Wonderducky's Running

2009-03-11T11:28:00.000-07:00

Holy Smokes, I saw a Duck running a RACE.

We shall begin with the big news. I ran the Women's Center Race Against Violence last Saturday. It was a fun 5K race. I did it slowly, but I did it. I watched as Katrina and Esme quickly left me in the dust. I thought I was starting slowly, but I guess the race excitement got me a bit pepped up because my first mile was 6:37. I wanted to see if it was possible to run 7's, but thought I would run 7:20's or so. I ended up running the race in 21:36 which put me just under a 7 minute pace - so that was good. Of course my last mile was a 7:17 so I was fading. I would not have wanted to run a 4 mile race.

I have also managed to run a few times a week. This morning I did 5 at the Park. I did not realize that the Tennis Center is closed and that I would not be able to take a shower. The fitness center had a shower, but I think I will skip that one in the future. Not so nice, but since I had a meeting downtown I really thought a shower was required.

I did 4 yesterday and 3 on Sunday. Not too bad considering how out of shape I am. My knee does bark some and my leg muscles get really tight, but I am working on it. I roll on my fit ball at least once a day and sometimes a lot more than once.

My buddy Tom is trying to get a team together for the Beach to Bay Relay and in a very rare move, I have said that I will do it. I do not commit to things this early very often. Of course if I am to be on the team, it will be a fun team and not a competitive team.

This should be the world's greatest blog entry since I started it early this morning and am now finishing it at 4 in the afternoon. This work thing gets in the way. Come to think of it, sitting at my desk makes my hamstrings tighten up and then that makes my knee hurt. I need to think some more about this.

Happy Trails......

2009-02-19T08:12:00.000-08:00

Acupuncture.

OK now I am trying acupuncture. I have gone twice and it is a strange thing. I think it is helping, but I still reserve judgment. You have to wonder about having needles stabbed into your glute, hip, all the way down your IT Band, knee and shin/calf. You wonder a bit more when some of those needles are then hooked up to a car battery so your muscles can be shocked/triggered/tortured/contracted once a second for about 20 minutes.

Seriously, I think this might help, but I also think that the amount of home exercises and strengthening I do will be more important. I think the acupuncture is like muscle activation, but with electricity - a bit of a joke, but I do think the ideas of activating the muscles are similar. Hopefully the acupuncture will end up relaxing the muscles to the point where they can then be strengthened.

I don't know why I am posting this other than I have not posted anything since Thanksgiving.

2008-11-28T10:09:00.000-08:00

2008 Dallas Turkey Trot

I ran in my new Texas A&M jersey that Kent gave me this week. It looked even more silly if I ran in running shorts because it hangs down so low that it looked like I was in a skirt or running naked on the bottom. I chose to wear my sweatpants. The run got quite warm by the time I got about 2 miles into the run. By six miles, I was ready to eat. By eight miles I was ready to eat, get out of the sweats and jersey and get a nice cool one.

All in all, it was a very successful run. I have not run 8 miles in many, many months. It felt good to be out running. It just would not have been Thanksgiving without the Turkey Trot. The Turkey Trot would not have been the same if I only ran the 3 mile run after so many years of doing the 8 miler. I decided that I would just have fun and start at 9 minute miles and maybe work down to 8's. The first mile was 8:19 and felt easy. It was packed and I started pretty far back. I decided that I would just run by feel, but go ahead and run a bit quicker while still holding back. I did that through the rest of the race. I had fun and gave a lot of pep talks and tried to get some "WHOOPS" from other Aggies. It was going to be the only time that Aggies would get to do any "WHOOPING." The rest of my mile splits were: 2) 7:49, 3) 7:47, 4) 7:32, 5) 7:46, 6) 7:49, 7) 7:31, 8) 7:14. Total 1:02:10 and a 7:46 pace. Not bad for having so much fun and running in a 20 pound jersey.

My legs are a bit sore from the extra miles and all of it being run on the concrete. Most all of my runs have been on soft trails. Maybe if I can keep up my exercises and some running, I could get in some semblance of shape.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!

2008-11-19T09:58:00.000-08:00

3 more miles recorded last night in the nice cool weather. Ran them with Kent who was kind enough to stop by on his way home. Having someone to make you run helps the cause.

I always run the Turkey Trot in Dallas on Thanksgiving. It is just something I have been doing since High School. It is as much a part of Thanksgiving as turkey. I would like to run the 8 mile race because I don't think I have ever run the 5K. I think it will be a race-time decision. Whatever is chosen - I will be running it very slowly.

2008-11-17T08:09:00.000-08:00

FAST CHICKS!!!

I get to hang around with fast chicks. This weekend Anna smoked the SA Marathon getting 3rd in her division and dropping her PR by 8 or 9 minutes! Rumor has it that she is older than I am, but she keeps getting faster and I am simply lucky to make it around the track at all.

Anna's most recent run made me think about the fast chicks I have the pleasure of running around with. I could certainly add more and this list is not exclusive. I say that so that I won't offend anyone that I leave off, but to offend someone, people would have to actually read this blog - so I should be very safe. So, here are some pictures of FAST CHICKS.

I don't really have action shots because I am still out on the course when these girls finish, but I do have some pictures. Here is Anna getting ready for the Boston Marathon. Even better - you get the trifecta - Anna, Esme and Katrina. Talk about FAST. Anna just rocked her 3:11:08. Talk about "Rock" - Esme was 3rd Overall Woman at the White "Rock" Marathon - Half Marathon. I can't even really write about Kat. She has run in the Olympic Trials, and was the first American in the World Half Marathon Championships in a time so fast I can't keep up on my bike.

Here is Esme just hangin' around looking fast. She then saunters over to chat with her friends from Italy. The lady she is chatting with is Bruna Genovese who happened to place 3rd Overall Woman at the Boston Marathon the same weekend that this picture was taken.

