Day Off?

It was 66 degrees out this afternoon when I finally pulled on my riding gear to begin the next phase of training. I'd set the goal of restarting bike training over Thanksgiving, so technically I did so. Long? No. But that would have been a terrible idea. I am going to move slowly on this to see if I can bring the foot up in training without hurting it. I have had no pain for weeks, so here's hoping it stays that way.

I've been thinking about the running thing too. It might be a good idea to start running a short bit before the group runs. This would extend my running days a bit, and would greatly enhance my base. On paper it's solid; in practice it doesn't always work out. Every year brings new health challenges to overcome, and who knows what lies around the corner this time.

Completely off topic, I've spent a lot of time in recent weeks traveling down different, but oddly converging paths professionally. My teaching centers on business IT, which in itself is a broad category. Essentially that would be any technology that enhances or aids in the conduct of business, and sometimes even creating business. I don't want to get into the weeds too much there, it's rather dull to those not interested, just suffice to say it is not the engineering IT most commonly associated with IT.

With the advent of 3D printing coming home, it occurs to me that before long most homes will have printers. That means having at least a cursory knowledge of 3D design would almost certainly become a life skill. That leads me to believe I need to add that to my classes.

Now as I move along that path and dig into what it would take to conduct this type of activity at home or in the small office, I find there is still a great deal of graphic design involved, particularly in vectors. Programs like Illustrator are the industry standard for vector design, so now I will need to bring that into the class.

And while I am at it, might as well bring them both together in a fun way by doing basic game design and execution. Students create their worlds, characters, vehicles, and cause them to interact. No, it would never get to the place where it would be commercial, but it would open some possibilities.

It is not small arrogance to assume I could learn all the directions to a high level. I have no illusions about that happening, and there is no chance I will go back to school. However, I can still learn enough to introduce the concepts. In the first year that will be enough. As time goes, I will pick up more and more, and it will get better.

I'm excited about it. It's one of the wonderful things about my profession... there are standards you must hit, but how you hit them is up to you. Especially in my field, where change happens so fast, flexibility is itself a life skill. My classes will naturally have to evolve - the technology we use never stands still.

There's a commonly held precept in the computer world known as "Moore's Law". Essentially, computer power doubles every two years. That means software is written to keep up with the new ability of more powerful computers. Everything you know today about computers will be completely different in 10 years time. Fact. The sooner kids understand the need to constantly update their knowledge, the better off they'll be. This too is something I hope to share through this added curriculum.

Running tomorrow! 5:15 from the Quack's office. 

Disruption

You would think being off would make it easier to get things like blogging done. Quite the contrary. I'm a regimented guy, and when the schedule gets skewed, things go haywire in a hurry. I have a time of day I tend to do everything, and I do follow patterns; this has prevented me in large part from procrastination, because I know there is only so much time in a day. When I am off... well... I have all day, so why get in a hurry...

Training is back to 30 a week. That will now rise in some way. Either I start biking, raise my running, or both. With a marathon on the calendar for April, training does have to pick up. I'm not mentally ready, but hey, will I ever be? Put one foot in front of the other, see what happens.

An aside... I posted my Strava runs for the last three days only 5 minutes ago. Instant kudo. You know what they say though... 10,000 screaming fans can't be wrong...

Tomorrow is off for running. I will most likely set up a bike ride, either in or out. It will be short either way. I can't afford to hurt my foot so early in training. I have no pain in it whatsoever, and I'd like to keep it that way.

The Bub's dinner is on again... just a matter of when. Tentative date is 12/30/14 - that's a Tuesday night. Time is to be determined, but generally we go for around 7 PM. Post some feedback either through text or email if you have a problem with the date/time. Everyone who can read this is invited, and bring your families. They may be bored, but they will be fed a pretty tasty burger. 

On the edge

I can feel the cold coming on. The weather is up and down, my room at work is up and down, and the cough is starting. I hate it. It's not that I am seriously sick, which would probably end a lot quicker, it's that I'm going to drag for 7-10 days. Meh.

Ryan Roberts ran with us tonight - us being Jimmy, Rand, John T., and Miller. Regular Tuesday run, with the exception Allen, the chief architect of getting this Tuesday stuff going again, blew us off. Something about his birthday, but I don't buy it. Seems a guy shouldn't be surprised by his own birthday. ;)

Galloway is still a no-show. I fear his knee may not be a short-term deal. We were all there when it happened, a snowy run with light ice beneath in places. It's always risky going out when it's like that, and the older we get, the worse the risk. Still I hope for the best.

