St. Jude's Half Marathon (Memphis)

Well, I am currently sitting in a hotel room in Memphis across the street from Graceland fighting off periods of cramping and fatigue. Is it worth it? I couldn't be happier! Jessie and I came to Memphis on Tuesday to spend some time with her dad (whom was convinced to train for and run his first 5k this weekend) and our future chihuahua puppies. Had a great few days in Memphis and was looking forward to the 13.1 miles that were waiting for me today.

We woke up at 5:45 to get Jessie to the walking 5k (I think she is starting to buy into running...YAY!!)! The 5k went very well for her and she made it in time to earn her first medal!

Checkout the hardware we all got!!

The temperature at the start of the race was 45 degrees and sunny. It was interesting that the entire 13 miles was also run with the marathon field so there were a TON of people at the starting line. I started with the 8:30-8:59 per mile coral group and set a goal between 1:50 and 1:55.

The race started well and it took us around the Lorraine Motel (where MLK was killed), down by the Mississippi and up to Beale Street. Beale Street was an amazing experience. There were people 5 deep on both sides of the street and music blaring from all directions! I kept pushing and felt awesome around mile 4 but took the energy shot as planned. The next 4 miles were there a nice victorian area and through a large memphis park. I was lagging around mile 8 and had my slowest mile of 8:50. Took another gel shot and figured I am going to push through. Miles 9, 10 and 11 flew by with the small rolling hills of the Mississippi valley. At mile 11 I kicked it up a notch and posted an 8:13 mile and split from the marathoners at Sun Studios (where Johnny Cash and Elvis recorded their first cds). I could see Autozone Park in the distance and new the finish line was close. I kicked it up another notch and ran the last mile at 8:10.

Crossing the finish line for a new PR!

Upon entering the outfield of Autozone Park (AAA Baseball Park), I sprinted down the foul line of first pace and heard a butchered version of my name over the PA system. I crossed the finish line at an time of 1:53:57! I beat my last half time by exactly 6 minutes! After crossing the chute I got draped with foil (keep in body heat) and had an awesome volunteer put the medal around my neck. They had, by far, the best post run food. There were soups, pizza and yes they had beer and after 13 miles it tasted awesome!

Still feeling a little tight but a lot better then the last half! Thanks for all the well wishes from everyone!

Couldn't have gone any better! Great race and no pain!

Freedom 10 mile and a shattered PR!!!

I haven't been posting on here like I have wanted to lately. Life happens right? Well, right now I am training for the St. Jude's Half Marathon with a goal of 1:55 for my time. My long runs are up to 10 miles right now so when I noticed the Freedom 10 mile in White Bear Lake today I jumped on the chance.

This is actually the same course as Bear Water Run and I ran it in 1:33:40 in 2006 and 1:31:50 in 2007. Slight increase in times over a year. Progress is always good. The weather was beautiful today. At the start of the race the temperature was around 45 and crept up to 50 by the end of the run. My goal today was to run the race at the half marathon pace which was just under 9 min/mile. I felt good and paced myself with others around me and tried to keep up with them.

The first five miles were run in 42 minutes and I was flying until my energy reserves were gone. I slowed from there and kept pushing. I tried my first gel shot today around mile 7 and believe that it actually helped. I kept trudging on at a pretty decent pace and as I neared the finished line began to realize that I would do more then set a new PR...I would shatter my PR! I sprinted through the end and finished at a time of 1:25:57! I beat my old time 5 min and 53 seconds! It was by far the fastest, hardest, and most testing run I have ever done.

I have no idea how I gained almost 6 minutes on my time in the last two months but I am amazed I did! I have dropped 6lbs since the last race in September and have run quite regularly in preparation for the half. This is definitely going down as my best run yet! I can't wait for
Memphis!

Jessie and I at the finish line of the race!!

Post race pics with the parents!

Sick of it all...

