Boys Chasing Girls

Ever since missing my Rockford half-marathon race, I've been itching to run a race. I haven't run anything since the Shamrock Shuffle back in March.

So on a whim, I signed up for the Skirt Chaser 5K in Arlington Heights this Saturday. It's a fun and unique race where the women runners, in these great looking running skirts of course, get a three minute head start in front of the men. The first one to cross the finish, guy or girl, gets $500.

These races are great motivators to keep up my training- the 13.1 mile Chicago Distance Classic is only eight weeks away.

This one sounds like a hoot!

And how can you beat a block party with music and free beer for the runners afterwards?

So now I rest

See more photos of my run on my Flickr.

Since May 2nd of this month, here is the breakdown of my training so far for Rockford:

May 2: 2.5 miles
May 3: 10 miles
May 7: 8 miles
May 8: 2.5 miles
May 10: 11 miles
Total: 34 miles

I'm tired.

My legs have been constantly sore this past week leading up to today. My mileage has increased from running 12 to 16 miles a week to over 25 in preparation for the half-marathon. Still, I'm happy with my accomplishments. It wasn't until my last 11 mile training run that I started to feel a painful twinge in my left knee, but I think it had to do with me being all tensed up and not pacing myself correctly. Once I relaxed near mile 5, the rest of my run was pain free- for the most part anyway.

Running with sore leg muscles is insanely difficult, especially when the runs are on consecutive days. I don't think I'm hydrating properly, or stretching enough on my rest days to counter the soreness. The tiredness goes away once I'm 2 to 3 miles into my run, but it's the start that is freakin' painful. I can't imagine how the road to 26.2 miles and the Chicago Marathon is going to be. I better stop whining about it while I'm ahead, I guess.

So now I rest. Next week I only run a total of seven miles to stay loose, and to keep fresh for Sunday. I'm traveling to Rockford the day before, and staying at a local hotel since the start time is 7 a.m.

On a side note: My trip to Rockford may be in jeopardy since finding out I will have to work on Saturday to install this beast - part of a major system upgrade my company is doing. Even if I don't make it on Sunday, I'll be OK with it. My journey to running Chicago will be long, and I have a lot of time left until October. I'll just keep going.

See you soon, my friends.

Action Shot: 10 mile training run

Taken near mile seven of my ten mile training run at Independence Grove forest preserve, Libertyville, IL.

A run of 10 miles is daunting. As I stood at the beginning of the trail that was to take me completely around Independence Grove, down the Des Plaines river trail, and back, I wondered if it was possible. The sun was out, and the wind was blowing at an incredible 35 mph, and it was a bit cool out. The most I've run before this was 9 miles in Chicago.

I couldn't believe how powerful that wind was. Running 10 miles is one thing, but fighting a 35mph wind while TRYING to complete it is another. I swear I could of put my arms out and have been lifted into the air. It was one of the more difficult things I've done.

But I did it.

I've never felt such relief or sense of accomplishment. I finished in one hour and thirty nine minutes. I walked for two minutes during the run to take a power gel and a drink, but otherwise I ran the whole thing. I'm constantly surprising myself.

The May 18 Rockford half-marathon is less that 22 days away. Holy crap! I have two 11 milers to do before then, and then it's race time. I'm looking forward to it with nervous anticipation.

Right now my legs are tired, and my left quadricep is a bit sore. My feet and knees have held up surprisingly well, but I think I'll be retiring my trusty running shoes after Rockford.

Those shoes and I have been through a lot. Perhaps I'll have them encased and hang them on my wall.

Yup, I'm a nerd like that.

Marching Ahead

I'm writing this on the eve of yet another predicted snow storm that is to hit our area tonight into Tuesday morning. I've just about had enough of this winter, and am ready for nicer weather. I sure hope this is the last storm of the season.

My Rockford half-marathon training is moving along. I only put in 10 of my scheduled 12 miles last week due to some traveling I had to do. This past Saturday, I was lucky enough to get a break in the weather and do four miles at Independence Grove forest preserve. All of the trails are still snow covered, so I was stuck running the main road, which is just over a mile long.

This week I'm due for 17 miles, but I'm afraid the oncoming storm may either set me back a few miles, or force me to run on the dreadmill at the gym. In either case, I'm looking forward to the extra mileage because I've been feeling great as of late.

Here is what my training schedule looks like this week:

Mon: Weights lower body/2 miles easy
Tue: Rest/cross train
Wed: 6 miles hard @ 8:57 min. pace
Thur: 2 miles easy
Fri: Rest/cross train
Sat: 7 miles @ 9:45 min. pace
Sun: Rest

Happy running!

Chicago Distance Classic: Call me wacko

I couldn't resist.

This is the Chicago running event that inspired me to start running again- The Chicago Distance Classic half-marathon (13.1 miles). I remember the excitement, the crowds, Grant Park, the craziness.

I registered and am running it. This will be my 2nd half-marathon this year.

