The World is Full of Idiots

Gallup recently completed a scientific poll that 9 out of 10 people are dumbasses. Well, I'm the 1 in 10 that isn't. OK, so yes, I've been a dumbass before, but it's not a routine thing. But, the world is full of rude, uncaring, thankless, unapologetic dumbasses. I see them every day. Like all the lazy lumps at the gym who don't bother to pick up their towels and put them in the hamper. Dumbasses. Oh the guy at the gym who sprawls out, and takes up the space of 3 guys with all his stupid, useless stuff. Dumbass. Or some of your neighbors, who do stupid, thoughtless things. Dumbasses. I could go on. How about the guy that I went out of my way to help yesterday, going above and beyond what was right to help him out. Did I get a single word of thanks? No. Dumbass. Sometimes I think how wonderful it would be if I were stranded on a desert island so I wouldn't have to deal with a world full of dumbasses. Ah, it would be nice, but I'm sure I'd annoy myself sooner or later, because, yes, I too am a dumbass every once in awhile. :0 Anyhow, enough about that.

I've run 22 miles in the past 6 days, and today was a day of rest, finally. But, I did a lot of work around the house, cleaning and decluttering, so while I didn't exactly "work out", I did work hard. I need to hit the gym early in the morning tomorrow for a run, then have more work to do at home. Another snow storm is coming in tomorrow night, with 2 to 4 inches expected. My brother will also be in town, and it seems whenever he visits, it always snows. He visited us in Kentucky once and we had a record 22" of snow. He visited a couple of years ago here in Nebraska during a blizzard. 10" of snow with 60 mph winds. I'm not sure how he times this, but it never fails. He must be cursed or something.

We are closing on our refinance on Monday, hopefully. We still haven't received the final paperwork, but it's supposed to be delivered tomorrow. We're a couple of days late from our original plan (closing on the the 28th of February), and that shifts everything back another month. I know I'll be glad when it's all over, once all the money get shifted here and there, and we get a refund of our current escrow account, and get the new one started. It's a little stressful right now with so much money going in different directions, but in the end, we'll be ahead of the game, and able to save quite a bit. I only have 2 payments left on my LASIK surgery too, so that will certainly help things. And, in another 7 months, we'll only have 1 car payment to make, instead of 2. Yeah. And, we'll get our washer and dryer paid off then too, so there is a really bright light at the end of the tunnel in the not too distant future.

Long Run of 6.2 Today

We are going to our Church fundraiser dinner tonight, so I thought I'd better get my long run in today (since I don't know what kind of shape I'll be in tomorrow after a full night of open bar). Hmm. I got off work this morning, and even though I had already been awake for 18 hours, I felt wired. Not sure why since I should have been dog tired. But, I headed to the gym anyhow and ran 6.2 miles. That's a 10k! Holy moly, that's the longest I've ever run, and I did it without stopping. And, the strange part, it felt really good. I felt as if I could have run a LOT more, but can't push this. I've already had two minor injuries, in both my lower and upper right calf, and need to just take it slow and easy. But the run was good today. I felt strong. It's now becoming clear that I really can do this. Really, there's nothing you can't accomplish if you just set your mind to it.

Shopping...Again

Ah, I just love to spend money. NOT! We have our annual church fundraiser dinner this coming Saturday. It's a black-tie affair, and everyone always dresses to the nines (what the hell does that mean anyway?) So, I thought I'd better try on my suit to see if it still fits. Um, I'd have to say no. I was completely swimming in it. Instead of looking like a dork, I decided to go out and buy a new suit. I must say, the suit I ended up with is very sharp, and I'm pleased. Ended up with a 40R for the jacket, and 32x32 for slacks. It's a black pinstriped suit, very classy. I also bought a maroon-red shirt to wear, and a new black tie. Very cool.

Last week, I also bough some new shorts for the upcoming summer. I tried on all my old shorts and they were also way too big. That's the perils of losing weight, you have to eventually buy a whole new wardrobe. I have been making do with some of my other bigger shirts over the winter, but the shorts definitely are too big, so I didn't have a choice. Size 29 or 30 on the shorts. Yowza! I love it.

