I can taste Blood when I breath.....It must have been Speed Work day!

As prescribed for today: 2 Miles (speed work)

Okay, I am admitting that I am really out of shape here. That is the whole reason I have this Blog is so I can throw myself out there and get the hell embarrassed out of me while trying to get back to where I once was. If you look at my profile, that was a picture of me when I was in my best shape during my marathon bingeing.
Anyway,
I was going to go to the track and run a little down there, but I forgot, my wife took my Jeep today, and she had a partially flat tire on her car. I decided on a road run, 2 miles out & back on hilly roads.


Mile 1: 8:10
Mile 2: 7:54

Total (For those of you that can't count): 2 miles 16:04 8:03 average pace.

Running with the Ducks......in the rain

Yesterday, I ran with the Buffalo, today, I run with the ducks.
I planned a 6 mile run that would wrap up my week with 20 miles. Did it happen? Read on.

I go down to Pickerington Ponds, which is literally 2 miles from my house. I have never ran there.
I decide to go out there after scouting good places to run while at work today.
I get there and start out on the Meadow Lark Trail and do two loops there before heading out on the road to run up to the Killdeer Trail. While running on the road, I hear a rumble off in the distance. I think, is that thunder? No way, it's probably the cargo jets taking off or landing over at Rickenbacker. I get to the trail head, and sure enough, I see lightning. I am now a little ways away from my Jeep, and decided to keep running on the trail. After all, there should be a shelter at the end of this trail. Wrong! As I am running down Killdeer, the rain is light, but steadily picks up towards the end. No big deal, I've ran in the rain many times. I get to the end of the trail, and there is no shelter. I take off, and start back down the trail, and the lightning was relentless. One bolt snapped about a mile from me, and almost sent me to the ground. Damn! That was close!
I can see off in the distance what looks like a white wall, of something moving fast towards me.
WTH is that?
The hail started coming down hard, and I had no shelter. Damn, that hurt!
The next best thing I could do was stand behind a tree for shelter. It worked.
Once the hails stopped, I decided I better get going before I cool down too much. The temperature was dropping fast.

You can see in the picture that haze. That's hail.











As I headed back towards Yellow Legs Trail, (I know, I was thinking the same thing when I read that), the temp kept dropping more and more. I was soaking wet since the rain did not stop.

I got back to Ellis Pond, and decided to end the run there. The temps were dropping, and I was soaking wet.














Total mileage: 5.04 miles Time 45:45 Pace: 9:05

LSD..... my Drug of Choice!

Sunday is my day to slow down a bit, and go for an LSD Run in the Hood or, Long Slow Distance for those in my family flipping out that I am hooked on LSD.
Actually, I am hooked on LSD. My favorite type of run. I can go out for hours and just absorb my surroundings.
I headed out towards Busey Rd through he hood. My first stop: The Buffalos.
Okay Tanya, since you don't believe me about the hills or the Buffalo, here they are:

This pictures is on my way back from the turnaround. When I came upon them earlier, they were out in the field more.

Anyway, earlier in the run, I went past the Buffalo, and started down a steep HILL, and this guy was outside with his Black Lab. He and I chatted for a second, and he asked me "how far you running"? I said "oh, just 8 miles today".
I then said that I would be back in a few because I was going to turn around a few miles ahead.

On my way back, I start up that damn HILL and as I crest the hill, I hear Metallica blasting from a stereo. It was the guy I was chatting with before. He yelled: "I thought you could use a little pick me up coming up that hill". I was dying laughing.
How's that for a training run support. I said "thank you, I love Metallica".

I got to the turn around and felt really good, and decided to run the second half a little harder.

I got to the Haunted School House, and decided it would be a good time to stop and eat my last Shot Bloks, and turn my iPod on.

I took off and wound my way back home trying to avoid the killer Jack Russell Terrier, and a Bad Ass Yorkey. If they got a hold of me, I probably would have been a dry boned carcass along side the road.

The last picture below shows a great way to end all of my LSD excursions: Leg Drains. For those who do not know what Leg Drains are, or have never done them. They are wonderful. It helps keep the soreness from setting in the next day from all the Lactic Acid buildup.

Special Thanks to the Buffalo Farmer for getting his Buffalo ready for a publicity shot.
Special Thanks to Dianni Homes of Pickerington for allowing me to refill my water bottle from their garden hose.

Total Distance: 8.08 miles 1:18:13 Pace: 9:41

2 Mile CC run

I was planning a quick 2 mile run today, and decided that was a good distance to take my two out-of-shape dogs on a run. It was really nice out today, so what the heck.
After straining my back hoisting the 90+lb Lab and the very rotund 40+ lb Beagle in the back of my Jeep, I then head off to Pickerington Central High CC course. It is only a mile away, and offered a great place to just let my Lab run. The Beagle of course needs a constant leash, or she would be in the next state in no time.

I start off the run, and they are so excited. We enter the wooded area, and then it starts..... Needless to say, our run ended not even .20 of a mile into the run. Below is what they continuously did after they decided they didn't want to run. I ended up walking them for about 20 minutes.

I take them home and off I go to Pickerington North High CC course. It is a little nicer, in terms of hills, and groomed pathway.

Total mileage for the run: 2.00 miles; 17:39; 8:34/mile

1st mile 9:04

2nd mile: 7:35

Pace was "Confortably Uncomfortable" towards the end.

At this point, I am dying to go back out and run another 5 miles, but need to hold back for right now. This for me, is a rebuilding period.

Thursday Hill Workout

Today: Hills.

Stairmaster: 1.75 miles, 84 floors, 20 minutes

Hill Run: 2 miles, 24 minutes. (I had my dog with me)

Started off at the gym with 20 minutes of Stairmaster, then went home and picked up my dog for a quick hill workout in one of the local parks in Pickerington.

Okay Tanya, here is a just one of many hills here in Pickerington;

This is at Sycamore Creek Park:

At this point, my dog just had enough and wouldn't run the rest of the way up the hill. Not sure who is smarter, him, or his owner.

This hill is a killer if you run it hard. We made it up, or I did, 2 times and then we went off for a cooldown by the "Zeller-Smith Bridge" Covered Bridge.

Here is the final loop in the Sycamore Creek garden, and the creek crossing:

Starting over...

I am beginning my new training for my first 50 miler in March. Even though I think I have an "okay" base already, I have decided to start over with training specifics. I will be adding speed work, hill training, LSD, and cross training where needed.

This past year, I have been wishy washy with my training. I am back after a long year and a half of pain in my right leg. The pain was so bad that I had to stop running. Once that I figured out that it was my back, I can now start running again, and be consistent.
I started yesterday with a tempo run of just 3 miles. I wanted to start out easy as to not burn myself out, and over train, which is common in ultra running.

October 31, 2007: 3 mile Tempo run. 28:53

Halloween.....A Night of Torturing my dogs.........

Okay, a non running post but I couldn't resist.
My wife and I are those nutty people you always see in Target laughing hysterically while holding up dog costumes before Halloween.
Of Course, my lab is over 90 lbs, and no costume will fit him, but.... there is our Beagle who is much smaller than him, or so we think.
My wife picks out this chicken costume, and I am laughing so hard when she calls me to say she picked out the best costume for our Beagle. She gets it home, only to find out that Beagle is so fat, she won't fit in a medium. We have to go back. We end up getting the next best thing which is a lobster. My lab aka: "Super Puppy", had to have his costume made. In past experiences, he hates costumes, and I know only a cape will probably work.
The neighbor kids love it. Actually, everyone gets a kick out of it.
See, it is so much fun torturing my dogs any chance I get.