For me it's just another training run for the 26.2 miles of the Oct. 12 Chicago Marathon. That's how I justify it anyway! Both Rockford and Chicago fit smuggly in between my training schedule, so if I'm careful enough, they'll serve me well.

So here's how it's looking for my major races this year:

March 30: Chicago Shamrock Shuffle 8K (5 miles)
April 27: Stepping Up to Wellness 10K at Independence Grove, Libertyville (6.25 miles)
May 18: Rockford half-marathon (13.1 miles)
Aug. 10: Chicago Distance Classic (13.1 miles)
Oct. 12: Chicago Marathon (26.2 miles)

That's it. No more, unless it's a small 5K which are always a hoot to run.

Well, off I go!

Rockford half-marathon: Training day 1

So here we go.

I haven't run much for the past two weeks to prepare me for what's ahead...

For the next fifteen weeks, I will officially begin training for the 13.1 miles of the Rockford half-marathon. Up to today, the most I've run in a single jaunt will be 7 miles. The most I've run in a week is 16.

At the end of week 14 my longest individual run will be 11 miles (there are two) and my weekly total will peak near 21 miles. Ouch. Let's not even mention my training for the 26.2 miles of the Chicago marathon in October, which will be near double that. That begins in June.

Here's a break down on what I'll expect each day:

-Monday: Usually an easy 2 to 4 miles to recover from my longer run on Saturdays.
-Tuesday: Rest or cross training (weights, walking, etc).
-Wednesday: A "tempo run" or "speedwork". These workouts are of a faster pace- much faster to increase my overall speed and improve my heart rate.
-Thursday: Rest.
-Friday: Rest / cross training.
-Saturday: Long run. These are for endurance and will vary from 6 through 11 miles each.
-Sunday: Rest.

This schedule will change a bit the closer I get to week 15.

As of right now, I have no injuries except for a little soreness along the inside of my right knee that doesn't show itself until after a longer run. It has improved dramatically during my two week rest, though.

So for all of my regular visitors, I hope you will join me on my journey. I promise I won't write ALL about my training, in the hopes of not boring you to death :) It will continue on as always.

Have a wonderful day!

Jesse, Where Art Thou?

My goodness, I've been super busy around the office lately. They're practically doubling the capacity of our office building, and bringing in folk from one of our recent acquisitions.

The projects have been piling up, but I've kept on schedule, for the most part anyway. This is all good for job security and all, but I'm exhausted on the way out the door. This comes at the right time, since I've cranked down my workouts and running schedule ahead of my training for the Rockford half-marathon.

My lovely, chilly run last Sunday did a number on me! I've never been so sore in places I never new existed! It's a good sore, but it really wore me out. Would I do it again? Probably not, but I love training outdoors in the winter. Fortunately, the days are getting longer, and I'll have more light to run outside after work.

The little aches and pains that have bugged me since I started my "maintenance" running last December have pretty much gone away, and I know I'll feel good when my half-marathon training begins on Feb. 4. That's the point of rest, no? I have 6 miles to run on Saturday and that's it until the week after next.

Next week, I'll be having a little fun with this blog and posting a photo each day of the week about an event, or object related to my day. So come visit, will ya?

I can't believe how fast January has come and gone!

The Week Ahead

Who invented Monday's anyway? I seriously need to see some sunshine- I would just be in a much better mood.

I start school back up again this week until March, so it's going to be a challenge to fit my workouts in. I have two weeks left on my maintenance running schedule before my actual training begins for the Rockford Half- Marathon. My current "maintenance" training through the months of December and January never bring my weekly miles any higher than 16 a week to keep me from over training or getting injured.

My training schedule for the 13 miles of the May 18 Rockford Half-Marathon won't begin until February 4. The schedule looks a bit intimidating! My longest individual run will peak at 11 miles (!), and my weekly miles will peak at 28 (!!!). I think I'm going to take a week off of running at the end of this month before starting to train for Rockford.

Oh what will I do?

One idea I had was to take a photo of something related to my day for seven days and post it here. Perhaps I'll throw in a geeky tech post or two- I don't do enough of those.

So prepare- the week of January 28- A Day In My Life: A Photo Journey... or something like that.

Seven Mile Milestone

I took on my longest run to date Saturday of seven miles. Both my Garmin Forerunner and Nike+ system calculated just over 7.5 miles, but that's OK by me. I had a great run!

I decided to run along Chicago's lakefront trail beginning in Lincoln Park at Irving Park Rd., with my turnaround point at 3.5 miles just north of Navy Pier at Oak Street beach. I've never run here before and I felt like a little lost kid in a giant park surrounded by skycrapers- a weird feeling considering I've been clocking six milers near home.

Don't get me wrong, it's convenient running near home, but the scenery is getting BORING! Plus, being around so many other runners in Chicago was a neat feeling.

