Quick run tonight. I ran this a little harder than I wanted. After the run I did last night, I wanted to do a little more of a recovery run. It didn't turn out that way.
Seemed the route I took tonight was all up hill. -SLB don't laugh. The hills here are what you would call level ground out in California.

To my surprise after taking the Recover-Ease, my legs felt great. I ran just a smidge faster than I should have.

UPDATE: 4:31AM ET. I did not take the Recover-Ease after this run as it was only 6 miles, and I am sore. Now, if I had taken it, I don't think I would be sore at all. This stuff kicks ass!

Totals: 6 Miles
Max HR: 183 Average: 171

Rest Day tomorrow or Crossfit WOD: Nasty Girls

Product Review

Recover-Ease ....................Go here and order immediately!

Okay here goes. First of all, I am a big believer in supplements. I have taken some that were good, and some that were not so good.

This stuff is very good.

When I ran my 8 miles last night, I knew 3/4 of the way through the run that I was going to pay later for this. It wasn't that I went too far, it was one of those workouts that was just what the doctor ordered. I stayed on pace the entire time, and never once stopped. I only walked a few yards to get down a gel and a shot of Succeed Ultra. I felt great the entire time although I was spent at the end.

Now for the recovery.
I came home and grabbed something to eat and took 4 of the Recover-Ease capsules. I went to work (I sit in a recliner all night and work from home) and by morning time, I was not sore really at all. I decided to take another two Recover-Ease before going to bed since when you wake up is when you really feel the soreness.

I woke up today with little to no soreness at all.

I really love these capsules. I can say, either I hope I win some in the Worth the Weight Challenge, or I will be buying some real soon.

I want to buy some of their Intense Defense and the Energ-Ease for this coming winter training.
Last winter I was sick from December to March. This really killed my training/goals for the year.

Give this stuff a try after your hard efforts and I will bet money you'll see a clear difference in your recovery.

Wednesday Run in the Rain

I was supposed to go on a "Beer Run" with the Columbus Road Runner's Club tonight, but my wife had accidentally took my Jeep keys to work. -Long story.
The rain is left over from Hurricane Fay that has track north into Ohio.

Anyway, I was planning on ramping up my base mileage before fall starting this week.
I will be backing off of my Crossfit workouts, and will probably only use them on rest days or cross training days.
Tonight was to be an 8 miler.

I've been trying to pay closer attention to my pace and keep it in check so that I don't end up spent toward the end of the run.
Gauging how well my run went, I would say I'm right on track. I'm not concerned with how fast I'm running these miles, just that I get them in.

I decided to try my Recover-Ease tonight to see how well they work. I will report on that later.

Totals: 8 miles
Average HR: 165 Max HR: 183

Easy Run

I wanted to go out for a run yesterday but due to my work schedule, I had to skip it and instead do some work around the house.
Tonight, I was feeling a little tired, but kicked myself in the ass anyway and headed out the door.
Almost immediately upon running, I was glad I went out.
I wasn't set on how many miles I wanted to run. I would decide that half way through and gauge how I felt.
Halfway through, I felt great and decided tonight was a good night for a 6 miler.
Even though it was supposed to be an easy run, I kept the pace steady and held back when I felt like I was running too hard.
The final mile felt great. Just as it is supposed to. When I was done, I felt like I could have done another mile or two.

Total: 6.15 miles

Sunday Run

I woke up late as usual and when I did the temp was at 74 degrees. I thought okay, I can handle that. I got dressed real quick, grabbed a peach for breakfast and washed it down with a raspberry Hammer gel, some water, checked the temp again......damn! It was up to 80 degrees. WTH?

Oh well, I was off for my run. Man it was getting hotter by the minute.

I decided to run without my HR monitor since this was going to be a slow and easy run anyway. It seemed I felt much better. I kept my pace up based on feel. I remember way back how I would be very sensitive to any body changes during my run. I ran based on feel and I kinda missed that out of running.

I am thinking of either going out for another quick run or a ride on my bike later tonight when it cools down. I'll post it later if I do.

Total: 5 miles: 48:16.......(I posted the wrong time of 46:16 earlier)

Friday Saturday Final Vacation post

Here is the last series of pictures from our vacation.

My wife and I were supposed to go on a Kayak Eco Tour and the company bailed on us at the last minute.
We decided to shop around a little bit in Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head. We also went over to Manteo and Roanoke Island.
I wanted a beer since I hadn't had one nearly the entire time we were there. I saw a Grain Storage Silo outside a restaurant and new there was some micro brew going on there.
The place we stopped was the Outer Banks Brewing Station. I think it was in Kill Devil Hills.
Anyway, I decided I wanted sampler with my dinner. That way I could get a taste of all the beers. I had a Carolina Pulled Pork and some pups. My wife and I shared the desert.
After that, we decided to go back down to Hatteras Island and do some beach stuff.
The water was warm and seas were calm. Seems this is the only way to get my wife into the water.

