Brrrr...8 Degrees and loving it!!

I haven't posted anything in a few days but u did have a good weekend. I ran 12 miles on Saturday and Thursday I got my 3 in.

But that was last week and tonight starts this week and what a night to start the week off. I knew it was going to be a cold week so I went to my favorite running store in Northville, MI and bought a balaclava. Let's just say besides my under armor cold gear, this was the best purchase. When I picked up the girls after work I told them I bought a new hat for running so they asked me to try it on...they had no idea what to expect. My youngest one lauded hysterically and my 9 year old was also cracking up. They said I looked like Batman, but I told them I thought I looked like Spider-Man lol. That started a whole conversation that I won't get in too, but it was funny.

So I kept checking the weather report to see how much the temperature kept dropping along with the windchill. I started and it was 11 degrees fahrenheit and felt like -2. Within the first 1/2 mile I had icicles on my face and eye lashes. The hardest part was getting some traction in the little but of snow. I wore 3 layers of shirts, 2 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of gloves,, my balaclava and another hat along with my head light. With it being so cold I figured that would be sufficient. I guessed right because I felt great temperature wise. My ties lost feeling until the 4th mile but when that came back I felt great. When I finished up my run the temp was 8 degrees and felt like -8 with the winds at 17 miles per hour. What I kept thinking about was how much these tough runs will pay off when I'm running my first marathon. I know the mileage won't be easy and I have a long way to go, but getting out there, even in these crazy cold temperatures, will only make me stronger. Lucky for me tonight I wore my head light as I normally do at night because some car noticed me at the last second and stopped pretty suddenly. I we watching him and slowed down anyway, but I could see the look in his face that he didn't see me until the last minute. He waved and I waved back and I kept going, but just be careful out there and don't ever expect them to give you the right away. That's how bad things can happen.

Happy running, embrace the cold weather and enjoy the icicles.

Thursday night

Yesterday in the morning I was pretty displeased with my Wednesday night run and was determined to make my Thursday night run better. It was. Even though it was a short 3 miler, it was still 100% better than Wednesday's run, plus I stayed on my feet the whole run. That made me happy!

But after my run my shins started hurting pretty good. It's really only my right shin, but after my run it was pretty sore. Actually during my run too. I iced it FR a while which seemed to help it alot.

Would compression socks help with shin splints at all or is it just rest and ice that will cure this pain?

You fall down...get back up!

I took a couple of days off to rest my hip and shin because they've been a little sore. I actually went to the doctor this afternoon and I am being referred to a sports doctor for my hip. My regular doctor doesn't think it's bursitis but could be a hip capsule or something muscular. I will find out more in a couple of weeks.

So tonight I went for my first run since Sunday. I started off well until about 2.5 miles I hit a crack in the sidewalk. I tripped and fell down. Luckily I landed on my hands and not on my face but I really jarred the muscles in my neck and shoulder blades. That hurt for a while. After I got back up, I took a few minutes to compose myself and see if someone was taping me as I fell. Lol. Not really but my luck they would have.

So I continued my run and my plan was to do 6 miles tonight. It was such a tough run tonight. I felt as though I had absolutely no energy and actually walked more on this run that I have in a long time. I really try not to walk and when I'm tired I will slow down but try not walk. Tonight was a different story and am pretty disappointed in my run tonight. I only finished 4.5 miles which is better than nothing, but not what I wanted. Hopefully tomorrow and Saturday (long run) will be much better.

Watch those cracks everybody and stay safe.

Sunday Night

I was able to get my 3 miles in today with a nice sub 9 pace. That was my goal for today at least. Tomorrow I'll run 5 miles at some point. I'm thinking it will be a night time run which isn't ideal but you have to take what you can get some days. The temperature will be dropping again so I will need to layer up again and prepare for the colder runs. I like the colder runs though. Much easier than the hot weather.

Has anyone ever tried Yak Trax! I have never used them before but I'm hesitant on how good they really are. If you could post either some personal reviews or how others feel about them please feel free.

