Go where you wanna go!

  GPS-just 3 letters but they have totally changed the way a lot of us run. GPS watches to me are the greatest innovation since Caller ID. They give us the freedom to run where we want and to know our pace, mileage, and total time immediately when we finish our runs.
  The old way(stone age time) for me was to run a route then get in my car and depend on my memory to be able to drive back over it for the mileage. Next came the out and back method. Drive out so far on a country road, measure it then run out and back with no deviations-boring huh! On my long runs my wife would put water bottles in the car and drive my rte. as I ran it( sweet sweet Lady). She would measure the miles, hand me water, and double check my times-what a girl! Last but not least I would pre-mark every long rte. with spray paint. I think at one time every county road and oil top had a white paint mark with a corresponding mi.# marked on it.
    Now with my GPS all that is gone. I just leave the house and go where I want. Turn left, turn right it doesn't matter because when I'm finished I know how far I went and at what pace. Heck-even on vacation you can run with knowledge that you always know your mileage. They will even map your rte. for you showing elevation as well as turns(I'm really still too technology challenged to figure this all out).
    Today I wanted to run a route similar to my race in Tyler next weekend so I just sought out every hill I could find and ran them. It was a totally up and down winding and turning run today. I couldn't have done that in the past.
    Now this said, I do suggest doing some of your easy runs without your GPS, I-Pod, or MP3 player. Just run to be running! How will you know if you ran far enough or fast enough? It doesn't matter-you were running and that's what counts!

Not Fade Away

This is my goal in every race-do not fade away at the end! Well it did not happen today-ran the Plano Balloon Festival Half Marathon today and I did fade at the end. It was a tough course but a good course if that make sense to you(in other words I enjoyed the course). This was a 1st time race and I think the race was very well run off and I will be running it again. Granted it was a lot hotter and more humid than I was expecting today but it's not like the race directors had any control over that.
       Back to my race-I knew I wasn't in top shape but I wanted to get a good race in. After all Jessica and friends(Serena and Dianna) were running so everything was pointing to a good run. We got to the race and parking was easy-bag check was simple and most importantly-no line at the port-a-potties. Got all the preliminaries over with and lined up for the race. The 1st song to come on my player-"Eye of the Tiger"-my running motivating music. What more could I ask for? The gun went off-the race started and it pretty much went downhill from there.
          I had a plan how I was going to run this race and I through it completely to the wind the 1st 2 miles. The plan was to go out easy and finish strong. The 1st 2 mi. in 14:40 was not a good plan. I believe a wise man once said "If you are digging yourself a hole and only going deeper-Stop Digging"(thank you David Burdette). By the time I stopped digging it was too late. I crashed and burned somewhere around the 9-10 mi. area. To make matters worse I ended up missing a turn and ended up running 2 to 3 min. extra. One of the volunteers evidently let me run past the turn at 11 and I went and extra 1/2 block too long. Those things just happen.
         No excuses for me-I knew I wasn't in top race shape and wasn't expecting my best time. I have 3 weeks till my next 1/2 in Tyler and a lot of work to do. When it comes right down to it take away the extra time and I ran pretty much what I thought I would. The only trouble with that is I always think I can do better. I wonder-think that's where Jessica gets that.

Please Come to Boston

   I have been officially accepted to run in the 2012 Boston Marathon. This will make the 3rd different decade I have run been fortunate enough to run Boston. I ran in 1990(40), 2000(50), 2003(53), and 2012(62). This Boston I will be running with a different perspective than in the past.
      The past Boston's I have gone into thinking I was go to run a super time and have that perfect performance. Never happened although in 2000 I did run a 3:06.36 and even though I was disappointed looking back it was one of my better races. In later blogs I will try to talk about each of my previous Bostons in more detail(what I can remember anyway!).
       This year I intend to really enjoy my trip to Boston and take in all the sights and sounds of the race. It will be a first for me to just run a marathon to enjoy the trip and not worry about time or pace. I think I can do this.        

