Return of the Deetschei

Alright, first things first. Don might be attaining nirvana for his knee right now, but you do need to know that there is another, mortal, running source of strength for those of you in need:



Not yet deified, when I'm not busy conspiring to hide gnostic secrets about Jesus getting jiggy with it, I have been known to run a lap or two around the cathedral. In white loafers.

(Note: Requests for pictures of a running pope have not been ignored. We're just waiting to wash the costume. I can not stress how gross it smells. If you imagine rolling around in a Bourbon Street gutter for five days, then just pouring two beers over your head for fun...you would be half way there. I couldn't put the outfit on without passing out right now)

I expected Karneval to really wipe out the progress I made over the past two months, but it apparently had some reinvigorating, super-hero like effect on me. I managed to run through some of the pain, so I never actually dropped a week. The overall miles naturally dropped from the 20 mile week I logged just before, but I was able to tread water until we got to London for some much needed detox. It turns out that the wrong side of the road is the fast side of the road:

My best (non-weekend) run in the week leading up to and including Karneval, in terms of speed and overall feel, was a 4.09 mile run for 34:01, which worked out to a 8:19 pace. I was totally ecstatic with that. Then, however, things started getting faster (dare I say, ass-kickinger?). For the past two weeks, my average time has dropped below 8 minute miles on almost every run. I bettered my 4 mile time to 33:25, then 31:13, and finally 30:51! (AND, I need to add, the Nike + needs to be calibrated again which means I'm running further than I need, so I'm actually doing even better than the times suggest...it's minimal, but I need to get that out there...I'm such a petty little pope.) Honestly, if I were a high school track coach and I needed to prepare my team for a meet in two weeks, I would have a hard time not taking them to Tijuana for a few days of drunken debauchery. The results speak for themselves.

Anyway, last week culminated with this run on Sunday:




It was relatively relaxed and I didn't need to thrust my hips too far in any one direction to sustain the pace, although I did make air-humping motions occcasionally to embaress Tessa, but I do that anyway. ;) Again, I had to run around the block an extra time just to get the iPod to register the six miles, so I actually finished in under 46 minutes. Not only that, but during that run I registered my fastest mile (7:26) and established my fastest 5K pace (23:48)! I figure I should be in good position for Bay to Breakers, Cologne Edition...However, those of us who can't make it to the actual race but who are running in satellite cities really should settle on goal times that take into account a lack of Hayes Street Hill. How much difference do you think it makes?

Last, but not least, I've started training for a Half Marathon in late April. I'm using the Intermediate Ultimate Half Marathon Plan from Runners World. It's going to be hectic, but I'm trying to beat my PB by at least 5 minutes. I must be nuts.

The Week So Far (includes runs with Tessa, she's getting faster too!):

Distance: 12.95 Miles
Time: 1:45
Average: 8:06 per mile


Overall Impression: Binge Drinking Make For Faster Pope (BDMFFP)

UPDATE: For those of you that are a little frustrated right now, I'm linking to a post of mine from October when I couldn't finish 2 miles without A LOT of pain here. And I would like to point out that my (then) estimate of needing a month to be able to log 20 miles in a week was off. I couldn't manage it until February! Running is just a world of heartbreak sometimes. But there's always reason for hope!

Serious post

I ran for the first time in 8 days again, back is feeling better but this winter##&*%@&*(^$@!^. Sorry I needed to blow off a little steam. I guess the computer thought it was a web site. try and visit it to see where it takes you, probably a porn site. Hmmmm maybe I could make some extra money for bills as a porno actor. I could call myself Forest F. Hump, what do ya think.
Back to what I was writing before I got side tracked. Got home and yes it's a training day, the winds blowing about 8 miles an hour seems beautiful huh, well not when it's 21 degrees outside. Did I mention I'm sick of this CRAP. I used to love winter when all I wanted to do was hunt, now I want to run I want to RUN FOREST RUN but this damn weather won't let up. OK sorry, done whining. I ran 5.5 miles tonight and other than my nose going numb it went fine. The back felt good, a little pain in the right knee but some more hammy stretches should straighten that out. I've got a total of 26 miles to do this week, so hopefully everything stays healthy for me. wish me luck.

miles 5.5

time 57 min 9 sec

pace 10 min 24 sec

overall impression:
Looks like I lost one of the bottoms off my plow. (llilootbomp)

No Run No Post :(

Hey all,
As your spiritual leader, I feel I have let you all down. As I sit here today I have not run in over a month and I'm feeling it. First the flu, then a wicked cold, all the while Physical Therapy for knee pain. Now, I have hurt my leg again, and won't be running for another little bit. I'd detail the situation here, but I'm tired of whining to the forum.

KNOW that I am here to support you all and want every one of us to succeed!

KNOW that as soon as I can walk a straight line I will be out there running!

KNOW that I wish I were out there running as much as I ever have!

KNOW that if I must walk the Bay to Breakers on crutches, I will!

KNOW that you are loved and supported in your running/walking endeavor!

your leader,
Sixpack Chopra

You asked for it Pavement Pounder

I was going to Wait until I actually ran. See I haven't been able to with the back and the snow and the whole blowing of the snow thing causing drifts. So all I have to report on is the weight thing, down to 176 lbs. haven't seen that since I was 19, don't remember all this extra skin back then. I guess 19 years of abusing my body may lead me to never being able to say I'm athletic and TONED.
So PP I've been standing naked in front of the mirror (that's how I noticed the skin thing) trying to figure out the hip tilt thing. I haven't come up with the position or figured out how it gives strength and power, well at least when it comes to running. But I believe I have found a few things that hip tilt can help with not necessarily speed but the power thing may blow your mind. I'm willing to pass this along to your hubby if you guys are interested. Hell I may need start a whole new blog, "The benefits of running; in the bedroom as seen by the partner" Well that's it for now, look forward to everyone else's posts.

Checkin' In

Hey Everybody. This is just a quick post to catch up on how everybody's training is going. I just wanted to make sure everyone was getting the motivation, inspiration, opportunity to complain, etc., they need in order to keep on walking & running toward their goals. I would love to hear how everyone is progressing! So don't be shy with those posts, folks!

Ode to the Sweaty Salt Crystal

You are so white.
You are so scratchy.
O, how you cake my legs and face;
My little, sweaty salt crystals.

Okay, so I am not cut out to be a poet. I'll stick to analyzing them instead of writing them.

Forest, I made a point to pay attention while doing my tempo run today. I realized that when I do speedwork, I shorten my stride. I don't know if this is common or if other people do it, but the shorter my strides the faster I find I can go. Additionally, I have noticed that if I tilt my hips I can also increase my speed/power. (I think Sixpack mentioned something about hiptilt in an earlier post). That was just my observation from today's run, which was surprisingly successful.

By the way, I know I am gonna hear about this, but.... MAN was it hot today! Geez. If this keeps up, I am gonna have to hit the pool early this season ;) A brilliant, low-humidity, 76 degrees, clear skies, and windy! SWEET!!! [Note: I expect to be fully chastised for that little brag when summer comes and I am bitching about 90 degree weather with humidity not unlike that of the Brazilian Rain Forest! and the Wisco Clan is singing the praises of the mild, pleasant Midwest summer ;)]

eatin' well

here is an NYTimes article about eating well, which i thought some of you would find interesting/ helpful.

now i have to find a way to motivate my arse to get out the door and run... when it is windy with slushy rain that is going almost horizontally. i mean, i know for you cheeseheads that sounds like a lovely summer day, but for the rest of us who have come to expect somewhat reasonable weather, it plain sucks.

my training is still going okay. my "long" run on sunday really sucked– i felt like i had cinder blocks tied to my legs for the entire 5 miles and my pace suffered as a result (increasing it by a minute/mile).

total miles last week: 10

total time: you want me to do math!?!

pace: around 10min/mile

overall impression: Why Does Mother Nature Hate Me And Always Make It Rain On My Run Days? (WDMNHMAAMIROMRD)

Sistas Are Doin' It For Themselves

For perhaps the first time in my life, at least as far as I can remember, my oldest sister and I actually went running "together." This wasn't the kind of running in which the oldest sibling "chases" the youngest sibling around the house threatening to punch her. No no, this was real running. We did a nice 4 miler today in the L. J. While everyone else was at church, we took over the streets.

I know one should not immulate spiritual leaders or deities, but following in Sixpack's footsteps I have encouraged my sister to start training for B2B (even though we might not be running it with you in SF). I figured that we Okie Girls could provide a nice balance to the Wisco Supremacy. I have extended an invitation to her to join Drunk Runners. Hopefully we will soon be 10, so keep your eyes open and give "Ginifer" (she was born to be a Drunk Runner) a hardy welcome when she finally joins.

Inspired by DJ and Forest's distances, I have decided to up my "long runs" - I am ahead of my training schedule in terms of pace, so I figure I can extend the runs on the weekend to challenge myself and to catch up with the boys! So look over your shoulders occassionally, you just might see me coming up behind you :)

5 Bottom Plow and So much More

Ladies and Gentleman the five bottom plow:


Normally drug behind a tractor, not a runner, those five blades dig into the earth turning it over making it fresh and ready for planting. I'll leave you to imagine the drag and the extended meaning of Forests metaphor.

