Austin Toros first home game.
Unfortunately, the Toros lost 100-95 against the Fayetteville Patriots. Better luck next time.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Austin Toros
A friend of mine was kind enough to give us tickets to the inaugural home game of the Austin Toros, Austin's team in the NBA development league that is affiliated with the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, and the 2005 NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs. I must admit that my expectations were very low, but it made for a fun evening. It would be great for kids...I think I'll take my nephew. We had 2nd row seats, and my friends had courtside seats. They left early so we were able to move up and sit courtside for the remainder of the game; the seats were amazing.
Austin Toros first home game.
Unfortunately, the Toros lost 100-95 against the Fayetteville Patriots. Better luck next time.
Austin Toros first home game.
Unfortunately, the Toros lost 100-95 against the Fayetteville Patriots. Better luck next time.
Motive Half Marathon and Turkey Trot
Last Sunday I ran the Motive Bison Half Marathon in 2:14:35 which is a 10:16 pace and a Personal Record. I could have shaved another 4 minutes off my time if I didn't half to wait in line at the Port-O-Let at about mile 8. Despite the fact that the course has a steep hill around mile 5 that lasts about a mile, I ran the whole distance without any walking (except for the bathroom break) and shattered my February Freescale half marathon time of 2:37 . As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I ran the Motive course about 3 weeks earlier and it did give me some much needed confidence. Unfortunately, I think it gave me too much, and I didn't train the last three weeks as much as I should have. It was a great race, and I met up with some friends afterwards to celebrate at Jardin Corona, a pretty decent Mexican restaurant in north Austin.
On Thanksgiving, I ran the 5 mile Turkey Trot around the UT campus. After running 13.1 miles on Sunday, I thought 5 miles would be a piece of cake. For me it was much harder than running the Motive half marathon. I think it was because my body wasn't fully recovered even though I felt great, the temperature was a warm 73 degrees vs a chilly 53 degrees on Sunday, the course was quite hilly, and I ran slightly faster at a 9:57 mile pace. I finished in just under 50 minutes. It always feels great to get up and run before gorging yourself on turkey and all the trimmings. I think I gained 5 lbs this Thanksgiving week, so I need to hit it hard on Monday.
On Thanksgiving, I ran the 5 mile Turkey Trot around the UT campus. After running 13.1 miles on Sunday, I thought 5 miles would be a piece of cake. For me it was much harder than running the Motive half marathon. I think it was because my body wasn't fully recovered even though I felt great, the temperature was a warm 73 degrees vs a chilly 53 degrees on Sunday, the course was quite hilly, and I ran slightly faster at a 9:57 mile pace. I finished in just under 50 minutes. It always feels great to get up and run before gorging yourself on turkey and all the trimmings. I think I gained 5 lbs this Thanksgiving week, so I need to hit it hard on Monday.
Monday, November 07, 2005
Crossing the Finish Line
I am only $230 away from raising my goal of $1,000. Your generous donations are welcome and will enable me to cross my fundraising finish line very soon. Unfortunately, I received the email below a few weeks ago; it underscores the importance of finding a cure for cancer.
This is a reminder of why we do it. On Friday, October 14th, one of our old honor hero is now an honor angel. At the age of 6 years old, Justin Rodriquez said good bye to the world of hurt and pain and hello to a new life with his Saviour. He is now free of pain that he had known his entire life battling a form of leukemia. Carlos and Stephanie worked very hard to keep him going but his body could no longer keep up. Justin did have a bone marrow transplant from his sister in I believe 2002 when he became an honor patient for the marathon team.
Hopefully what we are doing this season and for seasons to come, a cure will be found for Leukemia and Lymphoma and Myeloma. Good luck on fund raising and your event if you are active this season. If you are alumni, think about coming back for another season. The fight is a long way from being won.
This is a reminder of why we do it. On Friday, October 14th, one of our old honor hero is now an honor angel. At the age of 6 years old, Justin Rodriquez said good bye to the world of hurt and pain and hello to a new life with his Saviour. He is now free of pain that he had known his entire life battling a form of leukemia. Carlos and Stephanie worked very hard to keep him going but his body could no longer keep up. Justin did have a bone marrow transplant from his sister in I believe 2002 when he became an honor patient for the marathon team.
Hopefully what we are doing this season and for seasons to come, a cure will be found for Leukemia and Lymphoma and Myeloma. Good luck on fund raising and your event if you are active this season. If you are alumni, think about coming back for another season. The fight is a long way from being won.
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Motive Half-Marathon Course
Needless to say, with all of the wedding activities, UT Longhorn games, and craziness at work, my training has been suffering. I did manage to run 18 miles the week of the wedding, but have only run 8 miles in the past 2 weeks prior to Saturday. My Team in Training group has a regularly scheduled long run on Saturday mornings, but I have missed the last three. The last long run I did was 8.2 miles so when I found out this week's run was the whole Motive Half-Marathon course of 13.1 miles, I was more than a little initimidated and anxious. Not only that, we had a "reorganization" at work on Friday so I went to happy hour Friday evening with my new boss and had 6 beers since he was buying. I don't think that's quite the kind of carb loading I should be doing, but the run went surprisingly well. I did the whole run it about 2:24 minutes which included a 7 minute bathroom stop and a couple of water/gatorade stops.
My primary goal was to finish the distance with a secondary goal of running the entire distance without any walking. I accomplished both! It's is really amazing what your body can do if you put your mind to it. Of course, I also remembered why I was out running on Saturday morning, to raise money and awareness for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. I recently received an email saying that our honored hero is now an honored angel, a 6 year-old boy lost his battle with cancer. I feel very fortunate that I am physically able to run and run simply because I can.
This was the run that I really needed to complete to reinvigorate my training, and to give me back my self-confidence. I have already completed the course, so the Motive Half-Marathon in 3 weeks should be fairly easy. My goal now is to establish a Personal Record. Did I mention that the weather was a perfect 58 degrees? There is one mean hill on the course that increases over 250 ft over a distance of one mile. See my heart rate graph below; the red area is the altitude:
Heart Rate, Speed, Distance, and Altitude Graph
As you can see, I need to calibrate my Polar s625x as it only shows 12.8 miles instead of 13.1.
My primary goal was to finish the distance with a secondary goal of running the entire distance without any walking. I accomplished both! It's is really amazing what your body can do if you put your mind to it. Of course, I also remembered why I was out running on Saturday morning, to raise money and awareness for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. I recently received an email saying that our honored hero is now an honored angel, a 6 year-old boy lost his battle with cancer. I feel very fortunate that I am physically able to run and run simply because I can.
This was the run that I really needed to complete to reinvigorate my training, and to give me back my self-confidence. I have already completed the course, so the Motive Half-Marathon in 3 weeks should be fairly easy. My goal now is to establish a Personal Record. Did I mention that the weather was a perfect 58 degrees? There is one mean hill on the course that increases over 250 ft over a distance of one mile. See my heart rate graph below; the red area is the altitude:
Heart Rate, Speed, Distance, and Altitude Graph
As you can see, I need to calibrate my Polar s625x as it only shows 12.8 miles instead of 13.1.
Married? Yea, Married
Well, Richard and Lauren finally got married in Houston after 16 months of engagement and one postponement. They were originally supposed to get married on the weekend of September 24th, but it was postponed due to Hurricane Rita; they were married on Friday, October 14th instead. As I said in my Best Man speech, things happen for a reason, and I think this makes for a funny story and makes their wedding more unique, memorable, and meaningful. You know they say it is lucky if it rains on your wedding day, so Richard and Lauren should have a tremendous amount of luck since there was a hurricane on their original wedding day.
The wedding was beautiful and went off without a hitch which was a bit surprising since Lauren had to undo the original wedding in 2 days and replan it a few weeks later in less than 5. Also, since it was a Friday night wedding (due to church availability), most of the wedding party were unable to attend rehearsal on Thursday night as most folks don't live in H-town.
Congratulations and Good Luck, Richard and Lauren!
Congratulations! Richard and Lauren are finally married.
My nephew, Kaleb, at Richard and Lauren's wedding. He looks sharp in his little tux.
Matt, myself, Richard, and Steve celebrating at the wedding reception.
The wedding was beautiful and went off without a hitch which was a bit surprising since Lauren had to undo the original wedding in 2 days and replan it a few weeks later in less than 5. Also, since it was a Friday night wedding (due to church availability), most of the wedding party were unable to attend rehearsal on Thursday night as most folks don't live in H-town.
Congratulations and Good Luck, Richard and Lauren!
Congratulations! Richard and Lauren are finally married.
My nephew, Kaleb, at Richard and Lauren's wedding. He looks sharp in his little tux.
Matt, myself, Richard, and Steve celebrating at the wedding reception.
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Victory is Sweet
My training really suffered this week, and week-to-date I have only run 4 miles; however, I do plan on going to Town Lake later this afternoon so I should finish the week with a meager 8 miles.
Part of my distraction was that I went to the 100th anniversary of the Red River Rivalry this weekend in Dallas. Since the tickets were going for over $300/each on eBay, we decided that we would just get scalped tickets on game day for less. Due to the sold out crowd there were not that many tickets to be had, and the prices were going up quickly as game time approached, so we ended up getting desperate and paying $280/each for the OU side in the end zone. Ouch! So much for our brilliant plan, we should have bought the tickets on eBay.
The OU fans weren't happy that we were sitting among them...especially since we destroyed them :)
By the way, those aren't index fingers.
Actually, the OU fans weren't that bad except for one loud mouth that my brother offered "a warm glass of shut the f*** up." I have never been to a Texas vs OU rivalry game so it was sweet that we won with the largest margin of victory in 64 years!! We let the scoreboard do the talking.
Final score Horns 45, Sooners 12!!
Vince Young after the game.
Richard, Tyler, Sara, and myself after the game (with Big Tex in the background).
After the game we had dinner with my sister, her fiance, and my nephew, Kaleb. Kaleb is so cute. He wanted to go home to Austin with us, and when we went to the car to leave, he got in his normal seat in the back of my car, put his seat belt on, and wouldn't get out (until his mother started counting...you know the ominous count..I think she only got to 2 and he was quickly out of the car).
