Plan the Work, Work the Plan

This is a cute marathon finisher from the KC marathon. Yes, you can look like that too. If, you're willing to put in the work. Please, put in the work. All people should look that good. It should be a state law.

Sunday is usually a rest day. It's also a good day to plan out the upcoming week's workouts. I can't tell you how many runners who get to the gym without a clue of what they are going to do that day. I've already established my long, and intermediate goals. I can almost work backwards from a race a couple of months away, and plan out the progression of workouts leading to it. And, I will do that. This just serves as a general guide for my weekly planning.

When laying out your plan remeber the hard-easy principle (see Hard-easy, Hard-easy). Also, pick out a primary, and a secondary workout. In otherwords, two main, fairly hard workouts. It's also important to think of these workouts as being written in pencil, not in pen. For instance, I usually do a medium hard run on the 31st route on Mondays. However, yesterdays bicycle ride just kicked my ass, and left me with a stiff and sore back as well. So, today I just did light running. You still want to strive to get that primary and secondary workout in each week.

Here's my plan for the week:
Monday - lunch - 3 easy miles. pm - 2 easy miles, a few sets of weights
Tuesday - 5-miles medium pace
Wednesday (secondary) - combo threashold, high mileage workout (see I Stink, therefore I am) It's basically a 1-mile warmup, 4 X 1-mile intervals at TP (threshold pace), followed by 4 easy miles
Thursday - lunch - weights, pm 4-easy miles
Friday - Lunch group run of 7-miles
Saturday (primary) - Long run, 16-miles easy.

Double your pleasure, Double your fun

How long can you go without sex? It's not like oxegen, or water. I know you're not going to die if you go without it for a given time. But, how long can you go before it becomes a major distraction, where you it occupies much of your waking moments. Can women go longer than men?

My workout today was a 30-mile bike ride. It was so beautiful today I had to get out into the country. One thing you need to be concerned with when choosing a course, is the direction of the wind. Especially if it's an out-and-back course. Ideally, you want to head out into the wind so you'll have it at your back on the return trip when you are a little tired. I knew this when I set out, but, I was a little limited because my car is in the shop. I tried to be conservative as far as distance, but, I still struggled with a head wind for 15-miles. It feels like you riding up a 15-mile hill. I'm still feeling it. Just my little tip of the day.

I went out on two dates yesterday. One was a lunch date at my favorite little Italian restaurant on the square. I usually like women younger than me. Kathy was a couple of years older. I wasn't disappointed. Sure, she had a few wrinkles, but she was still cute as hell. She also had won of the finest figures I've seen on an internet date. Petite and shaply. The kind of figure,that when she leaves for the bathroom, you watch her go, every stop of the way. We had about a two-hour, luxurious meal. She would be a fine woman to help me break out of my slump.

My evening date was at the Voodoo lounge. She had a very decent body, but, the face was a little suspect. What was that growth on the side of her eye? And another on the end of her lip. "Focus on the body, focus on the body!" I kept telling myself.

The next day she sent me a message saying that she had a good time, but prefered older men. I didn't have the heart to tell her that, even though my profile said 41, that I just turned 46 a few weeks ago, and was actualy 2 years older than her. She saved me from myself. That's what abstinance will do to you. It effects your judgement.

I would have loved to have started a full-time relationship with the (black) Widow Mary, but, she chose a different route. It's now been a month since I've had sex and about 5-months since I've had it on a regular basis. I honestly don't know how much longer I can hold out.

Happiness is a Messy House

Yesterday, I ran a hard 6-miler with Tiffany (see Ultra Woman post) which finished up a steep 3/4-mile climb up the 12th St. Viaduct. Today, I ran 12-miles after I dropped my car off. Unfortunately, I was 15-miles from my house. I guess the run yesterday took a lot out of me, plus, I was running on virtually 0 carbs having eaten only a cheese omelet all day. Talk about hitting the wall. But, I walked it in the final 3-miles. Only because my mom wasn't home to answer the phone.


A lot of people use the excuse "I just don't have enough time to workout!" Well, I'm going to give you some golden advice that will set you free. I'm of the opinion that people waste far too much time cleaning. Take making the bed, for instance, assume it takes you 2-minutes each day. That's 15-minutes a week you could be working out! You're only going to mess it up again that night.


I make sure that I keep a good supply of dishes and silverware on hand. Instead of washing them every day I wait until my scheduled rest day each week. That's a time saving of at least 20-minutes a day. And think of all the time you spend writing bills each month. They are not going to cut your gas or electricity, or cable service if you miss a month or two. So, I pay them about every third month. You know it's time when you get the "final disconnect" notice.

Determined to bounce back from being rejected by the Black Widow, I went back out with Melissa, the poor, cute girl. We enjoyed a beetles tribute band and I even got a nice, 2nd date kiss, with even a little bit of tongue. It was pretty nice. Except, next time, I hope she skips the onions.

