My Cousin Angie...

Angelia G. Baker
BAKER, ANGELIA G., Born September 16, 1962 and passed away surrounded by loving family on December 24, 2007. Angie was a gentle, caring soul with the ability to show love and compassion to all she encountered. She was a woman who greatly treasured the simple things in life such as a good book, music, a home cooked meal, trips to the beach and spending time with family and friends. Angie was also a passionate animal lover who never met a four- legged critter, big or small, that she did not immediately want to adopt. The word "stray" was not in her vocabulary She is survived by her husband and soul mate, Jeff Baker of Plano, mother; Mary Gagliardo of Garland, father; Wayne Dunn of Mesquite, sister, Lorrie Followwell of Sachse, stepfather Ed Gagliardo of Garland and stepmother, Alice Dunn of Mesquite as well as innumerable extended family and friends. Angie positively affected many lives in her time with us and will be greatly missed by her husband, family and friends. Visitation will be held from 7 p.m. to 9p.m. on Thursday, December 27, 2007. Services are scheduled for 1 p.m. on Friday, December 28, 2007, under the direction of Ted Dickey Funeral Home in Plano, 2128 18thSt. Dignity Memorial Ted Dickey 2128 18th Plano (972) 424-4511

And a Merry Christmas to all...

Ok, if you haven't noticed, I've been very much the "slacker" when it comes to updating my blog. It was much easier when I felt that I had something to talk about: Running! Even though I was running constantly, I still found the time to update this thing.

But after the running (yes, sad to say, I haven't run in over two months) you'd think I'd have more time. I guess that time is now "lazy time." It sure is nice to come home and not feel the pressure to go crank out 8-10 miles. Instead, well... I relax. I take it easy. All the while catching up on my TV shows. But now that the Writer's Strike is continuing on, I'm running out of new shows to watch. There are WAY too many Reality Shows on the air these days... so with that, I'm sure I'll be looking for something else to occupy this space.

Running? Hmm... probably not. I'll leave my 2008 resolutions to a future blog. I've been watching a lot of movies in the evenings, as well as Christmas shopping. By the way, I figured I'd take this time to list my top 5 Christmas movies that are "must sees" for me each year:

5. Love Actually (good soundtrack and message)
4. Scrooged (Has a great ending)
3. Miracle on 34th Street (Both old and new versions)
2. Christmas Vacation (I've seen this at least 20 times and it still cracks me up!)
1. It's a Wonderful Life (I really identify with George Bailey...)

So Merry Christmas to everyone! I hope you all have great memories spending time with the people you love!

Finish Strong Dallas

As I wrote below, this is something I'm supporting for the White Rock Marathon this year (instead of running it). And, as some of you have seen, I built the web site for them:

Finish Strong Dallas

Finish Strong Dallas seeks to provide a positive, Christ-centered venue to encourange and serve our community, teach participants and our community how to encourage, and allow an entry point to the Christian community for the lost through the Dallas White Rock Marathon.

Basically, they have created an Aid Station at Mile 25 of the marathon in Downtown Dallas. For those that have run the marathon, you know there has never been an Aid Station in the central business district on race day before. They started this last year and had over 350 volunteers. This year they're hoping to expand upon that.

Below I want to post an email from Harold Smith, the Chairman of Finish Strong Dallas, asking for donations now before the race. If you can help, please support:

Subject: Wish List - costs associated with Finish Strong Dallas - the marathon project...
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007

Many of you have asked about donations to Finish Strong Dallas - the marathon project.
Currently, we are working through Mark Ramsey's organization - Third Day Ministries - for clearing donations and making them tax deductible for a donor. You simply need to make your check payable to Third Day Ministries - and note it is for Finish Strong Dallas. Mark will see to it that funds are designated properly.

Mail in your donation to Third Day Ministries, attn: Mark Ramsey, 11417 Lochwood Blvd., Dallas, TX 75218. Third Day Ministries is a 501(c)3 organization - and thus your contributions are tax deductible. For this year, Finish Strong Dallas is working as a branch project of Third Day Ministries. Thank you to Mark Ramsey for his assistance in this arrangement.

Overall, the event is low cost. Which is nice. There are a few items we would like to spend some money on - and we will be determining best method to cover these costs based on donations received. The Planning Committee has come up with these costs associated with the event for this year.

Banner - to go in front of stage
T-Shirts - for Planning Committee - to help volunteers visibly know who to ask questions of
Coffee, Hot Chocolate, and Donuts - for Volunteers and Guests
Pizza - around 1:30 PM or 2:00 PM for Volunteers at this time
Posters - for distribution to area condos, apartments, office buildings, etc - this is for the outreach component

Thank you for your support and encouragement of this project. We hope and pray God will be Glorified in this morning, for the runners, the community, the volunteers, and that Christ's Church will be seen in a positive light by all involved. We also encourage you to join us personally with your family, friends, co-workers, fellow church members, who ever - Sunday - December 9th - San Jacinto St - between St. Paul and Harwood - it's going to be a great day!!

--Harold

Something I'm Supporting...

First, for those that think marathon runners are crazy, you might want to check out tonight's NOVA on PBS. Yeah yeah... not a lot of people watch NOVA. But they have an interesting episode airing tonight on the mind of a novice marathoner. Check your local listings. In Dallas, it's on at 7 PM. Here is a link to the show if you miss the airing want to catch it later:

NOVA

Second, I want to share something I'm supporting for the White Rock Marathon. A few weeks ago, my friend Harold called me up and told me about a project he's working on. Last year, Harold and a group of people organized an Aid Station at Mile 25 for the White Rock Marathon as it ran past their church in downtown Dallas. In 2 weeks they were able to pull together 350 volunteers - including a band.

This year, the church has a new pastor. The new pastor has decided that handing out water on a Sunday morning demonstrates to the world that it's OK to not be in church on a Sunday morning... and that's not what the church wants to promote. Unbelievable!

So Harold's group is moving forward. They want to open up their Aid Station to all churches. He has a new spot to setup, and the White Rock Marathon officials are fully supporting them. They're even going to place a Channel 8 camera at their station!

Anyway, to market their group to the various churches and volunteers, Harold asked me to build them a website. It's been a while, so I kinda threw all of this together over the weekend. Keep checking because it'll continue to improve/grow:

http://www.finishstrongdallas.org

And to answer the question that people ask me almost every-other-day: No, I don't plan on running the full or half marathon at this point. If I change my mind, I will let everyone know.

Marathon videos...

A fellow marathoner read my blog and sent me some really cool videos that she recorded DURING the race. Do you get that? She was running the marathon and carrying a video camera! The footage is excellent, and I appreciate "Wendysity1" for sharing her vids with me.

The first one I want to show is what it looked like at an Aid Station without water:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbZTI7Cw0rM

That video was picked up by CNN, NBC, and Runners World.

If you'd like to see her marathon video, please click on:

Part 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjGm0l2tD7o

Part 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SHqnsHi27o

Finally, there are plenty of other videos and comments on her blog:

http://vendelascity.blogspot.com/

Enjoy, and thanks again Wendy!

Back from the Windy City...

Well, I'm back. I'm working on getting the pics up to my web site. I can't believe I took almost 200 pictures! Geez!

I gotta say that Chicago was a great city. We had so much fun, and barely scratched the surface on places to visit or restaurants to try. However, I think we did a pretty good job of it.

Personally, I'm still a little down about not being able to complete the race. I have read numerous stories about what happened in Chicago. There seems to be 2 camps: Blame the officials or blame the runners. Obviously, I fall into the "blame the officials" side of things.

You see, I did everything that was required of me. I trained. I didn't decide to get up and go run a marathon that morning just on a whim. Becky and I have been dedicated to this cause. We put in countless hours and miles in adverse conditions. We ran in Dallas in hot and humid temps just like these (see any of my running blogs below). And we did this by listening to our bodies and being responsible. We didn't push ourselves beyond what we could do... we planned each and every run.

Even on our worst runs, we would say, "At least Chicago will be cool and not humid." We also said that it will have water every 2 miles. That's how we trained. We would run about 2 miles and hit the water fountains at White Rock Lake. So even though the conditions were bad, we still expected water to be available for us.

That's why I personally blame the organizers. The Hawaii race official was there and he said they have water stations every mile because they have, traditionally, the hottest marathon. They also start at 5 AM. The Chicago officials push the blame on the runners for taking 2-3 cups of water and in a lot of cases, pouring the water over their heads.

Why are we getting blamed for that? This is normal when you run in extreme conditions. You have to cool yourself. People were at the hospital with body temperatures of 107 degrees. You also have to drink more than a dixie cup of water when you're pouring sweat. I just don't get it...

Anyway, I'm probably going to go for the White Rock Marathon on December 9th. I've pushed too hard and too long for this to just go out and end on a "Fun Run," as they turned the Chicago Marathon into.

Believe me... there wasn't anything "fun" about that...

Still in Chicago...

