Hyde Park Blast

This blog post is made possible by the ever supportive girlfriend Gina who is pictured above laughing with my daughter, the less supportive but tolerant, Aiden who is being mauled by the Charmin bear at the Piglet Run back in May. I made them get up early Saturday morning so I could run the HydePark Blast.

I was told that I owe them big time. They're right I do owe them big time. This isn't the first time, and won't be the last time they've been drug out early in the morning as I ran some race. As Gina likes to say, never underestimate the effort the spectators put in on race day. If it weren't for the support of friends and loved ones we would be running through empty streets with nobody to cheer us on except each other. So give it up for all those that support you on race day.
The race can be summed by two words: hot and hilly. I had no time goal or PR goal since it was an oddish 4 mile race. I started out the race wanting to do about 7 minute miles. By mile 2 or so the sun was beating down and the day was heating up, so it became more about just getting to the finish line without stopping and looking good for the photographers.

Generally I met my goals. I don't know about looking good for the photographers, but I was just off my pace goal by a bit. More importantly I had a good time at the race, saw some friends and familiar faces and spent the rest of the day recovering poolside with the support crew.

Day One

This week is a new beginning with a great new job. I hope it's going to be a great new job. If it turns out to be a not such a great new job it should, at the very least, be a stepping stone and a great incentive to continue with nursing..nay..mursing school.

I've spent the last two days in orientation of Mercy Health Partners for a PCA job. For at least the next two to three years I'll be in the trenches assisting the nurses and doctors doing the gruntiest of the grunt work. I'm excited and a little apprehensive about the whole deal. What if I hate it? What if I can't take the various gross things that I'm bound to encounter in the coming years? What have I gotten myself into?? I could have taken a nice easy customer service job where I would have sat at a computer dealing with customers over the phone at a nice safe long, long distance. No bodily fluids, weird smells. The horror.

Pull it together man. We're in this for the long haul. This is about the future.

Let's look at the bright side. I felt excited at the orientation. I sat through many speakers, managers and administrators over the last two days blowing varying amounts of smoke and hopeful words into various orifices. Some of it I could take or leave, but some of it struck a chord. Common themes were compassion, community and service. I can dig these things.

It's going to be an interesting ride. Interesting for all these things and the fact that the hospital I'll be working at is the hospital that my mom has worked at for close to 30 years. Many of the people have known me since I was a little kid. It's the hospital that I would visit several times a year growing up to get stitched up. Should be fun...

Ride Cincinnati

The word for this post is "fun". Count how many times I use the word "fun". It's "fun".

I couldn't say it better myself...but I'll try. No, I won't. It was a great ride for a great cause. The Ride Cincinnati for Breast Cancer Research is a ride I've been meaning to do since it started 2 years ago and finally made it.

It has been so long since I've done a fun ride like this that I kind of forgot how...fun they are. I'm really bringing it with my adjectives. It was fun.

The highlight of the morning was chillin' and checking out the variety of bikes that people ride. I should take more photos of fun bikes and their riders in the future. There were a couple that caught my eye including this fun looking bike. The lady riding it said her partner talked her into getting a bike and she needed one that was pretty much "unbreakable". I don't know about unbreakable but it is distinctive and cute.

Hopefully we'll get out for at least one more fun group ride this year. I've done a number of these in the past, but usually by myself. Gina was right. It is more fun to have a partner at your side..who you can steal snacks from in a pinch.

Looking Back, Looking Ahead

Goals for May:
Running = 75 miles
Cycling = 100 miles

The results are in. I didn't quite make it to both my goals. I reached my running goal with 13 runs totaling 78 miles including 3 races making for an excellent month of running. I didn't make it for cycling. I was able to get out on my bike 5 times for a total of 56 miles. Even though I didn't get in as many miles as I would have liked it was still a good month for riding.

Looking forward to June I think I'll set up the same distance goals. I'm looking at some fall half marathon options, so I may need to start training for that soon. A couple of options that I'm considering are the BayState Half Marathon (anybody up for a trip to Massachusetts? Gina?) or the White Tail Trail Half Marathon. I always enjoyed trail running, but don't do it that often. Maybe this one would give me incentive to hit the trails more this summer and stay off the hot, hard roads.

As summer kicks into gear there is lots of great riding and running to do, and lots of fun races to seek out. It's looking nice outside right now. I think I hear my bike calling.

Redlegs Run For Home

Some races are worth running just for the experience or the loacation and the giveaway that comes along with the race. The Redlegs Run For Home is one of those races. The race begins behind the reds stadium and ends inside the stadium next to the field. So, I'm so exhausted by the end of the race that I don't really get to appreciate the finish inside the stadium. Details. Still, it's a fun race and you get a free Reds ticket for running.

For my third running of this Redlegs 5k I decided on a novel idea. For this race I'm not going to go all out in the first mile and blow up in the third mile struggling to make it to the finish line. For real this time. Things are gonna change...I can feel it.

I lined up at the front of the starting line as I usually do these days to avoid congestion. I noticed a young girl near me lined up at the front. I'm bad at guessing ages, but she looked young to me, maybe a freshman in high school. There are always people that line up at the front that should really be toward the back. I'm not saying this out of snobbery. I never presumed to line up toward the front until recently as I've improved and found it frustrating and a waste of energy to work my way through the pack on these courses that are often tight at turns. Point is, she looked like one of those kids that line up at the start, sprint 100 yards and then slow down or stop.

As the gun went off that familiar surge of adrenaline went through me all though to a lesser degree than sometimes since I just raced a week ago. Having the memory of a painful race still fresh is the best antidote for an overeager start. I settled in at around a 6:30ish pace. The goal was to clock in a couple of 6:30's and see what was left in the tank for the final mile. A nice flat course on a relatively cool day was perfect to try and bring it in under 20.

As we taking the first couple of turns during that first mile I noticed the girl again. She was at about my pace so I stuck with her for a while. In a race with about 3000 participants it's easy to find somebody to pace. I settled in and cruised through the first mile at 6:26. A little fast, but I was feeling really good.

At some point I lost track of my pacing friend. Oh well. I flew by the water station and closed out the second mile at 6:33. Still on track to break 20 and I felt like I had some juice left. I ran up next to a young kid who asked me in an exhausted, out of breath voice how far it was to the finish. Less than a half mile left I told him. Less than a half mile left?? Sweet. I picked up the pace and left him behind.

The last couple of turns lead into the stadium. Crossing mile 3 I had about 45 seconds left to bring it under 20. I gave it all I have left and crossed the finish line with an official time of 19:48. Excellent race. I was feeling good about it. A few minutes after finishing I bumped into that girl that I saw at the starting line. I asked her how she did. 18:10 she responded. Whoa.

