So yesterday I ran, which normally would not qualify as blog-breaking news, but it is for me. I haven't run since 2-17 (Austin Marathon). That wasn't quite the plan, I had intended to follow this post-race training program, but things didn't work out. The wife caught the flu while I was in Austin and is just getting over it. Not to mention she had a severe sinus infection last weekend that had us back in the emergency room for the second time in a week and a half. School has been incredibly busy and the kids have had a lot of activities for us to attend.
It is always nice to go and run and not have the pressure of following a training program looming over your head. It is nice to run for the fun of it and not worry about all your data and how your legs are responding. Don't let me fool you here, we are talking about :30 minutes on a treadmill, nothing really earth shattering, but still a workout. I broke and sweat and was surprised to find out that I hadn't lost all my fitness.
I am not sure what is next for me as far as races go, but I know that I want to maintain a solid fitness level that will carry me into next year. I head to Miami next week for a law school conference and I am looking forward to dragging my garmin down there and getting in some nice runs.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Friday, February 29, 2008
Two Weeks is Enough!
It has only taken me two weeks, but I am starting to feel the urge to work out again. Part of the reason I haven't worked out so much, aside from the fact that I was tired, is that I had a lot of school work to catch up on, I haven't been feeling really well, and my wife came down with a bad case of the flu.
Hopefully getting back into the swing of exercise will help to motivate me to stop eating everything I deprived myself of over the past two or so months. I am starting to feel the effects of eating cookies on a daily basis.
I don't really have any race plans for the rest of the year, but I want to get into some sort of competitive shape in case a weekend pops up where I am able to get away. I would like to do three to four triathlons over the summer to keep me motivated.
Hopefully getting back into the swing of exercise will help to motivate me to stop eating everything I deprived myself of over the past two or so months. I am starting to feel the effects of eating cookies on a daily basis.
I don't really have any race plans for the rest of the year, but I want to get into some sort of competitive shape in case a weekend pops up where I am able to get away. I would like to do three to four triathlons over the summer to keep me motivated.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Getting back into the swing of things!
Now that the marathon is behind me, I am focused on getting the rest of my life in order. I have more school work to complete between now and the end of April that I am not sure when I am going to be able to sleep. The thought of it makes me pretty sick.
Regardless, I know I will get the work done, and turned in on time, but I want to make sure that I am able to turn in my best work.
Already this week, I have an abstract due for a 30 page article I have to complete, a security devices midterm on Wednesday (that is as fun as it sounds), and about 100 pages to read in corporations for Thursday. Considering I only have about twenty free minutes a day anyway, it is going to be interesting.
I guess I will have to start setting the alarm clock at 4 a.m. instead of 5!
Regardless, I know I will get the work done, and turned in on time, but I want to make sure that I am able to turn in my best work.
Already this week, I have an abstract due for a 30 page article I have to complete, a security devices midterm on Wednesday (that is as fun as it sounds), and about 100 pages to read in corporations for Thursday. Considering I only have about twenty free minutes a day anyway, it is going to be interesting.
I guess I will have to start setting the alarm clock at 4 a.m. instead of 5!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Austin Marathon Race Report
My co-worker (Kevin) and I headed to the airport at around 2 pm on the Friday before the race. Our flight was leaving at 4:45 and was scheduled to land in Austin around 6:30ish. Kevin woke up that morning with the chills and feeling the affect of a head cold. I was eager to get on the road and get this race over with. I was excited about the race, but I wanted to be in Austin around all the fanfare. There were a few other people headed up there, including Fred who was responsible for the training schedule I followed, and Laura who I was planning on running the marathon with.
The flight was pretty uneventful despite the horrible weather in both New Orleans and Austin. When we arrived we jumped in a cab to the hotel and Kevin went straight to bed. I headed out to dinner with a few friends that were up there to race and be spectators. I got to bed pretty early knowing that Sunday was going to come quick and I needed my sleep.