Read my blog below... then click on this link:

http://video.nbc5.com/player/?id=164426

As God is my witness... there was no water. The race officials say "we had adequate supplies of water." Well, explain that to me. I was at the 2nd water station and the tables were overturned. NOBODY got water. The 3rd water station around the 6-mile mark I received about a Dixie cup full of water. Ok, "Race Official," you tell me: How would you feel after running 6 miles in high temperatures and high humidity how YOU would feel when you get to these stations? That's about 1 hour of running and you have NO water. To quote most people who endured what I did for the race, "The people of Chicago were incredible... the race organizers were pathetic." How in the hell do you drop the ball like this? The Chicago Marathon is touted as one of the best "organized" marathons and you don't have water for people who run a 10-minute or slower pace? That's ridiculous! We have trained for at least 6 months... you say that you had "adequate" water at the stations? Well, run what I did. I didn't have water at the 4 mile station... I witnessed numerous people drinking CHOLORINARTED water in Lincoln Park... and when I got to the 6-mile station they gave us next to nothing. It wasn't until the 8-mile station that I received what I needed... and that was after going through it TWICE!

This as absolutely the worst planned marathon I have ever heard of. How in the hell can you put something like that on at the 3oth Anniversary and not have a better plan for water stations? You KNEW it was going to be hot! You KNEW the humidity was going to be high! Why didn't you add more water stations instead of the 15? You increased the participants this year from 40,000 to 45,000. Did you not prepare? Did you not think that the added amount of runners would deplete the aid stations? Especially in this heat?

A lot of people have said, "You prepared in Texas. You ran in the heat. You ran in the humidity? So, what was the problem?" The problem was I planned on having water every 2 miles... not having to beg for water from home owners, spectators, and anyone else that was along the way. To think I was looking at pond water and thinking, "I can drink that!" is deplorable...

So my goal this year was to run a marathon. Thanks Lasalle Chicago Marathon... you defeated my goal... and thousands of others!

Hell on Earth... a.k.a. "The Chicago Marathon"

I don't know how to begin this... it's the day after, and I'm still in a "fog" as to what I went through in yesterday's Chicago Marathon. I guess I'll just start from the beginning.

Chandra and I met Becky and Kevin at the gear check area around 7 AM. The temperature seemed to be in the 70s, and the humidity was up a bit. But, nothing unbearable. We found the spot that we wanted to pace ourselves (4:45), and stood around with the thousands before the start. The atmosphere was festive, the runners were excited, and the music was blaring. We were both nervous, but excited.

When we crossed the Start Line, it was already 20 minutes into the race. We started jogging north through the city. Within the first mile, as we were running under bridges and between the buildings, I was feeling extremely heated. The windy city was lacking in any sort of breeze. I was just hoping it would get better as we came out of the buildings.

We came across our first water station at mile 2. Becky asked if I wanted it, and I said I'd wait until the next one (mile 4). That's about what our training called for, so I didn't want to deviate. Well, as we were approaching, I told Becky, "Ok... I REALLY need some water." Unfortunately, it was not going to happen.

We came to the station and all of the tables were turned over. I quickly realized that meant they weren't serving. Thousands of cups were on the ground, and they had no water... no gatorade. It was so deflating... and defeating.

Around mile 5.5 I was having serious problems. I was getting dizzy, I was drenched in sweat (probably as soaked as I look after 12 miles!), and I felt my system was starting to shut down. I told Becky I needed to walk, and I'd catch up with her at the next water station. This was when I started seeing "strange" things that would become normal later in the race: Tons of people were running to decorative water fountains (the ones you toss pennies into) and were drinking the water! THAT'S how thirsty everyone was!

Around 6 I came across a water station. I'm not trying to make light of it, but it looked like most people (including me) were walking around with empty cups just begging for any fluid as if we were in a concentration camp. I got about half a cup because they were yelling stuff like "That's it! No more!" They'd tell us to keep walking to the end of the table, but there was nothing.

So I just kept running... but was going VERY slow and walked multiple times. Becky and I hadn't hooked up, so I knew I'd be doing this on my own. As we came into Lincoln Park, I was suffering big time. I literally was thinking, "I know Chandra/Kevin are at Mile 12. I can quit there." Yeah... quit! That's what was going through my mind because I, along with hundreds of other runners, were having serious problems.

At mile 8 there was another aid station. It's in an area called "Boys Town." This was supposed to be a very entertaining part of the race - with guy's dressed as cheerleaders and lots of music and huge crowds. Well, while that was going on I saw tons of people doing random acts of kindness: Handing out bottles of water to strangers, bringing out hoses to pour for runners, etc. When I got to this aid station, I actually went through it twice. I was so low on my electrolytes. I just filled up and kept going. Walking/running. Around mile 9 I saw my time and realized I was at least 20 minutes slower than I normally run 9. Oh well. I still had the thought that I was going to quit.

Around 10 I hit another aid station. This was the first one that I felt, "Ok... I'm feeling better." I drank some gatorade here (a rarity!) and made sure that I said "Thank You" to anyone who gave me water. The volunteers had no idea how thankful we were...

Well, I was feeling good going into 11 and now I was getting into the "zone." At 12, back in the city, I ran into Kevin and Chandra. They started screaming and I ran to them to receive new sweat bands and a bottle of water. They told me Becky was about 15 minutes ahead of me and that she wasn't pushing for a time... just to complete. Well, seeing them pumped me up! I left and was like, "I can do this!"

Shortly thereafter I hit the halfway point: 13.1. It was great and then I could go, "Less than half to go." Now we were out of the city again and this is where it started getting strange. I saw numerous people on the side of the road lying around. They were either being attended to by EMS folks, or were about to be. I saw one lady on a stretcher and she was as white as ghost.

While this seemed strange, I just kept going. And like I said earlier, it became the "normal." I'd just be running and constantly seeing scenes like this. Ambulances were constantly screaming their sirens, people would be just lying flat on their backs, and of course... no water! You'd go through these neighborhoods and people were bringing out water from their homes in pitchers. Garden hoses were being strung into the street to either spray runners or fill their cups (which you had to start carrying because they were running out of cups!). It was incredible.

But oddly enough, I felt fine now. I was running carrying a bottle of water and I'd drink from that between aid stations. And at the aid stations I'd drink as much as I could get. People were incredibly encouraging, too.

So I kept going. 14 came and went. When I hit 15 I thought, Ok... 11 to go. That was the same thought when I hit 16 - just 10 left. I really thought, "Ok... no problem. I'm doing this." My knees were sore, but I had it all under control.

Then, just after 16, I came to this intersection and I noticed all of these people yelling at these cops because they wanted to turn right. I thought, "What... they aren't letting them go to the toilets?" And then I'd see them point and say "Keep going straight." So, I just kept following the hundreds of people that were around me.

Well, a few blocks into this stretch we noticed there weren't any spectators. Everyone started looking at each other and talking: "What's going on? Did we miss a turn?" Then someone said, "They said to just stay straight and you'll go into Grant Park" - where we started/finished. I looked down and I was about 16.5 miles. I was like, "What? You mean we're not going to finish the race?"

Nobody knew what was going on. All we knew is we weren't on the course anymore. We were running through the streets of Chicago and avoiding cars! The hundreds thinned as people became disappointed... and then I realized it was me and about 5 others. We'd be running down Jackson street and people would look and start clapping... although they looked at us very confused because they knew we were off the course.

I was SO mad... since I didn't know what was going on, I just thought that they had diverted us the wrong way. My pace picked up to keep up with these other runners because I had no idea where I was. Just before we entered the park, a guy asked me at the light, "Hey, is it true? Did they cancel the race?" We all looked and thought, "Oh... maybe that's what's going on."

I then ran with this group through the starting line... imagine that! We're running the opposite way. People started saying stuff like, "You're going the wrong way!" Well, we ran past the gear check area and then passed people handing out the medals and the fruit and the drinks to the runners who were completing the run. All the while, people saying "You're going the wrong way" yet we were doing what we were told to. After running through the Finish Line the wrong way, we went pretty far out and then turned around to go back through it.

So, I got my medal. I ran just over 19 miles. People were saying, "Congratulations!" and I felt like it was hollow. I also realized I was at least an hour earlier than Becky was to arrive (3:55) and I didn't know how to contact Kevin or Chandra.

I ended up going to a runner reunite section under the letters Q-R and waited there. I didn't know their numbers, so I thought of the one number I knew: Rob's. I borrowed a phone and called him in Dallas to call Kevin to tell him where I was. As I stood there for about 30 minutes, I turn around and there is Cara! I couldn't believe it! She wasn't supposed to come down until later that day, but she wanted to see the ending. What an ending she saw!

Well, we finally all met up. Becky said that when she got into China Town it was like a war zone. There was no water for her, and people were dropping like flies. As most of you know, someone died yesterday and it was at mile 18. Really sad. I just gotta think that it could have been prevented.

I'll write more later... but so far that's what happened. Oh, and go to the Chicago Tribune to see the pictures and read the stories of how bad it was:

www.chicagotribune.com

Forecast calls for heat and humidity...

For those that are following me on Sunday during the run, know this: It's going to be "business as usual." Becky and I have been talking during our runs saying, "At least Chicago won't be this hot or humid!" Last year, Becky ran in temperatures in the 40s.

Not this year. The temps should be in the 80s with "high humidity." I'm not sure of what they call "high" in Chicago, but for me it's anything above 50%. Here is an article that explains it all... especially when it says at the end that the spectators will have good conditions. Ha!