Official Results:
75 of 2792 total.
M35-39. 9 of 188 in division.
66 of 1388 males,
Time: 9:48 Pace: 6:24

You Gotta Be Hungry!

For each one of these delicious chocolate chip cookies there is an equally delicious championship ring.

Reds Run For Home 5K post race. More to come...

Hunger Walk & 5K Run

As a last minute decision on Monday morning I headed downtown to run in the Hunger Walk & 5k. The night before I had decided not to go, but per usual I woke up around 7 am and knew I had to go or I would regret it. I know, I'm a weirdo, but knowing that I had sort of committed to going made me think I should show up.

The course was out and back. It started at a small park in downtown and wound up to Eden Park and back down. It was all uphill on the way out and all downhill on the way back. No problem. The plan was simple: haul ass up the hill and fly back down. right? right.

I went straight to the front of the starting line. I was determined not to get stuck in the middle of the pack and waste my energy having to navigate my way to the front. At the starting gun I took off and quickly broke away with a group of 6 or so other guys. Mile 1 kicked off with a quick downhill from the start and on to a little stretch of flat road that slowly began to increase in grade as we headed toward Eden Park. I checked my Garmin and realized I was practically sprinting at sub 6 minute/miles. I forced myself to let off the gas a bit and let the front runners pull away. I knew if I didn't ease up I'd pay for it dearly on the hill.

I felt good and loose as we entered mile 2 and was in full on hill running up Gilbert Ave. As we got up closer to Eden Park I thought I would see the leaders heading back down. I thought we would be turning around at the entrance to Eden Park. Man was I wrong. We took a right on Eden Park Drive and continued to climb toward the top of the hill. The hill was starting to take it's toll as my breathing became more ragged. Just a little further. Just a little further. The turn around was at the top of the hill.

Down we went on Gilbert heading into mile 3. As usual by this point I was tired and questioning my sanity. Why do I do this? It's amazing how long a mile can suddenly seem during a race when you're trying gather your wits and composure after a hill. Each step becomes an effort. Each breath feels forced. I took a couple of suggestions from this month's Runner's World to regain control. Both of them worked!

The first was for side stitches. I was feeling a bit of one coming on as I was heading back down the hill. The suggestion is to notice which foot is striking the ground when you inhale and exhale. Then switch the pattern. I did a little skip step while running to change the rhythm of the run. Worked like a charm.

The second bit of advice has to to do with dealing with pain and fatigue in general. If fatigue begins to set in, or I'm getting sucked in to my head by negative thoughts I repeat a mantra. For me simply counting works. Sometimes I'll count my steps. This time I counted every time my right foot struck the ground. It took my mind off the pain and refocused my breathing.

With the finish closing in it was time for a strong finish. I had been watching a white shirt ahead of me for most of the race. He would pull away a bit then I would reel him back in. As we approached the finish I had him in my sights and decided to try to pass him. With one turn and a small hill left I dug in and started the finishing sprint. I pulled up on him on the final hill and edged past him. As we crested the hill I glanced back to see if he was there. He was falling back. I pulled away for a strong finish.

The wave

Let's Go Redlegs

Pigs Fo Sho!

Pigs Fo Sho made their relay team debut this past Sunday at the 2009 Flying Pig Marathon. We weren't the fastest relay team, but we were definitely the team with the most style. We were looking sooo good. Gina took the first leg of the race coming in with her usual flair and style. I rode my bike down to Eden Park to see her come in for her leg, and Ryan pick up the second leg. It was lots of fun to ride along the route and see the leaders come speeding down Madison Rd. and the pack of people running up through Eden Park.

I then hussled it back home to do a quick change and jog to the start of my leg on Wasson. After a short wait Ryan came in strong and I was off. It was loads of fun running my leg with a reasonable goal and no need to push it. I was able to soak in the marathon day atmosphere on fresh legs and without the worry of those final 6 miles that the full marathoners were going to face. I gave high fives to the kids in Mariemont. I collected a couple of Gu packs to save for another day. I sent texts to Missy and Gina letting them know about my progress. I cruised in to set Missy off on the final leg of the Pigs Fo Sho debut race.

While I missed running the full or half a little bit that morning as I watched the runners go past me while I waited at my start the feeling quickly faded as we headed out that afternoon for a celebration barbeque where I could move around without the post race sore legs. Still, next year it might be on.

Flying Pig Finish

Pig Relay 2009

Goals for May

Back in the days of sparkpeople it was easy to stay motivated within the community that constantly presented challenges and feedback from fellow members to keep its users motivated. Since moving away from spark people it's not always easy to keep motivated with no feedback from a community, fewer encouraging words from other athletes. Thanks recently to an update on the great site buckeyeoutdoors.com I've been able to get back into challenge mode amongst a group.

The challenge I am taking part in is to run 750 miles in 2009. It seems a little daunting, but reachable, so to keep up the challenge I'm setting a goal for May to run 75 miles and additionally bike 100 miles in preparation for the Little Miami Triathlon at the beginning of June.

Let's get moving.

Running = 75 miles
Cycling = 100 miles

Cinci Rat Race 10K '09

For a massage and a pop. That was to go to the winner of the Rat Race last Saturday. I bet that I could beat Gina's 5k time while I was running the 10k. Neither of us had a very good race, but I still owe her a massage and a pop. Enjoy. :)

It's a flat, fast course. I PR'ed there for the 5K last year. All I had to do was maintain a 7 minute/mile for a few miles and then bring it on in for a new 10K PR. It all sounded so easy in my head. Despite the fact that I haven't had a good run since the Heart Mini a couple weeks ago I thought come race day I would be up for the race. I thought I would perform. I was overly confident and not prepared for the my second running of the Rat Race, and my first 10K since the Thanksgiving Day Race in 2007. The heat and the cheeseburger I had for lunch didn't help. Stupid! I paid for my lack of preparation and poor choice of a pre-race meal big time.

Lesson probably not learned. I've been down this path before. Except last time it involved some biscuits and gravy and a treadmill.

The Winner

The Puker

If you can dodge a wrench...

Please don't throw wrenches. I couldn't dodge the ball either. So you thought the dodgeball craze came and went with the movie of the same name 5 years ago? I can assure you it is alive and well thanks to the Cincinnati Recreation Commission.

Thursday night I got a taste of the dodgeball life when I was invited to play in the final regular season game for the...ummm..they never told me if they had a team name. Isn't that the point of joining these things? You must to have a witty name.

According to Missy Thursday morning via IM (because all important communication in the 21st century is by IM or text), "it is our last game of the season and... we are playing the first place team...hahaha. we are gonna get creamed. it will be so fun!"

