tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43646232949873139792024-03-13T20:52:33.192-07:00Fit At 30Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16326828913772026141noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364623294987313979.post-74167224510269392922012-05-01T19:02:00.000-07:002012-05-01T19:02:36.918-07:00Where Have I Been?Well…it has been almost a year since my last post and a lot has happened since June 2011. I’ll break this out into sections since there is so much to talk about. First up are my 2011 goals.
<p>
2011 Goals
<p>
Going into 2011, I set some slightly aggressive goals and may have been over my head. On the top of my list was spending more quality time with my family. I feel like accomplished this as we tried to do a lot of things outdoors. We walked together and spent lots of time at the park with Cameron. I did not get to try out yoga, I did not read my Bible as much as I would have liked, sleeping was still an issue, and my diet was not too good (which did not help with my ab of dough goal). I did read quite a bit at the beginning of the year, but that went downhill due to time. I need to get back to reading this year. As far as events go, I did more than races I had planned (I’ll talk about that later). I did not reach my goal of biking and running 1000 miles. I did not attempt a triathlon. I did not get the sub-20 5K I was hoping for. I did complete the Mini Mararathon which I PR’d. Overall it appears I failed miserably at reaching my goals. BUT I think I made up for them the last quarter of the year. Next is a summary of the many things I experienced in 2011.
<p>
RAIN Ride
<p>
The RAIN (Ride Across Indiana) is an annual event where cyclists ride across Indiana. It starts in Terre Haute and ends in Richmond – about 165 miles total. I was definitely not prepared for this ride. I did not start training until a month or so before the ride because I was too busy running. I started biking with the pastor from my church and friend Mike who was going to do the RAIN ride with me. My longest training ride before RAIN was 50 miles and that was the weekend before RAIN. The week of the ride I was very nervous. One because I was undertrained and two it was going to be HOT the day of the ride. I hydrated and carb-loaded as much I could. The day of the race Mike and I were dropped at the starting line and it was just us with no support vehicles. There was a nice overcast and the temps were decent. By this time I was excited. It was awesome riding with 1500 bikes on highway 40. We eventually started hitting the hills and I knew it was going to be a long day. Once we got into Camby, the overcast was gone and the sun was beaming down severely. I felt overheated and was now dumping water over my head. We reached the lunch stop at 90 miles or so and I did not have an appetite. I forced food down my throat, drank lots of water and Gatorade, and poured ice down my jersey. I still felt overheated when we left the stop, but I wanted to get it over with. I was in survival mode at that point. The survival mode only lasted another 20 miles when I became really overheated. We had to stop at a CVS because I needed a cold drink. Two more miles down the road, I experienced my first leg cramp. I had to jump off my bike and lay in someone’s yard to stretch. That really hurt me mentally. I eventually caught up with my friend and I told him about my cramp. We made it to the next stop around mile 115 and my legs were shot. We took off and I didn’t make it another 3 miles before both legs seized up and I was off of my bike. At this point, I told Mike I could no longer go on. Luckily he knew someone supporting 3 other bikers and was very close to where we had stopped. We loaded my bike and I jumped in his air conditioned car. It felt really good. The guy was very nice and kept asking if I was okay and offered food. My friend continued onto Richmond. We drove to the next stop and waited for my friend and the riders he was supporting. They eventually arrived and we all helped them get ready for the last leg. I had called my wife to let her know that I dropped out and I would be in Richmond soon. We arrived in Richmond and my wife and son arrived soon after. We cheered on other riders while we waited for Mike. It was approaching 9pm (which is the cutoff time) and I was afraid Mike was not going to make it. At this point I was really feeling bad because I had held him back. There were about 3-4 minutes left and we spotted Mike at the bottom of the hill. We cheered him on and he finished with a minute to spare. Not bad for someone who only started biking 3 months earlier with his longest training ride being 50 miles.
<p>I felt disappointed on the long car ride home because I really wanted to finish. I eventually got over it after two weeks. I realized I just biked 118 miles in 95 degrees on a cheap Walmart road bike – with little training under my belt. So at least I can say I rode a century on a bike. I may try the ride again this year. I am going to keep an eye on the weather leading up to the ride and may sign up last minute. If it’s going to be another HOT one, forget it. Overall, I was happy with this goal. Shortly after the ride, I got back into running to prepare for my full marathon in November. I stuck to my training plan for the first 2-3 weeks then decided to do my own thing. I felt great. I felt fit. Little did I know the rest of the year would be full of adventures.
