Running at Midnight.

Ok, So I exaggerate a little.. I was actually done before midnight.

[caption id="attachment_1204" align="alignright" width="300"] Here is a picture of a puppy. For no reason at all.[/caption]

Having been up late (hey! 11 is really late for me! I'm old!) the night before, there was no chance of getting up in the morning to work out.  I had every intent of working out right after work, but I had forgotten it was my son's night for his school open house. With It being middle school, this meant we got to follow his schedule and go from 15 minute class to 15 minute class as the teachers gave us their syllabus and told us all about how great our kids were.  Over all I was impressed with all of his teachers but one.  We showed up to her class, and she started a conversation with one mother for 5 (remember there is only 15 available) minutes.. Then expected us to stay past the time to move to the next class, so she could finish her speech.  It bothers me when people expect respect, but don't respect you..  But that is a whole other story.

My wife had promised the kids frozen yogurt after, so a cold treat it was!  Needless to say it was after 9:30 when we got home.   Since I had skipped out on my run the night before, it was NOT an option last night.  I didn't relish the idea of running through the streets of my town at 10pm.  I don't know that it would be unsafe - but it seems silly to take that chance.  My kids deserve to grow up with a father after all! (Did you notice the subtle pull at your heartstrings there?)

Washington Nationals

So, I had a 6 mile run on the schedule for yesterday, and did NOT get up and do it in the morning.  After a full work day, my office headed off to a Washington Nationals game.  I was a wee bit excited, as while I am not a baseball fan (the limits to my fandom is I check and see how the Texas Rangers did on the website the next day), I had never been to a Major League Baseball game.  In fact, I hadn't been - and my 9 and 11-year-old have enjoyed rubbing in the fact they have! (Their summer program went to a Nats game.)   When work offered the opportunity to go - I could hardly say no!

[caption id="attachment_2984" align="alignright" width="255"] It looks like an alien has latched on to his arm..[/caption]

Walking in was impressive, having only been to a minor league stadium it was bigger!  Though they had this somewhat frightening multi-arm statue that was kind of scary, right as you came in the gate.

Before the game several of us ate at the little restaurant called the "Red Porch" that was overlooking the field.  It gave us a great view of the field-preparations, as well as the players playing catch.

Rest day and the dreadmill

So, after my 12 miler on Sunday, Monday was a "Rest" day.  So I did nothing. :)  Well, I may have done some whining about how sore/tired my legs were - but I'm not positive.  I will have to err on the side of caution and assume I did.  Mostly Monday was dedicated to being the first day back at school for the kids!

[caption id="attachment_2978" align="aligncenter" width="490"] This year they go different ways, to different schools![/caption]

This is the first year that they are going to different schools, as my son just entered middle school.  They are both excited about it, but as parents? We are more than a wee bit nervous!

What a weekend! Running on the Virginia Beach Boardwalk

[caption id="attachment_2944" align="alignright" width="150"] Ahhh. The beach![/caption]

This was one incredible weekend!   It was the final weekend of my kid's summer vacation, and we decided to do something AWESOME for them!  We got up in the wee early hours of Saturday  morning and headed down to Virginia Beach.   We didn't let them know WHERE we were going  until we were in the car, and they didn't know we were spending the night until we pulled into a hotel (while 4 hours is a long drive, we have been known to do those as day trips).  I don't think there is anything that has quite the energy (or grants as much energy) as being on and in the ocean!

It did not take the kids long at all to jump right in! You could say it took exactly as long as it took them to get their shirts and shoes off!

[caption id="attachment_2947" align="aligncenter" width="490"] And They are OFF![/caption]

I won't lie, they aren't the only ones that love the beach!

"The Bone Season" by Samantha Shannon... and a slow, tired run.

When I was a child, living at my parents house, I loved to read.  I loved to read more than I loved being told go to sleep.  i learned a blanket/clothes could block light from leaking out under the door, giving away that you were reading, not sleeping.  (I also learned that if you forgot to move them, that your parents knew EXACTLY what you had done - when they clothes made it hard to open the door when they were waking you up!)  I learned fairly that  a flashlight under the covers didn't cause any light to leak out under the door either (And I learned it was very, very hot!)

Needless to say, I liked my books. 

A day behind, but still running!

So, it seems I never found the opportunity for yesterday's blog posting.  Just an indicator that life is NOT slowing down, especially with the kids coming school year!   BUT,I am not letting that derail my plans!  Yesterday I even exercised BEFORE work.. But Since I am a day behind - that is getting ahead of myself.

Back to Tuesday.  After work I had a short run on the schedule.  You might recall that my current plans had the short runs at 4 miles these days.



Holy crap did I do it fast.  

And on the 1st day of the week, he rested.. kinda.

So, like any runner -the day after a long and grueling run is a rest day!    Consequently, I went for a nice run with my son.



He is still battling that side stitch, so we had a couple of walking intervals.

Long Slow Run.. without water.

Good Morning!

