I probably need to post this in a few other places to remind/reinforce:
We swim in language as fish swim in the sea, not noticing the power that our words have
to manifest, to create and to destroy. – Mary Jo Asmus
Training Journal – 8/22/13:
So today was my 48th birthday…aaaaand I’m on a business trip.
My being gone on my day happens occasionally because of one particular conference, the last time was two years ago. It’s weird and usually a bummer of a day none the less. I’m not big on getting attention, so I usually don’t let anyone know it’s my birthday…
Thankfully, with technology, I did get a bunch of b-day wishes today through Facebook and texts…which was nice to see throughout the day.
Anyway, I started my day early (0500) so I could get a long slow run in before my meetings started this afternoon. I usually do my long runs on Sunday, but there is a Women’s half marathon here in Chicago tomorrow and I knew it would be a madhouse along the Lakefront Trail…
I headed North out on Chicago’s Lakefront Trail and went to the northern end and back – 18.5 miles total, door-to-door. It felt pretty good. I modified my run-walk ratio to 3:1 today and that seemed to be better on my knee. I managed a 10:45 pace, obeying my doctor’s counsel about keeping it slow and ran on crushed rock paths when I could. There were tons of runners out later in the morning – I think prep training for the B of A Chicago Marathon kicked off today for a lot of clubs in the area.
The weather was excellent! Here are a few pictures from the run:
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My friend Denise sent me a birthday text while I was on my run.
Since I was running, I asked SIRI to read me the text. Here is the epic SIRI transcript:
Happy [birthday cake][birthday cake][birthday cake][birthday cake][birthday cake]
Birthday [short cake][short cake][short cake][short cake][short cake]!!!!
Treating yourself to something fun? [hamburger][hamburger][french fries][french fries][slice of pizza][slice of pizza]
Assuming you’re working today? [computer][computer][computer][mobile phone][mobile phone][mobile phone]
I totally started cracking up when it was read…!
The rest of the day was spent either in my room chilling or in my meeting this afternoon. I hit a local burger place for dinner (by myself) and then headed to a mixer for the conference.
It was a bit of a different birthday…
Training Journal – 6/22/13:
I hit the San Francisco Marathon Expo today and picked up my bib for Sunday’s San Francisco Marathon – 2nd half – plus a bag load of SWAG!
Knowing that race day was also Father’s Day, a while back, I had a special bib made at races2remember.com. I think they did an awesome job!
So, I will be wearing two bibs on Sunday:
Today is also my dad’s birthday – he’s the guy on the right. I miss him terribly and hope he’d be proud of me. I’m thankful that my dad-in-law (on the left) got to see how much I love running, though he missed my first marathon by just 11 days.
Training Journal – 6/14/13:
Miss you…
Training Journal – 5/12/13:
for Karen…
I wish I had a magic wand
I know you wish one too
I wish I had all answers
The reasons why for you
I wish I had a magic wand
I’d transport me and you
We’d take actions, make decisions
To change what we’ve gone through
Sadly I don’t have one
No means no method for “redo”
Instead I have two ears, two arms
To listen to and comfort you
Listening and comforting
Those actions are not new
But hopefully they remind
I love and am here for you
© 2013 Dennis Arriaga
Training Journal – 3/13/13:
Celebrating 26 years of wedded bliss today!
I am so blessed!
Training Journal – 1/24/13:
It’s been a tough Christmas this year with my father-in-law passing away at the beginning of the month. Not too much celebrating going on, but sometimes all it takes is a batch (or two) of tradition to make things a little more bearable.
These were an annual tradition growing up…though they were made in 1″ logs then.
K and I have continued that tradition…
Wow, this is the last post of the year. Guess I’ll have to write a re-cap soon…
Training Journal – 12/31/12:
My father-in-law and friend passed away today. Such a hard day for us, but we are thankful for the time we got to spend with him last night, talking with him and making him laugh.
We take comfort in the fact that he is in a better place, with a perfect body, and that we will see him again.
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Made the tough decision to cancel our trip to Honolulu and my running of next Sunday’s marathon – which would have been my first. There are just too many things going on right now (the details are private), and the best decision was to cancel.
After 4.5 months of solid marathon training (really almost a year), I really want to accomplish that milestone. Over the past two days, I scanned the available ones over the next several months and did find a few in January & February in SoCal. The rub is that I’ve already registered for the Big Sur Marathon in April and want need to start a focused, 18-week training program for that on December 24 (read: build base and do hill work.) Inserting a 3-week taper, marathon, and subsequent recovery week(s) in the middle of that just didn’t seem smart.
I did find a local marathon being run on the 15th: The ZombieRunner Bay Trail Marathon in Palo Alto. It’s not Honolulu, but the organizer puts on quality events and I know it will be a great experience for my first marathon. One nice part will be that my taper and carb loading will be easier since I’ll be at home!
So, I’m resetting and will start (re-do) week 2 of taper tomorrow. Deja Vu…all over again!
GIDDY-UP!
…I’ll run Honolulu someday.
Training Journal – 12/2/12:
Weekly mileage: 11/26-12/2/12:
…for the kind, wonderful, amazing, gracious, loving, supportive, encouraging, and understanding person on the left! I am truly blessed!
Training Journal – 11/22/12:
DENNARR(dot)COM 