About Me

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Husband, father, friend, runner, actuary, woodworker

2010-04-30

The Day before the Marathon

I wish I could explain how I am feeling right now.  Nervous, excited, emotional, scared equates to something that I have never felt before.  I have my plans all written out and memorized for the marathon:  When to take a drink, when to eat my Agave#9, when to chomp down my Cliff bar, when & if to take a sip of 5hr energy. 

I am #166.  I will be wearing  a red sleeveless shirt, black shorts and have a red or black bandana around my head (my mother in law likes me in red).

For now, it is noodles for lunch, a haircut, a Fat Tire beer, then home to rest.  Dinner is spaghetti with the wife, and maybe another beer (MGD 64).  then up at 5:AM to eat a banana-n-peanut butter sammy and an egg white.  Then off to the test...  Wish me health and wish me luck!

2010-04-14

March Totals

March Total:  174.5 Miles
YTD: 413.4
Training Cumulative: 424.4

What a month, just under 175 miles of running.  Both 20+ milers logged, and a tune up race to finish.

I traded a weekend with Rich, a (running, actuary, vegas) buddy from Cincinnatti, to come here and help me thru one, then I went down to see him the following weekend to do another 20.  We did "Kenosha" stuff here:

(1) Mangia's
(2) Uncle Mikes
(3) Franks Diner (Rich had the famous Garbage Plate, I had the Capt Crunch Toast)
(4) Lumpy's and Winter Camp (kind of)

We did Cincinnati stuff there:
(1) Montgomery Inn Boathouse (Yummy ribs!)
(2) Hofbrauhaus (goot beer)
(3)Terry's Turf Club
(4) Dingle House
(5) Skyline (What a hot dog!)
(6) Cincinnati Beer Fest
(7) 15K Mini Heart Marathon (we had too much cincinnati, but still ran a sub 8mm ;) )

The Kenosha weekend:  Friday was a nice day, but led into a snowy, slushy, very windy, crappy Saturday.  We decided on an 8 miler from southport north to Carthage and back.  My brother Kory and friend Greg (the Dude) helped us take some pix.  Sunday was the (my) first 20 miler, in Kenosha, which went OK.  Rich purposely took it slow, he was my pace daddy ;).  I still had a sour feeling in my side, not a very good attitude after the 14th mile, and kinda dehidrated toward the end, but I made it.  It was a great feeling for both running 20 miles and running over 3 hours.  I did it!  

The Cincinnati weekend: The second 20 miler, I did a lot better.  I felt better for sure.  More positive, better attitude, just more fun.  There certainly were a lot bigger/longer hills in cinci that I have EVER seen, that I didn't expect.  But I took them in stride, I took rests when needed.  I believe I passed the test;  I believe I can run, and finish, the Kenosha Marathon May 1st.  I believe I became a runner.  Cool quote - "I believe, I became, I run", Well, sounds cool to me at least.  We finished the weekend with a 15K race - The 33rd annual mini heart marathon.  I ran it in my Kilt.  I got a few high fives for it, and I also gave inspiration to a few.  One woman said, as she was right behind me, "I cannot let a guy in a Kilt beat me".  I gave her an "atta girl".  Finished this in 1:16:02, I think the entire weekend of bad (well, bad for you) food, lots of beer, and more beer slowed me down.  But well worth it.