Running Through Life

Kids came up on the 21st for Xmas. She sent them up (when it wasn't my legal time) so that she could keep the kids on my weekend to have Xmas down there to benefit her familys schedule. Which ruined things for me.

I had already discussed Xmas to be the weekend of the 29th (my weekend) at Thanksgiving with them. Expecially since I and grandma both had to work on Monday. But alas, the divorce papers are only to be followed by me.

So Xmas was ok. Kids were happy with all their things. Had Xmas with my better half and what a fantastic Xmas. First, as you know, shebought 2 tickets to a Steelers game and hotel. Then she gets me 2 Terrible Towels, Rooney's book and a few others things. Then there is the Craftsman tool chest. Huge. Black. Awesome. Like her. Always.

Saturday, December 29th training.
4 miles.
That's all.
Meadowbrook Park.
2 laps around park plus another four-tenths.

Well the first lap was ok. Got to the south end of the park (where the naked girlie statue is) and my knee starts twinging. Painful lightning bolts of pain trying to wrench my patella off. I ran through it, but it kept coming back. Hopefully it will not be my undoing 2 mils into the Siberian Express.

Still I got 4.2 miles completed in about 45 minutes. With the knee pain running is difficult.
I need to to some weekday running to complement my weekend running. This coming week also starts our mid-week (Wednesday) training. Hopefully by getting tough for one week I can tough out the Siberian and crack a PR. Hopefully run under 90 minutes. A PR means run better than 83 minutes.

2006 I ran 1 hr 23 m and 36.4 seconds. A lofty goal for this year.

We will know...
in a week.

Date - Saturday, December 22, 2007
Weather - 46 degrees, clear skies, strong south wind 15 - 20 mph

Me - tired, legs feel like jello before I started. Going to be a miserable 50 minute run mentality.

ok - 51 minutes later and i managed 4.75 miles. 10:45 pace.

tweaked my left knee somewhere around 4 miles. didn't land on anything just stepped wrong. tired, but not breathing exceptionally hard. I did walk a lot so I guess the distance isn't too bad. Need to see if my Ironman is fixable and start using it.

Siberian Express coming up in 2 weeks and not even close to being ready. Goal - 90 minutes and that could be pushing it. Should be able to hang with Tom for the first half. He has been working out and runnin on a treadmill. He will be ready.

I only hope I can muster my goal.

Bad news - Willie Parker broke his leg and is out for the season. This will make the playoffs difficult at best.

As noted earlier VGFatboy and i headed to St. Louis for a night of football and beer. It was wonderful. Acouple hours of driving down with the Hook and reminiscing over the years past. how our lives have changed and how we have adjusted to the roller coaster thrill rides we have been fortunate to survive.

All in all I feel that we both have become better, more humble individuals because of the travels we have been forced to complete. Sometimes, it is like we were hobbits just forced along by forces stronger than ourselves. Sometimes, like explorers of the past (Magellan, Columbus, Aldrich or Kirk) forging in to the unknown, unsure of anything except the possibility of adventure.

But I am sure that both of us took from the roadtrip a bit of extra serenity and peace. A small but noticeable bit of warmth spreading through our souls. A quietness that has quekked some of the uneasyness we all feel from time to time. And with this we can go on again and start solving the worlds problems or least locate that damn remote control again.

VGFatboy and I traveled to St. Louis, saw a great football and drank some really expensive beer. Not great beer just costly. $8.75 for 24 ozs. But drank we did. Went to Sundeckers and ShowMe's (though no one showed us anything). It was kinda like going to a Hooters. They advertise hooters, talk about hooters on the menu. But do you ever see a hooter. I have only seen hooters at a Hooter's once. And I had to travel to Amsterdam to see them.

False advertising. Should have been ShowMe's NOT!!!

thank you again special lady, lover and friend.

to steal a phrase fom Mike Myers - pinky finger pointing to corner of mouth.

Well I got an early Christmas present yesterday (since I am writing this at 4:47am Thursday). My wonderful girlfriend got me 2 tickets to the Steelers - Rams game in St. Louis for tonite and a free stay at the Crowne Plaza. Awesome baby!!!

And as an added bonus VGFatboy gets to go with me. Awesome baby!!!

Now if ony the Steelers can start playing some better offense...

She is a dreamy woman.

Today was 40 minutes of training. 31 degrees, snow and a fairly stiff breeze out of the east. Of course the trail was snow covered but fine. Until the snow plow drove down and created some slick spots. Met the mentor for this season and he is faster and in better shape than me. Figures. Ran with him for the first lap (1.8 miles) then faded back. I got two laps done in 41 minutes. About 11:23/mile - 3.6 miles.