I am feeling surprisingly great this morning!  Why so surprisingly?  Well, yesterday was my Long Slow Distance run.  What? You would like to hear more about it? GLADLY!

I have to admit, it didn't start off to grand.  I started searching for my ifitness belt, but had no luck.  After half an hour I finally gave up - and headed out without it.  (A 10 mile run with no water.. This should be fun..)  Now, It wasn't as bad as it could be - as it was raining, so that should help a little with the heat, right?  Right.. about that..  It stopped half a mile into the run.

But, ever the eternal optimist, I kept running. My goal was to head down to Crofton parkway, do two laps and head home.  I figured I could add a little  bit extra to move myself from 9.5 miles up to 10 or 11.  Due to the dreary nature of the day - there was not the usual numbers of people out and about - it was quite peaceful.  In fact, in the first round I only saw 3 other runners and 2 pairs of walkers!  On any given Sunday - with nice weather -I could expect 3 or 4 times that many!

Some times plans fail.. and thats a good thing!

Last night was a night of TWO runs!  My son told me he wanted to start running with me again, so he and I headed out together! (I love running with him!  Great father/son time.)



He is still battling having a side-stitch while he runs, but he ran through it - with only two walks being necessary. He kept a really nice pace throughout, and we enjoyed ourselves chatting the whole way.  (I am looking for input on ideas to give him to help with these, if anyone out there has brilliant solutions!)

Pace seems to be subjective

Its interesting, I read a blog and see someone talking about their "slow" seven minute mile, and I think - "Crap! That isn't even my FAST mile!"   Then I post how I took it easy, and ran a 9:15 mile.  The response I get are often the same.

One of the great things about running, is that "Fast" and "Slow" are both subjective.  Last night I headed out to do 4 miles. (It seems that this is my new "short" run - considering I am training for 26.2. )  My goal was to average an 8:30 pace.

I have no idea what happened.

Drinking the water, to run the run...

Water is such an important part of life. We have all heard the percentage, that our body is mostly water. We have heard that we should be drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day, plus more if we exercise.

Running for cake

BIRTHDAYS!!!!!!  Always a fun, fun time... Joy, Presents, Cake and... Calories!

So, with that in mind, I planned ahead (how uncharacteristic of me!)  and got a run in before dinner.  Not far, as there was a time constraint - but a quick 3 miles.  My KT Tape was in to its 4th day, and I do think it has lost some of its effectiveness,  Perhaps it stretched out?  But my plantar fascia is tight today, but not painful, so it seems to still be working.. Or the intense stretching is..

Healthy Eating.. The easy way.

Its interesting, I am really an "all-or-nothing" type of person.   When I run/exercise regularly - I want to eat well, focus on my over-all well-being, get enough rest, etc.   When I get injured (which seems to be  the only thing that really makes me stop exercising), I start eating chocolate cake.. Fast food.. Ice Cream.. etc.

So, I want to change my focus to healthy living over all.  This will help me when I can not run, to continue to focus on great things.

[caption id="attachment_2876" align="alignright" width="225"] You don't have to deny yourself treats![/caption]

One of the BIGGEST aspects of Healthy Living is the food we eat.  I do very well at eating right - IF I pay attention.  So I am returning to my using MyFitnessPal to track my eating habits.  I have found that if I put in my food BEFORE I eat it, that I make much better decisions.  In fact, If I know I am going to be having some sort of "treat" that day - I put that in first thing.

Comfey Bed

The alarm goes off.. bright chirping noises.. I think to myself - Can I run tonight instead? No... The parents are coming..  But its 5, and I don't leave for work until 7:30.. I can just get up when my wife's alarm goes off...

Another chirping... damn, hit snooze, not dismiss....

Sweet sinking into the soft fluffy pillow, while my warm dreams, like my blankets - comfort me...

A couple of runs, and a boy returns!

Another beautiful week begins!!!   I can't speak for everyone out on the interwebs, but for me - it was a great weekend.

4 Miles on Saturday, 3 miles on sunday and my son got back from Bermuda!

Saturday:

I went with a simple out and back course, so I didn't have to worry about dodging cars on roads with no side walks.  (My four mile loop has a mile with no sidewalks and very little shoulder!)



I saw plenty of runners..

More Donation Swag!

A new development in my "Help the Homeless"  Marine Corps Marathon fundraiser!   For every $10 and above donation - You will get a water bottle as a think you gift!



$5.00 (and every $5.00 there after) gets you an entry into the raffle-of-prizes, and $10.00 gets you a water bottle!

What can I come up with Next?  Spread the word!

With these great thank you gifts (and remember, if you donate now - you will STILL be eligible for any additional thank you levels I add!) – please consider donating to my Help the Homeless fundraiser for Volunteers of America Chesapeake’s homeless services.

The fundraiser is through the Fannie Mae – “Help the Homeless” walk program, which means they match every dollar you donate, with a dollar. So even a $5.00 donation immediately doubles in size!

