Porsche in the Park

A great way to relax on a Saturday. Five Porsches rangeing in age gathered to convoy up to a great day in St. Armands Circle for Porsche in the Park. A beautiful sunny day in southwest Florida was the setting for a great day visiting with friends while wondering around every age, model and style of Porsche you could imagine. Perhaps the most fun was the drive up trading places in line along Interstate 75.
Yes there was an 11 mile run on Sunday to maintain the base building phase on the next marathon cycle.

To be raw

Thanksgiving is over. Post Dublin Marathon rest is over. Christmas is coming and a new marathon training program begins. Trying to up my mileage back into the thirties before January so I can spring into good training. We did an easy 10 miler this weekend on a cool morning here in S.Florida at 52 degrees F. I would really like to be in great shape for Boston. I have been experimenting with raw foods/diet. In that I have bought a few books and a dehydrator. I already have a Vitamix and a juicer. The concept is good in that by heating food the natural enzymes are lost and our ability to absorb them decreases. In addition one decreases the chemical exposure to a large degree from processed food. I was vegan for about 2 years and then gradually gave into the pressures of my environment. I think I felt better vegan but it is hard to socialize in a carnivore world. This raw diet takes that problem to a new level. My thought is to eat raw during the day and have a cooked dinner with family at night. That way I can still have a family. They are supportive but too a point. The other problem is the prep time. The soaking of the nuts and seeds followed by dehydration is time consuming. Add cleaning the stinking juicer and I do not have time for my day job which is needed to by all the produce the process, juice, chop and marinate.
It will take some time to get organized. I have converted my junk cabinet into a nut cabinet. I have added nuts and a fruit smoothie to breakfast. More veges at lunch and juicing on the weekends. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

Lots to be thankful for this year. Family and animals all healthy. My daughter's college applications are in the mail. My practice is still busy and my staff is healthy and still doing a great job after 10 years in private practice. I finished the Dublin marathon without injury and a good time.
We are about to kick off training for the next spring marathon. It will probably be Boston through the American Medical Athletic Association. A good chunk of the fee goes to local charities with the rest going to a medical meeting. I have a little reservation not qualifying but am resolved to have a near qualifying time during the race. My training partners are from Boston and look forward to running on home turf with friends and family watching so it will be a great time. I am going to start the mileage increase adding hills early with long tempos. This weekend we did an easy 10 without problems. We are off to West Virginia for Thanksgiving and I will get to run my favorite hill run on Bacon Run road. We will also run along the Monongahalia river on the rails to trails path in Morgantown.

Great Weekend of Running

Never before have I ran a race within a month of a marathon. Less than two weeks after Dublin, I did a 10K on Saturday and a 5K on Sunday. Saturday was the Harbor Run in Punta Gorda on our usual training route. There was a 5k, 10K and fun walk with good local participation. It was quite fun to run in nice temperatures in the 70s with fellow running pals. The Joules made a good showing with Tom wining his age group and Carol and I taking second in ours. Today we went a little southwest to Englewood Beach to run the Kiwanis Veterans 5K. Again, the Joules were on with 2 first place age group finishes and a close second. The weather again was great on a known course. I even PRed at 26:25.
I guess finishing the marathon without the death shuffle allowed a quicker recovery. I am looking forward to more training and a spring marathon.

Dublin Marathon Race Report

Finally, a marathon without stupid human tricks. I have said many times before that I am going to run a smart race only to bullet out of the start to crash and burn and drag myself to 26.2 using the death shuffle. Not this time.
We took 6 people to Ireland including 3 runners. I watched the weather forecasts daily for the two weeks up to the marathon. After training in 85 degree weather, the anticipated cool temperatures were going to be welcomed. However, with past bonking experiences, I know how cold the death march can be if dressed inappropriately. The dilemma was to dress for the bonk or not. When we arrived in Ireland, we quickly learned that forecasting weather there was a bit of a joke. Each day it was sunny, windy, rainy, gusty, cold and warm for variable amounts of time. Only the duration was in question. By the grace of God the day of the marathon was perfect for us Floridians. 55F and mildly sunny.
I wore light Capri's and a light long sleeve running top. My shoes were Brooks Launch with Injini toe socks. I carried a gel flask with 5 scoops of orange Perpetuem mixed with minimal water, a 20oz water bottle and 3 Hammer gels. I finished with 1/4 of the Perpetuem left and 1 gel left.
There were 12,700 runners. We lined up in the 4:30 and over shoot so it took a while to get to the start. That was fine given my history of rocket starts. It was slow in the beginning secondary to crowds, run/walkers and narrow street combination. During the first 5 miles there were intermittent slowdowns and surges. I tried to not zigzag and I watched not to surge beyond a controlled HR of 158bpm. I had determined on long training runs that HRs greater than 160 or so would put me close to lactate threshold. The high 150s would be a potential danger zone. My Garmin was ahead about .2mi so I was off on splits a lot but seemed to be holding about 10:30 seven miles. I hit the half at 2:20 feeling good. I called to family at the finish to let them know all was well. At mile 17 felt a little belly rumbling so I backed down on the Perpetuem and water amounts. I checked in with Carol and Tom who were behind me doing a 2:1 run walk They were also doing well. I kept the frequency constant taking Perpetuem every 20 minutes in the form of sips with 3 sips of water. Mile 17 to 19 was a downhill grade that felt great. I kept waiting for the wall but still felt good. I was also anticipating a big hill at mile 20 but it turned out not to be too bad. I knew when I reached the University of Dublin, it was just a run into town. I started to feel a little confident that this might just be my day. When I hit the expo building mark I got excited because we had walked there from the hotel two days before and it was a nice walk. I was able to start pushing the pace a little and still felt good. As we came into town the crowds and noise grew. It was great to see Addie, Cathy and Howard at mile 25 felling good and pushing. They made it back to the finish as I was able to kick in at 4:36, a PR tie.
My two running partners were spectacular or brilliant as the Irish would say. They took videos and pictures and they ran/walked to a first marathon time. They finished holding hands despite many injuries along the training period. They are the definition of what a positive attitude and motivation can accomplish. Hats off to TEAM JOULE for a great marathon voyage.
The crowds were great. The organization also great. The coarse was a nice variety of rolling hills. The weather was spectacular. Dublin was a great destination race. Thanks to all the Irish for being so hospitable and friendly. It is truly a great country.