Weight: 169.6

Another Day in the Books

This was taken today on the bridge by the FBI builing. Huge flocks of black birds use the area between downtown and the stockyards as a winter flyway. Plan a run through there sometime just before sunset. Sometimes the flocks are so big they look like black clouds with a life of their own.

It was another beautiful January day. I did a nice 4.75-mile run downtown. I've really bounced back well from the race. I'll run a 7-miler tomorrow with Tiff. I'm trying to get her hooked up with Mike.

Not much else to say. Just another day in the books.

Recovery Mode

I appreciate all of the advice I have received regarding my writing. For
the most part they usually sound like this, "Run a spell-checker you dumb-ass!"

I've even received some advice from a professional writer, The Lady-J, who,
kindly, said that, though, I was, fairly funny, I tended to, from time to
time, used, maybe, a little, shall we say, too many, you know, commas.
Personally, I, don't, think, that, I, do, but, I'm, going, to, defer, to,
the, professional.

I would also like to make an editorial note regarding Saturday's post. I
said that "Heidi Bryant was holding a bowel." In actuality, she is not
holding an internal organ. She is holding a bowl.

The last several days I've been in recovery mode. The amount of recovery depends on the length of the race. A martathon can take, easily, two-weeks of recovery before you can resume hard workouts. You shouldn't race in another for at least 6-months. Unless, you are some kind of masochist, which a lot of runners are.

A 5k can take as little as a couple of days. I expect recovery for my half-marathon to take about 5 - 6 days. That's doesn't mean that I do nothing in that time, instead, I do active recovery of very easy, progressively longer runs.

On Sunday, the day after the race, was basically a total rest day. I did take a 2-mile walk. On Monday, I did a 2-mile jog at lunch with a lot of stretching, then I did another 2-mile jog that night with some light lifting. Yesterday, I was starting to feel a little better, so I did a 4-mile medium run. Today, I'll do 6-miles with some stride outs thrown in, and then, Thursday, I'll do my first quality run.

To be honest, I didn't feel to much soreness. That means I probably, could have ran the race a little harder than I did. But that's OK. The pic is from my trip to Kauai with Yolanda.

That's how you recover from a race. Now, how do you recover from a broken heart?

Weight: 169.4

The Man with a Plan

I'm featuring Tim Whited today. You might think that this blog is just about marathoners, and elite athletes. It's really about taking your health into your own hands, and Tim is a perfect example. After having major back surgery in the mid 90's he was pushing 300lbs! He's been a regular at the Y for as long as I've known him. While I was talking to him today, he started off with a series of stretches for his back. This was his second workout of the day. He followed that with a long set of back extentions with a 10lbs weight. Then it was on to the treadmill for a power walk.

The main thing I like about Tim's approach is the fact that he has set specific goals and wrote them down. Another good thing he did was that he told others what the goals were. It's good to put pressure on yourself. The third thing he did was to educate himself about diet and the best workouts for him. See the link below about his diet. It sounded like it had a South Beach feel to it, of which I'm a big proponent.

To meet his goal of losing 20-lbs by his June vacation to Hawaii he's going to have to lose about 4-5 lbs a month. That won't be easy, but, it is reasonable. We are going to check in on him at the end of each month to see how he's doing. Now, if you haven't made you goals (see New Beginings in my archives) then click on the comment link below and write one down. Even if it's a goal to make some goals.

In his own words, this is Tim's bio:
"Age: 42
Medical: Back surgery 1995 (laminectomy on L5S1), genetic hypertension.
Cholesterol: 177
The worst: 295 pounds, summer 1998.
The Best: 248 pounds, fall 2005.
Broad goals: weight loss, improve cardiovascular health.
Short term goal: 240 pounds by June 2, 2006. Hawaii for scuba diving with the family for my 20th anniversary.
Long term goal: 225 pounds and stay under 230 for over 30 days.
Current weight: 261 pounds.
My workout: To make my next goal I am trying to workout at lunch and after work as often as possible.

-- I spend some time on the stretch trainer to loosen up my legs and back, which have been super tight since my surgery. -- Then I hit the back hyper-extension machine to specifically strengthen my lower back.
-- Then I hit the treadmill. 3.4 – 3.5 MPH at a 10 degree incline. 30 minutes at lunch, 60 minutes on weekends and after work. I don’t have time for the official 5 minute cool down at lunch, but I do after the 60 minute walk. 30 minutes burns 525 calories, and the 60 minutes burns nearly 1100 calories.
My diet: For the past 8 months I have been doing a diet from www.weightlossforidiots.com . It seems to help, but the only real way to lose is to combine diet (that’s DIE, with a “T”), and exercise."

Children? Well, that's a long story...

That’s how I start the story when I’m asked if I have any children. You would think they would get that from my profile. Well the answer is no, er, yes, uh, maybe, um, I don’t know. You see, it is a long story…

Back in the mid 80’s, 1985 to be exact, I was working as a waiter at a hotel restaurant. They had a quarterly hair show, where stylist would come in from all over the country to learn the latest styles and techniques. That’s where I met a salon owner from a small town in Texas, Tina. She was a beautiful, soft-spoken blonde, with a sexy, Texas accent. She was also married. We had an affair the first couple of shows she went too, and we would write each other in between. I do not know if she had a bad marriage or not. I got the impression he was a nice enough guy. Maybe she needed a little excitement in her small-town life.

