Workout 12/30: Spin Class

Today was a confirmation of how far I have come since training for marathons, and I've come far in the wrong direction. I took a spin class that I used to be challenged by, but not as much as I was this morning. My lungs were burning! But I guess that's a good thing; at least working out is actually "work." I will get back to form, but I think my marathoning days are over. I've got a spiritual marathon to train for.

Workout: Spin Class
1 Hour of Leg Churning, Lung Burning Fun

Rest = Goal Setting

I'm in the middle of a recovery week. I have been fighting two distinctly different colds, nursing a sore lower back, and quizzically staring at a scale that is being nasty to me. It was very clear to me that if I did not take this time off, I would end up in a bad situation. So, rest has become my focus. And in these moments, I have had the chance to look at the current status of my health and the upcoming year of fitness goals.

I mentioned that nasty scale because it is evident from that little piece of machinary, that my body is changing. After reaching a low weight of 178# right after my last marathon in October 2007, my weight has slowly creeped up. Now, of course my body has changed too with my focus on strength training through CrossFit, but I don't think all of that weight is new muscle. Sugar, ladies and gentlemen, is my weakness, and The Zoneis my answer. I have attempted The Zone before, but I have never stuck to a strict Zone diet. One of my favorite movie quotes is when Bill Murray talks about "Baby Steps" in What About Bob? So I am going to start taking baby steps to break this sugar addiction. And what better time to do it than during this season of Lent.

My mind has also been occupied with what I want to accomplish this year in the fitness realm. The past three years have been focused on marathons and half-marathons. There is something extremely satisfying about running and finishing a marathon, but the training is so time consuming. So this year's focus is going to be on shorter races and the continuation of CrossFit. The plan: 1 marathon with minimal training, an assortment of 5Ks (my goal is to break 24 minutes), 1 Urbanathlon, and 1 more year of CrossFit training. I plan on working on Level Two of the Level4 Challenge produced by CrossFit Seattle. So, wish me luck, and pray for me!*Photo courtesy of Carrie Klumpar at CrossFit Seattle. Maybe I'll adopt that motto for the year!

Workout 1/21: 5k

I miss running! I haven't been running in a long time, so I was thankful when I saw it come up on CrossFit. Too bad it is frigid outside! I miss a nice warm run along the Chicago Lakefront.

CrossFit: Run 5k
For Time:
(Time: 24'58" Pace: 8'02"/mile)

*Running brought memories and desires of marathons back into my life. I am now contemplating possible races and goals. And per the last blog entry, I spent a long time getting stretched out today.Time to go read Strength to Love.

Workout 10/22

I hope to look like this again after running Grand Rapids!

Run: 2 Miles (17.39, 8.49/mile pace)

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 10/19

I guess the Chicago marathoners whined enough to make people have pity on them. It seems like marathons around the country are trying to one up everyone else; first it was Des Moines giving a discounted rate, then it was Denver offering free entries (one just had to buy the airfare), now Lake Geneva, WI is handing out freebies too...nice that it is the general vacinity of Chicago for those who live here. Sure the Lake Geneva Marathon is everything that the Chicago Marathon is not, but what does one expect. Remember that old saying, "Beggers can't be choosers." I think that's important to remember in cases like this. Here's my suggestion, let's go, not complain, run, and make the marathon our own by having fun in the process.

I'm going to put it on my "To Run" list. Anyone who wants to join me on the run, let me know. Ah, winter training, this is going to be fun! And I know I keep wishing marathon training to be over...well, it looks like a mix of CrossFit and running for me. Details will follow!

Run: 6 Miles (52.31, 8.45/mile pace)

Workout 10/17

I'm really not happy with Ronald McDonald and what his food does to my ability to run long distances. I have less than two weeks to shrug off the effects of his french fries and his quarter pound of beef with cheese. Running six miles this morning was difficult, but I did chug out every tenth of a mile even though my stomach was complaining most of the second half of it. I guess diet still does matter even when you are a marathoner. And, yes, I am still counting the days down until marathon season is over and I can return to a fun and diversified CrossFit schedule. But before that, I've got a marathon to run! C'mon Grand Rapids...3:44...here I come!

Run: 6 Miles (Time:???, Pace:???)

Back to the Grind (Workout 10/10 and 10/12)

After a few days of rest, it was back to the workout grind to prepare for the Grand Rapids Marathon which is coming up in about 2 weeks. And yes, I have been planning this one before the Chicago Marathon debacle. In fact, I think the Chicago Marathon experience has excited me more for the GRM since my body was reminded what 26.2 miles really feels like. I get to use this race to push myself and my limits. And that's what I tried to do today during my workout. Here's what I've done recently.

