It has been BUSY!

I have been running in more ways than one lately. I forget just how hectic the start of school is. I have been busy getting our campus ministry at Arkansas State kicked back up for the fall semester. Last weekend we went white water rafting on the Ocoee River. This weekend I am going to watch ASU play Texas in Austin, and this morning I ran 18 miles. I played Pearl Jam's "Alive" on my way home because I was excited to have run 18 miles and still be alive to talk about it. I was really pumped up about some weight loss last week, but the weekend trip and now this weekend trip has me back to even for the month, and since it is the end of the month I don't have time to lose any, so September will have to be better as far as weight goes, or I will not be able to run Chicago at my all time adult lowest weight ever. I think I can get the 7 pounds off between now and then plus a few.

This week the long run goes back down a little, I think it's only 14 miles and then comes the big 20 miler, after that the program tapers down and lets you rest for the race. Many people have asked me how I feel about not running the whole 26.2 till the day of the race, and honestly I have not thought that much about it. Part of it may be that I used Hal Higdon's plan for the 1/2 marathon and did not go all the way up to race mileage and still made it just fine. At this stage of the game I am very happy to just run the 26.2 once.

I hope to post a couple of pics from the raft trip soon.

Running and Eating

This weekend brought my longest run yet. I ran 16 miles Saturday morning and it went really well. I like getting ready the night before to lay out my water stops and some GU or Power Beans to help with the energy over the long workout. Long runs are going to be a little tougher for the next couple of weeks becasue of our travel schedule, but I can tell the marathon is getting closer. The longest run is only 20 miles on the training program, I guess Hal Higdon figures that if I can run 20 I can run 26.2. The problem with all this training is that I am not really losing any weight. I feel like I need to eat a lot the day before I run for energy and then I am HUNGERY all day after the long run and I eat a lot. I don't think I am getting the benefit of weight loss from running like I should. I will continue to try and balance this out, but in the meantime I am getting really excited about Chicago and being able to say I finished a marathon.

I am a little tired

It was a pretty tough weekend. We traveled to Chattanooga to take care of a little family business, and while there our training called for a 15 mile run. Kim and I had also signed up for a triathlon in Chattanooga for Sunday. That was a crazy idea. We decided to run early Saturday morning, it was hot but not too bad and the run went really well. Later that day Kiley and I went swimming and we all walked around downtown for a while and picked up our race packets for the race the next day.
Sunday, Kim and I wake up at 3:30 in the morning our time and head to the transition areas (yes this race had two, and they did not organize either very well) to get out stuff set up. The race started at 7:00 and I did not feel a lot of fatigue from the previous days run, at least mot as much as I thought I would. What relly was bad about this race is that when it was over we were 8 miles away from our car, and I had to bike it and pick up the car and come back and get Kim and all our stuff. Then I got to sit in a car and drive home for 7 hours. I am feeling it this morning, my legs ache and I did not want to get out of bed. But the main thing is we made it and I have now done 4 triathlons and Kim has her first one under her belt and we are still on our trianing track for the Chicago Marathon.

Tough Long Run

Well I ran 10 miles this morning. Hal Higdon gave me an "easy" week this week. 13 miles last week and 15 coming up next weekend. I never thought I would say 10 was an easy week. Whatever the case I ran early this morning and it was hot and humid and I was attacked by horse-flies the entire 10 miles. It went slow and my legs felt heavy but I covered the distance and that is what matters the most. I feel good about it, my eating has gone real well this week and I am glad to have the long run out of the way and hope to get in some swimming tomrrow and a sprint triathlon next weekend while we are in Chattanooga visiting Kim's parents. I have not biked or swam much since the last triathlon, but this one is shorter and I think it will be good change of pace, but I have to get in 12 miles before or after the tri on Sunday.

We are going out tonight to celebrate our 9th year of marriage, I think we are going to Ruth's Chris, I am hoping to eat healthy, but it will be the first time I have not gone there and gotten a steak and potato augratin and lots of bread and ... well anyway I am going to try and just get a piece of fish or chicken and a dry potato. I will let you know how it goes. I have got to get serious about this weight loss thing all week long, and stop taking the weekends off. I am able to maintain, but not lose with this pattern, so back to constent focus on the food, I can't run or swim or bike enough to eat the way I used to and not gain weight.