This is a rant but not about anything out of my control. That is the problem however, everything is in my control. I am sick of not being on track and following my plan. I know its I have the ability to do it. I did great for three months. It has been three months off now and I am having the most incredibly difficult time staying with everything. I can't pick and choose when to follow my plan, I can't do it half time so why I am attempting to go half assed and expect results. Its easy to say that I am on a plateau to get through and it will work out. I have stayed the same with bad eating and half commitment. I would have broken through if I am able to stay on track. No more candy dishes, pizza, ice cream or fast food. I ate like crap today and I payed for it dearly in my 7 miler tonight. Without the details just say that it was a wake up call. I have my next half marathon in exactly 2 months and it is time to buckle down and get with it. No one can do it except for myself and I have 60 days to get it in gear and start doing some work. Time to finally move on.

Bear Water Run September 15, 2007!

Well here is the run down for the Bear Water Run 10 mile! This race was important to me because last year it was the first race I have ever ran in. Some sort of a milestone for me. I did not adequotely train for this one like I have in the past but I pushed myself because it was very important.

The race was at 8:00 AM today and the temperature to start was 38 degrees and sunny! Very chilly. I ran into some people I knew before the race so it was nice to see some friendly faces. My goals were to run and complete it and run it injury free. I managed to meet both those goals! The first two miles were a breeze and I enjoyed warming up with them. The first water stop was the Special Olympic folks which was special because of the encouragement that they provide. The next two miles were not too bad either. A lot more hilly then I remember but I pushed through nonetheless. Mile 4 water stop was met by the White Bear Lake Dance Team which by far was the loudest and happiest stop along the way. I finished the first 5 miles in 45:52 which was quite a bit ahead of the 10 minute mile pace I was planning on doing.

Water stop at mile 6 was the organisers of the event. At this point I was still doing ok but starting to question my stamina. I hadn't run more then 8 miles in the last 3 months. It was very scenic along the way with the trees just starting to turn. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and it was probably in the mid 40s at that point. Mile 8 approached and at this point I knew I had it. The stop was 70's themed which was a little odd. Right after I could see the finish on the beach a few miles ahead. My watch was a little spotty but I was running a 8:45 pace the last 2 miles. The last 100 yards was great I had a last bit of energy and blew threw the end of it! I finished with a time of 1:31:50 which is almost 3 minutes faster then last year!

This was the first race I didn't have people there at the end so in a sense I ran it for myself and was encouraged that pushed as hard as I did to prove something to myself! I wrapped up my first year of running with 5 5k races, 2 10 mile races and a half marathon! Training for my next half will start next week! Memphis here I come!!!

Derian's Dash 5k and I'm glad to be back!!!

Hey everyone! I just looked back and realized that it has been awhile since I posted and plan on posting a lot more. I am back and rededicated. The diet has slipped a tad without a structured running program but I just completed Derian's Dash 5k and have signed up for the Bear Water Run 10 mile this weekend!

Derian's Dash went well! I actually ran a lot faster then I had planned. Chalk it up to anxiety and excitement but I was shooting for a 9:30 pace and finished in more like a 8:15 pace. Best of all I held up very well physically and signed up for the 10 mile run that started my running career last year. No more reasons to overeat and stray from the diet. I am back on track and ready to go! Check back this weekend and I will have race updates then!

Dan

Marathon Hopes Dashed and Life Update in General...

Warning. This will be a long one. First and foremost since this is a running and weight loss page, this is the update in that area. On July 14th I was running an 8 mile and about 5 miles into the run the ITBS came back full force and led me to give up on my marathon hopes for this year. I can still run 3-4 miles pain free but that is about it. I took a week off and now I am back to running 3-4 miles several days a week. It was a great disappointment for me but it was a long 3 mile walk back to my car in pain so I know I made the right decision. I am looking to sign up for a few 5k runs in the next month to help curb the running bug which has been really bad lately!

On to the next area of life. Graduate school. I got my Master's paper finished and submitted to the school for graduation. My oral exam has been set up for August 10th and after that I should be officially graduated. I get to walk in the ceremony in October since I will not be running in the marathon this year (they are on the same day). For the most part all is well in that area!

Finally, I got offered and accepted my first Master's level therapy job last week! I will be working with developmentally disabled sex offenders in St. Paul! I am very excited about it but of course not all is welll in that area. Here is the timeline. I had my interview last Monday and it went very well and the only stipulation was if I could get out of my internship 3 weeks early to start the job (I initially agreed to stay at my internship until the end of August). I called the director of my internship that Monday evening to explain my situation and ask if there was anything we could do to come to a satisfactory compromise. Throughout the week in the meantime I talked with many people that they thought I should take the job because there was no gurantee that another one will come around in the next several months plus it is relevant to what I want to be doing with my career.