If you want to read more about the good works of Volunteers of America Chesapeake, you can check out their blog!



Please show that you too are "Called to Care", by donating!

T-Shirt Designs

The question was raised - what am I going to wear when I run the Marine Corps Marathon?   It seems that since I am running it as a fund-raiser for the agency I work for, that some of the employees want to come out and cheer.  This made me realize that I need to have a shirt that says what I am doing on it..

 

Here is design idea 1:

The Shirt will of course be Tech Fabric, and the VOA symbol will be all-white.

Thoughts?

Speaking of that fund-raiser - please consider donating to my Help the Homeless fundraiser for Volunteers of America Chesapeake’s homeless services. We have some small gifts we will be raffling of to those that have donated, and it looks like everyone over a certain (and currently un-set) dollar amount will receive a Volunteers of America Chesapeake water bottle! More information to come on that!

The fundraiser is through the Fannie Mae – “Help the Homeless” walk program, which means they match every dollar you donate, with a dollar. So even a $5.00 donation immediately doubles in size!

If you want to read more about the good works of Volunteers of America Chesapeake, you can check out their blog!

Holy Jeepers Cats! Its the day AFTER the day after that hurts!

[caption id="attachment_2844" align="alignright" width="216"] Me (you believe that right?) Doing a shoulder press![/caption]

LOL! Ok, so yesterday I had posted about how my soreness was less than expected, and in different places than I expected.

I forgot one key thing about strength training.. It's not the next day that hurts.. it's the day AFTER the next day... I woke up in the middle of the night, and the majority of my body hurt.  THAT was apparently a good workout!  I know it wasn't from yesterday's, as yesterday was a 4 mile run (with my bicycling shadow!), followed by a long period of stretching.  Hardly the things that sore shoulders/chest/arms/back are made of!   I feel much better about that workout, and I am looking forward to using my bowflex tonight!   

Never sore where you think

[caption id="attachment_2831" align="alignright" width="300"] Me resting after using the bowflex.... (ok...ok.. the image MIGHT be from http://www.bowflex-help-online.com/is-a-bowflex-home-gym-worth-the-money.html )[/caption]

Last night I hit my bowflex for a nice workout. My thought is that by swapping days of running and lifting, I give my Plantar Fasciitis a chance to heal (in theory), while working on the upper body/core that I have spent years ignoring. It seems like a good way to develop a balance that I have been sorely lacking.

Now, the thing that surprises me with the bowflex, is that I am usually sore in different places than I expect. With out giving you all the details of last night's workout (imagine how exciting THAT would be... I pushed.. relaxed.. pushed.. relaxed..,) I was sure that today - I was going to be facing some seriously sore triceps. SURPRISE!!!! The Arms are fine, and your back is letting you know it was a great workout!

I'm certainly not complaining, as I know it was a good workout either way.

Running and Rolling

So, my last couple of posts have glossed over any training - while focusing on my fundraiser/giveaway.  Rest assured, I have still been working on my training!

Last night, I went out for an easy 3ish miles (I accidentally gypped myself .14 of a mile.. so it is 3ISH not 3...).  I demonstrated the previous taping technique I was using, with great results.  I have tried a new one, as that taping method is not water-resistant.  KT Tape (You may recall that I used this back when I made a habit of pulling calf muscles) had helped me in the past, I thought it was worth trying now! (Plus, in the interest of full disclosure, my wife went and bought a roll for her knee pain..)

[caption id="attachment_2824" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Screenshot from KTTape.com. Click to go to their page to see the video![/caption]

No @Roadid in the giveaway

Heard my first "final answer" back on the request for giveaways for my fundraiser..  Unfortunately RoadID doesn't support small giveaways...

The Form Letter response:

Hello Robinson,

Thank you for efforts with Volunteers of America Chesapeake Homeless Services (it is a great organization with a great mission). We admire those, like yourself, that are dedicated to raising funds and creating awareness for good causes.

As an international company that serves a very philanthropic clientele, we are asked quite often to make contributions to worthy causes - such as yours. I'm sure you can understand that it would be impossible for us to honor every sponsorship request that we receive. Likewise, it would be unfair for us to pick and choose which individuals to sponsor.

For this reason, we have elected to work with several great charities at the national level. At Road ID, we view philanthropy and service as a primary function of our business. "Road ID Gives Back" is an initiative where we donate a portion of every order to one several great causes. If you would like to learn more about "Road ID Gives Back," go here: www.RoadID.com/Common/ourstory.aspx

Thanks you for your email. We are flattered that you considered us. I wish there was more we could do.

Good luck with the event and the fundraiser.

If I can be of further assistance, please let me know.

Be safe out there,

<signature removed>

I will continue to purchase items to add to the giveways as we go on!

 

Giveaways/Raffles for Donators

So, I have been out running in the heat some more, but that isn't what I want to talk about today.  I'm excited for my next steps with my Marine Corps Marathon Fundraiser for Volunteers of America Chesapeake!