One week left until Dublin Marathon

What a perfect Sunday run. Last longish run for the DCM training. A 10 miler through the usual course with the 4 Joules. The weather finally broke. A cool wind from the west blew in and the morning temperature was 52F. A good day to try out the marathon outfit as the temperature should be similar. I wore Mizuno running capris, a long sleeve top and my Steelers Breast cancer awareness hat. Going to go with the Brooks Launch shoes and Iniji toe socks or smartwool if raining. The wind was gusting but felt great after the long runs in the 80s. We ran a variable pace. Some walk/run with Carol who is nursing an injury. Some pick ups with Addie who is in the middle of xc season and a strong finish sub 8 min pace.
The plan is to go out easy at 10:30 and work my way to 10 min pace. If I feel good and HR stays sub 150 will try to push things in the second half. I feel well trained but who knows what is in store for the big day. So we will say a little prayer and do the best we can and enjoy all that Ireland has to offer. It has been great fun training with a couple of good friends this go around. Hopefully, the best is yet to come.

World Wide Festival of Race-Half marathon

I ran my WWFR half marathon today in a time of 2 hours and 14 minutes. Not a pr but that was not the purpose. The WWFR is a virtual race with over 1000 runners across the world participating today or tomorrow running a 5K, 10K or half marathon. It was the brain child of SteveRunner of Phiddepidations and a few other podcasters. The idea is to get people involved in running and to demonstrate just how small the world is. Since I began listening to podcasts, I feel as though I run with my virtural friends each morning and take them along on my long runs. Some of my current favorites are Running in the Center of the Universe, RunRunLive, RunDigger Run, DirtDawg rambling diatribes, Runners roundtable, Quadrathon, and Veganrunning Mom and amilewithme. All have a little something different to say and do not require a lot of concentration to appreciated.
Today my loop began in the Ponce de Leon Park in Punta Gorda, Florida. It was 78F in the beginning and was in the 80s by my finish. I did the first 6 at marathon pace and then slowed for the next 5 and then increased to submarathon pace. My HR climbed into the low 160s by the end which would be a bad sign if running the marathon. I think I would have started to slow significantly after 18. I am hoping this is secondary to the heat and humidity. All in all I felt strong so I am hoping that the marathon in a little over 2 weeks will be good especially if running in 50F temperatures.

Last long run

My last 20 miler is in the logbook. I am pleased to say it went very well. I did 6 miles on the treadmill before it got light to help beat the heat. As before, I do not feel comfortable running in the dark anymore. I then did the next fourteen in Punta Gorda. I ate nothing before since I started at 5:30 am and had dinner late Saturday night. At twenty minute intervals I took sips of Hammer Propetuem concentrated into a paste from the gel flask. I had some left over so I think it will take me the 26.2miles. I will carry a couple of Hammer Gels for back up during the marathon in case something happens. I drank water every 10 minutes or so. I took endurlytes every hour to 45 minutes. While I was running, I listened to podcasts. Brandon's podcast suggested that electrolyte depletion may cause feet pain. I think he has something. At 16 miles I increased the endurlytes and had very little feet discomfort. After the run I had a Revoverite drink and all is well.
Now I will enter the taper period where I will lower the mileage and increase the speed work some. My nutrition plan is good. I now will watch the weather to see what my final clothes will be. I think I will use my waist pak that holds a gel flask and water bottle.

Beating the heat

Another week of training logged. Long run today was 17 miles. I started on the treadmill at 5:30 am to get 5.5 miles in before going out in the heat. I do not like to run in the dark for safety reasons. I did not eat before running and started taking in Perpetuem as a paste at 20 minute intervals. I only used water for hydration. I did take an Endurlyte capsule each hour. I had no nausea and my legs felt good. I had a couple of fatigue type episodes near the end. I think I may need to take in a little more paste. I mixed five scoops into 1.5 gel flasks and had about 4 servings left.

