Workout 1/1: Murph's Pups

Workout: Murph (Puppies Version)

For Time:
1/2 Mile Run
35 Pull-ups
70 Push-ups
105 Squats
1/2 Mile Run
(Results: Untimed)

*Update: I just got a new watch, so now I have no excuse not to time something. From here on out I will honestly post my results.

Workout 10/20

This morning was my final long run before the Grand Rapids Marathon. It felt good to wake up early and head out into the darkness to conquer the end of marathon training. The friendliness quotient has deteriorated greatly since the spring. In case you have forgotten, the friendliness quotient is caluculated by the number of responses to the familiar morning greeting. Before the sun rose, that percentage was at 20%. After the sun rose, people became much more friendly. The sun has an amazing effect on people's moods. Thank God for the sun and the Son!

Run: 8 Miles (1:08.27, 8.33/mile pace)

Workout 9/22

A perfect day to run! I got out early on my bike to go to Team M3 training, and people were already out for their training runs at 5:30 AM! Now that's dedication. If I were training on my own, I would be out about then too. But that would be out of necessity to get home and help my wife with the kiddies. I must day, sleeping in on the weekends has become a very foreign concept. Welcome to parenthood!

Well, I got out on my bike today since I knew I wouldn't be able to run the whole 11 miles with the students since I has a workshop to go to. It was a great workshop, by the way, on engaging in conversations about faith and Christianity with people of other faiths. As I have been learning with most things I am involved in, RELATIONSHIP matters. I am blown away when I recognize just how important relationship is in mentoring, teaching, sharing, training, etc. So I've made it an important focus to begin building true relationship with people that moves far beyond how weekends were, how the Chicago Bears are doing, and what the weather is like. Keep me accountable, please!

Workout:
12.5 Mile Bike Ride
5 Mile Run
12.5 Mile Bike Ride (broken up)

Workout 9/15

20 MILES! We have finally reached our peak for marathon training. Team M3 rocked the Lakefront Path this morning even though a chill nipped at us and made us want to pull the covers over our heads before we even stepped out of the house this morning. But once we got moving, our bodies warmed up. I am wishing for a day just like that on October 7th. Chilly, light breezes, and beautiful sunshine. I ran with Roberto for the first half of this long run...Roberto is a STUD! Ask many 16-year-old sophomores if they want to get up early on a Saturday morning and run for 20 miles, and I'm sure the answer will include some explicatives in the negative. But Roberto attacked the path with a positive spirit. When he wanted to stop, he kept his eye out for the next mile marker and drove toward it. Ah, this experience is GREAT!

Since duty called at home (or should I say "doo-doo" since Evie is still potty training), I decided to truck the last half of the run on my own while Roberto hung back with another group of runners. It was great to just let loose and run. It was great to be reminded of how fresh you can finish your run if you don't push your pace too fast too early. I must remember this lesson on marathon morning and remind my student of it because race jitters will be running high. Now begins the mild taper. Three weeks to go, and the fun begins!

Run: 20 miles (Time: ???, Pace: ???)

Workout 7/21

We were rewarded for our hard work in training with a BBQ. MMM...cheeseburgers at 10:30 in the morning do a body good! I ran with Ryne (named after the Chicago baseball icon) today and had a great time talking to him. Sometimes it's hard to believe that he is only 14 years old because he is so bright and well-spoken. It's been awhile since I met a young man of his caliber. Most of our conversations revolved around "Best of..." lists. My favorite topic was talking about comic book heroes and villains. My favorite superhero: Wolverine (he's got the cool factor too). My favorite villain: Venom (again, cool and one bad dude). The BBQ offered us a chance to really get to know the kids on a more fun level. We played kickball, beach volleyball, 3-on-3 soccer, and played around in an obstacle course at the beach. I wish you all could experience this mentoring opportunity because it is totally worth the time to create relationships with teens who's persistence is inspiring.

Run: ??? miles (??? time) *It didn't matter today because we just enjoyed the time out there on the path.

