Missed the fun run tonight

Work trumped running tonight. Busy day at work and did not leave until 8pm. My weekly sorta long run that I have labeled the fun run on my calender because I am doing it on the same night that the Lakes Area Running Club used to do the fun run. It is fun to run the routes I did so many times with Tom, Ron, and others. The Tuesday night fun runs consisted of a run at 6pm followed by dinner at 7pm. We usually ran for 45-50 minutes and each week would be at a different venue. The locations were selected by Tom and Joey and varied between Burlington, Lyons, Lake Geneva, Elkhorn, East Troy, Waterford, and a few others. One perk of being a one man fun run is that I can change the day when needed. This week my run will be on Wednesday. Daylight savings time was last weekend, so I should be running in the light for the first time in a long time.

Rain, rain go away

It has been raining since Friday night. My 15 mile long run got washed out Saturday and my backup day of Sunday also was scratched due to rain. 33F and raining didn't seem like a good idea. I tried a short run on Saturday between down pours, but only got about a mile and the rain came back and soaked me. Retreated to the basement for a 30-minute glide on the Nordictrack. Not really a substitute for a 15 mile endurance build up run. Tonight is my sorta long run.
I am starting to think that a spring marathon isn't in the cards. I may have to switch my goal to a fall marathon. I will see on this weekend goes before deciding anything.

"Sorta long run"

Yesterday was my mid-week "sorta long run". Did the Burlington loop in reverse; about 6 miles. For some reason it seems to be all up hill that way. Kind of funny since it is a loop route, so it has to be the same elevation change either way. Came by a lady walking her dog at one intersection and then I ran around the next block and met her again one block up. She told me I was a fast runner. Inspired me to keep the pace all the way through the rest of my run. I also ran up all the hills and took no walking breaks. Can feel that my endurance building.
Last Saturday with all the snow, I was only able to put in an 8 1/2 mile run, so this week I will probably look to get in the 13 miler I had scheduled for that day. Saturday there was about 6 inches of snow and it was snowing my whole run. When I ran into the wind it was like a blizzard. I ran in Burlington and had to switch back and forth between street and sidewalk depending on which was plowed. In some cases it was neither and I had to trudge through the snow.

Week flew by

Tomorrow is scheduled a 13 mile run. I'll be half way.
This week:

• I rested Sunday.
• Road the nordic track for 30 minutes Monday.
• Tuesday was my sort of long run done around Burlington. Used the Lakes Area Running Club Charcoal Grill loop. I actually drove to and started my run at the Charcoal Grill. I didn't stay for dinner after though.
• Wednesday I was feeling a cold coming on, so overdosed on vitamin C and rested.
• Thursday was a cold windy day, so in the basement for another 30 minutes on the nordic track. Does anyone besides me still use one of these? Oh, and today is my sister Jody's birthday. Just in case she ever reads this, "Happy birthday Jody!"
  
• Tonight (Friday) I am watching High School Musical 3 with the Jean and the kids.
• and tomorrow I am looking forward to 13 miles and with the weather forecasting snow it should be interesting.
  

11 mile Saturday

Ran my scheduled 11 mile run today. Feeling it a little bit right now in the legs. The run itself was O.K. It was 32F with a light West wind and the sun was shining.

Halfway through week 3

Busy, busy. I punched through my 9 miler on Saturday alright. Temps in the high 4o's and must of helped because much better than last week's 7 miler. That behind me, on Sunday Emily and I went skiing. 11:30am to 5:15pm. Great time. I got away from it and forgot how much I really like to downhill ski. Skied at Alpine Valley. My calves were sore on Monday. Due to all the skiing on Sunday used Monday as my rest day. Yesterday, Tuesday, I did my "sorta long run". Ran the old Burlington fun run loop. Felt good and I went pretty fast. Nordic Track for 30 minutes tonight and your caught up with my training. Not sure if I am going to do my 11 miler solo this Saturday or call Andy and run it with him. The two week probation is up and I think I am committed to the task, but will wait until next week to register for the Cellcom Green Bay marathon.

Under the full moon

Just got back from a short run (~2 1/2 miles) and it was beautiful out tonight. 22F and clear, but the beautiful part was the sky filled with stars and the full moon lighting my way.

It has been cold this week

This week used the NordicTrack in the basement on Monday and Wednesday. Settled on Tuesday as my "sort of long run" day. Set out a 5:30pm from work and did the Burlington loop running for 42 minutes. It was about 13F and with wind had a feels like -2F. Had my face covered with a scarf and once I warmed up it was a nice run. Brought back fond memories of the Tuesday night fun runs I used to join in on with the Lakes Area Running Club. The only difference, I skipped the burger at Fred's after my run. Members of the club used to meet at different restaurants in the area every Tuesday at 6pm, run and then have dinner at the restaurant after. The fun run disbanded when Tom & Joey Falch moved to Hayward in November 2007. The Lakes Area Running club website is www.lakesarearunningclub.org.

Rest day

Rest day on Super Bowl Sunday. My son Jack and I were cheering for Arizona, but Pittsburgh gets the victory. Yesterdays run of 7 miles was OK. Definitely felt the pain in the last 1/2 mile, but finished it and forgot about it. No sooner got in the door and my son Jack and his friend Michael had me down in the basement for a 20 minute game of 2 on 1 nerf basketball. They beat me 60-56. Legs feel pretty good today, I'm ready to start week two of my endurance build up training tomorrow.

If 15 degrees Fahrenheit wasn't cold enough...

Ran after work tonight. What will become my "mid-week sort of long run". As for tonight, with the thermometer near 11F I took it easy. Felt good finishing a 30 minute run. It was nice to run on city streets that were lighted. Living in the country and running at night has its drawbacks. No street lights for one, and even though there are few cars the ones that there are don't expect to see a walker or runner on the road. It was nice to run in Burlington tonight under the lights.
Still have lots of snow, but the streets are clear. Now if I had to run off road I would look more like the deer in the picture.

Off and running

Got home from work tonight about 5:30pm. Ran upstairs and changed and was out the door by 5:40pm. Ran my Sunburst out and back route in about 25 minutes. Felt good, held a steady pace throughout. Tough because with the temp at 15F my mind was saying, "negative split and get home as fast as I can." I am calling this week and next my test period. If I can get that far then I am all in.

Gotta start sometime.

I started thinking today about the 2009 Green Bay marathon today and that it must be about 4 months away. I am going to need 4 months to build up my endurance and stamina if I plan to run the marathon that's route goes through Lambeau Field. I was close, I should have started last week.
I called Andy, who put the "bug in my ear" back in October shortly after he completed his first marathon and said he was thinking of doing the Green Bay marathon in May 2009. He wondered if I would consider it also.
I ran the Chicago marathon in 2003 and was always going to do another. Prior to that I had always been a runner, but the half marathon had been my max race distance. Since Chicago I have continued to run, but settled back into the anything shorter than 13.1 miles routine I had prior to it. Now that wasn't the plan. I was going to run a marathon again the next year and when that didn't happen it was going to be in two years. When that didn't happen it was going to be every four years like the Olympics. Time fly's and now I am going to attempt my second 5 1/2 years later.
I really should have started last week, but I think I can still get where I need to be by May 17th. I will try to keep up on my blogging and keep you informed on how the next four months go.