So what. They're the first team in a recreatioal dodgeball league. Nobody takes these things seriously. We'll go out throw the ball around and have a good time. But she added..."for real, we are gonna get creamed...this team is a beast" Oh crap.

I could tell you how they had three dudes that I'm pretty sure were on performance enhancing drugs and went into a 'roid rage on the dodgeball floor. According to one of my teammates still dazed, "He was 3 feet away from me. He could have thrown it easy instead he beamed me in the head!"

I could tell you how by the end we were all hesitant to go back out on the floor. "It's cool, I was in last game. Go ahead."

I could tell you how we got creamed. Instead I'll link to these photos and with a little bit of historical revisionism make us look like the champions we are in our hearts. Eat your hearts out other dodge ball playing team losers.

It's so shiny

I'm a sucker for new gadgets. I don't run out and buy every gadget that comes along, but I would if I could. You'll be mine soon you smooth, sleek iPhone. Well, probably not, but I can dream.

When it comes to running my all time favorite gadgets are two great tastes that taste great together: the iPod Shuffle and my Garmin Forerunner 305. These two little gadgets have really changed how I view long runs. The Shuffle weighs practically nothing and clips to any piece of clothing, so my music is not at all a hindrance. The 305 gives me constant updates on my pace, heart rate and time while on the run. It's all the extraneous information you could ever want on a run and more when you download it on to your computer.

I love these toys. I would never give up these toys.. unless... Ooooohh, new shiny ones! Yay! All of a sudden Apple and Garmin have released new versions of my favorite things! Now, I know that Garmin released the 405 a while ago, but I've heard and read mixed reviews on it. It was never really a contender.

So now we have the new iPod Shuffle which apparently is smaller than a AA battery. I applaud Apple for making these amazing breakthroughs in ever smaller mp3 players and computers that have just as much, if not more, power and functionality as the dinosaurs from 3 months ago we all have now, but I think they've hit the wall on size. While I appreciate their ingenuity I don't need an mp3 player I might easily swallow. The size also means all the controls have been moved on to the headphone cord. I cannot run with Apple's ear buds. They constantly fall out of my oddly shaped ears. I buy cheap earhook ear buds in bulk, because they stay on and they aren't going to last long. I'm sticking with my 2nd generation beauty.

While Garmin may have missed the mark with the 405 I really like the looks of the new 310XT. It's so new it isn't even on their website. We'll see how it functions, but I already like that they have kept the screen size and the button placement while making the casing smaller so it doesn't look quite like you're waiting to be beamed up to the Enterprise. Now it just looks like a cool calculator watch from the 80's. I dig it. According to the specs it also features longer battery life and is waterproof for triathlons. I swore off triathlons 8 years ago after getting pummeled in the murky waters of East Fork Lake, but I might try another with this bad boy on my wrist just to see how it would work.

Heart Mini '09 - 2 Beats

You always hope for ideal conditions when planning a race. It would be great if it were always in the mid-50's, maybe a little overcast so you don't have to worry about sun burn or annoying glare. How about a nice breeze , but not too windy please? It all sounds great. It's what you always hope for, but rarely get. Today was none of that and worse.

Race morning it was pretty ugly with high winds and rain. Ugh. Gina and I lined up for the 5k. My job for this race was to pace Gina and bring her in to victory. Things didn't go quite as planned. I failed. I was later informed I was a "bad pacer". Still, we had a good race despite the cold, rain and wind. Thanks mostly to the fun race mix Gina had put together. I'll have to work on my pacing skills for future races. I will lead her to a pr. fo sho.

When it came time for the 15K things hadn't really improved. The wind was still blowing and it was still raining intermittently. My goal for the race was to beat my time from last year of 1:05:05. It was my goal, but honestly I had my doubts about running a pr this year. I had a list of excuses: Last year I was training for the Flying Pig Marathon, so I was putting in a lot more miles at this point. I am just recovered from my IT band injury from the fall, so I started training later than usual. I am under some stress, so my head might not be fully in the race...blah, blah. I'm such a self defeaters sometimes. Still, I would give it all I have and if it falls apart so be it.

The race begins...

The race is out and back. We head out of the city on Rt. 50 to a turn around point and come back. It's more downhill on the way out and up hill on the way back. With that in mind I decided to forgo trying to run negative splits and decided to go out a little faster than 7 min/miles to build a cushion and try to hold on up the hills on the way back. I don't know if that's a great idea, but it was the plan. Maybe I'll try for negative splits next year.

The first 5K was a breeze. I kept my pace between 6:45 and 7 minute miles just trying to keep my stride smooth and get into the groove of the race. It was spitting rain off and on which actually felt pretty good. As for the wind..not so much. Once you leave the city and the buildings to block the wind you're out in the open where the wind can be brutal, and it was. At this point though, I wasn't feeling it. The first 5K was a very good 21:17.

The second 5K is an interesting one. I'm out to the turn around at just about the 4.5 mile mark and it's back toward the city. Nothing particularly spectacular about that. It becomes a little more of an uphill battle, the legs start to feel the miles accumulate, but overall things were well under control. The kicker comes at mile 5.8 where I make a right turn off Rt. 50 for a short, but grueling hill climb. It's actually slightly less grueling than in years past. They've pushed the start back a little and the turn around up a little, so it's .20 miles of torture instead of..well..more.

Fortunately I was well prepared for .2 miles or more of torture up Torrence. As part of my training regimen I always include at least a month of hill work. For the Heart Mini that involved a couple weeks on another hill and 3 weeks of doing 1/4 mile repeats on Torrence. Run to the bottom of Torrence, turn around up Torrence. Repeat until you want to kill yourself. So, as I turned to go up Torrence it felt like just another day out running. I shortened my stride, put my head down and gutted it out. It was the least amount of fun you can imagine having. That would be no fun.

Mile 7 was spent trying to recover from the hill. It was my slowest mile at 7:20 and the point at which I started to calculate how fast I would need to run the last 2.3 miles to pr. If I could just keep it under 8 min/miles I should be there! This could actually happen.

Mile 8 was spent mentally preparing myself for the final climb. It is a two part ball buster. You head up a hill that isn't terribly steep, then it flattens out a bit for a few yards. Then, bam!, up a steeper grade to the top. ball. buster.

I hit that hill between miles 8 and 9 and I was hit back smack in the face by a mean head wind. I gritted my teeth and leaned into it. The runners near me probably thought I was crazy because late in the race I become sort of delirious. I'm pretty sure I was grunting, growling like an animal when I wasn't cussing at the wind.

When I cleared the hill I knew I had done it. The final .3 miles felt like a victory lap. A painful, cold, quad aching, calf cramping victory lap. I smiled all the way in while keeping my eye on the clock near the finish line as it neared 1:05. I knew I had about a 20 second delay from the time the clock started until I crossed the finish line, but I pushed it just in case.