That out of the way, I'm proud to say that I have not run a foot since my last post. However, a trip to the physical therapist was most enlightening on Thursday. After assessing the situation he asked what my goals are. He didn't even flinch when I said I wanted to do another marathon. Granted, this is the guy that helped me walk again after the first one, so I thought the coin could fall either way. Either he was going to take it in stride, or he was going to say something like, "Now, you've run two of them. And you are in for your second round of Physical therapy in the last 6 months. I'm seeing a trend here. Are you sure this marathon thing is the best for you?" Thankfully he didn't, so I was spared having to bitch slap him and tell him that I was the one paying the bills and he would do what I said.
So, we've figured out the problem and have devised the beginnings of a plan. It all goes back to that barn in Wisconsin some 30 odd years ago. It looked something like this:

It is here that I fell and broke my arm at the age of 4. It is this accident that, it has been theorized, was the beginning of my scoliosis. No, no one pushed me. If you can believe it I was not the most graceful child, although it was my dream to be a world class diver or figure skater. So, this scoliosis has meant that my body makes a lot of funny adjustments in order to get through the day. What it means most significantly is that my stomach muscles hardly ever work. I use my back for everything which just doesn't cut it sometimes. As I know I've mentioned before, a marathon, in such situations, is much like a rock in your shoe. Imagine, if you will, that there is a rock in your shoe. Now, you could walk across the room and it wouldn't be that big of a deal. You might even be able to walk around the block and not have a problem, maybe a mile, but a 26.2 miles? Your foot would be a bloody messy. Trust me, I've had it happen for 11 miles. Why didn't I remove the rock? I'm not quite sure, but it was a bloody mess. So, 26.2 miles has exagerated what were previously minor injuries brought about by my poor body mechanics over years and years of moving. Frankly, I will continue to keep running marathons, because it is helping me move so much better, that we might eventually fix everything.
With round two of PT Mel promises we will fix even more and get me on the right track. Now if you will excuse me I have exercises to do. Can anyone say, Kegel? Just kidding.

So, the moral of the story is: Don't climb in barns. It's terribly expensive later in life.

UFF-DA!!!

Hey all,
This is my first full week back to running. The PT has been doing a great job at getting me back to and better than before. She wanted to cut me off, but I have a new found relationship with both the P.T. and the P.T.A. They asked if I had any questions, I said yah can you keep me coming until after the marathon, the answer absolutely. I don't know if it's my charm, my witt or just me, THE WHOLE WONDERFUL PACKAGE THAT IS ME.
OK back to why I am writing. My first week back I pushed myself pretty hard distance wise, I wanted to get back on track. I'm proud to say I did. I'm still not running the times I'd like to see, but the distance is where I should be. My previous longest run was seven miles. Last night I ran my longest run ten miles. I was supposed to run it on Sunday but we are having a BLIZZARD as I write this. So I decided to move my long run up two days. The really funny part, as I was in dressing and stretching (Not at the same time) freezing rain started to fall. The winds were about 15-20 miles an hour, figuring this was still better than the prediction for Sunday, I took off for my ten mile run. First five miles were OK, I had glasses and a hooded sweatshirt to stop the sting of the freezing rain. The winds were tough for me to run into, it was really pushing me. At the six mile point the freezing rain changed to snow, with the winds I could only see a few hundred feet in front of me at times. Yah, I know what you're thinking, MAN HE MUST RUN FAST. If only that were true! By the time I hit the ten mile mark about three-quarters of an inch of snow was on the ground. I know, ........ that snow was coming fast, actually I was running very slow, it was more like an exaggerated walk. my pace was 12 min 24sec. More core exercises and I need to start doing speed work.

Total miles this week, 21

total time, 4 hrs 6 mins 46 sec

Pace 11 min 45 sec

Over all impression..... could someone please run up beside me and pull the pin on the five bottom plow I seem to be pulling.
Any questions to this statement please ask your spiritual advisor.

Goals Goals Goals

So,Karneval worked me over in a major way. I'll post a pic or two when my laptop is back from the shop (part of the reason I've been gone...again), but trust me- one million drunken germans plus one drunken deetschei is not conducive to good running...having said that,I somehow managed a personal best 5K during the insanity. I hardly remember running it ;)
This last week was the end of my second 4 week cycle with the Nike + goal generator/ass kicking machine. After a mad dash at the end to compensate for the fact that I spent most of the past week dressed as an inebriated pope, I can proudly say I acheived two of the three goals: I both ran 65 miles (I actually ran closer to 70), and I ran ten runs in under 8:59 per mile (most of them are now under 8:30, and the last few have been hovering around/below 8:00!!! holy jeezum crow!). I did NOT run 16 times in 4 weeks. I only got 14 in. That's okay though, since that is the goal I was least interested in, anyway. That's what I tell myself.
Within those four weeks,I managed my first 20 mile week and my first ten mile run. Now that I've established my pre-prescribed 8 week base, I'm on the hunt for a half marathon to run in about six weeks. Training should begin on Monday. Or whenever my new liver arrives.

Bay to Breakers Costume

I found mine!!! Do you have yours?

Sixpack Chopra

Cold enuf for ya?

It is really depressing to read about all of the weather problems you are having in San Fran and other places of not so cold Climate. Yes, I have been runniing if you can call it that. My last update said the Short, Little Fat Fart wanted to be able to go a mile without walking in between by 2-5-07. Well, I made it to that point on 2-8 in place of 2-5. Surprisingly, it was easier than I was antisipating. The problem being, it got so cold that I did not repeat it until last night. Now the temps are in the 30's during the day, the training is back on. Increasing by 1/2 mile per week until I get to 5.5 miles per day by 4-12.

Now that all have had their laugh, on to the title. Below you will find an analogy of Wisconsin weather supplied by an old friend "Christy".

COLD IS A RELATIVE THING

60 above zero: Floridians turn on the heat.
People in Wisconsin plant gardens.

50 above zero: Californians shiver uncontrollably.
People in Madison sunbathe.

40 above zero: Italian & English cars won't start.
People in Wisconsin drive with the windows down.

32 above zero: Distilled water freezes.
The water in Superior gets thicker.

20 above zero: Floridians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves, wool hats.
People in Wisconsin throw on a flannel shirt.

15 above zero: New York landlords finally turn up the heat.
People in Wisconsin have the last cookout before it gets cold.

Zero: People in Miami all die.
Wisconsinites close the windows.

10 below zero: Californians fly away to Mexico.
People in Wisconsin get out their winter coats.

25 below zero: Hollywood disintegrates.
The Girl Scouts in Wisconsin are selling cookies door to door.

40 below zero: Washington DC runs out of hot air.
People in Wisconsin let the dogs sleep indoors.

100 below zero: Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
Wisconsinites get upset because they can't start the Mini-Van.

460 (-459.67 F below zero): ALL atomic motion stops (absolute zero, zero on the> Kelvin scale.) People in Wisconsin start saying: "Cold 'nuff fer ya?"

500 below zero: Hell freezes over.
Wisconsin public schools will open 2 hours late.

HELL Froze Over on 2-10-07. School was cancelled on Monday and started 2 hours late the next 2 days. Thus, the reason for not training during that time.

Week #3 And The Hits Just Keep On Comin'

Hey there healthy and recovering runners!

Yet another week has past and yet another 13 miles logged. As much as I H-A-T-E speedwork and tempo runs I am finding them to be really effective in reducing my time. I guess all those running experts actually know something after all - I just assumed you could reduce your time by increasing the amount of potato chips you ate (I still hold to that theory! and if I were mathematically inclined I would come up with a clever little equation for you... give me some time!)

Anywho, I am bound to slack on my training plan. I am just hoping to stave it off for at least another few months. When Sixpack recovers I will let him take over the heavy running for a week or two ;)

My stats:

Total Distance for the Week: 13
Total Time: 1:50:57 (brought my time down by 8:43 from the same distance last week - but I was kinda lame last week, so...)
Avg. Pace: 8:32
Observations/Overall Impressions: I am in a way better place than I was last year at this time (IAIAWBPTIWLYATT)

Keep on truckin' you guys! Only 3 months until B2B (aka CHEERFEST 2007 - Cheese + Beer = Cheer)!!!!!

Is anyone running?

I'm writing from a sunny and warm, but decidedly unexercised San Francisco. I'm sure Nick is sick of hearing me whine about being injured. So, I have decided to stop that. Yes, I'm still injured, but I'm learning to live with it while I wait for recovery. In the meantime Dayton is kicking my ass in the 300 mile challenge. Almost half way finished he is over 100 miles in front of me. I will get out there soon and then the race is on.
I have, in the absence of running, begun swimming at Hearst Pool. A beautiful place, but boy am I out of shape. It was all I could do to stay in the water for 15 minutes. Granted that's 15 minutes of swimtime, but still. I felt like such a wuss. I'll be back next week to go for a full 20. The problem, of course, is not the legs, but my pathetically weak arms. Forrest can attest to the fact that I've always been a bit of a weakling. So, I now struggle to strengthen part of my body that has been neglected by running. The upside? I don't look so bad in a swimsuit. And this also means I will finally be doing the cross training I should have been doing for years now.
Is everyone else out there running? How are things going? Any news from the "Biggest Loser" front? Who's winning? Help me out here people. If you don't post I feel like none of us are running, and I'm not ready to deal with that. That race and beer fest are coming up soon. Speaking of which, if you haven't seen Beerfest yet, you owe it to yourself. This is one of the funniest intentionally stupid films I have seen, since well, Airplane! It's hysterical. My favorite line? This beer is so good, "I wish we could freeze it and ice skate on it, and then in the spring we could melt it and drink it!" I'm warning you it is really really stupid, but I cracked up as I watched it twice.

Long Time, No Post

So, I got hit by a bike last night.