I think most people will rocognize this next one. Joan was eating in the same restaurant we were. She has no idea who I am, but I took the picture anyway and she did not come punch my nose or break my camera, so she must be a very nice lady.

Next is Bonnie Jo. She talked me into joining my running club and wins so many races it is not even funny. She won Overall Masters Woman at the Houston Half Marathon.

So there are a few of the fast chicks that will tolerate me. On a personal note - I did run 3 miles yesterday. Baby steps, but steps nonetheless.

Happy Trails!

2008-11-07T07:21:00.000-08:00

Holy Molly BatGirl my body is revolting again. I go out and run a few times and then WHAM! I now have a darn cold, an oooozzzzing cyst on my leg and pulled muscles from coughing. I don't know how my legs are doing because I can get no bio-feedback on those problems because the pathways are clogged with all of this other garbage. The cold came on early Tuesday and put a damper on watching the election returns. It was still a fascinating night. It will be wild four years, but I am hopeful.

My goal is to get back to some regular running and try for the half marathon at Houston. It would be good to just back to some regular training.

Happy Trails and good luck to all of the people racing!!!

2008-11-03T07:28:00.000-08:00

I ran over 3 miles on Saturday and got up did a bit over 2 this morning. Maybe, just maybe I can start to do a little build up. Slow and steady. Slow and steady. My old body looks and feels like this first picture of Norman. All of the young pups are tormenting me and causing my old legs to putter out.

I am hoping I will revive and get back in the game a little bit. Maybe I can make everyone else carry a big stick.

Then I might be able to let the wind blow in my face as I fly down the road.

Happy Trails my compatriots!!!

2008-10-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

I have done physical therapy. I have done muscle activation. I have done exercises. I am not sure any of it is helping, but I think I shall run one mile today. Oh boy. One mile. I think I will take Clyde with me to make it more fun. He will love running one mile while I will be thinking, "why bother running just one mile." If all goes well, I might do it again tomorrow!

2008-06-09T07:59:00.000-07:00

And this will wrap up the pictures from Esme and Bill from the trip down to Surfside with the dogs. We drove down early in the morning, but left about 20 minutes too late to be on the beach for the sunrise. Therefore Bill and Esme had to settle for pictures of the dogs playing. This was the last cool morning of the year and they got a picture of me frezzing my tahoochie off out in the water, but I left that one out since it did not include a dog. Maybe I will run again in the not too distant future.

2008-06-09T07:56:00.001-07:00

More pictures from Esme and Bill.

2008-06-09T07:49:00.001-07:00

Updating my blog, but it is nothing related to running. Just some great dog pictures taken by Esme and Bill from a quick morning trip to the beach. It was cold and the dogs loved it. Esme and Bill get all of the picture credit.

2008-04-25T09:19:00.000-07:00

A Dead Duck in Boston

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I could write out a long report (and likely will eventually), but Boston took its revenge on me this year. This was Boston number 5 (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006) and I had always run strong races in the previous versions. Factors beyond my control (mixed with my own stubbornness) conspired to humble me and my ambitions. I can no longer say that I have never bonked in a marathon.

I had a bit of bronchitis, was still on antibiotics, had not run in a week and half and only 3 times the last 3 weeks. I tore up the trials course watching an incredible day of racing. Those women were awesome and worth the trip alone. That afternoon I was exhausted and my legs were actually sore. I chalked it up to some dead legs from lack of fine tuning and drank a few glasses of wine. Got in bed by 11:30 and up at 4:45.

Met up with the FE crew by the tennis courts, but left before the picture and did not make it back in time. Joined the sub3 group about 2 minutes before the start. The pace felt fast. I held on for a few miles and then began making deals with myself. OK, no sub3, but dial it back and then try a negative split. OK, there will not likely be a negative split, but keep a solid pace. OK, keep a solid pace through Wellesley. I actually accomplished that one. Wellesley was a blast and I soaked it in. They love it when you blow kisses.

Ok, try and run decently until the top of heartbreak. How about just keep running until the top of heartbreak? Settle for keep running until you get to the Newton hills. Another goal accomplished. I should have learned to keep setting easier goals. I really did not want to resort to walking, but it was going to happen. My breathing had been bad since early in the race. It just hurt in my diaphragm and down into my stomach. I guess three weeks of coughing is not the best race prep. My legs were toast and my right knee was screaming (it was surgically repaired in August). I saw a buddy who had been one of the pacers for the 3 hour group. He was in serious pain and we walked a while together.

I mostly jogged on in, but boy was I being passed by everyone. I suspect that I will later find a wave2 bib that beat me (not just by chip time, but to the finish line). I bet someone from wave 2 ran a 3:06ish. I was cramping and miserable, but made it to the bags and then stumbled into the Park Plaza Hotel because it was close. I collapsed against a wall in their lobby for 20 minutes. I had to find some youg and fresh runner to pull my butt off of the floor. I then found the HP party and had a coke and a beer before walking the mile back to my hotel.

Now for the horrible stats.

5k ------ 21:06
10k ----- 42:48
15k-----1:05:00
20k-----1:27:52
half-----1:32:55
25k-----1:51:39
30k-----2:17:49
35k-----2:51:41
40k-----3:23:59
finish---3:36:30

We had dinner at Grill23 - great place. Cheruiyot was eating there too. One of our friends was celebrating his 50th Bday that day and Cheruiyot was super nice and patient in taking a photo and making small talk. My friend was a bit embarrassed that someone bothered him. A really cool thing - when Cheruiyot left he received a standing ovation. Our very Bostonish waiter said that was only the 2nd time something like that had happened there. The other one was for Bill Russell. We ended up at an Irish pub drinking and listening to music while watching some Canadian chicks dance like they had jogged a 5k. They had zipped through the marathon and were then schooling me in how to drink beer.