We made love on my birthday, Jan. 5th, and she had a baby girl on Oct. 5th. That’s exactly 9-months. Now, I know that does not automatically make me the father, but, when you consider that the husband had a vasectomy, well, what do you think? She never told me one way or the other. Though very rare, it can happen.

The husband assumed the role of loving father, even though, he had to know. He was pretty well off, and her salon was very successful, too. So I know the girl was well taken care of.

Why do I bring up this story? Well, a Topeka woman contacted me, so I said “Why don’t you meet me at the finish line of my race and we’ll have pancakes and coffee at the post-race party”. I could tell right away that I was never going to see her again (too wrinkly). But, we went through the motions. When the question came up, “Do you have any kids?”, and I went into my “Well, it is long story..”, yarn. She said, “And you never tried to contact her or get to know her? You’re an ASS!” . Well, you dumb, wrinkly broad, what was I supposed to do, break up a family? I didn’t have a pot to piss in, in those days.

In the future, I’ll be more selective to who I tell that story too. But, when they ask me a direct question… I think about her from time to time, especially around her birthday. She’ll be 21 this year. I try to imagine what she looks like. I try to morph the picture of Tina, and me together to get an idea of what she might look like. I don’t even know her name.

There’s a good chance that she’s working in her mom’s shop. I know that the shop is still in business, because I’ve looked it up on the internet. Communications between Tina and I, gradually dwindled, till they stopped altogether. One of these days, I plan to take a trip to the small, Texas town of, blah-blah, and just drop by the shop and get my hair cut. Maybe I’ll get my hair cut by the daughter. I wouldn’t reveal my identity, that’s up to Tina. I would just make small talk. How’s your life? What are your aspirations? Are you in Love? Then I’d offer advice, which she’ll ignore. What 20-year-old listens to their parents? Kids!

Topeka: You Make it Hurt so Good

Today's race was the Topeka to Auburn Half-Marathon. I car pooled with my buddy Mike Cavillo, the one on the left. This race has become kind of tradition for me. I did not run it last year because I sprained my knee snowboarding. But, I've ran in it 5 of the last 6 years. It's a brutally hard race and weather is always a factor. It's always, either freezing cold, snow covered, icy, or raining. Sometimes, it's all of the above. That's part of its charm.


This is Heidi Bryant (Cute!), a perennial winner in the Kansas City area. You'd think shed get bored winning all the time. One of these days, I'll see if she'll let me profile her. One thing I notice about the female racing scene in the KC area, there is a handful that are excellent runners, and then the talent really drops off. I know there is talent out there, I guess they are too busy being mothers, or something, and just quit competing after college. The numbers may be there, but, maybe, they just don't train with the proper intensity. Maybe they don't know how. Read my blog!

Notice the bowel she is holding. All of the top trophies were bowels, or urns, and even flasks, were made by the art department at Washburn University. Even the medals were made from clay. Very cool!


The older gentleman pictured is the 72-year-old Wray Sharonbrack. He is from Milwaukee and just flew in for the race. He is on a mission to run a half-marathon in each state. He has 13 more to go. I asked him how long he thought it would take to finish the goal and he said by the end of the year! Think about it. That is over a half-marathon a month, each in a different state! Just the expense and logistics is crazy. I asked him how many marathons he's done in his life, and he said that he's run 512 marathons and ultra-marathons in his life! That's unbelievable. But I believe him. Someone call Ripley's.

This was a very competitive race, especially in the 40 and over male divisions. Mike won 1st in the 40-44 division with a 1:30. He was really pumped about it. There was a pack of us old guys. I fell back on some of the monster hills (and their were a lot of them). I had kind of fallen from the pack and was enduring the hell bymyself. Then, in the last 2-miles, an older guy pulled up with me from behind. He had on a Hawaian Ironman jersey. "Great", I thought to myself, I new I was going to have to race him in to the finish. I thought I was going to take him. We were both going neck and neck, sprinting the last 1/10 of a mile. It's not fair enduring that hell for 13-miles and then having to give everything you got at the very end. Well, I guess he wanted it a little more than I did. I jokingly grabbed his jersey like I was going to pull him back right before the finish line. At least we gave the crowd a thrill. It turns out, he was 52, so he wasn't in my age group anyway. Whew! I still had a chance for a medal.

They were giving medals to the top three finishers in each age group. They called the first two, and I wasn't won of them. Then they called the third, and it wasn't me either. I was bummed. But, the third place guy didn't stick around, so, the medal went to me! I mockingly pumped my fist, and the crowd laughed. After all that, I wasn't going home empty handed!

This race is a must-do. The course is crazy-hard, but scenic. It is wonerfully supported with excellent awards. Usually, they give out very nice, emrodered, wind shirts. But, this year, they gave out great gym backs with the Topeka to Auburn logo. How cool is that?! I'm kind of disappointed that more from my runnig group didn't show up. You all get the Winnie Award. Except for Rod, he had to go to his nephew's birthday party.

