun and in the half-marathon some of those folks were flying! It should be mentioned that the full marathon was not run because the event was rescheduled due to bad weather last week on the originally scheduled date. Marathoners had the option of running one of the other distiances and I am sure some ran the Half. Part of the course was run throug a residential street so it was neat to see a crowd of runners running in between the houses and some of the neighbors were up walking dogs and such wishing the runners well, or hoping to get their street back in a timely fashion. Because of the cold weather my wife and daughter stayed home so there are not any pictures from the course but there were several photographers on the course so as soon as I get ahold of mine I will put it on the blog.

Next up is a three weeks of training for the 2009 Trolly Run in Kansas City, MO. It is a four mile race from the Brookside neighborhood of KC to the world famous Country Club Plaza and I believe there will be trollys to take you back to the starting line. Weather permitting the wife and daughter will be out there cheering me on and waiting at the finish line.

Until next time...Hasta Pronto!

April Fools Day!

2009-04-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

I guess I really don't have anything real funny or crazy to share today, except for my running...which can be pretty funny and crazy. Last week was a pretty slow and bad week for running, I only got one run in and it was very slow...I felt sluggish. This week is going to be much better as I hope the weather will be nice even though there is a forecast for some rain and even another chance for snow. This weekend in the Olathe (KS) Marathon of which I am running the 5k, it was originally scheduled for last week but we had a major Spring snow storm so it was posponed a week. I am going to drag my lovely wife out there if I can so hopefully we will have some good pictures and maybe even some video.

Stay focused and have fun!

Run in the hometown - H-Town

2009-03-23T17:55:00.000-07:00

This weekend we took the baby to see the family and on Sunday I got up and went for a run/walk along the cow creek trail in Hutchinson, KS the trail is named after Jim Martinez. It was a nice run but very windy. Luckily for me I went straight south at first so on the way back it was a pure tailwind.
The run was in total about 6.2 miles, of which, I ran the majority of the first half as I was working on the first week of the Freeway to 10 training program. The program is a 10 week audio program done by the folks at Podrunner. I enjoy this series as the music is upbeat and they incorporate the changes in run/walk nicely. I hope to work through this series and be able to run my first 10k for the Worldwide Festival of Races later on in the fall.

First 5k Race!

2009-03-21T09:31:00.000-07:00

This morning I ran my first 5K race which was the Northland JC Foundation "Snake Chase" in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Why not on St. Paddy's Day? Well there is another run here in the greater Kansas City area that happens before St. Paddy's Day that is huge, I thought for my first race it would be better to run something a little smaller. The race takes place in North Kansas City, MO at the site of the old Sam's Town Casino which is right on the Missouri River. The course is very flat and I think that was especially nice for me since I have been sidelined for almost two weeks fighting a cold and later bronchitis. In fact I am still taking the meds and was hacking along the route, but I made it none the less. My time you ask? 35:44. It is not the fastest time in the world but for me, Tomasin, it is not only a PR but a World Record and even the fastest time ever run by me! Something pretty cool happened along the run in the home stretch, I was listening to the Running From the Reaper Podcast and Nigel gave me a shout-out to thank me for my email where I congratulated him on his 100th episode, that was pretty cool!! My running was ok and I felt pretty good for taking such a long time off and the fact that I have only been at this for a few months. I did grab a bottle of water at the halfway point and walked for about 2.5 minutes not so much to catch my breath but more to just relax a little, I was pretty excited about running to the turnaround without stopping and with what I would deem as decent form. I did have to walk for about 1 minute along the way back and I did slow down to about a 13 minute pace but picked it up when I saw the 3 mile marker and the finish line.

Here are a couple of pictures, mind you I am not a photographer nor am I an artist with an eye for composition. I do realize that I did not ask anyone to take my picture, so I guess you will have to take my word for the fact that I was a participant and not just a spectator.

When the results are posted I will place a link here in the blog for all to see!

Worldwide Festival of Races - Join Me!

2009-03-19T19:05:00.000-07:00

The Worldwide Festival of Races is back!

Here is the information straight from the website: This race is a free, non-commercial event for runners of all abilities, where everyone is invited to register, train and run with us in the spirit of friendship. The only requirement is that you sign-up to run an official road race or a route of your choosing on the weekend of 10-11 October 2009, and report the results on this website. Participation in the race will also include a 'virtual' race bib, goody bag and completion certificate as well as a community forum and final results listing.

I am going to work hard and train for the 10k. Lets have fun along the way!!!

The Flu Bug

2009-03-13T05:27:00.001-07:00

I have been sidelined with the flu bug that has been going around, hopefully I can get out for a run this weekend. Take care and see you on the road...

W5 is in the Books!

2009-03-03T04:57:00.000-08:00

Well, I managed to finish W5 of the C25K which had a nice little 20 minute run as the climactic event of the week. I made it through although I was running pretty slow, probably should say jogging instead of running, and as it was cold and windy I basically finished the intervals and headed home. When its 27 degrees (f) and windy it amazes me that I sweat so much underneath the layers of clothes I have on, but I guess that is the wonder of technical fabric. Now on to week 6 and just three weeks from my 5k. I know that a 5k is nothing to write a book about, well I guess enough to write a blog about, but I am excited and hopefully I can finish in a decent time.

By the way, I bought a Garmin 405! Didn't need it but I love the analytics it provides and seeing my little, slow, short runs add up is rewarding.

Hasta pronto!

Las Vegas Strip

2009-02-25T17:17:00.000-08:00

Just a short post to highlight my run on the world famous Las Vegas Strip on Monday as I was out there for a business meeting. I will get into the particulars this weekend for the full-week post.