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_277192920.html

Also, the Cubs will be playing at noon. They say it's going to be a "traffic nightmare." This is a good article, too:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2007-10-04-3554083080_x.htm

Finally, I'm getting ready to leave. Wow... can't believe it. Words can't describe what I feel as I'm leaving Dallas for this challenge. When I finished the 1999 White Rock Marathon, I always looked back at it as one of those "life" moments. I also thought, "Ok... been there/done that." I didn't think I'd ever put the effort into doing this again. Yet, here I am. This has been an awesome year. A challenging year. But one that, hopefully, will culminate with a joyful run through the streets of Chicago. I hope to soak up everything. Every mile... every cheer. Thank you again to those that have read this blog... encouraged me... and "run" with me. Our training is over. It's time to run the race.

"And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us..." Hebrews 12: 1

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the Faith." 2 Timothy 4:7

Questions...

I've been asked a lot of questions lately. Most of them seem to be around one central theme:

"Are you ready?"

Am I? Good question. I've been thinking about it. Obviously, as noted below, there's nothing else I can do. Quantitatively, I've logged a heck of a lot of miles. To prepare for a marathon, the training program has you running two separate plans: Buildup and Marathon Training.

The Buildup portion consumed about 344 miles of my time. That was the running and cross-training totals I completed from January through May. And, as most of you know, I ran a Half-Marathon in April. So, I wasn't even ready to start the Marathon Training portion of this plan at that point. The hard part hadn't even arrived yet.

The Marathon Training program is brutal. It took place during the heat of the summer. Specifically, the heat of the DALLAS summer. While it was a milder summer than usual, I still had to endure heat and humidity. To fight the heat, we ran at 5:30 AM every Sunday morning. To reach that time, I had to wake up around 4:00 AM. Whew... glad those days are over!

This stretch of running took place from June and actually ends tonight (when I run my 4 miles). I logged almost 500 miles during this span. Unfortunately, that's about 100 or so miles less than what I should have run. Hmm...

The difficult part of the Marathon Training is time. It takes a lot of time to say, "Hey... I'm gonna go out and run 16... 17... 18 miles." When we ran our 21-miler a few weeks ago, it took us 3 hours 52 minutes. Think about how long that is: You could sit through about 2 movies!

I've also gone through 3 pairs of shoes, 3 iPods, about a hundred band-aids, 5 toenails, gallons of sweat, and of course... 1 bloody stump of a nipple (Hey, they grow back!) Even as we speak, I'm heading into the race with only 3 toenails on my right foot.

I've also been asked if I'm nervous. YES! I'm scared to death! I've never run in Chicago, I don't know what the course will be like, I'm hoping the 21 miles was enough to carry me into it, and I'm totally watching everything I'm eating and drinking right now "hoping to find an edge."

They say the night before the race is the most difficult to sleep. Well, this week has been rough. I keep thinking about it which prolongs the insomnia. I hope that I will have a fantastic run - one in which I look up and suddenly go, "Hey... we're over 20 miles and I feel great!" But if that doesn't happen, I've been given some awesome advice: Just adapt and make the best of it.

Nothing can be accomplished with worry. I can't make it better. I can't prepare any more. So why worry? Why focus on the negative. I need to focus on the positive! I've had an amazing year! I can't emphasize enough how much of a stress-breaker it is to run off your day! And to me, what started out as a way to lose weight has turned into a competitive thing of "I want to finish what I started." So, Sunday I will know.

Beyond the race, I'm looking forward to my vacation. I'm looking forward to being with my friends and sharing some good meals and beverages. I'm especially thankful to those that are making an extra effort: Specifically Chandra, who is flying up to cheer us on! Cara is also driving in from the suburbs of Chicago to hang and cheer, too! So overall, I'm excited... and thrilled... anxious!

So where am I? Am I ready? Am I nervous? Am I going to make it?

Ready or Not, Here I Come!!!

Just A Few More Bumps and We're Haulin' the Mail...

As most people know, one of my favorite movies is Apollo 13. I'm a HUGE fan of the space program - it still amazes me that we accomplished what we did by sending Americans into space, landing on the moon, etc. It just goes to show you that if you set a goal, with dedication and hard work, you can accomplish anything.

With that said, before running the Nashville Country Music Half Marathon back in April, I was standing in the corral with Jason and Chandra. Here we were, looking out at a sea of 21,000+ runners in front of us, and we were slowly approaching the starting line. As we were walking, I thought of all of the training I had done since January to get to this point. I looked at them and said, "Just a few more bumps and we're haulin' the mail." Both of them looked at me with that "deer in the headlights" look. Chandra said, "What are you talking about?"

If you remember in the movie, all 3 astronauts are sitting there waiting to blast off. There are some sounds going on with the rocket, and that's when Tom Hanks utters that line. Do you know what that meant? Think of it this way: The 3 of them had trained extensively for this mission. They had practiced and practiced their various responsibilities before the mission. They knew each other's roles so perfectly, they could predict what the other person would do in any situation.

To be lying on their backs and hear that phrase meant it was over. There was no more training to be done. They were simply waiting for someone to push the button and send them out on their mission. In essence, they had completed their training.

Well, that's where I am right now. There's nothing else I can do to improve my marathon training. At this point, I'm basically done. I ran a 6-mile run tonight. Tomorrow I'm running 2. And Thursday night I'm running 4. So that's it... a meager six miles is all that separates me right now before I cross that START line. After that, I'm haulin' the mail!

What a journey. I'm sure a lot of people thought I was crazy when I said I was going to run a marathon this year. Heck, if I heard "me" say that I'd go, "Yeah right... keep talking fatty!" I remember after making that exclamation on New Year's Eve and then actually struggling to run 1.5 miles two days later, I thought, "Oh man... can I even do this?"

So here I am... on the cusp of running my 2nd marathon. Can I do this? Have I trained enough? Will my knees hold up? Will I disappoint my running partner? Will I see that Finish Line? These are the questions that are going through my mind this week.

And Sunday I'll have all the answers. But I do know this... just a few more "bumps" and it's time to blast off... and COMPLETE this mission! Oh, and one more thing: Thanks again to those who have supported/encouraged me this year.

You've been my Mission Control!

Track Me Running the Chicago Marathon

One of the interesting features of this marathon is the ability to track people while they run. A lot of marathons do this now, and it really allows "fans" of people to watch their progress while they are running the race.

Because I'll have a chip on my shoe, there will be certain points throughout the race where I will cross scanners. If you signup, you can receive either emails or text messages charting my progress.

So whether or not you are in Chicago, you should be able to see where I'm at and maybe even my current pace.

I placed the link over there under "Various Links." However, you can also get to it by clicking here.

10 Days, 18 hours....

I was just on the Chicago Marathon's website and saw it change over to 10:18:59... that's just crazy to me! Talk about seeing the home stretch!

While running with Becky this week, she mentioned her nerves. She said that at times she's so excited it's almost here, and at other times she's freaking out. Oddly enough, I was kinda just listening to her going, "Yeah..." You know, in that typical Regan-fashion of "nodding" and "agreeing" but it's not really registering, so I'll just keep nodding and agreeing. (I've been accused of this all of my life)

Then last night, while having dinner with Chandra, she said, "You must be so pumped up but so nervous all at once! I can't even imagine!" Again, "Uh huh" and "Yeah" came out. I have "sort of" been thinking about it, but not really.

This morning, the wall hit me. Like a ton of bricks, I was driving to work and I just thought, "Holy Crap! I'm about to run 26.2 miles with 45,000 people in a city I've never run in and it's happening not this Sunday but the next!"

Amazing how one can start sweating on a cool Autumn morning...

Anyway, it's coming up and it's coming up fast. Not the vomit in my stomach (that I'm pushing back with all of my might!), but the incredible task that awaits me. A MARATHON!!! You know, people use that term throughout daily conversations: "It's not like you're running a marathon" or "I just came out of a marathon meeting." Well, we're about to RUN a marathon!

Am I ready? Hmmm... ask me that later on when/if I'm not freaking out!

Crazy Legs...

Do you ever have that feeling when you go to the gym where you're just itchin' to get started? That was me last night. I spoke with "Coach" yesterday and was informed that I only had to run 4 miles (not 5).

As soon as I could, I headed home and changed into the running gear. I made it to the gym and was on the treadmill by 6:15. Normally I start out with the speed set to 5.5 (10.57 mile) during the first mile. Then after each mile I increase it a little.

For some reason, I was just feeling it! Once I crossed over the first mile, I was ready to Rock N Roll - I not only increased the speed, but increased the elevation. I would run for three-tenths of a mile at an elevation of 3, then reduce it. But after I would catch my breath, I'd increase the speed... then start the entire cycle over again.

This went on for several miles. Entering the last mile, I had increased the speed to 6.0 (10 minute mile). However, I still felt I could go faster. Not only that, but I felt I could push harder with the incline. That became my ultimate mile - I had the incline set to 5.5, and I kept increasing the speed. It became insane!

When I finished up the last half of the mile, I was running a 6.5 speed (8.57 mile) with an incline of 6. Nuts! I was running like a crazy man... and even crazier, I still felt I could go faster!

I don't know what has gotten into me... maybe I'm just at a point where I'm like that Dixie Chick's song: I'm Ready To Run!

Bring on Chicago!!!!

Speed...

Yesterday's run was a significant drop-off from the previous week. We only had to run 12 compared with the 21 last Sunday. Not to sound cocky, but we were like, "We just have to run 12" as if it were no big deal. Isn't that strange?

I think in life you master something and it becomes something of an understatement. Like riding a bike... driving a car... etc. And with running, it's been one big "goal" after another. I remember back in January when I had a goal to run 3 miles the first week. That was HUGE for me. And of course, each "major" upgrade in the miles always was a burden to me throughout the year... 4, 5, 6, etc.