Saturday morning we woke up, ate breakfast, and headed down to the expo to meet up with Laura, who was driving in with her parents, and Fred, who had flown in that morning. The expo was very well organized and I was able to pick up a nice AT&T long sleeve tech shirt, something for the wife and kids, and grab some free schwag. We decided to listen to the race director talk about the course, its changes, and what to expect race morning. I don't normally sit around for that, but we had a few people who were new to the marathon, and to be quite honest, I enjoyed what he had to say.
After the expo, we piled everyone in to Laura's parents SUV to find a bite to eat. We ended up at the Italian Warehouse in downtown Austin, which was just what everyone was looking for. Great food at a reasonable price!
The rest of the day was spent resting in the hotel, doing some school work, and trying to get ready for what Sunday had to offer.
Race Morning:
We all decided, because of the different hotels that everyone was staying in, that the four of us in the Hyatt would walk across the Colorado River via Congress Ave. to the Radisson to meet up with Laura and her parents. The Radisson was right in front of the race start, so that would be a great place to hang out until it started to warm up a bit. Needless to say, we were not the only ones with that idea, which wasn't a big deal considering all the excitement in the air. The race was scheduled to start at 7 am so we decided to start walking over to our corrals around 6:30. It didn't take long for that thirty or so minutes to tick away because before we knew it we were singing the national anthem and high fiving everyone around us.
There is something about that moment that culminates all the work you have put into this race and thrust you into the spotlight. You suddenly realize that you are about to do this.
The plan for the race, at least the plan Laura and I had, was to try to tackle this course in less than 4 hours. I felt pretty confident that we would be able to do this considering all the training runs were in that time frame. I was equipped with my Garmin, and Laura was wearing a 4 hour pace band to keep us honest. We also had the benefit of the 4 hour pace group starting right behind us.
The gun went off, the fireworks starting to pop, and we were on the road to tackling the 2008 Austin Marathon. I have done enough of these races to know that you should take the first few miles easy because you will pay for it later, but that is much easier to do in principle than in practice. Nonetheless, our first mile was around 9:46, way off our pace, but still with the 4 hour group. Getting out of the congestion and onto the wide open roads of Congress Ave. we were able to put together a couple of 8:30-8:40 miles to put us 2 minutes ahead of schedule at around mile 5. By this time I had already used a tree in Austin as a port-o-let and had my hat and running gloves in my hand ready to toss to Laura's parents on the course. The course had warmed up quickly and the toughest part was yet to come.
The next few miles ticked along fairly quickly, as our pace was helping up put time in the bank. We spent some time discussing the course and runners with others and the rest of the time listening to the music on the course. I was reluctant to go too fast, although my heart rate at this point was already way too high, because I knew that the upcoming miles were going to get very hilly and I was going to be punished for my early effort.
By mile 13 or so, Laura and I made a deal with each other that we wouldn't leave the other unless it was going to jeopardize our goal to finish sub 4 hours. That goal was quickly put to the test as we started to approach mile 16 and could hear the 4 hour pace group catching us from the rear. Our pace band said that we still had some time in the bank, but I didn't want to loose touch with these guys. I struggled to stay in touch with them and Laura as we turned off of Great Northern Blvd. and past the 17 mile marker. I knew that with 9 miles to go I was going to have to relinquish some time eventually and figured that if I did it now I may be able to mitigate the damage. I wished Laura well and told her to do her best to reach her goal and to not worry about me; I was a veteran at this and would make it to the finish line.
Within the next two miles I lost sight of Laura and the pace group and started to settle into a more comfortable 9:40 pace. This meant running my normal stride, but walking the aid stations and some of the hills. I knew that if I kept this up I would get in at a reasonable time. I also knew that the next pace group was the 4:15 group and I didn't want those guys to catch me.
Those last few miles were brutal, and forced me to reach deep into my reserves to push through the pain. I thought about how much my boys missed me while I was in Austin and how much I wanted to make them proud. I thought about all the sacrifices I made to get to the start line and how I wasn't going to let a tough course take a respectable finish away from me.
The course winds through University of Texas in the last two miles, which got me moving a bit quicker knowing that the finish line wasn't far away. Making that last left turn onto Congress and seeing that finish line made me realize why I put myself through this.