I smiled and waved at Gina as I crossed the finish line in 1:04:53. A small margin for improvement, but it felt like a great victory over the injury that plagued me in the fall and early in the year as well as the weather that seemed to do what it could to make the race uncomfortable as hell for all of us. Suck it weather.

We celebrated with a great brunch with some friends of Gina's and enjoyed the rest of the day by doing absolutely nothing. She has her own perspective on the day along with a moment that we can all aspire to achieve in racing. Check it out.

Let The Races Begin!

Finally 2009 racing season is upon us..or me. I'm hoping to kick it off right this weekend with a trail run from one of the Dirt Days Trail Series. I say I'm hoping because I haven't fully committed to the race and may end up scrapping it. Regardless the race season will start in earnest 2 weeks after that with the Heart Mini-Marathon.

I'm looking forward to the Heart Mini this year and possibly taking down my previous 15k PR of 1:05. I'm feeling pretty good about it as workouts have been going well with lots of hills and speed work recently. As long as I can keep the knees and IT bands healthy I'll have a good shot at it.

I'm also excited to be putting the Little Miami Triathlon back on the schedule. I have been asked to join a team this year which will mean partnering up for the canoe. Apparently there are several other teams that we will be racing against. The slowest team buys beer or something. Whatever the stakes it will be fun to get out for some friendly competition on an extremely fun race. It will give me incentive to get back on the bike this year to prepare for race day. The focus has been so much on the marathons in the last year or so that my biking has taken a back seat.

What am I doing sitting here typing? I should be out running my hills.

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Time to ride.

12 Favorite Cover Songs

Another one of those list things! I can get on board with this one. If you feel like doing this one tag me up (on Facebook), so I can see what songs you choose! It was a tough list. I have a whole list of songs that hurt to cut, and it was hard not to cheat so I did...a little.

1. All Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix (Bob Dylan) Obvious but a must

2. Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps - Cake (Osvaldo Farrés)

3. Hallelujah - Rufus Wainwright (Leonard Cohen) haunting

4. Hurt & Won't Back Down - Johnny Cash (Nine Inch Nails & Tom Petty) A bit of a cheat, but how can deny the weight of years he brings to these songs?

5. Smokin' In The Boys Room - Motley Crue (Brownsville Station) My inner teenager weighs in

6. Smooth Criminal - Alien Ant Farm (Michael Jackson)

7. Landslide - The Dixie Chicks (Fleetwood Mac) Gina may call blasphemy on this, but I love it.

8. Ring of Fire - Social Distortion (Johnny Cash) She may really call it on this one!

9. Fell In Love With A Boy - Joss Stone (The White Stripes)

10. I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself - The White Stripes (Tommy Hunt)

11. Baby Got Back - Jonathon Coulton (Sir Mix-a-Lot) brilliant and hilarious

12. Against All Odds - The Postal Service (Phil Collins) I have two ears and a heart don't I?

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In a galaxy far, far away...

It's snowing or raining or sleeting outside. Whatever it's doing it's ugly. Who needs a good laugh?


Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo.

Happy Inauguration Day!

So we weren't in Washington D.C. freezing our butts off with the massive crowd or Grant Park where the hometown crowd was probably insane with joy. We were sitting at a table overlooking part of the hospital campus watching choppy video that amounted to a slideshow as the internet servers were overloaded with employees trying to catch the inauguration on one of the internet feeds, and listening to a radio station out of Chicago so at least we could hear the inauguration and following speech.

The message came through loud and clear. It's a new day of hope. I'm glad we got to see it and look forward to watching it again later.

Rehab

"Does that hurt?"
"No,it's cool."

I think the sweat that broke out on my forehead betrayed my exterior cool as she dug her knuckles into my IT band and pushed down toward my knee. Damn, that hurt, but I certainly wasn't going to let her know. I'm cool as a cucumber, until the next push down the leg that elicits a groan that I couldn't hold.

"Ok. A couple more then I'll show you some stretches that will help."

Damn. She got me. So, I'm back in physical therapy for what I thought was a knee problem, but turns out is Iliotibial band syndrome. The tightening of the IT band was putting extra stress on my knee causing the to ache. It's a relief to find out that it isn't a knee issue and with some PT and stretching I should be good to go in short order. Go ahead dig those knuckes in. Let's do this.

Now that I know that I should be to go for racing this spring I'm starting to get the bug again. It's time to find some races (short races) and get training. Definitely on the schedule is the Flying Pig Relay and the Heart Mini-Marathon. I'm also gonna take a shot at the Trail Run Series this summer. The last time I ran the East Fork Backpack Trail Run was in '06 and it took a pair of sun glasses and some skin off my knees. I want revenge. It's time to get out and run.

Show No Weakness

I first read about David Goggins in Runner's World a couple months ago. He's a Navy Seal that runs with a purpose. An inspiration.

What's My Motivation?

I've been finding it difficult to get motivated to get into the gym or workout over the last couple of months. I've tried to run a couple times, but it has always ended with the flaring up knee pain. Without the races and the goals it seems that I am pretty directionless and umotivated. With a new year and a new year of races ahead of me I'm hoping to shake this lack of motivation and get moving again.

The first step is to get my knee healthy again. I have an appointment with a physical therapist next week. I'm hoping I can get some advice on what to do about my knee. I'm hoping it's just a ligament strain and some stretching and such will fix it up. It's had more than 2 months of rest certainly I can get moving again. I hope.

Provided that all goes all well at the physical therapist I have a couple goals for the new year. I will be concentrating on short races of the 5k and 10k variety this year with some bicycle riding to mix things up. So for 2009 my goals are to get that knee healthy, run a sub 19 minute 5k and a sub 40 minute 10k. Other than that my goals are to get into nursing school and update this blog more than the occasional update that has been the case recently.

'09. Year of the Unicycle

Here it is 2 months since my last post and about the same amount of time since my last run. It seems that the damage done to my knee during Columbus was worse than I had originally thought, so running and I have been on a break. I was planning on taking a break after Columbus anyway, but not quite like that. I've tried to run a couple of times since Columbus, but it always ends with knee pain and broken dreams. Hopefully running and I will be giving it another try over the next few months to prepare for some races in '09. We'll see. We're going to take it slow. No marathons this year. It's all about short races and speed.

In mursing news: With some greatly appreciated assistance, support and an occasional needed kick in the ass I finished up a tough semester of Anatomy and Physiology and took a nursing assistant class along the way. It's been all about bedpans and bone structures. After a nice winter break we'll be heading into A&P 2 and applying for the mursing program. That will be when the real stress begins. Until then I'll be enjoying the rest of winter break doing some fun stuff.