For me, this was the 3rd time I've run "just 12" this year. The first was in April when I was preparing to run the Nashville Half Marathon - geez, that seems like so long ago! I remember reaching the end of 12 and thinking, "Wow! I did it! I'm ready for the Half!"

Then, a few months ago, Becky and I had to run 12 one Sunday. I remember it well. In the end, I was gassed. It was so dang hot (we hadn't started our 5:30 AM runs yet) that morning and we ended it by trying to think of everything positive we've gained this year in running. "Eating anything we want... losing weight..." I also remember almost being rear-ended by a bicyclist right at the end of the 12.

Since that 12, our long runs consisted of a 13.1, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 14, and 21. After the 18 and the 21, I now know why we ramped down. The body is just WAY too sore after that kind of beating. Not only do your knees hurt, but your thigh muscles are screaming! This week in particular, my legs were pretty dang sore.

So we started our 12 at 6:30 AM - still dark, but almost sunrise. The humidity was a bit higher than the week before, so it was a wet one for me. I made Becky's day by running the spillway with her. Normally I walk it, but I gave in since it would be our last time to run that section of the lake before the marathon. It wasn't too bad, but I definitely had to walk afterwards.

As with our previous runs, our pace was moving along pretty good... and strong. We ran really fast at times. Typically I'd see us running just south of the 10-minute mark. Sometimes we even made it under the 9-minute mark! While that sounds good, I still had to rein her in and even had to force her to walk. I was just getting out of breath. Basically, we were running about a minute faster than we normally do and it was wearing me out.

After 9 we headed north again. This time I wanted to just run away from the crowds, so I told her to head towards Northwest Highway. Once we reached it at 10.70 miles, we turned around. I was getting hot and I was definitely ready to end this run. We finally finished at 2 hours 8 minutes. That comes out to an "average" pace of 10.43. That factors in the walks and stops for water... that's our fastest pace to date!

Anyway, I told Becky we can't keep that pace up. I'll sputter out... and knowing that we'll be running with 45,000 of our closest friends, I doubt we can reach that along the streets of Chicago. I think we can finish under 5 hours, and my hope is that we'll even surprise ourselves!

Now, with less than 2 weeks remaining, I want to continue to focus on gaining strength. I plan to run 5, 6, and 4 this week. I'd like to do at least 2 of those in the gym on the treadmill where I can ramp up the speed and the incline.

So while I don't want speed to be my focus DURING the marathon, I believe it can help me in the training aspect... and in the end, speed will make me stronger. (At least that's the thought this week)

Heck of a Week...

This week has been about "work." To say my stress level is high would be an understatement. It's funny... I thought that my running would not be interupted. Sure, the 21 miles was a big thing. And, going into the week, I knew it would be difficult.

Unfortunately, I haven't run since Sunday... sigh.

Have you ever had a day where everyone seemed to gripe at you? Well, that's been my week. That's kinda what my job is all about. To manage attitudes. Frustrating at times, but sometimes I have some really rewarding days. Not this week. I'm so stinkin' tired and I can't wait until the weekend. My plans? Sleep. Sleep a lot.

However, running will be involved. If my running partner is reading this (a.k.a "Coach"), my goal is to run Saturday and Sunday mornings. Just letting her know that while I did take the week off, it'll ramp back up this weekend.

Incidently, if you go to the Chicago Marathon website, they now have a "countdown" clock. Uugh. Today was 16 days until the marathon. Can you believe it? Let me say it with more effect: I started running January 2 in preparation for this marathon. I have 16 days until I have to run 26.2 miles!

For those wondering, I already have my time planned after the marathon. I'm taking the week off - returning from Chicago on Tuesday but going camping in the hill country of Texas Friday/Saturday/Sunday. I can't wait.

So for now, the clock is ticking. My only hope is that my weeks at work will be better, my running will be more productive, and on October 7th I'll have one heck of a day... in a POSITIVE way!

21 Miles Later...

Seriously... can you believe it? Twenty One freakin' miles!!!

I sit here tonight amazed. I was so nervous for the past two weeks knowing it was coming up... 21. I have tried to be so focused this week - monitoring my "intake" and "training." This past week, Coach (a.k.a Becky) told me we had to run certain miles on certain days. I was close to keeping that schedule. I ran 5 on Tuesday, 10 on Wednesday, and then 3 on Friday. Saturday was my "rest" day... although, I did work in the yard. Besides that, I spent the day drinking a lot of fluids and eating foods that would hopefully help me on the 21. I stretched a lot, too.

Seriously... 21! (Do you even fathom what it takes to run that amount of miles?)

So... I went to bed around 10 on Saturday night, and got up at 4:00 AM. I left the house and met Becky at 5:30. To say I was scared would be an understatement. I remember how bad the 18 miles was (read below), and I didn't have the greatest 14-mile run the previous week. Plus, I was yawning a lot. That was unusual.

We took off around the lake. I was shocked around mile 2 when I realized that my calves weren't screaming... normally they were pretty dang sore at that point. We ran at a pretty good clip... again, surprising. But, given the temperature was 68 degrees and the humidity was less than 50%, maybe that was to be expected.

One thing that caught us by surprise were the lack of runners. You'd have to witness this to understand it, but usually we see dozens of runners around 6:30 AM. However, we really didn't see a lot. Maybe the groups were doing their long runs on Saturday?

I felt pretty good running, and we kept our conversations up for the first 9 miles. At that point, we were back at the parking lot. After a quick change of my sweat band/head band, we headed around the lake again. Normally we haven't done this, but we really wanted to lap the lake twice.

I don't have many memories of the west side of the lake other than a water fountain that used to be broken but is now working. I walked the spillway again (Becky always runs it), but at the top I met her and we continued onward.

After the water fountain, I turned on my iPod. A few songs into it, "Too Legit to Quit" came on. Well, my pace increased dramatically. I played it twice, and I think I was surprising Becky at how I increased my pace. Ever the competitor, she increased hers.

Well, the talking stopped around that time as well. We were getting tired. My knees had been hurting since mile 6, but for the first time she mentioned hers were hurting. That's just a lot of pounding on the bones...

At 18 we were back at the parking lot again. So, we lapped the lake twice. I can't imagine how many people can say they have done that on foot. But, knock on wood, I wasn't feeling too bad. I was tired, but I wasn't dead. So, we had 3 miles left...

Now we had to dig deep. We decided to stay in the shade as much as we could. Remember this: If you ever run early in the morning and don't want to be exposed to a lot of the heat, park on the east side of the lake... Big Thicket! There are so many trees that block the sun... so that was the plan. We ran and ran and ran in the shade.

We realized that Becky's GPS was about 1/4 mile further along than mine. I thought, "Great! We'll finish earlier!" Well, as we were running I kept thinking, "It's about to end! Woo Hoo!" As I was thinking about that, a guy ran alongside us. Somehow he heard Becky say something like we were almost finished. He asked how far we had to run, and where we were. When Becky told him 21 miles and we were 20.75, he looked at us and said, "That's fanstatic! Ya'll look great." Of course, I'm lagging behind... he looks at me and I think he wanted to take that sentence back! Hahahahaha

Anyway, back to the run. We made a turn and I started asking Becky, "How much further?" She was quiet. I said it louder, "Hey... how much further?" She then said that we were over 21 on hers but she wanted to stick with mine.

GRRRRRR....

I said, "Ok... it's official. I hate you." I then told her the audience has spoken, and she's been voted off. Geez Louise! I wanted that to be over, and she's over their laughing... and running along. To Becky, she was enjoying it. To me, I was thinking, "Where is my water???"

Well, we ran a little further and finally made 21 on my GPS. On hers, it was 21.26. We finished at 3 hours 52 minutes. If you're doing the math, our "average" pace was 11 minutes 3 seconds. Now, that's adding in walks and stops drinking water. Becky said there was one time we were sub-9 minutes at running, and a lot of times we were right around the 10 minute mark. So, that's awesome!

Anyway, 21 miles later and I spent a great day rejuvenating the body. I only dropped 8 lbs. during the run (normally it's closer to 15 lbs.), but I spent the day eating and drinking a lot of fluids. I slept for over 2 hours, too. I'm sore... but I feel awesome!

I ran 21 miles today! Chicago, here we come!

Too Legit To Quit!!!!

Ok, it was only 5 miles... or a little more than 5... but I finally got my groove back. I FINALLY had a great run!!!

As some of you have noticed (or commented), I have not been enjoying running these past few weeks. Honestly, I'm tired. My body has been doing this since January 2. I've got sore knees, sore muscles, and at times a sore back. The heat and humidity have been brutal, and it's becoming extremely difficult to get motivated.

But yesterday, I had a fantastic run! The first 2 miles were kinda tough. I was on the treadmill, too, but I wanted to see if I could work on a few things. I kept increasing my speed - starting from a 10.56 pace and speeding up to a 10 minute mile.

I then decided to increase the elevation... of course, that started once my iPod starting playing, "Too Legit to Quit" by MC Hammer. If you need a motivating song, that's it! Every 5 tenths of a mile, I'd increase the elevation. The sweat would be pouring off of me, but I'd press on. Why? Because I was too legit to quit!!!