It was great fun and I look forward to going again next year.
Part of my distraction was that I went to the 100th anniversary of the Red River Rivalry this weekend in Dallas. Since the tickets were going for over $300/each on eBay, we decided that we would just get scalped tickets on game day for less. Due to the sold out crowd there were not that many tickets to be had, and the prices were going up quickly as game time approached, so we ended up getting desperate and paying $280/each for the OU side in the end zone. Ouch! So much for our brilliant plan, we should have bought the tickets on eBay.
The OU fans weren't happy that we were sitting among them...especially since we destroyed them :)
By the way, those aren't index fingers.
Actually, the OU fans weren't that bad except for one loud mouth that my brother offered "a warm glass of shut the f*** up." I have never been to a Texas vs OU rivalry game so it was sweet that we won with the largest margin of victory in 64 years!! We let the scoreboard do the talking.
Final score Horns 45, Sooners 12!!
Vince Young after the game.
Richard, Tyler, Sara, and myself after the game (with Big Tex in the background).
After the game we had dinner with my sister, her fiance, and my nephew, Kaleb. Kaleb is so cute. He wanted to go home to Austin with us, and when we went to the car to leave, he got in his normal seat in the back of my car, put his seat belt on, and wouldn't get out (until his mother started counting...you know the ominous count..I think she only got to 2 and he was quickly out of the car).
It was great fun and I look forward to going again next year.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
IBM Uptown Classic 10k
This morning I ran the IBM Uptown Classic 10k with my friend Sara.
Starting line of IBM Uptown Classic 10k
Although the temperature was only around 80 degrees, it seemed really hot and I started struggling around mile 3. I guess it was the humidity. Around mile 5 I started to get my second wind and ended finishing in 1 hour and 2 minutes, a 10:07/mile pace. Although that's not fast, it is a personal best for me; I think the last 10k I ran in April I averaged around 11:00/mile.
Crossing the Finish Line.
Afterwards, I had free Mangia pizza and watched the John Wayne Gacy clown.
Freak John Wayne Gacy Clown.
I had 2 beers and 2 glasses of wine on Saturday night and considered that my carbohydrate loading; however, I don't think that works so well. After my 8.2 mile run two weeks ago, I gained significant confidence but had a wake up call this morning. If the half-marathon were today, I would be walking at mile 7; I really struggled to finish this race.
Starting line of IBM Uptown Classic 10k
Although the temperature was only around 80 degrees, it seemed really hot and I started struggling around mile 3. I guess it was the humidity. Around mile 5 I started to get my second wind and ended finishing in 1 hour and 2 minutes, a 10:07/mile pace. Although that's not fast, it is a personal best for me; I think the last 10k I ran in April I averaged around 11:00/mile.
Crossing the Finish Line.
Afterwards, I had free Mangia pizza and watched the John Wayne Gacy clown.
Freak John Wayne Gacy Clown.
I had 2 beers and 2 glasses of wine on Saturday night and considered that my carbohydrate loading; however, I don't think that works so well. After my 8.2 mile run two weeks ago, I gained significant confidence but had a wake up call this morning. If the half-marathon were today, I would be walking at mile 7; I really struggled to finish this race.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Long Run
I met with my fellow Team in Training members in the parking lot of Austin High School at 6:30 on Saturday morning. We started by listening to a heartfelt story of a fellow runner who had lost a friend to Hodgkin's disease. It really puts running in perspective and makes me realize that I am running because I can, and, for that, I am very thankful. One of the TnT sayings is that running long distances and raising money is difficult, but try chemotherapy.
The planned run was 7 miles down Lake Austin Blvd and in the beautiful neighborhood in and around Scenic Blvd on the North Side of Lake Austin. The course was great because it had a significant number of hills which was great training. Plus, the view of the lake and the amazing houses kept me "sightseeing" instead of thinking of the run. This week's run was going to prove to be a confidence builder or confidence buster because the furthest I have run recently is 6 miles, and that was several weeks ago.
The group that I was running with got lost; it was a case of the blind leading the blind. Luckily, I had my Polar watch that keeps distance so I could still tell how far we had been running even though we strayed from the original course. My goal was just to complete the original 7 miles wherever that happened to be and walk back to Austin high, if necessary. However, once I hit the 7 mile mark, I couldn't stop. Everything felt great and I was in the groove experiencing runner's high. The final run was 8.2 miles in 1 hour and 26 minutes or a 10:30/mile pace including 2 water stops. What a great run!!
Unfortunately, I was only able to run 8 miles earlier in the week, so my weekly mileage was 16.2 miles. I was shooting for 20 miles. Next week's long run is supposed to be 8 miles, but I won't be able to run with the group because I'll be in Houston for my brother's wedding. I am planning to get a couple of runs in at Memorial Park.
The planned run was 7 miles down Lake Austin Blvd and in the beautiful neighborhood in and around Scenic Blvd on the North Side of Lake Austin. The course was great because it had a significant number of hills which was great training. Plus, the view of the lake and the amazing houses kept me "sightseeing" instead of thinking of the run. This week's run was going to prove to be a confidence builder or confidence buster because the furthest I have run recently is 6 miles, and that was several weeks ago.
The group that I was running with got lost; it was a case of the blind leading the blind. Luckily, I had my Polar watch that keeps distance so I could still tell how far we had been running even though we strayed from the original course. My goal was just to complete the original 7 miles wherever that happened to be and walk back to Austin high, if necessary. However, once I hit the 7 mile mark, I couldn't stop. Everything felt great and I was in the groove experiencing runner's high. The final run was 8.2 miles in 1 hour and 26 minutes or a 10:30/mile pace including 2 water stops. What a great run!!
Unfortunately, I was only able to run 8 miles earlier in the week, so my weekly mileage was 16.2 miles. I was shooting for 20 miles. Next week's long run is supposed to be 8 miles, but I won't be able to run with the group because I'll be in Houston for my brother's wedding. I am planning to get a couple of runs in at Memorial Park.
Monday, September 05, 2005
Running for a Reason
I recently joined the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Team in Training to help prepare for the Motive Bison Stampede half marathon in November while raising money for a good cause. This organization provides a coach, training program, and most importantly an environment of individuals committed in finding a cure for cancer. My goal is to raise $1,000 for the event and will match any donation up to $250 made on my donation website. Additionally, I donated $50 just to kick it off. By the way, all donations are tax-deductible.
I am sure that at some point in our lives cancer in one way or another has affected all of us. We all know someone who has been affected. Modern research has made huge strides in finding a cure; however, there is much work still to be done. The Society has invested more than $424 million in research, and I would like to do my small part in increasing this amount. Won't you join me?
I am sure that at some point in our lives cancer in one way or another has affected all of us. We all know someone who has been affected. Modern research has made huge strides in finding a cure; however, there is much work still to be done. The Society has invested more than $424 million in research, and I would like to do my small part in increasing this amount. Won't you join me?
Richard's Bachelor Party
We went to New Orleans for Richard's bachelor party last Thursday and returned Sunday less than 12 hours before Hurricane Katrina hit. We had a really great time doing the requisite bachelor party activities including gambling at Harrah's, boobs on Bourbon Street, and plenty of Hurricanes and Hand Grenades.
Drinking hurricanes at Pat O'Brien's on Friday night. We were oblivious that Hurricane Katrina was on her way to New Orleans.
On Saturday night when it was apparent that Hurricane Katrina was heading towards New Orleans, it got pretty scary because United and Delta canceled all of their flights out of the city. We were scheduled on a 12 noon flight out on Southwest airlines on Sunday, but were worried that Southwest would cancel its flights as well based on the speed of the hurricane heading towards NOLA. We decided that we would just rent a car and road trip it home; we thought that would actually be fun. I started calling all of the rental car agencies around 10pm, and all of them were sold out.
I then started calling other airlines to see if we could book an earlier flight just in case our flight was canceled. Every airline was sold out to every city serviced by the airlines. By this point, I wanted a contingency plan, and just wanted a flight to Houston but would go to Chicago, St. Louis, Cleveland... anywhere but New Orleans. Additionally, the city was about to announce a mandatory evacuation and initiated "contra flow" in which the major highways out of the city were changed to one direction. The folks at our hotel said during the last hurricane, the roads were so congested with people evacuating the city, that it took 6 hours to get from downtown to the airport.
We decided to leave for the airport at 1:30 am to provide for any delays and to go stand by on all the earlier flights to ensure we made it out. Luckily, there was no traffic at that time of the morning, and it only took us 30 minutes to get to the airport. While in the taxi, we heard someone on the dispatch looking for a cab to drive some folks to Houston for $700. In the back of my mind, this was my contingency plan if we didn't make a flight.
Sleeping in the Louis Armstrong airport in New Orleans.
Once at the airport, I withdrew $1,000 cash from the ATM machine in order to hire a taxi or bribe someone to pick us up while hitchhiking on the highway if we didn't make a flight. Luckily, we finally got on a 9:30 am flight to Houston. As soon as we took off, the pilot came on and said the storm was 37 miles south of New Orleans and said to look out the left side of the aircraft to view the storm. It was an amazing sight; I wish I would have taken a picture. I am very thankful that we got out when we did and have tremendous sympathy for those who did not and for those who lost everything, including their lives. I have been glued to CNN, Fox, and MSNBC all week long. The devestation and chaos is unbelievable.
Drinking hurricanes at Pat O'Brien's on Friday night. We were oblivious that Hurricane Katrina was on her way to New Orleans.
On Saturday night when it was apparent that Hurricane Katrina was heading towards New Orleans, it got pretty scary because United and Delta canceled all of their flights out of the city. We were scheduled on a 12 noon flight out on Southwest airlines on Sunday, but were worried that Southwest would cancel its flights as well based on the speed of the hurricane heading towards NOLA. We decided that we would just rent a car and road trip it home; we thought that would actually be fun. I started calling all of the rental car agencies around 10pm, and all of them were sold out.
