Vacation, Baby!!!

So here I am... a few minutes before leaving work, and I feel like I'm a kid watching the clock before the start of summer vacation! I am totally looking forward to this week off!

Oddly enough, I'm not really doing anything. This weekend I don't have any plans (other than running around White Rock Lake with Chandra and Becky). Monday I'll drive down to Galveston... hang out on the beach all week... then drive back on Thursday.

Should be a lot of fun! For those that don't know, my family takes an annual "4th of July" trip to Galveston each year. We stay in a condo and the days are filled with beach, beach, and more beach! Well, there's some "pool time," but mostly it's just hanging out on the beach.

This year I'm bringing down one of those pop-up canopies. I bought it a few weeks ago to use for this occasion, as well as camping and tailgating. I'm also bringing down a sein so my nephews can see what it's like to try and net a fish. I think they'll like that a lot.

I do plan on running, specifically the sea wall. My hope is that they won't have any rain, the humidity is low, and that it's just a great time all-around.

So enjoy the 4th! Spend time with family, friends... but above all, relax and enjoy the week! I hope to be doing the same!

Life is TOO Short for Bad Relationships...

I have a friend who is extremely courageous. You see, they were in a bad relationship. Imagine "bad" for yourself... then multiply it by 10. THAT is what they were going through. However, instead of "living with it" or deciding "well, this is my lot in life"... this person made a decision that their LIFE was worth much more than what they were going through. And to me, this person is awesome!

You see, I've been there. I've been in the "beaten down" relationship where I have thought those same feelings. It's amazing to me how two people can start out in love, yet one person decides to treat the other person as if they weren't worth "Jack Squat." Sometimes it comes subtly... sometimes it comes like a Mack Truck!

Personally, I've probably been run through the ringer on all of my relationships. I'm at a good place in my life. As a single guy in his mid-30s, I'm fine with where I am. Seriously. While that may sound crazy to some, I'm really FINE with life. I actually enjoy my single life.

But for those that think they need to "put up with it" or "deal with it," I just want you to know that life IS fine on the other side. Not only am I a witness, but so many others have made that decision. If you're going through the rough times, or if you think that it will never get better, my only advice is to take charge... make a change... and only then will you ever know what life is like when you aren't going through the craptapular relationship.

As for my friend... I truly believe they will succeed beyond their wildest dreams. I believe in love. I believe my friend will come out better than they ever expected, and I believe that God blesses those who persevere... and take charge of their lives!

TIME TIME TIME!!!

One thing I've noticed about the difference between training for a marathon now compared with the one I ran in 1999 is how much more difficult it is to fit everything into my schedule. Back then, I was living in an apartment. So, I didn't have the responsibilities of a house - especially the yardwork. My job also didn't require a lot from me, so I didn't have to work late and neglect a mid-week run.

It's like this weekend. I have to run 8 miles tonight, 4 tomorrow, and 12 on Sunday. I also have to mow the yard, take Joey out for lunch, and meet up with friends for dinner on Saturday night. Along with the 12 miles on Sunday, I have "Father's Day" lunch over at my parents, and then Bible Study later that afternoon.

During the week, I feel the pinch because I have a lot going on at work. Add to that the various errands one has to do, as well as any social outings (happy hours). Geez Louise it gets crazy at times!

Anyway, I'm just hoping I can take care of it all this weekend!

And So It Begins...

Yesterday was my first day to run on the actual "Marathon Training" schedule. Up until now, I have been on the "Buildup" schedule. Now, it gets tough. And I don't just say that out of fear... but out of experience. Now is when I start to run the longer runs during the middle of the week. Plus, I have the good ol' Texas Heat to deal with...

Knowing I had 10 miles to run, I figured I'd get up early and run White Rock Creek Trail. For those in Dallas, my plan was to park at Hillcrest/LBJ and run almost down to Royal, then turn back. However, my plans were THWARTED by the humidity. The windows on my house had condensation on them when I got up at 6 AM. I then found out the humidity was 88%. Unbelievable... you just can't breathe! So I ran 10 in the gym. It wasn't very fun. The treadmill is fine for short runs, but for longer ones it gets pretty boring.

For those that want to see what I'm up against, I'll show you the schedule I'm using. I'm starting Week 1: Link

Current Beer Recommendations...

So what kind of beers have I been drinking lately? Well, there are a few that I've been enjoying. People sometimes ask me for recommendations, so here they are...

To start with, I have Rahr Bucking Bock in my kegerator. It's a spring bock brewed out of Fort Worth, so it eases from the winter warmers into the wheats of summer (in my opinion). It is a really good beer that won't be back until next spring since it's seasonal.

Another seasonal beer I've enjoyed is Pyramid Curve Ball. It's a Kolsch style beer (summer wheat) that is refreshing on a hot day. It goes down really easy - for those that like the pilsners, this is a great alternative.