My heart was pumping and I probably looked like a crazy fool, but I pressed on at brisk/elevated state. I ended up running almost 5.5 miles. The song lasted that long... good grief! But, I was feeling awesome! I then walked until I hit 6 for a cooldown.

Tonight I'm running 10 around the lake. I hope I haven't lost it... but I slept great last night and woke up in the best mood!

Props to my homey... Hammer!

Recap of Week...

So after the really really REALLY bad run of 18, my body was beaten down. I'm serious... the entire week was terrible. The legs were sore all week long, and it was rough on the mental front.

The first time I ran was Tuesday (from Saturday) and it was pretty tough. I only had 5, and the first 3 miles were very difficult. However, as always, things loosened up after the 3rd and I was able to get to 5.

I then took the next day off. You know that feeling you get after you've been to the gym and you've REALLY worked your legs? That's how I felt all week... and doing more leg-work was just a strain. So after the 5, I was having trouble walking. Basically, I ached. I ran Thursday night, though... did 7. It was ok... but it was also on the treadmill.

Friday I took the day off and rested up for the 14-mile on Saturday. I met Becky at Hillcrest/LBJ at 7:00 AM. We figured we'd run the White Rock Creek Trail. From LBJ to Northwest Highway, it's a "fairly flat" 7-mile run. Plus, we had heard that there are several water fountains. No problem, right?

Well, for me, the first 5 miles were ok. Not great, but fine. At 5 I took my 2nd water break at the tennis courts. We then continued south. Around mile 6 Becky realized there weren't anymore water fountains. Uuugh.

We turned around at Northwest Highway, and I changed my headband/wristband (I kept a dry pair in my pocket). I then put my music on because I was getting grumpy and I needed a bit more motivation.

The next 2 miles were so freakin' long - not because of the mileage, but because of the parchedness! Geez Louise we were thirsty! The temperature was in the mid-80s, and the humidity was in the 70s. So to go without water for 4 miles after running 5 is a LONG time.

That seemed to wear me out, but we made it to the water fountain back at the tennis courts. 2 miles later, I was looking for water again. We passed this park and I told Becky, "there's GOT to be a fountain here, right?" I felt like a man in the desert searching for a mirage. I kept thinking, "there's one!" Nope... I finally gave up and we ran another mile until we found one.

Anyway, it wasn't a great run. We both got winded a few times, and the heat was bearing down on us towards the end. Sitting on the bench afterwards, we both expressed it: "How in the heck are we going to make 21 miles next week?"

We just have to... that's all there is to it.

Worst... Run.... EVER!!!

As most of you know, #5 Michigan lost to Appalachian State University on Saturday 34-32. It was a huge upset. ASU is a school in Division I-AA. They went up to Ann Arbor, MI with only 40 something players to play in "The Big House." It's called that for a reason - 109,000 fans witnessed history! If you don't follow college football, that would be similar to a very good high school football team beating The Dallas Cowboys. Ok, maybe I'm stretching that a bit, but my point is this: It was not expected to happen.

If you're a Michigan player (or fan), you came into that game thinking "no big deal." Sure, it's a game... but it shouldn't be that difficult. When the game is over, we'll have won and we'll prepare for the next one. As I laid on my couch Saturday afternoon watching the thrilling end to this shocking game, I sympathized with the Wolverines (Michigan). Why? Not because I'm a big fan of Michigan. It's because I, too, was guilty of that same overconfidence earlier in the day.

My day began at 4:00 AM. I woke up to the darkness thinking, "Well... time to get up and get ready for 18 miles." I stretched at my house before I left, but I didn't have a lot of excitement. It was like I was going to work or something... not "I'm about to run 18 freakin' miles!!!" I casually thought that since I did so well the week before with 17, what's another mile? Believe me... that extra mile was something else and THEN SOME!

We started out from the Big Thicket. I knew something was amiss when we were just at 2 miles and we were dealing with a lot of cars on the road. Normally, when we've run before, the lake isn't that busy in the morning. I also didn't think it would be very busy on a holiday weekend.

At the 6 mile mark we started seeing troops of runners. I'm serious... there were these great big groups of 20-30 runners all running towards us. Behind them, the bikers. Behind them, the walkers.... and then you'd see another squad of 20 or so runners. Hence, that's why we had all of the traffic so early: Running Groups.

At 9 miles we were back at the Big Thicket. Instead of lapping the lake again, we thought it best to turn back towards the spillway. That way we could avoid the groups. Well, I was feeling mighty bad at that point. My knees were hurting, and the humidity was getting to me. But, I hung in there.

Around 12 we hit something unexpected: A Race. There was some sort of 10k or something going on, and there had to be 500+ people running it. We passed them before they took off in hopes of getting to the water fountain (about a quarter mile away) before they started. However, that didn't work. They took off and basically forced us into the grass. Miserable...

We then turned back towards the Big Thicket... it was getting hotter and the humidity was still bothering me. We hit the parking lot at 15 and I was gassed. I wanted to quit so bad. Probably the worst I've ever felt. However, I decided to not quit because Becky hadn't quit on me. You see, I'd say, "Go on... just leave me" and she'd always say, "Nope... we're finishing this together."

And you know what? She was having a fantastic run! It was a tale of opposites. The week before it was me having the good run and she was suffering. We commented on why we're always "off." Around 16 we saw an old man passed out on the side with heat exhaustion issues. Becky went and flagged down some cops (even though they were a little reluctant) to help him (there were also others with him).

Instead of crossing over the bridge to go back to the west side of White Rock, we just headed north. It was not only shadier, but we didn't have anyone to bother us. We ran and ran.... and ran up to Northwest Highway. At that point it was 17 and we turned back. When we finally got to 18 and she called it, I almost burst into tears. Words can't convey how unbelievably bad I felt.

So here I am... 3 days later. I STILL feel awful. I told Rob when I got home that morning I had dropped 15 lbs. of water weight. I slept for 2 hours that day and never left the house. My legs are still sore, and I can't believe I've got to run tonight... 5 miles!

Was I overconfident? Yes. Am I humbled by that? Absolutely. I will do much better from here on out. I'm not superman. I won't allow myself to get into that mindset anymore. I've run too far and too long to get to this point and make mistakes like that. And, more importantly, I'm too damn stubborn to quit... give up... send up the white flag. Nope, I'm in this to win. I'm in this to cross that finish line in Chicago! Mentally, I'm pissed/fired up!

Now if I'm thinking that way, do you think Michigan is thinking the same? Hmm... guess we'll see this weekend when they play Oregon... and I complete my 14.

Your History...

Have you ever thought of your history? From the time you were born, until right now, you have created history. More specifically, you have "built" history. Your experiences up until now have built a foundation to your life. You have been shaped, molded, and formed into the person you are due to your history. You have been "established."

I say that because I've been thinking a lot about that lately. Each of us have made decisions throughout our lives to bring us to this point. And, going forward, we will continue to make decisions that will build our histories.

Are you the same person you were 5 years ago? 10 years ago? Each day, our "decisions," build our foundations that will bring about new experiences that eventually, one day, we'll look back and see as our histories.

In regards to myself, I know that I'm not the same person I was 10 years ago. But you know what? I'm fine with that. I want to experience life. I want to continually reach towards the unknown... to live "life" to the fullest. To not only set goals, but to "achieve" those goals and press on to even greater ones.

So when people ask me, "Why in the world are you running? Why are you training for a marathon?" Well, I want to add to my history. I want to accomplish this very difficult goal and look back upon it and say, "Hey! I did it! I ran a marathon and I loved it!"

Sure, I gripe about it. The training is hard. The time management is extremely difficult. The effects to the body, be it plenty of soreness, is just a part of it. But hey, that's "life," right? If achieving a goal wasn't tough, then what would be the point?

I encourage you. I encourage you to build upon your history. Add to your foundation... or build another story. Try difficult goals. Experience things that you would never shoot for. I truly believe this: That when you go the extra mile, you'll receive 10 times more than you ever dreamed... and then some!

My 50th Post!!!

What better way to celebrate my 50th post than to show a map of what 17 miles looks like to those that live in New Mexico (Rob and Gaurav). While they may think Arlington is very close to downtown Dallas, I thought I'd show a distance that might speak to them. (You can click the above picture to make it larger)

You see, this morning, Becky and I set out and ran 17 miles around White Rock Lake. My gosh! Anyway, let's say you lived in the cesspool of the Metroplex (Arlington). If you started running at Ballpark Way and I-30 and headed East into downtown Dallas, you'd make it to the Plaza of the Americas in 3 hours and 23 minutes. Whoooo Weeee that's a lot of running (and pounding on the pavement)!

The run started off great. The temperature was probably the coolest we've experienced in weeks. Last week was great because we had a cool breeze and clouds. However, it was still humid. This week we had a temperature of 74 and the humidity was 58%. If you're reading this from somewhere other than Texas (especially Dallas), that's a FANTASTIC running condition for the summer!

Anyway, as you can see in my previous post, I was nervous. However, I felt strong. We had a good pace. When we made the spillway at 6 miles, I wasn't soaked! For those that don't know, I don't have an iPod anymore... both have been drowned in sweat. Nice, eh? So, they're dead. I was seriously thinking of buying one (my third) with a protective case over the weekend... oh well.

So Becky and I run and talk a ton. I mean, you've got over 3 hours of running... you gotta talk! We talk about Chicago, food, trips, work, family, what we'll do when we get home from this running hell... you know, just a bunch of chit chat! Ha!