I then started calling other airlines to see if we could book an earlier flight just in case our flight was canceled. Every airline was sold out to every city serviced by the airlines. By this point, I wanted a contingency plan, and just wanted a flight to Houston but would go to Chicago, St. Louis, Cleveland... anywhere but New Orleans. Additionally, the city was about to announce a mandatory evacuation and initiated "contra flow" in which the major highways out of the city were changed to one direction. The folks at our hotel said during the last hurricane, the roads were so congested with people evacuating the city, that it took 6 hours to get from downtown to the airport.
We decided to leave for the airport at 1:30 am to provide for any delays and to go stand by on all the earlier flights to ensure we made it out. Luckily, there was no traffic at that time of the morning, and it only took us 30 minutes to get to the airport. While in the taxi, we heard someone on the dispatch looking for a cab to drive some folks to Houston for $700. In the back of my mind, this was my contingency plan if we didn't make a flight.
Sleeping in the Louis Armstrong airport in New Orleans.
Once at the airport, I withdrew $1,000 cash from the ATM machine in order to hire a taxi or bribe someone to pick us up while hitchhiking on the highway if we didn't make a flight. Luckily, we finally got on a 9:30 am flight to Houston. As soon as we took off, the pilot came on and said the storm was 37 miles south of New Orleans and said to look out the left side of the aircraft to view the storm. It was an amazing sight; I wish I would have taken a picture. I am very thankful that we got out when we did and have tremendous sympathy for those who did not and for those who lost everything, including their lives. I have been glued to CNN, Fox, and MSNBC all week long. The devestation and chaos is unbelievable.
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Running Update
This week was a pretty good week for running and exercise. I woke up at 6:15 am on Monday morning and ran 4 miles before work. After work, I went to the gym and did some circuit training with the weights. I am a member of 24 Hour Fitness, and they have a circuit training area that includes machines for abs, seated squat, seated leg curls for hamstrings, leg press for quadriceps, bench press, shoulder press, tricep press, seated row, and bicep curl. I haven't worked out with the weights in a while so my muscles were sore all week long.
On Tuesday, I ran 4 miles and then offset all the exercise with a wine tasting and dinner at Fleming's. Wednesday I hosted dinner and a movie night with some friends and grilled Prime filets that I got from Central Market. I have never bought Prime beef from the grocery store before, but it was amazing. The cut of meat really makes a huge difference!! We watched Love Actually on DVD which the girls suggested (I wanted to see Wedding Crashers), and it was pretty good. I had very low expectations for this chick flick.
Friday I ran 4 miles on the dreadmill and Saturday I did 8 miles at Town Lake although I only ran 6 of them. After that I got some new shoes from a friend that works at RunTex. I changed from the Asics GT-2100 to the Brooks Trance 5. I wanted the Asics Kayano, but they didn't have my size. Today I went to the gym to work out and then ran 3 miles on the indoor track (my friend said that if I run on the treadmill or indoor track and don't like the shoes, I could bring them back for a full refund) to take the new shoes for a test drive. The shoes don't feel nearly as "cushiony" as the Asics and seemed really long and flat. I didn't have any discomfort, but I like the Asics much better. I think it's just that I am used to the Asics, so I think I am going to find some Kayonos in my size or just go back to a new pair of GT-2100s.
So, that gives me 21 miles for the week. I haven't broken the 20 mile mark since before the Freescale half-marathon. Additionally, I have added incentive. I am weighing in at around 204 lbs, and haven't been sub-200 lbs in probably a decade. So, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel to reach this milestone. For the past 2 weeks I have been on the Abs Diet which a friend recommended and lent me the book. It is really a common sense approach to eating healthy, eating 6 small meals a day, and exercising. The theory is to increase metabolism through eating the right foods and building muscle mass.
I haven't really lost any weight in the past two weeks since I have been on it, but I feel great. I haven't eaten any fast food in 2 weeks (with the exception of a late night Whataburger last weekend after Richard and Lauren's wedding shower party at 3:30 in the morning). Also, I usually have 2 diet colas at work a day. For the past 2 weeks, I have only had 1 choosing to drink only water, green tea, or milk. I went to Whole Foods 2 weeks ago and loaded up on healthy foods and snacks, it was expensive at $143. But, since I have been eating in and the groceries have lasted over 2 weeks, it is probably cheaper than my normal diet of eating out every night.
On Tuesday, I ran 4 miles and then offset all the exercise with a wine tasting and dinner at Fleming's. Wednesday I hosted dinner and a movie night with some friends and grilled Prime filets that I got from Central Market. I have never bought Prime beef from the grocery store before, but it was amazing. The cut of meat really makes a huge difference!! We watched Love Actually on DVD which the girls suggested (I wanted to see Wedding Crashers), and it was pretty good. I had very low expectations for this chick flick.
Friday I ran 4 miles on the dreadmill and Saturday I did 8 miles at Town Lake although I only ran 6 of them. After that I got some new shoes from a friend that works at RunTex. I changed from the Asics GT-2100 to the Brooks Trance 5. I wanted the Asics Kayano, but they didn't have my size. Today I went to the gym to work out and then ran 3 miles on the indoor track (my friend said that if I run on the treadmill or indoor track and don't like the shoes, I could bring them back for a full refund) to take the new shoes for a test drive. The shoes don't feel nearly as "cushiony" as the Asics and seemed really long and flat. I didn't have any discomfort, but I like the Asics much better. I think it's just that I am used to the Asics, so I think I am going to find some Kayonos in my size or just go back to a new pair of GT-2100s.
So, that gives me 21 miles for the week. I haven't broken the 20 mile mark since before the Freescale half-marathon. Additionally, I have added incentive. I am weighing in at around 204 lbs, and haven't been sub-200 lbs in probably a decade. So, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel to reach this milestone. For the past 2 weeks I have been on the Abs Diet which a friend recommended and lent me the book. It is really a common sense approach to eating healthy, eating 6 small meals a day, and exercising. The theory is to increase metabolism through eating the right foods and building muscle mass.
I haven't really lost any weight in the past two weeks since I have been on it, but I feel great. I haven't eaten any fast food in 2 weeks (with the exception of a late night Whataburger last weekend after Richard and Lauren's wedding shower party at 3:30 in the morning). Also, I usually have 2 diet colas at work a day. For the past 2 weeks, I have only had 1 choosing to drink only water, green tea, or milk. I went to Whole Foods 2 weeks ago and loaded up on healthy foods and snacks, it was expensive at $143. But, since I have been eating in and the groceries have lasted over 2 weeks, it is probably cheaper than my normal diet of eating out every night.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Best Running Cities in the US
See the article on MSN.com. Austin was ranked number 11, Dallas 15, and Houston 21. It's nice to see that the race to run in Dallas is the White Rock marathon. I am looking forward to it. I ran 20 miles last week despite a major drinking binge over the 4th of July weekend. We did the Texas Hill Country wine trail and visited Lost Creek vineyard near Marble Falls and Flat Creek vineyard just outside of Lago Vista near Austin. Anyways, I am not used to drinking wine and it was flowing like beer. Needless to say, it caught up to me fast...really fast.
Lance Armstrong Foundation Night at Dell Diamond
My soon-to-be sister-in-law works for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and invited us to the LAF night at the Dell Diamond last Saturday night to watch the Round Rock Express play. We had a really good time. My nephew, Kaleb, is a really great kid.
Kaleb is a Lance fan.
Kaleb eating cotton candy at the Round Rock Express game.
Kaleb and Uncle Dave.
Kaleb is a Lance fan.
Kaleb eating cotton candy at the Round Rock Express game.
Kaleb and Uncle Dave.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Dallas White Rock Marathon
Well, it's been almost two months since I have blogged. You can definitely tell it's summer time because it seems like the frequency of posts has decreased on most of the blogs that I read.
My friend, Patrick, sent me an email the other day saying that he is going to run the White Rock Marathon in Dallas on December 11. I asked if they had a half marathon (and they do), but said to myself, "screw the half, I'm doing the marathon." There is a guy that sits one row over at work who recently ran the San Diego marathon. If he can do it, so can I. It took him 6 hours to complete it, and I figure I can do much better than that. He doesn't look like he is that great of shape...but either do I.
I have been running about 3 miles, 3 times a week just to offset all of the heavy beer drinking this summer. But, I will increase my training beginning next week. If all goes well, I will try to get back to Town Lake this Saturday and do a long run of 5 miles. With the heat in Austin, I have been having difficulty running 4 miles which used to be my bare minimum for a run. I have been using the Pose Method and have increased my running pace to sub 10 minute miles which is quite a bit faster than the 11:30 to 12:00 minutes I was running before.
My friend, Patrick, sent me an email the other day saying that he is going to run the White Rock Marathon in Dallas on December 11. I asked if they had a half marathon (and they do), but said to myself, "screw the half, I'm doing the marathon." There is a guy that sits one row over at work who recently ran the San Diego marathon. If he can do it, so can I. It took him 6 hours to complete it, and I figure I can do much better than that. He doesn't look like he is that great of shape...but either do I.
I have been running about 3 miles, 3 times a week just to offset all of the heavy beer drinking this summer. But, I will increase my training beginning next week. If all goes well, I will try to get back to Town Lake this Saturday and do a long run of 5 miles. With the heat in Austin, I have been having difficulty running 4 miles which used to be my bare minimum for a run. I have been using the Pose Method and have increased my running pace to sub 10 minute miles which is quite a bit faster than the 11:30 to 12:00 minutes I was running before.
Saturday, May 14, 2005
John-Michael
My friend and former roommate John-Michael was on the news this morning; he is the President of the Austin History Center.
Sunday, May 01, 2005
2005 Texas Round-up
My brother, sister, cousin, and I ran the 2005 Texas Round-up 10k on Saturday morning in memory of our mother (and aunt). Thankfully, a cool front blew in Friday night and the temperature changed from the high 80's on Friday to the low 50's and windy on Saturday morning. I told my brother and cousin that this was perfect running temperature, and they didn't need long sleeves. However, as we stood waiting at the starting line, they were cursing me because it was cold, and the race was delayed 10 minutes. We happened to be standing right next to the starter's platform where Governor Rick Perry introduced Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, along with Clay Walker who sang the National Anthem. See the the video from News 8 Austin.
Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson, Duchess of York; Clay Walker; Rick Perry; and the Pilgrim's Pride Chicken
Starting Line of Texas Roundup '05
Before the race.
As the race got underway, it began raining lightly which lasted, intermittently, throughout the run. I went out really slowly and focused on running with good Pose form; however, I still managed a PR at 1:08 or a 11 minute/mile pace. I have always been a slow runner, but I really feel that I had a lot left over after the race and should have pushed harder towards the end. It is a PR mainly because I have never run a 10k race before. I have run the Schlotzsky's Bun Run 5k back in 1994, the 5 mile Turkey Trot last November, the Freescale Half Marathon in February, and now the Texas Round-up 10k.
Although my sister works out on a regular basis, she only trained for a couple of weeks going into this race, and she ran it in 1:04, slightly under a 10.5 minute/mile. That is awesome!! Similarly, my brother ran it in 1:11, and he didn't train at all. My cousin didn't train either and decided to run it the day before when he found out we had an extra registration packet since Lauren got called out of town for business with the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Everyone did a tremendous job (although I think the non-trainers are walking funny today); mom would be very proud!!
After the race...we finished!!
In memory of mom...we miss you!!
Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson, Duchess of York; Clay Walker; Rick Perry; and the Pilgrim's Pride Chicken
Starting Line of Texas Roundup '05
Before the race.
As the race got underway, it began raining lightly which lasted, intermittently, throughout the run. I went out really slowly and focused on running with good Pose form; however, I still managed a PR at 1:08 or a 11 minute/mile pace. I have always been a slow runner, but I really feel that I had a lot left over after the race and should have pushed harder towards the end. It is a PR mainly because I have never run a 10k race before. I have run the Schlotzsky's Bun Run 5k back in 1994, the 5 mile Turkey Trot last November, the Freescale Half Marathon in February, and now the Texas Round-up 10k.
Although my sister works out on a regular basis, she only trained for a couple of weeks going into this race, and she ran it in 1:04, slightly under a 10.5 minute/mile. That is awesome!! Similarly, my brother ran it in 1:11, and he didn't train at all. My cousin didn't train either and decided to run it the day before when he found out we had an extra registration packet since Lauren got called out of town for business with the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Everyone did a tremendous job (although I think the non-trainers are walking funny today); mom would be very proud!!
After the race...we finished!!
In memory of mom...we miss you!!
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Austin has a Sherlock's
When I lived in Houston for a year in 2001-2002, I often frequented Sherlock's Pub on West Gray. On Thursday, they opened one in Austin, so I went with my brother, his fiancee, and some other friends to check it out on Friday night. It's a pretty big place with pool tables, darts, food, and, of course, beer. What I like most about it is the location; it's in Northwest Austin on the corner of Burnet Rd. and 183. It is a good alternative to going downtown for a beer.
Here is a video that my cousin referred me to. When my brother and I watched it, we were in tears laughing. I kind of feel guilty for laughing, but I guess that's what she gets for cheating. Listen and watch carefully when someone says, "Stop."
On the exercise front, I did go down to Town Lake on Saturday and ran 4 miles; although, I could feel the remnants of the cold on the respiratory system. I had to walk for a couple of minutes after mile 3. The 10k this weekend should be interesting. I plan to run 4 miles tomorrow, Wednesday, and Thursday to get ready for the race.
Here is a video that my cousin referred me to. When my brother and I watched it, we were in tears laughing. I kind of feel guilty for laughing, but I guess that's what she gets for cheating. Listen and watch carefully when someone says, "Stop."
On the exercise front, I did go down to Town Lake on Saturday and ran 4 miles; although, I could feel the remnants of the cold on the respiratory system. I had to walk for a couple of minutes after mile 3. The 10k this weekend should be interesting. I plan to run 4 miles tomorrow, Wednesday, and Thursday to get ready for the race.
Thursday, April 21, 2005
On the Road Again
Actually, on the "dreadmill" again. I haven't blogged since April 3rd, two days after the last time since I have run...until today. I was sick with a terrible cold and upper respiratory infection for two weeks. I felt well enough to run last weekend and intended to do so, but it was just so easy to give in to excuses. I guess I was a victim of Newton's first law, objects at rest stay at rest, and objects in motion will stay in motion.
It amazes me how hard it is to start running again after you have lost the momentum. I brought my running gear with me to work every day this week and placed it under my desk with the intention of running at lunch, but every day I found an excuse to delay my run until after work. After work, I quickly found an excuse to run first thing in the morning and would set my alarm for 5:30 am. At 5:30 am the next morning, I told myself I would run at lunch as I pushed the snooze button...repeatedly. And the vicious (downward) spiral continued.
One day I was watching PBS television during one of their support drives, and there was a gentleman speaking named Dr. Wayne Dyer. Dr. Dyer, affectionately called the "father of motivation" by his fans, is one of the most widely known and respected people in the field of self-empowerment (from his website). One of the things that I remember from his PBS special is that you must "contemplate and surround yourself with the conditions that you want to produce in your life." When I went to my friend's wedding on April 2nd, I put on my regular watch and have had it on ever since. But for some reason, today I put back on my Polar heart rate monitor watch, and I just *felt* like a runner. Oddly enough, this subtle suggestion was enough to motivate me to run today, the first time in 20 days. I contemplated and surrounded myself with running!
During my running hiatus I ordered The Pose Method of Running and the accompanying DVD based on one of Patrick's posts. I figured I would try this new technique on my first day back running, especially since I was running on the treadmill. Basically, the technique is to run on the balls of your feet and to visualize pulling straight up from the ankles. It was sort of difficult concentrating on form at first, but got easier as the run went along. There were no epiphanies for me; however, I did realize that I was definitely running with a heel strike before. This method is supposed to enhance endurance, raise speed, reduce recovery time, increase flexibility, and reduce injuries. These are all things that I could benefit from, so I'll try and stick with it for awhile.
As soon as I finished running, I could feel my calf muscles and expect to be sore; I can definitely tell that I was running with different form. I only ran 3 miles which wasn't difficult, but the rate of perceived exertion felt like about 4 miles. How quickly we erase the endurance gains!! I am looking forward to the 10k next weekend.
It amazes me how hard it is to start running again after you have lost the momentum. I brought my running gear with me to work every day this week and placed it under my desk with the intention of running at lunch, but every day I found an excuse to delay my run until after work. After work, I quickly found an excuse to run first thing in the morning and would set my alarm for 5:30 am. At 5:30 am the next morning, I told myself I would run at lunch as I pushed the snooze button...repeatedly. And the vicious (downward) spiral continued.
One day I was watching PBS television during one of their support drives, and there was a gentleman speaking named Dr. Wayne Dyer. Dr. Dyer, affectionately called the "father of motivation" by his fans, is one of the most widely known and respected people in the field of self-empowerment (from his website). One of the things that I remember from his PBS special is that you must "contemplate and surround yourself with the conditions that you want to produce in your life." When I went to my friend's wedding on April 2nd, I put on my regular watch and have had it on ever since. But for some reason, today I put back on my Polar heart rate monitor watch, and I just *felt* like a runner. Oddly enough, this subtle suggestion was enough to motivate me to run today, the first time in 20 days. I contemplated and surrounded myself with running!
During my running hiatus I ordered The Pose Method of Running and the accompanying DVD based on one of Patrick's posts. I figured I would try this new technique on my first day back running, especially since I was running on the treadmill. Basically, the technique is to run on the balls of your feet and to visualize pulling straight up from the ankles. It was sort of difficult concentrating on form at first, but got easier as the run went along. There were no epiphanies for me; however, I did realize that I was definitely running with a heel strike before. This method is supposed to enhance endurance, raise speed, reduce recovery time, increase flexibility, and reduce injuries. These are all things that I could benefit from, so I'll try and stick with it for awhile.
As soon as I finished running, I could feel my calf muscles and expect to be sore; I can definitely tell that I was running with different form. I only ran 3 miles which wasn't difficult, but the rate of perceived exertion felt like about 4 miles. How quickly we erase the endurance gains!! I am looking forward to the 10k next weekend.
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Sick and Tired
Last Saturday night I went to a friend's birthday dinner at Moonshine Patio Bar and Grill.
Susan's Birthday Dinner at Moonshine.
I had the Texas Flat Iron steak with a bleu cheese butter sauce that was delicious. I want to go back and try the rainbow trout which was subsequently recommended by a coworker that I ran into while leaving the restaurant. The place was nice, not too pretentious, and off the beaten path compared to other downtown restaurants. The $2 valet parking made it really easy to get in and get out. Definitely not a F&L (first and last) dining experience.
On Easter Sunday, I went to my grandmother's house and celebrated the resurrection of Christ by proceeding to gorge myself on barbecued chicken, sausage, ham, and too many sides and desserts to mention. I didn't go to Easter Mass, but I did watch Joel Osteen's service at Minute Maid Park and Tivo'd it. Does that count? I was raised Catholic, but recently have been trying to figure out what religion/church to attend. I am definitely a Christian, but don't necessarily believe in all of the teachings of the Catholic church; some of the canons seem contrived and man-made versus divine. But I guess that's what faith is all about.
Yesterday I woke up with congestion and a stuffy nose. I lied around the house resting and watching CNN for the latest on the Pope's health conditions. At 2:00 I went to a friend's beautiful Catholic wedding but began feeling achy and feverish so I didn't attend the reception. What the heck? I was sick just two weeks ago!! Needless to say, I have only run 14 miles over the past two weeks.
Susan's Birthday Dinner at Moonshine.
I had the Texas Flat Iron steak with a bleu cheese butter sauce that was delicious. I want to go back and try the rainbow trout which was subsequently recommended by a coworker that I ran into while leaving the restaurant. The place was nice, not too pretentious, and off the beaten path compared to other downtown restaurants. The $2 valet parking made it really easy to get in and get out. Definitely not a F&L (first and last) dining experience.
