Sweet Times Coming Down...

It's my first week on the night shift. I was very nervous about the first night. I imagined that about 3 am I would hit a brick wall and it would be all downhill from there. They would find me curled up in the fetal position in the break room snoring. It didn't turn out to be that bad. I was kept busy all night taking care of patients and learning the ins and outs of a new position in the ICU. It was very interesting monitoring all the patients right from the desk with the fancy new equipment.

I didn't hit the wall until about 5 am. By then I could push through to the end with thoughts of laying my head down and blacking out. After unwinding for a couple hours that is exactly what I did. I slept hard for about 4 hours.

I think The Commodores summed it up best. It's gonna be alright...

Panoramas

Let me count the ways I love you iPhone. I'll save that for another post. Today I'll be sharing some photos taken with the iPhone and put together with a fun little app. called AutoStitch. While not perfect, the results are pretty impressive for an inexpensive app. and it's super easy to use. Click the photos to go to the originals on Flickr. Click on "All Sizes" in Flickr to see the full size versions.



Fifth Third Field in Dayton, Ohio

Taken during The Bob Dylan Show.


Contemporary Arts Center. Cincinnati, Ohio

Taken tonight while we were downtown. I was reprimanded for not knowing the architect of Cincinnati's new downtown centerpiece. Do yourself a favor and read up on Zaha Hadid and the CAC here.

Fall Race Plans

Today begins training for the fall race season. There was a last minute addition that has me kind of pumped. Initially I was going to do the White Tail Trail Half in October as my main race for the fall, but after hearing that one of Gina's co-workers is running the State To State Half I quickly did some calculations to see if I would have enough time to train. Yep, it has been added to my schedule as my A race for the fall. Competitive? What? I don't know what you mean Gina.

My excuses are: the addition of the State To State will give me the opportunity to go for a PR for the half distance, where I'm hoping to come in around 1 hr. 30 minutes. The White Tail Trail Half will be more for the experience of doing a trail half. It will also hopefully provide for some competition..against myself...for the PR.

For the training schedule I chose Hal Higdon's Advanced Half Marathon training program. I like that it mixes up the speed work with 400, 800 and 1600 intervals over the course of the training. It also includes lots of race pace running and good mileage. I'm pretty excited to get back on to a training schedule (because I'm sick like that).

So the tentative summer/fall race schedule looks like this:

I don't know what it looks like yet. The training schedule suggests racing on certain dates, but I may have to juggle that around a bit depending on work and when races are scheduled.

Off for a run!

The Show In The Stands

Which happened to be at The Bob Dylan Show…

A warm afternoon at the home of the Dayton Dragons with Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Bob Dylan, and 7,000 of our closest friends. Make that 6,998 of our closest friends, because the two ladies behind us were annoying as hell. Do I really need to talk about the music? It was awesome. I loved it. These are three legends of music that you either like or dislike. I'm not going to sway you, but if you don't like them you are dead wrong my friend.

Anyway, back to the real action. We sat down in our seats to enjoy Willie tear through a great set with the energy of a guy half his age and probably while high. Go Willie. This big group came in to take their seats behind us and the two ladies directly behind us starting blabbing immediately. I don't expect quiet at a ballpark concert, but they were shrill and talking loudly about everything that happened to them that day right in our ears. Then they would clap at the end of the song as if they heard anything! I couldn't hear it! I think Gina was going to punch one of them in the face at one point. It would have almost been worth it to get kicked out. We chose to move, because the dirty looks weren't working.

We found a spot in a little side grassy side area (click on photo above for the view from that spot) with some chairs lined up along the top. We chatted with a couple of ladies next to us, enjoyed some “jumbo” corndogs and listened to Mellencamp tear it up as he made every classic sound new again. It was a little off to the side of the stage, but you could see the front of the stage well enough and, once again, the real action was in the stands. This time we happened to sit down right behind a couple that was high or drunk or some combination of the two. The woman spent most of Mellencamp’s set on her back with her eyes closed. They both were grungy and covered in, what appeared to be, needle marks.