Tomorrow I am off work, but it is my daughter's birthday. (Allen take note) I may not be able to make the afternoon run, because I know there will be plans. They may be secret schedule stuff, but the pattern is established and consistent. There will be a few there at Jimmy's - a few.

Allen's run on Thursday morning. I hope he doesn't have plans and blow it off... 

Windy, but okay

We had a healthy crew of Jimmy, John T., Bartlett, Rand, Roy, and myself to face the sketchy weather tonight. Though the temperature was fine, the wind made it feel much worse. I wore a long-sleeve with a windbreaker, and that worked fine. John T. took no chances and went the further distance of wearing long tights. He's manly enough to pull that off, I suppose.

So this is the week I'm supposed to set up the trainer. Yuck. I have no appetite for that at all right now. Unfortunately, I seem to have a big appetite for everything else - food, that is. There is no choice here; training level has to go up or my weight will. That's not an option for me.

I am glad to hear everyone so fired up about training. Maybe that will rub off on me? I know once things get going it will all fall back together, it's just every year it gets just that much harder to get started. Never fear, it will get done.

I am looking at very limited riding. I will shoot for 60 miles a week. I think that will be a good enough supplement to running. My formula, in case you have forgotten, is one third your overall biking miles can be added to your running week for an approximate total. That's always felt about right. By that measure 60 miles a week riding equals one 20-mile run - without the stress on the joints. That's a good trade off. It also adds about 3-3 1/2 hours of activity, and that doesn't hurt, either.

Tomorrow at Parkview, 5:15!

Today or Sunday?

I'm for sure running Saturday, that plan was set yesterday. My weekly plan is for six days running, one day rest. Having run Monday through Thursday, planning for Saturday too, I had to decide if today or Sunday would be the day off.

I ran tonight. It's the smart play, given Sunday's weather is supposed to be so bad. Sure it will be warm, but it's supposed to rain and storm all day. Might as well get it over with today.

Not as easy as it sounds. I'm always blown by the end of the work week, and like to take Friday off. Things sure followed form today, and the last thing I wanted to do was to get the shoes on and run. The weather was calm, actually the best day of the week so far, the time was there... why not?

I did the circle thing. It actually wasn't that bad. I've always found that, for the most part, if you just put on your shoes and get out the door, things will ultimately come around sooner or later. It depends on how quickly the mind can focus on the right topic to carry the run Sometimes that's about work or family, sometimes racing, and sometimes it's just about good old form.

Not to sound overly complex, but I'm always monitoring form, even when in groups or the mind is mainly on other things. It's a habit I developed in my running heyday, when most of my running was alone. Trying for your very fastest 5k effort means leaving no stone unturned, and form is easy money. I never ignore it.

One of my favorite form assessing tricks is to watch my shadow. If the sun is behind you and you have the shadow in front of you, it's easy to see shoulder sag, arm carriage, and bounce. It's not everything, but it is a view you don't ordinarily see.

Back to tomorrow's run... 8 AM, Parkview. 

Cold and Hot

The weather is all over the place, isn't it? I mean, a few days ago we had an all-too-early snowfall, and heading into the weekend we are facing uncharacteristic thunderstorm activity. It's a crazy time of year.

People are starting to get rolling with training. All the familiar faces, save Scott's (who faced surgery) have been present I think the big event is Galloway's farewell tour mini at Louisville, though I suppose in the near term it's more like the Give Thanks For run hosted by Allen. Any way it goes, folks are getting back in the groove.

Lost my toenails today. Well, "lost" isn't exactly correct - I know exactly where they are. It's more accurate to say they were removed from my feet. I knew the day of the marathon they were toast, and it was only a matter of time before they were gone. Black toenails do not recover. Usually if you wait a couple of weeks, they die and you can simply tug and pull them right out painlessly. Sounds gross, but it really isn't a big deal.

The year is drawing to a close, folks. Events still on the calendar, aside from the aforementioned race by Allen, include the December 6th Santa Hat run, which is part of the Christmas Parade downtown, the Santa Hat run Christmas Eve morning, the New Year's Day morning run, and finally the banquet, assuming we have one. That's right, it's not too early to start thinking about if/when/where we might do that. Just throwing it out there to see if there interest.