10/10: Run 2 Miles; 70 Push-ups
10/12: Run 3 Miles (25.32, 8.30/mile pace), 30 Assisted Pull-ups

Chicago Marathon 2007 Recap

Ah...ideal weather conditions for marathoning! Too bad it is merely three days too late. My brain has finally cooled off, and I have had some time to process all that went on during Sunday's Chicago Marathon. I am sure you have all heard the complaints and problems, so I am going to try my best to steer clear of that old news. I'd much rather tell the amazing story of Miguel the Marathoner and his trusty Mentor...me.

Seven months of training finally led up to its climax on Sunday as we all gathered in our tent in Charity Village. Mentors and students buzzed with excitement as we scribbled last-minute names and messages on our arms, legs, shirts, and chests. Temporarily tattooed in permanent marker, we "warmed up" our muscles even though the heat and humidity had already helped warm up our bodies. Many mentors kept checking their watches with anticipation as 7:30 AM approached...time to get to the start line AS A TEAM! We wound our way through the crowd and planted ourselves near the 4:45 Pace Group marathoners...who knew at that time that a pace number on your bib would mean nothing in a few short miles. Miguel and Jose R. joked and laughed it up as we waited for nearly 40,000 runners to get moving. Over and over again, Miguel shouted "GO!" as nervous marathoners jerked their heads up thinking we were actually supposed to be moving. After 20 officially-timed minutes since the "gun" went off, we finally reached the start line and crossed it with running legs.

The smiles on our faces continued as we passed runners taking their potty breaks on the side of the road, as old men walked faster than us runners, and as we discussed our anticipated finish time (4:15...no, 4:30...okay, somewhere between 4:00 and 5:00...hey, let's just cross the finish line). Slowly but surely we got into a groove of focused running and occassional encouragements. Our group of 6 eventually broke into two groups of 3 (2 mentors per student). Miguel, Michelle, and I trotted on at a 10:30 pace which we considered a decent modification for the heat. But then reality hit as water stations came up dry, and our smiles turned to a more concerned look. But we were saved by many spectators, all one had to do was be brave enough to ask for help...water, Gatorade, Body Glide, cell phones...all available at the hands of helpful lookers-on.

Our group could not stick together through a few water and ice stops, and at Mile 9 our group fell apart. Miguel got caught up at a station, I put on a light jog, and Michelle lost us in the wave of people. It took me a mile to find Miguel, and all that time I kept my eye out for a tall, skinny kid with a Cubs hat turned backwards (a Cubs hat of all things)! At Mile 10, my wife and sister-in-law had bottles of Gatorade ready for us, but I was a lone runner at that point and only took one bottle. When I turned around to keep running, who did I see right in front of me? Miguel! We rounded the corner onto North Avenue thankful that we had found each other and grateful that Elvis was ahead. That was the motivation and help we needed to truck along back into the Loop and be greeted by our lovely Team M3 volunteers cheering us on. Jose R. and Jose H. eventually caught up to us too and proceeded to pass by us with supportive smiles.

But that's when it started to fall apart for us. Miguel's ankle bothered him, the heat bore down on us, and our muscles were doing their best to support us. It was stop and go for the remainder. Thank goodness we weren't pulled off the course like so many other runners who didn't pass the half-way point by 11:30 AM. Miguel and I continued to encourage each other because that's all that gave us the drive to keep going. Pain slowly rose up from our ankles to our calves, to our hips, and finally all the way up to our shoulders. Five hours and fifty-nine minutes after crossing that start line, we bravely crossed the finish line to receive our piece of metal that was genuinely earned over 26.2 miles of perseverence. This will always be the day that Miguel became a marathoner along with twelve other brave high schoolers from the City of Chicago.

Workout 10/3

This is the end of my runs as we know it...and I feel fine! (R.E.M. tune playing in my head). Well, I had my last official training run this morning, and I had a few kinks to work out, but I am ready for the Chicago Marathon. I'm obsessing a little bit over the weather, and I should just ignore it and have fun (it's suppose to be in the mid-80s). I am sure if I obsess too much, I am going to ruin the day and dread it all. So let me just put on a happy face and take what is given to us on race day (even if that does mean thunderstorms too). Thank you to all of you who have sent me encouraging notes and will be following me throughout the race. I'll be back on Monday to give you the low down on how it all went.