Now this week I have to start the weekly runs because the Saturday runs are going to get longer quicker. And with the Siberian Express (7.45m) coming up in three weeks I must train. I must train.

I MUST TRAIN!!!!

So train it was said, train it was written and train it shall be done.

The winds have been blowing for almost two weeks but nary a glimpse of changes little ass. Granted I joined TNT again. I ran the first team training - 2.8 miles in 30 minutes - last Saturday. But I did not complete the individual training on Monday. I did 10 minutes out of the prescribed 40 minutes. I just couldn't go on. My legs felt like jello, pudding, molasses. You get the picture.

Tuesday was a cross training day and I sat on the couch and read the Sunday paper, watched House, watched my girlfriend decorate the Christmas tree. Wait, I did cross train. I went in the attic and handed down all the christmas decoration boxes. Maybe that counts. I also painted a small bathroom floor with adhesive remover and then scrapped it clean. About 20 minutes on my knees. Woot! Woot! I did cross train.

Today is Wednesday. There is probably another 40 minutes of running on the schedule; I haven't looked. Maybe I can squeak something in. I have a treadmill at my disposal. I have almost $200 in new winter running gear (there goes Jake's christmas). I could go outside and run. Right!!??

We will see. I have always been a slow starter. The Siberian Express is coming up in January as well. VGFatBoy you up for it??? :)

I read an article in Runner's World today and it reminded me of my best friend. He is doing something extraordinary now as he has been for the last few months. I hope he doesn't think it is anywhere degrading because I mean it with all my heart. I love you like family bro'.

Here is part of the story by John Bingham....
Have you ever noticed that when the friends and neighbors of someone accused of committing a horrible crime are interviewed, they always say the same thing: "I can't believe he did it. He seemed so normal."

I'm quite sure that if anyone had interviewed my friends and neighbors when I first started running, they would have offered much the same response. I'm sure that they couldn't understand why this middle-aged, overweight man was out there running and walking nearly every day. It just wouldn't have seemed normal.

The truth is, it didn't seem normal to me either. Normal was coming home from work, drinking a beer or 12, having a bag of chips and a half pack of cigarettes, and then eating dinner. Normal was being as stationary as possible for as long as possible.

I'm often asked what happened. People want to know how and why a seemingly normal man starts running at middle age. They want there to be some grand design, some elegantly articulated plan to change my life. They want there to be a reason. There wasn't. There isn't. Like an out-of-left-field felon, I think I just came face-to-face with the stranger deep in my psyche. The difference was that my stranger didn't want me to do something bad; it wanted me to do something good.

Here is the link to the full story http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-332--12340-0,00.html

Love you bro'. You are an inspiration. I hope I can do as well.

Well the winds blow and I stood like a mighty redwood and did not break or change.
Monday night football was a drunken mess again - though I spent less than $15. I guess that is a change.

Had a great weekend in Chicago with the kids, Chris and Allyson. Went to the aquarium and Field Museum.

Been busy at work this week which makes the owner happy.

So maybe, a small change. Afterall, I wouldn't want to change too much or too fast. I should be able to make the changes last years.

Saint Joe is in the elite 8 again. They ahve been ranked number in theor class all year and have been proving it. In the first round they sounded defeated Rockford Christian Life 52 - 7. In the second round (Sweet 16), the Wildcats of Wilmington tried to stop the number 1 ranked Spartans.

After a rousing entry onto the field accompanied by Harleys, smoke and fireworks, the Wildcats were given a short filed to work with. SJ shanked the kickoff and left Wilmington at the 45. They quickly took advantage of it and marched in for 7. The was the last time Wilmington would see their end zone. SJ scored the next 26 points to move into the Elite 8 versus the Plano Reapers.

Reapers... come on, like in death or picking corn. :) But actually, Plano is a familar foe. SJ lost last year's championship to them 47 - 42. Hopefully, this time the score will be in favor of the Spartans. We will find out this coming Saturday.

Had a race on Sunday, in Allerton Park, at 11:00 am. Or so thought I. 10:35am arrives my entourage and me. Race over. Apparently, it started at 9 am. The first race I have missed.

That was too to be my new beginning, my entry to a new sunrise, a new millenium, a new vision. Oh well, so much for new.

Been a busy week. Some stroking here and there and had my ears lowered drastically. She even trimmed my eyebrows, cut the hair out of my ears and massaged my head for 5 minutes. I was in heaven. Not quite but it felt really good. I can understand why women go to thrse salons to be pampered.

What's the DIFFERENCE???

They look the same.
They do the same job.
They use the same cutting blade.
They make the same shaped hole.

So, what is the difference, you ask.
About $100...
100 greenbacks...
a C-note...
half a days pay (gross pay)

That's all.


On a grander note, it is the start of Football playoffs here in Illinois. The might Spartans of Saint Joseph-Ogden host the Eagles of Rockfor Christian Life. The Eagles are 5 - 4 (as they usually are). A small independent Christian school that should pose no challenge the Spartans this year.

The Spartans are appearing in their 17th consecutive playoff year and hopefully will follow that journey to the state championship. Check here each week for my prediction for the week.


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btw... if you squeeze something hard enough it makes noises... ega

Bamboo - Exotic, renewable and green. Yes, green, Green, GREEN!!! evil manical laughter should be heard....

Laying a new hallway floor with bamboo. It smells good. It is pretty. It is easily renewable. Soon instead of piles of bamboo planks lying all over the frontroom they will be placed neatly in rows and nailed to the floor.

Bought a new hardwood flooring cleat nailer for the job as well. Expensive nailer, actually, a stapler. Bought 7000 staples to go with it. Haven't used it yet, but I think it will be fun. You hook air up to it and then hit it with a special mallet. Before picture coming soon.

Well, daily postings are late, so are weekly postings. Maybe I can keep up with a monthly posting. Who knows.

Land, land, land...that's all I can think about. I am going to make an offer on some land. 20 acres of land. It isn't exactly where I want to be, but land s hard to find in small parcels like this. Sure if I want 80, 147 or more I can find it. Or teeny pieces like an acre or 2 or 3. But I need 10 or more and this 20 spot is nice. So make an offer make I will, says Yoda.

Running...haven't started. Want to? Yes. Maybe I can try by walking first.

Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon profressor dying in the next months few months realized one of his boyhod dreams. Practicing with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Read the article here, http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/multimedia/s_530835.html and watch his final lecture about achieving childhood dreams from September here (1h 25m long), http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5700431505846055184&q=randy+pausch&pr=goog-sl


Remember we all have dreams and we shouldn't step on anyone's lest we step on our own first and foremost.

John "the Penguin" Bingham is an inspiration to many runners. Mostly slow runers like myself, but I can imagine a good amount of fast runners read his column as well. He is very knowledgeable and entertaining in his columns. And from just reading one now, I wanted to give an excerpt to something I found to be very inightful....

Running on the wrong side of the tracks
I've run over 30 marathons, so I'm not a rookie. I've read most of the training programs out there. I know the names of all the workouts. I know about building mileage and tapering and having a race strategy. But no one EVER mentioned what to do if you're stopped by a train during a marathon.

Here's the scene: Portland, Oregon on as pretty a day for running a marathon as you can imagine. Crisp air, blue skies.... read the complete column here - http://www.waddleon.com/JBRNEWS/PortlandMarathon.htm

Anyway, I liked it and so should you.

That's right Smallville, Clark Kent, studette Supergirl, Lois and Chloe. How could the night get any better? Well, I know how, but I am trying to keep my comments to NC-17. Maybe, a little channel surfing to the Kentucky game. Speaking of games how bout them ILLINI.

ILL

...................................................................................INI

Playing Saturday for moe respect than they have been given in years. And I for one, believe we (they) can beat the Badgers of Wisonsin. Afterall, I will be IN da HOUSE..

Kennekuk Road Runners annual Wild Wilderness run was last Sunday. Tom and I finished. I in 1:29 and Tom in 1:42. Not minutes, 1 hour and 29 minutes. Yes, not good, not ok. Just plain ole excruciating time. Monday for me was painful, Tuesday was painful, today is ok. I could go jog again. Will I? After a hearty chuckle, no. But both of us have a race this month - Allerton Park 5.5 miler. We should jog so that the pain of monday and Tuesday isn't repeated. Usually Tom and I falter in learning this lesson.

Maybe next year. VGFatBoy has set a goal time for next year. I am more likely to win the lottery or climb Mt. Everest than run the Wild in under 1 hour. but if it helps him in believing such fantasies who am I to quibble.

This is my last time around and I am glad. Starting running again tomorrow. Race at Kickapoo on Sunday. 7.45 miles that winds around and up and down. A feet even for that ancient dude that started the marathon. But Tom and I will go and conquer.