Finally I leave you with a couple predictions for '09. Forget your SUV's, hybrids, and even bicycles. 2009 is the year of the unicycle. It's the ultimate green vehicle. So, run out and get yourself a unicycle and save the environment. Also there is this little coffee shop out of Seattle that I think is going to make its mark this year. I think Starbuck's will finally get it's big break. Ride your unicycle on over and try it out.

I Broke Up with Running

Running pulled a Tonya Harding and clubbed my right knee during the Columbus Marathon. Not cool running. Running and I needed a break from each other. We both knew I wouldn't be able to stay away. Running and I are getting back together soon.

Vote!

Yes We Can!

C=RN

Recently I was feeling a little bit overwhelmed and concerned about my A&P class. I got my ass handed to me on the first exam. I never really had any problems while I was going back to finish my Elementary Education degree so I was worried. As the second exam was approaching I was starting to feel stressed. This could really be a make or break test. If I didn't do well I probably wouldn't pass the class screwing up the rest of my school plans.

The week before the test I got a little intervention. One of the nurses that I work with told me how she was having trouble during her nursing school. This is a nurse that I respect and seems very intelligent. At the time she was thinking about dropping out of nursing school if things didn't turn around. One of her professors pulled her aside and gave her this advice.

C=RN. Don't stress so much over your grades. I can see that you will be a good nurse. When it comes time and you're dealing with a patient that is coding they aren't going to ask you what your grade point average was during school. You just do your job.

So that has become my approach. It's not that I won't try to do my best, but that I will do the best that I can and not stress too much over the grades.

Columbus Marathon Race Report

The starting line of the Columbus Marathon was jam packed as once again I got caught somewhere in the back around the 5 hour pace group. This was not what I was hoping for. What I was hoping to to do was get in with the 3:30 or 3:20 pace group and cruise along. No worries though. Certainly I would be able to catch up with them right? They were up there somewhere. So began my 4th marathon and another attempt at breaking 3:30. Columbus is a flat course that is known for producing Boston qualifiers. This was an excellent course to PR on and it was a perfect day for it. It started out at somewhere in the mid 40's and clear. It warmed up to somewhere in the mid 50's.

I was feeling ready. My training went well, and I had completed all my longest runs with very little problem. Although unlike the flat course of Columbus all my long runs involved major hill climbs. This was a minor cause for concern as I wasn't sure how I would handle the flat roads of Columbus. Another concern was endurance. I know I have the speed as I've run well all summer in shorter races. The question was would I have the endurance to push through the final miles.

The first half was flawless as I cruised through at 1:39. I knew I was pushing it, but I decided from the beginning to go all out and let the rest take care of itself. A great time for a half, and I felt good. I got a banana and some words of encouragement from marathon super fan Gina. I think her words of encouragement were something along the lines of "Move it Iker! You're going too slow!" After seeing the 3:30 and 3:40 pace groups go by she was thinking that I was crashing and burning. She was unaware of the fact that I had crossed the starting line a good 7 minutes after them.

What could possibly go wrong? It was somewhere between mile 19 and mile 20 that I began to feel the twinges of cramps. Oh yeah, that's what could go wrong. I stopped to stretch and hoped that I could hold off the worst of it as long as possible. Unfortunately that wasn't so long. Within the next half mile it began in my left calf. I shortened my stride and slowed. This seemed to help for a while, but only for a while. The cramps came back and by mile 23 my hamstrings were completely wasted. The miles and miles of flat road and continuous pounding on the same muscles had taken its toll. It was frustrating, because mentally I was feeling strong. I wasn't dehydrated. I still had fuel left, but the muscles were just spent.

At mile 24 I was pushing through slowly just wanting it to be over. At mile 26 I caught a wave from Super fan Gina. After that it was a short sprint to the finish, and by sprint I mean hobbling, limping jog. It wasn't the last 6.2 that I was hoping for or the finish I was hoping for, but still it was a PR at 3:34:37. This is my Columbus Marathon report or what will be remembered as 20 miles of awesome and 6.2 miles of brutal, or as Gina put it I crushed 20 and got crushed by 6.2, but still crushed it.

It's been a fun/tough run of 4 marathons over the last year and a half. The marathons are going on hold for a while. Next year is all about short, fast races and mursing school. After I graduate...we'll see.

Happy Finisher

Mile 20

Mile 15

Go!

Starting Area Crowd

Countdown to Columbus

A little over a day away from the marathon and I'm getting it all together and ready to run.

Mursing School

After returning to school to get my bachelor's degree in Education you think that would be enough right? You'd think I'd be teaching right now, but no. I am, once again, in transition. I've been at Children's Hospital for the last four years. A job that I took while I was in school that I could work while attending to my full time class schedule. It turns out I enjoy working at the hospital and would like to stay there. I've been working in various offices over the last four years doing customer service and admin. type work. It's good work and it's not something I don't enjoy, but not necessarily what I want to do for the rest of my working life at Children's.

This is part of the reason that I'm back in school to become a murse. It's something I've vaguely considered in the past but never pursued. This decision to pursue it was spurred on by what seemed like an inconsequential conversation, almost a joke. It all seemed to happen very quickly. One day we were talking about it over chat. The next day we were talking about program options. A few days after that I was at lunch with a co-worker and friend that was looking at nursing programs and had applied to one of the community colleges. The next thing I know I'm filling out applications, visiting school counselors, and signing up for classes.

That brings me to now. I'm currently taking Anatomy and Physiology, which is one of the few pre-requisite classes that I need to take before applying for the program. I have to admit it is quite a bit harder than I thought it was going to be. I've never thought of myself as a great student of science. English and Literature were more in my wheel house, but I'm working through it.

Off to the Races

It was quite the exciting weekend of races! First up we hit the Soapbox Races in Mt. Adams where teams were not only racing but judged on their themed vehicles and showmanship. The streets were packed as we watched some crazy racers speed down the hill...

The Cincinnati 3-Way

...and got to see some pretty awesome wipe outs...

Kool Mobile hits the wall

The theme of the day seemed to be hillsides as we then headed over to Ault Park for the Reggae Run.

I lined up with over 4,000 other runners and walkers on a perfect evening for racing. I had my goal of a top 50 finish and 20 minutes in mind, but didn't really know what to expect having never raced this before. I have a history of going out fast and hurting at the end. If I did that today it would be a super fast downhill mile and a half or so, then I would be punished for it coming back up (and I mean UP a big ass hill) into the park. I forgot my Garmin, which has become an indispensable toy tool while training and racing to keep that tendency in check. I borrowed a watch, but in the end I was flying blind as there were no mile markers either. I made a deal with myself. I would cruise down the hills. I wouldn't chase anybody down. I would let them go. I would see them again on the way back up.