Blue Friday

No workouts today. I have to rest up for my half-marathon tomorrow morning in Topeka. I had a lunch date with the lovely, Widow Mary. I needed to load up on carbs, so we went to Garazzo’s on the River Market, but they were closed due to a power outage and we ended up at Anthony’s. We were having a pretty nice time. I was savoring the food, a glass of wine, and her beauty. I asked her out for next Friday. I have to ask her pretty far ahead of time so that she can arrange for a babysitter.

She paused, and then, I heard the dreaded words, “I’m seeing another guy, and I want to see where it goes”. Immediately, I put my hands over my ears, “I can’t hear you, blah, blah, blah!” I wasn’t prepared for that. I wasn’t prepared to develop such strong feelings for someone, so soon.

I’m pretty sure she thinks I’m some kind of playboy that’s never going to settle down. I don’t know where she gets that idea. Oh, yeah, my blog.

Back at the office, I stared out the window at cold drizzle. All of a sudden the game had become real. I still think things could work out between me and the widow. Time will tell. At some point, I’m going to have to make some decisions….

As I was driving home, I passed the “I’M SO SORRY, I LOVE YOU CASSIE” banner. It was still up after a week. I guess she never forgave him. It looked pretty pathetic in the rain. The helium balloons were slumped. Deflated. The ink from the letters was running, like tears in the rain.

Money Can't Buy Me Love (or can it?)

Victoria, this picture is for you. Slow down, relaaaax, listen to the waves. I just did a very easy 4-miler today. Tomorrow, I won't even run at all. That should leave me well rested for the half-marathon on Saturday. I'm having lunch with widow Mary. I'm going to load up on carbs at Garazzos.

I haven't been doing many new searches on the personals, lately. But, I have had several women contact me (I still got it!), so, it would be rude not to go out with them. I arranged to meet Melissa at Knuckleheads. I always get lost going there, even though I've been there a few times. I know how to find it now. So, I walk in right on time, instead of my customary 10-minutes early. I like to slam down a drink before they get there so they don't think I'm some kind of lush.

She was at the door waiting for me. I was impressed. She was an Amy Irving look alike. She had tight curls in her hair ( natural ) which was back in a bun. She had a cute, hippy kind of outfit. And she was tall, and lean. That's refreshing. Anymore, when they say they are average, that means about 20-lbs overweight, which, I guess, is average these days. So, I paid for our tickets and we found some decent seats and listened to the Holmes Brothers. Three older black men, who play some mean blues.

Now, I'm not looking for GS ( gratuitous sex ) these days, so, I kind of look at each date for long-range potential. I already mentioned, she was very attractive, and, she was also, very charming. A pretty cool chick overall. After the band was done, I walked her back to her car. The car she drove, was a 17-year-old Toyota corolla with 250,000 miles. She was driving on a doughnut. She had a tire in back that I thought was ok, but, that was the one that was flat. She said she was going to get it fixed. I looked at, and it was pretty bald, so I told her it wasn't worth getting fixed. She needed a new one. The look she gave me told me she couldn't afford one. In fact, I don't think she had a dime on her.

My momma always told me, "It's just as easy to fall in love with a rich girl, as it is with a poor one". And there is some truth in this. One of the things that I liked about my last girlfriend was that she made a nice income. And, she didn't mind paying her share of things. It just let us do that many more, fun things to do together. It let us take some nice vacations together. At the other end of the spectrum, I had another ex-girlfriend, who initials were, Yolanda, who made a nice income, but, if she ever reached for a check, I think I would have passed out.

Yes, money does matter. I would like to retire early, with a fine woman by my side. A woman that's an asset, not a liability.

I Thought I Thaw a Tweety Bird

I did! I did, thsee a tweety bird. A weird thing happened to me yesterday, I was walking downtown (KC) when I heard a lyrical chirping on the ground. I looked down, and it was a bright yellow and green parakeet. Just a beautiful bird. So, I slowly walk up to it and almost grabbed it, but, it flew off and landed on the iron gate that guards the FBI building. So, I sloooowly sneak up on it and reach my hand through the gate to try to grab it, and just missed again. I'm sure the FBI security cameras were zeroed in on me. It flew off to the park.

I've been out a few more times trying to look for it, but, no luck. The poor thing. All alone in the cold. I bet the other birds pick on her because she's different. Those starlings can be real bastards.

Sunday, was pretty much a rest day. I did take my fat-tire bike out and rode around the Independence slums for about an hour 15-minutes. Monday, we did the usual 31st street route, a very hilly 5.6 miles. I knew this might be my last quality run before the half-marathon on Saturday, so I tried to push it. I gave Rod a 5-minute head start, but, couldn't catch him. He must have pushed it, too. I ran it in 40:00, which is about a 7:00 pace. I was okay with that. Not ecstatic, just ok.