Run: 4 miles (38.35, 9.38/mile pace)

Workout 10/1

Finally! It's October! MLB Playoffs (um, not sure how to feel about the Cubs though)! Chicago Marathon! Grand Rapids Marathon! CPS Shakespeare! Cooler Weather! Autumn! Ah, there's so much to like about the month of October. So, I had to start it off with a run.

Run: 3 Miles (28.26, 9.28/mile pace)

Final Team M3 Training Run

The marathon is just around the corner, and training is coming to an end for the Chicago Marathon. Today was a perfect day for the last run with these awesome high schoolers. The mood is light and the nervousness of being one week away from the marathon leaves a little spark in the air that jolts us a bit on our run. This is going to be exciting. I hope everyone who has had the chance to follow us on this journey through this blog posting will be able to make it out to the race course to cheer on these fabulous young people. If not, I know your thoughts will be with us.

Run: 6 Miles (51.31, 8.35/mile pace) Whoo! That was quick! Shame on us!

Workout 9/28

Taper, taper, taper...what a relief not to feel like I have to push myself. Oh, but tapering is so boring. I tried to do a slower run this morning, and it was as if my legs didn't know what to do. Forcing your legs to go a minute or two slower than what they're used to is hard. But with less than 9 days to go until the marathon, I shan't put too much stress on them (yes, I know I said shan't). So, I disassociated majorly this morning a.k.a. listened to rockin' music. A buddy of mine, David, gave me a bunch of hip-hop and rap that has kept my ears busy. Please check out the link below to hear one of the most inspiring songs as I try to find "purpose in every step" I take. This song is my marathon song; I plan to have it in my head when I need to disassociate over the long haul of the Chicago Marathon. Check it out, even if you don't want to watch the video, listen to the words of the song.

Lacrae--Run

Run: 4 Miles (38.28, 9.37/mile pace)

Workout 9/26

I have been reading a book lately titled "Can Man Live Without God?" It's a discussion about the differences between theists and anti-theists, or people who believe in God and those who don't. It's a fascinating read, and one thing stood out to me in the last few chapters. When I look at how I am made and the capabilities I have physically and mentally, how the sun rises in the mornings and sets in the evenings, how my wife was able to give birth and that amazing spectacle, I cannot fathom the thought of all of this happening by chance. I know there is a creator to all of this, and if one doubts that, I just say "Open your eyes and look around." Marathon training and CrossFitting makes me aware of just how awesome the body's design is, and I am truly impressed by how The Creator has put it together. And to think that this shell is an imperfect reflection of God...wow!

Run: 4 miles (31.58, 7.59/mile pace)
CrossFit: 3 Rounds of...
5 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Squats

Workout 9/24

Workout: Run 4 Miles (33:50, 8:28/mile pace)

Spirit of the Marathon

For any of you running the Chicago Marathon or thinking of running a marathon in the future, check out the trailer for this movie. Having less than two weeks until the marathon, I found this trailer to be extremely motivational...and that's just the trailer. Our Team M3 students are going to attend the advanced screening of this film, and I know it will pump them up to run with the field. http://www.marathonmovie.com/home.html

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 9/19

A post-run sunrise is inspiring! Today's sunrise was other-worldly in a way. A HUGE red ball of light creeped over the horizon this morning greeting me with a reminder of why it's totally worth it to run in the mornings as opposed to any other time of the day. Yeah, sunsets are okay, but none of them can compare to the beautiful sun this morning.

Run: 5 miles (41.00, 8.12/mile pace)

Workout 9/17

I disassociated this morning. Sounds fun, doesn't it? I was reading the most recent issue of Runner's World, and there is an article in there about how runners "associate" and "disassociate" with their running in order to cope with the stresses and performance of the task. Basically, associating is the task of focusing on one's body and the environment in order to increase or decrease effort in order to meet a goal and/or maintain healthy functioning. Disassociating is the act of taking one's mind off the task of running in order to enjoy the moment and not focus on the stresses the body is creating while running. So this morning I through on my headphones in order to disassociate with the task of running on the treadmill. Yes, it is still marathon training season, but I jumped on a treadmill this morning in order to make running possible in my tight schedule. Better to treadmill run than not run at all. Good thing I had tunes in my ears or else I would not have completed the 5 miles out of sheer boredom. If running is becoming boring for you, take some time to disassociate!

Run: 5 miles (42.30, 8.30/mile pace)

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: ???)