My Race Year Recap

Marathons run this year: 4 (my pre-Bayshore Marathon marathon [Earth Day Challenge], Bayshore, my post Bayshore marathon [Sunburst], and Chicago.

Half marathons: 2 (Borgess, Capital City River Run)

10Ks: 1 (bandit running of the Boyne City 4th of July Celebration Run)

5Ks: 5 (Super Bowl 5K [Feb], Shamrock 5K [Mar], Race for the Cure [Apr], Capital BanCorp 5K [May], Alternate 5K [Oct]

Miles run: 1326

Number of Pop-Tarts consumed: about 580 (most consumed flavors in order: Strawberry, Chocolate Chip, Brown Sugar)

Taco Bell Friday: 44 delicious times

Shoes and their #s: Sun Dancers (Kayano 14s) 334, Red Stars (2130s) 349, Omega Killers (2130s) 191; Blue Rho (2130s) 195; Delta Flyers (Kayano 14s) 193. All shoes are Asics.

AG awards: 5 (one first, three seconds, one third)

PRs in: the Marathon (Chicago), Half Marathon (Capital City River Run), 5K (Alternate 5K)

Weekends where I slept in both days: 1

Training programs used: Hal Higdon’s Advanced Intermediate II, FIRST: First to the Finish (expect a compare and contrast in the near future)

Number of typoos in the blog: about 53

Number of destroyed toenails: 2

Number of serious blisters: 4

Number of F*bombs dropped during a race: 18 (16 at the Bayshore Marathon, one at the Shamrock 5K when I was strollered, one when I was passed at mile 12 of the Borgess half by a 70+ old man who said “good job.”)

Number of times I ran with the cows: 8

Times the stars aligned: 1

Injuries: serious = plantar fasciitis, not so serious = left hip stiffness, sore right knee

Deer killed: 1

Manatee killed: now come on, do you really think I would do that…..

Girl Scout Cookies consumed: about 135

Number of ice baths post long runs: 0

Number of ice baths attempted: 1

Parties/social events willing declined due to long run: 29

Dollars fed to a goat: 1

Of Late

In preparing to begin training for the Chicago Marathon, I’ve taken a few weeks off running—and working out altogether. This time off has produced an unexpected result. I’ve stopped caring about everything. Seriously.

First, since I’ve stopped working out I started eating like crap. If that translucent orange grease from my pizza drips on my new white dress shirt, I don’t care. If I eat so many Girl Scout cookies I throw-up a little, I just swallow it back down and hope for the best. Yesterday at work a sales rep stopped in and left us a box of 12 Krispy Kreme doughnuts. I ate six of them in less than ten minutes and washed them down with 24 ounces of Mtn Dew (has anyone else noticed the Mountain Dew cans now just say “Mtn”? It’s not like they went phonetic or anything; they just got text lazy.).

Oh, but that isn’t all. I’ve stopped caring about my appearance altogether. I don’t shave (who grows a summer beard unless you’re a hockey player in the playoffs?), I don’t bother showering (why, I’m not working out or sweating…well I do sweat a little while watching TV lately.), and I’ve given up on brushing my teeth (how bad can by breath really get?). Oh, and yesterday when I put my hand on a hot stove, I just really didn’t care to pull it off right away.

And other people. Well, I wouldn’t say I’m misanthropic, but I pretty much hate everyone. And if you are on TV, I automatically hate you (even if you are that guy who saved the box of puppies and kittens out of the burning house). Worse, when I saw a guy running shirtless while carrying his shirt in his hand and while it was 62 degrees and overcast outside, I couldn’t even summon my righteous indignation. I didn’t even swerve my car to give him a scare. At work I’m trying a new program I call the “Only 1” program. Only 1 means I will only give you one word answers. If this is inconvenient, you need to ask better questions.

Also, as of late my ‘career’ has been getting in the way of my overall disillusionment of everything. I’ve had two huge court dates over the past two weeks and a wedding where I delivered a 15 minute best man speech. But now the happy couple is off on their honeymoon, I was victorious in court, and as my first day of training is looming, I have to admit I am beginning to care just a bit again. In fact, I’ve even stopped farting in my office (and have picked up my old habit of doing such awful things in the firm’s library). For anyone who thinks I have ignored you as of late, please know it’s me, not you, and that I’m sorry. If I promise to brush my teeth, can we kiss and make up?

Winter Hacienda

This weekend I was able to spend some time with my very good friends and have a winter version of our summer Hacienda trip. I also got the chance to see the first baby born into the Hacienda group—and he is a little sweetheart. Although we didn’t have a pizza roll eating contest, much shenanigans were had, and we thoroughly enjoyed the weekend. We even played a little Nintendo Wii, very fun.

Saturday was a 7M pace run, and I’m happy to say I nailed it. Although I did crank out another fast first mile, I didn’t swear or offend any local residents because of it. I also stayed strong throughout the run and finished with a time of 49:01. Nice.

Sunday I started my 10M run in Indiana and proceeded north for five miles, crossing into Michigan at one point. What is neat about my run is that it was the first time in my life that I started a casual run in one state, then crossed into another state, only to return to the starting state (note: the Flying Pig marathon went from Ohio to Kentucky and back, but that was a race). It’s little, but I thought it was cool. I’m sure people who live along the boarders of states are thinking—so what. Oh well, I liked it.

The run itself was extremely windy, as if Michigan itself was telling me not to enter her frozen lands; but the wicked wind blowing across open fields only made the run back that much faster and easier. Every mile on the way back was faster than my fastest mile on the way out—it was that windy. Goal pace, 8:05 to 8:30 per mile. Average 7:33/M. It seems my long run pace goal might be too slow. Or I’m a fool for running too fast during my slow recovery runs.