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Archives For November 30, 1999

Quiet time, Quite a Time

December 23, 2012 — Leave a comment

I did my run this morning up in Alum Rock Park…ahead of the showers…and didn’t see anyone until the end. It was so peaceful.

Quiet time:

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Quite a Time:

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Training Journal – 12/23/12:

  • Current plan: Bay Trail Marathon Training Plan – Recovery Week
  • Today’s session: 6 mile long run @ 8:39 – 9:59 pace
  • Comments: I did 7.4 up in to Alum Rock Park @ an 11:46 pace. Pace was no doubt the victim of a soggy, sluggish, and almost impassable 3/4-mile section of the North Rim Trail. When you see deer tracks that are sunk in the mud and/or slipping all over the place, you know it’s going to be “fun!”

Weekly mileage: 12/17-23/12:

  • Running: 21.36
  • Bicycling: 31.83
  • Total: 53.19 (Probably not what a “recovery week” is suppose to look like, but I felt good.)
In Life, Running , , ,
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Honolulu Someday

December 2, 2012 — 1 Comment

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:

  • Current plan: Honolulu Bay Trail Marathon Training Plan
  • Today’s session: 12 mile long run @ 8:39 – 9:59 pace
  • Comments: I did 12.16 @ 8:21 pace in the wind and rain – woohoo!

Weekly mileage: 11/26-12/2/12:

  • Running: 30.68
  • Bicycling: 17.47
  • Total: 48.15
In Family, Life, Running , , ,
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Happy 80th, Mom!

October 24, 2012 — Leave a comment

My mom would have turned 80 today. Wow, 80.

I miss her terribly. As I’ve written before, I have a folder on my laptop called “scans” – I took a look at it today and smiled and remembered my mom.

One photo that caught my eye today was the one above. We went camping a lot when I was young – often by a lake or river. I remember we each had our own tire tube – including mom who WAS NOT a swimmer.

There were two sureties about any photo of my mom in the water: 1) she was always touching the bottom with at least one foot and 2) she was always facing the shore. Certain male children who are known to enjoy running and blog quite often would make attempts to ease her away from the shore (all in the name of fun), only to come to their senses in very short order…

She loved to float in her tube. Yes, her tube; you see, it was personalized with the words “Morning Glory” in it. I can visualize all of us having such a great time and her laughing and nervously calling out, “Den-nus, stop! Den-nus, stop!” or “Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!” to my dad (which she was known to do quite often.) You see, she lived with a bunch of people who loved to tease each other…

Such good times. Such wonderfully cherished memories.

Happy birthday, mom…you are loved and missed.

Training Journal – 10/24/12:

  • Current plan: Honolulu Marathon Training Plan
  • Today’s session: 8 mile easy run @ 9:09 pace
  • Comments: I did 8.11 at 8:13 – with light rain on miles 4 to 7.
In Family, Life , ,
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The Honorable Clan of the Long-Distance Runner [great article]

October 2, 2012 — Leave a comment

PHOTO: Damon Winter/The New York Times

The Honorable Clan of the Long-Distance Runner
By Amby Burfoot and George A. Hirsch

“As amateur marathon runners for nearly 50 years, we were surprised when our sport made headlines recently for an unusual reason.

Last month, The New Yorker published an article on the Michigan dentist Kip Litton, who digitally fabricated an entire marathon and outsmarted computer timing systems. Then Representative Paul D. Ryan, the Republican candidate for vice president, misstated the finish time of his only marathon. …”

Continue reading at: NYTimes.com

space!

Some great “quotables” from the article:

  • “Focus and discipline form the core of a runner’s being; they are what make us put on a reflective vest and run six miles into the sleet at 6 on a dark winter morning.”
  • “Nonrunners often imagine that people can cover 26.2 miles only because they have lean, muscled legs and a highly developed cardiovascular system. Nothing could be further from the truth. The runner’s most important organ, by far, is the brain — the source of our dreams, drive and determination.”
  • “Running teaches all of us that goal-setting, persistence and tackling one mile at a time can lead to unimaginable achievements. Lessons are learned on the road, day by day, from personal feedback and experience.”