The following day we decided were we going to hit the beach. Notice how much more heavier the seas are compared to the pics above. This was the same place different days.
This day was when my camera was hit by a wave that came up and soaked all of our beach gear.
I need to start looking for a new camera.

My wife and I on the final days, hit Ocracoke Island. We really liked the beaches there. It was named the "Number 1 Beach in America" two years in a row. Too bad I didn't have a camera and you'd see why.

We were ready to come back home it seemed as we've had enough of the stress that vacation can take on you. we just simply could not relax for some reason.
We cleaned up our rental home and packed up the Jeep for the long drive back to Ohio.
It took us 18 hours to get home. From Hatteras Island to Richmond Virginia we averaged 40 MPH. The traffic was unreal. We ended up getting lost because of the traffic jams and almost ended up in DC.
I guess the adventure didn't end on the Islands.

Thanks for allowing me to post my vacation photos on my training Blog. Hope you enjoyed the pictures and the stories.

My wife riding the waves:

Must have lost her Bikini:

Now, check out this next picture. Notice how calm the water is. Now, scroll down to the pictures after this one. Notice how the waves were much bigger the next day.

Same Pier as above the day after:


This is a grown man. Look at how big the waves are coming in.

Me getting smacked by a big wave:

Paddle fat boy!

I am in this washing machine somewhere:

Beached Lilly-White Assed Whale: (Say that 10 times fast)

Two Labs at play:

I swear it was just the dogs I was taking a picture of:

Nice Carolina Pulled pork with Vinegar Sauce, Slaw and a few beer "samples".

Dessert:
The End

Tues-Wed-Thur Vacation post

Tuesday end of the day: Coquina Beach

Good pups enjoying a cone and a ride back home to our home:

Beautiful end to our Tuesday evening. It was hard to tell where the sky ended and the water began. These two pictures do no justice. It is something you just have to experience for yourself.

Wednesday: Water on the grass and flowers is not a good sign:

My wife and I started off our day going over to Ockracoke Island. The weather forcast was not good, but we decided to go anyway. Here is a picture of my wife in the back of my Jeep on the Ferry.
One of many ferries moving cars and people back and forth. The overcast raining sky doesn't look promising for our day:


My poor wife is determined to not let this rainy day ruin her time on beautiful Ockracoke Island. She's out looking for that elusive Sand Dollar. She never found a whole one, but was able to find two broken ones.

Getting a run in on the beach:

No one around us for miles:

My wife is down, but not out. Crappy weather and bad shelling for this beachcomber.

Thursday

I went out for a quick run after making my rounds to a few of my friends' homes to deliver some beer.
A while back I had brewed a Belgian Wit Bier (White Beer) and finally after many month's of letting it age, I was able to bottle it. Man is it good. It is light, slightly bitter, with a hint of Coriander and Tangerine. Hmmm. that's because we used Coriander and Tangerine plus other ingredients.
Anyway, that was the reason I didn't run on Wednesday. I had to bottle 3 cases of it.
Out of 8 people who tried it so far, 7 liked it, 1 didn't. The guy who didn't like it is into drinking that crap light beer. Alcoholic water. Actually, I call it something else, but I'm too much of a gentleman to say it here.

Okay, back to the run.
The run went well. I felt great the entire time. Maybe a little sluggish at the end, but I worked hard and kept up the effort. After all, I have a weight loss challenge to win.

I ended up with 5 miles, plus I did the Crossfit WOD: "Helen"

Helen:
Three rounds for time:
Run 400 meters
1 1/2 pood Kettle bell X 21 swings (or 55 pound dumbbell swing)
12 Pull-ups

Modified Helen:
Three rounds for time:
Run 5 miles
1/2 pood Kettle bell swings
12 jumping pull-ups


Totals:
Run 5 miles +
WOD: Helen: 55:02

I rode my bike down to the track and decided to run some easy mile repeats.
I felt great the entire time. HR never got above 183 with an average of 171.


Totals:
Run: 4 Miles - 1 Mile Repeats
Bike: 3.61 - Kinda of a nice warm up for the running. Leisurely cadence.

Tuesday Vacation

Tuesday was another great day on the OBX (Outer Banks)

The picture above is at the South End of Hatteras Island looking toward Ocracoke Island.

The picture above is at Cape Point fishing in the afternoon high tide. I am probably exaggerating about the size of the "whopper" that got away. The picture below is one of the Spanish Mackerel I caught that day. He was 16" long, and mighty tasty when grilled.
I caught a mess of Blue Fish, but threw them back, and a few Spanish Mackerel that got away. –I swear.