I was crossing a street that isn't usually very busy, but at this time had sixty smart cars careening around in every direction. I needed a bit more awareness than usual, but I ultimately crossed the road without any problems. Of course, the result of such an easier-than-anticipated street navigation was that as soon as I hit the opposite sidewalk, I simply stopped paying attention. This is pretty dangerous since, as you know, in Germany the sidewalk isn't just for side-walkers. As soon as I stretched myself forward in a sinewy lunge towards athletic greatness, I got plowed into like the frog in Frogger. It didn't hurt, really. I mostly remember a series of slow snaphots in which a big headed coed was coming from my right, then she was suddenly near me, then she was more or less on top of me. This was all accompanied by our harmonious screaming in really loud German. I sort of had to hold onto her to keep her from flying off the bike, and she yelled at me for running in the dark with headphones on. Because apparently I'm more visible without them. And I see better as well.

Anyway, as I IM'd with the Pavement Pounder about this last night, it occcured to me that as I was helping this girl back into an upright/riding position, I was actually holding onto her pretty tight (hell, bodies in motion, inertia, startled suddennes...it was physics! Physics, I say!). Sooooo, now my face is probably plastered on some German Hollaback blog as the American pervert who runs around campus, trying to get female students to run over him...

So I got that going for me.

AH, other than that, I finally calibrated my Nike+iPod. I don't know how it went, because A) I cut my run short after said incident, and B) said incident "altered my stride" for a bit. I'm going to go out again today after it stops raining and test it then. I have to. Chantelle gets in today and Cologne shuts down for the next few days because of Karneval. Once again, I'll be putting the drunk back into drunk runners...
BUT, it's okay if I slack a bit. BECAUSE:

1) Last week was my first 20 mile week since the marathon. It went well. 20 miles is a long ways apparently, because it wore my ass out. But the weather was mostly fantastic, and the legs held up well. The only drawback is that over the course of the last four days I ate every cookie, croissant, and piece of cake within a fifteen mile radius of our house, justifying it by saying "Fuck. I ran 20 miles this week. I can eat anything." As a result, I burned almost 3000 extra calories from exercise,and probably still put on 2 pounds.

2) I crowned the big week with a big run. Sunday I managed 10.3 miles, when it looked for a little bit like I wouldn't get 2. It was raining, it was cold, and I pretty much was ready to pack it in and save it for Monday, when the weather improved a little. I decided to shoot for 6 miles, but everything kept getting better; There were blue skies, a hint of something that was almost warmth, and my legs started to untie themselves from the crazy tight knots that kept them from moving in the first two miles. I just kept going, and going, and going, and then I stopped. Um, because I was home. I was pleased. Very pleased. Pleased and broken.

Crappity-Crap-Crap-Crap

Two words: STUPID DOWNPOUR!

This is me after 2 miles in torrential rain (which, might I add, occurred suddenly!) Um, did I mention that shorts tend to really ride up when they are wet and see-through? Not a pretty sight, I am sure!

If I hadn't been running with my ipod, I am pretty sure I would have finished the 5 miles. Oh well, I'll dry out and hit the treadmill later today to finish up the distance.

Last Weeks Stats:
Distance 13 (after today's run)
Time: 1:58:00
Observation: Wear dark colors when there is a chance of rain (WDCWTIACOR)

Of Plica and Influenza

Wow! What a week! It's been nothing if not exciting. Or has it really been just nothing? For the first time in years Steve and I spent the week at home together. Yep, we left the house last night for the first time in a week. No better bonding experience than an influenza quarantine! And why did we leave the house last night? Two words: Jennifer Holliday! We were invited by Steve's PR guy to a dinner for Equality California held at City Hall. It was gorgeous. We were straight up glitterati. If you don't know who Jennifer Holliday here's the short story: She was the original Effie in Dreamgirls on Broadway and brought down the house with the song, "And I'm Telling You....". If you've ever seen me karaoke, you've seen me do this song! We drug our asses out of bed and went to dinner so we could see her sing her torchsong from the steps of city hall. It was fabulous!!!!

In addition to the flu, which included 12 hours of sleep a night and more than one 4 hour nap, the doctor also told me last week that my plica is irritated! Check out Plica Syndrome. He also described it as Patello-femoral syndrome, or something of the like. Basically this means I'm not in as much pain, but it's back to PT. Mel is going to be so happy to see me. I'm sure.

This all means that I have done nothing this week but sit on my ass and whine about how much it sucks to be sick. No running and hardly even any walking. We'll see how next week goes. Of course, the rest should have been good for the Plica Syndrome. It's hard to stress your knee when the furthest distance walked in a day is 30 feet to the sofa. But I'm not complaining. Sometimes it's nice to just be really friggin lazy. And that was me!!!!

Weeks Stats:

Miles: 0
Overall Impression: I Hate Being Sick More Than I Hate Eating Carrots (IHBSMTIHEC)

Behold the power of cheese

I just wanted to write and tell all off you cheddar lovers the news. I found a website that you can watch cheddar cheese age. I have to warn you to only view in small doses, the excitement may overload your senses. I'm hoping that with a great website like this that it will make training for B to B that much easier so you can enjoy more cheddar cheese! Remember don't over do it. OK the moment you've all been waiting for........ www.cheddarvision.tv .

B2B Registration Reminders

Hey all,
Just a few reminders for registration:
If you are looking for the prime position right behind the seeded runners you will need to register for and raise money for LLS. The link is readily visible on the registration. This is quite simple to do and highly recommended. With a few letters to friends, you should be able to raise the bare minimum of $200 for the prime placement. In the past two years we have raised about $2000 each year (that's $1000 per person).
If you do not raise funds, you will be back in the back with the other 50,000 people. Not a bad place to be. Lots of tortilla throwing and beach balls. It's quite a party.

get your shot glasses polished, kids...

it's time to register for the 2007 bay to breakers!

http://www.ingbaytobreakers.com/registration/rwp.html

come one, come all drunk runners... it's time for our pilgrimage to mecca.

A Dull Week

This was not the best week of running I have had. I'm stilling whining with a little bit of knee pain, for which I will see a DR on Wednesday. You may already know that I'm a bit of a hypochondriac. If the machinery isn't 100% I call a doctor. So, I'll see what he says and take it from there. I'm already feeling pretty well rested.
I've started training with the gang here again. It's so far Emily, Mike, Jenn and I. i'm hoping Kooiker joins us soon. Emily can't be there for the 9 a.m. run, but can do an 8 a.m. run on Sunday. So, I did the gentlemanly thing and ran with her at 8 and then ran again at 9. Right now, it's not the big deal it might seem to be. It was a nice 2 mile run at 8 and a 3.5 mile run at 9. All in all a good distance, and one that made me feel great about being in shape enough that that wasn't all that big of a deal.
The down side of the week is that that was the only run. I'm going to try to head out for a run on Wednesday, maybe 5 miles. I'm wanting to recover from the race and get moving forward again. The hardest part is convincing yourself that not running can occasionally be the best thing for you.

The stats:
Miles: 5.5
Time: 47:52
Overall Impression: The Ohlone Greenway Is Only Relaxing Once A Day (TOGIO ROAD -- Is that near Hayes Street?)

One Week Down, The Rest Of My Life To Go

Hey Kids-

Just thought I would check-in and let you know how the first week of my B2B training went.

Kuddos, by the by, to everyone who is putting in the time and the miles!!!

I anticipated certain challenges to this years B2B training, but have been surprised (granted, it is only just the end of week 1) by what those challenges have been. I was almost positive that I was going to struggle on my first tempo run, but I am pleased to report that I came in under the training pace for all of the miles. The second challenge I anticipated, and correctly, was slowing down my long run to the training pace. I didn't succeed in doing that this week, but will work on it. Oddly, this really shouldn't be a "problem" per se, except that I have to make sure that I don't injure myself and that I save enough steam each week for the tempo/speed work. Anywho, I am super pleased with Week 1 and hope I don't crap out anytime soon.

Inspired by Forest writing about the progress he has made over the last few months, I started thinking about my own - I hadn't really realized it, but I have lost between 12-16 lbs. (my scale could be lying slightly - I am never sure, since it is one of those old turn the dial to zero ones) in the last year since I made the conscious decision to run regularly. Sweeeeet! That means I can eat even more tasty, super aged, delicious WISCONSIN CHEDDAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This week:

Distance: 13.4
Time: 1:58:38
Avg. Pace: 8:51
Observations: If you can run and spit hard enough that it doesn't fly back and hit you then you can run another 3 miles! (FYCRASHETIDFBAHYTYCRA3M!)

No frostbite

Hey folks, Sandi and I made it thru, at the start of the race the windchill was 70 minus 98 and it really felt it for about a three quarters of a mile when we were running on top of the levy along the Partially frozen Mississippi. I gotta say though it was beautiful With the big paddle wheel river boat and the Eagles soaring in the background.
Before the race we both layered up and found that when all was said and done, that we had actually over dressed, but that is a hell of a lot better than being under dressed. I saw one man that was wearing just shorts and a t-shirt, I thought he was out of his mind. Turns out he didn't plan on being out long enough to get frostbite. He finished the 4 miles in 20 min. and some change. He was amazing and modest at the same time.
Sandi plowed right thru and finished, I'll let her post her own story. We met to leave for the race at a friend of of Sandi's, her name is Monica, she is a life long runner and a very interesting person to party with, I'm telling you she is drunk runner material. Upon arriving at Monica's at 9:00 A.M. she pulled out the pot of coffee and poured us all a cup but left plenty of room for BAILEY'S which she pulled out next. I had two shots in my first cup of coffee when I went for a second cup the coffee only covered the bottom of the cup. Well wanting a second cup I filled it with Baileys, yes Deetchie, Equivalence of five shots for a four mile race, The best part and I attribute this to the five shots I ran my best time ever. So I have decided that I as well will do study of miles to consumption of alcohol and how it improves your time. I'm truly excited to do this study. Sixpack, Pavement Pounder, I thank you for your thoughts and blessings I attribute part of my success to you.