Respect the 26.2

Today I started at 6am for my long run. I headed down to Hines Park because I haven't ran down there in a while and thought it would be nice to get back there again. It was dark and I had my water and headlight so I can see. The weather was nice but there were patches of fog. As I ran thru each patch of fog, I noticed the air to become very warm. I never knew the patches of fog would be that much warmer.
Anyways, I was running and noticed another headlight coming my way and a man was getting in his early miles as was I. Then a couple miles later I saw a couple of women and we both exchanged a courteous good morning to each other. At that point I was wanting to turn around but I didn't want to make it seem I was turning around for them or anything so I ran down about a half mile further and them decided to turn around. So they were a little ways ahead if me and I was just listening to my music and taking it nice and slow because it was my first long run with a decent amount of miles and I've been having some pain in my hip and shins so I didn't want to push it too much.
I finally caught up with the two women and said good morning again and they asked how many I was running. I told them about 8 miles today and they said they were doing 12. So we started talking and exchanging some funny stories. These ladies were pretty hilarious. They made my remaining few miles seem to go by with ease. They asked if I was training for anything and I said my first marathon and they asked if it was the Martian and I said yes. Then one lady said she ran 18 marathons but her friend said she had no willingness to run a marathon and likes her half marathons. Some good advice I was given today is to respect the 26.3. She said out in your miles and you will be okay.
So I started thinking about that during the day. Respect the 26.2. Yes I keep telling myself to follow the schedule and to put in my miles because I want to conquer my first marathon. But them I was looking at it slightly different. Respect the 26.2. Keep putting in the miles and the 26.2 will take care of you and you can finish the marathon. Don't go into this thinking I can run the 26.2 because I want to or because I feel I deserve it. Put in the hard work and dedication and I will be able to cross the finish line with knowing I put in the work and effort to make this happen.
Today's run was a great run. Thank you Tish and Wendy for letting me run with you for a few miles and making the remainder of my run that much easier.

Remember, respect the 26.2 and it will happen!!

Thursday Night Run

I was able to get in my 3 miles last night and since today is my rest day before my long run tomorrow (12 miles), I figured I would push myself a little harder and reduce my time about 1 minute/mile.  I was pretty tired from the run but I was able to accomplish my goal.  However, now my right hip is hurting and I have to ice it for my run tomorrow.  Hopefully it's just one of those pains that goes away, but it's not feeling like it.  Also my shins are hurting a little.  I will just put some ice on my shins and have a nice easy run tomorrow. 

Good luck on your runs tomorrow!!

Getting ready for the Saturday long run

The past couple of day's, I've put in 5 miles each day.  Now today I will run 2 miles with try and increase my speed for these two miles.  Then tomorrow is my rest day and preparing for my long run on Saturday.  I am planning on running 10-11 miles on Saturday and a little nervous because I haven't ran that long in a few months.  I've mostly been doing the 4-6 mile runs. 

This week my runs have started to become easier.  I did take some time off during the holidays (actually probably too much time along with too many Christmas cookies), so when I started my running I knew it would take a little while to get back into it and feel good on my runs, but I'm almost there I think. 

Now the test for me will be a long run with some decent mileage.  I figured I will just take it nice and easy and just make sure I get in miles in and length of time running.  My legs need to get used to running for long periods of time again because now my long runs are starting to increase pretty fast and the marathon is only a 3 short months away.  I start thinking about the marathon and get a sense of nervousness that I won't be ready. 

Can you really FEEL ready for your first marathon?  Even if you do the training and eat right and do everything you can to prepare yourself, when you walk up to the corral or starting line, do you question if you've trained enough or prepared yourself enough to make sure you can run the 26.2 miles and finish strong.  Right now, I keep thinking about how I want to finish the marathon and crossing the finish line.  The picture I envision for finishing is I'm runninig strong and with a smile on my face waving to my family and friends.  Now in reality, I will probably have this look of death and too fatigued to even see if family and friends are there...hahahaha.  So all I can continue to do is train and follow my schedule and make sure I prepare as best as I can. 

Happy training everyone and may you finish each run with a smile (at least on the inside)!!

Water tanks and new shoes

Saturday started out great. My plan for running was to run 6 miles in the afternoon. But first we went to Eastern Market to get some fresh vegetables, fruit and meat and go to breakfast. So we came back and I was just about ready to get dressed for my run when my wife calls me in the basement. I get down there to realize the hot water tank was leaking and it needed to be replaced. If anyone knows me, I can figure things out as I go, but not a whole lot of experience with things like this. So after emptying the 40 gallon tank and finding the tools I need I start disconnecting all the water lines and gas lines. That was not fun. Luckily my wife's dad came over to help install the new tank so everything was connected properly. The new tank alone was 130lbs and getting it to the basement was tough on the back. Then bringing up the old tank was even worse. Too much jarring the back around and I was pretty sore. It took around 8 hours to completely replace the tank and I was bummed because I missed my ling run. So I was thinking that I will do my long run on Sunday.

Sunday morning rolls around and my bak is tight and sore. So I had some new shoes that I was ready for breaking in and I thought the extra cushion would help. Well, lets just say breaking in new shoes on a long run is not ideal. My feet were charting about mile 3 and had to walk a couple times during my run to give my feet a break and to make sure my back was good. I finally got thru the run but man it was not a good weekend. I've heard it before to not wear new shoes on a long run and next time I'll remember that.