On Easter Sunday, I went to my grandmother's house and celebrated the resurrection of Christ by proceeding to gorge myself on barbecued chicken, sausage, ham, and too many sides and desserts to mention. I didn't go to Easter Mass, but I did watch Joel Osteen's service at Minute Maid Park and Tivo'd it. Does that count? I was raised Catholic, but recently have been trying to figure out what religion/church to attend. I am definitely a Christian, but don't necessarily believe in all of the teachings of the Catholic church; some of the canons seem contrived and man-made versus divine. But I guess that's what faith is all about.
Yesterday I woke up with congestion and a stuffy nose. I lied around the house resting and watching CNN for the latest on the Pope's health conditions. At 2:00 I went to a friend's beautiful Catholic wedding but began feeling achy and feverish so I didn't attend the reception. What the heck? I was sick just two weeks ago!! Needless to say, I have only run 14 miles over the past two weeks.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
In Memoriam
I only ran 8 miles last week because I started getting sick on Friday and spent the rest of the weekend in bed. Luckily, I had the NCAA basketball tourney to keep me occupied. Normally, I am not a huge sports fan, but this is more of a gambling experience than a sporting event since I have money riding on some brackets at work. Unfortunately, I am in 106th place out of 118.
I babysat Kaleb, my nephew, for two days on Wednesday and Thursday while my sister was doing some job interviewing in Big D. He had a cough, and I think I caught an upper respiratory bug from him. I read an article about sick kids and daycares, and one study found that if a virus is introduced into the daycare in the morning, 80% of the children and 50% of the parents will be infected by day's end. No wonder it seems like children are perpetually sick. When I picked Kaleb up from daycare, we were counting tractors and other various construction equipment (which there is no shortage of due to all of the road construction) on the way home. I spotted an unusually clean, white dump truck and asked him if he saw it. He commented that it was a very clean dump truck, and I agreed. He then said, "I like nasty dump trucks." I don't know why I thought that was so funny, but I laughed. Kids say the darndest things.
I previously posted that I was going to run the Texas Roundup 10k because I thought it was for a good cause, "a statewide effort to encourage Texans of all fitness levels to incorporate daily physical activity and healthy choices into their lives." Now, I have even more reason to run the 10k and have recruited the family. I have dedicated this run to my mother. My brother, his fiancee, my sister, her fiance, and I are running the 10k in her memory; she was tragically killed in a car accident 10 years and 1 day from the date of the run, April 30th. We miss her dearly, and I find it hard to believe she has physically been gone from us for almost a decade. However, she will forever be in our hearts, minds, and prayers.
I babysat Kaleb, my nephew, for two days on Wednesday and Thursday while my sister was doing some job interviewing in Big D. He had a cough, and I think I caught an upper respiratory bug from him. I read an article about sick kids and daycares, and one study found that if a virus is introduced into the daycare in the morning, 80% of the children and 50% of the parents will be infected by day's end. No wonder it seems like children are perpetually sick. When I picked Kaleb up from daycare, we were counting tractors and other various construction equipment (which there is no shortage of due to all of the road construction) on the way home. I spotted an unusually clean, white dump truck and asked him if he saw it. He commented that it was a very clean dump truck, and I agreed. He then said, "I like nasty dump trucks." I don't know why I thought that was so funny, but I laughed. Kids say the darndest things.
I previously posted that I was going to run the Texas Roundup 10k because I thought it was for a good cause, "a statewide effort to encourage Texans of all fitness levels to incorporate daily physical activity and healthy choices into their lives." Now, I have even more reason to run the 10k and have recruited the family. I have dedicated this run to my mother. My brother, his fiancee, my sister, her fiance, and I are running the 10k in her memory; she was tragically killed in a car accident 10 years and 1 day from the date of the run, April 30th. We miss her dearly, and I find it hard to believe she has physically been gone from us for almost a decade. However, she will forever be in our hearts, minds, and prayers.
Monday, March 14, 2005
Varekai
I ran 14 miles last week which was better than the past few weeks, but short of my goal of 18. I happened to be searching the internet on Friday night and came across the Go for the Gold 10k. Since my planned long run on Saturday was 6 miles, I figured I'd run this 10k for the people watching and race encouragement instead. But as soon as I turned it into a race, I had anxiety and couldn't sleep. Since I hadn't registered, all of the logistics kept creeping into my mind. What time do I have to wake up to register before the race? Where is the race? Where do I park?
Needless to say, by the time I got to sleep it was at least 3:30 am, and I needed to leave at about 6:30 am. So, I blew it off. I did, however, run my 6 miles at Town Lake at 9:00am. I need to figure out a way to relieve the pre-race anxiety. Hopefully, that will come with experience and familiarity to racing (or drugs...drugs are good).
Saturday night I went with a group of friends to Eastside Cafe. I had never been there before so it was good to see friends, meet new people, and have a new dining experience. "The Eastside Café sits on an acre of land surrounded by dozens of pecan trees. One third of the land is home to a gorgeous organic garden. For 15 years vegetables, herbs and flowers have been organically grown and harvested for use in the Eastside Café kitchen." It was delicious.
Afterwards, we went to Cirque du Soleil's Varekai at the old Austin Bergstrom airport. I was a little apprehensive at first because it was in a tent put up in a parking lot. I wasn't necessarily bothered about being in a tent, I just had visions of freak shows, bearded-women, and a three-eyed man. You know, carnies...small hands...smell like cabbage. But once inside, I forgot that I was in a tent, and the show was on par with a Vegas Cirque production. I have seen Mystere at Treasure Island in Vegas, and I preferred the tent because the venue was more intimate and our seats were better. Some of the things that they do are truly amazing!! I highly recommend the show if you get a chance to see one, but the tickets are pretty pricey at $67 (although it is still cheaper than Vegas).
We then headed down to 219 on 4th street. Downtown was packed due to SXSW. I had never been to 219 because I don't go out downtown that often, but it was pretty fun. On the way home, I did the obligatory late night stop at Taco Cabana. When I got home, my brother and some of his friends were playing Texas Hold 'em so I had to join in. I actually doubled my money and then went to bed.
Sunday, I went to Home Depot and bought a new 22", self-propelled, key start, 6.75hp, Toro lawn mower. I am a total nerd and getting way too old; I am getting all excited about a lawn mower! But, it works well. I mowed the yard and then had a little incident with my dog (which was unrelated to the lawn mower), but that is a very long and sad story for another day. Thus, I didn't get the 4 miles in that would have gotten me to my 18 mile goal.
Needless to say, by the time I got to sleep it was at least 3:30 am, and I needed to leave at about 6:30 am. So, I blew it off. I did, however, run my 6 miles at Town Lake at 9:00am. I need to figure out a way to relieve the pre-race anxiety. Hopefully, that will come with experience and familiarity to racing (or drugs...drugs are good).
Saturday night I went with a group of friends to Eastside Cafe. I had never been there before so it was good to see friends, meet new people, and have a new dining experience. "The Eastside Café sits on an acre of land surrounded by dozens of pecan trees. One third of the land is home to a gorgeous organic garden. For 15 years vegetables, herbs and flowers have been organically grown and harvested for use in the Eastside Café kitchen." It was delicious.
Afterwards, we went to Cirque du Soleil's Varekai at the old Austin Bergstrom airport. I was a little apprehensive at first because it was in a tent put up in a parking lot. I wasn't necessarily bothered about being in a tent, I just had visions of freak shows, bearded-women, and a three-eyed man. You know, carnies...small hands...smell like cabbage. But once inside, I forgot that I was in a tent, and the show was on par with a Vegas Cirque production. I have seen Mystere at Treasure Island in Vegas, and I preferred the tent because the venue was more intimate and our seats were better. Some of the things that they do are truly amazing!! I highly recommend the show if you get a chance to see one, but the tickets are pretty pricey at $67 (although it is still cheaper than Vegas).
We then headed down to 219 on 4th street. Downtown was packed due to SXSW. I had never been to 219 because I don't go out downtown that often, but it was pretty fun. On the way home, I did the obligatory late night stop at Taco Cabana. When I got home, my brother and some of his friends were playing Texas Hold 'em so I had to join in. I actually doubled my money and then went to bed.
Sunday, I went to Home Depot and bought a new 22", self-propelled, key start, 6.75hp, Toro lawn mower. I am a total nerd and getting way too old; I am getting all excited about a lawn mower! But, it works well. I mowed the yard and then had a little incident with my dog (which was unrelated to the lawn mower), but that is a very long and sad story for another day. Thus, I didn't get the 4 miles in that would have gotten me to my 18 mile goal.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
"Recovered"
I performed Polar's OwnOptimizer this morning with a result of 1--"Your test heart rates are lower than average. This indicates that you have recovered very well." Is that what you call it, "recovered?" I call it lazy. I only ran once last week, 4 miles on Tuesday night. And, I think I must have been bitten by the dreaded African tsetse fly because I slept all day yesterday.
Well, the Polar test and yesterday's lethargy were just enough motivation to get me down to Town Lake this morning. It was drizzling so the trail was fairly sparse, no dodging people just puddles. I had originally embarked on a 4 mile run, but decided to do 5 miles while on the trail so that my weekly mileage would be a paltry 9 miles instead of 8. The last 1.5 miles were hard, and I had to use mental techniques such as "Be Your Own Hero" and "...but it doesn't matter."
I imagined another runner a few feet in front of me with the familiar Asic stripes on his shoes. He appeared to be a little unsteady and seemed to be favoring his left foot. I passed him like he was standing still, and when I turned my head, I realized it was Patrick Nolan: Man Without a Shoe. After this joyous victory, I went home and picked up the dog sh*t in the back yard.
The other mental technique that I use to keep negative thoughts at bay is "but it doesn't matter." I am really tired, my lower back aches, and my left knee is starting to hurt..."but it doesn't matter." I finished the run and felt really great.
I always feel better after a run than I do before it, and try to remember this in order to remain positive. Whenever I find myself making excuses and thinking: I am tired. I have been at work 12 hours. I am hungry. I have an early morning meeting. Then, I think to myself..."but it doesn't matter!!"