Training update

Finished a 20 miler Sunday. Conditions hot and humid. 78F to start at 6:30 am and 89 F at 10:55 am. I can tell just how hot it is by what time my shorts are soaked. If it is around 8 miles into the run I am in trouble. There was a little breeze earlier that gave me a little hope and a few clouds helped as well.
Today I tried a new nutrition routine. As I read in a booklet put out by hammer nutrition they recommend not eating within 3 hours of an endurance event lasting more than 2 hours. So I had a gel at 3 am with water and went back to sleep. I started running at 6:45am and started taking Hammer Perpetuem every 10 minutes which was a couple of swallows and a Hammer gel small serving every 20 minutes. I noticed early that I had no muscle fatigue at the 8-9 mile mark where I usually feel the need for nutrition. Even mile 16 and 17 legs still good. I was just getting hot despite adding another fluid bottle with a MotorTab in it. I finished with total body weakness and some dizziness but no leg fatigue. I was also nauseated. This passed after a coke slushy, ice tea and water. Then I was fine so I think it was more dehydration and elevated core temp more than anything. Today, I feel fine. I also took an Endurlyte capsule every hour for a total of 3. I think these made me a little nauseated as well because I had a wave of nausea about 30min after swallowing them.
I think I will stick with the pre race fast of 3 hours. I may alternate Heed and Perpetuem. I am going to forgo the Endurlytes next run.

Got to love your socks

Running is thought to be a minimalist sport. Shoes, socks, shorts and and a shirt and out the door. Things are not quite that simple. Take socks. There are running forums talking about gear. Podcasts questions about gear. And of course blogs about gear. No one has ever died from a blister while running, but they are a aggravating. That little nagging pain on your toe or arch that pounds with each step. Not so bad for 3 miles but 26 or 50, nasty. Is it the shoes or the socks. Buy big shoes to prevent toenail loss and get blisters. Deadly combination is bodyglide to the feet and shoes that are too big. What if it rains? I always defer to the ultra guys. They know the tricks from bodyglide to the feet to duct tape. I started with Thorlors which are wicking but thick. My thought was more padding for the long run. However, they can cramp the toes leading to toenail loss-my theory. This marathon training period I have rotated Ascics L and R socks, Balega, Smartwool, and Injini. All have been good and the thinness has not been a problem as far as cushioning. For running in the rain I think I will go with the Smartwool as they seem to hold less water. I have used the duct tape over a blister and it does work. It is taking the tape off your feet that is the issue.
It is great to interact with runners but the sport is not that simple.

Weekly Running Highlights

Finally, I completed my longest run so far during this marathon training period of 19.5 miles. It was a little less humid and I hydrated a little better before. It was slow but I ran the whole thing. Just needed to get over the mental hump of 19 miles. Now, I will focus a little more on pace as the heat allows. I could see my heart rate starting to climb at the end mainly due to the heat. I used the Hammer produce Heed and Motor Tabs for my sports drink and Hammer banana gel. I also took 3 Endurlyte capsules during the last 2 hours. Not sure if I liked them or not. After the run I drank my usual Coke Icie which is just for the cold rush then a Recoverite drink. I did not have any soreness the next day so I think there may be something to the recovery drink.
We ran the GT Bray 5K on Labor Day which is a local open 5K to open the XC season. The high school teams run as well as the usual locals, coaches and parents. It is a fun event. Since it was the second day after my long run I took it easy and gradually increased my pace at the end. It was more of a tempo run than a race for me I guess. I finished 27:38 which was ok given my race plan. The weather was warm but not too humid. The course is part pavement and part dirt trail through the park. A nice change for a road runner. They had about 430 runners so it was a nice crowd. The finish is along a tree lined dirt trail in the park which allows a lot of opportunity to cheer for runners as they come to the last .1 mile.
I have been watching the weather in Ireland and have ordered running Capris and a rain jacket. Maybe that will insure a sunny day for the race. Gradually getting my gear together and determining which equipment will make the trip.

Running in the rain

Summer and early fall in Florida is the rainy season. Typically, afternoon rains that are short lived. One might think this would be an excellent time to run and enjoy a brief reprieve from the heat. However, lightening and thunder often accompany these rains. Lightening strikes are very common in Florida and result in several fatalities at year. Therefore, the experienced Floridian takes shelter during these potentially cooling rains.
Today, I ran with my daughter's XC team in Sarasota. The sunrise was accompanied my clouds and rain. We waited til the early storms passed and then went out for the weekly bridge run. It didn't take long for the clouds to find us and periods of rain were strong. The thunder held off until the end and we managed to complete the distance.
Running in the rain does provide an opportunity to test equipment to be used in the marathon. Cloths typically do not cause a problem until at least 15 miles. I have found that SmartWool socks can take a soaking and not leave blisters. Carrying my cellphone in a baggy placed in my waist pouch also helps to keep it dry. During this part of my marathon training I start to decide what clothes I will wear in the marathon. It will certainly be a lot cooler in Ireland, but I am able to decide what rubs an doesn't at this point. Tomorrow is a 20 miler so I will test a new hydration pak with a gel flask for the first time in a while. I am leaning toward the Hammer gels at this stage. I am using a combination of Accelerade and Motortabs for hydration.