Since I have run 3, hard threshold runs in the last 6-days, yesterday was a very easy day. I, basically, spent it looking for my bird. No luck. Today, I thought about squeezing in another Quality run, but, then thought it would do more harm than good. So, I just ran about 4.75 at a moderate pace.

The next tow days, I'll pretty much just take it easy. That's called tapering. For a marathon, you taper for a full two-weeks. Since this isn't a life or death race, two-days is enough.

Love, and the Pursuit, Thereof (the pleasures and perils of internet dating)

I saw this homemade banner hanging along 23rd St on my way to work. I was wondering what the guy did to make Cassie so mad. My guess is that he left the toilet seat up. What's your guess? Leave it in the comment section. I'll give a prize for the best one.

I may have made a mistake by telling potential dates about my blog. I just needed some readership. After all, what good is writing if nobody reads it? It's kind of like a science experiment that's been compromised. I've even had someone tell me that she "couldn't compete."

I had a great date Friday night with someone I really dig, the widow Mary. We've talked via e-mail for quite a while, but, that was our first date. Who knows what the future holds. She may not even have the same feelings for me, as I do for her. So, time will tell.

That being said, I went out on a very casual date with a different girl, Saturday. A Sicilian girl. At first, I wasn't going to mention it for fear that it would mess things up with WM. But, I want this to be a true representation of internet dating. I want this blog to have some modicum of journalistic integrity.

The Saturday night date didn't have the fire that the Friday night date did, but, it did have a mutual warmth. Just two people enjoying a nice meal and engaging in open, stimulating conversation.

Some people might read my blogs and think that I'm a real "Player". That's a term that a lot of women put in their profiles of what the don't want. I don't really think of myself that way. I do, probably, go out on a lot of dates. And, I won't always pass up the chance at gratuitous sex (safe sex, for the record). But, I am open to finding true Love and a lasting relationship. I want to find that. I'm just not in big ass rush to find it.

There are a lot of guys that are out there that are looking for a good time, and a good time only. That's why I try to focus my searches on girls that are new to the personals site, before they get "tainted” on the whole thing.

Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of women out there that are just looking for a good time. Maybe not always the traditional view of a good time, i.e. sex, still, not wanting a possesive type of relationship. Most are looking for their "knight in shining armor", or, their "soul mate". In fact, they will use those exact words in their profile. But, I just wanted to point out, that there is a section of women out there that are definitely, not looking for a long term relationship.

2-weeks to Ground Hog

The widow Mary asked me what the best way for to prepare for the Ground Hog Run which was two-weeks away. For you out of towners, the Ground Hog Run is a really cool race, run through caves. They're basically used for storage and are well paved, and are a comfortable temperature. They run a 5k and then a 10k, with about 2,500 runners in each.

Well, the best way would be to turn back time about 3 months, build up a solid base with L.S.D. (long slow distance) for about 6 weeks, and then transition to quality training, 2/3 VO2 Max intervals, 1/3 threshold runs for the next 6 weeks, with a 1-week taper.

Of course, it's a little late for that. So, what's the best way to squeeze out the best time possible in a 5 (or 10k) in less than two weeks? I'm going to assume that you've been doing at least a little bit of aerobic activity. Maybe running a few miles a day, 3 or 4 days a week, or, doing an aerobics class, or using the elliptical machine or stationary bike a few times a week. In other words, you have a mini base working.

The first thing I would do is throw in some stride-outs. These are mainly for injury prevention, before you move into some intervals, but, they'll also put a little "bounce" in your step. They'll wake up a few of your fast-twitch muscle fibers. Do your regular 4-mile run, but, about half-way through, do about 5 or 6 stride-outs, which consist of, gradually, increasing your speed until you reach a near sprint at the 50-yard mark (about 90% of max), and then gradually slowing down for 50 yards. You want to feel a powerful stride. These should become part of your weekly routine, a minimum of 2 times a week, no matter what your level.

Now, the quickest way to lower your 5k time in a 2 week period is to introduce yourself to Ms. Lactic Acid. I say Ms. because of her wicked vindictive nature. The good new is that your body will make the biggest gains in adapting to Ms. L, in the first few workouts. We are going to try to squeeze in 3 of these types of workouts in the next 2-weeks.

For the first VO2 Max workout, I want you to run go to a track, probably, at some local high school. Warm up with at least a half-mile of easy running and some good hamstring stretches. We must protect the hammies! In this first workout, I want you to do 10 X 400m (1-lap) with a 1-min 30-sec rest between each. I want you to run them in the same pace that you want to run the 5k in. So, if you want to run a 28-minute 5k (a 9:02 pace), then, I want you to run these in 2:15. If you want to run a 20-min 5k, then run them in 95-seconds.

Run an easy 30-40 minutes for the next two-days. Then, back to the track. This time, you are going to run 600-meters, or, 1 1/2 laps, You'll do 6 - 8 of these. These are done at the same pace as the others. ie., 3-min 22-sec for you 28-minute 5kers, 1:26 for you 20-min 5kers.