Finish times in these races are irrelevant; they are only personal goals that we set inside of ourselves. Do I wish I was fast, hell yeah! Do I envy those people who are, hell yeah! Am I still proud of myself for finishing the Austin Marathon despite the fact that 34% of the field finished before me, hell yeah!
Marathons require individuals to dig into their soul to find out who they really are, and if they have what it takes to put in the work and get to the finish line. Whether it takes you two and a half hours or six, you should be proud that you reached your goal.
Enough of the sappy stuff!
When I finished the race I hobbled through the corral and picked up my medal, shirt, and some food. I gingerly walked over to the Saturn tent to congratulate Laura and tell her I was sorry I couldn't hang onto her pace. We snapped a few photos and waited a few minutes for Kevin to finish. He toughed out the course despite a head cold, bum hip, and inadequate training.
Laura and her parents headed out pretty quickly because they had to drive back to Baton Rouge that night. Kevin and I waited around for around for a friend and then walked back to the hotel. I was tired, disgusting, and ready to rest. I hopped into the shower and headed down to the Jacuzzi something I will never do again (keep reading).
It wasn't long after I got back from the Jacuzzi that I started to feel like I was dying. I was getting dehydrated and I didn't have the desire to eat or drink. Within an hour or so there were three paramedics in our room take my blood pressure and putting me on the stretcher. I opted to go to the hospital because I knew that they would force me to get rehydrated. I got my first IV in the ambulance and was feeling 80% by the time I got into the emergency room. A couple of extra IV bags later, and some heavy pain medicine, and I was being forced to stay overnight to observe my enzyme levels in my blood. The doctors wanted to make sure that the increased levels were caused by muscle breakdown and not something else.
The short version goes like this:
I spent the night in South Austin Hospital where I was fed like a king, poked with needled more then a person should be allowed, and allowed to go home in enough time to shower and catch the shuttle to the airport.
Summary:
Austin, and the race organizers, did a wonderful job putting on a top level regional marathon. Their organization is similar to the New York Road Runners who put on the NY Marathon. I will do this race again, but next time I will make that my family is with me and I train in the hills.
Thanks for listening!
The flight was pretty uneventful despite the horrible weather in both New Orleans and Austin. When we arrived we jumped in a cab to the hotel and Kevin went straight to bed. I headed out to dinner with a few friends that were up there to race and be spectators. I got to bed pretty early knowing that Sunday was going to come quick and I needed my sleep.
Saturday morning we woke up, ate breakfast, and headed down to the expo to meet up with Laura, who was driving in with her parents, and Fred, who had flown in that morning. The expo was very well organized and I was able to pick up a nice AT&T long sleeve tech shirt, something for the wife and kids, and grab some free schwag. We decided to listen to the race director talk about the course, its changes, and what to expect race morning. I don't normally sit around for that, but we had a few people who were new to the marathon, and to be quite honest, I enjoyed what he had to say.After the expo, we piled everyone in to Laura's parents SUV to find a bite to eat. We ended up at the Italian Warehouse in downtown Austin, which was just what everyone was looking for. Great food at a reasonable price!
The rest of the day was spent resting in the hotel, doing some school work, and trying to get ready for what Sunday had to offer.
Race Morning:
We all decided, because of the different hotels that everyone was staying in, that the four of us in the Hyatt would walk across the Colorado River via Congress Ave. to the Radisson to meet up with Laura and her parents. The Radisson was right in front of the race start, so that would be a great place to hang out until it started to warm up a bit. Needless to say, we were not the only ones with that idea, which wasn't a big deal considering all the excitement in the air. The race was scheduled to start at 7 am so we decided to start walking over to our corrals around 6:30. It didn't take long for that thirty or so minutes to tick away because before we knew it we were singing the national anthem and high fiving everyone around us.There is something about that moment that culminates all the work you have put into this race and thrust you into the spotlight. You suddenly realize that you are about to do this.