Well, Becky is pretty dang competitive. Today she was only supposed to run 12. But around 7 she said she was feeling it and was going to shoot for 17 with me, too. That was great because of the no iPod situation. That would be a lot of running with silence.... (besides the squish squish squish of my wet clothes/shoes).

Anyway, the run was great. I felt fantastic afterwards and even told Becky, "I know this sounds strange but I think I could keep going after 17." Normally I'm about to pass out from shear exhaustion/pain. But today I felt great. I think that's due to the midweek runs I had last week... from Sunday to Saturday I ran 33 miles.

The only problem we ran into: Stopping. After all of that running, the body is pretty fluid. It's been working like a machine. However, like any machine, if you stop it and let it cool down, it sometimes has a hard time getting re-started. So our "cooldown" comes when we finish the run and grab some drinks and sit on this porch at The Big Thicket. We sit for 10 minutes or so. Well, when it's time to leave and stand up, it is one of the most painful experiences. However, it's so funny (because we look like freakin' Tin Men) that we're laughing at each other and the grimaces on our faces.

And that's just after 17.... wonder how painful it'll be after 26.2 miles on October 7???

I'm a Bit Nervous...

Tomorrow is Sunday... in my world, it's "Game Day." Tomorrow I have to run 17 miles. Actually, it's not "tomorrow" but "TOMORROW MORNING." Yep... another early morning run for Becky and myself.

Friday night I ran 5 miles on the treadmill. Then I grabbed some chinese food, and headed home. Today I haven't left the house. I've spent most of the day hydrating, stretching, and relaxing. It's been nice... but it still hasn't eased the nerves.

I know what it feels like to run 9 miles. That's one lap around the lake. The sad thing is when I reach my truck tomorrow, I'll still have 8 more miles to go. I know I have about 3 hours and 20 minutes of running ahead of me. Geez...

It's a goal. I truly want to reach this tomorrow... and I believe I will. It's just that it really causes a lot of stress in my life the day before. Anyway... wanted to write down my thoughts the night before...

What Does 16 Miles Look Like???

PRAISE THE LORD!!! I gotta start out like that because this morning I was VERY grumpy. It was dark-thirty and I knew the temperature was 79 degrees with 79% humidity. I actually said, "Lord... why can't we get a break for once? This weather is killing us!" Little did I know that we'd be running the entire 16 miles under a strong/cool breeze and cloudy skies. My gosh it was an amazing blessing! And it helped out in ways you have no idea...

A lot of people ask me each week, "So... how far did you run?" When you spout out numbers like 10, 11, 12, etc... sometimes people just go, "Oh my gosh! That sounds terrible!"

Well, I've inserted a picture on the left to give you an idea of what it looks like to run what Becky and I did this morning. Yep, we ran 16 miles.

If you started running from the Plaza of the Americas in downtown Dallas, then headed up the Dallas North Tollway, you'd reach the George Bush Turnpike (190).

And, to make matters sound even more painful, it would take you over 3 hours of running. And you'd be kinda tired... (I say that right now as I'm watching Forrest Gump.... "I'm pretty tired... think I'll go home now.")

So we met at 5:30 AM at the Big Thicket. I was really nervous. Not many people know this, but I have a lot of problems in the early mornings before long runs. Specifically, I gag a lot... and when there's a lot of gagging, there's a lot of "stuff" that eventually comes up. I'm used to it, and it usually happens at my house. Unfortunately this morning, that didn't happen. It decided to wait until I was in the parking lot with Chandra and Becky. Uuugh....

Anyhoo, after that, I was fine. We took off running and chatted for a bit... and made it to 3 miles. Got a drink, and took off again. Chandra was suffering from a headache that had been going on since Thursday, and her new shoes weren't feeling the greatest. At 6 she told us to run without her.

I went through a variety of difficulties through this run. Of course, the first 3 miles my calves are always tight. Then from 6 to 9 I have soreness in my thighs. We made it to the truck at 9, and I did a few things: Took goo, drank gatorade, and put on a dry headband and wristband. Then, off we went.

Around 11 we had a strange sighting - Rob on a bike! Rob is my boss and friend, and he's preparing for a long bike ride in September. He came up behind us and chatted while we were running. He even saw how drenched I was: "Your feet are squishing!!!" After we stopped off at a water fountain, we took off again and Rob went the other direction. That was a refreshing moment - it just broke up the whole monotony of the run.

At 12.5 we were at another water fountain near the dam, and we ran into Jay - a coworker of ours. He was out running early as well, and it was another great little diversion. We took off from there and kept our spirits up until the next water fountain. Oh, we ran into Rob again. He was shooting to finish 50 miles on the bike.

Around 14 my left knee reared up. It had finally joined my right knee, which had been hurting for a few miles. It's hard to explain the pain, but I kept thinking I had 2 nails on each side of my knees. Uugh...

Well, we did it... 3 hours 13 minutes. As we were finishing up 16, Rob came back and saw us to the end. He came to the parking lot and witnessed me peeling off the soaked shirt and socks... followed shortly by the "wringing out" of the soaked shirt. He even took a gander at the feet and looked on wincingly... ha!

Anyway, it was over. I got home and showered, ate, and napped. And I've been hobbling around... I can't wait until all of this is over! Believe YOU me!!!!

Time to get my drink on...

Friday night after work, a group of us went to the Libertine Bar for some beers and food. We had gone there a few weeks earlier, and had had a great time. The prices were good, the beer selection was decent, and the food was really fantastic. So why not go back?

Well, after a while I was ready to tab out. Becky and Kevin felt the same. As most normal people know, when you go out and it's time to pay, you typically write down on the receipt your name and what to charge your card. Let me emphasize.... NORMAL!

After the check went around the table, the waitress picked it up and off she went. She charged the cards (mine and Kevin's), and returned back. Want to know what she did? She took out Kevin & Becky's orders, but ran everyone else's on mine. My bill was $99.99. I couldn't believe it! After tracking the waitress down, she told me she couldn't back it out and that was that. Basically, she was being a snippy jerkass. Whatever buzz I had quickly vanished.

I let her have it. I told her that I don't understand how she could have chosen to do it that way when everyone else was staying, and I wrote specifically what to charge my card. She said she was told to do that by Becky, but that was a lie. She said stuff to me... and I said stuff to her. In the end, I told her to get me the entire bill because I was going to have to calculate what everyone now owed me. Talk about frustrating!

To make up for it (especially since I hadn't given her a tip yet), she brought me another beer. Gee... that just makes up for all of it! NOT! I wasn't very happy, and I'm not sure if I'll go back there again. So that extended my time there since I had to work through the numbers. The 3 of us left, and they drove me to the train station... only to watch as my train left! I would have to wait almost 30 minutes for the next one. Instead, we went to Sonic to get a drink.

I then was driven to the LBJ/Skillman station. Have you ever been to that one after 10 PM on a Friday night? Let's just say it's a little rough to say the least. The train came, and I took it back to Garland.

When I got home after 11 PM, I had to have another beer just to calm down. I then was looking forward to a full night's sleep. Unfortunately, that was interupted at 3:55 AM - smoke detector. The battery was going out, and so it went off for about 10 seconds. Took me about 10 minutes just to get the battery out after several unsuccessful attempts.

Saturday I felt kinda "off." Not enough sleep I guess. I met Chandra at Run On and we bought new running shoes to take advantage of the Tax Free weekend. I bought the same ones as before, but they're newer: Link to shoes

Other than that, came home and relaxed. I watched the Cowboys, enjoyed some of my kegerator beer (Rahr Blonde), and was in bed by 9:30. Ironically, I slept GREAT!

"Heeeeeeell Yeah - 15 miles, Baby!!!"

I still can't believe it... we ran 15 miles today!

This weekend I had been nervous to run 15. Last week's 14 was extremely difficult. While I pretty much did the same running during the week, the main difference this time is that I had been preparing for over 24 hours. You see, yesterday I spent every hour drinking something - water, propel, gatorade, iced tea, etc. I wanted to get my fluids up big time! I ate a lot of carbs, and went to bed right around 9:30.

Well, I was a bit nervous for the 15. I woke up at 2:30 and stared at the clock until 3. I think I "dozed" until my alarm went off at 4. Because of the major loss of electrolites I was expecting, I ate a breakfast bar on the drive to the lake. I also drank a bottle of Propel water, and sucked down a strawberry/banana packet of goo. Same song... met Chandra/Becky at White Rock at 5:30 AM. Becky said she, too, had woken up at 2:30 feeling nervous... and Chandra said she hadn't slept well.

We started off... remember, that early it's pitch black. We ran up until the first water fountain (3 miles) and grabbed a drink. Around 5.2, we were at the spillway and were at our next water fountain. I was drenched... I just can't stand this humidity. This morning it was 74% with a temp of about 81. The spillway water fountain was so freakin' hot, it was like drinking a cup of hot tea.

I decided to fire up the iPod... it lasted for about 2 minutes and then it died. I couldn't believe it. So now I knew it was me against the elements and no music... Come on ladies, let's get to gabbin! Ha!

So for a while I'd run with Chandra and talk with her, then run with Becky and we'd chat it up. At 7.5 we were at another (much colder!) water fountain. I took another goo and off we went. Made it to the truck at 9, and I changed wrist bands and headband. Dropped off the dead iPod, drank some gatorade, and off we went.