Distance 4 miles

Time 35 min. 15 sec.

Pace 8 min. 49 sec.

Long way to go!!

Brother Forrest already notified all that we made it through without frostbite. I have learned 3 things from this race. I need better gear so I don't feel like the jet-puff marshmallow man when I'm out in frigid weather trying to get my walk on, I can sweat in sub-zero temperatures, and I have a lot of work to do in order to run the Bay to Breakers. This has turned into my true point of conviction. I have continued to drop weight, but I'm struggling with the smoking. My back went out a couple of weeks ago and I ended up not running at all prior to this race, so this was a walker for me. I don't know that I will be running until the weather clears here. It's miserable training out in this crap!! Forrest has informed me of 2 other races in the near future, which will give me goal dates and building blocks for B to B. For now, it's just me, my diet and Turbo Jam (a desperate Midwest attempt at avoiding frostbite).

I was truly amazed yesterday to see Forrest so far ahead of my friend that has been running her entire life!! He was amazing out there, especially since he was fighting some pretty severe elements. My only complaint about this race and the party afterwards: when I'm with my brothers, someone (in this case several people yesterday) think that we are married!! We wore the most amazing hats and since they matched, everyone's assumption was husband and wife!! I may be jaded, but I don't see many couples out there just kicking back and having a good time or bickering in public like I do with them!! Where does the confusion come in? Thank you, Forrest, for letting me do what I could do and not expect more. It was an awesome day spent with you!! You need to be overly proud of your time, cause I am!!

Looking for sympathy

Well folks, Sandi has fallen off the deep end. She called me a few weeks ago and asked if I wanted to do a run with her in Clinton IA. Of course being her FAVORITE BROTHER I said yes. Well it's this weekend, For casted high 70 minus66, windchill 70 minus 87. I bought a heater to for my pants to keep my pipes from freezing I hope that's enough. If I'm forced to I may have to do a few shots to get some antifreeze in the old system before the run. We have the same prediction for Sunday when I'm supposed to do my 8 mile run, Sixpack Chopra please send me the will and the strength to endure all this and let me come through with no or at least very little frostbite.
My report for this week, I've lost a total of 63lbs in 10 months, with the help of diet and exercise. Two months ago I stopped drinking caffeine and last Thursday I quit chewing. The only thing I have left is "The cause of and solution to all of life's problems, ALCOHOL". So in true Drunk Runners fashion, I have vowed to wash down the dust of each race with a beer, what this means is I'm done giving up things in my life, I'm just going to cruise for a while.
Please pray to Sixpack for Sandi and Forest, pray for warmth and speed to get done quicker.

Run 7 miles

Time 77 min 5sec

Pace 11min 1sec

More about Nike +

Don and I have alluded to the Nike + in the past, while giving snippets of information about the hardware and its basic interface on the iPod. I went ahead and took some screen captures on my iBook so that everyone could see the website, which is really the more dynamic/fun aspect of Nike (+). You may click on the pictures for larger images.

The first shot is exactly what you would see after uploading a run. Its extremely simple. Once you plug the iPod nano into the computer, a prompt asks you if you want to visit the Nike website. All data is automatically uploaded for you, and usually within miliseconds. Sometimes it takes whole seconds:




The graph loosely corresponds with your speed over distance. You can see where you are slowing down, where you are speeding up, and your mile average at each mile marker. Usually, if you have run a distance multiple times, then a second graph appears titled "My Best Run". This allows you to compare your most recent run to your best (fastest) run.

Each run is cataloged and can be acccessed or viewed against other runs in month, week, or day formats. If you slide the cursor over each bar, then the information for that group of runs pops up. It will tell you how far you ran, what your overall time was, your average speed, as well as the calories you burned. Nifty, nifty:



There are three tabs on the right side of each personal page. The first links to your runs, and the second links to your goals. There are three different types off goals you can set: Distance, Speed, and Frequency. Each goal is represented by a bar that shows your progress, while simultanesouly displaying where you should be in relation to whatever goal you set. If you want to run 10 times in four weeks, it will let you know that you're behind a run. I cannot stress how much I have enjoyed this function in keeping me focused on where I want to be over the course of a month:



Finally, since we are all competitive types at heart, the third tab links to a challenge forum. This lets you search through the ether to find whoever is running and challenge them to a variety of races. Don immediately took up the opportunity and set up a race to 300 miles. Because 250 was just too short ;). My favorable positioning right now is mostly attributable to the fact he didn't bring his chip to the marathon:



If personal goals don't convince you to run, or you're just ridiculously competitive like a lot of us, then this function alone is a blast. I'm challenging Don to a trans-atlantic 5K as we speak. Should be interesting.

I'll post about my runs later this weekend (Frankfurt actually was amazing, and I didn't see a single barge), but wanted to take this opportunity to show everyone a little bit more of what Donno and I are going on about. I realize these things (Nike Plus kit) are not cheap if you don't already have a nano, but they do kick a certain amount of ass, if you're into ass kicking.

16 Weeks to Bay To Breakers!!!

Today was 16 weeks from the Bay to Breakers. It's time to plug in your present times to get a training schedule at Runner's World (sorry I'm too lazy to program it here, check the link to the left.) Be honest with yourself and see what it gives you. 16 weeks is plenty of time to get ready.

Oh, and if you needed incentive..... There will be a beer bash at Casa de Twin Peaks after the race!!!!

hit a snag- help!

hey there drunkies... i need some thoughts/advice.

the last two weeks i have been thrown off my running track (so to speak) by unforeseeable/uncontrollable circumstances and i am not sure how best to proceed from here.

two weeks ago, it SNOWED here in the city. it has not snowed (meaning inches of snow that stuck on the ground for days) in the city for at least five years so, needless to say, the city came to a stand-still for the three days it took people to get even a little bit of the snow cleared. this also means that people don't have snow shovels, or if they do they only shovel the walk right in front of their own house/store/building. therefore, i had three days that i was not able to run. i got two runs in towards the end of the week and did okay- kept my pace, didn't have trouble completing the runs, etc.

well, then the week after that (last week) i got sick. i had a lingering sore throat and fatigue that kept me from doing anything other than the most essential work. i missed another two runs, only getting in one run last week once i felt better. i went on that run and found that i barely stayed on pace and couldn't do the entire run without breaking with a small bout of walking (and that was my short 2 mile run- nothing major here, folks).

and then i woke up yesterday morning with a weird pain in my foot. our cat (the one that Sixpack just loves) had slept on my legs for a while in the night, pinning my legs down in a strange position. not only was i still feeling worn-down from being sick, but also my foot had this new pain (it is a sore-muscle-cramp kind of pain in the top of my foot, kind-of in between my pinkie toe and next toe in). it only got worse after going on a walk so, yet again i didn't run. i took it easy the rest of the night and iced it while watching a movie. it still hurts this morning... :-(

my two questions: what the fork is going on with my body? (i guess that's more of a rhetorical question) and what do i do about getting back on track/ how much have i screwed up my momentum (i just started this training earlier this month)?

thanks much for any advice/thoughts/liquor you can offer to ease my suffering/worries. cheers!

p.s. i should note that i don't have health insurance (still) and so going to the doctor is out of the question. blarg.

7 Miles

I don't have too too much to report, since I've dialed things back a little because my cold has moved south into my chest. There are a few things to report though:

I finished 7 miles today for the first time since the marathon. It was pretty relaxed. I never pushed it, and finished with a 9:15 average. I was pleased, but coughed up some really interesting things afterwards. I'm now considerably lighter without all of that lung weighing me down.

Tessa's running is getting better. We decided to have a little race about a week ago. She would run 2 miles and I would run 3- the first one home wins. She beat me (about 22:35 to 24:30)! I really didn't have much of a chance since I set off on a blistering pace that melted the hair off my ankles and couldn't sustain it- BUT Tessa had to up her pace as well. I would have taken her if she had run the same speed of her previous two runs. I'm proud of her progress, and all it took was me chasing her for her to get faster...kinda like all my elementary school crushes.

I'll be running in Frankfurt this week, since I'll be researching at archives there. I'll let everyone know what its like to run along yet another German river (ooh, look! A barge!).

Post-Race Run

Went out today with Jenn and Mike from the German Department. It was the first meeting of what will soon be Drunkrunners Berkeley. We headed out to do a 2 mile run and decided at the one mile marker that none of us had run far enough. So, we stretched it out to 3 miles, and I have to say it was a nice run. It was relaxing and invigorating to get back on the road. All info I have read has recommended a few weeks off after a Marathon, and absolutely no running during the first 7 days after race. Today being day 7, I thought it was time.
We did well, without pushing ourselves. total run time was 26 and some change. Not bad. My knee is still nagging a little bit. I'm going to go see the doctor this week, just in case I need to visit my new best friend Mel -- My PT that got me back on track -- and do some more therapy. I'll see what they have to say.
I'm thinking the next marathon will be the San Francisco Marathon. Before then the Bay to Breakers and a couple of 10Ks. There's another Angel Island race coming up that I think I'm going to do. That one was a lot of fun.

Week in Review:

Miles: 3

Time: 26:50

Average: 8:51

Overall Impression: Thank God I'm Not Needing A Knee Brace After That Race (TGINNAKBATR)

This is for P.P.