So I stuck to my plan. During that first half of the race I set a steady pace and concentrated on conserving my energy as much as I could during a 5k. The course wound its way out of the park with a few minor inclines but a much larger downhill push to Delta Ave. I waited patiently and watched others around me push the pace before the real race had even begun.

We turned up Delta. This is where it begins. I shortened my stride and concentrated on controlled breathing. I wanted a quick, efficient turnover and to keep from gasping for air. I picked up the pace and started passing runners. During that last half of the race I felt completely in control of the situation. I had enough in the tank to push it up the hill and give it a good kick at the end.

The results speak for themselves.

31 ADAM IKER        Official Time: 19:46   Pace: 6:23 

So begins another taper before the Columbus Marathon in a few weeks. In the past, and by past I mean in the last year, I've gone into these times tired, beat up, and sometimes recovering from injury. I'm feeling pretty good. I've played it a lot looser with my training this time around, ditching the constant journal entries and obsessing over getting in every run. I've concentrated on getting in the important runs: 5 weeks of hill training early on and just finished up a 6 week rotation of Yasso 800's. I got in all my long runs finishing up with a solid 20 miler last Sunday. All the other runs have been filled in as I could get them in. Some weeks I'd get in 4 runs other weeks only 3. It makes me a little nervous that I'm under trained and don't have the endurance I need to reach my goal had I put in a more regular schedule with more mileage.

On the positive side I feel healthy and haven't sustained any injuries that I've had in the past due to those high mile weeks. I guess the proof will come in a few weeks when I line up at the start line in Columbus to try to run a 3:20 marathon. I'll be testing the theory that it is better to be under trained and healthy rather than risk injury.

In the meantime I'll be running the Reggae Run 5k this Saturday. It's a tough run that begins and ends in Ault Park, and for those that don't know the park is on the side of a hill. You run down the hill out of the park, and back up to the finish. Should be fun! My goal is to finish top 50 at around 20 minutes.

Citius, Altius, Fortius

Faster, Higher, Stronger

Gebrselassie breaks his own marathon world record in Berlin.

I ran my 20 miler in preparation for the Columbus Marathon where I hope to break my own record in a few weeks.

It seemed like a good day to get a reminder, brilliantly suggested and photographed by Gina, permanently emblazoned on my arm.

New Challenges and Goals

Remember when I had goals? Right up until the Flying Pig Marathon I was all about reaching those goals. It's amazing how much has changed since then, and how those goals seem less important now. Funny how that happens. I've been without any particular goals since finishing the Flying Pig Marathon. That's not entirely true. I am training for the the Columbus Marathon in October, but without any particular goals in mind or a particular training plan that I'm working on. It's a challenge, but one that I know I can reach with enough training to get through it. I need some challenges that are going to push me a little harder. Recently I was posed with a couple of challenges.

The first challenge is to run a 5:20 mile, and I only get one shot at running it. I like that challenge. It's either do or die. I haven't trained for running fast over a short distance in a long
time. It's been all about running marathons faster. This will be fun. I'm going to crush that time.

The second challenge is to run a 16:00 5k. My formal goal was to break 20 minutes on the 5k which I did earlier this year at the Rat Race 5k in April. I barely broke the 20 minute mark, so to take off another 4 minutes is going to be tough. But, what good is a challenge if it isn't tough?

So these are my two goals for now. This will give me incentive to get my training plan together, work on speed, and get focused. Hopefully this will help me toward the longer term goals like qualifying for Boston.

School's Out For Summer!

What better way to celebrate the last day of school
than with some trans-fatty deliciousness!

I can't believe Aiden is done with 1st grade! It only seems like yesterday that it was the first day of school! It only seems a short time earlier that it was the first day of kindergarten! I must be getting old. Isn't that what old people always say? Time is just slipping away. Oh well. I guess it happens. My little girl is getting all growed up.

I talked to her about her last couple of days of school which, according to her, consisted mostly of having a day out at a park or a "field day", a tug of war (her class came in second, so don't mess with her), and other fun and games. I need a last day of school! Funny, it sounds exactly like what some of my friends at work did last week in another department for their spring event. Crazy kids.

Recovered from 360:

First Day of 1st Grade

It's the first day of 1st grade! Doesn't seem so long ago it was the first day of kindergarten. Wow! how time flies.

1st Day of Kindergarten

It's the first day of school!		Aiden pretended like she didn't care, because she's just tooooo cool. Okay, so I pretended like I didn't care because I'm soooo cool too. Sniff, sniff, is it dusty in here?
	Ang and Aiden in the classroom. Excited about finding her seat and meeting her new classmates!
		After a successful 1st day of school it was time to relax and enjoy the beautiful afternoon.
	and the wildlife? A peacock escaped from nearby and shows up in our backyard. Aiden practices her peacock walk.

Indiana Jones and the Big Bag of Popcorn

You think you're getting any popcorn old man?

Monday afternoon we celebrated one of those great American traditions: the beginning of summer blockbuster season. Forget about that second rate super hero Iron Man. This is the real deal. This is the new tradition of George Lucas resurrecting and destroying our greatest childhood movie heroes. This is Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

How was the movie? Eh. It was fine. I wasn't really interested in seeing it, and didn't expect much. We had some family in town that wanted to see it, so we threw the kids in the car and took off for the movie theater. This did give me a chance to pass on one of my childhood memories to Aiden. In June of 1981 my dad took me to see Raiders of the Lost Ark. I would have been 7 at the time which is just a couple months older than Aiden. Yeah, I'm old. I was blown away by all the action and Han Solo in a fedora using a whip. I was also traumatized by spiders in the first 10 minutes of the movie and then later snakes. It was Aiden's turn to be traumatized. We were not disappointed as we first got scorpions and then ants. The digital creepy crawlies weren't nearly as creepy as the real spiders they used in Raiders, but still effective for a 7 year old. She wouldn't admit to being scared later, and said the movie was "good, but I had to drink some Coke to stay awake sometimes", which actually sums it up pretty well. I know she was scared when she was climbing up my arm during a couple of the scarier moments. I had to chuckle.

360 Recovery Project II

It's been over a year since my great uncle passed, and I often think of him. After he passed I started seeing red tailed hawks, or maybe a red tailed hawk all the time. It reminded me of him and seemed fitting since they are very loyal and protective. He would appreciate that. So here is a quick entry I wrote about him after the service. It's also kind of funny, because after reading it again I realized I made part of it about me.