Now it's getting hot. Becky said she's gonna have to dig deep... I agreed. However, I was feeling 10 times better than I was at this point the previous week. Again, I think it was due to my preparedness and goo!

Well, we had 6 more miles to go. Do you realize how tough that is? You're leaving the parking lot where you know you have your car and plenty of cold water and you're heading out across the lake again where it's a blazing furnace!

It was brutal, but we pressed on! By now the lake is very busy, and there is a race going on. Becky and I talked it up as best we could... but we had so much going against us. The sun was really hot, the humidity was still there, we were sore, and we were running on the worst part of the lake (the pavement is broken).

Chandra's goal for the day was 13.1 miles... however, she pushed it to 14! That was awesome. I don't know how she did it, but I know I couldn't have jumped from 12 to 14 a few weeks ago! When Becky and I were heading back, we saw her driving out. We were pumped she exceeded her goal!

Anyway, we did it. We ran and ran... and ran some more! Just past the parking lot we hit 15. We both high-fived each other and now it was "Water Time!" After cooling down and putting some dry clothes on, I headed home. My routine is to immediately shower, eat breakfast, and then head to bed. I've done that the past several weeks, and it rocks! I slept for about 2 hours.

I'm stinkin' tired, but so satisfied... 15... 15... 15!!!

Wednesday, Bloody Wednesday...

Each Wednesday I've been meeting Becky at White Rock Lake at 5:30 AM... we run 9 miles. As usual, the humidity was incredibly high (76%). However, I came prepared!

A few weeks ago I decided to buy new "dry fit" running gear. I bought an Asics shirt and a pair of shorts, as well as a new sweat band (ULTRA absorbent)! These items arrived the day before the run.

Well, off we went. It was a brutal run. By mile 3 I was dripping pretty good and by mile 6 I was drenched. So much for the new dry fit clothes. We had some motivation issues, and our legs were still pretty sore from Sunday's run.

We pressed on... and finished our 9 back at the parking lot. Just as I was opening up my truck, Becky says, "Oh Regan..." I first think someone is standing behind me. Then I realize she's looking directly at my shirt. She then goes, "Is that blood?"

Well, for those that aren't runners, there is a problem that happens called "The bloody nipple!" Yep, my new shirt just kept moving up and down... basically "sandblasting" my nipple to a bloody stump. She asked if I felt it while running, but I hadn't. I was feeling it now!!! The old shirt doesn't move... so I just wasn't prepared.

Anyway, lesson learned. While us dudes don't have sports bras (bros), I should have remembered to put a bandaid over the nippular areas. Needless to say, I wear them now with that shirt!

The Hardest & Sweatiest 14 Miles of My Life!!!

I'm sitting here trying to come up with the words to describe how "out of it" I am right now. I thought I'd better get myself up to actually attempt to use my brain today (other than staring blankly at the tv). I'm THAT tired... dazed and confused might be a better description.

Today I ran 14 miles. It was the longest run I've done since 1999. It was long. It was hard. It was incredibly strenuous and difficult. But, it's over. Thank the LORD it's over!

The morning started early... 4:00 AM. I awoke in mid-dream thinking (as I do everytime I have to get up that early), "Why am I doing this?" Oh yeah... I'm doing this because I set a goal back on New Year's Eve to run in TWO marathons this year.... and I'm doing this at 4:00 AM because it's so freakin' hot/humid in Dallas that it's the only time to run!

So I met Chandra and Becky out at the lake again at 5:30. Same story... same verse: We ran around the lake. Ok, that sounded bitter. I'll say it like this: They ran around the lake, and I sweated profusely!

Do you know how hard it is to run when you're wet? Seriously... think about it. Imagine dressing in your running clothes, jumping into a swimming pool, and getting out to run a long distance! Obviously it doesn't start just like that. But by mile 6, I'm usually soaked head to toe. My socks are wet, and the shoes are drenched. Apparently "dry fit" really doesn't apply to me.

At mile 9, we were back at the cars. I had some Power Aid Gel, drank some water, attempted to towell off, and then put a new sweatband on.... and off we went. Around mile 11 Chandra made a comment, "Oh my gosh, Regan! You're leaving foot prints!" Yes, as disgusting as that sounds, THAT'S how wet I was.

Obviously, sweating that much is not good for the body. I was struggling big-time today. Even though we would stop at every water fountain, I just couldn't get enough to replenish what I was losing. It was also the 8 o'clock hour, and it was getting hot very fast. I told Becky that she needed to go into "coach" mode. And running with her, I felt like we had a rope attached to the 2 of us... and she was dragging me along!

As if my body decided to tell me, something happened. Around 13 it was like I had an electrical shock. My extremities were tingling, my vision got really blurry, and I was having a hard time running straight. I told Becky and we started walking. After walking for a bit, I started up again. We made it through and finished at 14... but I gotta say, I was gassed. I had nothing in the tank. We walked the rest of the way back to the vehicles. I drank a lot of water, put on some dry clothes, and headed home.

I have since eaten twice and taken a 2.5 hour nap. I am moving around this house VERY slowly... not really from pain, but just from pure exhaustion. I don't think I'll have any problems falling asleep tonight.

Achieving goals are very tough... but I just gotta hope that in the end, it'll be worth enduring days like this.

What a FANTASTIC Day!!!

So I took Friday off... what a GREAT decision! It was one of those days that I look back and go, "Wow... awesome day!"

My day started at 3:45 AM. Yep... woke up early because I was meeting Becky at the lake to run 9 miles. I stretched and ate and met her out there at 5:30. The run was REALLY good for me. She was yawning, but woke up around mile 2.5 when she almost got run over by a bicyclist.

Quick story: Ok, so when you run that early it's dark until about 6:15. We were running and talking along West Lawther - we were on the road instead of the trail to avoid the bugs, and have better footing. Normally the bikers come straight towards us because that is their normal route. However, I noticed a light coming behind us when it was about 20 yards away. By the time I told Becky, "Biker behind us," he was probably 10 yards. She, being tired, was thinking it was a car and moved towards me (she was on the right side of the road and I was on the left). Well, he was trying to split us at that moment (without letting us know he was doing that) and she almost got hit. He pressed the brakes hard and cussed and I thought he was going to flip. Anyway, after that, Becky had stopped yawning.

So we continued talking and running. It was still humid, but not as humid as in previous runs. We made it around the lake and back to the cars by 7:15 AM. She left to go get ready for work... I left to get ready for a nap! I stopped off at Sonic and picked up a Route 44 Cherry Limeade and a breakfast burrito. Came home, showered, ate my breakfast, and headed to bed by 9.

An hour and half later, I'm up. I got ready and picked up Joey for lunch. We went to Tokyo One (all-you-can-eat Sushi) in Addison, then caught The Simpsons Movie. If you haven't seen it yet, it's pretty dang funny. I was surprised... and being a fan, I was pleased!

After dropping Joey off, I went home and for some reason had a bunch of calls that day from various friends and family. After returning those, I decided to stay in and end the day by ordering my favorite pizza (Pizza Inn thin crust Italian Sausage/Pepperoni/Jalepenos) and enjoying a few beers. Went to bed around 11...

Seriously, a fantastic day!

We're Halfway to Chicago...

Yesterday I ran my second "half marathon" of the year. While it wasn't the event Nashville was, it still was awesome to complete 13.1 miles a second time in one year!

I met Becky at 5:30 AM at White Rock Lake... yes... I said 5:30 AM on a Sunday morning! We met on Wednesday at that same time to beat the heat and run 9 miles before work. So, since it was a great experience, I figured I should start doing that on the long runs.

It's a rough morning to meet that early. I actually woke up at 3:45 and left my house by 5. I should have known it would be hard - the humidity (my old nemesis) was very thick (even though the temperature was 74 degrees).

We started out and within the first mile I was starting to feel the sweat. By mile 3 it was still dark and I was drenched. Becky's iPod was dead, so I just kept mine in my pocket and we talked a lot. By mile 5 we were at the spillway - the sun had come up and I actually ran up it. This means my legs have gotten stronger, which has been a problem in past runs.

Around mile 7 she commented that I had rung out my sweatband/headband at least 5 times on the run. Now for comparison, on Wednesday when we ran I never had to do that. This was BRUTAL humidity! The crazy thing was the sun wasn't blazing down on us, and the temperature was nice... it was just humid!

By 9 we were back at the parking lot and I needed a new dry wristband. I had been hitting every water fountain since our run began, and I was soaked. My socks were even wet... and I'm wearing all of the clothing that is supposed to be dry-fit! Running in wet socks is not a joy, believe me!

Well, we headed around the lake again. This time we just went 2.05 out, and then the same back. It was AWESOME to finish 13.1 miles! We both high-fived each other and she was screaming! I then took my shirt off and rung it out. (Becky didn't like seeing that, ha!) When I got home I discovered 2 more toenails were ready to come off. For those keeping track, I've now lost 4!

I then proceeded to take a shower, eat my sonic breakfast burrito, and went back to bed. Slept for 2 hours and felt pretty dang good after that. Later I went over to see my folks, then met Kevin for a few beers at the Flying Saucer. I decided to eat dinner at "The Flying Fish" just across the street. While eating my catfish and sipping on my Shiner, I just smiled: "Wow... you did it... and you're DOING it!"

Crazy thought - one year ago I was contemplating playing soccer in an adult league. To do that, I went out and kicked the ball around. Well, that was almost a year ago and I could barely run 2 laps around the soccer field. What a year it's been!

