October 7, 2011 TEN!

While running my farthest ever last week, I promised myself, "This is it. Nothing longer other than the half! Promise! No more of this craziness. This is far enough for training. Okay? Promise? Deal? Yeah, if I can get through this 8 miles, that's enough!"

That was a week ago. During the day yesterday, I went to the RunningAhead.com site that my buddy John Catania showed me. It's where I can plot and measure different distances. It's great. So, I got a little crazy. I thought, "8 miles is good. But what does 10 miles look like? How far east in Westerville must I go to add enough distance to make it 10?" So, I calculated a route and decided to break my promise from a week earlier.

Yesterday was unseasonably warm. Like, summer warm. When I ventured out after work it was 77! Still, I headed out. It was okay. Take it slow. Take it slow. I had my bottle filled with Gatorade and brought a GU packet. The run was long. Still, I took it slow. Main to Schrock. Schrock to Spring. Then, Spring all the way up to Maxtown. Keep pushing. Keep pushing. Take it slow. Don't stop. Drink when waiting at traffic lights. Keep pushing. The sun is setting. Getting cooler. Nice. Keep pushing. Aches. That's okay.

Keep pushing.

And then, I was done. I ran 10+ miles!

Okay, only shorter runs until the half ... which is in just 9 days! Still, I had run 10 miles!

10 miles!

October 4, 2011 8.26!

I need to run farther. (Or is it further?) I found a half-training schedule on the Columbus Marathon web site that said that I should have reached 10 miles by the beginning of August. Oooof. I'm not even close. Of course, I rationalize, that schedule is for people who really want to place in their time category. I just want to finish, I tell myself. And that sounds just fine.

After all, this is my first half.

Still, I want to break 8 miles. So, on Thursday of last week, September 29 (I'm almost caught up with this blog), I head out. Down to Schrock. Across State to Otterbein Avenue and all the way up to McCorkle. I take a GU packet before heading out and, this time, have my new hand-held water bottle filled with Gatorade. The Gatorage helps. I can feel it removing the aches every time I take a swig. Very cool, the body. I finish the route just as the rain starts. 8.26 miles ... a new outside record! And when I stop I am NOT winded. A far cry from February.

I am now satisfied at where I'm at, feeling that I can run almost 2/3 of the half. "Race day" will have Gatorade stops, sections that I may walk, and enough adrenaline to fuel my fire.

I am ready! God keep me from injuries!

September 30, 2011 Schrock Rd. (The Far Side of the Moon)

It is now mid September. About one month away from the half. I need to make up for lost time--big time. Which means I need to increase my distance if I am ever going to even complete the 13.1 miles.

Still, I am hearing things that are making me feel more comfortable about running a half. Or even a full marathon. Like, people walk them. Or portions of them. Really? I was amazed to hear this! I always thought, if you stopped you're out of it. No re-starts. But the casual nature of it all is sitting well with me. Enough about this. All something to file under "Rationalizations."

Increasing distance is at hand. By now, I am covering most of the Otterbein campus. An improvement from when I would run out County Line Road to State to Main Street ... and then peter out around the Otterbein stadium. Bleah! Now that the bridge construction is FINALLY completed on Main Street, I am able to do a large square around Otterbein. Which I believe is about 3.5 miles. But I need longer. So, I look on a map and see that Schrock Road is the next road south that connects Cleveland to State. Gasp. That seems SO far away! Still, one day I try it. And it was terrible. I made it 3/4 of the way around until just turning onto Main Street to cut across the Otterbein campus. 4.4 miles, I calculate later. Not good. A few days later, I try again. I am determined to make it all the way back to the Rec Center ... and I do! Just shy of 6 miles!

I realize that this may sound boring to anyone else. But it is a true milestone for me. The last time I ran this far outside was before Julia was born (1995-ish). 6 miles. Just shy of half of a half. I still have a ways to go. But, for some strange reason, I feel as if I broke through a personal threshold. And that's what matters and keeps me going.

September 28, 2011 New Shoes

Here's something else that happened while I was neglecting this blog: I got new shoes.

It may sound funny, but wearing the right shoes is critical when running. Something that I found out the hard way. You see, when I started out running in early spring, I already had two pairs of "running" shoes that I had bought off the shelf. Both at Marshall's, I believe. Yeah, I know, it was about as relevant as going to a hardware store for fresh fruit. They were about $30 each. And they looked just fine. But as I ran more and more and the aches and pains grew less and less, I noticed that my ankles remained constantly sore after every run. I really felt it when I would stand up after being seated for a time. Even walking was hard. Ouch.

Eventually, I decided that it was time to be "fitted" for some new shoes. Ted, my running neighbor across the street, told me to go and ask for Matt at The Columbus Running Company in old Westerville. So, one rainy Saturday morning, I went there, met Matt, tried on about 20 different pairs of running shoes, and eventually settled on a great pair by Mizuno.

Long story short: After my very next run, no aching ankles. Nada. And they haven't hurt since.

Thank you, Ted and Matt. I am a believer in "the investment." And will never look back!

September 28, 2011 Post-Honduran Blues

I knew that I would not be running during the week I was in Honduras. What I didn't expect was to return home in early August with a double ear infection.

It was terrible, lasting nearly an entire month and taking me off of my running schedule. I would think, "Okay, I sweated a LOT while in Honduras and kept the weight off. That's cool. One extra week of not running will be okay." But my ears never got better, even after two doctor visits and two prescriptions of antibiotics ... and steroids! Then, another week went by. I feared that all that I had accomplished was for nought. My energy level sagged and I could feel the weight coming back onto my frame. Not cool. Then, another week went by. I was into Week 4 of not running. A month! It became easier to say "Maybe next week. Give your ears some time to heal." Yes, I did still feel like I was underwater. Whatever I "got" really must have twisted itself inside of me. But I felt that the little voice that said "Run!" was growing weaker by the day.

I had to do something. Fast.

So, I went to the rec center one day during lunch. I was expecting ugliness. Aches. Pains. But not so much! I got back into the groove right away! I remember it well; it was between 3 and 4 miles. Not too shabby. Then, I set my sights on something longer: Schrock Road, all the way down Cleveland Avenue. Stay tuned.

September 27, 2011 Fast Forward!!!

The bad news: I have ignored this blog for six months. The good news: I have dutifully kept up with my running. That said, I will try to encapsulate the past half year here as my half marathon is just under three weeks away!

The "Couch to 5K" program went well. It's easy, in fact. I re-read my previous blog posts from earlier in the year and smiled. “I added an extra two minutes.” Now, my longer runs last for over an hour. Before, I was switching between walking and running. Now I run the entire length. Albeit very slow. But still, a “short” run is now 3 or 4 miles, while my longest outdoor run is about 8. I am happy with that. Very.

Still, I try not to be too smug—an easy thing for a “Kellow male” to do. The “C-2-5K” plan worked well for me. It gave me the very, very slow start that I needed and was looking for. I have heard too many stories of guys my age starting too quickly and paying the price. Not here. Thank the Good Lord.

From March through July things went well. Slow, but well. And although the weather grew warmer outside, I really took a liking to the treadmills at the rec center. They helped increase my mileage. I recall dutifully going while Pamela and the girls were in Wisconsin in June. Even early on a Saturday morning. My highest mileage was 8 miles. And although treadmill running is easier than “real” outdoor running, I was making progress. And that’s all that mattered to me.

No one to compete with. Just me.

March 4, 2011 The end of Week 1

Started officially this week Monday. Again, I'm doing the "Couch-to-5K Plan." Walked five minutes. Ran two. Walked another five. Easy. Seemed too easy. So, I added another two-minute run. Another walk. Another run. Another walk. Didn't even break a sweat. Might be the dry winter weather even though I was inside with all the octogenarians. I missed Wednesday as I was busy with worked. Sucked. I hated to miss a run. Especially so early in my training. Still, I went today. Felt great. The only addition was that I ran for three minutes instead of two. Nothing is sore. Not yet. Which is good. Even though it is incredibly simple (so far) ... I am now 47 as of last Monday. : )