<p>Stay tuned for the rest of my 2011 adventures.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16326828913772026141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364623294987313979.post-60153307210005391702011-06-19T14:36:00.000-07:002011-06-19T14:59:25.496-07:00Back Pain and RAINWell..the RAIN (Ride Across Indiana)event is less than a month away and I am getting somewhat nervous. Yesterday was the first time I have done any type of activity in almost 3 weeks. I have been dealing with lower back pain since running the Geist half marathon and decided to take a break from everything on May 29th. I am almost certain that I hurt my back the day before running the Geist half playing church softball. But it could have been anything. I ran the half with a friend who runs a slower pace and I was okay with that. Afterwards, I could hardly bend over. I continued to run the days following the half even with the soreness (it didn't hurt to run). But after running and sitting around, I could barely move. I stretched, I heated, I iced. Nothing was working. I decided to run another 13 miles the following weekend to my family's get-together. I felt decent running in 90 degree weather. My back was not so good afterwards and that is when I decided to take my break. This past week, my back was less tight so I decided to bike 12 miles yesterday and run 3 miles today. It felt good to get back to running and biking, but unfortunately my back is somewhat tender. I plan on seeing a chiropractor soon and finding out if I have done something more serious or I just need an adjustment. I have never been to a chiropractor before so I am nervous I will feel worse afterwards. At this point it is still a go for the RAIN ride and I need to cram in some serious bike mileage. I am hoping that all of my running will help on the bike. My wife and son will be gone all week so I should be able to punch out some mileage.<br /><br />I may also run a 5K this Thursday night at the IU Cross Country course. I have never been on a cross country course. I may not get a PR. I just need to get out and run.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16326828913772026141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364623294987313979.post-3826461531114855342011-05-18T18:07:00.000-07:002011-05-18T18:36:53.828-07:005K and Another HalfIn the midst of a crazy day on Saturday, I was able to sneak in a 5K race. The race was just 5-10 minutes from home so that was convenient. I knew I wanted to beat my last 5K time and set a goal of running under 23 minutes. It was a very flat course so I knew there was a chance. I believe I went out too fast because I ran the first mile at a 7 minute pace and the 2nd mile at 7:04. I lost steam after mile 2, but I still crossed the line at 22:39. I am still working on my splits and pushing it at the end. I may have to bring back speed training if I want to reach my sub 20 goal. I really need to start training on my bike because the RAIN ride is coming up very soon. <br /><br />On Sunday, my little boy Cameron ran his first race. It was the Rookie Run downtown Indy which was a smaller version of the Mini marathon. He only had to run 2 blocks, but he did so well running alongside his mommy. Even though it was crummy weather, he had fun. He even got a medal that almost looks like my Mini medal. I am a very proud daddy. I will post some photos later.<br /><br />To make this "Year of the Gee" even better, I now work downtown Indy and have access to some great running trails. I am loving that I can run on the Indy canal after work. I like the environment of others biking and running in Indy. I could live there. So this has really been a year of change for me. A great stress has been lifted from my shoulders since I started a new chapter of my work life. <br /><br />It is going to be another good weekend of running the Geist half marathon. I plan to run an easy pace with a friend and just enjoy running.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16326828913772026141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364623294987313979.post-87792241110400312112011-05-12T10:08:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:48:11.362-07:00Mini MarathonThis past Saturday I ran in my first ever Mini Marathon. I was looking forward to this race all week and had a goal of beating my time from the IU Mini. Since the Mini course was way flatter than the IU mini course, I knew I would beat my previous time. I really wanted to maintain an 8 minute pace to come in around 1:45, but I lost some steam running around the track (which was kind of boring and long). I also think I started out too fast running a 7:17 pace up until the Yard of Bricks. I was feeling great until mile 11 and then my legs started to feel like Jello. But I pushed and finished at 1:48:48. I think I ran too hard because I was really dizzy at the end. It was worth it though. I grabbed tons of post race food and chowed down like a mad man. I continued eating all day! I will definitely do this race next year because of the atmosphere and being around 35,000 people wanting to better their health and reaching their goals. <br /><br />In the next few months, I will be doing more races and preparing for the RAIN ride (which I have barely trained for). I have a 5K race on Saturday which I am hoping to run a sub 23 time. And then I will be running the Geist Half on May 21st which I do not have a time goal for. I'll probably stay at a 9 minute pace since I am running with a friend. And then I may do something crazy at the end of the month that will test me mentally. Stay tuned. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IWUCrz5dAO4/TcwaTmK-gnI/AAAAAAAABi8/z7yLpS7xBKY/s1600/mini2011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 256px; height: 384px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IWUCrz5dAO4/TcwaTmK-gnI/AAAAAAAABi8/z7yLpS7xBKY/s400/mini2011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605884560135848562" /></a>Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16326828913772026141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364623294987313979.post-30319792255241852752011-04-18T12:29:00.000-07:002011-04-25T07:49:00.290-07:00Doubler and MileageTwo weekends ago I decided to do two races a half hour apart. I headed down to Bloomington again to run the Monroe County YMCA Spring 5K and 10K. I should have guessed that both routes were going to be hilly (it's Bloomington!). Waking up, I really did not feel motivated to run. I am usually excited and ready to get out the door. Allergy season decided to come to me early and I was tired from sneezing, having watery eyes, and a scratchy throat the day before. The race started at 8 and it was cold outside. I was happy with my first mile coming in at a 7:04 pace. Then the hills decided to show up. They slowed me down, but I was able to cross the finish with a new PR. By one second! I'm thinking I would have broken into the 22s if it was a flat course. Either way, I liked the challenge and it's good training for the Mini in May. I grabbed some water and food until the 10K started. By the time the 10K started it was even colder and the wind was blowing like crazy. I also felt better using the 5K as a warm up. The 10K course was just as hilly, but I felt more comfortable running. I did not push myself too hard during this run and took in the scenery. I crossed the finish in 50:49 for my first ever 10K. <br /><br />For the past two weeks, my mileage has been increasing. Last week I had my first ever 30 mile week and I am on my way to 100 miles this month. I hope that will be enough to do well at the Indy Mini (which is less than 2 weeks away). Today is a rest day and I need it.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16326828913772026141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364623294987313979.post-60447525963420976792011-04-04T06:11:00.000-07:002011-04-04T12:19:07.129-07:00Hilly Hilly Half and Family FunThree words to sum up this past weekend - Family, Fun, and Rewarding. <br /><br />I'll start with the Rewarding part first. From my last post I mentioned registering for the IU Mini Marathon at the last minute. Looking at the elevation map of the course, I knew it was going to be a challenge and I actually had doubts soon afterwards. After registering, things started going downhill. I rested on Wednesday and ran 2 miles on the treadmill. Unfortunately I felt very sick stepping off of the treadmill and actually thought I was going to faint. I've never felt that way and I ran at a very slow pace. So I started to worry because I felt terrible and I had a race coming up in two days. I basically went home, ate, then went to bed. I woke up Friday feeling worse with sinus pressure in my head, aching body, and chest congestion. I took another rest day and loaded up on OTC meds. I woke up race day feeling decent. Once I arrived in Bloomington and warmed up, all doubts and feeling sick was gone. I was determined to run the half as best as I could. It was a brisk sunny morning and the atmosphere was what I needed. I became a different person as we began to run. I probably started out too fast with my first mile coming at a 7:20 pace. My pace was all over the place after that thanks to the many hills Bloomington has to offer. I used to go to Bloomington every weekend and did not know most of the hills existed. The elevation map I had reviewed days before did not put in to perspective of what it would be like running those hills. I'm not going to lie, but these hills kicked my butt. I admit, I took many walk breaks and I'm okay with that. I've been doing mostly hill training in the last few weeks and I know that helped with this race. By mile 10 my legs were definitely tired from the rolling hills. I just kept telling myself "you have a 5K left!" It was also nice hearing encouragement from other runners. I stayed with this one guy the last 3 miles, encouraging each other the rest of the way. We made it up the last hill and was a 1/2 from the finish. I looked at my watch and saw that I was going to break 2 hours. I made a turn and saw the glorious finish line. I tried to kick it as hard as I could and crossed the line at 1:54:53!! I totally shattered my previous half by 12 minutes. As I was walking over to the food tent, I kept wondering how I would have done if the course was flatter and I felt 100%. All I know is I gave 110% and that was REWARDING. The 65 miles I ran in March really paid off. I'll have my chance to PR again next month at the 500 Mini (flatter course). Another rewarding experience was going home after the race and rounding up my family to go have fun the rest of the weekend. <br /><br />It was a nice weekend and I wanted to spend more time outdoors. Driving through Bloomington, I had found a very nice park and wanted Cameron to see it. This kid loves playing at parks. Once I got home and showered, we drove back to Bloomington for family fun. We stopped at Texas Roadhouse for lunch and then played at the park. As I watched Cameron run around, I was amazed at how free he looked. No worries, no bills to pay, no responsibilities, just free. I remember feeling the same way when I was a kid. It was one of the greatest feelings in the world! Ever since I started running last year, that feeling has come back! I feel FREE! Watching Cameron run around reminded me that we can all feel that way if we want to. If I am having a bad day, all it takes is being around my family to make it better. Running provides that extra kick. It was awesome seeing my Anne and Cameron smiling so much as it has been a rough 5 months.<br /><br />Sunday was a continuation of family fun as we went to church, met the in-laws at the movie theater to watch HOP, ate at Stir Crazy, played at another park, and had ice cream. We were all pooped at the end of the day. While at Stir Crazy, I cracked open my fortune cookie with this fortune. I am not sure when my moment of glory will occur, but I like to think it is now - being the dad of an awesome boy and husband of a beautiful wife. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o0PCCyq0QJs/TZoURmOz7_I/AAAAAAAABis/PFZz-U0KIIg/s1600/fortune.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 239px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o0PCCyq0QJs/TZoURmOz7_I/AAAAAAAABis/PFZz-U0KIIg/s400/fortune.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591804179886895090" /></a><br /><br />I was going to take a running break this week, but I am not sure I want to after a successful half. I will continue to do hill training and incorporating walks since that seems to be helping me quite a bit. I am not really sticking to my training plan, but I am happy with my results so far this year. Next on my plate is the YMCA Spring Running Festival 5K & 10K in Bloomington (4/16). I plan on doing both of the races and hope to at least PR in the 5K. And then my family will be doing the Run for Rylan in Springville (4/30).Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16326828913772026141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364623294987313979.post-19051443687794707422011-03-30T12:22:00.000-07:002011-04-04T05:47:34.166-07:00Impromptu Half Marathon this WeekendWell..I decided that I'm going to run a half marathon this Saturday. It is last minute, but I was able to enter before registration closed last night. I will be running the <a href="http://alumni.indiana.edu/events/iumini/">IU Mini Marathon</a> in Bloomington, IN. It will only be my 2nd half ever, but a test for the Indy Mini in May. I am excited and nervous at the same time because there are some challenging hills. It is all good because I have been running hills like crazy. After a personal best in the 5K last week, I've gained back confidence in my running. My shin is somewhat tender from running hills last night, but I should be good. I just hope the weather holds out. It was snowing today! I will post a report after the half. Here is the course and elevation map. <br /><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" width="510" height=680 src="http://www.runningahead.com/scripts/maps/062f3484137b47dc847e31e1f28549d8?unit=mi"></iframe>Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16326828913772026141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364623294987313979.post-91182322568654297742011-03-25T08:30:00.000-07:002011-03-25T10:35:21.035-07:00New PR at the Courage and Valor 5KI was going to post on the 7K event I ran this past Sunday, but I am excited that I have a new PR for the 5K and wanted to share. I ran in the Courage and Valor 5K yesterday at the White River State Park. It was a rather cold day and I debated on running it. I am glad I decided to go for it because I felt really good and knew I was going to do well. I've been battling shin splints and tight calves since February. Good news...my legs have felt great the last 2 weeks! I've been doing more stretching, shin/calf exercises I found <a href="http://www.runnersworld.com/community/forums/index.jsp?plckForumPage=ForumDiscussion&plckDiscussionId=Cat%3aRunner+CommunitiesForum%3a608106477Discussion%3a9061025515&plckFindPostKey=Cat:Runner%20CommunitiesForum:608106477Discussion:9061025515Post:9061025515">here</a>, incorporating walk breaks during runs, eliminating speed workouts, icing, compression sleeves, and rest. My legs have felt so good, I've also been doing hill training. With my legs feeling better, I am definitely more motivated. 2 weeks ago I was stressed and wanted to sell my Mini Marathon entry. Now I am determined to run the Mini and do well. Back to the 5K. I felt good going into the race. It was cold out, but the atmosphere made up for it. There were firefighters from all over the US (since the Firefighter convention is going on downtown Indy this week)and the music was blasting. The race started in the park behind the visitor center. We crossed the river bridge going west then back over the bridge towards the canal. I passed the 1st mile at 7:10. After 2 miles I kind of lost it and slowed a bit. Honestly, I was ready for the 3 mile marker. After 3 miles we were out of the canal area and I saw the finish line. From there, I bolted because I always like to end strong. I stopped my watch at 23:13! Results showed me finishing at 23:14, but I'll take it. I actually think I could have broken 23 minutes. Maybe next time. Either way, I was happy with the run and my legs felt awesome. I think my next race will be on April 16th when I plan to do a 5K and 10K the same day. Maybe I will get that 5K PR.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16326828913772026141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364623294987313979.post-66018086386889972912011-03-23T11:50:00.000-07:002011-03-23T12:10:03.035-07:00Book RecommendationsI have not posted lately and will be posting a "race report" from this past weekend's event. In the meantime, here are some book recommendations to stay motivated:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ultra Marathon Man</span> - Dean Karnazes<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days -- and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance!</span> - Dean Karnazes<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Run!: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss</span> - Dean Karnazes (his newest book. Have not read yet)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen</span> - Christopher McDougall (ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I'VE EVER READ!)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Long Run: A New York City Firefighter's Triumphant Comeback from Crash Victim to Elite Athlete</span> - Matt Long<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Runner's Rule Book: Everything a Runner Needs to Know--And Then Some</span> - Mark Remy (quick read and very funny!)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life</span> - Lance ArmstrongGeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16326828913772026141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364623294987313979.post-31039736301439034882011-02-03T07:41:00.000-08:002011-02-04T18:12:00.570-08:00Still Ready for SpringIt was a good start to the year as far as fitness goes. I logged 120 miles on the bike(mostly at the gym) and started doing more strength training in January. 120 miles is nothing compared to the 160 plus miles I will be doing in just one day. Once the weather breaks I will definitely be out on my bike. I have been looking on Craigslist for indoor bike trainers because I really need to be training on my bike. If I do not find one, I'll just have to wait. Plus I am more anxious to run. I am going to start running next week then start my half marathon training on 2/14. I am hoping I can do most of my runs outdoors. I am not much of a treadmill runner. This week, I did decide to go with Hal Higdon's intermediate training program for the Mini. I was going to do the novice plan, but I really want to beat my 2:06 time from my first ever half I ran last year. It is a strict plan, but I plan to stick to it because I know I can beat it. I also decided to go with Hal's intermediate training plan for the full marathon in November. I just want to finish and do well. Mainly to finish! The plan includes two 20 mile long runs and that is what I was looking for. Here are my two training plans for this year. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Pa8_cnzp-pA/TUrVeSnaTRI/AAAAAAAABh4/uaOX-vr-Dp8/s1600/half%2Bmarathon%2Bplan%2B2011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 360px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Pa8_cnzp-pA/TUrVeSnaTRI/AAAAAAAABh4/uaOX-vr-Dp8/s400/half%2Bmarathon%2Bplan%2B2011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569498605566971154" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Pa8_cnzp-pA/TUrVekNF5mI/AAAAAAAABiA/YkDkVnDh8nk/s1600/marathon%2Bplan%2B2011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 362px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Pa8_cnzp-pA/TUrVekNF5mI/AAAAAAAABiA/YkDkVnDh8nk/s400/marathon%2Bplan%2B2011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569498610288420450" /></a><br /><br />Besides the half and full marathons on my agenda, I have also laid out the races I plan to run this whole year. Most of them are 5Ks, but there is a chance I may fit in 2 more halfs by the end of the year. After the marathon in November, I may do the Tecumseh Trail Marathon in December. As far as preparation for the RAIN ride, I plan to do most of the training May-July. It is going to be a crazy year, but it is something I am looking forward to. I have been reading Dean Karnazes 50/50 book so I am staying quite motivated. Motivation is a good thing to have with the crazy weather so far this year. Even though it is cold outside, I may be doing the Polar Bear 5 mile run downtown in two weeks. I want to see if I have lost any running ability. As I mentioned, I will be easing into running next week. <br /><br />My goals this week were to do more strength training and ride the bike 50 miles. I did not go to work(which is located near the gym) on Tuesday and Wednesday so that did not help. I completed the 50 miles and definitely had a good leg workout this week.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16326828913772026141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364623294987313979.post-59787171887272955562011-01-24T18:27:00.000-08:002011-01-24T19:11:56.099-08:00Ready for SpringOne more week and I will be back to running! Not that biking at the gym is bad. I just feel I get more out of running. Plus the gym is overcrowded right now with people trying to stick to their new years resolutions. I want to get out and enjoy the surroundings even though it is cold outside. This is going to be the best spring ever. I feel good so far this year. I've biked almost 100 miles so far this month and have been strengthening my legs. It is hard to imagine I will be biking 160 miles in one day this year. I am excited to run my first race on March 16th. I will be signing up soon as it's only $10 for the 7K race. Not bad! <br /><br />Last week was a busy week and I had to squeeze in training. My goal was to bike 40 miles for the whole week. I ended up biking two 20 milers to get in the 40. It felt great though. I was unable to do two sessions of the ab ripper x. I am actually going to stop doing the ab ripper x because it is causing me back pain. Something I do not need this year. This week I plan to bike 40 plus miles and do some major strength training. I have been daydreaming quite a bit lately about what the RAIN ride and marathon will be like this year. Visualizing really keeps me motivated. I've also been motivated by the books I've been reading in the last 2 months. I haven't read this much in years! I highly recommend Hal Higdon's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Marathon-Ultimate-Training-Hal-Higdon/dp/1594861994/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1295924983&sr=1-1"> Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Long-Run-Firefighters-Triumphant-Comeback/dp/160529246X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1295924956&sr=1-1">The Long Run: A New York City Firefighter's Triumphant Comeback from Crash Victim to Elite Athlete </a>by Matt Long and Charles Butler, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ultramarathon-Man-Confessions-All-Night-Runner/dp/1585424803/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1295924768&sr=1-1">Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner</a> by Dean Karnazes.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16326828913772026141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364623294987313979.post-733151927152781262011-01-16T19:49:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:21:52.744-08:00Stressful Week OverIt has been a rather stressful week, but it ended well going to church this morning. I feel refreshed and I feel a change is coming. I know it is going to be for the best. It was also a more active week and I met my goals. I logged 30 miles on the bike, I did some strength training, completed 2 sessions of ab ripper x, and I actually "tried" to swim. After tempting to swim, I decided I set too high of a goal to do a triathlon this year. I am going to need work and will not have time to do swim training. I am going to try and do a duathlon though. When I went swimming on Friday, I could only do 4 laps and those were hard for me. I could not get the breathing, strokes, and leg kicking down. I was never a strong swimmer. I will continue to work on technique, but I will not be doing a tri this year. After the 4 laps, I did stay in the pool and ran 10 laps. It was a good workout. I am still going through running withdrawals, but February is around the corner. I am looking forward to spring more than ever this year. I believe I am going to do my next race in March. It will be a 7K race in Bloomington. Next week's plans are to bike 40 miles, ab ripper x times 2, and do strength training.Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16326828913772026141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364623294987313979.post-87199781912850926672011-01-09T12:44:00.000-08:002011-01-09T14:34:03.592-08:00Lazy Week, Exciting Day!So it has been a very lazy week, but I did make it to the gym to do some strength training and ride the bike. So not too lazy. One thing I am struggling with right now is not running. I decided to take January off from running to heal a shin splint. It has been hard and I am going through withdrawals. Biking has helped, but nothing beats running. I also did the P90X Ab Ripper X two times this week. It was my first time doing the ripper X and I definitely felt it all week. My plan is to do the ripper X twice a week. I plan on hitting the gym hard this coming week. I need it!