Lets just hope I'm feeling a little better for my run tomorrow morning. I hope everyone else had an easier weekend than I did. If it have a good story to share I'd love to hear it.

I read this great line from my daughter's dance teacher over the weekend.
"Hard work is not a punishment....it just makes you that much better." I like that and wanted to share it with you.

Late Night Run

Good evening everyone! 

 First I really never thought that so many people would  read my blog on the first day of writing it and it's very exciting, so thanks for taking time out of your busy day to read a little about my experience. 

Well I was able to get my run in tonight.  This morning I wanted to get a little extra sleep and figured I would just do my run after work.  Well, my wife sent me a message at work saying let's go see a movie we both have been wanting to see..."This Is 40".  It was a really funny movie and I recommend people seeing, just not with kids!  We didn't get home until about 10:15pm so I was able to start my run at 10:30 and finished about 30 minutes later. 

Tonight's run, according to my schedule, was to be a short run, then tomorrow is my day off and then my long run is Saturday morning.  Friday's are my only rest days, so I will take that time to read my book that I started recently, The Big Book of Marathon and Half-Marathon Training, from The Runner's World.

Sorry to cut this one short, but it's getting pretty late and I think a shower is necessary before bed!  Have a great night everyone and I will talk to you soon!

Running (or exercising) is the first step in improving your overall self!  That's my thinking anyway!

Good night!

1st Day of Training for Marathon

Today is my first day for a couple of things...First, it's my first day of training for my very 1st marathon.  Secondly, it's my first time blogging.

Here's a little about myself.  I'm 39 but soon to be 40 (April 9th).  I'm married and have 3 wonderful daughters with a fourth child expected at the end of June.  I started running consistenly last January and have been dedicated ever since.  I did however, take about 6 weeks off during the holidays to help my body recover and take some time for myself.  I ran once in a while, just to stay with it, but not at all with the consistency I've ran the rest of the year at.  I started off with a couple of 5k's and built my way up to running four half-marathons all year.  It was exciting to see myself improve physically and mentally.  Plus the friendships that come from running are great!  I've met a lot great people from different running groups which always seems to help push me a little more than if I was just running by myself.

I've said all last year that I want to run a marathon this year.  So what better 40th birthday present to myself than to sign up for a marathon four days after I turn 40?  It's something that will really get me in shape and this will also help with eating more nutritious.  But there are other factors that play into continuing to run more.  I feel great throughout the day and it's also fun to see my children get excited for watching me want to stay in shape and promote a good attitude towards staying in shape.  This led me to my first day of training for the marathon today.

I woke up at 5am today and looked at the weather.  It was 18 degrees but felt like 10 degrees.  See I'm more of a cold weather runner.  I love running in the cold vs. the heat.  My thinking is my body can always warm up from running, but if it's already hot outside, you will just get hotter.  This morning was the coldest day so far this winter for me.  I wore my hat and gloves as I normally do, but this morning, I had to wear a scarf over my face so I could keep my face warm during my run.  By the time I was about a half mile from being done, the scarf kept falling below my nose and mouth and realized just how cold it really is.  This will probably lead me to go to my favorite running store in Northville, MI and purchase a balaclava or a hat that covers the face. 

It wasn't a long run by any means, just under 4 miles, but it was the first run I've had in a while and it felt great.  One thing I love about running in the cold is feeling the ice on your eye lashes.  That's when you know you're crazy for loving to run outside in the winter.  I'm not a fan of running on treadmills or inside, but that's just my opinion.  The one benefit I see from running on a treadmill is you will never hit a patch of ice.  But that just makes me concentrate more and stay focused.  If I lose focus for a minute, then I can hit some ice and have an injury that will sideline me. 

When I got home this morning, my hat and scarf had frost on them and I felt a little ice around my eye lashes.  I know this is going adventure for training for my first marathon will be an experience and so that's why I decided to start a blog.  I would like for other people, not just runners, to know that it's never too late to push yourself and set a goal for you that seems unreachable.  Last year, at this time, I was running 3-4 miles for a long run.  By the end of last year, I completed my 4th half-marathon with a goal of completing a marathon this year. 

I will continue to update the blog and see where goes.  I love talking about running and have a lot to learn so any advice or information is always welcome!  I look forward to a wonderful four months of training and many great stories to share with you along the way.  I may even tell you my story of becoming deathly afraid during a run in a park that scared me so bad, I fell backwards and rolled over not once, but twice!  More details to follow!! 

Have a great run!