Well Friday comes and I have to decide on the job by the end of the day and I still had not heard from the director of my internship. I decide I can't put it off any longer call the director and put in a 3 week notice of termination and accept the job! I have 3 Mondays I will be there and then start August 13. Late that afternoon I get a call from the director that we wants me to set up a meeting with the school and he wished he could have been included in the decision making process!!! I figure he does not have much leverage and I will not be calling the school to set up a meeting. I need 700 hours for the school and by the time I am done in three weeks I will be at 1050 hours. The contract also outlined the position to be 30-35 hours per week and I have done 40+ each week. In the end it all evens out but he just needs to be an inflexible pain in the ass. (Doesn't help I am going to his direct competitor either! :)

That is all that has been new with me lately! We are having our engagement party today and I start the new job tomorrow! Busy month for me!!!

I would walk 500 miles...eh I mean run?

Well just noticed a neat fact today. It was exactly a year ago when I bought my first pair of running shoes and started training for my first race. Since then I have logged 506 miles and ran in 6 different races! I was able to eclipse the 500 mile mark today on my anniversary of running! My goal for the next year is 800 miles which averages to be around 16 miles a week. Overall it has gone fairly well. Mild shin splints and IT Band friction have sidelined me for about a month total but I have done well bouncing back and getting on the road.

Speaking of getting on the road, I went 7 miles for my long run today outside with no pain! To top it, I went shirtless a good portion of the run which I wouldn't have done in March! Things are looking up and I am leaving for vacation tomorrow morning to Rhode Island. Yes. I am bringing the running shoes and am planning to get a few miles logged across the country! Good mood can't you tell! Peace.

On the road again!

Had my weigh in yesterday and I was down another 1.2 lbs! Any downward movement is good movement in my book!

Big news today! I put on my first miles on the road this morning since my half marathon 3 weeks ago. That means I can finally start weening off the damn treadmill. The IT Band pain finally subsided. I went for a short 2.5 miles and plan on doing my first marathon training run indoors on Monday. Don't want to go right back to pavement and hurt myself again. Good news though and hopefully it stays that way!

Limited posting lately. Trying to push and finish my master's paper in the next few days. Lots of work the last week.

Weigh In and Injury Update Part 2

Well it has been two weeks since the half marathon and I have run a total of 7 miles!!! Sarcasm at all? Good news is that I can go about 2 or 3 miles with no pain and am going out today to try a 4 mile run. If I can complete that successfully then I am planning on starting my marathon training from a 10 mile a week plan (significantly different than my 25-30 miles a week I was doing before ITBS. Wish me luck!

Good news on the weigh in though! I pushed through my plateau and dropped 6 lbs since modifying the diet. Lots more chicken and veggies but may be the push I needed! I am down a total of 34.3 lbs so far and only 6 more to go before I reach my vacation goal! I know the blog has been slow but keep checking back! The support is much needed! :) Have a good day everyone!

Weigh In and Injury Update

Well its been a week since my half marathon. I have not done much and have not run at all until today. I had weigh in this morning and posted little over a pound gain. It's not ideal but I suppose it has to do with being off the road for a few days and eating the same has I had been when training at an intense level. During the half at mile 11 my IT Band tightened up and I had been struggle with knee pain since.

Like any good student I did my homework and spend about the last week icing and stretching for an hour a day. The last few days it had felt better but I attempted to go a mile on it this morning and the pain persisted. I thought more about it and figured I had just woken up and was accustomed to stretching after I run. That means that I ran on it when it was cold and tight. So...to make a long story short I went back to the gym tonight stretched out my IT Band before I ran and went to miles with hardly any soreness or pain. Hopefully I am on the upswing because having sunny 70 degree whether does not bode well I am couped up with an injury! Wish me luck!

Heart of the City Half Marathon! PR!