<br /><br />One of my goals this year is to do the <a href="http://www.bloomingtonbicycleclub.org/events.php">RAIN</a> ride. It's an organized bike ride across Indiana - 160+ miles. The most I've ever biked is 30 miles. So this is going to be a challenge because I officially registered today! I plan on riding with someone that has cycling experience and has done the RAIN event before. I am overly excited for July 16th. <br /><br />Goals this coming week:<br /><br />Ab Ripper X 2 times<br />Bike 30 miles at the gym<br />Strenth training<br />Start swimmingGeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16326828913772026141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364623294987313979.post-82094997076867527262010-12-31T12:06:00.000-08:002011-01-01T15:16:43.231-08:002011 GoalsMy first run of the year went well considering I almost missed it. I did not go to sleep until 3am and I woke up 8:20. The race started at 9. I ended up running the 6miles of the Resolution Revolution. This was not a timed or scored event so it was nice to start off the new year right. I ran the 6 miles in 48:11 (8:02 per min/mile). I am taking a running break the rest of this month. <br /><br />Here is an outline of my personal goals for 2011. They seem challenging, but they are very attainable. Overall I just want to be more positive, stay humble, and be happy this year. I appropriately dub 2011 as the “Year of the Gee”.<br /><br />• Spend more quality time with my wife and son.<br />• Dive into my Bible.<br />• Get better sleep.<br />• Read more.<br />• Try out Yoga.<br />• Eat healthy.<br />• Work off my “AB of dough”.<br />• Volunteer more. <br /><br />• Indianapolis Monumental Full Marathon – November 5th<br /> Start 18 week training (week of July 4th)<br /><br />• RAIN - Cycle Across Indiana (160+ mile ride) - July 16th<br /> Start training in March or April <br /><br />• Mini-Marathon 500 – May 7th<br /> Start training in February <br /><br />• 10K Race<br />• 15K Race <br /><br />• 5 or more 5K Races<br /> Mag 7 Series starts mid-March<br /><br />• Sprint Triathlon<br /> Maybe the Carmel Triathlon in April (need swim training)<br /><br />• Bike 1000 or more miles<br />• Run 1000 or more miles<br />• 20 minute or less 5K time (PR 23:30)<br />• Race event in another state<br /><br />Happy New Year!Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16326828913772026141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364623294987313979.post-37579460296544079772010-12-29T09:57:00.000-08:002011-01-01T15:02:02.987-08:001st Post - The Past, 2010 Year in Review, and the Future<font size="2">This is officially my first post. I will keep this brief, so here it goes.<br /><br />The Past<br /><br />Growing up, I always enjoyed being outdoors and doing anything where I did not have to sit still (ask my mom). I am still this way today (ask my wife). I was always racing bikes, playing tag, jump roping, wrestling with the neighborhood kids, playing dodge ball - typical kid stuff. I played little league baseball, but after getting hit by the ball too many times, I knew baseball was not my sport. The only time I did school sports was on the 7th or 8th grade track team. Everyone thought I was fast so I joined. I still remember my first track meet. For some reason my coach had me in the 200m run. I remember being nervous at the starting line and the firing of the gun spooked me. Let’s just say I was smoked in that race. That day I realized I was not a sprinter so I decided to try the longer distances. I became part of two relay teams. We did quite well and I remember getting a couple of ribbons. After junior high, I worked all of the time so I never joined a school team. One summer break a friend asked me if I wanted to start running with him. I decided to give it a try and it did not pan out too well. It was early in the morning, it was 80 degrees outside, high humidity, and he wanted to run 3 miles. I literally almost passed out half way through the run. After that, I decided I did not want to be a runner. It was boring and it was too much of a challenge. I did play lots of basketball at the local park. After school and work, I would play basketball until 10pm, then do it all again the next day. I could play 6-10 games of basketball in 90 degree weather and not be tired. I played 3 years of Y ball and worked out quite a bit. I rarely did any cardio because I was already skinny (probably around 135-140 lbs) and wanted to put on muscle. Putting on muscle was my main focus, but I never really stuck to weight training. I would do well for 3-4 months, slack off for months, and then get back into it. I was the same way in college. I was always in the gym and drank protein shakes like crazy. I did put on weight and muscle and I felt great. After college, life got busy with a career and I could never stick with a routine. I still played some basketball, but it got to the point where I could barely run up and down the court. So I started putting on some pounds. I was always eating something and my metabolism was slowing down with my age. I always wanted those “abs of steel”, but was heading more towards the “ab of dough”. Fast forward a bit to my mid twenties. I became lazier since I had a career, I was married, and had more responsibilities. I no longer played basketball. I had a gym membership, but did not go often. Every year, I always made a new year’s resolution to get back into shape (like most people). I just never stuck to the resolution. Fast forward through some rough times in my life…I was still out of shape and had a nice gut on me. In 2007-2008, I got a membership to Anytime Fitness and started to work out again and incorporated cardio. I was doing well for awhile, but life got busy again and I fell into the fitness slump again. Fast forward to late 2009 and 2010…..