Again, either do two-days of easy, 30-40 minute runs, or, you could even take a day off after the interval running. Please be mindful of legs. Injuries usually happen when they are the most fatigued. If you feel a twinge, cut the interval workout off immediately. Unfortunately, I know this from experience. You are doing a crash course, but, you don't want to crash.

Do another two-days of easy running, 30-40 minutes. And now, one last interval session. This time, we'll try some ladders. That means, we'll start at 400m, then 600m, then 800m (two laps), then 600, and finish with a 400. The 400's will be just a little faster than your previous rates, the 600 & 800's, at the same rate.

If you are racing in the 10k, and, your projected time is 50-minutes or slower, then exchange these workouts for workouts 1 & 3 above. Go to the track, or treadmill, and run 4 halfs (800's) at your projected race pace. Take a 1:30 rest in between. Cool down with at least a mile run. For the third workout, do a 18 to 20-minute tempo run at your projected race pace.

The last few days before the race, just take it easy, with maybe 3-miles each day. I don't really like the idea of these "crash" workouts, but, I know that the ego is a delicate thing and that everyone is going to ask you the next day, "What was your time?" And you can't lie, because you know they'll look it up on the internet. You can round-down, though. So, a 27:59 becomes a 27 flat. Good luck on race day!

Why Do I Run

Running is hard. It's time-consuming. At times, it can be humbling. Often, there's a lot of physical pain that goes with it. Why do I run? Why don't you? This is a very basic question that has as many answers as there are runners. I asked an old friend (and ex-girlfriend), Shela, that question. I would like to hear your reasons why you run, so, click on the comment button and tell me. In her own words:

"When asked why I run, my response is sometimes different depending on who is asking and why. When asked with such disdain, “So, why DO you run”? I respond, “Because I can”. Or, “Because I am 45 years old, have three grown children and can still wear a size 6”. That’s right. It pretty much allows me to eat whatever I want. Seriously though, because I was for ten years a single mother raising three extremely active daughters, I needed something that enabled me to create and sustain a kind of energy allowing me to keep up with the darlings.
You know, the more I do, the more I can do. Running is affordable and it can be done just about anytime, anywhere. I have run from home, work, softball fields, soccer fields, parks, trails and city streets, in town and out of town, 5:30 in the morning, at noon and at night, in the heat, wind, rain and snow. Shoes, that’s really all I need, no fancy running gear, just shoes. Is running addictive? I don’t know, but, for me, with a little self-motivation, it became habit forming.

To leave out the door for a run I more or less would rather skip because I’m tired or feel like there are a million and one other things I should be doing, but then return from that run having gone even further than intended and having run faster than I would have thought possible is rewarding and empowering. No one can take this away from me.

There are a number of reasons why my sport or activity of choice is running, but, I have always known there is more to life than running. Running along with working, playing, eating, sleeping is an integral part of my life and will be always."

I Stink, Therfore, I Am

That's what I was thinking as I was waiting to be seated at the Mexican restaurant that is conviently located on the way home from where I do my Saturday runs. I think they may open up a new section there. "Would you like smoking, non-smoking, or stinking?" Ah, the sweet smell of success.

Normally, Saturdays are long-run days. But, I have a half-marathon race next Saturday, and I'm behind in my speed. So, I'm going to introduce you to a kind of combination workout. It's great for marathon training. I usually do it as a mid-week, workout. I went back to the Little Blue trail. It's nice because they have mileage markers. I warm up for a mile, then I do 4 X 1-mile repeats at TP (threshold pace, go back an read Quality counts for an explanation) with 1:15 rest in between. I averaged a little under 7:00 for these. I know, you're thinking, "Hell, I can run 4 seven minute miles" Duh, I can run a lot faster too. The thing is, you want to keep your heart rate in that 85 - 90% Max zone, which for me, is between 160 and 170. The first one will end at 160 and each one will increase until on the last one you end with it at 170.

Now, a month from now, I'll do the mile repeats at that heart rate, but, the miles will be at about 6:30 pace or so. It's kind of neat how that happens. I gradually, but steadily lower my times at the same percieved effort.

Here's the unique part of the workout, after I finish the cruise intervals, I run another 4 or 5 easy miles. This gives me 10 total miles. It's a nice way to pad your weekly mileage. Plus, I think it simulates what you might feel late in a marathon. The intervals dip into your glycogen stores. It's a very effective workout. Add it to your repetoire.

The pic is from a book that the lovely Mary gave me last night. It's loaded with hilarious animal pics with funny captions. Thanks Mary.

Tonight's, the Night..

Sorry for this pic. I was obligated to post it because I made my date where a skirt. Believe me, it was worth it.

Yesterday, I ran a breezy, 4.75 on the Crown Center loop. You know you're starting to get in shape when even your easy runs are at a pretty good clip.

Now, about my much anticipated date with the widow Mary. She told me that she hadn't been on a real date for over 5-years. I assured her that this would, definetly, be her best date in 5-years. It's not often a guy can say that.