The Boston Marathon is AWESOME!

2008-04-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

An Old Boston Report from 2006 to get in the spirit! A picture of the Citgo sign. Ah, to only have one mile left...On to the old report.

I always begin these reports with caveat that the report may be long and many details are just for me to remember those details later. Please skim past any portions that may be (and likely are) boring.

Also, here is a link to some pictures. I tried to put some of the Forum pictures and race pictures near the front, but they are otherwise just a hodgepodge of pictures from the trip. You should be able to go to the link and select that you wish to view the pictures without signing in.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=h07keh7.7cer18zn&Uy=l6mda5&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0

Now, on to the report.

Wow, Boston is a great marathon. This was my 4th year in a row and I was hoping for some nice weather. We finally got a good day to run. Going into the race I had hopes of running a Sub 3 as a repeat of my effort 3 months earlier in Houston. My training between Houston and Boston was far less than optimal, but I had a good group of training buddies to run with both in training and in the race. Tom was ramping up his training quickly and avoiding injury at the same time in an effort to make a Sub 3 assault along with me, Jay (who did Houston with me) and Eric. Eric was trying to springboard from Houston into better fitness (and no injuries) for Boston.

Unfortunately my training took some serious hits along the way. I was planning on decent training for about 10 weeks and then tapering. I thought that I would have good carry over training from Houston and that I would be able to make a good go at it. I never really did get the feel for training again and most of my runs felt like a chore. I went on a ski trip and came back with a tight calf. I also had some other health issues knock me out a bit during what should have been my peak training. My 10 weeks of mileage leading into my taper were 20, 31, 39, 36, 47, 25, 16, 0, 47, and 48. Ouch - this is the first time I have analyzed that (31 mpw avg).

Those last 2 weeks of 47 and 48 gave me hope that I had maintained more fitness than I had thought and I felt like I was back in the game. Tom had rounded into form fairly well, but was just very uncertain of whether he had done enough since his training duration was so limited. We both had about 10 weeks, but I had my base of training from Houston whereas he was starting from scratch. Jay was having some hamstring and back issues and Eric was still fighting some injuries as well. We were a very nervous group, but stubborn enough to go for it anyway.

I was camping out in Boston with Jay at the Club Quarters while Tom and Eric were staying with their lovely wives in the luxurious Jury's Hotel. We all arrived safely and had an absolute blast hanging out Saturday and Sunday. I will skip past our adventures and get to race day.

Jay and I woke up at 6am and went next door for some pancakes. Unfortunately the dang restaurant was out of pancake mix and bagels. A bowl of Cheerios would have to suffice. We made our way over to the Park Plaza Hotel where the HP buses were waiting to take us to the start. I managed to find Tom and Eric to give them my pup tent for their lounging pleasure in the village. The bus ride was uneventful, but it was nice to have a restroom on board. Once we got to the village we were able to come and go from the bus and use the restroom which made it a little more convenient.

I met up with the RW Forum folk for my first FE. I am not going to try to mention the names because I will forget too many of them. Please help in ID'ing the people in the group photo and I will add their names to the title of the picture. I was able to eat a banana and one poptart and I packed 4 vanilla gu's into my shorts for the race.

The plan was for me and Jay to move to the back of corral 2 and to meet up with Tom, Eric, Wayne and Jake in the front of corral 3. We also met up with Bama Dave and JWD1113. The plan worked out and we were all able to start together. I ditched my long sleeve shirt and gloves before the start and we were finally moving. It took a little over a minute to reach the start and then we were running. I found it more congested this year and had a hard time getting into a rhythm for the first mile. We wanted to run the first 2 - 3 miles at 7 min/mile, but Tom and I lost track of everyone within the first half mile. We knew Jay and Wayne were in front of us and we never could find Eric. Our first mile was slow in a 7:17, but our second mile was quick in 6:41 and we were then back with Jay and Wayne. I really did not feel comfortable during that first mile, but things were ok by the second mile. We were in a group and running according to plan.

1 7:19
2 6:41
3 6:39
(5K 21:19)
4 6:48
5 6:54

My legs felt tight and my left hamstring very tight. After a taper I would have hoped for the fresh leg feel, but they were tight and tired. I was not terribly worried because they kind of felt that way in the Houston marathon and I managed a sub 3. Anyway, we had our group running well, but Tom was full of beans and kept pulling away. We worked well together and would pass around the water or Gatorade to make sure everyone got some. The miles up to number 10 were clicking off according to plan for the most part. At about 8 miles Tom pulled on ahead and quit waiting on us. I actually thought to myself that it was smart because we were really running on the slow side to have a good shot at the sub 3. This was one of the rare occasions that I thought Tom was doing the right thing by going out faster (he sometimes goes out too fast), but I was still worried for him.

6 6:44
10K 42:31
7 6:44
8 6:53
9 6:50
15K 1:03:39
10 6:55

Tom was now gone and somewhere before Wellesley Jay and I lost Wayne. Jay was having some problems with his back, but we were getting close to the Wellesley girls and we stayed together and had a blast. I blew many kisses, but did not stop for a real one. The girls were awesome and lifted my spirits. I was hanging on and fighting to maintain pace. I knew I had to go through the half under 1:30 to have any shot. I managed a 1:29:54, but pretty much knew my sub 3 was gone. I just did not have it in me that day. This is where the real fight started. I really felt like just dialing it back and coasting in at a comfortable pace, but had told myself that I could take a break after this marathon. I needed to run hard if I was going to deserve a break. The goal now was to maintain up to the hills, get through the hills and then see what was left.