The plan for the race, at least the plan Laura and I had, was to try to tackle this course in less than 4 hours. I felt pretty confident that we would be able to do this considering all the training runs were in that time frame. I was equipped with my Garmin, and Laura was wearing a 4 hour pace band to keep us honest. We also had the benefit of the 4 hour pace group starting right behind us.
The gun went off, the fireworks starting to pop, and we were on the road to tackling the 2008 Austin Marathon. I have done enough of these races to know that you should take the first few miles easy because you will pay for it later, but that is much easier to do in principle than in practice. Nonetheless, our first mile was around 9:46, way off our pace, but still with the 4 hour group. Getting out of the congestion and onto the wide open roads of Congress Ave. we were able to put together a couple of 8:30-8:40 miles to put us 2 minutes ahead of schedule at around mile 5. By this time I had already used a tree in Austin as a port-o-let and had my hat and running gloves in my hand ready to toss to Laura's parents on the course. The course had warmed up quickly and the toughest part was yet to come.
The next few miles ticked along fairly quickly, as our pace was helping up put time in the bank. We spent some time discussing the course and runners with others and the rest of the time listening to the music on the course. I was reluctant to go too fast, although my heart rate at this point was already way too high, because I knew that the upcoming miles were going to get very hilly and I was going to be punished for my early effort.
By mile 13 or so, Laura and I made a deal with each other that we wouldn't leave the other unless it was going to jeopardize our goal to finish sub 4 hours. That goal was quickly put to the test as we started to approach mile 16 and could hear the 4 hour pace group catching us from the rear. Our pace band said that we still had some time in the bank, but I didn't want to loose touch with these guys. I struggled to stay in touch with them and Laura as we turned off of Great Northern Blvd. and past the 17 mile marker. I knew that with 9 miles to go I was going to have to relinquish some time eventually and figured that if I did it now I may be able to mitigate the damage. I wished Laura well and told her to do her best to reach her goal and to not worry about me; I was a veteran at this and would make it to the finish line.
Within the next two miles I lost sight of Laura and the pace group and started to settle into a more comfortable 9:40 pace. This meant running my normal stride, but walking the aid stations and some of the hills. I knew that if I kept this up I would get in at a reasonable time. I also knew that the next pace group was the 4:15 group and I didn't want those guys to catch me.
Those last few miles were brutal, and forced me to reach deep into my reserves to push through the pain. I thought about how much my boys missed me while I was in Austin and how much I wanted to make them proud. I thought about all the sacrifices I made to get to the start line and how I wasn't going to let a tough course take a respectable finish away from me.
The course winds through University of Texas in the last two miles, which got me moving a bit quicker knowing that the finish line wasn't far away. Making that last left turn onto Congress and seeing that finish line made me realize why I put myself through this.
Finish times in these races are irrelevant; they are only personal goals that we set inside of ourselves. Do I wish I was fast, hell yeah! Do I envy those people who are, hell yeah! Am I still proud of myself for finishing the Austin Marathon despite the fact that 34% of the field finished before me, hell yeah!
Marathons require individuals to dig into their soul to find out who they really are, and if they have what it takes to put in the work and get to the finish line. Whether it takes you two and a half hours or six, you should be proud that you reached your goal.
Enough of the sappy stuff!
When I finished the race I hobbled through the corral and picked up my medal, shirt, and some food. I gingerly walked over to the Saturn tent to congratulate Laura and tell her I was sorry I couldn't hang onto her pace. We snapped a few photos and waited a few minutes for Kevin to finish. He toughed out the course despite a head cold, bum hip, and inadequate training.
Laura and her parents headed out pretty quickly because they had to drive back to Baton Rouge that night. Kevin and I waited around for around for a friend and then walked back to the hotel. I was tired, disgusting, and ready to rest. I hopped into the shower and headed down to the Jacuzzi something I will never do again (keep reading).It wasn't long after I got back from the Jacuzzi that I started to feel like I was dying. I was getting dehydrated and I didn't have the desire to eat or drink. Within an hour or so there were three paramedics in our room take my blood pressure and putting me on the stretcher. I opted to go to the hospital because I knew that they would force me to get rehydrated. I got my first IV in the ambulance and was feeling 80% by the time I got into the emergency room. A couple of extra IV bags later, and some heavy pain medicine, and I was being forced to stay overnight to observe my enzyme levels in my blood. The doctors wanted to make sure that the increased levels were caused by muscle breakdown and not something else.