Today was the long awaited Hear of the City Half Marathon. It was my first half and my farthest run I have attempted. My main goal was to finish and my secondary goal was to finish under 2 hours. The morning was very nice with a temperature of 70 degrees and completely sunny! Probably the best run conditions I have been in. The race started at 7:30 am at Nicollet Commons in Burnsville and wound down to the banks of the Minnesota River.

The first six miles were great and I ran with a fellow runner up to that point. I pulled away from him and at that point I was running at a 8:50 pace. I needed a 9:10 pace throughout the race to reach my two hour goal. Miles 6-8 were a little slower and was on a fairly flat part of Black Dog Road by Black Dog Power Plant. Mile 8 was the turn around point and by then I was feeling it in my right knee. I kept pushing on though and realized how incredibly lucky I am to be able to do what I was doing. Although I put in a lot of training leading up to the race, I have been blessed with the health and the ability to run which is something a lot of people cannot do.

Up to this point the farthest I have run has been 11 miles and at that point I was ready to be done. I picked up pain on the outside of my right knee and it burned. Bad. So bad that at about Mile 12 I thought about throwing in the towel. My time was starting to slip and I was hobbling pretty bad. I decided to keep pushing and run through the pain. The last quarter mile was amazing! There were tons of people cheering including my fiancee and parents. I pushed harder then I have ever gone that last quarter and finished with a time of.....1:59:57!!! I made my goal by 3 seconds! Little closer then I was comfortable with but I did it! Now I am sitting here with outside knee pain (ITBS coming on???), sore shins and a hurting hip! Rough shape but I would do it all over again! Next up is hopefully a massge and a week off from running to get healthy for the start of the Twin Cities Marathon training!

Pushing the last quarter mile!!!

Pictures with the parents and my medal!!!

Jessie and I at the finish line. Can you tell it was bright? :)

Thanks for the support and encouragement everyone! It means a lot!!!

Its All in the Numbers...

I am sitting here less than a week before my half marathon. I only have two 3 miles run before I take a few days off. The Heart of the City Half Marathon is on Saturday and admittedly I am feeling a bit anxious about it. The most I have ever run has been 11 miles. This race is that plus 2.2 miles. Very doable. My main goal is to finish and my secondary goal is to finish under 2 hours. I believe it will be tough but within reach (just went 8.25 miles at an 8:54 pace). I would just need to keep it up for another 4 some miles.

I wonder if I'm ready. Today I had a 5 miler that didn't go as smoothly as I hoped and I am still a little banged up (while I am typing I am icing both shin splints). I am just happy that I kept track of everything with my Garmin. That is what tells me I am ready. I started training on March 7th and at the time of the run next weekend this is what I will have done: (1) Lost nearly 30 lbs (2) Ran 242 miles for a total of 39 hours 30 minutes and burned 45300 calories and (3) Set a 5k PR by over 7 minutes!

If at all I question my ability to run next weekend I need to look at how I prepared and know that I did the best I could have done.

Weekly Weigh In and Others

I had my last session at St. Davids and I decided I would conquer the rock wall that I had been stuck on the last three times. The wall is about 60 ft high and I have been able to go half way up before giving up or falling off. Last night I made it all the way to the top. I wanted to give up half way through but the belay person kept pushing and encouraging and I made it!

I had weigh in today and I was down -1.2 lbs for a total loss of 29.2 so far. Its been a tough week getting back and staying on track after the Milwaukee tailgating trip. Doing better with it though and was surprised by the result!

The shinsplints have picked up a little bit but I am in the middle of my two week taper and will be running easier and lighter until my half marathon next weekend. Thats all for now!

Road Trip to Milwaukee

Well needless to say I didn't do to well sticking to the diet over the last few days. Took a roadtrip to Milwaukee to catch Saturday and Sundays Brewers and Twins game. Twins won the first won 8-2 and lost the second game 6-5. Very good time but it involved grilling and no running. I will have to see what the damage is during weigh in on Friday.

Have another vacation set up now. Will be heading out to Providence, RI from July 2nd-7th and will be staying a block or two from the beach. Am also planning on driving up to Boston for a day to see Jess and take in more of the sites. Looking forward to it!