This week in training

Another week in the logbook. 49 miles total. Two speed workouts. The first was 1.5 mile at race pace followed by bridge run. The second more intense was 4 x 1mi repeats at max 8:48. I continue with push-ups and pull-ups and single leg squats as strength supplementation. Mainly, planks for core. On Sunday's long run of 16 miles, I tested two things one not planned. The not planned test was the effectiveness of smart wool socks in the rain. I experienced 4 separate rains during my 3 hr run. One was a foot soaking down pour at mile 8. No blisters from the smart wool so I think they will be going to Dublin. I did a 5:1 run walk program today. I improved my average pace from 11:38 to 11:21. The last long run i did 4:1 run walk after 8 miles of straight running. The pace for the first 8 was similar on both days. I did slow after 10 miles today. I am not sure why. My HR did get into the 150s in the first 8 but not significantly.

Alternative Boston Marathon Training

Going to get these guys to go to Dublin right Rom

Weekend of Sunny Runs

Saturday's 6.2 mile run was in Sarasota running across the Ringling Bridge and around the marina. Pictured above is a view from the marina park looking over the bay. The weather was great for August in Florida. Low humidity and a nice breeze. Sunday we ran in Punta Gorda. I added two speed work days this week as well. Tuesday was short bursts of 40 seconds hard with 30 seconds easy for 15 times. Thursday did 3min hard and 2 minutes easy repeating 6 times. On my 18 mile long run Sunday we ran the first 8 straight and then I went to 4:1 minute walk run ratio. That seemed to work well getting me over the 18 mile hump. I am trying to talk myself into the walk run method for the Dublin Marathon. I have heard a lot of great reports from people using this method.

Marathon Training Continues

Week 4 started with a 14.6 mile run with the Dublin training team in part. Carol walked 3mi while nursing a leg/back injury. Addie ran 11 and Tom and I finished the rest. Slow pace at 10:47mi/min pace. Temp was in the 80s by the time we finished. Monday was a rest day. Today a little introduction to VO2 max training with 30sec hard with 30 sec. easy. for 15 reps. for total am mileage of 3miles. A pm run included a couple of hill repeats of a quarter mile since lightening kept us from the bridge run for a total of 5.5 miles. Easy run Wednesday. Going to the beach for a long weekend beginning Thursday so will be doing some beach runs. My goal this week is also to add another mile to my Vibram five finger running for total of 3miles.

Week 3 of a 16 week marathon training program

I finished 46.9 miles this week. Should have logged another tenth to make it even. Didn't notice at the time. I feel pretty good so far. I have been running mostly at a slow pace between 10:30 and 11:00 minute miles. My longest run has been 15 miles. We have been running the Punta Gorda Bridge on some days which is 1.4 miles long with a moderate grad as a hill workout of sorts. I have done some 2 minute accelerations on treadmill days but again not pushing too much yet. I am concentrating on more of a mid foot landing so this is taking some adjustment but my calves are no longer sore. I think my knees feel better as well. My plan is to get used to the mileage then start to push the speed a little. Since this is an overseas marathon and I really don't want to injure out so I need to be conservative on the training. I have also been trying to run a mile now and then in my Vibram Five Finger shoes to help strengthen my feet.
I will continue my weight training which is mainly body weight based. Push-ups, planks, birddogs, lunges, squats and pull ups. I

Vibram Five Fingers

Got my Vibram Five Fingers today. Took them for a short trot around the block. The felt amazingly good and free. Hope to begin using them a little each day gradually building up. I hope they allow me to develop a more midfoot strike and decrease injuries.

Dublin Marathon training has begun

It is official. I have signed up for the Dublin Marathon in October. My training has started. Ran 13 miles today. Weeks mileage up to 37 miles. Taking suggestions from both Daniels and Pfizigers programs for an 18 week program. Will keep the P90x program in the mix as well as incorporating some barefoot running. I really became a believer in the benefits of barefoot running after reading "Born to Run". Fantastic book. Getting the long runs in before the Florida heat gets to bad will be one of the major challenges. Today I felt great but we ran pretty slow. I have been concentrating on form over speed and it seems to be working already with the near absence of knee pain.

Happy Fourth of July

A great day to be an American. About 250 runners showed up to North Port's second annual Firecraker 5K. It was a steamy morning in Florida already in the 80s F at 7:30 am. The course was out and back in a residential neighborhood starting from Dallas White Park. My time was slower than usual but fast enough to get second place in my age division. Addie did a personal best for the summer although she was unhappy to be behind me. I think this will be the last race finishing in that order given her steady improvement and my stagnation.
The rest of the day was great ending with a traditional barbecue with friends and family. The fireworks were great again at Boca Grande.

The last leg of our vacation was West By God Virginia or Morgantown, WV. The park is a rails to trails along the Monongahalia River. A beautiful place to run along the river and by the West Virginia University Aboretum. We took another run across the line in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania up a country road called Bacon run. Deer and wild turkey can always be spotted along the way. It is also a huge hill workout. The weather was mild in the sixties Farhanheit. This a a great change from the Florida humidity. Nothing beats going back to the place you grew up to run by so many fond places were great memories were made.