While donating and helping the homeless does good things for your karma, as well as making you feel better - I wanted to be able to give a more physical joy to you as well!  So I have begun picking things up that I can give away to those that donate and share my blog!  While this portion of it isn't ready to be "officially" announced - it's getting there..

I will give you a glimpse of some of the things I have ordered:

1) Cell Phone External Battery charger - Lets face it.  There are many runners that use their phones for tracking their run.  There are many people who use their cellphones non-stop. 

Running the Marine Corps Marathon to raise money to help the homeless

As you are no doubt aware, I have registered to run this years Marine Corps. Marathon on the 27th of October.

Everyday, I am aware of how fortunate I am.  I have a wonderful job, a great family and a fantastic town house that I rent.  I am also aware that there are many people who do NOT have all of these things.  In order to change someone’s life – the first step to long-term change must be housing.

Homelessness affects people who started in all walks of life. With out a
place to lay your head, it can be hard to find a job, support a family
and even find healthy food to eat.



Volunteers of America Chesapeake helps fight homelessness in Virginia, Maryland and Washington  D.C..  From the Lighthouse Center in Virginia Beach, to the Hilda Barg Homeless Prevention Center in Northern Virginia, and the Transitional Housing programs in Baltimore – VOA Chesapeake is helping those that need it the most every single day.

Please consider donating to this wonderful cause, and help make a difference. Show that you were Called to Care!

If you would like to make a donation, please go to: http://www.hthwalks.org/goto/runningthemcm

If you are running the Marine Corps Marathon and would like to help me raise money for Volunteer’s of America Chesapeake’s homeless services programs, please contact me at onceandfuturerunner@gmail.com.

 

#Juneathon Day Something or Another - The Treadmill and Bowflex

So I had this thought.  Now it was partially born out of the fact that I didn't have clean running shorts, and my manpri pajama pants were awful comfy, but it was still a thought.

If impact levels make a difference to Plantar fasciitis (to be fair, I couldn't remember if they did or not), and a treadmill has more give than the sidewalk.... Would running on a treadmill hurt less?  See how well I rationalized not going outside?  So with this thought, I went downstairs to the dreadmill.  I set the speed at 7.6, figuring if I was going to torture myself with two miles on the dreadmill, I should at least do it at a sub-8 minute mile.  Then because I felt guilty being on a treadmill, I set the incline to 2.5.

#Juneathon Day 11 - A nice (short) run.

The inclusion of the word short in the title above, in no way represents any sort of insult or negative connotation toward short people.  For the record, some of my favorite people are short. I believe that a person's height has no bearing on their having reasons to live, or their honesty.  I enjoy having short people 'round here.

So my alarm went off at 5:30 am.  (It seems some idiot has set their alarm for this ungodly hour.)  I had planned better the night before, and knew right were all of my running gear was. 

#Juneathon Weekend 8,9 and 10

Seems three days is becoming my normal Juneathon blog...  I'm pretty sure that isn't how the "rules" read...

So what did I do?   Well on Saturday, I drove an hour (And a bit of change) out to Virginia (opposite side of DC from where I live) and picked up a Bowflex XLT for 75 bucks!

[caption id="attachment_2773" align="alignright" width="490"] see? it fit nicely in the car![/caption]

It was a pleasant enough drive, although a 5 buck toll on the road that goes to Dulles International Airport seemed a bit steep to me, especially since there was another 1 dollar toll to get OFF of the road! WTF?  But the drive was pleasant, and even with the addition of the cost of the tolls - the price was great..

#Juneathon Day 7 - Pending

So, my Plantar Fascia was a bit sore this morning.  To be clear, this wasn't suprising as I was hobbling yesterday - starting an hour or two after my run.  I don't know if it was from the run, or the walking around on concrete  - or most likely a combination of the 2..

Due to the down pouring rain - riding a bike is out.. So I am not sure what to do.  It has to be something that will go easy on my plantar fascia.. Any suggestions?

 

#Junathon - Day 5 and 6 -Stretching, and a return to my normal pace.

So, I am again combining two days into one posting.. I'm such a slacker.  To be fair, I did set the tone with my first posting that was 2 days late and ended up covering 3 days.

Yesterday morning, I was simply too tired to be able to find the motivation to get up and out of bed to run.  This meant a nice evening run was in store - but my wife had to go see the doctor about some knee issues.. That turned yesterday's workout into stretching and foam rolling!

[caption id="attachment_2759" align="aligncenter" width="490"] picture from gypsy-fit!
http://gypsy-fit.com/foam-roller-exercises/[/caption]

I really need to do more foam-rolling...  Very nice, but not to interesting to blog about.. .so we will move on to this morning, which involved running!

#Junathon Day 4 - further testing and improvement of plantar fasciitis

So, bright and early, my alarm went off at 5:30 for this morning's Juneathon run.  Before getting out of bed, I did some ankle rolls followed by some stretching of my foot.  I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of intense pain!  In fact, my foot felt better than it had the previous morning!  Now, I don't want to lead you astray into thinking I am pain-free.  That is definitely NOT the case.   I however, am not greedy.  I will take "less pain" and "able to run without a limp" and remain very happy!