Finally, had my long run today. Started off poorly (forgetting my Garmin at home) but was able to make the best of it and go 11 miles. Felt pretty good but am slow and am feeling the shin splints quite a bit. The good news is that it is my last long run until my half marathon on June 2nd and my taper has begun! Excited and nervous but am looking forward to a new milestone! That's all for now.

Weekly Weigh In and Update - May 16

Yesterday I had my weekly weigh in and lost another 1.5 lbs. That pushed the total to 26.7 and I hit my 10% total weight loss mark. I am hoping to drop another 25 lbs before the marathon! I am changing the weigh in day to Fridays from now on. I tend to be a little less strict the day after weigh in and on weekends so if I combine them into one then I might be able to stay on track a little easier.

I went 10.5 miles on Sunday and with Mother's Day brunch and 90 degree and sunny I hit a wall. My goal was 12 miles so I fell short of that but either way it was longer than the scheduled run. Had a 4 mile on Tuesday night and a 3 mile Wednesday morning. I tried going without my shin splint wraps and it seems like they are still lingering on.

It will be a tough weekend staying on track this weekend. Planning on tailgating for both the Brewers and Twins games and driving back Sunday night. I have a 3 mile tomorrow morning and a 7 mile early Saturday before we are off on the road. Will check in after I return on Sunday.

Long Stretch & Aches and Pains

I had a 7 mile run today around Ford Parkway and Lake Street in Minneapolis. I was able to go at an 8:55 pace so my times continue to keep improving. Actually had some guy tell me to watch the speed limit as I ran past him which was half amuzing!

Ran 4 miles yesterday, 7 miles today and am not looking forward to my 10 mile run tomorrow evening. I am looking forward to the rest day on Monday because it is very needed. I've picked up a few aches lately that I have been icing and keep an eye on. The shin splints are still there with minimal pain and the outside of my good knee was a little tender today. If tomorrow is rough I might be taking a few days off. Would like to be healthy for the half in the beginning of June.

On a crappy note the vacation to SD has to be rescheduled because I have a worthless Saturday class that day and if I miss another I wouldn't be able to continue in my practicum. Can't wait to be done with school once and for all!

Weekly Weigh In and Update

Had a great 5.25 mile run last night! Ran over the Minnesota River and through Fort Snelling. Felt pretty good today too so hopefully all the icing has helped the shin splints.

I had the weekly weigh in today and managed to loss -5.9 lbs over the week! Its a lot but I had plateaued there for awhile so it helped catch me up! Otherwise everything is on the up and up!

Melpomene 5k (New PR)

Well I just got back from the Melpomene 5k race in St. Paul along River Road and the banks of the Mississippi. This was a men's only race and the weather was fairly cool and cloudy. My goal for the race was to finish in under 26 minutes. I started in the front of the pack for the first quarter mile until I glanced down and realized I was running at a 6:20 pace which I knew I would never keep up with. I passed a drumline band about half a mile in so the music was an interesting addition. I started to get into the rhythem and ran the first mile in 7:50 and my second mile came clocked at 16:00.

I felt good throughout the race and was somewhere in the middle of the pack. When I got near the end I noticed the clock at 24:50. I knew I had my goal beat but went into a dead sprint and finished at the 25:05 mark which ended up being a 7:57 pace! Set a new PR by over 7 minutes and feel pretty good right now (minus the ice on my shins and knees!) The winner managed to run the race in 14:55 which was ohhh......10 minutes faster than me! I saw him after though and he did not look like he was in good shape! Good times and no more races until my half marathon on June 2nd!

Thanks for everyone you came out to support me and cheer me on it was very much appreciated! Its always nice having people there as you cross the finish line!

Its Official!

Signed up for the Twin Cities Marathon this morning so I am officially in! Went 4 miles this morning but felt pretty fatigued for some reason. I am running the Melopomene 5k tomorrow so I will post more after that one! Have a great day everyone!

Last Few Days and Week 8 Weigh In

I put on 18 miles over the last three days and had the most difficult long run day on Monday. Way too many hills which I don't think I was that ready for at this point.... I am feeling fairly injury free anyhow...just a little fatigued so I am taking the next two days to rest :) Lucky me!