<br /><br />2010<br /><br />In December of 2009, I decided to again make a new year’s resolution to get back into shape so I joined Gold’s Gym. By this time I weighed around 175lbs! Doesn’t seem like much, but on a 5’8” small framed guy, it was not my ideal weight. I was above my BMI level, doctors were telling me I had high blood pressure, I never had energy, I was tired all of the time, and I could barely run down the court playing basketball (I had not played in a year or so). I wanted to hit the weights hard, get rid of my “ab of dough”, and feel good EVERY day. I also started doing the exercise bike and really liked it. I liked it so much, that I knew I wanted to ride my mountain bike more once spring came around. I had the bike for 5+ years and only rode it 5-6 times. By the end of January 2010, I was feeling great and lost a few pounds. Unfortunately in February (Super Bowl Sunday), I rolled my ankle helping my in-laws move their new TV downstairs. I missed the last step and landed on my ankle. I really thought I broke it and I never came that close to crying over an injury. It was embarrassing and I was upset because I would have to take time off from doing any activity. The good thing…the TV was okay. I went to a doctor and found I did not break anything. I just sprained it and used crutches for a week. It took me awhile to get back into doing any activity – almost 2 months. My foot was still sensitive and I was trying to be careful. I continued to do the exercise bike at the gym and occasionally run a mile on the treadmill. I was doing 11-12 minute miles, but it felt good to be back at the gym. When spring came around, I started riding my good old Walmart bike everywhere. Cycling became my new hobby and I rarely did any weight training. I would ride anywhere from 4-12 miles around town, ride to church softball games, and to meet people. I logged all of my workouts on <a href="http://www.onlinefitnesslog.com/">Online Fitness Log</a>. It felt good to see my weekly and monthly totals. Plus I lost over 5 pounds. I was also doing a lot of walking with my wife and son. We would do long walks around town and stop for ice cream at the Inside Scoop. Unfortunately, I did something to my right shoulder in July. Doing pushups!! I felt a crackling sensation and did not think anything about it. I continued to work out a week later as it felt better. Over a month later, I felt the same sensation, but worse as I was picking up my son. I felt something in my shoulder crack and tear. I knew that was not good. I decided to see a chiropractor the next day for some reason. He could not do anything for me and referred me to Dr. Fox in Bloomington. I was able to see Dr. Fox the next day and I was in more pain. They did x-rays and an MRI but I did not get the results back until the following Monday. I was nervous. Dr. Fox gave me the bad news that I had Distal Clavicular Osteolysis (weightlifter’s shoulder – Google it!) and I had bone spurs between my collar bone and shoulder. He gave me two options, get injections to relieve the pain or do outpatient surgery to remove the spurs. I told him I would think about it. While I thought about it, I had a hard time sleeping since I normally sleep on my right side. Ibuprofen became candy to me. I never called Dr. Fox back and wanted to see if it would get better on its own. Since I could not lift, I continued to bike and on a whim…decided to start running. To motivate myself to actually run, I started to research upcoming 5Ks in the area. Never in my life did I think I would ever “run” again. Running was boring and it was challenging. At this point, I needed a CHALLENGE! So I signed up for the Wine at the Line 5K at the Mallow Run Winery in Bargersville. The race was on September 25th and I needed to find a beginner 5K training plan. I found a 6 week plan on <a href="http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/racing/six-week-beginner-5k-schedule/67.html">Runners World</a> and made August 16th the start of my 5K training. When I first looked at the plan, I was thinking it was too easy. I changed my mind that first week as it was tougher than I thought. The second week was better and eventually I was running at a steady pace. I loved RUNNING! I never thought I would say that. By the end of the 6 weeks, I was already scouting out future 5K events. I probably should have been focusing on my first one, but I loved RUNNING and was already looking forward to more 5Ks! Below is the 6 week training plan I used.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Pa8_cnzp-pA/TRt3KI0rnqI/AAAAAAAABhU/ciab8pSXN0w/s1600/5Ktrainingplanresized.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 290px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Pa8_cnzp-pA/TRt3KI0rnqI/AAAAAAAABhU/ciab8pSXN0w/s400/5Ktrainingplanresized.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556165581342482082" border="0"></a></font><font size="2"><br />On September 25th, I was ready. I ate pasta the night before and was feeling great! I had two goals going into my FIRST 5K – do not stop running and finish under 30 minutes. As we (my wife and a friend were walking the 5K) arrived at the Mallow Run Winery, I became more excited. I saw all of the runners and the start/finish line. Everyone looked so happy and the weather was great. This was the type of atmosphere I needed to be in. I drank some more water and ate a PB granola bar. I lined up at the starting line not knowing where to stand. I saw people of all shapes and sizes, different ages all in their running outfits. The race finally started and I ran over the timing pad and starting my own watch. I was running a 5K!! The first stretch was mostly passing walkers and baby pushers. I almost twisted my ankle trying to weave around all of them. I was off in my own world with the iPod blaring in my ear. I pass the first mile marker around 8 minutes. Not bad. Half a mile more, I grabbed some water at a station and about choked trying to run and drink. After 2 miles, I wanted to see that finish line. I was getting tired and I think I was pushing myself too much. It was hot, my side was cramping, and my feet hurt. But I was not stopping. I finally saw the finish line and picked up the pace. I wanted to finish strong and beat 30 minutes (I had not looked at my watch the last mile). I was less than 200 feet from the line and I got chills from the cheering crowd. I bolted to the finish line and looked at my watch – 26:55! I did better than I thought. I caught my breath and downed some water and ate a banana while I waited for my wife to finish walking. The whole time waiting, I was in disbelief that I just ran 3.1 miles. I was also thinking about all of the people that passed me. While running, I was like “Man, that old guy is fast!” and “Man, that little kid is fast!” and “Man, why didn’t I start running a long time ago?!” My wife completed her walk and we were off to enjoy live music, wine, and pizza.