11 6:59
12 6:53
20K 1:25:19
13 6:53
Half 1:29:54
14 6:44
15 6:57

I was really feeling drained and working hard to just stay in the race mentally. Jay dropped off somewhere near the hills. He came cruising up to me around mile 16 or 17 and looked good, but then he dropped back and I never saw him again. My climb up the hills went fine, but they were slowing me down. I was still having delusions of getting to the top of heartbreak and kicking all the way home for a sub 3. My mind said the right things, but my body had long quit listening. I was slowing down, but still passing many people on the hills.

16 6:51
17 7:19
18 7:18
30K 2:09:00
19 7:09
20 7:19
21 7:29

Well, I was over the hills and ready to see what I had left. Mile 22 has always been hard on me since it is downhill after those 4 back to back hills. I tried to go fast and only managed a 6:54. I knew my dreams were over, but I still had 4 miles to go. I basically just maintained my effort level and tried not to look for the Citgo sign. I was passing a lot of people even though I was not really kicking it home these last miles. I finally made the Citgo sign and then made it to the new underpass with the hill. It was not bad and actually made Hereford street come very quickly. Once you get up that hill it is not far at all to Hereford. I made the right turn and then the left onto Boylston and decided to kick in. I don't think I let anyone pass me on the stretch and went cruising by many. I missed the mile 26 split, but was kicking in strong the last bit. I crossed the line for a 3:03:15 which is a PR for the Boston course.

22 6:54
23 7:03
24 7:07
25 7:24
26.2 8:24 (6:54 pace)

I was happy with my effort if not my results. I pushed on even though it was not my day. I was way too optimistic in my level of fitness given my training, but I gave a very solid effort and did not quit mentally or physically. I probably had a bit too much left at the end since I pretty much made up all of my time going down Boylston, but it sure felt good to own that stretch of the race.

Tom was waiting at the end and he had to wait for me for a LONG time! He busted a 2:54:05 to set a new PR on a 10 week training program!!! He maxed at over 80 mpw and had 2 a Days several times a week. Kent and Bill (T_Toise) had set up his training and boy did it work out perfectly. I thought Tom and I were in similar shape and would be able to run most of the race together. No way was I going to be able to run 2:54:00 - No Freakin Way!

After the race we went to the HP post race party and then headed off to a great dinner organized by Tom's wife, Katrina. I stayed out too late drinking beer, but I was thirsty.

Thanks for reading this far if you made it.

2008-04-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

The Bellaire Trolley Run did it again. They ordered up a cold front. I had a sore throat and generally felt cruddy, but hoped it was allergies. Thursday night I did an easy 5 miler and my right hammy/groin got very sore. I woke up on Saturday morning feeling a bit sicker, but still thought it was allergies. My leg was feeling ok and it was definitely nice and cool. You have to give it a shot when you get weather like that in Houston.

The warm up felt tiring and I did not feel like running. I have had some pretty good races when feeling less than optimal. I did a few striders and it was time to start. I got in a good group and was moving at a good pace. I always start these 5k's too slow. I hit the 1st mile in 5:48 which felt right, but it was unlikely I would hold the pace for a sub 18. You just slow down the second mile. The next mile was a 5:56 with the wind. We turned for the long home stretch and my stomach started betraying me. I started to dry heave with .6 miles to go. I had to let the group I had caught gap me so I was unable to draft. I continued to dry heave off and on the rest of the way, but kept plugging along. Once I got to the last .1 I went ahead and kicked it on in. My last mile was 6:01 and the last .1 in about 28 seconds. Total time of 18:14. Pretty good given the circumstances. I need some actual speed work and I could finally get the sub 18. Oh well, one of these days.

The bad news is that I have a full blown cold. My throat is very sore and I am wiped out. I hope it resolves quickly as I need a few good runs to fine tune for Boston. I just have to hope that this cold does not turn into something really bad or long lived. I would like to race Boston, but I at least want to run and have fun. I can't do that with bronchitis or a bad cold. If it stays out of my chest and I can get in some decent training I might still race it.

I think I might post an old Boston report just to get in the spirit.

Happy Trails.

2008-03-31T13:56:00.001-07:00

Some more pictures of Clyde (a/k/a "Little Britches") and of Norman.

2008-03-31T13:33:00.000-07:00

A new post. I have done a few races as the spring Series is here. Nothing too exciting. The Rodeo Run 10K in around 40:07, the Bayou City Classic in 38:41, and the Law Week 8k in 31:06. There, I have done my running post. I continue getting ready for Boston. It should be a lot of fun.

Now for the exciting news. Norman has a new little buddy named Clyde. I will give more details later, but I will post some pictures as well. Most (if not all) of the pictures are courtesy of the lovely Esme Fantozzi.

2008-02-25T08:15:00.000-08:00

It is about time I post something again. I have started before, but never finished. I have run the Buffalo Wallow Cross Country race and the Park to Park 5 miler. Both were fun, but I am not liking these short races. I had the dry heaves beginning at mile 4.2 in the 5 miler. That makes the last mile really long. I still managed a 31 flat which is fine by me.

Starting to get in a good workout each this week along with the long run. I will be ready to run Boston, but maybe not race it. We will just see how the training goes. I had a great 22 miler on Sunday with lots of hills and no fuel. That helps the confidence.

Here is a pic from about a year ago with Norman out on the boat. I needed all of the help I could get in trying to slalom again after many, many years since attempting. I was successful if not graceful.

The other pic is Mom, Dad, Becki and me out in San Fran. I could use some wine tasting again in the near future.

2008-01-19T08:30:00.000-08:00

Well Let's see if I can post some of the race pictures I bought from Brightroom.

The first one is of me, Eric and Eric. Blue shirt eric is my training partner whilst black shirt Eric is a Texas guy who runs all of the Texas marathons and I tend to see in boston every time I go. Usually in a pub while we carbo load.