You can never go wrong with Live Oak Hefe Weizen. This might be my favorite of the unfiltered wheats. Of course, throw a lemmon into it and sip it outside at the Ginger Man! That's a must!

One of my favorites that I found (and can't find anymore) is Real Ale's Devil's Backbone. A few weeks ago, I had this at the Flying Saucer in Addison. My gosh... it was awesome! Unfortunately, they are out and so is the Ginger Man.

Feel free to suggest any others. I'm always up for trying something new!

I really want to see if I've got what it takes...

Tonight, as I was leaving work, I was talking with Brian. He is a friend of mine I work with at Prudential who has encouraged me in my running goals this year. We were talking about me running not only one marathon, but two, in October and December. One thing that I told him was this: "I really want to see if I've got what it takes." Basically, I really want to see if I can do this!

It's going to be a long road. I have 17.5 weeks to go until I run on Sunday, October 7th, in Chicago. In order to run 26.2 miles on that date, I will have to log 603 miles before then. Now do you see why I'm asking that question? It's not just the marathon... it's ALL the miles before the finish line!

One of my favorite HBO series of all time is "From the Earth to the Moon." This 12 episode box set covers the rise of the Apollo space program, and how amazing it was for the U.S. to send men to the moon. If you have never seen it, I highly recommend it - especially if you like history, space, or just good entertainment.

One of the major influences throughout the series (and the space program in general) was a speech President John F. Kennedy delivered. In it, he has a quote:

We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.

That resonates with me. Especially as I'm embarking on the toughest part of my training. I'm choosing to do this... to run a marathon... to go through the 603 miles... not because it is easy, but because it is hard. Yes, I want to see if I've got "The Right Stuff!" (Ok, bad pun).

Tonight I ran 7. It wasn't glorious. It certainly wasn't fun. But it was part of my schedule. And tomorrow night? Well, tomorrow night I'll run 5... and just keep going on and on throughout this journey.

What 6 miles looks like...

Tonight I ran 6 miles... outside. I was fortunate that we had a heavy thunderstorm earlier in the day, and it washed out all of the pollen. It was actually 70 degrees and low humidity when I started to run. Unfortunately, it started to heat up and another thunderstorm is headed this way. So while I was running, it got a bit warmer... I'm just glad I finished before the next blast of storms.

Anyway, I really wanted to get 6 miles. It means that in the past 2 days, I've logged 15 total miles. 19 if you count Saturday! It wasn't the greatest run of my life, but I wanted to show everyone what it looks like.

In my neck of the woods, I run in the neighboring subdivision. Actually, there are two subdivisions. One was built in the past year, so the streets don't show up. I guess it looks like I'm just running in the pasture. One thing you'll also notice is my pace vs. the elevation. I was pretty surprised that I kept up the pace despite changes in the elevation.

Anyway, here it is: Link

Overall, I ran a 10.16 minute mile, which translates into average speed of 5.8 miles. My top speed was 6.5 mph. Yeah, I know... not too fast. I'm just trying to compete and complete!

Thankfully, tomorrow I'm off of my running schedule. I won't start back up again until Wednesday, and I'm sure I'll be at the gym. Whew! I'm tired!

Still Running...

So where am I on my running? I'll be honest... it's been tough to get back on schedule.

You see, when you finish something like a "Half Marathon," your body is sore. They said to hold off one week before starting to run again. That one week actually became 2 weeks. Then I ran and it wasn't the best. I have probably run 5 times or so and they weren't too great.

Last Saturday I ran 7. That was a pretty good improvement. This week I ran Thursday night and only got 3 in. Then Saturday I ran again, and I got 4. I was really frustrated. Living in Dallas these days has not been great for running. It's either raining or about to rain. The humidity level is VERY high, so it's incredibly difficult to breathe. And I also saw our allergens are very high because of all of the rain (everything is growing/blooming).

Today I went to the gym. I figured I needed to treat these outdoor conditions as if it's January/February: FREEZING! My goal was to do 8 miles.

The first 3 were difficult... it was hard to regulate my breathing, but I hung in there. After 3, things leveled out. When I got to 6, that's when I felt a little fatigued. Ok, A LOT fatigued. I pushed on and made it to 7. That's when I upped my speed even more and decided to shoot for 9. I felt that if I could get to 9, then I would be on track with my training.

At 8, I was really feeling it. If you're a fellow runner, you'll know what I'm talking about when I say, "It was like running that last mile of a race." You're so tired but you're determined to finish. Every muscle in your body is saying, "QUIT!" But I didn't want to. Mentally, that is. Physically I was picturing myself over at the water fountain!

Well, I finished 9 miles and then have been limping around the rest of the night. It's a good pain, but at least I know I'm on schedule. I'll run 5 tomorrow but take Tuesday off. Anyway, just an encouraging word that if you put your mind to something, nothing can stop you!