The short version goes like this:
I spent the night in South Austin Hospital where I was fed like a king, poked with needled more then a person should be allowed, and allowed to go home in enough time to shower and catch the shuttle to the airport.
Summary:
Austin, and the race organizers, did a wonderful job putting on a top level regional marathon. Their organization is similar to the New York Road Runners who put on the NY Marathon. I will do this race again, but next time I will make that my family is with me and I train in the hills.
Thanks for listening!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
I'm Back!
The race went fairly well. The hills started to punish me around mile 17, and the numbers reflect that (see my data below). Spent the night in the hospital getting rehydrated and got out in time to catch my flight home. I will post a complete race report later this week. Today I need to catch on what I missed while I was gone.
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.do?episodePk.pkValue=5005821
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.do?episodePk.pkValue=5005821
Friday, February 15, 2008
Off to Austin
Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of time to day to provide you with any last minute wisdom. We have to hit the Chevy dealership on the northshore, to pick up my buddy's truck, run to Wal-Mart, and then make it across the bridge to catch our flight. One positive note; we have free drink tickets for the flight over.
If anyone is interested, you can check out my race at www.mychiptime.com (bib #1262)
Chiao!
If anyone is interested, you can check out my race at www.mychiptime.com (bib #1262)
Chiao!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
The Marathon of Life
I think the thing that draws me to the marathon distance is the preparation necessary to get to the finish line and the intermediate goals that are achieved along the way.
As I sit back and reflect on the last few months of training and anticipate crossing the finish line on Sunday, I can't help but think of the similarities that exist between this race and the life I lead. My life can be compared, in part, to the marathon and the commitment it takes to finish the race.
The questions from others are always the same;
How do you run that far?
How can you go to law school, work, and raise a family? (Actually my wife raises the family; I just help pay the bills, shhh!)
Regardless of who asks the question, or in what context the question is asked, my answer still remains the same. I JUST DO! Partially inspired by Nike, I guess, but I just get up in the morning and go through the motions. Sometimes with a little more enthusiasm then other days, but for the most part I get done what I need to get done.
The majority of the time I have the inherent ability to not overwhelm myself, although that term is relative and up for debate, and there is the occasional day that I wish my life were not so complicated.
The marathon, in its simplest explanation, is just running. Yeah, you run long and far, but you are just running. Similarly, law school is tough, but it is just reading and studying. Looking back on both you tend to appreciate the body of work you have accomplished, but when broken down to daily activities, those things just keep me busy and moving forward. I tend not to focus on how far I have come, but what direction I am going.
As long as I am putting one foot in front of the other, I feel like I am progressing through life and making my contribution.
As I sit back and reflect on the last few months of training and anticipate crossing the finish line on Sunday, I can't help but think of the similarities that exist between this race and the life I lead. My life can be compared, in part, to the marathon and the commitment it takes to finish the race.
The questions from others are always the same;
How do you run that far?
How can you go to law school, work, and raise a family? (Actually my wife raises the family; I just help pay the bills, shhh!)
Regardless of who asks the question, or in what context the question is asked, my answer still remains the same. I JUST DO! Partially inspired by Nike, I guess, but I just get up in the morning and go through the motions. Sometimes with a little more enthusiasm then other days, but for the most part I get done what I need to get done.
The majority of the time I have the inherent ability to not overwhelm myself, although that term is relative and up for debate, and there is the occasional day that I wish my life were not so complicated.
The marathon, in its simplest explanation, is just running. Yeah, you run long and far, but you are just running. Similarly, law school is tough, but it is just reading and studying. Looking back on both you tend to appreciate the body of work you have accomplished, but when broken down to daily activities, those things just keep me busy and moving forward. I tend not to focus on how far I have come, but what direction I am going.
As long as I am putting one foot in front of the other, I feel like I am progressing through life and making my contribution.
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