I wish I could figure out how to put my pictures in the middle of text rather than just have them at the beginning (maybe I did figure it out). One of these days. The other pic is of my hamming it up with crowd near the finish. I'll likely post some more since I purchased the download of all of pictures. They got over 30 and some pretty good ones this year. When you slow down they have more time;-)

2008-01-15T12:24:00.001-08:00

HOUSTON 2008

Where to begin? I was born in July 1966… Nope a bit too early. The Guinness was cold and smooth… Nope, I think that leaves out a bit too much. It was January 13, 2008 and my alarm sounded at 4am. I was starting my morning routine for my 6th consecutive Houston Marathon (7th overall). I had previously accomplished a sub 3 hour marathon, but one of my training partners was less than minute off last year. That was the goal…run with Eric and shave 53 seconds off of his time from last year.

In August I had a knee surgery for a torn meniscus. I think I recovered pretty well, but I think I will always have some clicks and creaks in there. Most all of my training was run with Eric so we had a very good sense of what it felt like to run long stretches together and hopefully we would be able to pull each other through the inevitable tough spots that arise during 26.2 miles of hard effort running.

The training this cycle was a bit too lax. We did not do much tempo or speed work and the mileage was down a good deal too. I think I had one week of 67 miles, but most were in the low 50’s. I still felt that I was rounding into shape, but my knee started to hurt in the last week before the race. I tried to write it off as normal taper madness, but one of these days I would like to have a race with nothing but confidence.

My parents came in from Dallas and it was very good to have them here. They helped with our dog (Norman) who had a hip replacement surgery 10 days before the marathon. The race was playing out like last year since Norman had his first hip replaced about 10 days before last year’s marathon. One downside to that is having to sleep on the floor. The dog can’t hop up and down from the bed or he could ruin the surgery. Being the strange dog people we are, that means sleeping on the floor with the dog. I expect to sleep in a bed next year since Norman only has 2 hips and they have both been replaced.

Anyway, back to race morning. I had a banana and some Gatorade, but my stomach was already having problems. I have a hard time with fueling and this year would be no different. In fact I welcome fueling strategies from people in their replies. More on the fuel (or lack thereof later). I picked Eric up a little after 5 and we were downtown and in the convention center before 6. We used the Portacans and hung out until race time. We left for the corrals about 20 minutes before race time. We used the can again and worked our way up. I think we were 9 or 10 seconds back from the start. I saw Wayne, but not many others who we would be pacing with. Wayne took off and was gone within the first mile.

We started the race fine and it felt like we were holding back a bit. One minor goal was out the window after the first mile. I thought it would be cool to have no mile over 7:00. Our first mile was 7:16 so no such luck. That is not bad for the first mile with the crowds, the north wind and the hill going over the bridge. We then started making our way into the White Oak neighborhood where the half marathoners merge with the full. We then carried on into the Heights where the crowds are really good. The weather looks like it will be good, but it is windy. Luckily, the wind is cross or mostly with us after the first 2 miles until around mile 13. We make it through the Heights and over to Studemont/Montrose for the long section over to Rice University. We were getting on pace, but it was not easy and we were not banking any time.

1 7:16 7:15
2 6:57 14:12
3 6:43 20:56
4 6:48 27:44
5 6:52 34:36

As we ran down Montrose we got into a decent rhythm, but I was having my doubts as the miles were not clicking by very quickly nor easily. The wind was at our back and this should have been an easy stretch. I knew I would have fueling and stomach issues. I tried a Gatorade early on and it was too strong. I diluted it, but it still did not sit well. I tried water from that point on, but it was not even going down well. I think I took my last water at around mile 10 or 11 because it was just making me feel nauseous. I did run by the priest and got sprinkled with holy water. It has just sort of become a tradition as I run down Main Street by the University.

6 6:49 41:25
7 6:53 48:18
8 6:46 55:04
9 6:52 1:01:56
10 6:51 1:08:47

We were now on University and looking forward to the halfway point. We picked up the pace a bit, or so we thought. The watch at mile 12 registered a 6:59. Eric and I both concluded that the marker had been placed incorrectly because we had picked up the pace rather than dropped off it. We held steady and waited for mile 13. Mile 13 was as ungrateful and cruel as 12 and registered at 6:59. I told Eric that it just was not in the cards for me that day. Our half split was a 1:30:20 and I knew that I could not run the second half faster on this course on this day with the way I felt. I like to finish strong, but it would be too much. Eric refused to accept this and plowed ahead. It took me just a few strides to say I can’t let him go it alone if I still have anything left. I surged back to him. I held on for a while, but then we were running north again and directly into the wind. It was a pain in the…glutes, legs, back… I decided to do what I could to push the pace at 6:50’s and break the wind for as long as I could.

11 6:53 1:15:40
12 6:59 1:23:39
13 6:59 1:29:39
14 6:49 1:36:28
15 6:53 1:43:22

I now had a new goal which was to get Eric to Woodway which is a little past mile 18. We would then be running east back to the finish. If he had a great day he could pull it off. I actually started to feel better, but the wind was a bitch and made the pace difficult to hold. At this point I did not care because I had no intention of holding the pace the whole way. I just wanted to get out of the wind and to mile 19. We were successful and kept close to the proper pace through Tanglewood and over to Woodway. We started running with Jeff from the Tornados and were chatting in good spirits. We hit over a 7 min mile and Eric started to give up the quest. I thought he was with me, but it was Jeff running right behind me. When I realized this I slowed up but Eric did not catch me. Neither did Jeff pass me. We just kept talking and having fun.