I had my week 8 weigh in today and lost 1.3 lbs this week. It should have been more but I think I bombed things this weekend with two different barbecues. I was a little disappointed actually I thought I as doing better this week. Can't change the past and can only move ahead. Total weight loss to date is 19.4 lbs. I have 6 miles of speedwork on Friday and the Melopomene 5k this weekend!

First rant of many.....

Good News... I got in a nice 4 miler with a time of 35:18 which is an 8:50 pace. Another personal best!

Bad News... The beautiful trail lined with trees for miles that I have used in the past has been completely destroyed. Nothing is left. Not even the stream that used to run through the ravines down to the Mississippi is still there. Well it is but underground in pipes anyways. Very natural. What a disappointment. What is left is brown dirt. Nothing else. It is really frustrating. It was not uncommon to see deer along the path watching as you ran by. Seeing them was a rare occurrence in the area but it did happen there. I even was almost attacked by a gopher while running along this path which looking back on it now I feel a little nostalgic. Another natural, quiet, beautiful area has been destroyed for urban development and good views of the river for the upper middle class with their "luxury condos". So much for a peaceful run today.

Training Update

Well its 1:41 on a Saturday afternoon and I am trying to recover after getting 3.5 hours of sleep because I had to work an overnight at the group home. Prior to work last night I did some speedwork on the treadmill (still using the softer surfaces to ease the tail end of my shin splints). I managed to go 6.5 miles in 59:33 which by far is a PR for me. It seems like my training sessions have been moving along at a lot faster speed overall. There is no complaints there at all though! I have been happy though...24 hours later and hardly any pain so that is a plus.

Time to do some shopping for the barbecue tonight at the new place. Going to buy some healthy food though so I can stay with weight loss goals.

I updated my stats since March 7 and here they are: Eliptical 12 miles, Cycling 30 miles, and Running 130 miles with a total weight loss of 18lbs! Definately numbers I like to see!

Season recap so far...

Well as noted in the first post I have been training since March 7. I ran my first race in September 2006 which was a 1o mile run in White Bear called Bear Water Run...I finished with a time around 1:32:00 which was pretty good for the first one ever. The next two were short fun 5k runs called The Race Against Racism and Reindeer Run which were in September and December of 2006 respectively. I have had the chance to run one race so far this year. The race was The Race for Justice and was on April 15, 2007. The race started at Nicollet Island in Mpls and made its way around the island, down Hennepin Ave bridge and then back over the Stone Arch Bridge. Several days before I developed shin splints from using my old shoes so needless to say this was a very slow and fairly painful event. I ran with my friend Katrina who was also injured but we held up ok though and finished with a time of 32:25. Wasn't the fastest I have ran but I still finished in the middle of the pack. The weather was great and my fiance was there for moral support and to enjoy the weather!

That sums the currently race season up so far. Right now I am registered for the Melopremene 5k on May 5th in St. Paul and the Heart of the City Half Marathon on June 2nd in Burnsville.

I had my weigh in today and only lost .6 lbs which brought me under 230 for the first time in awhile. Total weight loss so far is 18lbs. Only 34 more to go!

Summary of my Journey so far....

So here is the deal...Many of you know that I am planning on running the Twin Cities Marathon this fall. I have started training and have done fairly well with only a minor injury so far. Earlier this year I weighed myself at an all time high (247.7) and on March 7th started a diet in support of my marathon training. I post online with a bunch of people I don't know but figured it would be good to be accountable with actual people I know if I am starting to slack off at all.

So far the training and weight loss has done well with each other. In the first six weeks I have lost 17.4 lbs (currently at 230.3) and have run a total of 119 miles. I have also put on 11 miles on the eliptical and 23 miles biking. If anyone is not seeing this distances going up and the pounds going down please shoot me a message and tell me to get my ass in gear!

Why I thought of tracking this journey online through myspace? I don't know it sounded like a good idea around mile 8 of 10 this morning. I figured hopefully someone will read this and care just a little bit! It was a very quiet and cool morning to be out running and I even passed a wild turkey in Mendota. The trip took me through Eagan, Lilydale, Mendota and into St. Paul. I have been enjoying the five day weekend though and the shin splints have kept to a minimum lately! Time for some relaxin!

"Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts." - Steve Prefontaine