Saturday morning, Parkview, 8 AM. That's the next scheduled run. Channeling my inner Rand on the topic, I'd just like to say

Resuming training

I think we are all in the same place. Most of us are within a month of huge race efforts, and the letdown in training has been both nice and corrupting. After even a short step away, it can be hard to believe what level of training you took just a few weeks ago, and the thought of climbing the ladder again can be staggering.

Baby steps, my friend.

There is no need to pop things right back up to full-bore - in fact, I would counsel against it. Better to bring it up in stages, running first, for instance, then the biking and swimming. I would also suggest a little lifting or (dare I say it) Yoga. If you're going to add something unique to your training regimen, now is the time.

My plan is shaping up thusly - I will run 30-45 miles per week by the end of the year. With another marathon looming in April, I will shoot for 45-50 miles per week running after the start of the year. Biking will be greatly curtailed this time around, more in the 60-100 mile range per week. I will not chase the Fondos this year! I will swim if I feel like it, when I feel like it. Lifting will be three days a week. This is pretty much scaled far back from last year, which was an Ironman year. This year is not, so it's time to rest.

Running tomorrow and Saturday. I will add either Friday or Sunday, depending on which works best.  

Only 3

That's right, only three stalwarts braved the elements tonight. Jimmy was notably absent, and for the second night in a row the elements seemed all the harsher because of it. Like last night, the wind bit our faces as we headed out. Luckily that only lasted a bit. It is hard to believe how cold it is so early this year.

Darkness sure falls fast now. By 5:30 we are definitely into twilight, and by 6:00 it is dark. It gets worse when you consider we are still a full month until the Winter Solstice. That means we'll be losing daylight every day until on or around December 20-22.

We talked tonight about the Jimmy plan. Alan wanted clarification. Once again, my understanding is 7:10 pace for one mile the first week, and every week after that we add a mile until we reach 10 miles. I would take the time here to clarify my statement last night about it not accurately being called a "tempo". That type of run is based on time and heart rate, and Jimmy's planned run is both too long and too easy to classify as a tempo. It doesn't really change anything though... it's a plan, and there's nothing wrong with it for the goal in mind. Call it "steady state run" and you have it.

It's still rest time for me, but that is ending soon. The trainer will be set up, and I will begin riding very soon. I'm not looking forward to it very much. This is going to be a maintenance year, I think, and goals will be scaled back a bit. If I race well, great. If I don't, great. Other things will have to take a higher priority. 

First Snow Run of the Season

November 17th, and we had a 2-hour delay. November 17th. I can remember only one other time in my teaching career where we had any sort of weather-related delay/cancellation, and that was maybe 20 years ago. It was October, and we actually had a snow day. I remember it because we were getting ready for the Lincoln Fall Carnival, and I was in charge of the haunted house. Two days before the event school was cancelled. That was an aberration, of course. I sure hope today was too.

We did run tonight - that is, Galloway, Heatherly, Bartlett, Rand, Roy, and I did. It was slick, no fooling, and the wind was decidedly unpleasant when running to the west/northwest. Fortunately for us we didn't have to spend too much time that direction. It was uneasy running all the way, no matter the wind.

Everyone is talking about the next big thing. Funny, isn't it, how having a good event makes you want to look forward to the next thing? It's fair to say everyone had a good finish to their respective seasons, and that makes a great launching point for the upcoming year.

Jimmy has staked the first claim with his "Tempo-Tuesday" revision. He's pointing at the marathon distance, or half if your name rhymes with "Galloway". He wants to work off Galloway's projected race pace, except extend the run out to the 10-mile mark (eventually). I wouldn't call that a tempo; it's more of a steady state run. Whatever, let's not get caught up on the jargon. Jimmy has a plan, and we can join or not join on our own accord.

Galloway asked me tonight if I was thinking about sub-3 at Louisville. I'd be a liar if I said it hadn't crossed my mind. It's not much of a leap of logic to envision the realistic possibility of the breaking the barrier given the ad hoc training I'd put into this cycle. It's something I'll mull over, but there is much scheduling to work around before it becomes a realistic proposition.

Two-hour delay tomorrow? I'd count on it. 