Here is a picture of our house we rented for the week. The name given to the house was "The Spartina" -Very nice house. Spartina refers to the type of grass that grows in the salt marsh. I have some pictures I will upload later that I took of the Pamlico Sound at Sunset. -Very Beautiful.

Me and My Gorgeous Wife:




Me and My Pups:

Turtle run

Turtle run meaning: I ran slow as dirt. I bike slow as dirt too. -I need a road bike. Any donations???? -Kidding.

This run turned out great. I basically ran based on feel, which lately has not gone well for me.
I think I have let that damn HR monitor get to me.
This time I did not look at it the entire run. I had a much more relaxed run regardless of pace.

Alright Don,

I figured out my max HR the other day which turns out to be 205BPM. - Damn!
My max HR for this run was: 191 with an average of 171.
Your right. My age: 34, Max HR of 205....seems the formulas are off a little for some people

Weird the mileage for both run and bike turned out the same. I ran/biked different routes.

Run: 5.06 miles: 51:38
Bike 5.06 miles: 27:33

Monday

Monday was another great day on Hatteras Island.

Heather and the kids (minus me) got up early and took a walk before getting me up for the day.
We decided to take off and do some exploring. We stopped at a few specialty shops and bought some souveniers and homemade fudge.

We then drove up North from Buxton to Avon and drove out onto the beach. We basically had the entire beach to ourselves for miles.

We then decided it was just getting too hot, and thought a nice dip in the Ocean was in need.
I drove south to Frisco and stopped at the Frisco Pier for our favorite swimming hole.

Here is a picture of me constantly looking for big waves. Actially I was looking for sharks, but doesn't hurt to look for big waves.

After a while in the sun, we decided to hit a local food joint for some of our favorite seafood: Hush Puppies: Okay, you caught me. they have no seafood in them, but you cannot get these at Long John Silvers.

My dog and I went out to Cape Point for some fishing while my wife napped with the Beagle. See the large picture above. We didn't catch anything. Didn't really need to. I was so relaxed and didn't want that day to end.

I came back and decided to check my crab trap. I caught one! Yes, just one, but I did catch one!

He was way too small so I decided to release him. It was hard to catch the crab in the trap to let him out, so I decided I wouldn't try for more.

Now, Tell Me this isn't a gorgeous picture:

Sunday

Sunday, I ended up sleeping in unlike what I wanted to do.

It appears my cold is gone. The supplements worked. I can tell you, my wife had it real bad. I just did what I could and it seemed to pay off. My wife was pissed as I reeked of Garlic the whole way down here. I kept blaming the dogs, but I guess it was me. She said I had some severe B.O. -I never smelled anything. One time she almost threw up as I belched from drinking a Coke.

Hey, I was not feeling well, and I needed a Coke. - Okay, too much information I know.

I knowthe Coke isn't helping me in the Weight Loss Challenge but so what.

We got up this morning and loaded up the fishing gear and the dogs and headed to Cape Point. As we were driving out, we noticed what looked like die hard fishermen. (These were the guys with giant trucks, with tons of fishing gear on the fronts of their bumpers with big bait coolers). I knew if they were leaving, the fishing was not good. We pressed on anyway. We found our spot along the beach at the Cape and backed in. I unloaded the dogs, and my fishing gear. I had fresh Mullet and Squid for bait.

I was fishing for Bluefish, and Pompano or Flounder. Actually, I didn't give a shit what I caught as long as I reeled something in. If you haven't fished in the ocean, it is a real treat. The waves are pounding you as you wade out and bait cast into the incoming surf.

The seagulls will fly out with your bait as they know a lot of times your bait will fly off as it hits the water. After a while of disappointing pull ins with no bait or fish on my line, I finally landed a big one. Okay, it was only 5 or 6 inches long, but it was an ugly devil. It was my first Flounder. I was able to release the hook and take him back to the open ocean for a release. Near Satisfied with my catch, I started to get greedy. I wanted more. I wanted bigger. Simma Down Now!
I re-baited with Squid and a smaller hook in hope to catch some Pompano. I hear they are good eating. About 10 minutes later, I get a hit. I start reeling it in and feel the pulling. I got one I yelled to my wife. Grab the camera. I felt as if I had a big one. Never have I realized what "The Big One" felt like. Anyway, I was happy to see I had a Sand Shark on the end. He was a cute little thing. I grabbed my gloves and needle nose pliers as I wasn't taking a chance on getting bitten. I don't think Sand Sharks can do any damage. I posed for a picture and tossed him back. An incoming storm cut us off from fishing and we headed back into town.