We met at the Voodoo, and, of course, she was about a half-hour late. But, she was worth the wait. You know, internet dating is like a box of chocalates. Sometimes you bite into one, and think, "That wasn't bad", then, sometimes you bite into one, and it has that nasty, white filling that you hate, and you spit it out in the trash, and put the other half back in the box.

Then, sometimes you bite into one that has that cherry-flavored goo that you just love, and you squeeze it out on your tongue and slowly savor it. Then, later, you think about it and wish you had another piece. My date last night was that piece of chocolate.

I won't go into any more details of the date, because, a gentleman never tells. But then again, I'm no gentleman. To those people in the parking lot, I apoligize. I'm sorry you had to see that.

Tempo Run

This is from the Truman run. Don't know who she is, but, she's pretty hot. The proceeds go to The Sunshine House, which provides services to local handicapped children. Come on down to Independence (white trash capital of the world) and help us out.

Today was the first day my hip didn't hurt in a week, so, I decided to blow out some cobwebs with a 4-mile tempo run. I mentioned tempo runs last week in Quality Counts. It's a type of threshold run, as opposed to VO2 Max interval. Last week's threshold run consisted of mile intervals with a short rest of 1-minute in between each. These were done at threshold pace (TP), which I said was the pace you could maintain in an hour-long race. Tempo runs are steady runs of about 20 to 25-minutes at TP.

I did the 4-mile school route in 26:45, or about 6:40 pace. You know you are doing the right pace when your heart rate is about 85 to 90% of you maximum when you are well into the run. Since my max is 186, that means 165 would be my target rate. Determining you max heart rate will be in a posting next week.

I kind of surprised myself. I didn't think I was in all that good of shape. I need to try to fit in two, maybe three more threshold runs before the Topeka Half-marathon next Saturday, then, maybe I won't embarrus myself.

Excuses, Excuses

This is from a little booklet I have on running form. It's just a little intro, for now. We'll talk more about later later. Click on the pic to read it.

I took yesterday off. It was an unscheduled rest day, but, my hip was very, very sore. Unlike most people, who find it easy to skip workouts, I sometimes work through injuries, when I should be resting. I'm a workout junkie, and I have to have my fix. My hip was still painful, but it was a little better, so I did 30-minutes on a stationary cycle at lunch, and then another 20-minutes with weights after work.

For some people, it's a major project just to get a workout in. I have a friend, we'll just call her Shela, who was giving me a bunch of excuses why she didn't do a particular workout, and I came back with "Blah, blah, blah". She got really pissed off about that. We still joke about it when we talk about non-workouts.

Today, my highly-anticipated date for Friday night was struggling with how to fit in a workout. She's a single mom, and, I guess it can be a little hard sometimes. She sent me a funy e-mail that I'm going to share. Hope she doesn't get pissed. I seems I have a knack for that.

"Advantages of working out in a gym:

1. Climate controlled environment
2. Can run on track which is easier on feet
3. Don't have to wear a bunch of layers
4. Easier to track exact mileage
5. Can use weights after work out
6. Can sit in sauna/steamroom after workout
7. Don't worry about 2 year old terrorizing big brother and sister because he's in the nursery
8. (This is a big one....) Can take a shower AND shave legs without 2 little eyes peering at me and yelling for attention....
9. Of course, able to watch cute guys work out.


Advantages of running outside:

1. Can run further because it's not so boring
2. Scenery is better (with the exception of #9 above)
3. Better way to train for races
4. Less hassle as far as getting to/from - right outside my door
5. Can totally tuneout life and get lost in the run.... "

Ultra Woman

Meet Tiffany Darby, or is it Cammeron, or, Gregloganus. It changes about every other week. She's one of the area's best ultra-marathoners. That's any distance above a marathon. Just last month she ran a 3:26 in the Las Vegas Marathon. She's shooting for a PR in the 10k at the Ground Hog Run on the 29th. She's competing in an adventure race next month, then she's setting her sites on the money for a solo Brew to Brew. That's about 43-miles.

Here's, in her words, a typical week's training. Guys, she is single, and, if you think you can hang with her, then she wants to get to know you:
"My training is not a "typical" marathoner's schedule. I usually run maybe 3 days a week but I do a lot of cross training. These past several weeks I have been doing a lot of training for my upcoming adventure race. I spent about 1.5 hours canoeing the previous weekend and rode about 20 miles on the road bike, then an 11 mile run. This past weekend, I ran 11 miles on the trails with a backpack on, went to the Ibex Climbing gym and spent 2 hours climbing with my son. On Sunday, I rode mountain bikes for about 1.5 hours with a group then participated in an orienteering meet for a few hours at Shawnee Mission Park.

Normally, I will lift weights twice a week, run long on the weekend, a mid-week 7.5 mile run, and a 4-mile VO2 max run on the treadmill, and do the spinning classes twice a week.

I plan to start increasing my long runs in preparation for B2B. My next long run will be in the 15 mile range. I'm hoping for a 6:30-6:45 finish time at B2B. That may be optimistic, we'll see. I'll reevaluate when it gets closer."