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Pa8_cnzp-pA/TRt3djU2AeI/AAAAAAAABhc/9eu5OyaSTws/s1600/anneandi5k.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Pa8_cnzp-pA/TRt3djU2AeI/AAAAAAAABhc/9eu5OyaSTws/s400/anneandi5k.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556165914874216930" border="0"></a></font> <font size="2"><br />My adrenaline was high all night and the rest of the weekend. After the weekend, I started to look for more 5K races. I happen to come across a running organization that promoted area races. I checked out their website www.mag7raceseries.com and found the Fall Foliage 5K in my town and the Habitat for Humanity 5K in Mooresville. I signed up for both of them a week later. I continued to train harder for these upcoming races and wanted to improve my time. I could not believe running was becoming easier and I loved it. I pushed myself harder every time I ran. I was running 5+ miles on some runs and incorporated hill training. Along came October and I had two 5Ks to run. On October 10th, I ran the Fall Foliage 5K in 25:57 and the Habitat 5K in 24:58. I had some major cramps in my side and it was cold outside. Plus I ran hard. That same weekend, I signed up for the Monumental 5K in Indianapolis. There were a couple of people from church that were running the full marathon that day to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Between signing up for the Monumental and the day of the race, I debated back and forth with myself whether or not I could actually do the half marathon. Back track to early October. Between training for 5K races, I was still biking quite a bit. On October 3rd, I biked 30 miles with some friends. The most mileage I biked before that was 12 miles. It was quite the challenge with the hills and the bitter cold. I biked 23 miles the day after the Fall Foliage 5K as well. On the day of the Monumental 5K, I woke up and I no longer debated with myself. I was going to run the HALF MARATHON! I caught a ride with my pastor (who was running the full marathon) and his family. I was excited and went up to a person with a HELP sign and asked how I can upgrade to the half marathon. They pointed me to the convention center and I ran over there to upgrade. I got there in time as the volunteers were packing up and I asked if I still can upgrade. They handed me a new race bib and I was officially in the half. I felt rushed before the start of the race, but I was overly excited. I was running a HALF MARATHON! And with only 3 months of training! I squeezed into the crowd of 9 minute pacers and waited for the start. A couple of minutes later, we were off and I was running a half marathon. I felt good running mostly because of the adrenaline and little Vera in my thoughts. I was also thinking about my wife who would be going through major surgery a few weeks later – how brave she was to be doing such a thing. If she can do that, I can do the half marathon. I felt good the whole time running until mile 9 or 10. My leg and the top of my feet started cramping. I probably should have stopped and stretched, but I did not want to walk. Mile 11 I wanted to walk, but I was almost there. After that mile marker, it seemed like the last 2.1 miles were far away. Every time I saw someone from church cheering, it gave me chills. The crowd really got me motivated the last mile and I pushed myself to the finish line. I felt good and cold. I was handed a shiny metal blanket and my much deserved medal. That thing was heavy! I then made my way to get my timing chip cut off and get some food in my system. I think I ate everything the volunteers gave me. The chocolate milk was the best. I made my way to the warm food tent and ate some chili. After that, I had to walk over to the First Aid station and get a bandage on the back of my foot. I ran in shoes that I’ve been wearing for almost 2 years. They were worn out and the plastic was going through the shoe and caused a quarter-size blister on the back of my foot. After that, my wife picked me up and we went shopping with her parents. She ended up buying me some “real” running shoes that night – Mizuno WaveRunners. Later that night, I checked the race results. I ran my first half marathon in 2:06:31! I was really happy about that. I believe I took 4-5 days off from running. In that time I begin to search for more races to run before the end of the year and next year. I signed up for the Drumstick Dash, but was unable to run it since my wife just had surgery and the weather was nasty. I then signed up for the Jingle Bell 5K Run that was happening on my birthday. I thought that would be a good gift for me on my 30th birthday. I knew before that race I wanted to end the year with a PR. I woke up on my birthday, drove to downtown Indy, and ended up with a PR of 23:30 (7:34 per mile pace)! I reflected back to September and realized how far I had come. It only left me wanting to better my time next year. It has been a good year even with my injuries and my wife’s surgery. God has been good to me and my family and I feel very blessed. I am blessed to have a strong and beautiful wife and great son. I am probably in the best shape of my life and it’s even better knowing I am 30 and feel this way. It has been a year of accomplishments and a year where I found running is actually fun! I continue to strive and eat healthier and stay on track – even through the winter season. I love feeling great and accomplished on this last day of 2010. So here are my logged accomplishments for 2010:<br /><br />Indoor/Outdoor Cycling – 350 miles<br />Walking – 135 miles<br />Running – 218 miles (200 of those miles were done 8/16 - 12/31)<br />Current weight - 160 lbs.<br /><br />The Future<br /><br />I have my first race of 2011 tomorrow called the <a href="http://www.kenlongassoc.com/events/resrev11.php">Resolution Revolution</a>. I plan on taking a break from running in January. I will still be doing light weight training and cross training during my running break. Tomorrow, I will be posting and discussing my goals for 2011. I hope you continue following my blog to see my progress this coming year.<br /><br />Okay, that was not so brief!</font>Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16326828913772026141noreply@blogger.com0