Chicago... here we come!

The Dirty Dozen...

For the third time this year, I ran 12 miles. Uuugh... I just can't put into words how painful it was this morning to run the lake. Ok... maybe I can.

First of all, I'm calling this "The Dirty Dozen" because it was probably the toughest run we've had this year. We seemed to have so many obstacles working against us today!

I met Becky at 7:15 AM this morning at Big Thicket - the eastern side of the lake. We hit the road shortly thereafter, and immediately things went south.

One thing that was apparent is we were missing 1/3 of our team - Chandra is in Boston this weekend. Both of us had also worked out the day before. Becky had run in a 5k for charity, and I had mountain biked almost 7 miles with Rob and Kevin. Anyway, we were feeling the effects of sore calves. It took just over 3 miles before they loosened up for both of us.

Next, the humidity. It seems we have very humid mornings here in Dallas these days, and I gotta say that it's killing us! You can't breathe! It's like running in a sauna. So that just causes me, the Sweatinator, to just stream water.

Around mile 5 my right knee started up. This was the same knee I had major problems with in 1999 when I ran the previous marathon. I had to walk - and the only way I can describe it is it felt like someone was jabbing my funny bone... but in my knee. Thankfully, it loosened up and we were able to start running after a bit.

After 6, we started feeling the heat. Geez Louise it was hot! So, humidity... heat... it was a banner day for both of us! Anyway, we ran as best we could and drank as much as we could. At mile 9 I stopped at my truck to drink water and get a dry sweatband. We then made our way across the bridge again and to the other side of the lake, where we turned back and finished up 12 miles in 2 hours 24 minutes. Not a blazing time by any means, but given what we were up against, we were VERY happy with the results.

Just for grins, I want to show you what it looks like to mountain bike. On Saturday (as I mentioned) we biked Boulder Park. It was hot and humid even in the 7 o'clock morning hour, but it was a good "cross training" session for me. Anyway, it looks like spaghetti compared to a run. Mmmmmm.... spaghetti.... :-)

Friday...

You know that feeling you get (I sound like that guy on the Whataburger commercials) on Friday when you're extremely tired from the week and all you can think about is relaxing on the weekend? Imagine adding physical exhaustion to your mental exhaustion and THAT'S how I feel each Friday!

Each of us get beat down from "life." Mostly it comes in the form of work. We work 8+ hours a day, deal with the stresses of projects/deadlines/mean & dumb people, try to maintain our households, and ultimately retire at the end of the day just to do it all over the next day.

Being single, I know how to manage this stuff as an army of one. I couldn't imagine what those that have to manage all of that PLUS a family must go through. Sheesh! My hat is off to you on that one...

Well, now that I've upped the training, I'm now just beat down freakin' tired at the end of the week. My long runs are getting longer, and the midweek runs are a struggle... but I'm pressing on for one simple reason: I'm encouraged!

You see, even though this is a strain - physically, mentally, etc. - I'm encouraged because of friends like you who read the stupid ramblings of a fat guy running! I'm encouraged by the Sunday runs with Chandra and Becky who make me get out of bed at dark-thirty to complete our LONG runs around White Rock Lake! And I'm encouraged by the results I'm seeing - pants are getting looser, my weight is dropping, and I've finally got "normal" numbers when I go to the Dr.'s office.

Ok, so here's where I stand right now: Sunday I ran 11 with Becky and Chandra around the lake. Yes, the sweaty man came out again. At one point at mile 6 Chandra thought, "what keeps flicking on me?" Well, she looked over and saw that I was soaked from head to toe... so it was me! Nice, huh?

This week I've run 7 miles on Tuesday and Thursday. Saturday morning I'll mountain bike (cross training) with Kevin and Rob. Then on Sunday I'll hit the lake again for 12 miles. If you don't know this, we're increasing our long runs each Sunday by 1 mile. We'll do that until September 23, when we'll run our last long run (21 miles) before we run Chicago on October 7.

So thanks for the encouragement! In fact, encourage others whenever you hear of someone shooting for a goal! You have no idea how much it means to them when they're constantly training for a difficult objective... and how it will make a Friday to them THAT much more satisfying... and relaxing!

Holy Crap-o-moley....

Have I mentioned how much I'm tired of the rain? Seriously... we've had so many storms that it's becoming annoying. Well, tonight I come home and it's actually a financial burden!

When I arrive home after 8, I see that my neighbor's tree (behind my house) has a limb that has come down and is in another neighbor's backyard. Hmmm... let's hope that nothing has happened to my little humble abode.

Wishful thinking. I look into my backyard and see what I "think" is ice. Nope. It's shattered glass. My patio table has completely exploded and the umbrella snapped (as evidenced in the picture). It must have been some storm to do that!

The umbrella, as you can see, is lying against the house. There is a patio chair turned over on top of it, and it's been ripped. I'm telling you... I had NO idea this was going to happen today. I noticed that my plants in the backyard look like they've been through hell... they are all beaten down. Not only did the backyard take a direct hit, but the front yard has downed limbs. I have a crepe myrtle that has been "crepe murdered!"

So, I guess I need to find a top for the table and a new umbrella. It's nice to not have to pay for watering the yard, but this is ridiculous! And, for those that know me pretty well, you KNOW how much this bugs me. The patio is probably my favorite "room" of the house. Oh well... guess it's time to redecorate!

Bonanza...

Yesterday I met Chandra and Becky at White Rock Lake. It's getting to sound familiar, huh? We meet at dark-thirty on a Sunday morning (Ok, it was only 7:30... but still, that's early for a Sunday morning!) and we run around the lake. We have to start early because of the heat. And this week was MUCH improved over last week's 88% humidity!

We meet up at "Big Thicket," a park on the east side of the lake. As I was stretching, Becky walks up and the exclaims, "OH MY GOSH!" She's staring at me and pointing as if I've got something on my shirt. She then says, "I can't believe we match!" Well, I look down and we're both wearing a navy blue shirt and black shorts. I'm like, "Ok... whatever."

A few minutes later Chandra pulls up. Before she's even out the door, she's pointing at both of us and laughing. I'm looking around and thinking, "Seriously... a dude wouldn't notice this." I guess that's the difference between men and women. In fact, Becky made a comment or two while we were running. I told her I'd bet money that if Kevin drove up right now, he wouldn't notice this similarity.

So we meandered our way around the lake. It was rough, to put it lightly. We took advantage of almost every water fountain, and we had to walk at times. I think my problem was that I ran 7 miles the day before. While my lungs weren't as bad as the previous week, my legs were really tired by mile 6. Around mile 8, Becky looked at me and said, "You look like you've been swimming!" Yes folks, I was THAT sweaty. She said she heard what sounded like someone running in a wet bathing suit. Nice image, huh?

Around 9 I told Becky to go on. I had to walk again. It was really becoming a beating at this point even though I knew I had less than a mile to go. Becky is good at finishing strong. Eventually, we all made our goal of running 10 miles. I haven't downloaded our pace yet, but we were under 2 hours so I feel ok with that.

Now, here's how I spent the rest of my day: DOWN! Running 10 miles does a number on one's body. I have a routine that I follow after a long run. First, I stop off at Sonic on the way home and get a Route 44 Cherry Limeade. I then lie down on the couch - prop my legs up and ice my knees. I flip the tv on and turn on Bonanza. Yes, I said Bonanza! It's enough to hold some of my interest, yet enough to allow me to drift off to la-la land if needed. Yesterday, I was mayor of the land. I was out cold for about an hour. It was awesome!

I was slow moving for most of the day, but somehow garnered some energy to mow my yard around 5ish. After that, it was back to the couch. Overall, a great day... now, I'm back to work after a week's vacation. My legs are still tired/sore, though. Too bad I can't be on the couch today watching Bonanza!

Galveston Trip...

For those that don't know this, my family has been going to Galveston each Memorial Day and Fourth of July for years. In fact, when I was growing up, we always went the first week in June and rented a cabin for a week. Once everyone went off to college, the plans changed to be on holidays to accomodate everyone.

Anyway, we always rent a condo at The Galvestonian for a few nights and spend the entire time either on the beach or at the pool. I'm usually the butt of some jokes because rarely a visit goes by without me getting one of my famous sun burns! This visit... hmmm... no chance of THAT happening!

We're having a lot of storms in Texas - extremely unusual for this time of year. On Monday, I drove down - took me about 4.5 hours - and made it in time for about an hour of sun on the beach. I had no idea that would be it!

Tuesday, we all headed back to the beach. As you can see, it was cloudy and overcast all day long. While we never experienced any rain, we still didn't need to put the canopy up to block the sun!

And because of the storms, the seaweed was churned up out in the gulf and brought ashore. Overall, not the best beach weather.

On Wednesday, July the 4th, it rained... all day! While the kids could play in the pool, a lot of the time we were up in the condo. Not a lot of fun. Trenton, Paul, and I decided to head to the Strand, which is where all of the shopping occurs within the historic district. We saw a movie/slide show on the Great Storm - the 1900 hurricane that destroyed Galveston and killed over 6,000 people. (That's why I have that historic knowledge in my entry below!)

Anyway, that was about it for the trip. While I didn't get to spend hours sitting in my chair, reading my book, and drinking my favorite beers... I did get to spend time with my family. And THAT was worth it! Especially since I didn't leave with a sunburn!