First Full Day in Milwaukee

We got up early and started off right - with a trip to McDonald's. The meal the night before was REALLY expensive, and a bit fru-fru for us. Time to get back to basics.

I went for the combo breakfast because I knew we'd be all over town before it was done. Leisa ate the roll, as she usually does. That would be all there is to say about it except for the all-too-familiar homeless element that always frequents big-city McDonald's'. (Hey! Name another time where you get to use the double apostrophe!)

Our main man started by talking to himself - loudly. Later, as we were preparing to leave, I went to the restroom. He was in there, and I almost turned out right away. No, it was cold and I needed to take care of business, so I stayed. It was probably a mistake, because he appeared to be trying to drown himself in the sink. His head was buried face-first in as much water as he could run. He was apparently trying to draw the water into his sinuses, then he would raise his head, blow snot into the sink, then stick his face back in and repeat. You can't make that stuff up folks, it really happened.

First on the list today was visiting churches. There were two in particular we hit, one in Milwaukee, another in a neighboring town.

The first was good-sized, with a mixture of old and new. There were the traditional altars and pews, stained glass, and candles, like any Catholic church. Peppered here and there were signs of modernization, such as the sculpture suspended from the ceiling in the middle of the sanctuary, or the relatively modern painting adorning the sides. The final feature of note were the portraits lining the upper walls - might have been local bishops, may have been bishops of note in Wisconsin over the years - but some looked like painting, some like photographs. That was a little jarring for my taste. I've been to the Vatican, I know what they were trying for, and it fell way short. It was very striking on the outside, but on the inside... meh.

Our next stop was a basilica in a neighboring town. It was a Polish Franciscan church, and WOW! I've been to the Vatican, to St. Mark's, and this one compared very favorably. Naturally it was smaller, but it was very ornate and traditional. It was very much worth the trip, not only to the town but perhaps Wisconsin itself. This quality of church is seldom seen in the U.S.

There were touches of eastern European influence here and there, starting with the Polish writing. The paintings were also more of a reflection of Polish history and viewpoint on the church - subtle, but present. Classic Roman paintings tend to have angels and cherubim fighting for God, whereas the paintings in the basilica showed human warriors on the battlefield. It was an interesting difference.

The awe factor could be felt the second you entered. Your eyes started on the angels holding Holy Water and immediately swept forward down the aisle to the altar. From there your gaze lifts upward to the dome some 60 feet above, replete with intricate paintings commissioned to an Italian artist in the 1920's.

Everywhere you looked, the layer upon layer of art and finish work swept over you. Moreover, the scale of the room was breathtaking. It's difficult to relate using a meager iPhone camera the scope of the room - the size, the openness, and complexity of design and finish. To finish it all off, numerous exquisite stained glass works glowed in the morning sun, providing all the ambient lighting necessary. It was atmospheric and spellbinding.





We headed to the Historic Third Ward, a revitalized downtown area where the 19th century architecture is preserved and repurposed for modern usage. There were any number of shops, ranging from restaurants to fitness centers. Actually, that's one of the remarkable things about Milwaukee I didn't catch the first time... it's a fitness-centric town. There must have been a half-dozen fitness centers within a one-mile radius, and tons of fitness apparel stores to boot.

We also went to the museum, finally. Leisa liked it, or at least, appreciated the design. It is something to see when in Milwaukee. We didn't get to see any big exhibits, as they were closed for renovation, but we walked around the building admiring the design. It was too long to wait for the wings to close and open, so we moved on.

I did get a run in while Leisa did her thing. She went to the flea market stores, I went down to Veterans' Park to run. This is where the running portion of the Nationals has been held the last two years. I must say, it's a much more pleasant run when it's cold - and I haven't been churned in the harbor and ridden for an hour first.

We headed out to an REI outlet to see what a brick-and-mortar version looked like. I would fairly describe it as an upscale Dick's. Lots of name-brand outdoor gear at premium prices, and people lining up to purchase like it was being given away. I'll stick to the online version, thank you very much.

Our dinner was nice - it was a local pub known for its fish. The fish was okay, but the cheese sticks! O. M. G! I've never had mozzarella sticks dipped in beer batter before, but I can tell you this - it won't be the last. Best. Sticks. Ever.