16 6:52 1:50:13
17 6:53 1:57:07
18 7:03 2:04:10
19 7:12 2:11:23
20 7:24 2:18:47

At this point the Sub3 was gone and I was no longer pacing Eric. I felt a huge relief and just kept cruising and hoped that Eric would catch back up so we could cruise in together. I was feeling OK, but was tired and the lack of water or fuel was taking its toll. It would end up fine, but I do wonder how it would feel to take gels and such without needing to stop and puke. I saw Eric’s wife at the edge of Memorial Park (mile 22ish) and she said she thought she could see Eric a little ways back. About a half mile later I saw my parents and Becki on Memorial and Westcot and they were yelling and having fun. I did not know they would be there so that was a nice surprise. We made the turn to Shepard and then to Allen Parkway and I looked back for Eric. I did not see him, but he must have been close because he told me he saw me pull to the side and look. He thought I might stop and wait, but my eyes must not work well after 23 miles. Tom was out on Allen Parkway and said that we were within a minute or 2 of sub3 either way and to run strong. I knew he was right, but it would require a new 2 mile PR and a sub 5 pace to do it! I kept running with Jeff who had a goal of making it to the Hash stop at mile 25 where there would be cold beer. I thought about getting one to carry across the finish line, but it appeared before mile 25. I was not carrying a beer for a mile and half. We kept running along until we got to the last turn and had a little over a half mile to go. I had some fun with the crowd and then crossed the line with no need to throw up. I may need to do some more marathons for fun. It sure is nice to finish without feeling completely wasted.

21 7:30 2:26:17
22 7:32 2:33:49
23 7:33 2:41:23
24 7:43 2:49:06
25 7:43 2:56:50
26 7:31 3:04:22
26.2 1:30 3:05:51

I turned to look for Eric and he came in shortly after I did. I saw my friend Mike throwing up which is a bond we share – kind of like blood brothers. That sun-of-a-gun was about to catch and pass me! We also found out that our club buddy Simon was just about 10-20 seconds ahead of us. We all finished at essentially the same time, but never saw each other. I can only imagine how differently our races unfolded. The Marathon is a strange beast indeed.

I got my post race massage and then a nice fella gave me a cold Guinness. Boy was that good. We spent some time at the club tent talking with people. Notable was Jake making back to back sub3’s in a little over a month; Rob getting his first Houston sub3; Mark Conran knocking on the door yet again - he ran 3:00:30 or so in Berlin and then just did Houston in 3:00:20; Esme’s friend Amy knocked out a 2:49 – narrowly missing the 2:47 Oly Time; her other friend was even closer with a 2:47:20 or so.

We made the post race party and consumed some beer and red beans and then headed on home. Dinner was at Churrascos and was fantastic. It is now time to decide if a Sub3 attempt is in the cards for Boston. I would love to get a sub3 there, but it would be nice to just go and have fun. Our buddy Bob turns 50 on the day of the race – so it will be a party regardless of my choice.

Photo link will have to do until I buy the pics and maybe post some.

http://www.brightroom.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=27448&PWD=&BIB=3020

The finish line video link
http://www.finishcam.com/Events/2008-Chevron-Houston-Marathon/WatchFinish.asp?FinisherId=22016&Camera=2

2007-11-14T08:55:00.000-08:00

Maybe I can add Video. FinishCam provides video of the finish which is pretty cool. Now let's see if I am cool enough to figure out how to do it. Likely that I should click on the "add video" button.

Holy smokes ... it might have worked. If so, I will post the Half Marathon video too.

2007-11-14T08:15:00.000-08:00

Another week of about 60 miles, but it seemed really tough. Maybe it is too much too soon. I have even had some knee issues again and I know that I need to get to the gym for some strength training - especially in the quads.

I ran the 25K race along Allen Parkway on Sunday in warm and humid conditions. What happened to November? We have not really had any nice and cool days for running. October was better. The race went OK if you judge it by what splits I ran and what my planned splits were. I was pretty much dead on. It was not so good in that those planned splits were supposed to be pretty easy. I wanted about 3 -5 miles as a warm up and then 10 or so at marathon pace - or between 6:40 and 6:50. Eric and I started a bit faster than planned, but used the first lap to work down to marathon pace. It was OK that first lap (this is a 3 loop course). The next lap was fine, but it was getting tougher and we started running with Christie Lammers who is a smoking fast 50 year old spring chicken in awesome shape. She joined in with us and then started pushing the pace on the last lap. We caught Melissa Henderson who I think will get to run in the Olympics. I told Christie to run in without me because she obviously had a lot left. I wanted to stick to the plan so that I would not be taxed with a race type of effort. That is where my plan failed.

This race was much closer to a race effort than a marathon paced run. My legs were very tired; my knee was acting up; my quads felt trashed; and, I am still tired. I should have known I was running too hard when I was passing people who were racing that day and can beat me in a race. The conditions got to a lot of people. In a comparative sense, I am a good warm weather runner. I don't like it, but it seems my body type handles it better than most. My best placing in the Boston Marathon was the 2004 furnace when I ran 3:19 and finished around 1000th whereas I ran 15 minutes faster in 2006 and finished around 1400th.

Anyway - here are my splits:

Loop 1 -- 7:13; 7:22; 7:20; 6:36 (short); 7:22 (long)
Loop 2 -- 6:52; 6:48; 6:46; 6:46; 6:50
Loop 3 -- 6:41; 6:39; 6:47; 6:42; 6:58

I will do another entry and post a picture of something. I don't have a race picture so who knows what it will be this time????

2007-11-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

The Houston Half Marathon - running behind Mike and Eric. This was a pretty good run. We started out fairly easy and generally picked up the pace throughout. I actually ran it a bit harder than I wanted to and was more sore after than I would have liked. Splits were 7:05, 6:58, 6:54, 6:43, 6:41, 6:46, 6:40, 6:52, 6:37, 6:29, 6:47 (long as i missed the marker) 6:16 (short) and 6:27.

I had a 67 mile training week which was a big jump for me. That explains the sore legs, but it did not really slow me in the race. My knee felt fine too. I am feeling run down this week though and even some quad and knee issues, but not bad.