Remembering Uncle Howard
from April 17, 2007

This morning was the memorial service for my great uncle. It was a very nice service at the local Presbyterian church with lots of friends and family showing up and sharing memories of Howard. I always felt a special connection to Howard. We seemed to have a lot in common, and I found out today we had even more in common than I knew. First of all the service itself was something that I could appreciate. His body wasn't there. It was donated to the local University for learning purposes. I can totally dig that. First of all I don't want to be laid out, so people can stand around and look at the husk that was me. That isn't me, I'm gone. Besides who wants to be remembered as the creepy lifeless corpse. Put up a picture of me with my sweet, sweet, mullet. Second, I don't want to be buried. Since I'm not going to be taking up any real estate don't waste the chemicals and fuss just box me up and send me on to the school to be poked and prodded.

Enough with being morbid. Why I actually started to write this was that I learned a few things about Howard that I didn't know. His children each gave very touching eulogies for Howard, and I thought I'd share a few bits of information that I found interesting.

• Howard was a lover of music. He loved classical, big band, and opera. His son told a funny story about how his wife Louise was not a lover of opera. She made a deal with him: I'll go do something on Saturday mornings and you can turn up the opera as loud as you want.
• Howard studied violin at the Cincinnati Conservatory before joining the Navy. I had no idea, and I think that is way cool.
• Howard was an agnostic. This blew me away. He was a fixture in the church. One story I heard today was that he was even asked to be a deacon in the church. His response was that because of his beliefs he might not be the right person for the position, so they asked him to be treasurer instead.

So it was with Howard. He put service before himself, served his country in the Navy and served the community through Rotary and the church, and despite being very active in the church he was never afraid to question the beliefs of those institutions. I only hope I can live to be half the man you were. We'll miss you Howard.

Run It Out

I've spent so much time training for the marathons for the last 9 months that I forgot about the most important reason to run: myself. Maybe I didn't forget, but over the last week and a half I decided to take a break from running. I was so burned out. This is only the second time I've run since the marathon. That may not seem like a big deal, but when you go from running 4 to 5 times a week to running twice in 1o days my body and my mind tend to notice. I feel more rested and less painful but not quite as focused.

This morning I was reminded why I really enjoy running. I had a sleepless night last night which will happen from time to time especially when I have a lot on my mind. Surprisingly, it wasn't a terrible night but I just couldn't switch off my brain. At about 4:30 I decided it was too late to get any real sleep so I would try to run it out.

Before I hit the road I pulled some songs from some various running mixes. This wasn't training this is running for fun and sanity music always helps. A quick stretch and I was on the road running...fast. Physically I felt better than I have in a while. All the aches and pains of the marathon are a vague memory. Mentally I felt a little scattered at first, but as I settled in and evened out my breathing I started to focus.

Nothing else matters outside of this moment. I can feel myself start to sweat as I push my pace. I don't think. I just feel my legs as they pump out the rhythm and my feet pound the pavement. I listen to the music and it brings up the good feelings inside. Nothing else matters. Thoughts and stresses that were tangling me up start to unwind, but I don't concentrate on that. I breathe. I run. All those things that seemed so complicated and so pressing a short while ago seem to flutter out behind me like ribbons as they untangle themselves. They don't look all that difficult anymore. They make sense. I let them flutter out there in the wind and I run.

At the end of the run I walk along the driveway and tilt my head back to the sky. The dawn is just starting to lighten the sky to show the low hanging clouds. For the first time in 2 days I feel like I'm outside my brain. Endorphins are the best drug. Everything is a little more clear. Everything is a little less complicated. Life is too short to tie myself up inside my brain. That's why I run it out.

360 Recovery Project I

Once upon a time I had another blog over at Yahoo's 360 community. Friends and games and good times.....good times. Then Yahoo decided that the 360 community wasn't really an important part of their game plan and the services started to suffer and continue to suffer. I've been thinking for a while about rescuing my writings from the wasteland that is 360 and with the marathon over and not much to write about in terms of training this is the perfect time.

The 360 Recovery Project begins as I bring over a fun entry from about a year ago. This entry was brought to my attention by a friend, so this one is for her. Enjoy!

Usually when I get an IM message from a stranger I ignore it. Occasionally I'll converse with said stranger. Usually, it lapses into awkwardness or I get bored and move on. Very, very rarely does it go any further than that. I hardly ever mess with anyone that contacts me... but I've always wanted to. Today I got one of those random contacts. Below is the transcript unchanged with the exception of a little bit of commentary by me in blue. I shortened Shelly's Yahoo ID, so don't bother trying to message this person.

shelly: hi (long pause as I ignore)
shelly: r u there? (another pause, but I decide to bite)
me: hi
shelly: hi (another pause as I quickly loose interest. If you are standing at my front door you just said hi twice and stood there staring at me.)
shelly: hello r u gonna type
me: sure, what's up?
shelly: how old r u
me: 32
me: you?
me: what? suddenly nothing to say?
shelly: shut up (at this point I'm guessing age of 12)
me: shut up? I don't get it. You messaged me.
shelly: I HAVE TO GO
me: sure, bye (ready to forget about it and move on)
shelly: BYE FUCKER (oh no she di'nt!)
me: okay weirdo (Come on, I'm not going to cuss at a 12 yr. old.)
shelly: ugly ass (oooooh burn. You cut like a knife Shelly.)
me: haha, ugly ass? you don't know me. I am hideous though. freakish.
shelly: stop iming me i have to go ok (Oh no Shelly you won't get the last word)
me: ok go then
shelly: BYE (Shelly must be young or naive. By this time I would have put her on the ignore list)me: talk to you later. can we be friends?
shelly: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (I'm sensing some negativity here)
me: that hurts. I thought we had something special here.
shelly: NO WE DONT STOP IMING ME I HAVE TO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO(You're words say no, but if you read between the O's it says "be my friend")
me: Just leave then! I'm not stopping you. Walk out the door! be that way! I love you. call me later?
shelly: ew no
me: you run so hot and cold. one minute we're best friends, the next you're asking me to leave. what's wrong? bad day?
shelly: stop i have to gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo if u dont stop im calling
me: my mom?
shelly: no just stopppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
me: ok, but be careful there are a lot of freaks out there. bye.

That was fun. Honestly, what do you expect when you IM a complete stranger? I don't get it. I get these messages frequently from people wanting to chat, and I usually ask early on, "how did you find me?" More often than not the answer is 360. That's fine, but if you found me through 360 and you want to have a chat take a second and read my profile or a blog entry. It's all right there. I'm 32, I'm married, my interests are pretty well spelled out. I'm not hiding anything!
However, if you're a kid or under age please don't contact me I don't need that. If you want money, don't bother I don't have any. If you're starting a secret society looking to overthrow the governments of the world....drop me a line, I've got some ideas. If you're Shelly stop IM'ing strange men. I was just messing with you, but there really are freaks out there waiting for you.