I took a week off this last week, lower back pain and when I would run the top of my left foot would kill me before the end of my runs.After a month of going to the chiropracter and getting no results, I finally went to my Dr. and he looked me over said I have a bad disc. I said I've already taken a week off of running and can't take anymore off. He said keep up with your goal, don't stop, here is a note to the P.T. She as well told me not to stop running, She said I have a bulging disc, but the back pain and and the pain in my foot was from the fact that my left hip is a lot weeker than my right. So when my left leg gets fatigued the pain increases and shoots down to my foot. Do these stretch's and these strength excrercises and stick with the running, just listen to the pain as to how far you run. So the moral to this story, not all doctors think running is evil.

Last run: 6miles

Time:66min. 12sec.

Pace: 11min. 2sec.

The Risks of a Marathon (according to 'Grey's Anatomy')

Hear ye, hear ye. Listen up and take note all you marathon trainers and tv addicts. If, like me, you believe EVERYTHING you see on CSI, ER, and Grey's Anatomy,then you will understand my shock and horror at last night's episode. A young man arrives in the hospital after having collapsed and passed out after 12 miles of the Seattle marathon. He hurts his knee. Everything seems kosher. No biggy.

BUT THEN! [GASP]

His legs start to swell at an alarming rate and they CUT HIS LEGS OPEN WHILE HE IS STILL AWAKE in order to relieve the pressure.

[GASP and GAG!].

Anywho, let this be a lesson to all of us, fake tv doctors warn us that taking aspirin the morning of a race can KILL YOU DEAD! ;)

This is our poor, fellow runner.

Luckily, he survives! Whew! What would I do without fake tv medicine?

In running news: I have been watching tv. ;) Once my job interviews are over (next week), I will be back pounding the pavement.

This Week:
Distance: 4 mi.
Time: 36.12
Overall Impression: Hate the Treadmill when it rains. Run faster outside. Grrrr! (HTTWIR.RFO.Grrrr!)

Welcome Mamaschu

A shout out to our newest member, Mamaschu! You may know of her as my twin sister Dawn. And yes, we look exactly alike!!!!!

Welcome Mamaschu!! We look forward to hearing how your training is going! Keep us posted and we'll keep you inspired!

Your spiritual leader,
Sixpack Chopra

Goals Goals Goals

I think it's great that Don kept the floor for a day. It's like removing your point guard right before game's end so that the crowd may give him, and only him, a standing ovation. He deserves it.
Right now I'm actually sick in bed. I have an odd cold that leaves me with just enough energy to crawl downstairs and watch bad television. Last night I did get up to eat a red curry duck but that was about it.

If you remember, about a month ago I configured three four-week goals with www.Nike.com/nikeplus (in addition to the race Don and I have to 300 miles.)

Basically, they looked like this:

Distance: 50 miles
Speed: 10 runs in under 9:30
Frequency: 15 total runs

I have, officially, reached all goals with over three days to spare. Of the three, the frequency goal fell the quickest because I was running two-a-days at least twice a week. Adding a quick two or three miler in the morning really adds up! The speed work fell quicker than I thought too. Two mile runs are inherently fast runs, and it didn't take long to get my rhythm back from the duldrums of pre- and post-marathon fatigue. I underestimated the freshness of my legs, and I'm feeling fast. The last one to go was the distance, but that's partially attributable to a few days in Vienna and another couple of days off this weekend when some friends from London arrived on our doorstep. I wanted to be over with it by Friday, but managed to sneak out the door after we dropped them off to push me over, with three days to spare.
SO, once the clock runs out on those goals (day after tomorrow, I think), I'm setting up a new four week challenge to keep my motivations up during this late arrival of winter:

Distance: 65 miles
Speed: 10 runs under 9:00
Frequency: 16 total runs

The speed looks like a bigger jump than it is. My first goal was set artifically high (which I didn't know at the time, but I subsequently exploited it for cheap ego boosts). I'm not altering the frequency goals much because I will be running less two-a-days once I feel like I have a better base. Other than that, the distance should be doable.
I realize my posts have been both dry and sparse since I started again. I need distance for creative motivation, and will start working on that soon:)

I would love to hear what goals everyone else has set for the next week, two weeks, or month! It would be great to look back on the posts after we all have acheived them:)

Congratulations again Donno! You did a fantastic job. Now get healthy, you've got an eager challenger for first to 300 miles:)

How to Run a Marathon

So, the day was more eventful and more interesting than I had expected. Let’s start at Saturday night. I was staying with my friend’s Kirsten and Antje in Pacific Beach (a part of San Diego) and we decided to go out to dinner at George’s a nice restaurant in La Jolla with a stunning view of the ocean. With dinner we enjoyed a bottle of Miner Family Rosato, mostly because I couldn’t believe they had it. It was stunning, and frankly the best part of the meal. After dinner we walked to the Hard Rock Café and enjoyed a beer before heading back to the apartment for what was expected to be a nice night’s sleep. WRONG! The neighbors were having a party. When they all left at 3 a.m. I finally fell asleep for more than 10 minutes in a row.
Up at 5:15 I made breakfast and got on the road. I made record time to Carlsbad and thought I was in the clear. One half hour later I entered the mall parking lot with 30 minutes to stretch, go to the bathroom and get to the starting line. I made it with a couple minutes to spare.
I had signed up the night before to be a member of the 4:15 pace group. The first 8 miles were a relative breeze. Our pacer was great and she kept us all on track, even through the hills. At mile 11 the trouble began. We had been away from the ocean for the past 6 miles and there was no breeze and no shade. It was excruciating. I will from here on out do the best I cannot to complain about San Francisco Fog. I noticed I was having troubles regulating temperature and that I had stopped sweating. Mind you I was drinking two or three cups of whatever I could get my hands on at each station. Just before the 12 mile marker I decided to take a walking break, and that was the last time I was still in hopes of catching my pace group. While trying to recuperate, I was passed by another gal that had fallen out of the pace group and she encouraged me to try to catch the PG with her. I gave it a shot, but had to stop and walk again a short time later. I simply had no energy left. No pain, just no energy. She went ahead and I called it a day. She rooted me on when we came face to face at the ½ way point turn around. I was sure I had seen the last of her. By the way, her name was Lauren.
At mile 15 or 16 I caught up to her and she was in a lot of pain. I ran with her for a bit and eventually decided that we were going to get through this together. I was drinking more and feeling a little better, but was still needing a lot of walking. Remember: NO FUCKING SHADE!!! I learned a lot about Lauren today. She went to the Air Force Academy in Colorado, did her undergrad at USC and is now stationed in Little Rock, AR with the AF and is awaiting being shipped to Irag in April. Why had she decided to run a marathon today? Because she wants to make sure she runs one before she dies, and felt it was a wise idea to do it before being shipped out. I was stunned, and frankly, this was when it became my mission to get her across that finish line. For the next 7 miles our only goal was to pass the 24 mile marker before noon. We converted at this point to a Jeff Galloway marathon. We’d run for a bit then we would walk ¼ to ½ of mile, then run a bit, rinse and repeat.
Because the police had to open the streets, anyone that didn’t make the 24 mile marker by noon would be turned away and not allowed to finish the race. It was thus imperative for her and to me, to reach the 24 by noon. Along the way we caught up to another 4:15 PG guy and helped encourage him to keep going. It was also his first marathon. We were able to keeping him going for another couple miles, but at 22.5 miles he fell behind and encouraged us to go ahead. We pushed on and hoped for the best for Pete.
After crossing the 24 we only had one more obstacle. I have a rule (those who know me well, know there are a lot of rules – no reading the fortune before finishing the fortune cookie, etc.) and that rule is that there is no walking after mile 25. None. Not until you’ve crossed the finish line. So we did it. We running along swimmingly until we hit the 26 mile marker. It was here that my left hamstring decided to cramp up. I thought I was going to have to walk. I stopped for a second and tried to stretch it. That didn’t work. I tried to run, but I was on the verge of cramping so bad I would fall down. I realized I couldn’t bend my left leg. So for about 50 yards I looked like I was playing with one of the those jump rope things you attach to your ankle and swing around it, while simultaneously jumping the rope with your other foot. I’m sure the spectators were impressed that I had run the whole race that way. Just give it a try. Go outside and run a few yards while not bending the left knee. It was quite amusing. I tried running again and it worked. We turned the corner into the mall parking lot and kicked it in. I had said several times that you were still doing good as long as you are passing someone. When we turned into the parking lot there was a guy walking that we could take. Yeah, I know it’s cruel, but we had to do it. The last 1/10th of a mile was an all out sprint. We crossed at 4:48 give or take. It was awesome!! Pete crossed the finish line about a minute behind us, so he managed to finish too. It was great!!
Interestingly my day had begun with a goal of shattering my personal record and turned into a day of supporting others. Honestly, I think the latter was the better option. I’ve got my whole life to beat that PR, Lauren may never have another chance to run marathon.
I’m feeling good now. Had a beer in the bar at the airport and will be boarding the plane soon. My knees are sore, but that’s nothing new. I don’t feel the hint of injury that I had in July. I’m guardedly excited that this might have been an injury free race.

Today’s Stats:
Distance: 26.2 miles
Time: 4:45:34
Average: 10:54 per mile
Overall Impression: Mother Theresa Move Over, Sixpack Chopra Is In Town! (MTMOSCIIT)

Do they know something we don't know?

I couldn't help but chuckle while checking in here that this is the ad that showed up on googleads:

ServSafe Alcohol (TM)
Alcohol safety training: classroom and online options.

We can engage in Online drinking now? That's amazing!!!!!