Thanks to Esme Fantozzi for the pictures taken during the race! Also major props to Mark C who ran 3:00:38 in the Dublin Marathon!

2007-10-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

The Space City 10 miler has come and gone for another year. I had no idea how hard to run given the surgery and my lack of training, but I ended up pleased. The plan was to run at 7 min miles for 5 miles and then see how it felt. I ran 6:56 pace for the first 5 and then picked up to 6:39 pace for the next 5. I ended up finishing hard because Rob Walters (who was not "racing") came up with less than a mile to go and was cruising in. I went with him, but he kept picking up the pace in order to make me feel like crud (it worked Rob). Oh well, it was good to push myself a bit.

I ended up with 43 miles for the week and hope to be in the 50's this week. No speed or tempo work for a month or so. The pollen count (ragweed) seems worse than Springtime. It is causing more problems than the knee.

What a horrible weekend for football. I am an Aggie. The Aggies "played" Texas Tech. Enough said there. I live in Houston and cheer for the Texans. They looked less then stellar in defeat versus Jacksonville. Finally, I grew up in Dallas and like the Cowboys. They were no match for the Patriots. I was really hoping for at least one of three. None of them even came close.

I should find a picture to post. OK - Las Vegas pics win.

2007-10-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

I was training well last week until the pollen got me. OK, it might have been a cold. Either way, I bagged a 20k race that I was going to run in Dallas and just took off several days. I hope to have the mileage up in the mid 50's and then on up into the 60's. Once I get through October I will speed up a bit with some quality workouts on weeks where there is no race.

2007-09-28T06:17:00.000-07:00

Run again, run again and then maybe again. Not much in my running world. I am maybe starting to run a bit more regularly. The knee is a bit clunky and there are extra pains and tight places, but I think it is pretty good overall. I did 27 miles a week ago and this week looks like the high 30's or low 40's as long as I actually do my Saturday and Sunday runs. Last Saturday I slogged through the Tornado's Cross Country Relay. I love that race, but coming off of the knee surgery had me a bit worried. Several steep ups and downs along the course as well as some uneven spots and roots and such. I survived without any injuries, but without a lot of speed either. 2 miles in 13:30. I was ok on the flats, but had to really hold back on the downhills which is where I think you need to make up time and places in a cross country race. It was a fun time and there was yummy St. Arnold's beer after the race.

2007-09-10T08:46:00.000-07:00

I logged 25 miles last week and had a good 9 mile run on Sunday. I did my first 3 miles in 25:42, the next 3 in 22:06 and the last 3 in 21:36 with the last mile a tad under 7. it felt good to get off of a slow pace. It was super humid and my legs wanted to cramp after I stopped. I should have taken some fluids. I need to remember these things again. This was one of the first runs that felt like I might be able to start some real running again.

2007-09-04T08:29:00.000-07:00

Not too much happening. I managed a few runs over the holiday weekend plus a decent bike ride. 4 miles on Saturday, 6 miles on Sunday and 4.5 on Monday. Monday's run managed 8 min miles and even got one mile at sub 7:30 just to see how it felt. It was OK, not good, but OK.

2007-08-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

Puppy Pics.

2007-08-25T13:23:00.000-07:00

The last full day in taos saw Stilwell run the Up and Over trail run. When we arrived at the start we saw a bumber sticker that said "Taos - A Four Letter Word Four Steep." Tom would now agree. He finished 11th out of 31 and was 2nd in his division (36 -45) and the first Houstonian. I ran maybe 15 or 20 minutes just hanging around. My quads were still tired from the 30 minute run the day before.

We hiked a half mile or so up the trail to see the racers coming down. We staked out a place right along a stream and Norman had a blast. One more dinner and maybe another trip to the river/hot springs.

2007-08-24T16:22:00.000-07:00

An encouraging 30 min run today. Felt pretty good and then cooled the legs off in the river. Kent and I then hiked over to the hot springs where we alternated hot and cold on the legs. It was treacherous as we had to avoid the naked guy in the hot springs.

Tom has just found a 10k trail run to do in the morning and thankfully Becki has threatened to kill me and make me walk back to Houston if I do it. It starts at the Taos ski valley and gains 2612 feet in the first 3 miles, beginning at 9207 feet. The race is called the Up and Over Trail Run - as part of the New Mexico High Altitude Challenge. The pictures of Tom above are from yesterday's run along the gourge. He did an hour and ten. He just looked great upon completion, but the beer was good.

My quad is activating much better today. My run was not bad at all and I was actually running. It was hilly and the downs did not hurt as much as yesterday. After the run my quad seems even more engaged than before. Yay! I will try to post pics of the Hot Springs (without naked guy) once I get them from the camera to the computer.

2007-08-24T08:52:00.001-07:00

A couple more pics to make it a running post. The hill seemed really steep while running it.

2007-08-24T08:21:00.000-07:00

New Mexico is great. Stilwell is running a lot and doing whatever Kat tells him to do. I have done a good deal of hiking and a few runs. I was going to say "easy runs", but no run is easy right now. I would type a good entry, but the sun is shining so just some pictures.

2007-08-13T08:19:00.000-07:00

Well August 9th was the surgery and I think it went fine. I started doing leg lifts while in the recovery bed coming out of anesthesia. The nurses were actually laughing at me while scolding me, but hey, the doctor said start as soon as you feel you can. I don't think the anesthesia wiped me out too bad and I remember most everything and my conversations. I was able to walk to the car and never had to use my crutches. Even so, Becki would not let me drive home. When we got home I walked around the driveway watering plants just to have something to do and to keep from stiffening up too much. I used the ice machine a lot and focused on keeping the leg very straight. The doctor said that the biggest problem was having your leg bent and then not being able to get it straight. I would sleep with it elevated and very straight. I think I am now having difficulty getting it to bend enough. There is no way I could a regular quad stretch.