At one point the guy jumped up and ran toward the poor people sitting in the stands off to our right yelling something completely unintelligible, stumbling and laughing. The lady nearest him must have been horrified, because it wasn’t long before she grabbed the first guy in a uniform she could find to report the guy for his behavior. Later he jumped up and asked a few ladies next to us to watch his girlfriend because she is “stupid”. Really buddy?

Some of the other crowd highlights included a man running around the crowd of the in field doing a very jubilant version of the Macarena, and several guys of all ages being escorted away stumbling and weaving. Good stuff.

Some of the concert highlights?

Willie - “If You’ve Got the Money I’ve Got the Time”
It always makes me think of my grandma singing it and brings a smile to my face.

John - “Small Town” alone on stage with an acoustic. One of the few times he slowed down and changed a line of the lyrics at one point to say that he wrote that song when his wife was 13.

Bob – Honestly, I was surprised by the entire Dylan set. Never seen him in concert, so I didn’t really know what to expect. He had an excellent band and it was a fairly rockin’ bluesy set. I would have to hear the set again to pick out a fav..or maybe see him again.

Adam's Workout Plan

This long distance dedication goes out to Debie in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Debie somehow found a list of songs that I had posted a couple years ago on the message board for a cycling group on Sparkpeople. I'd be curious to see those songs that I was working out to 2 years ago. I suspect many of them are still in regular rotation on my iPod.

Debie asked me what I'm listening to lately that gets my butt moving during workouts. After a quick consult of my trusty shuffle that I run with and my recently listened to songs in iTunes I put together a workout mix, or plan if you will. It keeps me moving, but what's most importantly is if you use this mix you won't have to deal with Ray Ray's broke a$$ no more (see track 9). If you want another, and better, mix I would check out the 5 Minute/Mile Mix Gina gave me last spring prior to the Flying Pig Marathon. It is guaranteed to have you running 5 minute miles (the mix master nor the writer cannot be held liable for failure to run 5 minute/miles. If you do succeed at anytime after listening to the mix the mix master gets all credit for helping you reach said goal). I consider it the gold standard of running mixes. It is still in regular rotation, and I'm constantly striving to her level of mix-manship.

• This Tornado Loves You - Neko Case
• Can I Get a... - Jay-Z
• Search and Destroy - Peaches
• Joker and The Thief - Wolfmother
• The Fear - Lily Allen
• Superstition - Stevie Wonder
• Animal - Pearl Jam
• Bohemian Like You - The Dandy Warhols
• The New Workout Plan - Kanye West
• Like This - Girl Talk
• Ghetto Pop Life - Danger Mouse & Gemini
  
• Movies - Alien Ant Farm
• Sex On Fire - Kings of Leon
• Be The One - The Ting Tings
• Poker Face - Lady Ga Ga
• Lisztomania - Phoenix
• Paper Planes - M.I.A.
• Give Me A Beat - Girl Talk
  

Revelations

Two weeks in with the new job and things are going really well. My reservations for going in to mursing school are the following in no particular order:

1. Going back to school and working full time is going to be hard going, and I'm not a super young dude anymore.
2. Sciences were never my strongest classes. I'm more of an English and Lit. guy.
   
3. I've never been in a job that required patient care before. What if I hate dealing with people in such close proximity?

One of those reservations has been put firmly to rest. I really enjoyed my first two weeks of work. Working with the patients was great and any nerves that I was experiencing during the first day quickly disappeared. Most of the patients are happy to see the PCA's. It makes a big difference to them to stop for a minute and chat. It is something that I will always try to remember. No matter how busy my day is or how tough things are going I am primarily there to help them during their stay.

So, tomorrow begins a new week with a new set of challenges that I'm looking forward to taking on. It's going to be a tough one since I'm facing 3 twelve hour days in a row. It will be so worth it, since on Friday Gina and I will be on the road to Dayton to see our friends John, Willie and Bob.

Kung Pow Kitten

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