Knowing that yesterday's 1.5 did have increasing levels of foot pain, I decided I would only jump up to 2 miles today.

[caption id="attachment_2752" align="aligncenter" width="490"] I actually started and stopped where the green dot is. I think I got gypped a tenth of a mile..[/caption]

Its time for #Junathon - Day 1, 2 and 3...

Well, I'm not off to a good start on the blogging portion, now am I?  Here I am, according to the "Rules" of Junathon - supposed to exercise and blog every day, yet I am already combining my blog-postings into one, instead of three!

That's ok though, because this weekend was awesome enough that NOT blogging simply has to be forgiven.    Coinciding with Junathon - my wife and I are doing an "almost no bad food" month.  (It would be a NO bad food month, but our anniversary is this month.. There is no way we aren't celebrating that!  9 years of marriage and no murder-charges? YES!)  So, in order to start this off right - we headed out to the Anne Arundel Farmers market.  I love farmer's markets.  The people selling things they grew/made, the people buying the local items.. Fresh Air.. Fresh Produce.. Whats not to love?

[caption id="attachment_2739" align="aligncenter" width="490"] Photo from the Anne Arundel Farmer's Market Facebook page.[/caption]

In fact, it is partially in thanks to that wonderful market that my day's food looks like:

Work Overload

Sorry I'm so quiet this week - work overload and lots of deadlines!   I promise you will hear from me soon!

What a weekend...

So, many of you know that I moved from NY  (the big Upstate part, not he little city part), to Maryland last year.  My parents, brother, sister and friends all remained in NY (my house wasn't big enough for all of them, and we didn't feel we could pick and choose.)   Consequently on long weekends, or random other times - we go up and visit.  That was what this weekend was.

The wonderful place I work, and the one where my wife just started, were both amazing and let us out of work early! We thought this was going to give us a really early start, but I forgot one major thing.

[caption id="attachment_2727" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The new officers celebrating the backing up of traffic on Route 50.[/caption]

The commissioning ceremony at the United States Naval Academy. 

Spinning the wheels on the 'ole antique.

The logical follow-up post to yesterday's blog is.... I went for a ride last night!

[caption id="attachment_2717" align="alignright" width="180"] I felt all zoomy - like this.[/caption]

The first thing I noticed... Is my seat is very, very hard.  I think  my butt may be bruised today.  Now fortunately, the part of your but you sit on a bicycle seat with, is different from the part you sit in an office chair with, but still.. I need to figure out a remedy to THAT problem.

The second thing I noticed, is that cars are a lot closer to you..  When I run, I am safely up on a sidewalk ignoring the existence of cars.  Well, ignoring the existence except for the occasional Dodge Viper that goes by...  When bike riding, they are much, much closer.    Yet I did find that after the first mile or 3, I didn't notice them.  Now I do have to add that when I would come upon parked cars, I would look over my shoulder to see what was coming - but I do that running as well. 

Fixing the Antique.

I'm sure you have been wondering all day... What did the Once and Future Runner do yesterday, since he (probably) still can't run, and is incompetent when it comes to basic bike repair?  Did he do another long boring walk?

Well, Wonder no more!  I am here to answer ALL your Once and Future Runner questions.. Yesterday, on the way home from work I decided I would stop and get a new tire tube for my bike.. After all, Max pointed out that a flat tire doesn't mean you need a new bike and I suspect my wife would have agreed with her so it seemed the logical thing to do.  I had gone to one LBS  (that means local bike shop according to Max.  She is my new unpaid consultant on all things bike related) a while back, and wasn't all that impressed.  They were condescending, and difficult to get any real help.  Plus they seemed far more interested in up-selling, rather than helping us out.

Well, yesterday I headed out to a different one to see if that was the norm, or if they were more friendly.

[caption id="attachment_2707" align="aligncenter" width="490"] Local LBS[/caption]

I went into the Bike Doctor, and almost immediately was welcomed by one of their employees. 

Walking takes a long time...

So, last night I pulled out my bicycle.  I knew that running was a bad idea - the feeling of a nail being driven into my heel made it a bit of a no-brainer..  But I wasn't going to let myself slack off simply because of that! (We all know how easily that can become weeks or months of slacking off!)  So I pumped up the tires (they were labeled to go to 90 pounds of pressure), and decided I needed to wear something other than dress pants/dress shirt.  After all I was EXERCISING not commuting!



Trying my best to be visible, I went with a yellow shirt, and bright orange shoes. (I have this thing about not dying.)  

Birthday Run

I have read (on blogs and in other stories online) of runners that celebrate their birthdays  by going out and running their age in miles.  Well, I don't think I am up to running 38 miles.. or even 38 kilometers.   So I headed out my door yesterday with the goal of running 38 meters (plus a bit extra) in celebration of my birthday.