I also bought a new winter coat, although I probably won't wear it until next winter. Ha, buy then, I probably will have gained the weight back. NOT! I'm never gaining the weight back. I'd rather die first.

By the way, this morning, I had a wake up weight of 156. That's a legitimate weight. The running I've been doing is burning 400 to 600 calories per run, and that's a lot. I'm eating well, but hopefully, I'm starting to burn some of my fat too. Although, I did get measured for fat content a couple of weeks ago at work through a health drive. That measurement was 18.9% fat. My scale yesterday said I was down to 15%, but this morning, it bounced back up to 20%. I really don't think I can trust that scale, it just doesn't seem to give accurate fat measurements. But, I think my spare tire is looking better, but still a ways to go. Is it possible to be both fat and skinny at the same time? Ha, yes I think I've mastered that with flying colors.

I also did another 3.1 mile run today. I think I've been able to work through my latest round of pain by stretching a few times a day outside of my normal post-run stretch. Tomorrow will probably be a day of rest, and hoping to do a long run on Saturday around 5 miles.

Light Workout Today

Since my calf was hurting a little today so I decided to just do a light 3 mile run at an 11 minute pace, and then did a nice round of stretching in the sauna. Too much too fast. Slow and steady wins the race. Have to keep telling myself that. Ugh.

5 Miles...Like Butta!

Back on the trail today after doing a cross training day yesterday. Actually, yesterday was supposed to be a strength day, but I just wanted to take it easy, so did a 20 minute swim/water run, then just did a little bit of stretching in the sauna. Today, I ran 5 miles at Standing Bear Lake. It was cool and cloudy today, so I decided to buy a pair of lightweight running gloves and hat to wear, and also got a compression long sleeve shirt to wear under my running jacket. I stayed toasty and warm, with a temperature around 41. The first part of the run was harder than I would have thought after my big mileage days this past weekend. But, part of that was probably anxiety too, since I had to run off trail, along the street, in the mud for about 1/2 mile on the west side of the lake. Yuck! Hated that part. Anyhow, quickly got into the groove though, and the miles ticked off after that. My heart rate was a little higher than I would have liked, with a run average of 149 bpm, so I tried to consciously slow it down a little with deep belly breathing, and it helped a little. I am having a little bit of calf pain in my right leg tonight, higher than the pain I had last week. I didn't get to stretch as much as I would have liked after the run, so I probably just tightened up a bit. I just have to keep telling myself everyday, "Slow and steady wins the race." "Complete, not compete."

Heart Rate Zones

I did some research on what exactly heart rate zones are, and at what level I should be training at. I mainly did this to help support my wife who again overdid her run today. She's very competitive, which is a bad thing sometimes and nearly killed herself again today. Well, that's twice in just 8 days now.

Anyhow, we each have our own Forerunner 305 now, which does have a heart rate monitor accessory. I really didn't have an interest in wearing that chest strap monitor, and thought it would be cumbersome and uncomfortable. But, today, I decided to give it a try, and also to try and keep myself in the right zone. I got off work at 4pm, and even though it was only 30 degrees, with 5" of snow still on the ground, I suited up to head out for a trail run. I wore a pair of tights under my running pants, and just a normal shirt under my running jacket, along with a pair of lightweight gloves. I have to admit, I really wasn't that cold. I decided to run on the West Papio trail. It was very icy for the first 1/4 mile, but then it was apparent that the city of Omaha had already cleared it past that. So, I ran out 2.1 miles, turned around and came back. Even though I had already run my long run yesterday, I just wanted to run. I love to run now, and that's just after 4 weeks of training. Strange.

The heart rate monitor worked great. It wasn't as uncomfortable as I had imagined, and I can now see how beneficial it could be to train in the "right" zones. It also was helpful to control my pace, to know whether I could go faster or slower.