Next stop Washington, DC

The next stop on our college tour was Washington,DC. We visited Catholic University, American University, George Washington University and Georgetown University. We stayed at the Hyatt by the Capitol allowing a great run to the Capital Building and Washington Monument. All of the schools offered great opportunities. Of the DC schools Addie's favorites were American and George Washington.
We also had a great visit with our friend Sally making the trip complete.
The scary part of the trip was the redline train crash north of Catholic University. Friends and family out of town called to check on us before we new the accident had occurred. Luckily we were not involved but our sympathies go out to the families who lost loved ones in the event.

Vacation to Nashville

Our summer vacation to Nashville, Tennessee was to visit Vanderbilt University for a college tour for Addie. People in Nashville are extremely friendly. I must say as a whole one of the friendliest places I have visited. Vanderbilt is beautiful and has offers great opportunities for it's students.
We toured the Country music hall of fame and stumbled on tickets to the CMA festival concert. Again the environment was extremely friendly. The music was fantastic and a great treat for Addie. Some of her favorite stars were there. We ran in the local park with our dog, Lexi. She loved sharing a Starbucks with us after the run.
Pictured is a replica of the Parthenon.

Denise Amber Lee 5k

The Denise Amber Lee 5K was held at Englewood Beach on the same route as the county line run. The proceeds of this run went to the DeniseAmberLee foundation to raise awareness and support education of the 911 system. Denise was a young mother of two boys who was abducted from her home in North Port in broad daylight who was assaulted and killed. The tragedy was that there were several 911 calls made by her and others who witness what they correctly identified a women in distress and the dispatch system failed. Her husband and family have formed the foundation in her honor to try to educate and prevent further tragedies.
There was a fair turnout for the race despite a brewing thunderstorm all morning. The race went off under good conditions except for a little welcomed wind. The rains, thunder and lightning came quickly as the last finishers were crossing. The Joules were missing one today. Addie had SATs so we had to excuse her. Carol has been battling sinusitis and bronchitis but was there for a strong race to the finish placing second in her age. Tom(rom) finished first in his age group beating his latest pr by 30sec. and I finished first in my age group despite a little slower time.
The Port Charlotte Zoomers running club managed the event and did a stellar job despite the weather and last minute need to assume greater responsibility for the event than just race day organization. Hats off to Bob Geyer and his team for another event well done. The Zoomers is a small running club but organizes and helps run many local 5ks.

http://www.zoomersrun.com/

Bad Guys

Well I was running before daylight the last couple of weeks to avoid the heat. Same loop I do in the light just 30 min or so before daylight. I have to admit I was a little squeamish in the dark. I carry a light and added pepper spray to my gear this week. The last couple of days running slightly later because my daughter is now out of school. This am while running a truck waited for me and a man opened his door and offer me to get in. I took off and when safely out of range called 911. Gave the police a description and made my way home as fast as I could. Unfortunately, he was between me and the way home so I had to take the long way. The officer later told me the street I had deemed safe in fact was not. A search of sexual predators in the near region yielded 85.
Needless to say I am very disturbed. I will now need to change my route and time. No longer going to run in the dark. A self defense course is in my near future at least. It is a shame that law abiding citizens have to hide behind there gates and alarms while the bad guys roam freely. I am quite thankful for the quick response of the local police but realize their task is daunting. I love the sense of freedom running outside and hate the fact that that is being taken away to a significant extent. We do not have a trail in my town that is safe to run on and many of the roads are either unsafe or have no sidewalks. I wish there was something that could be done to improve the safety of our streets.

Homemade Energy Bars

I came across a couple of sites showing how to make your own protein bars so I thought I would give it a try. I have been looking for a snack protein bar that is more protein and less sugar, but I do not like all the fat. Before my long runs I struggle with what to eat that is easily digestible because I run very early and don't feel like getting up in the middle of the night to eat. The recipes that I tried looks like it will fit the bill.
You need 1/2 cups of rolled oats, whey protein, peanut butter and your choice of further additions. In a blender grind the oats into a powder and mix in the whey protein. Add this to a bowl containing 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Natural peanut or almond butter would be best and contain less sugar. Mix it up adding a little water to blend it into a dough of sorts. Spread it on a piece of aluminum foil and fold into bars.
You could add some chopped dried fruit or chocolate pieces for extra flavor. Different protein powder flavors will also change the taste. Not bad and you know what you have in it. No extra alcohols or supplemental fats.
Give it a try.

In search of the beachbody

Addie and I started the P90x program which is a DVD series with Tony Horton. It consists of progressive daily routines of strength training mainly using your own body weight with push-up/pull-up combinations and dumbbell work. There is also a martial arts day and yoga day. It is associated with a diet plan to fit the progression. I intend to maintain my current running schedule in the am and do these workouts in the pm. I think this will be an excellent cross-training activity. It certainly works muscles not used in running and emphasizes core stability training. We are following the diet to about 70%. Cannot give up the pasta but will try to moderate. I am hoping it helps me stay injury free and improve my running speed. Only time will tell.

Happy Memorial Day. Thank you to all who have served in our military. I respect you greatly.

YMCA County Line 5K

Today the Joules ran the YMCA county line 5K. Tom finished first in his age group and Carol and I finished third in our age group. Great fun. About 175 turned out. We joined friends for breakfast afterward. The run was along the Englewood Beach road out and back. Great sunny Florida morning.