Take the Money and Run

    Let me first say that in this blog "Take the Money and Run" is a good thing and I will explain. I spent another Sat. morning running with the Mckinney "Team in Training". In case you do not know TNT is a orginization that raises money for lukemia research thru running, cycling and other events. It is a great organization.
    I first saw the "Purple" singlets and race tops at many of the races I ran in but hardly gave them a second thought. Oh sure I knew they were running for a charity but hey it didn't involve me so after the races were over I quickly forgot about them. That all changed when my daughter Jessica became involved. When she 1st told me she was running the White Rock Half Marathon my only thoughts were about her as a runner but that all quickly changed.
    It was natural for me to want to run with Jessica so I went with her to her TNT training run one Sat. morning and it was an eye opener.  I met her coaches and mentors but most importantly I met a group of people who had come together to face an incredible challenge for one reason. They were there to raise money to put and to a terrible disease that has struck someone close to you. I am in awe every time I go run with them.
   This is Jessica's 3rd year to a TNT runner so this is my third year to run with them. I cannot pass one of those "purple" singlets without saying "Go Team". This brings me back to the title of this blog today-I urge each and every one to donate to this cause so the "Team" can take your money and run with it and help find a cure for this thing we call cancer. If you are running in or a spectator at a race and you see one of those purple singlets out there shout out a "Go Team". They will know you are supporting them and just might get them thru a bad spot in their race,

Take it to the limit!

     I think I took it to my limit this morning.It looks like 2 hrs. of runningwill be my longest run for a while. The main reason being that starting in Oct.( yes Jessica-maybe Sept.) I will be running at least one half-marathon a month until the end of March. I won't have time for anything else. Am I thru marathoning-I hope not. I want to run at least 2 more marathons. I haven't decided which ones yet but I do have an idea the ones I want to run.At least one of them I want to run with Jessica and the other one just depends on how things work out. I will know more about it in September.
     I'm not sure how I let myself get talked into running all these races but I know who I am blaming it on. I believe she called me clumsy in her last blog. Actually I think it will be fun and I am looking forward to all of them. i keep telling myself not to worry about times because I have a new motto to live by: All Runs are Good Runs-It's Just Some are Better Than Others.

The Wall!

      Every marathoner knows what the wall is and what it takes to push thru it. Sometimes we are succesful and sometimes we are not. I have experienced both as has most runners who have run a marathon or two. the "Wall" I have hit now is with my running in general. It sems to me I am at a point where I can't get over, under, or around this wall.
       In the last 22 years of running I have always had a plan and goals whether it was to run a sub 3 hr. marathon or just lose 50 lbs. and run a mi. without stopping (yes I have been there also). At the moment I have no structure to my running. I am planning on running 7 maybe 8 races between now and the middle of April and I have no schedule of any kind for any race. Except for my long runs I have know idea how far I am going to run when I start out. I just run till I am tired then head back home. Lately I have been turning around a lot quicker than in the past.
       I know I am not going to set any more PR's-those days are long gone but I don't want end up struggling thru every run mentally. I still enjoy running and the feeling it gives me when I have had a really ggod run(although there haven't been a lot of those lately). Someone told me a long time ago that if I ran more than 3 days a week I was doing for another reason than just exercise. I think my answer to him was" What's your point"!
     I am not giving up or retiring because I truly believe that there are 2 or 3(or more) good races left in this almost 62 yr. old body. It's up to me to get thme out of it. I think some 60 degree weather would work wonders for that-What do you think?

My Generation-Don't be talking bout it!

            The perfect tune to come on right when I started my last uphill mile on my run tonite. Since it was the Live at Leeds version I was able to listen to the entire song on the last mile plus my warm down and some. Listening to it I couldn't help but think about how much things have changed for my generation in the last 40-45 yrs. I am not going to bore you with the all the things but take it from me there have been a lot of changes. Some good, some not so good but I believe the majority of them good. Life changes and we all change with it.
      When you are 18-20 yrs. old, you think you know everything and you think you are invincible. This attitude leads to a lot of stupid mistakes. I mean a lot of them. If we are lucky we survive them and outgrow this attitude and get wiser with age. Some people(me) take a lot longer to reach this stage  but we finally make it-grandchildren help a lot in aspect.
   I am really not sure what I am trying to say in this post. I think about a lot of different things while I'm running usually triggered by a song I hear. Running down Milligan Dr.(street I grew up on) and listening to the Who reminded of all the great times and great friends I had growing up. PHS Class of  68- the greatest group of people ever.
      When I was 18 I remember someone asking me what I wanted to do when I grew up. I still remember my 3 part answer.1- I didn't want to ever outgrow rock and roll( Elvis is the King and the Doors, Beatles, and Creedence are the greatest RnR bands ever). 2. I wanted to keep running for as long as I could( this one is turning out well). 3-the most important of all-I wanted to be with my high school sweetheart forever and she has been with me every step and stride of the way. No matter what Mary is always waitng for me at the finish line-either in person or spirit. This Sat. Aug. 20th will be our 41st wedding anniversary.
       I guess you could say the way I feel now can be put in the words of a song. "I love the life I live and live the life I love"(with a few bumps, twists, and turns along the way!).