So now, I intend to run with the heart rate monitor attached. I'm shooting to do most of my training in zones 3 and 4, with periodic bursts into zone 4, and occasional zone 5 speed work. I'm becoming a fitness freak.

New Milestone of 5.5

Well, I've hit another milestone today. I was able to run 5.5 miles for my long run today, without stopping, and without any trouble. I initially was just going to do a short 3 mile jog, in lieu of doing some cross training. At 30 minutes in, I felt so good that I decided to make this my long run day, so I just continued my pace for another 30 minutes. I believe I was a little dehydrated today as I barely broke a sweat. What's more important, I felt as if I could have kept going, but decided to not push it. Slow and steady wins the race. I was running a 11 minute mile pace, much slower than my previous two runs of 9:30. So, I've proved that if I slow it down a little that I'll have no trouble continuing to increase my long run distance each week. The Lincoln Half Marathon is now 11 weeks away. Still a lot of time, but it will sneek up fast.

Otherwise, we got several inches of snow yesterday, from 6 to 8 in the Omaha metro area. It was a quick moving system and blew in and right back out in a few hours. It was a little depressing since we'd melted of our snow previously, and I had been out running on the local city trails. But, hopefully it won't last long now that we're already moving into the latter half of February.

Another 3.2 miles in the Books

Had a great run along the west trail at Zorinsky Lake today. It was a bright, sunny, mild day. It was a little cool at the start of the run, with temperatures in the 30s, but it quickly warmed into the 40s and I warmed up. I feel as if I'm really able to get into the groove when running now, and am looking more and more forward to getting out on the trails and sidewalks as we get progressively warmer over the next few weeks. It's still hard work, but seems like it's becoming easier as I continue to build up the miles.

The Calm Before the Storm

Well, more snow is on the way, from 5 to 8 inches, coming in tomorrow morning, then exiting tomorrow evening. We've had some very nice days lately, and honestly, I'm ready for spring. The thought of more cold temperatures and heavy snow just makes me sick. Ugh. I hate winter. It could be a long weekend, as I have quick turnarounds on my job, and will have to find time to dig out in between then too. Yuck. But, we could also be facing severe weather if spring had really sprung, which will bring hail, high winds, and tornaodes, and I'm not looking forward to any of that either.

Not Eating Enough

Well, I had a wake-up weight of 155lbs this morning. I think it's clear that I'm not eating enough, since I'm training at least 5 days a week, and burning 400-500 calories per workout. I thought I had been eating well, but probably not well enough. Ideally, I don't really want to gain or lose weight, but just want to maintain.

Had a good 4 mile run today. I wanted to run outside since temperatures were in the 40s, but it was still pretty windy today, so decided to run at the gym instead. I have been taking an Acclerade drink before my workouts, and also Endurox R4 afterwards. They are 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio sports drinks that are supposed to give an extra boost of energy before, and help my muscles to recover after runs. Don't know that I'll ever have any way to measure whether it works or not, but I can use the calories.

The runs themselves have been hard, and I find that I have to dig deep to keep pushing myself. That's probably a good thing. But, I also am finding that I really feel good after the runs, and after a rest period, feel as if I could run again. I'm just hoping that I can keep it up for 13 miles. The training plan I'm following does gradually build up the mileage each successive week on the long run, but the training runs are typically 3 miles in the beginning, then 4 miles, and eventually 5 miles per day. In other words, the calorie consumption will continue to increase, so I need to make sure I'm eating enough so that I'm not losing muscle, and have enough energy in my body to complete the longer distances. I am still eating good things (lean meats, whole grain breads, vegetables, non fat dairy products, fruits, etc), probably just not eating enough.

A Busy Day

Wow, it's been a long day. I got about about 6am because my wife was stirring and woke me up. So, I decided to stay up and go for a road trip. We've been experiencing some ice jam flooding across the area and I wanted to see it for myself. So, I drove up toward Westpoint where the Elkhorn River was out of its banks flooding some of the park in town. Along the way, I grabbed a few geocaches to add to my list. I had intended on getting back home by lunchtime so I could go for an afternoon run around the lake, but thought that since I was already up in northeast Nebraska that I could make a loop and grab a few more geocaches. I'm interested in completing the Nebraska 93 County Challenge (visiting a geocache in every county), and thought it was a great chance to knock out about 5 more counties. So, I didn't get back into town until about 4pm.