W4 C25K Is in the Books

2009-02-21T11:12:00.000-08:00

When this began I had the notion of a regimented schedule of days to run and rest but as most of us can attest to things don't always work the way we had planned. The runs this week had two 5 minute runs with a couple of shorter runs and walk breaks mixed in which comes out to about 30 minutes of run/walk, the longer runs of 5 minutes were not as hard as I thought, although I did get pretty winded as they seemed to hit right about the same time I was beginning to head up a nice hill (yes, Kansas is not flat). The recovery periods were a nice respite from the longer runs and I am able to clock about a 8 min mile (on the flat stretches of the running segment). The overall pace of about 14 min miles when combined with the walking breaks and the distance has been varying from about 3.3 miles to 3.8 miles because I don't end the run when the intervals are done, I stretch it out a little and listen to a podcast. In total my workouts are between 45 minutes and an hour and I am using a HR monitor and my calories are about 350-400 burned per session. Today's final run was particularly challenging because I checked the weather and it said 57 degrees and I thought "wow" so I only put on one layer, well I stepped outside and it was much colder because I was picking up a breeze when I opened up the garage door. So I went back into the house and put on some light Nike running pants (not insulated tights) and a Under Armor Cold Gear outer shirt, I did not add the thermal layer like I normally do when it is much colder, nor did I wear my winter hat. I then head out the door and when I get about a block down the road I realized that it is much colder than I thought...the wind was really blowing! As I am running I can feel myself warming up but the wind really does not let me get completely warm, actually it was down right freezing. I make it back to the house and check again to see that the temperature is actually a frozen 29 degrees...OUCH. When I went to check my phone I realized I was checking the temperature for Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico where my wife is from and where we visit often. Xalapa is near the Gulf of Mexico and has a very Mediterranean climate...I wish we were there now! I tell this to my wife and she can only laugh...I guess that is what I will do too!

Next week is W5 of the C25K and I am off to Las Vegas for a business trip, I hope to get in a run on the world famous Las Vegas Strip and will snap some pics from my trusty iPhone!

Also, I found out that I am what is known in running circles as a Clydesdale. Nice.

Aaahh, Week 3

2009-02-15T20:15:00.000-08:00

This week was W3 of the C25K and it went pretty well but I am still pretty winded at the end of the longer intervals. My max hr is about 157 and avg hr is around 133, on the high end the number has come down so that is a good feeling to know I am making some progress in the cardio arena. I tried a new route from the house on Saturday and it was about .4 mi longer and had a couple of different hills, it was a nice change from the usual loop. I also scouted out a longer 5mi loop that I will try in a week or so when I am running a little longer. The short intervals of running and walking are netting about 2 miles, then I am walking or walking/jogging the rest of the way back to the house. I think this next week is going to be a challenge with the 5 min runs. Over on the SparkPeople fourms it is about 50/50 on whether or not the 5 min intervals are tougher than expected...well see...and then I will let you all know. My runs are getting better, but I am still pretty slow. Well...onward to next week and W4D1. Take care!

One Small Step...

2009-02-08T13:28:00.000-08:00

Well I made it through the second week of the couch to 5k which means I "ran" three sessions of a combo run/walk, each session lasting about 30 minutes. I am using the Podrunner Intervals which are very helpful as they kind of let you just get into the music rather then trying to time each interval. At the end of each session I have added about a mile or so of run/walk, mainly to be able to complete the loop I am using around my neighborhood. During the time after the C25K interval has stopped I have been listening to various pod casts and recently started listening to the Run Digger Run podcast which is pretty good, I like the fact that Matt is a former Marine pilot and a Marine One pilot at well, I think that is way cool!

OK, so about the runs: As I mentioned in the previous post I am really only jogging/shuffling/trotting right now but it does feel good to be outside. On Monday and Wednesday the temperature was really cool (about 27 degrees) and luckily it wasn't too windy, just a slight breeze so it was not bad at all. After the Monday run I did have some residual soreness on Wed. and a little on Saturday, however once I warmed up and got into the running intervals it felt pretty good. I think one of my biggest challenges right now is that I am carrying too much weight so I am sure that my joints and tendons are screaming each time I come pounding down on them. I do have an obvious goal to get into better shape and at this point my focus is to maintain some consistency so that I can build up the strength in both my muscles and my brain. It is way too easy to sleep in each morning, so the more I get up and get outside the easier it will become as time progresses, I figure if I can make it through the C25K I will have come a long way...literally from the couch!

On to next week or W3D1 in C25K lingo, I have been reading and come across this neat little jargon! Also in my reading I have seen that adding cross training to your running regimen is very helpful and once I get some miles under my belt I will start working in cross training sessions on my non running days. I don't want to jump into them right now as I don't want to be unnecessarily sore or beat from cross training on my runs.

Wish me luck!

Day 1 - Literally

2009-02-02T18:17:00.000-08:00

At some point over the weekend, maybe when I was stuffing nachos in my face watching the Super Bowl, I decided to get off the couch (for real this time) and get out and run. Well...more like slogging than running. I have been fooling around with exercise over the past year and have not made a commitment to much other than the idea of fitness and running. In the past year I started listening to various running and fitness podcasts, most notably 4 Feet Running, Running from the Reaper and most recently the Runners Roundtable and Kelownagurl. I have very much enjoyed listening to people from all over the world and today I actually ran and must say thanks to those folks for their inspiration.
I am starting with the Couch to 5k so tonight was a run/walk then I did my own little run/walk to complete the "loop" from my house for a total of 3.22 miles in about 45 minutes. I stretched before and after but will need to stretch some more during Hero's tonight. My thoughts are to formulate some goals and post them here so we can all do this together.

First Mobile Posting

2009-01-25T15:55:00.001-08:00

Isn't technology great!

Sent from my iPhone