T minus 24hour

It's 24 hours and 34 minutes until the gun for the race tomorrow. I'm ready psyched and can't wait to get there. I actually didn't sleep well last night dreaming that I was going to miss my plane because I had read my watch wrong (those who know me, know I look at my watch at least 10 times an hour) and was going to miss the last boarding call. So, I will try to get some rest tonight. Although I'm not incredibly concerned as studies have shown that only extreme sleep deprivation has an impact on running times.
I'm going to sign up today to run with the 4:15 pace group and I'll give that a whirl. If for some reason I can't keep up I can always slow down and maybe meet up with the 4:30 pace group, but what I'm really hoping is that at mile 20 I'll find the 4:15 group too slow and I'll burst ahead in a ball of flames and scorch the finish line.
I'll be sure to post ASAP and let everyone know how I fared, in the meantime you can follow "unofficial" results at: www.carlsbadmarathon.com

This just in: "athletes consume more alcohol than non-athletes. Moderate to large intakes may promote weight loss due to its substitution for carbohydrate..." From Eating for Endurance. I think we are on to something here.

Peace

Everyone needs a "Good" Laugh so here I go

I am all the way up to 2 miles for the week. (running that is/more lke jogging)
Extending it by 4 Electric Poles every Monday.

At this pace, I will be up to 1 mile per day without walking by February 5.

Not bad for a Short, Fat Fart

Alcohol - "0"

Both are unbelievable, especially the latter.

The real test for me will probably be Saturday. Going "Ice Fishing" with my old buddy Tom and Son-In-Law Brad. There will be a couple of grills out there and multiple 30 Packs. Can I stay at "0"and will I still go out to exercise?

One More Good Reason to Run

More good news for your body! (My only question: does this counter the killing of brain cells by alcohol consumption?)

This report was on CBS News this evening: Boosting Brain Power May Be Steps Away...

Good Morning "ALL"

Please allow me to introduce myself. From here on I will be refering to myself as "30 Pack". Not a spin off of 6 pack, as he claims, just a slight comparison thereof. I am, just a "30 Pack", much shorter and much wider than the famous 6 Pack. And I might add, "much slower". I really got the name from my long time fishing buddy Tom Short who says "It ins't Beer unless it comes in a 30 Pack". Yes, we have been known to finish one or more off in one setting. Especially out Ice Fishing. You don't have to carry a cooler to keep the beer cold.

For the past couple of weeks I have been receiving a considerable amount of entertainment and inspiration from reading everyone's input and commentary. Up to now, I have simply had nothing to add. When I arrived home last evening all enthused to go out for my workout, as I pulled up in front of the garage the temperature indicator in the car read -6 F. At that point it became a test of my willpower. You see, I have not run for about 20 years and have a much longer way to go than the rest of you. I did go out. I made my now standard 1.6 miles. By the time I got back to the house my glasses were so frozen over I was running off of the driveway.

I read most of you refering to "Time". I can only refer to time at this point by measuring it with a Calander." It is getting better though. I got new shoes last weekend, which made a tremendous difference. I put the Steel Toe shoes back in the closet for the time being.

Finally, "Yes 6-Pack, you have been an INSPIRATION to the rest of your family, and it is because of you and Forest that the rest of us are working hard to join everyone who may read this at Bay to Breakers. And for that you shoud be proud."

Slow to start but feeling stronger

I can't wait til my postings are as impressive as others on this blog!! I appear to be related to the turtle at this point in training. I printed off the training schedule from Runners World which is 16 weeks, so I went ahead and allotted myself 2 weeks for bringing myself up to speed. I entered the slowest possible mile and the least amount of miles/week and it still seems impossible for my fat ass!! I have been focusing on increasing water intake, decreasing caloric intake, not smoking and just walking for now. I can walk 2 miles in 30 minutes and only jogged a 1/4 mile 2 times. I lost 4 pounds and am starting to feel better already. I bought new shoes and a cute running outfit, but haven't sported the outfit yet. Forced to take the day off today due to snow and few sidewalks in the neighborhood. Hoping weather improves this week. I have avoided alcohol mostly, but found a new wine shop on Riverside and had to check it out. I bought myself a new ale and enjoyed that immensely. I don't think I'll worry about increasing my alcohol intake at this point. I still need to think about the calories involved until I lose a little more and can at least run!! Besides.....they don't call me Sandi for nothing!! (Just kidding, I think most know I love to drink!!

my first week - an update

okay, o holy sixpack, here's my update from freezing cold PNW (and yes, i can complain about the cold now... it has been below 30degrees for about a week now, and it's killin' me).

i ran 9 miles last week.

yeah, i felt pretty good about it. each run felt progressively better/ easier and my time picked up significantly after each run. i really need new shoes soon, though. and ear buds. both suck significantly.

i drank an indeterminable amount of booze last week. during the week i possibly had one glass of wine per day (maybe some days no wine, other days two glasses)... but friday and especially saturday put me into the "indeterminable" range. friday night we went out (for the first time in AGES) and went to this great little club near us. DJ Aquaman was there (how could we NOT go see DJ Aquaman!?!), he was uber nerdy as he masterfully spun his funky beats, AND there were really awesome breakdancers there, tearing the floor up. i had 2 G&Ts before we left the house, and 1 beer at the club. saturday we had two friends over for dinner and, well, we drank most of the sauce we had in the house. luckily i drank water along they way, which made sunday not-so-bad in recuperation.

so, yeah, i drank just fine amounts. i probably could have imbibed less on saturday... definitely NOT more... but it was all good in the neighborhood.

Tscherman Tank

Since Don has been officially deified, it appears that we're evolving towards a "Jonestown for Runners". This begs the question: Are they going to start serving Kool-Aid at the marathon's drink stations? If so, would you drink it?

As I'm not training for anything now and still within my self-prescribed minimum four week base-building routine, I have a little time to experiment more with the beer/running combo.
I noticed that completely matching beers with miles is actually complicated because, inherently, it means you have to ask yourself to stop drinking at some point. This is all fine after one beer, maybe two. And definitely after twenty or so. But stopping after four beers? Come on, I'm just finding my groove! That's the sweet spot! Drinking is an art, and that's like asking a writer to intentionally subject himself to writers-block.
Anyway. I think this week my beer-to-run comparisons read thusly:

Mon/Tues- 2 Beers to 4 miles
Thu/Fri- 800 beers to 3 miles
Sat/Sun- 3 Beers to 6 miles

As you can see, there is some pretty wild variations, and Thursday was the result of a university reception for fellows/researchers in which they were serving (literally) kegs of beer. Nonetheless, I've found I can drink approximately half my distance and still come away unscathed. Of course, like I said, I'm not training for anything yet. For those of you running BtoB, I would double the beer and halve the miles. That hill is a bitch.

Seriously though, I have ten days left in my orignal recuperation plan. Then I officially go into hyper ass-kicking mode. Possibly. (Updates on that in ten days.)
Last week's Runs

Distance: 17 Miles
Avg. Time (min per mile): 8:46
Long Run: 6 Miles
Overall Impression: I Alternate Between Very Pleased and Very Nervous. (IABVPaVN)

All in all, the runs have been pretty good. I fatigue earlier and my lactate threshold is negligable, but I'm pleased with my early pace. When I add speed work to it in a few weeks, I think I should be in a better place than before the marathon. I'm still hesitant to add too many more miles yet, since I want to keep my legs intact and functioning...
Of course, this is all contigent upon whether my IT Band holds up. It gets tight, as it did earlier, but it never tightens like it did in October. It slowed me down during the second half of the six miler on Sunday, but I still finished with a negative split, so I'm not really complaining. I seriously have to stretch all day to make it work though. Non-stop. I'm stretching as I type this, and I'll be stretching when you read it.

PS: Tessa is now running two miles, twice a week. We'll have her on here in no time.

You want an Update? You can't handle an Update!

Just kidding.

I was a total invalid this week due to my foot and the lack-o-snake oil. However, I woke up Saturday morning without the usual "f*&#@ that hurts" as I put my foot on floor, so....

Update Reponses:
ZERO = big, fat ZILCH

SUCKY SUCKY SUCKY distance for me in the grand scheme of things. Didn't feel good about it but my foot certainly feels better.

I did much better on the drinking bit. I don't like to talk numbers, but lets just say Smirnoff isn't going out of business anytime soon.

This was an honorable amount, especially since I have been given the task to drink for myself, Smells, and Sixpack. Whew! This is a heavy burden to bear alone!!!

Tomorrow's plan is to put on my old running shoes (until I figure out what is wrong with the new ones) and try to run 3-4 miles. Keep your fingers crossed and your snake oil at the ready.

Jogi-jogi and Forest, I will be putting tunes in the mail to you this week (Sixpack has given me your addresses). I won't try to defend my workout music tastes (No comment out of you, Deetschei), so take what you like and leave the rest! :)

A Call for an Update

I suggest we start the week with a chime in on where we are all at. If you are a drunkrunner, please answer the following questions:

How many feet or miles did you run last week?

Was this a good distance for you? Did you feel good about it?

How much did you drink last week?

Was this a good amount for you? Do you think you could have drank more? (Afterall, I'm probably the only one that couldn't have drunk less.)

I'll start:

13 miles run

It was a great distance, kept me running while allowing some rest.

One glass of wine.

It's way more than the doctor wants, but it was a nice Burgundy. Couldn't pass up the chance.

My week of running

First let me say that this has been the busiest month long vacation I have ever had. It's just been nonstop. I still haven't accomplished all of what I wanted to get done, but I did get a good bit done, which is great. Next week classes start, so I have to get in gear for that. Although I only have one class and my exams. Seems simple right? But that's not running. That's me whining about my life, which I really have no right to do.
So here's running. I'm on taper so I was not expected to cover much ground this week, but with injuries I've been having troubles even with those. Injuries you say? Not serious ones, but I'm really starting to accept a certain amount of pain as the way things are.