Kettlebell training

The video below show a variation of the Turkish Getup. This is a great whole body exercise that has seven distinct phases. All help improve core stability and muscle strength. Other great Kettlebell exercises include swings and power cleans. These are great cross-training exercises. I am adding these to my routine of planks and bird dogs for core stability.

Steve Cotter Kettlebell Turkish Get Up Instructional Video

Siesta Key, Florida at sunset

Great place to vacation and run. Just 40 miles up the road is one of the nicest beaches in the country. White soft sand and a flat packed surface. You can run the entire beach for just over 5 miles. This weekend we ran from the Palm Bay Club to the north jetty and out to the beach road for breakfast and back. Also, did a pm walk for dacquris.
Achilles is cured. Now working on getting the mileage up.

Garmin 305 is my friend

I purchased a new Garmin 305 last fall as a backup to my Polar RS820 as a mileage, pace, and HR tracker. The Polar monitor is easy to see and the footpod allows good monitoring of pace. The HR band is comfortable. The footpod can be a nuisance at times with the batteries and communication with the chest strap. The Polar software is also quite good to track trends and totals. Buckeye Outdoors requires manual input from Polar devices so I though I would try sportstrack software and upload the Garmin direct. It works beautiful and you can also see the satalite images of your run. The data is just as good as the Polar except for the breakdown of HRs at various points along the way.
I have decided to try the Galloway method for my next marathon. I uploaded a workout on the Garmin to run 4min and walk 1min for the long runs. This was great and I actually ran my last run quicker with the walk breaks than running straight. Cool.

Back on the road

Glad to report that I have completed my fourth day of running in a row-pain free. It is so good to be back on the road. I have lost a lot of endurance but it will come back. I have also been running in the early evening so it is getting a little hot. I will not be ready for a late spring marathon so I will turn my attention to early fall. Would love to Boston Qualify but not sure I will make it this go around. I will settle for an injury free period. I listened to the Boston Marathon race director during a podcast tonight while running. He didn't seem to enjoy his job. He seemed like a grumpy old man that did not like runners. Maybe he has been doing it too long. It certainly was not a advertisement to run the race. After hearing that I think I would like to run it once and then go on. It also sounds like they may change the qualifying times because so many people want in. He said about 20% of the field were charity runners who do not qualify. There are so many marathons, I think they could afford to have one with only qualifiers. But I suspect they don't want to turn down the money. Funny.

Regional Track Meet

Nine athletes from Cardinal Mooney HS participated in the regional meet at Golden Gate HS in Naples, Florida. It was a beautiful day except for intermittent smoke from the wild fires in collier county. Jordan progressed on to the state meet by wining the pole vault with a PR of 13ft 6inches. Jillian, a freshman set a PR in the 300M hurdles but failed make the finals. Derick pictured right set a PR in the 800M but the competition was too stiff. The majority of the athletes gave their best effort and can be proud of their accomplishment this season.
Personally, I think I learned more about coaching this year and look forward to applying my teaching and motivation skills again next year.

Energy saving light bulbs?

OK, I have to admit I bought some of these energy saving light bulbs tauted by the EPA as being green and energy efficient. What about the mercury we are putting into society with the potential breakage and when they do where out? What about the fact that they are made in China whereas the old fashion bulbs are harmless and made in Kentucky, USA? How about the energy in importing these bulbs via ship? I think I will continue from here on out to buy regular USA bulbs and turn them off when I am not in the room to save energy. Mercury thermometer's are taboo because of the toxicity. People only had one thermometer. How many light bulbs in a house?
Mass marketing strikes again.

Districts over but ended on a good note

Just when you think you are about to give up, they surprise you. The Cardinal Mooney track team that is. Practice the week before districts was anything but fun. Kids fighting and more interested in what they don't want to run than what they can do to help the team. Track is funny in that you run for your own time but the often forgotten part is you need to score points for the team for a possible district tittle. Spring break occurred the week of District so some kids were not going to be there because of vacations or just plain disappeared. It doesn't help that parents are not supportive in teaching kids responsibility. The kids committed to track so they need to see it through. We have to send in rosters in advance which are not easily changed. Relays are best ran with kids practicing together. So kids were absent from practice, went days over break without running, and were not focused at all.
The day of the Districts the weather was cloudy and windy with tornado watches. One of the teams was late because of the weather advisory and the meet was delayed. The storm kept coming south and at 4pm the rains hit along with thunder and lightening. The event was finally postponed until Wednesday. This was fate for us because the kids were not mentally ready. We looked up in the coaches meeting and our kids were playing ultimate frisbee in the middle of the football field. The same kids too tired to run in events we asked of them. Absolutely no senior leadership. In fact they were behaving the worst of all. I lost my cool and gave a good tongue lashing about responsibility, team spirit and pride. They just looked on. When the rain came a few kids help clean up and we went home.
I was disgusted. All the effort to end like this. No body seemed to care. I came home and had a glass of wine and contemplated resigning after this year. I had failed as a motivator and coach.
Then I had a pep talk from my friend Sally. She suggested that maybe I focus more on individual personalities instead of a general message. She taught me her sales tactics of personalities and colors. Red was that of a very creative but somewhat of a stubborn individual. the kind you may lock horns with but ultimately a great asset. Blue was an individual motivated by emotion and words. Yellow individuals were very organized and did well given a task. Green were reward driven. All are needed for a team. Push the bottom to the middle and the middle will improve. So I thought might as well give it a chance. I thought about each kid and what would be there color. I had Addie and a friend make motivational posters with the words for the individuals I had come up with. I bought candy for rewards. Blue and pink PEEPs for the relays and other small candies. Meanwhile one of the seniors had sent texts to some of the kids to get fired up for Wednesday.
Wednesday came and what a difference a day makes. Kids were helping and stepping up to support the team. They cheered each other on and gave it there all. One senior ran so hard he threw up his days intake and more. Boys argued who would take his place in the final relay. The four chosen had never run together. They stood in the middle of the field pumping each other up as never before. They ran the strongest race of the 4 x 400M this entire year with each leg setting a personal best. They fell down together at the finished and gasped for air. The rest of the team cheered them on. The team huddled together for one last Cougar Pride chant. We did not place as a team at the Districts. The boys were 5th and girls 7th. Overall, the best showing of the boys for a long time. 7 athletes move on to regionals. But there is hope for Mooney track. Hope for team spirit and hope that these kids will have learned the value of hard work and the benefit of giving yourself to others.
You did good Mooney track team. I am proud.