[caption id="attachment_2690" align="aligncenter" width="490"] My wife made me a home-made German Chocolate Cake![/caption]

Last Run of the (choir) Season.

Last night was the end of choir season.  At  the end of the season, the Maryland State Boy choir hosts a festival that draws kids from all over!  Members of the  Newark Boy Choir,  the Ann Arbor Boy choir and many others have come to Baltimore for this year's fun.  While this is an awesome thing, it means that the usual waiting room is unavailable for the parents.  No biggie for the beginning of the evening, as I had plans to go running, despite my ongoing foot pain.  You heard me right.. Foot pain.  My plantar fasciitis has been quite bad lately.  Bad enough that I even tried wearing the odd boot in bed to see if it would help!

[caption id="attachment_2684" align="aligncenter" width="490"] I needed a picture here. I liked this one.[/caption]

Despite that, I was all set to run and had plans to meet up with my running partner! 

Avoiding Death on the way to work.

Yesterday was a rest day.. But I'm not going to let that keep me from posting!  In fact, I didn't do anything exercise related at all (even ate two candy bars), so I'm not even going to post about that!

I was driving in to work today, which is about a 25 minute drive (depending on drivers suddenly deciding we all need to slow down to go around a turn on Route 50), going around 17 miles I think.   When I saw this:

The MSB Support Crew Running Team

So, last night the stars aligned, and the other parent of a Maryland State Boy-choir chorister was available to run on the day it was my turn to carpool! We left the choir, and headed up to Lake Montebello - as it has a nice view, and seems like a logical starting point.

[caption id="attachment_2582" align="aligncenter" width="490"] Picture from http://abikeinbaltimore.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html[/caption]

It was much more crowded than the last time I went through.  I suppose that is the problem with a warm spring day (as opposed to a chilly rainy still-winter day.)   I figure our running and dodging people/strollers/kids on bikes/etc was simply good practice for the start of road-racing!

3 mile run - In pictures!

So, yesterday as i posted, I realized I have been really lacking in providing pictures.. So I decided that I owed you all!   Today you get to see my three mile run - through the lens of the camera on my cell phone!  (Well, the last two miles of it at any rate, as it didn't occur to me to take pictures before then...)

[caption id="attachment_2651" align="aligncenter" width="490"] Picture on the left, what Runtastic shows. On the Right - what it SHOULD show.[/caption]

I started out on my new route from last week, as seen in the map above.  Well, kind of.  You see I apparently screwed up my program the last time I took the cell phone out to take a picture my runtastic seems to have lost the GPS signal in a bizarre coincidence that seemed to coincide with the last picture I took.  I didn't let that bother me, as I really enjoyed the run!

Most of my runs have nice sidewalks.  I like these, as I feel that drastically reduce my odds of being run over by a commuter more concerned with getting home, then watching for poor innocent runners along side the road.  There is one road in the route I take, that lacks these wonderful series of concrete slabs.. And it also happens to be a road commonly used by commuters.

[caption id="attachment_2653" align="aligncenter" width="490"] The way I came from[/caption]

They can't all be good runs

This posting is a little overdue... And any of you that follow my Facebook page have already seen me whine..

I headed out for my run on Saturday, after eating a large supper.  Now, I know that running right after eating can cause problems, so I kept this in mind.  having really enjoyed this  mid-day supper of chicken-pesto melts & corn on the cob, I waited a little over two hours before I headed out.  That should be enough time for the 'ole stomach to settle, right?

Dehydration or pending illness? 'eh, lets run anyway.

I woke up this morning, and my mouth and throat were super dry.. Almost painfully so.  I thought perhaps I had slept on my back with my mouth wide open all night.. (Which makes me wonder how my wife got any sleep as I would imagine that would make me snore badly!)  I proceeded to drink water to dampen up that dry tissue that was complaining to me..   Although my mouth began feeling normal, my throat never did.. After 130 or more ounces of water (and a couple of cups of coffee,) I still had "that" feeling in the back of my throat.. So either I am getting sick, or I was super dehydrated..

Come to think of it, I'm not all that sure I really had any water in the last 48-72 hours..  hmm.

Either way, sick or dehydrated - It occurred to me that today's run should probably be a relatively easy one.  I couldn't see going out and killing myself helping either of these situations, so starting speed work up was put off.

Running in the Rain

Back in NY, I would get out of work before my wife did.  Periodically I would not only end my work day before hers, but end it reasonably near my house.  On some of these occasions, I would "Run for a Ride.'   I would see if I could get to her office, before she left work (leaving me to run home.)  It wasn't to bad, as it was only around 3 miles.

Last night, I managed to get home a bit early.  I had previously run a google maps to see how far her new office was from my home - 3.6 miles.  Well, I was sitting on my couch looking at the clock, and I realized there were 50 minutes to go, before the end of her work day.  3.6 miles in 40 minutes? (After all, I would have to get changed and find all my running stuff!)  ABSOLUTELY!   So I quickly got  changed, grabbed my phone/armband/headphones and opened the door... It had apparently started pouring rain....