Training Journal – 10/2/12:

  • Current plan: Honolulu Marathon Training Plan
  • Today’s session: 7 mile pacing run @8:07
  • Comments: I did 7.49 @ 8:00
In Fitness, Life, Running , , ,
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Thinking about…nothing

September 25, 2012 — Leave a comment

My wife shared this quote on my Facebook wall yesterday

 “I’m often asked what I think about as I run. Usually the people who ask this have never run long distances themselves. I always ponder the question. What exactly do I think about when I’m running? I don’t have a clue.”

― Haruki Murakami

The funny part is that I actually answered similarly when she asked me the “what do you think about while you are running” question a while ago.

Training Journal – 9/25/12:

  • Current plan: Honolulu Marathon Training Plan
  • Today’s session: Rest
  • Comments: Flying home…me happy
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Whitlock Runs World Record 1:38 Half At 81 [inspiring]

September 18, 2012 — Leave a comment

Photo Graham Paine/Milton Champion

I hope I’m still running at 81!

Canadian Ed Whitlock, 81, added to his collection of world records on Sunday by running 1:38:59 at a half marathon in his hometown of Milton, Ontario. Whitlock broke the old 80+ mark by 29 seconds, despite resuming regular running only in the weeks before the race.

Continue reading at: Runner’s World

x

Training Journal – 9/18/12:

  • Current plan: Honolulu Marathon Training Plan
  • Today’s session: 4 mile easy run @ 9:09
  • Comments: I did 4.76 @ an 8:45 pace.
In Fitness, Life, Running , , ,
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44 to 32 in 30 Months

September 17, 2012 — Leave a comment

K’s been cleaning out our closet and my old, big sized clothes. I just had to try these babies on one last time…

Last time I lost weight (circa 2002), I kept my big sizes – just in case. This time, we’re donating the lot of them! No going back!

Training Journal – 9/17/12:

  • Current plan: Honolulu Marathon Training Plan
  • Today’s session: Rest/Recovery Day
  • Comments: Today was a rest/recovery day, but last night at 10, I got my bike kit ready. When the alarm went off at 0345, I changed my mind…and hit snooze.
In General, Life , ,
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9/14/2012

September 14, 2012 — Leave a comment

A few parts of my day…

  • Sent an email to a large number of people containing a single-word faux pas about one segment of the recipients of said email. Love it when a word is spelled correctly and contextually correct – yet soooo wrong. I think most people missed the word, but still, it was infuriating & embarrassing…ok, and a bit funny.
  • Day one of two days of carb loading for a run on Sunday. Results: Carbs-89%, fat-4%, & protein-8%.
  • Picked up my race bib at Sports Basement and was able to leave without breaking the bank. Picked up a pair of my favorite running shorts for K to give to me for Christmas (per her instructions) and a box of GU gels (plain, of course!)
  • Went to our new life group bible study. Great time with some really great people.

Livin’ the dream. Livin’ the dream!

Training Journal – 9/14/12:

  • Current plan: Honolulu Marathon Training Plan
  • Today’s session: Pre-race rest & carb day
  • Comments: One word: CARBS
In General, Life , ,
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Sometimes, I get this way…

September 11, 2012 — Leave a comment

I feel ya Porter, I feel ya!

Training Journal – 9/11/12:

  • Current plan: Honolulu Marathon Training Plan
  • Today’s session: 5 mile easy run @ 9:09
  • Comments: I did 5.27 @ an 7:59 pace.
In General, Life , ,
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If you can’t say something nice

August 31, 2012 — Leave a comment

Sometimes you just have one of those days where the “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all” phrase applies…

It’s funny how it often just takes and email or two to hose things up. You see, …

[text removed]

Still, things always get better after I talk to and hang with my wife… I’m totally looking forward to a great 3-day weekend!

Training Journal – 8/31/12:

  • Current plan: Honolulu Marathon Training Plan
  • Today’s session: 5 mile easy run @ 9:09
  • Comments: I did 5.4 @ an 8:20 pace
In Life, Marriage , ,
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