No rest for the weary, we went out ro eat at the Hollywood Diner. It was OK, but the sweet potato fries were delicious. We then came home and watched the Biggest Loser (I really do enjoy that show, and it was the inspiration for me losing my weight last year), and then went to the gym at 9pm to run 3.1 miles. So, it's been a long day and my body is ready for sleep. By the way, was able to run my personal best this evening, at a 9:37/mile pace, despite my thinking that it's easier to run earlier in the morning versus late at night. No pain at all, so am glad that I've worked through that, at least for now.

Recovery Day, and Back at It

After our long run on Saturday, we attended a party at a coworkers house. It was a fun party, but we both drank just a little too much and didn't feel well at all on Sunday. Sigh, we never learn, and we say every time we drink that much that we'll never do it again. But, how quickly we forget. Anyhow, Sunday was spent lying around recovering.

Today, I was back at the gym, running as normal. No pain today at all, and I was able to run 4 miles in 40 minutes, a solid 10 minute mile. Yeehaw! My wife on the other hand is now coming down with a bad cold, after her asthma attack on Saturday. This will put even more of a delay in her training. No rest for the weary though, if we intend to get our training in before the Lincoln half. It's now 12 weeks away, so there's no time to waste. Am still concerned whether my wife can do it or not though. She says she can, and can be quite stubborn about such things, and said she'll complete it if it kills her. Somehow, I believe it.

Today's Long Run Felt Good

Well, I just couldn't let a good day go to waste. Temperatures were in the mid 50s and the skies were sunny and bright. After a lot of stretching yesterday, my lower calf muscle felt really good today. So, I decided to try my long run around the east loop of Lake Zorinsky. The first mile gave me some minor pain in my lower left ankle on the front, but no pain on my right lower calf. Amazing. So, I ran. The loop itself is paved asphalt, and is a really nice trail, but there still are patches of ice (despite the warm temperatures, with a new record high yesterday), and lot of snowmelt running onto the trail too. Sure gave my shiny white Nike shoes a run for their money, guess they can't stay clean and new forever. Only stopped running when I hit the occasional ice patch. Anyhow, 4.5 miles later, I had completed the loop and was back at my car. The run felt good, time passed, I wasn't huffing and puffing, and it just felt, well, good! In fact, it felt great! I just love how I feel after a run, with a sense of accomplishment, a sense of "can do", and feel so proud of myself. Still seems strange that just 3 or 4 weeks ago, I didn't really "enjoy" my running, and looked at is as a chore. Today, I was excited. I was excited to be outside. I was excited to meet other runners on the trail. I was excited to hear the GPS watch tick off each mile and to be able to look at my pace. In fact, I wish I could have done more. Just have to remember, slow and steady wins the race. Complete, not compete! One odd thing, I saw a woman riding her horse on the Zorinsky trail. Didn't think that was allowed since it's such a crowded trail with runners, walkers, and bikers. Seemed a little dangerous to me.

My wife did her long run today too, but she didn't have as good of luck. She has asthma, and today really hit her hard. In fact, when she got home, I was very concerned since she was still huffing and puffing (a good 20 minutes after her run), and couldn't catch her breath. I feared for her life for a minute, and have significant concerns whether she can complete the half marathon or not. She's going to her asthma doctor next week to discuss her options, and possibly adjust her meds if necessary. She's been dealing with severe asthma for the last 4 years or so. It has gotten significantly better since then, but perhaps this is too much.

Pain is Decreasing...