Back on the treadmill

This past week I have started running again, slowly. I started walking 4 minutes and running one, then 3 walk and 2 run, then 2 walk and three run and today 1minute walking and 4 minutes running. Today's mileage was 3.25miles. I still have tightness and a some discomfort in my Achilles insertion but it goes away during the walk breaks. It is definitely encouraging and feels great to run even if slower. I do feel the effects of the layoff but not as bad as I thought it would be. The plan is to gradually increase the mileage as long as the pain does not worsen. I have been on the treadmill all week but I think I will take it outside this weekend.
Happy Easter!

Special Olympians

Saturday was the area Special Olympics meet. Our local athletes competed very well and set personal bests in several events. Trevor ran a 1:03 400M dash and threw the discus 36feet. Richard proudly ran in the Torch relay. We had a 4 x100 M team. Anna did a 400M wheel chair race and could have gone on and on. Erin demonstrated perfect discus form despite being less than 5 feet tall. Many other athletes did great as well. There next step will be to the state games in Disney World in May. These athletes compete with all of their heart and sole without complaints or requests. They compete every time to the best of their ability. They are happy for their fellow athlete and cheer vigorously for their teammates and the achievements of others. There kindness and sincerity is to be admired. I was glad to help with the event by coaching and cheering. I salute these athletes and look forward to watching them compete in future events.
I would encourage anyone to help these athletes in anyway that they can for they truly compete for the love of the games.

Ok I will cross train

Well week 6 and still not cured. Actually tried to jog a a little over the last few days but the discomfort increased and I was afraid to make things worse. Have started swimming again and biking. Still doing PT with ultrasound and deep tissue massage. Hopefully, getting close. Listening to running podcasts while driving makes me more anxious to run. Starting to think about a summer sprint triathalon if I cannot get in marathon shape by June.
Track season peaking with Districts in two weeks. Four boys informed me today they would not be there because of Spring Break travel. Such dedication is just what I need right now. I wonder when they look back on there high school years if they will have regrets? Oh well, we will go with what we have left, not that that is a lot. We can barely cover the events. I am sure things will work out in the end. Off to the kettlebell workout.

Achilles Heel

Have not posted recently secondary my lack of running and prolonged injury. Fine then not fine. It seems whatever the injury 4-6weeks is needed to fix it. This time Achilles tendon inflammation and a possible bone bruise. I walked as soon as I developed pain but it did not seem to help. Motrin, and ice and no running. Steroid injection along side the tendon. Now ultrasound. Gradually, getting better but so slow. I probably made it worse running that leg in the relay but it was worth it. Finally, today I gave in and biked. I had hoped a few weeks of rest and I would be back running. Being on my feet coaching probably does not aid much either but that too is not an option. So I wait. I have still been doing my core stuff and some dead lifts which don't seem to affect my foot. I have completed week four of rest. Maybe I will get lucky and not need week six.