Back upstairs, find a rain jacket, phone into a ziplock baggie.  Start I Heart Radio and Runtastic, coat on - and out the door!

It was POURING!  I had forgotten how invigorating it can be to run in a down pour! 

I beat the rain!

So, I didn't get to answer that age-old question of, "Does Robinson still like running in the rain?"   See, when I headed out on my run, it wasn't raining - just very humid.  I ran my current 2.7 loop I am doing (felt very nice I might add), and arrived back home at my house!  I always stretch my Achilles/calf using the front step of my house upon return to my house.  Well, yesterday as I did that - Rain drops started falling on my shoulders, so I went inside and used my stairs there.

That's right.. My timing was PERFECT.  How often does that happen?

The run itself was nice, although I would have preferred longer.  I will continue to hold myself back and ensure that I am building my mileage up slowly.

Glorious Weekend

This weekend was FANTASTIC!  I don't know about the areas you live, but here in Maryland it was a gorgeous with sunny weather!  I got in my long run on Sunday, but took Saturday off.  Friday, the bottom of my left foot was really bothering me, which kept me from doing anything over a walk..  Saturday I was going to head out, as my foot just had a slight soreness to it, right around the high end of "usual."  My wife suggested that I take that as a hint/warning to take another day of rest.

Well, I have been saying I was going to do my build up differently this time, haven't I?

Needless to say, by Sunday I was definitely ready to be out there on the road! 

Slip Sliding Shoe Laces.

It seems I should have taken the advice I gave to David Lawrence over at the The Quinquagenarian Runner (I totally had to cut and paste the title of his blog..)  back on the 1st....

Last Night I headed out, and the bottom of my feet were tight/sore.  I thought I would go with my Kinvara's under the theory that the slight rise to the heel would give my Plantar Fascia a bit of a break. Those darn shoe laces would NOT stay tied.. In the course of a relatively short run, I had to retie each one twice!  That is totally not-cool!  After the last time, I was thinking about how the shoe laces had less texture than my Altras, which meant less that helped to hold them in place.  It seems I do need to replace those - so why not with lock-laces?  Heck, I can pick up two sets and give one away! :)  (If you haven't been on my Facebook page, I am looking for suggestions for giveaways!  My birthday is coming up and it seems like a perfect time to give away a bunch of presents!  If anyone that works for a running-related company, such as road-id, ifitness, etc. - I'd love to have donations!)

Well, as you may (or may not) be aware,

April Recap

Through injury and laziness, this has been a short-distance year, but April has things back on track!

April started with a 10 mile race with no training.  This then lead me to take some time to heal up!  Now I am working on building a solid base to prevent my annual injury..  What is coo, is that this month has been my longest mileage since March of 2012. (It seems I have been pretty lazy.. for a year.)  I ran a total of 39.6 miles in 5 hours and 47 minutes and finally went over 100 miles for the year.

April held one race,  the Cherry Blossom 10 mile run, and I set a PR for the distance.

[caption id="attachment_2496" align="aligncenter" width="490"] The Cherry Blossoms!!![/caption]

Unintentional speed work.

So last night I headed out on my 2.3 mile route.  I can't lie - it's not far enough.  I am not "Satisfied" when I finish.. BUT, I am learning from my previous mistakes and building up my base slowly.   When I get to run the Marine Corps Marathon this year, instead of walking the expo (again) knowing that an injury has kept me from running it (again) and whining non-stop to my wife about it (again), it will all be worth it.

As has been my standard lately, I let my body pick the speed.( IT is one advantage of only running 2.3 miles, I don't have to worry too much about going to fast to make it through the run.  When I hit the one mile mark, I heard the voice in my phone speak:

Local 'finishes' Boston Marathon - Reprint of an article from The Independent, from Chewelah Washignton

I am reposting this article, as it is truly inspiring to me.  We fill the news with the tragedy of Boston, but it is also important to remember the good that comes out in the world as well.

This article has been reprinted with the permission of Jared Arnold, owner of The Independent of Chewelah, Washington.

Sharon Heise of Chewelah made an emotional, well-deserved trip across a finish line to complete her dream of "finishing the Boston Marathon."

After years and years of running in numerous marathons and volunteering for The Chataqua Challenge Fun Run, watching hundreds of others cross their finish line, Sharon finally had her dream come true when she qualified to run the Boston Marathon in 2012. Shortly after being notified of this accomplishment, however, her husband and soul mate JB Morrison became very ill and was subsequently diagnosed with leukemia.

Sharon made a decision to give up her dream in order to join JB on his own long and painful marathon. However, even as his health declined, JB and Sharon and their families continued to help so many others, raising money and volunteering for non-profit groups like The Rose Garden Healing Lodge. Sharon also continued to run for recreation and stress relief, with JB bringing her water along the way.