Injury 1: Would you believe I may have broken a toe? I've been taping it to another toe for a week and it is doing well, but as soon as I forget to tape it, I have a bit of pain. If it's truly broken, this means 3 broken toes in my life. Only 7 left. Not bad.

Injury 2: Shin splints, still a problem, but stretching and a nice slow warm up run really helps. I'll be getting up very early the day of the marathon so I will have time for a jog around the mall before the race. Yes, the race starts at a mall. I love America!

Injury 3: Anyone remember the left knee pain I was whining about before the last marathon? Well, it seems to be back. I'll be making a PT appointment on Monday so that I'm already in the system if things go wrong next week, but I'm hoping with the rest, i.e. inactivity, of this week, it will work itself out. It doesn't hurt once I get running unless there's a hill. Going down hill is really not cool, but as I understand there aren't many hills in the San Diego course. Nothing like SF anyway.

So, with all that going on, I still managed to do 11 of the 16 miles I was supposed to do. I decided to not do today's 5 thinking the stress to my knee could worsen the pain, and be more detrimental than the missed run would be.

Overall impression:

Total miles: 11
Time: Not so easy to calculate without my excel spreadsheet, which I've not been good at keeping up now that I have the Nike+
Average mile: 9:46
Overall Impression: Sixpack, Please Help Me Keep It Together Long Enough To Cross The Finish Line (SPHMKITLETCTFL)
-- Does God pray to himself?

mwuuahahahaha

not to be outdone by Sixpack's marathon proselytizing to his family...

i have managed to intrigue my mother, who turns 50 later this year, that doing a marathon would be a great way to "celebrate" her momentous occasion too.

she is not sure yet whether she is going to try to run, or if she is going to walk, but i think i have gotten her interested enough that she'll at least train in order to come up in october to walk the portland marathon.

the thing that worries her the most about doing it? she'll have to eat breakfast every day (as of now, she gets through most days on only her coffee jump-start), as well as two other square meals.

o mighty Sixpack, we may have yet another drunk runner to join the stumbling ranks.... i'll keep you posted.

p.s. first week of running has gone well. i feel good and am inspired to make this happen.

Help being offered

Forest, first a few questions.

Are you running 5 miles everytime you go out?

Are you pushing yourself everytime you go out and run, or do you occasionally just go for a jog?

Some advice:
You should be making sure there is one long run of the week. If 5 miles is it, then great. During this run, your only goal right now, should be to finish it. Trust me, when I run 20 miles, I check my pace at the end, not during it. The key is to put the miles on, not to win the race on your long run. If it's a little slower, don't worry too much.

Make sure you are continuing to eat your carbs and good stuff. Rest two days a week. And mostly, don't worry about your time if you are able to do the distance.

Any other suggestions folks?

I need help

At least more than what a therapist can do. My times are continually going up higher instead of lower. I think a new play list with no memories attached may help, but I need some advice on what to do other than that. My pace on new years day was 9min 38sec for a 5 mile run. since then my time has just gotten worse with last nights 5 mile run being the absolute all time low of 10min 48sec pace. Any pointers on how to get out of this downward spiral? I don't want it to drag me down! I have a long way to go to run a marathon and my will power is dropping because of my times. PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!

40 Must be a Time for Drastic Change!

I would like to thank everyone for the warm welcome into the Drunk Runners. I jokingly said 6 months ago (or a little more) that I should quit smoking and try to start running in order to join my brothers in the Bay to Breakers in May '07. Now, I've really committed myself to it. On Jan 2, 07 at 3 pm I vowed to be a non-smoker. Although that in itself seems to be a battle. I'm finding that living without smoking isn't so bad. My experience says all habits must be replaced, not quit. So now I'm walking soon to be running to save my life instead of smoking it away. I'm totally pumped since the whole family is going to be involved. Hopefully, all have committed and will look forward to this, too. I decided that if my Mom and Dad were going to do it, then I had to. I hope that this all leads to an even better life, at least a better way of life. I've always been the one sitting in the stands wishing that was me, but now it's going to be me. No more idleness and watching everyone else. I'm seeking the freedom of perseverance and sweat!! I'll be looking here often for nudges, pushes and shoves in the right direction. I'm disappointed in myself for letting all the hard work go to waste that I put in a few years ago. Starting this training would not have seemed like so much work, but I can't look back now. Just focus on the Bay to Breakers: running with my Dad and spending an amazing time with my family in an amazing city!! That in itself is enough to motivate me for now! Starting from scratch and praying for strength!! Sandi

Trust Me, I'm NOT a Doctor!

I have several theories as to why the health care system in the U.S. lags behind that of our brilliant European counterparts. Case in point: $30 copay, an hour and twenty-five minutes waiting to see the doctor, and 10 minutes actually spent with the doctor, I was no better off than before I entered his office. (The total cost of my visit was actually $175!!!)

These are some of the "gems" of wisdom that one apparently gathers after years of arduous medical study and practice:
"Take 2 Advil or Aleve twice a day."
"It should feel better in a few weeks."
"Stop running."
"Buy good shoes."

Um, DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why do doctors feel the need to "hate" on running - don't get me wrong. I loved to get fired up about a good "hatin'" but this seemed wrong. Where are the kudos for getting out and exercising? (Oh wait, here's another gem: "You aren't exercising. You are training!!! Olympic athletes have trainers. Do YOU have a trainer?") I can't believe how bad I was made to feel when I revealed that I wanted to run a half-marathon and a marathon this year. His jaw practically unhinged when I divulged that I run on asphalt. I had to bite my tongue to keep from asking him if he was planning on writing me a prescription to sit on my fat, lazy ass in front of the tv while stuffing my face with deep-fried chimichangas and hunks of extra sharp WISCONSIN cheddar. (That does actually sound really deliciously naughty!)

Anywho, the long of the short is that Sixpack has an amazingly wonderful miracle docotor, who actually listens to his problems and sends him to P.T., while not making him feel like an "evil-doer" for running. If the "2 Aleve a day" and the "stop running" doesn't help, I am going to see a sports doctor. NOT RUNNING IS NOT AN OPTION.

I should have asked for some snake oil before I left the doctor's office. Blast!

Welcome 4 more!

As your spiritual leader, I have been busy of late with evangelism. With the help of brother Forrest, we have added 4 new DrunkRunners in the past week. Yes, it is true. My entire family are now followers of the DrunkRunner way (although not all drink). They are yet to establish nicknames, but I'd like to introduce to you, Sandy Patti (sister Chris), Emo (father Emery), Rosie (mother Rosealee), and Mouse (twin sister Dawn).
All of our new inductees are working hard to lose weight and make their way to the top of the Hayes Street Hill!!!! And they will do it. Word is they have established a competition for the "Biggest Loser" in the Backman clan. Hopefully they will share the results as the competition continues. Emo and Sandy are really hoping to run the race. so, lets all give them a DrunkRunner Welcome as they log on register with their various new nicknames!!!!

In other news, I'M IN TAPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't tell you how happy I was to only run 3 miles yesterday. It was a glorious feeling. Tomorrow it's 5 miles, but nowhere near the ordeal of two weeks ago with 39 miles in a week. Of course, I'd better get used to the idea if I'm going to make it to Boston. Don't forget. That's the goal! I won't report on the run, but will share that I am very confident that things will go well in San Diego. I'm hoping to break 4:15, which would mean I still need to chop off an hour before Boston, but it can be done.

Nothing else here.

BRRRR!!

Hey kids, just thought I'd let you know winter has finally hit Wisconsin. 70 minus 40 for highs and the night time lows are forcasted to be at70 minus 70. That means it will be a little chilly for me as I run in the late evening or early mornings, so the snot moustache will be in full force. I'll try to get some pictures posted so you can all laugh and relish in the weather you are having. Wish me luck on my cold weather training I'm going to need it. Do they make a pair of Nike thermal pack running boots.

can't get you outta my head

yeah, i just can't get you outta my head.

damn you, kylie.

i officially started running again today. it has been two years since i trained regularly... and a year since i ran at all... and so to get myself pumped up and out the door, i put together a rockin' playlist for my ipod shuffle.

it got me thinking about how important music can be for training... a particularly rockin' song can pull you out of a funk, can keep you from hitting a wall (hopefully just in the figurative sense- if you are literally hitting walls when running, perhaps you are taking your duty of drinking for Sixpack a little too seriously and you have more problems than a kick-ass song can cure). i am working to get together a collection of truly inspiring songs in my "run, forest, run" playlist (that's a little nod to you, forest f. gump).

i read an interesting tidbit today about listening to music while running, and there is a whole website devoted to music for running... and it seems that in order for a song to be good for running, it needs to have over 80 beats-per-minute (BPM). you can even calculate your own pace and fine songs that match your running pace, if you are so inclined.

anyway, for me, just something upbeat works well (though, when i am deciding whether i want a song or not, i imagine my cadence while listening to the song to see if it matches, so i guess i kinda do that in my mind already).

so far i have just over 2 hours, but would like to double that. i would like to propose a music trade. i am offering to send a CD with my playlist (thus far) out to any of you... and am hoping that some of you could return the favor (note: i am happy to send a CD to any of you regardless of whether you send one to me). my playlist ranges from johnny cash to kylie minogue, ol' dirty bastard to tori amos... never a dull moment.

my first run of 2007...

distance: 2
time: i'll keep that to myself for now... but i am feeling just right after the run- i feel like i pushed myself, but i won't be crippled tomorrow.