Here's a photo I took near my turnaround point:



I've been blessed with relatively pain-free runs since my nagging knee issues late last year. During the last mile, my left ankle felt like a knife was being plunged into it and being wiggled around. Fortunately, it only lasted for about 15 steps and I took it as a sign that I needed new running shoes soon. I've had my current shoes for close to two years now, and it's time for a newer pair.

My maintenance training continues this week:

Mon: 2 miles easy
Tue: cross train/weights
Wed: 6 miles
Thu: Rest
Fri: cross train/weights
Sat: 7 miles
Total miles: 15

My actual training schedule for the Rockford Half Marathon won't start until the first week in February, and I'll be joining the Chicago Area Runner's Association half-marathon training program in mid-February.

Bring it on!

Ouch, that hurt!

As I move forward with my half-marathon training, it's always interesting to experience what my body goes through when I do something out of the ordinary that affects my running.

Like yesterdays 5... er... 3 miler, for example:

My schedule called for a total of 5 miles with an easy jog to start and end the run. Since Tuesday morning, and through most of the day Wednesday (run day), I didn't eat as well as I should have. My meals were sort of small, and not the usual menu I use to prepare for longer runs. A lot of this had to do with a hectic schedule at work early this week, and then some "extra-curricular" activities after work leading up to Wednesday.

Well, as I started my evening run, my legs started to feel like lead weights around mile 2! I was really struggling to make it past 3 miles, and ended up making a last minute turn for home for a total of only 3 miles. I was a bit disappointed and spent the next few minutes going over in my head what may have gone wrong. Three miles for me has gotten easy, but I was having a REALLY hard time:

1. Fuel!: Although I wasn't completely hungry before my run, I realized afterwards that I hadn't eaten as well as I normally do. I think I was starved for energy.

2. Rushing through my warm up: I had to leave for a meeting shortly after my run, so I think I was in a rush and may not have warmed up enough considering I was running outside in chilly temps.

3. Lack of fluids: Just wasn't drinking enough water and was dehydraded. Period.

It's amazing how much discipline is needed to keep all of this up. It's good for me, no doubt, but if I stray just for a bit, my training suffers.

Ah well, lesson learned. I'll make it up on my six mile run Saturday!

Reality really does bite!

So I booked my first half-marathon race last week, and although I'm quite aware of the 13.1 mile distance required to finish it, it didn't begin to sink in until I started measuring just how long that distance really is.

If I ran a straight line from my home in Round Lake, IL to any of these familiar locations in Lake County, I would reach the distance of the half-marathon- give or take a mile or two:

-To the western shore of Lake Michigan on Waukegan's north beach (yes- this one).

-To Old School Forest Preserve in Libertyville, IL.- home of my annual picnic.

-To the Best Buy in Vernon Hills, IL. across from Hawthorn Mall.

-To my boyhood home in Wauconda, IL. and then running one and a half times around the entire perimeter of Bangs Lake.

-A straight line north to the Wisconsin/Illinois border and back home.

Perhaps I'll use one of these for a practice run? I'll take the Best Buy one as long as I can fit my checkbook in my running pants.

Next week I'll be starting my "maintenance" training which will take me six weeks to complete. My schedule consists of keeping my running mileage up around 11-15 miles per week, with my longer weekly run going no longer than six miles through winter.

This will prepare me for my tougher 16 week schedule come February where I build up to 11 mile runs leading up to half-marathon day on May 18, 2008.

I can't wait to get started!

Rockford Half-Marathon signed, sealed, and delivered

Well, it took me all of 24 hours to think about and finally commit to running the 13.1 miles of the Rockford, IL half-marathon on May 18, 2008. So, yes! I sent in my registration this morning.

That leaves me at little over 20 weeks to train, and then another 20 or so weeks after the half-marathon to prepare for Chicago's 26.2 miles in October.

At this point I'm feeling a little scared, anxious, excited, impatient, and optimistic all at the same time. The road to 26.2 miles is a long one (literally!). Will I make it? Fail miserably? Get injured? lose my motivation? I've never, ever done anything remotely like this before, but I'm ready to take on the challenge and the pain that comes along with it.

The days after Thanksgiving have been quite busy for me. I'm juggling around four different projects at the office, all involving some recent acquisitions my company has made. I'm also catching up on a lot of Jstreet stuff involving the radio show and website! Oh yea, and there's school... thank goodness classes are almost done, for now anyway.

Oh, almost forgot I've got to squeeze in Christmas shopping in there somewhere!

Chicago Marathon here I come

I got the news today that the Lasalle Bank Chicago Marathon (yes, the one where one person died and 100's injured) is scheduled for Sunday, October 12, 2008. This is my goal race and it will be set in stone once registration opens and I've "signed on the dotted line" to run.

So I will continue to condition myself to run until then. As of now, I plan to run a 13 mile half-marathon in the spring- probably Cincinnati, OH or Rockford, IL. Rockford is top on my list considering it is close to home and five months out.