Lake Montebello and Herring Run Trail, Baltimore MD

Once again it was my turn to drive the boys up to the Maryland State Boychoir practice.  I have been lucky enough to carpool with another parent - which means I only have to drive every other week!    Since I have a couple of hours to kill - it's the perfect time to go for a run!

I thought I would try something different, and research the areas I was going to run.  I am all to aware, that in Baltimore you can be in a wonderful neighborhood, and two blocks later enter a not-so-wonderful neighborhood.   I did a quick google of crime in Herring Run Park and didn't find any recent murders/rapes/assaults. (Hey, in a city like Baltimore, you expect SOME.)  I planned a quick run up to Lake Montebello and the Herring Run trail.  I thought a nice 3-4 miles would be in order for the night.

It was raining and misty, so I ended up overdressed as I had rain-gear on... Then it didn't rain while I ran.

The run itself felt nice.  I kept with my recent plan, and just let my body determine the speed, although I tried to slow it down a bit for mile 2..  The initial run up to the lake from the MSB center was all through nice neighborhoods (nice enough, I probably couldn't afford a house there) and the people nodded their heads back at me when I initiated it. <-- My indicator of whether or not a neighborhood is friendly.

[caption id="attachment_2582" align="aligncenter" width="490"] Picture from http://abikeinbaltimore.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html[/caption]

Still Running...

I apologize, I have been a bit quiet lately!   I figured I better take a moment to play catchup!

I did take a week or so off, as my knees and IT band were bothering me.  I suspect the jumping back into running like I hadn't ever stopped - wasn't my smoothest move.  Since I don't want to repeat my annual injury story, I thought some rest and recuperation might be in order!

[caption id="attachment_2576" align="aligncenter" width="294"] Now THIS would have been the perfect Rest and Recoup![/caption]

Couch to 5K

I know that I  have followers that aren't runners.  If you are one of those people who have almost felt inspired to run, but weren't sure how to start, I have some great news (if you have an android phone!)

Today's free app of the day is a well-rated Couch to 5K app!  What a great day to start Running!  HEck! Even if you think you MIGHT want to start running, get it today!

I promise, if you get it today and don't like it - I will refund your money for you.

Reflections

This is my 300th post on this blog.

Today I'm not going to be posting about running, and not just because yesterday was a Rest Day.  With it being a mile stone, it seems a good time to stop and look at life in general.  I heard a line on the radio (NPR, in "In Which Way, a War Photographer in his Element") this morning that got my mind working.

"You are rich because you have the power to determine your future, and most of the world doesn't."

We are rich.  We have so many choices in life, that even when most of us think life is hard, that we are at a "low" point - we are so much richer than most people in the world.  We have choices and opportunities that most people in the world can't imagine.  We raise our families and can put our kids in programs that our grandparents couldn't have envisioned if they tried.  It isn't just these things that make us rich either.  There are so many things beyond money.

Me?  When I look at the world in general, I have to admit - I am wealthy beyond all imagining.

[caption id="attachment_2560" align="aligncenter" width="490"] My amazing family - last weekend in front of the white house.[/caption]

Fixing the foot strike

So, One of the things I began to work on when I switched to minimalist shoes, was my foot strike.  My goal was to move from being a heel striker, to a fore-foot striker as many of the websites I read, assured me that this would reduce injury and they can't put anything on the internet that isn't true.

[caption id="attachment_2547" align="aligncenter" width="490"] Look at that heel hit the ground![/caption]

Now, if you change HOW you run, you aren't going to change the amount of force that your body receives - so the reality is that you just change the sorts of injuries that you are risking.  This is a topic that Craig Payne, a podiatrist from the land down under, wrote about on his site "Running Research Junkie".  His writings are an interesting change from most running sites, as he relies on (gasp!) facts.  (as a side note, I can totally support his "Calf-Strain" on the forefoot running, as I went through several of those as I transitioned!)

The Boston Marathon Tragedy...

[caption id="attachment_2538" align="aligncenter" width="490"] Picture taken the morning of the Boston Marathon 2/15/2013 by Alexander Abbey of Star Archer Productions[/caption]

Alexander Abbey took this picture in Boston on the mornin of 4/15/2013, the day of the __ Running of the Boston Marathon, without knowing what the day had to hold.

My heart goes out to the victims. To those that died, to those that were injured, and even to  those who's dream of crossing the finish line at the Boston Marathon for the first time was denied to them today.

I thought of all of these people. Those that Ran. Those that witnessed this tragedy.  Those that were injured. Those that died. Those that will have to wait and hope for another chance to complete a dream, while being thankful they were not injured.  Last night I thought of these people, and will do so with every run this week.  I will remember how luck we are to have the opportunities to continue to go out and put one foot in front of the other.

As a runner who is planning to finish their first marathon this year, the picture that Alexander took, speaks to me.  It reminds me to not let fear rule me.  To not allow a coward and his act of  terrorism to keep me from my dreams and that which I love.

No matter what, I will keep calm and marath on."