Gasparilla Marathon Relay

If you have not done one, try one. What a great time. You get to be in the marathon crowd, cheer on your teammates, see part of the marathon and participate in a team effort.
Our team was the 4 Joules because of the electricity we have shared with friends-long story. The plan was for a fun run no pressure. What you don't think about is that a team has the potential for injuries that affects the whole team. Our efforts were strong. Thoughts of Pr's were looming. Then one teammate had a piriformis issue. Next member a cold on race week. Next member Achilles tendinitis(me) and the last fell over the hurdles in track practice leaving her with a banged knee. So far, so good. Not too big of a problem because this team was part of the medical community with resources. Antibiotics were started. Antiinflamatories and icing was initiated. Still problems loomed. I was MRI ed and had my ankle injected with steroids (not the a-rod type, the old lady type) and wrapped and unwrapped. Still the day before limping was obvious with simple walking. Getting around the expo took effort. My leg was to be the 8mile leg. Luckily the TEAM stepped up and insisted the order be rearranged. Not quite legal but necessary for survival. Plus we were not contenders for the prizes anyway. So I was moved to the 4.2 mile clean-up leg, my daughter who fell over the hurdles and last long run was 3 weeks ago at 4miles took the 7mile leg and Tom took the 8mile leg. Carol with her ailing hip stayed the course in the 7mile lead off leg.
The morning of the race it was windy and rain and falling temperatures was predicted. We all went to the start to see Carol off. Great fun. She took off determined and we went back to the hotel for more ice and a little wait. Back to point 2 for the hand off. Carol finished strong and Addie took off confident. The wind and rain started. Intermittent gusts and downpours. We took the bus to the 3rd point. Addie finished ahead of predictions smiling and wet. Tom took off strong not fearing the extra mile. The rain and wind got heavier. The temperature fell. I was afraid to go back so I took the bus to the 4Th point to wait for Tom. It was cold and wet. My ankle was feeling the best it had so I was hopeful. I was also so cold I was determined to run hard just to warm up. I even made several trips to a port-o-let to get out of the rain. (It was out of the way and in good condition). I got the call from Tom. There was a mix-up in the park at the banana station and he went the wrong way. He was to run nearly 2miles extra to get back. He ended up with about a 10miler in pouring rain before the hand off. Luckily, we had purchased cheap ponchos the night before. I ran with mine on the last leg with rain pouring and the wind howling for the first two miles. It then let up and was just cool and windy for the remainder. It was great fun to run the last 4.2 miles of a marathon and actually enjoy and not just survive it. I could encourage others and enjoy the crowd seen. It took my mind off my gimpy ankle. I chanted the mantra that it was only a little bruise and abrasion nothing but a little discomfort that should be ignored. It worked. I kept a decent pace and was met by the other 3 Joules to run the last .2mi to the finish. We got our metals and took pictures and enjoyed the post race celebration.
I must say it was one of the most positive fun weekends and runs despite the little bumps along the way. We had a great team that pulled for each other and would not be stopped. Great fun and great stories. We plan to run more relays after everyone heals a little from this one.
Salute

Sarastota Half Marathon

Good day at the races. PR of 1:58:33 and 20th in age group. Temperature at start was 65F. No wind and overcast skies made the temperature more tolerable. Felt strong on the bridge going both directions. I think the burpees, strength workouts and speed drills were the difference in time. The pace felt moderate and controlled until the last 3. Legs started feeling heavy at that point. Reality could have struggled through a few more miles at that pace but would then have fallen back.
Next up: Gasparilla Marathon Relay.

Fun day at track practice

I am going to make Fridays a game or fun day if our schedule permits.
Yesterday we did two games
Frisbee relay: Two teams with a mark 60M down the lacrosse field. Each teams has a thrower. He/she launches the Frisbee and the sprinter takes off and catches and runs to the mark and returns. Team to finish tosses to all participants first wins.
Agility course: I set up various exercises along the perimeter of the lacrosse field. Each team sent one athlete at a time to complete the course. They tagged there teammate upon arriving back for and sent another. First team to finish wins. The first station was a plyometric box to jump on and off. Second; low hurdles to hop over with both feet. Third; a ladder to high knee through with a medicine ball over there head. Forth; 15M to hop on one foot between cones and an final sprint home.

Completing week 2 of track season. I am working with the sprinters. It is a young but energetic team. We have been working on technique, strength and endurance. We also have Incorporated the 101 day burpee challenge to our strength training and are up to 14.

We will start the jumping events next week. I have identified a couple of guys who I think will be excellent. I would like more to try as many events as they can to get a well rounded experience.

My running is going well. I think the drills and strength training is helping me as well. The Sarasota half marathon is in one week. My mileage is in the low 40s/week so my endurance should be fine. Off to my real job for a little while.

Today run the Sarasota Ringling Bridge 4 miler with my daughter, Addie. Finished 34:17 watch time and 35:07 official clock time. Felt great. Temperature at race start was 43 degrees F. with little wind. Cold for south Florida. They used chip timing but used the gun for scoring. About 2000 runners so getting to the start took a while with a lot of bunching in the early 1/4 mile. It quickly spread out when we got to the beginning of the bridge at about 1/2mi point.
Up to 13 burpees. Skipped today.
Next race Sarasota half Feb 15, 2009
Special Olympics track season started today. Glad to see all of the athletes. I help mainly with the running events. No limits and no quitting for these athletes. They are an inspiration to all.
High School track starts Monday. I wish these kids were as motivated. Nevertheless, there will be lots of good times and many good memories to come.
Salute.

Just Beginning

Just starting this blogging thing. Today I ran a nice 10.4 miles at a 10 min/mi pace. It was 55 F and sunny. A great day to run.
My upcoming races are the Sarasota 4mile Bridge run, the Sarasota half marathon and then the Gasparilla marathon as a relay. This will be my first relay. Looking forward to running with friends and my daughter in the relay. We will be called the 4 Joules. This has to do with the electricity associated with cardioversion.
I am also looking forward to starting track practice at Cardinal Mooney HS. I will be coaching the sprint events this year as well as the jumps. It takes a lot of preparation to keep up with the HS wit.
I am also interested in doing a joint venture with the YMCA for cardivascular risk factor modification. I would like to focus on the 30 and 40 something crowd that has got out of shape and are developing early risk factors for heart disease