I walked about a mile or so on Friday and started doing more of the quad exercises. It was amazing how the quad completely shut down, but it was also amazing how quickly it reactivated. It is still weak, but it does respond. Saturday We took Norman to the lake and I walked 2 miles on the levy. Sunday we went to the lake again and I did 2.5 miles along with 4 sets of the stairs/hill. I then managed a trip to the gym and 7 miles on the stationary, some easy waking, 15 minutes on the elliptical and then some leg extensions on the machine (very low weight). It was encouraging, but I still have a long way to go. This morning I got up with Becki and did 5 brisk walking miles at Terry Hershey Park with Becki and Marie. I am sure I slowed them down quite a bit. The knee hurts more when I look at it since the swelling is still there. The pictures are from Sunday, but it not any better looking today.

It does still feel like it can hyper extend and feels like it is about to give out sometimes. I guess that is normal. I am back at the office today and will work through Thursday (first PT is Thursday too). Friday I have my follow up with the surgeon (Dr. Michael Mann) and then we leave for our driving trip to New Mexico. Hopefully I will rehab very quickly in the nice mountain air.

Well, that is my surgery update. Boring and details for me to remember it by later when I get discouraged.

2007-08-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

Holy Gadzooks doctors have a racket going. I had a physical done 2 months ago and now they have me go back for a pre-surgery screening. They repeated the same blood work and I made them skip the EKG, Chest xray and the "drop trou" exam. Dang thing was still $299. It feels like they found a way to do the "drop trou" exam without me even taking off the pants or bending over. At least it was $299 - just like the commercials where everything ends in 99. I mean $300 would be silly, but $299, ehhh, forgetaboutit.

I keep finding that I feel resentful when I see people out running. It is not a good or nice feeling.

I am off to Dallas for the weekend to the parental unit and sibling. That is a very clinical way to say mom, dad, and sis. I am really just rambling.

Football season is approaching. I am just not ready for it since football is so boring compared to closely following the Astros - insert sarcasm here. Speaking of football, I went to my first futbol game last Wednesday for the Dynamo v. D.C. United. It was a blast.

2007-08-01T12:53:00.000-07:00

I have the surgery scheduled for August 9th. My knee is acting up ever since I did the bike ride. I need to stretch the hamstrings out, but they just tighten back up anyway. It s kind of like making the bed. I just mess it up again at night. Actually, it is usually messed up before I get back in the bed thanks to Norman and his daytime sleeping habits. I think he spends at least half of the day digging up the covers to see if there is a bone hidden in the bed. In honor of his bed messiness I will try to find a Norman picture. Pictures of Norman make me smile.

2007-07-31T11:56:00.000-07:00

Bob Brown skiing through the trees. I am not writing any long post since I just want to see if this video embeds or not.

2007-07-30T06:58:00.000-07:00

Well my first roadbiking experience was a success I guess. I rode a bit over 25 miles and we got clipping along fairly well at stretches. The trail was wet at the beginning and that had me timid since I had never been on a road bike. My traps, triceps and butt took most of the punishment. That said, my right knee is barking a bit this morning. That kinda sucks. I was hoping I could bike as much as I wanted without causing pain the knee.

Saw Hairspray last night and laughed a lot. It is so silly and corny that it is a riot. It helps that it was at the Alamo and that I had good beer.

During these warm Houston summers it is always refreshing to look at the ski pic's. This was a BCRR trip in 2006 at Lake Tahoe. I tried to post a video of Bob Brown skiing through the trees, but it would not post. If I can figure out to post one I will do it later.

2007-07-28T07:14:00.000-07:00

Well we are still a work in progress since my pictures seem to appear and disappear on a whim. I am trying something new for my profile picture. I will post it here and then link to it from here. This reminds me that I was once running well enough to finish the Boston Marathon and avoided a death march at the end. It really is fun to finish that thing.

A BCRR happy hour last night with the guys was a good time. When people start talking about all of the different members it makes me realize I really don't know most of the people. I am not the best socializer and missing Valhalla means you miss most of the news. I should make a Scott Bounds type of effort to make Valhalla at least once a month.

Tom and Eric are getting geeked up to train and run fast. It is a pain in the knee since I have a pain in my knee. I get closer and closer to just accepting the surgery so I can get on with it. Even so, I now know that I really must do other forms of training to keep my quads and core strong. I like to run, but all of that other stuff is hard to do as my motivation for it is severely lacking.

2007-07-24T06:53:00.000-07:00

Well the doctor can do the surgery on August 9th. Otherwise I wait until September. I have done some decent work in the gym and even a few very easy runs. I am doing better, but I doubt I could actually train and run a marathon in my current state. I can schedule the surgery and see how I am doing that week. I could cancel if I am doing really well.

The sunset is from a nice evening at the Rice track just before one of our Tuesday evening workouts.

We are also planning another trip out to New Mexico so I include a few pictures of our last trip. There is a great gravel trail along the gorge which is a great place to run. Norman took off after us, but decided that hanging out with Becki would be more fun so he eventually turned around. she keeps treats in her pocket and he knows it.

I can't really figure out how to arrange the pictures or move them where I want them, but I will post this anyway. Have a funtastic day.

2007-07-18T07:13:00.001-07:00

OK, well maybe I will hear from the doctor today as to how soon they could schedule a scope of my knee. I may set it up and then cancel it if I am feeling better or any of the exercises are working to allow me to run. We shall see. I am looking forward to going up to the mountains where it will not be so dang hot. In anticipation of cool dry air - I am posting a picture of some mountains from a prior expedition. I really just want to see if I can get pictures to post.

2006-10-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

So far I just created this blog to be able to post to others blogs. Seems a bit much.