Workout 7/14

Team M3 was blessed with clouds and a breeze today as we took on 13 long miles. I think it was 13 at least. I ran the majority of the run with Misael who wanted to run without getting overly worn out. Very wise for a high schooler knowing that there are more miles to go. About halfway through the run, I saw a small group of people swinging around their kettlebells, so I had to go ask if they were doing CrossFit workouts. He said they weren't, but it sure looked fun to me. I'll have to see if they are still out there on Saturday mornings after marathon training has ended. In my further experimentation with things to ingest during the long runs, I grabbed a handful of JellyBelly jellybeans. It was nice to have a bit of sugar in the middle of the run, but I didn't like how they dried my mouth out. For now, I think I'll stick with the Clif ShotBloks. They dissolve faster and don't dry my mouth out. Now for the stats:

Run: 12 miles (1:54.36)

Workout 7/7/07

This lucky day brought another Team M3 run with a warm smile...a very warm smile. Our runs are getting hot with no signs of cooling off, and you can see it in the faces of the high schoolers. Today's run was with Danny, Manny, Misael, and Edson. This is becoming the core group of front runners, so it will be extra exciting to see how they do on marathon day. Last year Danny smoked everyone and almost had the fastest time for 16 year olds. I love to see these students set lofty goals and push themselves to it. It's really pushes me too and encourages me to set new goals! I recommend to anyone in the Chicago area that you get involved in this program for next year's marathon. Today's heat made me experiment with hydration and nutrition during the run. I tried Clif Shot Bloksand they worked wonders. About 40 minutes into our run, we stopped to rehydrate, so I downed a cup of water and ate one Shot Blok. Those 50 calories sustained me for the remainder of the run. I need to continue playing around with this stuff to make race day a pleasant experience. Here are the stats on today's run:

9 miles from Montrose Beach: 1:24.58 (8 minute run/1 minute walk)

I think we need to start doing a 10 minute run with a walk break...I know we can handle it.

Workout 6/30

Whoo! It's hard to keep up on these postings during the summer time. Summer school is in session--hard work. Get home early--family time. It's hot--no time to sit in a stuffy room with a computer. So, sorry for the lack of updates, but it's not like anyone is really reading this anyway. Looking back on Saturday, it called for a long run again. As I mentioned earlier, two long runs in one week. I thought I'd possibly keel over this time, but it ended up much better than I figured. Team M3 was in training again, and I continued to run with the 8/1 group (8 minutes running, 1 minute walking). Even with that sort of a pace, we still made decent time. I ran mainly with Manny today. Manny's a huge sports person (plays football, basketball, volleyball, runs cross-country and track). I don't know how he does it; he's amazing. Although most of the time running back he complained about getting old. I never knew 16 was old, but I guess it is.

Run: 12 miles (1:59.36)

Isn't teamwork beautiful!

Workout 6/9

It's back to marathon training with another Team M3 training run. Today called for an 8 mile run, and it was finally nice weather that put a smile on my face. However, after the time away from running consistently due to being all over the place and a bit injured or sick, that was difficult. The teens sped ahead and kept us all very honest with our abilities. We all kept together as a group for the first half, but then the "old fogeys" started to lag behind. I guess that's just the natural way of things. If your curious as to where our run went, please click on the milage. It will take you to a map of our run. Of course, I didn't time this run because the point is to mentor a teen, not race them. We were going at an 8 something minute/mile pace, but I think I slowed down a bit at the end. One of these days I'll time it and figure out how we're doing. For now, here's our run.

Run: 8.19 miles

Workout 5/12

Yet another training run with Team M3. We ran 6 miles this morning on a chilly and windy day. This week was all about sunshine and temperatures in the 70s and 80s. So what's the deal with it being in the low 40s this morning. I guess it is still May in Chicago on the lakefront.

I had the privilage of running and walking with Jordan for a majority of the time. I was running with a fast group, but then Jordan (who was run/walking in a slower group) needed to turn around and walk back. He said he had a burning sensation in his knee, so we thought it was smart for him not to push it any more. Jordan is actually in 8th grade and has a brother and nephew who are also running with Team M3. I tell you, for an eighth grader, Jordan is one smart dude and easy to talk with.

Today's topics: fear of whales, dirty Lake Michigan water, older siblings, football, knees, and Spartans (not Michigan State, but real Spartans).

4/21 Workout

Ahhh...the first spring-like day of this actual spring. It was so nice to go out for a run this morning in shorts. Yes, shorts! I met up with my friends Dan and Robert this morning. Although Robert's not training for a marathon and only wanted to run 3 miles, he slugged it out with us the whole way. But this Saturday was sad because it was the last long run on Saturday mornings with this crew. Next week marks the first training run with Team M3--the marathon mentoring program for mentors and Chicago Public school students. I am so excited for this opportunity, but I will miss running with "the guys."

Run: 7 miles (untimed at a conversational pace)

Topics of Conversation: Balance in family life, Chicago politics, 2 Peter, the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid, Finding a church in Chicago.