Crabbin: I decided to set a Crab Pot to see what I could catch. No, I'm not planning on catching King Crab, and no, this isn't "The Deadliest Catch". I took the Mullet head from my bait this morning, and strung it up in the center of the pot. I only set it out in the shallow inlet close to the dock. If there isn't anything in there this evening, I will set it out in the sound a little further out. They are not around here. I am trying to catch Bleu Crab. Not sure what I am going to do with them once I do catch them. I am not sure I have a pit to boil them in. We'll see if there are any in the trap this evening.

Kayak Trip:
The Kayak trip with my wife was fun. We paddled out into the Pamlico sound to get a view of the island from there. The houses are so beautiful. The water at the furthest point we paddled was only about 3 feet deep. I took some pictures of the Pilot House. It was a restaurant that my wife and I visited a long time ago. If I had a million or two million dollars I would buy the place and open the Buxton Inn.

Saturday Morning:

Heather and I drove all night, well, I drove, she slept. I had to fill up 3 times at $60.00 a pop. We got to Nags Head North Carolina at about 9:00AM ET, but had about a hour's drive left to our destination on the Outer Banks. The drive was incredible. We had not been down here for over 8 years, and the memories started to flood our minds. The air was humid, salty, and filled our Jeep. The tall sea grasses, the smell of fish, the blue skies, the warm aqua blue water off in the distance. We were home.

We drove out onto the beach for the first time. I found it slightly difficult to drive on deep, dry sand. Definitely 4 wheel drive was needed. A few times I thought I was going to get stuck. My wife and I had waited over 8 years to be able to drive out to the furthest point on the Outer Banks. -Cape Point. More on that to come later. While waiting to check into our home for the next week, I fell asleep in the car. A much needed nap after all that driving. After the power nap, I felt a little more recharged We were both exhausted by the time we got into our Rental home. More on the rental to come later as well.

Friday we left for vacation.

My wife and I settled all business stuff prior to leaving for our destination for the week: Cape Hatteras, North Carolina or better yet: Buxton, North Carolina.

We started out about 10:00PM ET after loading up my Jeep Cherokee with all of our clothes, gear, and other necessities. Oh, not to leave them our: Our Pups.

We decided to take out dogs after a lot of consideration: Boarding for the week which would be 500.00 or more, plus they would be worried sick. Then I thought, I need to take my dog Buxton back to the town where it all began. The birthplace for his namesake. What fun would it be if I was on miles of open beach with no Black Lab to play with?
We decided it was only fair to take our other dog Lilly, which is a Lemon Beagle. She is a little neurotic, and we thought the drive down would be hell for them. After all, it was a 12 hour drive.
We gave them both a sedative, and the rest was history. The drive through Charleston WV, and West Virginia Turnpike even at night was so beautiful.

At times, the mountains made the pressure in my head increase to the point of a migraine. The worst of it came while driving through Virginia. I forgot to mention that My wife was sick with a virus of some sorts. I ended up catching it and started to feel like hell before we even left. I went to the store and bought some Garlic, Grape Seed extract, and Olive Leaf extract supplements, as these are natural antibiotics. I took like 5 times the dose i should have.
I also took and over dose of vitamin E oil. This has always been magic for me in the past. I fought off the cold all night, and into the next day.

Okay Updates soon, but for now here are some professional pictures to enjoy:
They are copyrighted pictures so the quality isn't there.

Running with my pup on the Coquina Beach.

Group shot at Coquina Beach.

Walking with my wife and pups on Coquina Beach.

Combined blog entries for the past few days.

I've only done the prescribed Crossfit workouts for Wednesday and Thursday.

Wednesday:
Modified WOD:

20 pound Dumbbell squat snatch, each arm, 21 reps
42 Jumping Pull-ups
20 pound Dumbbell squat snatch, each arm, 15 reps
30 Jumping Pull-ups
20 pound Dumbbell squat snatch, each arm, 9 reps
18 Jumping Pull-ups

Total Time: 13:31 (Thought I was going to die)

Thursday:
Modified Karen WOD

150 Wallball shots, 12 pound ball

Total Time: 11:16

I've been busy. I know. I have not posted anything lately. Not that anyone is reading.

Anyway, I ran 5 miles tonight. Miserable as always. My heart Rate Maxed out at 191 with an average of 171. I think I ended up walking about 6 times just to bring it down. I was telling my wife that it is really weird. My body feels like it is ready to go, but my heart just can't keep up. There is no way I am over doing it as my pace is as slow as a snail. Any more I'd be walking.
There is no way my hydration has anything to do with it. I find it ridiculous that I would have to dial it in this tight just to walk a thin line like this.

If things don't pick up in the next month or so, I will see if there is something else I can do in terms of looking for a new doctor. All tests have turned up good. But seems to me something is wrong.

I never ran on Sunday like I said I was going to. I woke up really late, and by the time I did, it was way too hot outside to put in any good mileage. I got a lot of work done around here instead.

There is always tomorrow.


Totals: 5.06 Miles
No Crossfit the past few days.