Well, the Polar test and yesterday's lethargy were just enough motivation to get me down to Town Lake this morning. It was drizzling so the trail was fairly sparse, no dodging people just puddles. I had originally embarked on a 4 mile run, but decided to do 5 miles while on the trail so that my weekly mileage would be a paltry 9 miles instead of 8. The last 1.5 miles were hard, and I had to use mental techniques such as "Be Your Own Hero" and "...but it doesn't matter."
I imagined another runner a few feet in front of me with the familiar Asic stripes on his shoes. He appeared to be a little unsteady and seemed to be favoring his left foot. I passed him like he was standing still, and when I turned my head, I realized it was Patrick Nolan: Man Without a Shoe. After this joyous victory, I went home and picked up the dog sh*t in the back yard.
The other mental technique that I use to keep negative thoughts at bay is "but it doesn't matter." I am really tired, my lower back aches, and my left knee is starting to hurt..."but it doesn't matter." I finished the run and felt really great.
I always feel better after a run than I do before it, and try to remember this in order to remain positive. Whenever I find myself making excuses and thinking: I am tired. I have been at work 12 hours. I am hungry. I have an early morning meeting. Then, I think to myself..."but it doesn't matter!!"
Friday, March 04, 2005
Tivo
Several of my friends have Tivo or DVR and have recently commented on how much they like it. I don't ever record television and don't even own a VCR. However, I am ashamed to admit that I am a big fan of American Idol. Last week I wanted to go for a run, but it was 8:00 and American Idol was just beginning; unfortunately, Idol won. I thought to myself this is ridiculous...maybe I should get Tivo.
I ordered Tivo Saturday and it arrived last night. After only one day, I found myself trying to fast forward through the news. Doh! I caught up with live TV, and can't fast forward anymore. I think I am going to watch everything a half hour after it has aired so I can fast forward through the commercials.
I went to happy hour with some work colleagues after work this evening. We were talking about some of our incompetent coworkers, and my boss mentioned that sometimes he wishes he could put this under his name in his e-mail signature: Fuck You It is F*** Y** in Webdings. I was cracking up; I wonder how long it would take for someone to figure it out.
Later at another bar, I went to the restroom and they had the Austin American Statesman on the bulletin board above the urinal. The main story was, "Lake Austin properties have long been spared city taxes." It is a story about how most of the lakefront property on prestigious Lake Austin is exempt from property taxes due to a "special status" codified by the City Council in 1986. The average appraised value of these exempt properties is over $800,000 and includes homeowners such as Lance Armstrong, Tom Meredith (former CFO of Dell Inc.), JB Goodwin, and Dennis Quaid. This is outrageous!!
I ordered Tivo Saturday and it arrived last night. After only one day, I found myself trying to fast forward through the news. Doh! I caught up with live TV, and can't fast forward anymore. I think I am going to watch everything a half hour after it has aired so I can fast forward through the commercials.
I went to happy hour with some work colleagues after work this evening. We were talking about some of our incompetent coworkers, and my boss mentioned that sometimes he wishes he could put this under his name in his e-mail signature: Fuck You It is F*** Y** in Webdings. I was cracking up; I wonder how long it would take for someone to figure it out.
Later at another bar, I went to the restroom and they had the Austin American Statesman on the bulletin board above the urinal. The main story was, "Lake Austin properties have long been spared city taxes." It is a story about how most of the lakefront property on prestigious Lake Austin is exempt from property taxes due to a "special status" codified by the City Council in 1986. The average appraised value of these exempt properties is over $800,000 and includes homeowners such as Lance Armstrong, Tom Meredith (former CFO of Dell Inc.), JB Goodwin, and Dennis Quaid. This is outrageous!!
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
20 Questions
Check this site out. Think of anything. This site will ask you questions and guess what it is. The technology is amazing; it is a neural network and actually learns the more people play. Do you want to play a game?
Need Some Motivation and Other Rants
Well, I only logged 12 miles last week, and my motivation seems to be waning. Although, I did run 4 miles tonight after work, and it felt really good. I wanted to sign up for either the Big D half-marathon in Dallas or the Capitol 10k to keep me motivated; however, both are on April 3rd which is the morning after a friend's wedding (so I'll be hungover).
Luckily, my employer is sponsoring another "train for a 10k" on Monday and Wednesday mornings at 6:00 am. It seemed to be pretty motivating for me last time, so I think I'll try it again (although they raised the price to $60). The class doesn't start until March 21 and it culminates with the Texas Roundup 10k on April 30th. I wasn't even aware of this race as I don't think it is on the RunTex website...maybe I just missed it. Anyways, it seems like it is for a good cause, "a statewide effort to encourage Texans of all fitness levels to incorporate daily physical activity and healthy choices into their lives."
Did you know that one of the top concerns of Chief Financial Officers, according to one of my Finance trade rags, is spiraling health care costs? To my employer's credit, they have really been focusing on wellness not only to promote work-life balance but also to reduce health care costs. The running classes are a result of this. Anyways, human resources showed a pretty startling graph that showed that about 4% of the chronically ill employees (or their dependents) made up about 75% of the Company's healthcare costs. The converse of that was that the healthy folks made up only a fraction of the costs. I may not have the numbers exactly right, but it is basically the ol' 80/20 rule, or something close to it.
I used to believe in the "to each his own" philosophy. If you want to smoke, go right ahead. It doesn't affect me...or does it? Now, I do care because it does affect me. I am going to have to pay for your quadruple bypass surgery in the form of increased insurance premiums, and I'll probably have to work at Wal-Mart in my golden years just for the health insurance benefits. I know that I am somewhat of a hypocrite because I have been known to overindulge in some unhealthy habits like drinking and overeating. But, at least I am trying to make healthier choices and to live each day a little healthier than the last. That's why I think the Texas Roundup is a good cause.
Luckily, my employer is sponsoring another "train for a 10k" on Monday and Wednesday mornings at 6:00 am. It seemed to be pretty motivating for me last time, so I think I'll try it again (although they raised the price to $60). The class doesn't start until March 21 and it culminates with the Texas Roundup 10k on April 30th. I wasn't even aware of this race as I don't think it is on the RunTex website...maybe I just missed it. Anyways, it seems like it is for a good cause, "a statewide effort to encourage Texans of all fitness levels to incorporate daily physical activity and healthy choices into their lives."
Did you know that one of the top concerns of Chief Financial Officers, according to one of my Finance trade rags, is spiraling health care costs? To my employer's credit, they have really been focusing on wellness not only to promote work-life balance but also to reduce health care costs. The running classes are a result of this. Anyways, human resources showed a pretty startling graph that showed that about 4% of the chronically ill employees (or their dependents) made up about 75% of the Company's healthcare costs. The converse of that was that the healthy folks made up only a fraction of the costs. I may not have the numbers exactly right, but it is basically the ol' 80/20 rule, or something close to it.
I used to believe in the "to each his own" philosophy. If you want to smoke, go right ahead. It doesn't affect me...or does it? Now, I do care because it does affect me. I am going to have to pay for your quadruple bypass surgery in the form of increased insurance premiums, and I'll probably have to work at Wal-Mart in my golden years just for the health insurance benefits. I know that I am somewhat of a hypocrite because I have been known to overindulge in some unhealthy habits like drinking and overeating. But, at least I am trying to make healthier choices and to live each day a little healthier than the last. That's why I think the Texas Roundup is a good cause.
Saturday, February 26, 2005
Running in the Rain
Well, I only ran 1 time during the week last week despite gorging myself all day Thursday. So I decided to do 4 miles at Town Lake today. I didn't go 'til around 3:00 because it was raining, and I was waiting for it to stop. Once I realized it was going to rain all day, I grabbed my coat and decided to run in the rain. Since I live in Northwest Austin, going down to Town Lake to run is my weekly treat. I enjoy running on the level trail of crushed gravel versus the slanted asphalt of my neighborhood. I also enjoy the natural beauty of the trail, sightseeing, and getting to see all of the other runners, walkers, and bicyclists. But today, I was relatively alone; I only saw a handful of other runners.
As I was driving down to Town Lake, I was thinking about why I like blogging. It really makes me more observant, especially of the little things. In my daily life, I feel like, for the most part, I am just "going through the motions." Through blogging, it seems as if I take more time to "smell the roses" while I look for and observe interesting things to either ponder or blog about. One of my favorite quotes by my uncle (who is also quoted in the title of my blog--but that is a story for later...much later) is, "The past is history, the future is a mystery, but the present is a gift from God. That is why it is called 'the Present.'" Lately, I seem to spend much more time in "the present" than I have in recent years. But aren't we always in the present? Even though physically we may be in the present, often our minds are in the future or in the past. Many times I'll be in a meeting at work either worrying about how I came across in a previous meeting or thinking of what I am going to present in the next meeting, or simply wondering when this damn meeting will end so I can go to lunch. Likewise, most of my runs, I seem to be counting down the miles hoping to get to the end so I can stop; I'd accelerate time if I could.
But lately, like today, I found myself enjoying the run, enjoying the tranquility of my surroundings, and enjoying the feeling of strength while running. I was enjoying the Present. I seem to be more aware of the Present and try to focus on living in it.
As I was driving down to Town Lake, I was thinking about why I like blogging. It really makes me more observant, especially of the little things. In my daily life, I feel like, for the most part, I am just "going through the motions." Through blogging, it seems as if I take more time to "smell the roses" while I look for and observe interesting things to either ponder or blog about. One of my favorite quotes by my uncle (who is also quoted in the title of my blog--but that is a story for later...much later) is, "The past is history, the future is a mystery, but the present is a gift from God. That is why it is called 'the Present.'" Lately, I seem to spend much more time in "the present" than I have in recent years. But aren't we always in the present? Even though physically we may be in the present, often our minds are in the future or in the past. Many times I'll be in a meeting at work either worrying about how I came across in a previous meeting or thinking of what I am going to present in the next meeting, or simply wondering when this damn meeting will end so I can go to lunch. Likewise, most of my runs, I seem to be counting down the miles hoping to get to the end so I can stop; I'd accelerate time if I could.