Drinking for Three, Running for One

In lieu of Don's condition I, too, have decided to offer up my liver. I was probably drinking enough for him before anyways.

Onto last weeks runs. I set the new goal of putting in 20 miles a week. I am not currently training for anything, so the times are really just a pride thing. This week I managed to log 16.3, but couldn't finish the last 4 due to a foot injury. Dayton suggested it might be related to a pronation problem. Having surfed the web, I am inclined to say it is a result of supination (under pronation) resulting from placing more pressure on the outside of my foot when I run. Grrrr! I hope it is not due to the new "kicks," but I am hard-pressed to identify any other cause. I can walk on the ball of my foot just fine, but when I put pressure on the rest of my foot, I get a shooting pain up my ankle and into my heel. Alack, alas. I ran three days, ending with a 7 mi. run with a good average time of 8:53 for that run.

Distance: 16.3
Time: 2:25:07
Average Time/Mi: 8:54
Overall Impression: Still hanging in there but really wish my foot didn't hurt (SHITBRWMFDH)

Oh, for those who are not in possession of the the Nike+ipod and have very poor math skills like myself, here is an EXCELLENT pace calculator.

Return to your Roots

See, this page was once nearly called 5 Drunk Kenyans in honor of Julie's rather convincing argument that the key to Kenyan dominance in marathoning is directly attributable to the amount of vodka they drink the night before. It was a pretty simple equation: As the Vodka increases, times decrease.
Ultimately our lawyers weren't having it, for PC reasons beyond my comprehension, and we were thusly dubbed DrunkRunners.
Out of concern of cosmic imbalance set about by Don's recovery, I decided (subconsciously and intuitively, apparently) to up my own alcohol intake to test a modification to Julie's theory. I'm recursively naming it the "Beer a Mile" hypothesis, and it simply states: "For Every Mile You Run on Sunday, You Must Drink A Corresponding Amount on Saturday. This will make you fast. And stuff."
I tested this inadvertently by drinking five imperial pints (2.5 liters) during a disastorous FA Cup Match on Saturday Night, deciding not to eat dinner, and subsequently rationalizing all the behavior as "Science".

LONG STORY SHORT: I took it easy, didn't overexert anything, and still managed my five miles with an 8:44 avg. Imagine my pleasure! (The hypothesis seems to have been proved, but I hesitate to add it may only be safe for shorter distances.)

Anyway, for those of you keeping score, last wek was my first week back from the infirmary (excluding two days of running to end 2006), and it didn't begin until Wednesday. I still managed 12 miles through Sunday, and the IT Band is holding up alright. My fastest 2 miles were at an 8:22 avgerage, and my fastest mile was an 8:05...Let's keep our fingers crossed that I can meet all of my monthly goals on the ol' Nike+ and then start training for that Halfie. (Speaking of Nike+, I need to calibrate mine. I'm pretty positive it's calibrated for 10 minute miles somehow, and any time you run different than that, it affects the distances. I've gotten 3 different readings for one 2 mile stretch in the past two weeks. Granted, they are all within .1 mile of each other, but I think it's time for calibration anyway.)

No more drinking?

Folks, I've kept this a little quiet over the past week for good reason. I went to the doctor at the end of December complaining of a sore throat. Mind you, a sore throat that had bothered me since November. She said I was to take Prilosec, stop drinking and give up caffeine. Now, you all know me well and know that there are three things I can't imagine living without. One being oxygen, the other two being coffee and beer (not necessarily in that order). So, I've been put on the diet from hell.
I didn't say anything, as there are certain things one must do on vacation. Drinking is one of them. I offer these pictures as proof.

These pictures are from a German Restaurant on 3rd Ave. - Rolf's - in Manhattan. We stopped because of the Matterhorn painting on the side of the building, and walked in to find the Liberace Christmas Collection hanging from the ceiling. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the gayest not gay bar in the whole world. I'm pretty sure that I can say that with reasonable assurance. What you are getting here is just a sampling. These are the just the decorations in front of and behind me, as well as those behind Steve. There is still another half of the bar and the dining room covered in decorations.





With all due respect to my brethren, I didn't know something like this was possible. There's a bar here in SF, Marlena's, that everyone raves the christmas decorations of. It's a pathetic Kmart Blue Light Special display compared to Rolf's. It was simply amazing, and well worth the damage I may have caused to my intestines while enjoying a few beers here. However, the doc says these need to be the last beers for awhile.
It is with this that I announce my intention to abstain, for the most part, for the next month. I have the marathon in a couple weeks and then I will have a few weeks after that to recover before beginning the next training. I'm hoping that after a month things will clear up and I will be able to begin abusing my body again. At the moment I can't decide if it is the caffeine or the beer that I miss most. It's a toss up. But, when you bring in Rolf's the answer would absolutely have to be the beer.

Cheers

greetings fellow masochists

your newest drunken runner here... from the dreary and yet lovely pacific northwest. allow me to introduce myself (i have had my first cup of tea this morning, so it should be mostly pleasant).

i hail from the hippy haven of santa cruz, calif. but met our very own sixpack chopra at Chimp U in SF and am now his parter-in-crime at Reactor Press. i just relocated back to the US after living in japan for two years.

my endurance event madness started years ago just before i first moved to SF. i got into running with a friend and did a 10k. and then a few years later did an olympic-length triathlon to raise money for the leukemia&lymphoma society (with TNT- Go Team!) in honor of my father-in-law who died from leukemia a month after i married his amazing son.

this year i turn 30... and while my body was languishing in the two-and-a-half looong weeks i spent with the in-laws in Florida for xmas this year, i thought to myself, among many other less productive and more hateful things, "gawd, everyone in the south is fat and lazy. i can't wait to get back to the PNW and get back to my normal life-- eat not-fried food and get moving on a regular basis."

and then i thought about how i turn 30 this year and how for the most part i am ok with it and how i am generally healthy and active... but the part of me that is NOT ok with turning 30 needs to do something drastic... and since i don't like cars, much less sports cars, and since i already have done the piercing and tattoo thing, i figured that running a marathon was a crazy drastic thing to do in my 30th year.

so here i am, thanks to sixpack encouraging me to join the ranks of the drunk runners.

i specifically wanted to mention... i read over a few of the most recent posts and there is a book i read/used while training for the tri that i think would be helpful for you, especially sixpack and forest (who mentioned eating in relation to training):

Eating for Endurance, by Dr. Phil Maffetone

i think it's out of print, but there are used copies on amazon, and maybe elsewhere. it is really worth picking up. he goes through the science of food and what your body needs for endurance event training and what foods are best (and worst) for training. i will say he is a huge advocate for nuts and avocados (the fruit of the gods). plus, since he does not include alcohol on the "worst" list, he is right up our alley (and i don't count the fact that alcohol is technically not a food- it has calories, right? and it nourishes the soul, right?). i don't follow his recommendations to the letter, but i learned from this book and found that i did really well with how i ate for the tri training.

cheers and happy new year to you all... jogijogi-chan
(name explanation some other time. "joe-ghee-joe-ghee-chawn" is the pronunciation... just say it in a japanese accent and you'll be fine).

The Year in Review

We are a week into this new year of ours and I have to say, my running so far this year has been pretty good. Steve and I are on vacation in NYC and I have been able to run in Central Park twice, which has really been great. It's a giant part, actually smaller than Golden Gate Park, but 100 times more usable than GGP. There are paths everywhere and one gets the feeling that one could get lost if not careful.
On Thursday I went for a 10 mile run, which took me from the hotel - all the way through the park to the north side - and zigzagging all the way back to the hotel. I'm pretty sure it was 10 miles. My brand spanking new Nike+ chip malfunctioned a bit. I had read that you have to put it to sleep to go through security, so I did, however, it didn't wake up properly, so 1/4 mile into the run it was telling me that "activity had stopped". It was go back to the hotel, or just trust my running watch and my internal pace as I always had. Therefore, I could have done as much as 11 or even 12 miles. Most likely 10-11. I don't regret it though, it was a beautiful run.
I'm still having shin issues off and on. This may be a battle I have for a while. I've been careful about stretching, but I think it might also have something to do with increasing my pace. The next race I will be doing more speed work as we did the last time. With some speedwork I should be able to get my shins/calves in order. If not, it's back to the PT.
My marathon is coming up in 2 weeks, and I'm very excited about that. It's in Carlsbad, CA. I'll go down on Saturday and stay with my friend Kirsten from Lörrach and then go to the race all by my lonesome on Sunday. Start time is a much more sane 7:30 - My start time in SF was 5:30. I'm going to try to hang with the 4:15 pace group, which would mean taking a half hour off my last race. I'm pretty sure I can do it, but some taper is going to have to happen before then.
I'm still feeling pretty beat up, which is funny since I have again managed to skip quite a few workouts. Maybe that's why. I really need to get a grip on those. I try not to beat myself up over missed workouts, but, for example, I'll have to postpone a 10 mile run tomorrow until Monday, because we will be flying in the morning. That will put a little crunch on next week, but not too much.
I'm gonna stop bitching now and just say that I can't wait for the next round and to get all of you ready for the Bay to Breakers.

Running Log:
Miles: 14
Time: 2 hours or so
Overall impression: Thank God for El Nino, For I Ran In New York Without Freezing My Balls Off! (TGFENFIRINYWFMBO)

Nutrients

Just a short one today. I'm only running 15 miles a week right now, with two days of cross training and it's whoopin my ass. I primarily live on chicken and salads and my energy level keeps going down. I need some help with a good diet for a fat man in a thin mans body at least now. I don't want to put weight back on, but with the running I shouldn't. I need to keep my energy level up and the weight off any suggestions.