Finally we wound up back at the hotel. I suggested we locate the hotel's fitness center, which we did. Leisa hadn't run for a few days, and she really needs to keep up on it for health reasons. Anyway, it was a really nice one, best I've seen in fact. It inspired me to show off for my loving wife. I... well, heck, let me just show you.

Been a while

I haven't posted a great deal here this year. There are lots of reasons, ranging from work, coaching, and frankly not much interest from the readership. In the end though this was never about any of those things - it has been an outlet of expression for me pure and simple. In some ways I find it to be very therapeutic and for that reason I'm going to attempt to go about it again on a fairly regular basis.

Leisa and I have traveled to Milwaukee, WI this weekend for an early anniversary getaway. It's a cool town, maybe not the Mecca of Anniversary trips, but it does have many of the things Leisa likes... great old architecture and statuary, museums, old churches, and tons of quality flea markets. It's my gift to her and I'm happy so far it's been a good choice.

While getting ready for a candle-lit dinner in a hole-in-the-wall cafe, she spotted a bike shop open across the street. As it was near closing time, I excused myself for a quick peek. It was work the trip. Though I would never be likely to buy a bike there (specialized in commuters) I LOVED their community room concept. The

ambiance was what set it apart - a mid-1800 brick building with original wood plank floors was rustic and cozy and perfect for hanging out after a ride. There was a bar where one could order any variety of drinks and order food. Think of it as a hipster cyclists' hangout, and super, super cool. I don't know if the concept can fly in Milwaukee, let alone Bedford, but I sure liked it. Count me in!

Check out the clever palette bike rack - a brilliant piece of ingenuity if you ask me. I'm not sure if that's an energy lab addition or not, but I could see where it might be useful in the correct venue.

Back to Bedford Sunday afternoon. I plan to run again from the Palm Reader's at 5:15.

Monumental Day

In racing, things seldom go completely to plan. Sometimes the plans change early, sometimes later, but almost always the plan changes at some point. The longer the race, the closer the probability nears "1".

Scott, Chris, and I were to meet up at the corrals at 7:45, near the 3:30 pacers. Sounds like a clean plan, doesn't it? Well... not so much. Thousands of people in a tight area, the entrance gates were way behind the 3:30 pacers, we didn't say which side of the corrals we'd use, my usual parking space was not open... yeah, things went haywire right from the start.

I got to the corrals late because of parking, and it was too close to start time to wait too much before entering the corral. I went in, looked around furtively, but it was no use. I was behind the 3:50 pacer, and there was absolutely no way to fight through the mob to get to 3:30. I decided to Rand it - I was going to run until I caught the pace group. I would do my best to watch for Chris and Scott as I moved through the group - a daunting task - and hope that it worked out.

The odds were long from the start. In a big city race, there is simply too much road/too many people to see as you work your way through. It was going to take a miracle to find them.

My legs felt very good. Moving in and around the crowd wasn't difficult at all despite being way below the original race pace (8:00-8:20). Mentally I cautioned myself about blowing up. Simultaneously I chided myself for missing the meeting, so it was a risk I was going to take.

The first couple of pace groups were easily caught. Of course after that it took longer and longer to reach the next group. At first they were only separated by seconds, but soon it was minutes. I finally caught the 3:30 group at around 7 miles - yeah, it took that long. I was 3:25 behind the start clock after all, and I wasn't trying to gobble it all up at once.

Now for you girls that might be reading, the lesson is about to begin.

There comes a point in every race where you have to decide why you're there. I might not have come to the event today to race it, but everything had changed. There was absolutely no way to find Scott or Chris now amongst nearly 6,000 runners - that would be finding a needle in a haystack of needles. My choice was now to jog or to try to make a race of it. There wasn't any time to dwell on it, it had to be one way or another.

I chose to fight on. Something good could still come out of the day if I pressed on. I left the 3:30 group and set the next group as my goal. I lied to myself - said if I could get to them I would settle for that time. Pretty soon I could see the sign bouncing up and down ahead. Without much effort I caught them. Slow down or move on? I still felt good, might as well go to the next group.

This took a bit longer. The groups were getting faster, and the gaps greater. I was also beginning to feel the front of my quads. Of course the pace was a full minute faster than the plan, so this was only logical, but it was nonetheless cause for concern. The end can come swiftly in a marathon if you disrespect what it can do to you. I wasn't even halfway through yet, and already feeling muscle fatigue. Only a fool ignores that.