Flying Pig Marathon 2008 Race Report

My 3rd marathon and 2nd Flying Pig turned out to be an interesting experience where I saw some great improvements that didn't lead to what I had hoped for: a personal record. The lack of success on that front was partially due to outside forces, but ultimately lands back on me. Every race is a learning experience including this one. Despite the lack of a PR the overall experience of the race was excellent. The improvements I'm seeing are due, in part, to the new friendships I've made leading up to this race. It's changed the way I train. It's changed how I experience race day.

Rather than going through a long, drawn out play by play of the race I thought I would play a little game of High/Low and re-cap some of the highs and lows of the race.

Pre-Race

High: I nearly pulled off the perfect race day preparation. My pre-race plan went off without a hitch....mostly. The plan was to get up at 4, grab a quick shower to shake off the sleep, eat, dress, drive down and meet the TNT Team at their hotel for some quick photos, then meet up with Dave and the Striders to hit the start line. Everything went off without a hitch. I was out the door and on my way.

Low: Everything was going right on track until I hit downtown and was driving up to the parking lot and pulled ot my wallet. Empty. Oh no, I had left the cash I set out for parking on the table. Why didn't I just put it in my wallet? Who knows. It was just after 5 am. The major street closings weren't until 5:30 so I had time to find an ATM and get back over to the lot, no problem. 20 minutes later after a quick, frustrating drive around the city I found the ATM, grabbed the cash and was back at the lot. No TNT meet up for me. It was now 5:35. They were probably headed from the hotel at this point.

High: Gina's "Five Minute Mile Mix". I chilled out at the car for a few minutes while I made my final preparations and listened to my friend Gina's "Five Minute Mile Mix". I popped open the trunk door while I loaded up on Gu, electrolyte tabs and tied my shoes. Everyone showing up in the lot got some of Kanye "Stronger", Beck "Earthquake Weather", or Gwen Stefani "What You Waiting For". They didn't say it, but I think they were quietly thanking for that little early morning boost. Thank you Gina and you're welcome Flying Pig runners.

We're so fast we're blurry before the race!

Race

High: Having a good running partner to pace with during the race. Dave has been a great running partner during training and on race day. A little trash talk gets the competitive spirits up. Pushing each other during training gets the race pace up. Someone that can make you laugh and talk about anything for hours while running keeps it fun. I hope to beat him in many more races.

Far, Far Back from the starting line

Low: Getting stuck in the back of the pack. At the start of the race we got stuck way back in the pack near the 5 hour pace group. We were shooting for 3:30, so this was kind of a nightmare. We spent 9 miles weaving around runners and walkers as we tried to get up to our goal pace. We added an extra 1/4 mile onto our run with all that weaving. In retrospect we should have pushed a little harder at the start. I was 5 minutes behind my time last year at the halfway point. Despite the fact that I felt like I ran a better second half than last year I didn't make up those 5 minutes.

High: Having a Garmin 305 to help set the pace. This gadget is a dream. During the race I could see my pace at any given moment and make adjustments as necessary. I have a tendency to go out to fast at the beginning of races, so this will be the perfect tool for that.

Proud to wear the Purple Jersey

High: Running for Team in Training. The crowd support for TNT runners is phenomenal. They have "scream teams" spread throughout the course to give support to the runners. It is such a boost to hear your name called out and see the groups of purple yelling and giving high fives. Dave would have to reel me in whenever we would pass one of these groups because it was such a rush that I would pick up the pace.

Low: Leg cramps. It is a consistent problem with me. I sweat very heavily and my body seems to fall out of balance at some point during the marathons. I have been working on pushing back the point at which this happens. Last year during the Pig it happened at mile 19. It was nearly debilitating. The last 7 miles were a nightmare. During Disney they struck even earlier due to the high heat and humidity that we weren't prepared to deal with. This year during the Pig I decided to drink a lot of Gatorade early on, take on a steady stream of Gu, and hydrate as much as possible. It really worked. The first cramp hit at mile 20, but it wasn't bad. I was able to stretch it out and get back on pace. I had a few cramps in the final miles, but none of them touched what I had gone through in previous marathons.

High: I was able finish strong. Thanks to a fellow runner and friend that I made during the Disney trip I finished the last couple of miles strong. I met up with Steve early in the race and we exchanged hellos and talked. He said he would be there during the final miles and sure enough he was. At about mile 24 he came out of nowhere and talked me through the final hill of the course. I think I was talking mostly nonsense to him as I pleaded, begged, threatened, and made deals with my legs to fight off the cramps that were threatening and push through those final miles. I owe him for that.

Post Race

High: Snacks! What better reason to run all that way! If you ever thought about running a marathon or half marathon this might put you over the top. About 10 feet after the finish line you get draped in a mylar blanket and handed a shiny metal. You walk another 15 feet and your surrounded by snacks: bagels, chips, bananas, oranges, ice cream!, juices, water. It kind of makes the whole thing worth it. If you don't feel like waiting until the end you can always go by the Gina school of running.

Low: Pain. Now that I've reached a goal that I've been working towards for 4 months, and I've finally stopped running everything hurts. I mean EVERYTHING hurts. The best thing to do is just keep shuffling along and collecting snacks to eat, because everything else is pretty much out of the question. Sitting is okay, but standing back up is a challenge, and I don't really need another challenge today. Stairs, hills, and any sort of step is pretty much out of the question.

High: Sharing the achievement with friends. I spent 4 months training with Team in Training and the Striders. Nothing makes the achievement sweeter than sharing it with fellow runners. We all love our families and are sooo thankful that they are there for us during those months of training and on race day, but when you can see the joy, pain, relief, disappointment and other emotions of another runner it's on a totally different level.

High: Family. After that last paragraph I realized I was being silly. Of course families are hugely important! You are the best I love you all!

Low/High: Ice bath. This awful/wonderful act of craziness can really improve recovery after a marathon. It's not that big of a deal. On your way home pick up a 5 lb. bag of ice. Fill up the tub enough to cover your legs and dump previously mentioned bag of ice in to the water. Step into the tub. Take some deep breaths and psych yourself up. Sit down. No really, sit down. Come on man! You can do this! GO! Once you get yourself into the freezing water you can just feel the heat seeping out of the muscles. I recommend a pair of headphones or something else to take your mind off the c-c-c-cold. I swear it's worth it.

These are some of the highs and lows. There were so many more memorable moments from this race that I could go on. There was coming across the bridge back into Cincinnati early in the race and feeling the bridge bounce under the pounding of thousands of runners.

There was this guy:

The Official Time: