Running Free

This is it. The week of. T-Minus 3 days and 15 hours...

All the energy, time, pain, commitment, socks, shoes, pain, miles, pain and pain lead up to this Sunday at 8 AM. I feel good...there are a couple of butterflies developing, and I suspect their existence will sustain for the weekend.

Looking forward, everything is hard to recognize, but looking back, I see the piles of everything I have put into this. This is not going to be painless, but I know that.

I have some great achievements to be proud of already. I have ran further then I have ever ran on 4 different occasions. I weigh less then I have weighed since my sophomore year of college. I am eating better then ever. I set myself a goal and I am on the verge of completing it.

Thanks goes to everyone for anything that you have done. Your mind is a tricky thing, and sometimes it just needs to hear some words of encouragement to get through a couple of miles. Also, thanks to anyone who donated to the Children's Memorial Hospital (see link in below blog).

I might or might not write one more time. Probably a panicky one on Saturday. My goal for the weekend is to be peaceful and stress free. And eat a lot.

Let me know if you are going to be watching the marathon so I can look for you.

Much love and respect to anyone who sets their mind on something and reaches it.

"Surface To Air"

So it's something like 10 days away, but who's counting anyways...

I ran 18 miles last Saturday at a 9:30 pace and felt real good. I ran with some friends for the first time and it made a HUGE difference, so I am feeling pretty confident about not dying for the marathon. 18 was the longest I had ever run.

So now is the tapering period, were you get your body feeling better from all the punishment, and thats what I am doing. I am icing knees almost every day, stretching and spending time in the hot tub and eating good. I am cutting weight a little, still want to lose about 5 more lbs. and I think I can.

Everyone has been so giving to the Children's Memorial Hospital. I have passed my goal and went over $1,000 and am still pushing, so please give here: Tim's Marathon Donation

The next time I post, I will include all sorts of details about the race. I am actually getting excited.

"Underneath this smiles lies everything. All my hopes and anger, pride and shame."

You know the feeling of hearing the clicking on the way up a roller coaster? The anxiety that slowly builds, either excitement or fear? Knowing that you are to go down, but it just seems like its taking forever? Your stomach naturally preparing itself for the drop to follow? Click...click...click...click...click...knowing the rapid decline will follow...

That's how I have been feeling for the past months. I have felt like there is nothing I can do about October 7. I can't create more time between now and then and I can't substitute what I didn't do in the past with anything I can do in the present or future.

This is neither good nor bad, but it has taught me a valuable lesson. That there is no better time to accomplish or work towards accomplishment then now.

Back on Earth...training is going well. I have one more long run this weekend (18 miles!!!) and then I taper down and restore the aches and pains to a more natural feeling.

It's pretty amazing in hindsight. I ran 15 miles two weeks ago and felt great. It's easy to downplay 15 miles in comparison to 26(.2), but it made me feel good. Two years ago, I was straight up frightened to run a measly 8K (5 miles). I was so worked up and thought I was gonna die. Now I feel like getting all suited up and only running 5 is a waste of my time. This isn't a bragging point, but more of a statement that I worked towards something and have seen real, tangible results. It's encouraging. It would have been real easy, and natural, to get freaked out about 26 miles in May and paralyze myself with what I couldn't do, but when I broke it down, I am almost ready, and I am excited.

However, I cannot wait to be done.

By the way, all the titles of the blog entries are lines from songs.

We All Walk The Long Road...

T-Minus one month. Deep breathe.

I am running 12s and ups now. I am only running 2-3 times a week, buts its by design (kinda). I have discovered that my body is not optimal for this amount of mileage, or maybe it is, minus 20 pounds. Either way, I am down to around 225 and it's just not cracking. I have stopped drinking and my diet is good. I am by no means doing everything, but I am telling you that it is still difficult to maintain this level. It's just so easy to scarf down a plate of nachos and drink a couple beers, but I can't do it.

I ran 13 last weekend, going to run 15 tomorrow and 18 the next weekend. After that I am supposed to ween down my running, but I want another long run.

There are so many parts of the long running that is testing...
1. It's f'n time consuming. I need to plan to take at least 2 hours for them.
2. Energy planning is tough. I need to eat something before the run and be well hydrated, but I don't want to go number 2 in the middle of the run. Plus I need to plan the run along water fountains and I need to take Goo Packs, which are pretty much gross.
3. My system gets all jarred up on the long ones.
4. It can be boring. It's like you run by something and then run 3 more miles and then you pass it again...my mind is just like "this, again?!?!"
5. I have a nagging IT band issue. Its a tendon that runs from your hip to your knee. During the run, it feels like someone is stretching it apart.
6. For about 2 days after the run, I can't walk. I literally can not walk down stairs normally. I have to walk down backwards.

I am not bitching. I knew this was going to suck. I am just sharing and venting.
Honestly, I cannot wait to cross the finish line. The time went so fast, yet now each run is such a commitment for me. It's like looking at your study guide for a class an looking when the final exam is and thinking that it's so far away and before you know it, it's here.

Deep breathe. Don't panic. I just gotta keep my head down and walk the long road.

Veni, Vidi, Vici

If there was a word that accurately described a deer's eyes in headlights, I would use that word here. I am less then two months away. I am feeling good, but i have yet to run anything longer then 10, but mainly because of lack of time then anything else. My summer of traveling is over and my alcohol intake is about done too. My body feels good, its time to just go.

The weather is great too. I bought some new shoes and it's amazing how much you obsess about them knowing that you will be running 26.2 miles in them. I am learning about all of the greater details of a marathon, like pooping and peeing, body glide, nipple guards, imodium and packing your body with as much energy it can handle.

I keep on hearing about "race day adrenalin" and I think I am underestimating it, but I won't know that until afterwards I suppose. I haven't been running the Lakeview Path, which has been sucking.

So, basically, I am finished with negative thoughts, no matter what I feel. I am just going to bury all doubt and drive ahead.

Oh yeah, the donations are rolling in, so thanks to everyone who has helped.

Better Do Better

Hmm...holy crap have I been slacking. It's been a whirlwind past three weeks, and I feel it through my entire body. I get to sleep in tomorrow, but I leave for a long trip tomorrow night.

My running has sucked. My miles are way too low. I am hurting. I need to kick it up a couple of gears. I was committed, but fell off the wagon similar to Li-Lo's recent celebratory "Congrats You're Out Of Rehab" Vegas Trip.

I was in DC for a week and got some runs in the mall, which was outstanding, but my dogs (read: feet) were killing me from wearing dress shoes 12 hours a day while running around.

I ran an 8 miler last week and was had some serious doubt set in. Pain... My foot was (still) falling asleep, quad was tightening (or an invisible leprechaun was running next to me and punching the shit outta my thigh) and my feet just hurt. In other words, I've been a Sally comma bitch.

It's all good though. With great pain comes great reward. I will be outta town and able to take some time to see some new places while racking up some mileage.

I am going be utterly exhausted, but who cares. There's something to be said for driving your body to the ground just to get to the top of a hill, because looking back down that hill is so much more amazing.

Goonies never die.

You Say Too Late To Start...

It's been a while, but mainly because I haven't had much to say and been busy. I went to see an orthopedic doctor the other week for some lower back tightness, and he told me to lower my mileage for a little bit (yes, that's mostly an excuse).


I have been busy, but also haven't made time to to run. I am in the middle of relocating (literally) and been traveling a little too. Either way, I have been running. I ran in downtown Indy on Tuesday and that was actually pretty cool. My pace has been fairly fast (between 7:40 and 8:20 per mile) but my mileage is down. I am at ten this week and REALLY need to get up to 20. I think I tweaked my calf or somethin' because it is super tight and hurts.


My biggest problem is that when ever I run, I am only thinking about finishing, so I am having a hard time chilling, slowing my pace and ripping out ten. I am thinking about switching to a treadmill for a couple runs for the hell of it and as a change. Speaking of change, any good running music suggestions? Love to hear what you got.


Thanks a ton to cK, Kartik, Jaclyn and Drake for donating to the Children's Memorial Hospital. Still taking donations here. It's really easy and would mean a lot to me.

So the bottom line here is that I need to get my mileage up. It's going to a cool month. I will be in DC for a week for work and in Indiana for a week at the end of July. I definitely be running around the capital and will post on that. Should be a great change.

See you all soon.