They were too slow, and I felt I could catch the next group. This is the point where the race became work. I got onto the 3:15 group right after the mile 14 marker, and by then I could really feel the effort coming on. Of course forgetting to take Advil this morning didn't help, as my hip flexors were beginning to flair up. I ran with this group for about a mile, mainly because I needed the mental rest, and they were going right about where I felt I could hold. I maneuvered myself near the pacer and we started talking a bit. In passing I mentioned forgetting my Advil and my flexor, and he offered me one. Perfect! He handed me the sign (that's right, I was the pacer for a while!) and dug one out. That in hand, I returned the sign, and we were back on it.

I really did plan to stay with the group the rest of the way. However, my racing spirit kicked in again. They were 50 seconds behind the clock, meaning if I stayed with them I would come in at 3:12:25. That's roughly halfway between 3:10 and 3:15, and the thought of breaking 3:10 grew very tempting. Could I press on? Would it be wise?

The point was moot. At around 18 miles I was pulling away. Whether or not it was because I got faster or they got slower doesn't matter, it was done. The pacer's chatter got dimmer and dimmer, and after a point there was no way I was going to slow down or back up to let them back on. Up ahead there were a few runners that were just barely hanging onto a slight lead over me. I upped the pace to catch up.

Bill's Running Axiom #37: if you catch a runner, it's because they slowed down.

No matter how tempting, if you are still racing, you can never stay with someone you caught. When I did catch these runners, I said, "Good job!" and moved on. Catching them had distracted me from the growing pain in my quads, so their purpose had been served.

It was now around 22 miles. My rough math had me around 31 minutes out. It was closing in on the home stretch, though things were starting to get tough. "Just finish this mile strong and you can rest" I kept telling myself. And when that mile would end, I would say it again. Mile by mile, it went that way.

There had been a runner who passed me at 19 miles. I now caught him. Odd thing to say in a way... in a race this big (and at my age) you would think I would get passed a bunch. Other than the start, this was the only person I remember passing me all day. But I digress.

I caught him, or more accurately, he started to collapse. He seemed a nice enough sort, and since I hadn't helped Scott I suppose I was feeling a bit guilty. "C'mon, we can bring this on in!" I said to him. He declined, saying something about his hamstring. The wind was blowing viciously in our faces at that moment, so I offered to draft for him, which he did accept. After a bit he came alongside again, and we talked over the next few miles. It was a nice distraction, and I was thankful I'd helped him.

At 25 miles, he started to really push again. I was doing just fine at my pace, and I'd already run the numbers - I had sub-3:10 in the bag so long as I did nothing stupid. I could not afford to go sub-7 again judging by the way my quads felt. Better to heel-toe the rest of the way.

Finally the last straightaway, and a few blocks until the final turn. I was good. There was no way I was going to miss my new goal. Then life came full circle.

Half a block from the final turn I look to my right - and see Chris Galloway! He was on the course cheering on runners, just as his father Tim had done one year earlier. This time I yelled, "Chris Galloway!" He looked just as surprised to see me as did Tim last year.

So the finish came, a near perfect 5-minute drop from last year's time. Mandy Bartley found me right away and told me Chris and Scott had missed their hookup too. She also mentioned he was on for a 3:43 finish - a fine first marathon. I told her I would grab some stuff and head out to watch him finish.

I stood out there for around 15 minutes before he came, Chris right alongside. I was violently shivering by then, and my legs were incredibly sore. As a result I could not race alongside them to the finish, and by the time I hobbled to the area they were long gone. I'd had enough cold by then, so I headed back to the car and went home.

So the day ranks first as a failure: my primary goal of helping Scott run his first marathon was utterly kaput out of the gate.

On the other hand, in the category of "Making lemonade out of lemons" it was a overwhelming success. I still cannot believe I ran 3:14:29 last year, let alone 3:09:27 this year. I have no idea where todays run came from, I just know it happened. The weather was perfect for me and I managed both my physical needs (in the form of water or Gatorade at every stop and gels every 5 miles) and mental game. I probably should have blown up running like that, given nothing I'd done during this cycle prepared me for that qualitative level. I suppose it serves as a lesson on what motivation does for an athlete, and what can happen if you aren't afraid to lay it on the line once in a while.