But lately, like today, I found myself enjoying the run, enjoying the tranquility of my surroundings, and enjoying the feeling of strength while running. I was enjoying the Present. I seem to be more aware of the Present and try to focus on living in it.
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Bloated
When I arrived to work this morning, I received the usual Thursday morning "Taco Shack tacos at my desk" email. Taco Shack tacos are also referred to as "tortilla wrapped gold" at our office. There is nothing quite like starting the day with free tacos.
Some of our Finance colleagues from Europe were visiting the office today so we took them to lunch at Chuy's for Mexican food. For some reason, I don't think they have very good Mexican food in Slovakia, although they did say there was one restaurant called "El Diablo." I had previously told some of my coworkers about the rise and fall of the Thonghorn, and somehow our lunch conversation totally derailed regressing back to that topic. They thought it was a viable idea if I changed the name, made it a color other than burnt orange, and varied the shape slightly...stop encouraging me!! I had the chick-a-chick-a-boom-boom enchiladas which are truly a guilty pleasure. The only thing I hate about Chuy's is that you smell like it for the rest of the day.
When I returned, I tried mightily to stay awake during various meetings and a strategy session. Little did anyone know, that my strategy was not to go to sleep. I left work at 5:00 to make it downtown to Sullivan's Steakhouse for an awards dinner sponsored by some of our partners. The menu was as follows:
Appetizer: Smoked salmon, cream cheese, grilled shrimp, calamari, shiitake mushrooms (I was already full)
Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
Filet Mignon with green beans, macaroni and cheese, and mushroom caps
Dessert: Cheesecake (and I had "another bite of cheescake" and another and another...)
Everything was delicious!! Unfortunately, I feel totally bloated and disgusting right now; I have probably gained 5 lbs today. The only good thing is that I didn't spend a dime on food. My plan is to wake up early and go for a run. We'll see what happens.
Some of our Finance colleagues from Europe were visiting the office today so we took them to lunch at Chuy's for Mexican food. For some reason, I don't think they have very good Mexican food in Slovakia, although they did say there was one restaurant called "El Diablo." I had previously told some of my coworkers about the rise and fall of the Thonghorn, and somehow our lunch conversation totally derailed regressing back to that topic. They thought it was a viable idea if I changed the name, made it a color other than burnt orange, and varied the shape slightly...stop encouraging me!! I had the chick-a-chick-a-boom-boom enchiladas which are truly a guilty pleasure. The only thing I hate about Chuy's is that you smell like it for the rest of the day.
When I returned, I tried mightily to stay awake during various meetings and a strategy session. Little did anyone know, that my strategy was not to go to sleep. I left work at 5:00 to make it downtown to Sullivan's Steakhouse for an awards dinner sponsored by some of our partners. The menu was as follows:
Appetizer: Smoked salmon, cream cheese, grilled shrimp, calamari, shiitake mushrooms (I was already full)
Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
Filet Mignon with green beans, macaroni and cheese, and mushroom caps
Dessert: Cheesecake (and I had "another bite of cheescake" and another and another...)
Everything was delicious!! Unfortunately, I feel totally bloated and disgusting right now; I have probably gained 5 lbs today. The only good thing is that I didn't spend a dime on food. My plan is to wake up early and go for a run. We'll see what happens.
Monday, February 21, 2005
Death of a Thonghorn
Although my prior "Thonghorn" post was intended as a joke, the more I pondered it, the more I wondered if it was a commercially viable idea. Could this be the part-time opportunity that I have been searching for to wean myself off Corporate America? The serendipity of it all made me think that it was fate; I just knew that I was meant to peddle women's undergarments in the shape of a bull's head.
I immediately initiated a "Thonghorn" search on the internet with no significant hits. The lack of search results encouraged me further, so I searched for domain names. To my dismay, thonghorn.com was already taken, but it was registered in Australia. Certainly, this couldn't have anything to do with my ingenious idea, and besides, Texasthonghorn.com was still available. I found a contract lingerie manufacturer in Los Angeles and was ready to pack my bags to ink a deal. I was already expanding my product line to include a Thonghorn bikini and other Texas schools such as the SMU Mus-thong and the Texas Tech "Panty" Raider. But most of all, I was eagerly anticipating the model search which, in my mind, resembled the recent Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Search and reality television series. And my target market? A never-ending flow of freshman sorority girls, their boyfriends, and overzealous Texas Longhorn football fans trying to relive/prolong their youth, both men and women alike (present company included).
Luckily for me, I have a friend who is an intellectual property attorney, so I asked him what he thought about the idea. He said that I could not use the likeness of the Texas Longhorn silhouette if it in any way alluded to the University of Texas. Well, that kind of defeats the point. I then asked if Licensing was a possibility, and he said that this was a prohibited item and highly unlikely that it would be approved. He probably thinks I am a moron.
Well, I let my enthusiastic optimism get the best of me, and it temporarily blinded me from reality. Needless to say, I was bummed all day long. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. Maybe I should stick to running.
I immediately initiated a "Thonghorn" search on the internet with no significant hits. The lack of search results encouraged me further, so I searched for domain names. To my dismay, thonghorn.com was already taken, but it was registered in Australia. Certainly, this couldn't have anything to do with my ingenious idea, and besides, Texasthonghorn.com was still available. I found a contract lingerie manufacturer in Los Angeles and was ready to pack my bags to ink a deal. I was already expanding my product line to include a Thonghorn bikini and other Texas schools such as the SMU Mus-thong and the Texas Tech "Panty" Raider. But most of all, I was eagerly anticipating the model search which, in my mind, resembled the recent Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Search and reality television series. And my target market? A never-ending flow of freshman sorority girls, their boyfriends, and overzealous Texas Longhorn football fans trying to relive/prolong their youth, both men and women alike (present company included).
Luckily for me, I have a friend who is an intellectual property attorney, so I asked him what he thought about the idea. He said that I could not use the likeness of the Texas Longhorn silhouette if it in any way alluded to the University of Texas. Well, that kind of defeats the point. I then asked if Licensing was a possibility, and he said that this was a prohibited item and highly unlikely that it would be approved. He probably thinks I am a moron.
Well, I let my enthusiastic optimism get the best of me, and it temporarily blinded me from reality. Needless to say, I was bummed all day long. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. Maybe I should stick to running.
Saturday, February 19, 2005
Back in the Saddle
I went down to Town Lake and ran 4 miles this morning which is the first time I have run since the Half Marathon. Before I left, I performed Polar's OwnOptimizer fitness test which is "a modification of a traditional orthostatic overtraining test," according to the s625X manual (whatever that means). I really don't think I need to worry about "overtraining," but was interested in what the results would show. My baseline is a 2 and the results were a 3--"Your test heart rates are higher than average. You may have exercised intensively in the previous days....other sources of stress, the beginning of a fever or an attack of the flu can result in the same kind of response." Well I haven't run since last Sunday (6 days ago), so maybe it's the lack of exercise and all of the Mexican food that I have treated myself to this week that have caused the increased heart rate. Could I still be recovering from a run 6 days ago?
It felt good to run, I ran 4 miles in 43 minutes which is actually pretty fast for me. And, as I mentioned in my inaugural post, I think my watch is off by 5%. So really, I calculated that I ran 4.2 miles at just under a 10.5 minute/mile.
I know that I am slow, but I am also at least 40 lbs overweight. Although, I have lost about 10 lbs from 4 months ago, I still have a ways to go. Initially, I was disappointed at the lack of weight loss. I was running almost 20 miles a week, and thought the weight should come off faster than that even though it took a good 10 years to put it on. But, I didn't want to sabotage myself. My goal was to complete a half-marathon. It was not (necessarily) to lose weight; however, I knew that weight loss would be a by-product of all the running. Now I know that my body composition is changing from fat to muscle and that I am eating more carbohydrates to sustain the mileage, so my weight loss should be slow and steady...kind of like how I run.
It felt good to run, I ran 4 miles in 43 minutes which is actually pretty fast for me. And, as I mentioned in my inaugural post, I think my watch is off by 5%. So really, I calculated that I ran 4.2 miles at just under a 10.5 minute/mile.
I know that I am slow, but I am also at least 40 lbs overweight. Although, I have lost about 10 lbs from 4 months ago, I still have a ways to go. Initially, I was disappointed at the lack of weight loss. I was running almost 20 miles a week, and thought the weight should come off faster than that even though it took a good 10 years to put it on. But, I didn't want to sabotage myself. My goal was to complete a half-marathon. It was not (necessarily) to lose weight; however, I knew that weight loss would be a by-product of all the running. Now I know that my body composition is changing from fat to muscle and that I am eating more carbohydrates to sustain the mileage, so my weight loss should be slow and steady...kind of like how I run.
Friday, February 18, 2005
Mara-thong
I had a Freudian slip today while doing a search for "marathon" on Google. I accidentally typed "marathong" instead; apparently, a lot of others have done the same. I call it a Freudian slip because a few months ago while I was at the gym, a young lady walked by wearing Texas Longhorn shorts. They were the old school type "wind shorts" with the Longhorn on the butt. They were white with a bright orange Longhorn, and because she was fair-skinned, it almost looked like she was ONLY wearing the Longhorn which closely resembled a thong. I immediately thought I was on to something...the Thonghorn. Would you buy one?
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Adjectives
My last entry about my half-marathon experience was my first creative writing attempt since high school or maybe it was middle school. My high school experience is but a distant blur since that is when I was introduced to libations and proceeded to get drunk every weekend with the exception of the year that I was holed up at a God forsaken place called military school.
I am truly left brain dominant and very analytical-minded. I really don't have a creative bone in my body; I leave that up to the marketing folks. Did I mention I am a CPA? That probably explains a lot, but I am not used to using adjectives unless they are words like "accretive," "profitable," or "risky." So I was very surprised to see two comments on my inaugural post saying that I should be a writer. Of course, they were probably just being kind, and little did they know, that they would encourage the banter. Thank you for all of the kind words.