Well, today was a scheduled rest day anyhow, but it was hard since it warmed into the lower 60s. I ached to get out and run today, but knew I had to take it easy. I started an extended stretching routine today, to try and frequently stretch my lower calves. I did stop by the local Running Store, Peak Performance, to ask whether or not my shoes needed inserts. They felt that the pain was 1) expected, 2) sounded as if it wasn't that bad, and 3) think I should not train as hard. This evening, the pain is almost gone, but the muscle and tendon are still tight. So, perhaps the stretching is helping. Of course, not putting the strain on it with additional training is helping too. The PP guy did suggest I use a heel lift in my shoe to help take the strain off the muscle when I'm walking around too, so perhaps I'll stop at Walgreens to see what they have. He suggested that if I'm still having trouble in a week or two, to come back in to possibly look at different shoes. I'm using Nike Air Pegasus 25+ shoes now, and they feel good, but if they are they are the cause of the problem, I would definitely consider changing. It's kind of weird that I was a bit anxious to get out and run today, since only 3 weeks ago, I approached my runs with some trepidation. Even with the pain yesterday, I otherwise felt really good, before, during, and after the run, and was excited to be outside running for the first time. Just wish I could have taken advantage of the warmer weather today, but these days will come again soon.

Lower Calf Strain

Here we go again. I'm a dumbass! Yesterday, I complained about some minor pain in my lower right calf. Well, today, the pain had diminished. It was still there, but just barely noticeable, so I decided to do a light run to see how it felt. Plus, it was bright and sunny and temperatures had warmed into the mid 40s, and I was extremely anxious to not waste the day. So, I put on the Forerunner 305 (GPS pedometer) and went for a light jog through the neighborhood. First, let me say that the run felt awesome. It felt good to NOT be running on that stupid treadmill, and the time seemed to pass by very quickly. The Forerunner watch was cool and worked flawlessly and definitely glad we made the purchase (now we might have to buy another one, hmmm). The pain in my calf wasn't too bad, just a low dull ache, but I was able to run through it. At about mile 2.4, it hurt a little more, so I walked for a couple of minutes, but was able to start running again and completed 3.1 miles (5k). This was after being awake for 17 hours, so it was my evening, and it just felt good. The bright sunshine sure helps knock down the case of SAD I've had the last couple of days.

Now, back to this pain. After a 5 hour nap, my lower calf is tight, just like it was yesterday. It's not an extreme pain, just sore. After doing some research, it seems that I may have just strained it, or it could be a case of Achilles Tendinitis. The cause is probably the combination of not enough stretching, too much mileage and too many hills too fast, and possibly the way I run (over pronating more than my shoes allow). I did test my foot type and it seemed to be neutral, and my shoes fit that profile, but perhaps when I run, that changes. I believe there are some shoe inserts that I can use to try and fix that. Anyhow, the remedy is RICE, or rest, ice, compression, and elevation, taking a break from training, and more (a lot) stretching.

I've come so far, and I'm actually looking forward to the running now, and certainly don't want to back down, especially if the weather is nice. But, if I'm injured, it will only get worse and I'll never get back on track. So, despite my anxiousness about continuing my training, I guess I'll have to ease off for a few days and let this heal.

In retrospect, I definitely have pushed it too much. I still have 12 weeks left, and I've been able to accomplish a lot more in just 3 weeks of training than I ever had envisioned, so taking a few days off now is probably not the end of the world. Slow and steady wins the race.

No Pain, No Gain...Um No Way!

There's that old adage, "No Pain, No Gain." But, that doesn't sound fun. Today, during my training run, I started to get a sharp pain in my right calf about halfway through. At that point, I decided to ease down, and end the workout since I didn't want to strain any of my muscles any further. I had run about 2.3 miles, short of my 3 mile goal, but at the same time, you can't train if you're injured. I was doing a hill-setting on the treadmill, running about 6.3 mph when I started to notice the pain, so perhaps it was just too much too fast, and was my body's way of telling me to back off. So I did. I also really started to stretch after my 4 mile run yesterday too, so perhaps I just put too much stress on that calf muscle. Now, it's not that I can't walk, or have a limp, it's just that my right calf muscle feels tight, even well after the workout. So, I'll give it a couple of days to heal and will begin again. The run was particularly hard today since I felt as if I had the weight of the world on my shoulders, and just couldn't let it go. I was also tired, after only getting about 5 hours sleep (stress will do that), so all in all, it just wasn't a good day. Temperatures are supposed to warm into the mid 50s the next couple of days. While that sounds like a great opportunity to get out on some local trails here in Omaha, I'll just have to take it easy and not overdo it.

