Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Monday, April 12, 2010

Recovering quicker than expected...

I started writing a blog post this morning about how incredibly sore I was from yesterday's 10 mile run. Both of my calves were pretty much cramping up all day and night yesterday, even after a 30 minute post-run stretch session and a very long cold shower. I was going to write about how I realized how much harder this has all just become. How I am finally realizing what I am getting into. How I now see why this marathon idea is just crazy. Then, something wild happened. I went on along with my usual Sunday. Jaz and I went to church, bought groceries, took a nap, hung out with my Mike, Tracy, Haley (my goddaughter), and Aiden, visited my nieces at my mom's house, then ate dinner at Entourage with Jaz. I thought for sure I would be hurting throughout the day, and maybe even into tomorrow. But oddly enough, I was pretty ok. There were still lingering effects from yesterday's run, but for the most part, I was pretty well recovered. One good night sleep (which may not happen tonight as I am looking at 12:02AM on my system clock) and I should be good to workout the next day.

Now that I have my legs under me again today I think my physical damage has been repaired, but now onto the psychological damage to fix. Ten miles was the longest I have ever run, and obviously will not be the longest I'd ever run. In the next couple months I'll be going much further, and once the CARA team training starts in June, I'll end up getting up to 20 miles. So, at some point I'll be running twice the distance I ran yesterday. Oh dear! I am starting to realize the magnitude of this race, and I am starting to get scared. As I mentioned in my Daily Mile post about my 10 mile run, I have friended many good running resources on Twitter and Daily Mile who I am so grateful for. These people are my motivation because I know at some point in their running career, they were at this same point in their training and may have had similar doubts and worries. And now they are running 10-15 miles with no issue. Why can't that be me? I know that it can't happen now, but it can happen over time if I stick to it. I will continue to use them as my inspiration...here are a couple of the people who inspire my running:

  • Chanthana - Twitter/DailyMile

  • Sergio - Twitter/DailyMile

  • Mark - Twitter

  • Freddy - Twitter/DailyMile

  • Jordan - Twitter/DailyMile

  • Brian - DailyMile


  • Time to rest up...and get ready for another week of training! Oh yeah...and one more source of motivation:
    Alyssa and Me


    Saturday, April 10, 2010

    10 miles...

    Can't walk...now you know why...

    Friday night/Saturday Morning Thoughts

    Forgive me...I have a bunch of things flying through my head, and I just wanted to write them down. This may end up being the most incoherent blog post ever.


    Bulls: what the hell!? Lose to the NETS? In DOUBLE OVERTIME? Granted there were some crap calls (and no-calls) in the game, but how are you going to be the team that the 12-win Nets have TWO wins over this season? Sad. Of course I hope you make it to the playoffs to see some more basketball from my team, but at least make an effort and look like you want it! You can't tell me that the Nets really cause THAT much of a match-up problem for you! You were lucky to even have squeaked by the 2011 Cavs (aka 'sans Lebron'). Yet again, another lost opportunity to make up some ground, or even lead in the 8th spot of the Eastern conference. You're better than that!


    Fantasy Leagues: Won my NBA Fantasy League (C'MON SON!) with Jaz's cousins and friends from California.
    C'MON SON!

    That's right, I won by ONE MINUTE in the Minutes category. I'm glad I picked up some players (Ryan Gomes, Kyle Lowry, Anthony Morrow, and Vince Carter..yeah, that's right!) to give me more stats on that last Sunday!

    Joined a baseball fantasy league representing my site HobbyKings.com in the Clash of the Trading Forums league. I honestly don't know what I am doing, but I am enjoying it, and enjoying baseball a little more.
    C'MON SON?

    Remember I won my Fantasy Football league too with my co-workers this past season. Could it be a clean sweep?



    Running: If I run tomorrow (later today) I will have run 5 times this week Sun-Sat with 2 long runs (8mi on Sun, 9mi on Sat). I think I'll be ready to run today, it just amazes me that I can actually run this much now. Even if I move my long run to Sunday, just to know I can run multiple miles multiple times a week is such a huge accomplishment! I hung out with my nephews tonight and Eli was talking to me about how he wants to run a 5K now because he saw his dad do it. I really want him to do it, because he says he feels happy or "pumped" when he runs. That's how I feel too, buddy!



    Twitter: I'm pretty sure I'm addicted now. I have come across many interesting people on twitter who help motivate me through my marathon training. It is actually a cool "little" (it's not little at all) Chicago running community on Twitter. Many of them inspire me to become a better runner or at the very least, prepared for the marathon. Over 3000 tweets later, and I am finally admitting that I have a problem.


    OK, I think my mind has been emptied out, and now I can sleep. Busy weekend and then where are we off to next weekend? Tell 'em Jay-Z, Alicia, and apparently Lil Mama



    Friday, April 09, 2010

    Don't Be Down...

    I just hate it when people I know are in a funk or are just having a bad day or a bad week. Of course I want the people around me to be happy and to enjoy life, and it is especially difficult for me to see friends go through tough times and there's nothing I can do either. Each individual deals with difficult situations in different ways. Some people need to talk about it and others keep it internal. As a friend, I always like helping people talk about it, but obviously only if they want to talk about their problems. In the same breath, it nearly kills my spirit when someone won't talk to me about their problems. I like to think that I am a good listener and can offer a shoulder at very least. As I am writing this, I realize that I am making other people's problems about me, and I don't mean it that way. I guess it is just my way to tell my friends that I will be here. Regardless of difficult the situation, I'll be here, even if you don't need me.