Lately, I have found myself thinking of topics and experiences that may be interesting, or at least mildly amusing, for me to blog about. So bear with me as I dust off the right half of my brain and exercise my mind. My blog will be my mental half-marathon; hopefully, it will get better, easier, funnier, and maybe even more profound with time and "training."
By the way, this is hard work. It took me over 2 hours to write my first entry and another half hour to make it more blog-like, adding pictures (I still can't figure out how to paste them in the text vs. a separate post) and links. If you are an OG and prefer my writing Gangsta style then click here (I was rolling laughing). Also, check out this link...for men "who will accessorize anything."
I am truly left brain dominant and very analytical-minded. I really don't have a creative bone in my body; I leave that up to the marketing folks. Did I mention I am a CPA? That probably explains a lot, but I am not used to using adjectives unless they are words like "accretive," "profitable," or "risky." So I was very surprised to see two comments on my inaugural post saying that I should be a writer. Of course, they were probably just being kind, and little did they know, that they would encourage the banter. Thank you for all of the kind words.
Lately, I have found myself thinking of topics and experiences that may be interesting, or at least mildly amusing, for me to blog about. So bear with me as I dust off the right half of my brain and exercise my mind. My blog will be my mental half-marathon; hopefully, it will get better, easier, funnier, and maybe even more profound with time and "training."
By the way, this is hard work. It took me over 2 hours to write my first entry and another half hour to make it more blog-like, adding pictures (I still can't figure out how to paste them in the text vs. a separate post) and links. If you are an OG and prefer my writing Gangsta style then click here (I was rolling laughing). Also, check out this link...for men "who will accessorize anything."
Monday, February 14, 2005
My First Half Marathon
In early October, my employer offered a "train for a 10k" class at the company's fitness center sponsored by RunTex. At the time, I weighed about 225 lbs and generally felt disgusted with myself. So I thought, what the hell. It was convenient, got my fat arse out of bed early, taught me valuable stretching exercises, and really pushed me to the limits, especially on the interval training days (and all for $25). Some days I thought to myself, "Am I actually paying for this" and had recollections of military school. This class ultimately culminated in my Turkey Trot run on Thanksgiving. I originally thought this was a 5k, but (to my dismay) later found out it was 5 miles and was a little apprehensive. However, I finished the race in 55 minutes which I thought was pretty good since I really only started running about 6 weeks earlier (thanks to my coach, Donnie); it was definitely a confidence booster.
Soon thereafter I happened to exchange an email with an old friend, Patrick, who lives in Houston. I hadn't seen him in a couple of years since I moved back from Houston to Austin. Patrick sent me a link to his blog which was entitled "Musings on the Marathon." Had Patrick run a marathon? I immediately emailed him to ask all of the questions that were running through my head. He said that he decided to run a marathon on his birthday and had pictures of himself on his blog. He looked great and mentioned that he had lost nearly 50 lbs. I immediately decided that I wanted to continue to run, and he was my inspiration (by the way, we are the same age...actually he's 3 days older). In late November, I was in Houston for my brother's engagement party, and I met up with Patrick for dinner. He looked like he did in high school, and later, when we went to Baker St. Pub, he got carded!! It was like running erased several years off of his face and body (which further solidified my resolve to run). Shortly thereafter, during a telephone conversation, Patrick suggested that we run the Freescale Half Marathon in Austin in mid-February.
Fast forward to Saturday, February 12th, the day before the half marathon. I had dinner with Patrick and his family, strategically parked the car near the finish line (San Jacinto and 18th street), and then watched The Notebook with my brother and his fiance. I was hoping that this "chick flick" would sufficiently bore me into a lethargic stupor so that I would go to sleep. Unfortunately, it didn't work, not because the movie was riveting (although it wasn't bad), but rather because I was extremely anxious. I literally did not sleep all night long, and at about 5:30 a.m. I started to hear heavy rain and thunder outside by bedroom window. Cynically (insert evil laugh or JMVC's Krusty imitation here), I was actually hoping that they would cancel the marathon; I felt awful.
Soon thereafter I happened to exchange an email with an old friend, Patrick, who lives in Houston. I hadn't seen him in a couple of years since I moved back from Houston to Austin. Patrick sent me a link to his blog which was entitled "Musings on the Marathon." Had Patrick run a marathon? I immediately emailed him to ask all of the questions that were running through my head. He said that he decided to run a marathon on his birthday and had pictures of himself on his blog. He looked great and mentioned that he had lost nearly 50 lbs. I immediately decided that I wanted to continue to run, and he was my inspiration (by the way, we are the same age...actually he's 3 days older). In late November, I was in Houston for my brother's engagement party, and I met up with Patrick for dinner. He looked like he did in high school, and later, when we went to Baker St. Pub, he got carded!! It was like running erased several years off of his face and body (which further solidified my resolve to run). Shortly thereafter, during a telephone conversation, Patrick suggested that we run the Freescale Half Marathon in Austin in mid-February.
Fast forward to Saturday, February 12th, the day before the half marathon. I had dinner with Patrick and his family, strategically parked the car near the finish line (San Jacinto and 18th street), and then watched The Notebook with my brother and his fiance. I was hoping that this "chick flick" would sufficiently bore me into a lethargic stupor so that I would go to sleep. Unfortunately, it didn't work, not because the movie was riveting (although it wasn't bad), but rather because I was extremely anxious. I literally did not sleep all night long, and at about 5:30 a.m. I started to hear heavy rain and thunder outside by bedroom window. Cynically (insert evil laugh or JMVC's Krusty imitation here), I was actually hoping that they would cancel the marathon; I felt awful.
At 6:30 a.m., as I waited for my friend Sara to pick me up (she ran with me...at least at the beginning), I found myself cutting holes in trashbags as disposable, makeshift raincoats. All the while, I was getting more anxious since she was running late, and the race started in 30 short minutes. I contemplated borrowing my brother's truck and driving myself, but soon I reached her on her cell phone. When she arrived, she forgot to put on deodorant and needed to borrow mine, she needed to pin her bib on her shirt, and needed to attach her time chip to her shoe. Normally she is very prepared and organized, but this really annoyed me because I was so tense and we were running so late.
Luckily, the horn for the start of the wheelchair racers blasted as we were walking through the parking lot to the starting line. We made it with 5 minutes to spare, but then, of course, Sara had to go to the bathroom. In retrospect, I don't know what would have been worse, stressing while waiting for Sara or being early and anxiously waiting in a crowd of 11,000 nervous runners...besides we missed the rain.
As we started the run, I immediately shed my garbage bag due to the heat and humidity. I am used to running my long runs in 40-50 degree weather, and it was already about 69 degrees with 100% humidity; I knew I was in for a long run, literally. Sara ran with me for about the first mile, but then resumed her normal 10 minute/mile pace leaving me to fend for myself. I turned up the volume on my Dell DJ and did some people watching as runners passed me by while trying to keep my mind on anything but how tired I was due to the lack of sleep.
Before I knew it, I was at mile 4. Because I was so far back and so many runners had hit the mile 4 water station before me, it was annihilated. The workers couldn't pour water fast enough into the paper cups. One woman just grabbed the gallon jug and started drinking out of it; I was amazed, appalled, and amused all at once. It was also about this time that I decided to have my first and only Clif shot that Patrick gave me. I couldn't open the damn package and had to pull over and walk while I opened it with my teeth. It was pretty thick, and I almost gagged so I am really glad Patrick told me to take it with water.
My Polar s625x showed my heart rate at nearly 180 bpm which was about 20 beats higher than normal at this distance. Was it due to the heat, lack of sleep, adrenaline and anxiety, or the caffeine in the Clif Shot? I didn't know, but what I did know is that I can normally only sustain 180+ heart rates for a limited time, and I was only barely passed mile 4. So at mile 5, I started to walk consistently every time my heart rate approached 180. I would walk for 45-60 seconds until my heart rate recovered to the 155-160 range and then would resume running. One other thing about my Polar s625x. At mile 1, it showed .95 miles, and, by the end of the race, was about half a mile behind. I guess I need to manually calibrate it.
The crowds that lined the course shouting for family members and generally cheering runners on, were extremely helpful and motivating. It was difficult to walk while someone was cheering for you (although I succeeded). Some people would even yell out my name which initially shocked me, but then I realized my name was printed on the race bib. Before I knew it, I had run down Shoal Creek and 45th street. As I passed Avenue B on 45th street, I looked down the street and eyed the house that I lived in during college. The dull yellow two-story house looked exactly as I remembered it as if time stays still near campus. I couldn't help thinking that that place must be a sh*thole on the inside due to over a decade's worth of partying college students living in it; if those walls could talk (but I digress).
As I turned on Duval from 45th street I passed two casualties: one had bloodied nipples which were bleeding through his white tanktop and the other was sitting on the curb as the safety patrols took her pulse at her wrist. I could see the 11 mile sign and knew that I only had 2.1 miles left to go, but instead of wishing it were over, I tried to soak it all in. I tried to live in the present and realize that this was the moment that I had trained for over 4 months, and that it was fleeting. It would be over soon enough whether I liked it or not.
Physically, I felt pretty good. My legs felt strong, and I had no aches, pains, or blisters. My only concern was my elevated heart rate. I decided that I was going to run the rest of the way without walking, then at about 11.8 miles I had to rethink that plan, decided to walk for .2 miles and run the final 1.1 miles. I could see Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium and knew I was close; one of the crowd yelled "you can smell the finish line from here." Suddenly, my cell phone that I had in my pocket rang, and it was Patrick's wife. She asked if I was with Patrick, and I told her that he was probably about an hour in front of me and that I could see the mile 13 marker. As I approached the finish line, I saw Patrick's wife and sister cheering me on as I kicked it up a notch for the remaining 50 yards.
As I crossed the finish line 2 hours and 37 minutes after I began this journey and they placed the finisher's medal over my head, I realized that I had done it. I had set a seemingly impossible goal (at least 4 months ago it seemed impossible) and had accomplished it. I created my own "peak life experience" and can now say that I have run a half marathon...I am a half-marathoner!! What's next? The possibilies are limitless.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)