Out of Control

Have you ever woken up one day and realized that your life is controlling you, instead of you controlling your life? I feel like that sometimes, that I'm on a path that I wouldn't have chosen, but because of circumstances, events, family, and friends, or just fate, sometimes the choices are already made for you. I'm sure everyone has been to this point to some degree, whether we realize it or not. Am I to the point where I can't make significant changes? Probably not. Am I at the point where I can make subtle nudges. Definitely. Will I ever regain control of my life, rather than my life controlling me? Perhaps. But in the end, it's up to me, and ultimately, I hope to regain control of my life and get back on the right path. What does all this mean? Who knows. It's late, I'm tired, grouchy, and just in an overall bad mood. Again, life controlling me, instead of the other way around.

Time to Shop

I’m not a shopper. Sure, I like to spend money like everyone else, but when it comes to shopping, I usually try to get in and get out. Today, I went shopping. I should have went to the gym, but decided to do some shopping instead. While it was a productive day, I did come home frustrated with a few things.

First, I need a new pair of headphones for my Ipod. The pair dates back to my original Ipod shuffle from a few years ago, and they are basically shot. Left earbud is blown out, yadya yadya yadya. Since I primarily use it for working out and yardwork, I decided to try the Nike Skylon headphones. They were a little pricey, but upon reading reviews after I got home, they generally don’t receive good marks. Ugh. Should I try them anyhow, or take them back and not risk it.

Second, I decided to get another workout outfit, since I’m really sweating during my marathon training workouts. Previously, I wouldn’t sweat a lot, and thus could stretch the washing for a couple of days, etc. But now that I’m sweating a ton, I need to wash more frequently. To help in that matter, more clothes are needed. I have about 4 good sets now, but think 1 more will really help. I’m pretty particular about my workout clothes, and wear only Nike Dry Fit. So, I bought a shirt at Kohls and a pair of shorts at Dicks Sporting Goods. But, the colors don’t match. They were both the navy blue, but the shirt is a lot darker than the shorts, and it looks tacky. So, will have to try to find a darker pair of shorts tomorrow so it doesn’t clash so much. Ha, I’m so vain.

I also bought a new pair of jeans. I have a couple of Levis 560 jeans, which have a really baggy seat, and they drive me nuts. So, I bought a pair of Levis 505 jeans, which are the regular fit jean, size 31x34. They fit great! I also grabbed a pair of new walking-around-shoes at Dicks. Got a pair of Asics shoes on clearance. They are the low-end running shoes. Definitely wouldn’t want to use them for my training, but they are good enough for everyday shoes. My previous pair is now a year old, and have a lot of miles on them, so time to relegate them to the yard shoes. I also bought underwear today. But, I’m not happy with them. They are too big, and I should have bought a smaller size (bought medium, but should have bought small). Can’t return them now that I’ve worn them (ha), so will just have to wash them in really hot water a few times to shrink them down. I also bought a new dress shirt and a new belt, to wear to our church annual dinner fundraiser in a couple of weeks. Arriving in another day or two in the mail are a couple pair of Dockers Khaki slacks. I can’t get the size I need in any store, so decided to just order them direct from their website.

So yes, I shopped.

20.1 Miles This Past Week

Week 2 of the training is complete, with a total of 20.1 miles on the treadmill. I did my second long run today, of 4.2 miles, in 45 minutes. That's not bad, and I just have to keep telling myself, "baby steps." Remember, Complete, not Compete! Amazing how that one letter (l) can make a huge difference. I've registered for the Lincoln 1/2, so now there's no backing out, although my registration hasn't shown up yet on the Lincoln Marathon roster list. Bring it on!