Last summer she placed in 5k nudist run on the west coast. She's promised to let me post her pictures from the race if she doesn't break 43:00 at the Ground Hog. Here's hoping she fails!

Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall

This is a pic of my 88-year old Mom. If you lined up all the 80 year olds in the city for a mile race, she would probably lap the field.

So far, it seems that I have been focusing on advanced runners and workouts, but, I really want to get everybody on the bandwagon. Don't read my postings and get discouraged, thinking, "I could never do that?" The fact is, I didn't get back into running until 5-years ago. I was a pretty good runner in my younger days, but, those 20-year layoffs are killers. Every spring,I'd try out for the Corporate Challenge, and just absolutely embarrass myself. So, in the summer of 2000 I made it a point to training for the next year's Challenge.

Every day I would run the same course along the river and touch the gate exactly 2-miles away. It was like a ritual. The 4-mile loop would take me a whole 40-minutes to complete. Granted, it was 110 degree heat index. The first couple of weeks, I'd be so tired I'd nearly fall asleep at my desk, but, I stuck with it, and a year latter I finished my first marathon, just missing qualifying for Boston by 2-minutes.

Do you need to start running? Before you answer, stand in front of a full length mirror, nude. I'll do the same. Front doesn't look too bad. The back? Now that looks damn, good! The side. Uh oh, there's the problem.

Now lace them up and hit the road! And then do it again tomorrow. And the next, and the next, and the........

Now, back to mom. This morning when she was cooking my breakfast (No, I don't live with my mom. I live next door), there was a thing on the news about smoking, and she said that, 50-years ago, my dad walked in and stated that he had quit smoking. Well, my mom said that if he could do, she could too, and took her cigarettes out of her purse and threw them in the trash, and never smoked another one.

If she hadn't made that decision, at that moment, I don't think she's be her today. Then who'd do my laundry? We all reach a point in time, where we make a choice, and it affects the rest of our life. An epiphany.

You're still standing in front of the mirror. Now, don't look at you, but, within you. Is there a decision you want to make?

Pass the Ibupropan, Please

This is a marathon finisher at the KC Marathon.

Today, my hip was killing me. So, naturally the obvious choice would be to take the day off. But, I have a half-marathon in 12 days. So, off days are out of the question. Normally, I'd do my regular Monday 31st run, but, I did back down some and spent 40-minutes on the elliptical machine instead. My hip still hurt afterwards.

That's part of being an athlete. Dealing with pain. Normally, the best way to handle this would be to take a few days off. But, I'm not where I need to be. So, I try to train through it. For my second workout, I forego anything involving my legs. I lift concentrating on my upper body, instead. My treatment consisted of mass quanities of Ibuporpean. Luckily, I have na endless supply at work. My desk is littered with the little single dose packages.

I had a dinner date tonight. She suggested Ponack's. Any Mexican Restaurant on the Boulevard is a good first date place. Ponack's has the distinction of having about the best, and strongest margaritas in town.

My date, "Wild Side" had a unique hobby, she competes in horse riding, endurance events. For some reason, I could envision me and her riding through a field of Queen Mary's lace, TOTALLY NUDE. Don't know why, it just kind of popped in my head.

Or Die Trying

This tee shirt was the winning entry in the KC Corporate Challenge tee-shirt design contest, and was on their web page. If you are not from KC, the Corporate Challenge is an annual sporting event. It's kind of like the Olympics for businesses and teams and individual compete in a wide variety of sports. In case you can't read it, the front says, "If I'm not berathing, give my CPR." And, the back says, "Turn me over, I might still be alive."

The irony is, during the 5k event, someone had a massive heart attack at the start and died right there on the course. The finish of the race was also the starting line, so, as I came down the final stretch, I ran past him while they were desperately giving him chest compressions.

The tee-shirt posting remained on the Corporate Challenge web page for a few days after the incedent until I pointed it out to a race director. The irony of ironies would have been if he had been wearing one of these shirts. A few days later, the daughter wrote a nice memorial for the man, who was 71, and owned the meat distibuting company he was sponsoring. She described how he trained regularly, and was really looking forward to competing. He sounded like a very upbeat kind of guy.

In my mind, that would be the way that I would want to go, doing something I loved. It wouldn't be running, though, that would be my third choice. I think you know what my first choice would be. That's right, while fishing. While having sex would be a close second. Maybe, while having sex while fishing, hmmm. I can see it now, I'd be deep-sea fishing off the coast of Costa Rica and hook the world-record marlin. After fighting it for a couple of hours and getting it to the edge of the boat, it makes one last plunge and pulls me over the side. It'll make one last jump, and I'll be riding on it's back, smiling, and give one last wave to my friends on the boat and then plunge to the depths of the ocean.

Leave a post and tell me how you want to go out.

Today is a rest day, but, I'll probably go for a nice long bike ride this afternoon. I'm making my famous chili for my birthday party.

Killing Me Softly

I've had a little soreness in my left hip lately, so, for my long run, I decided to find a soft surface. The Little Blue Trail is perfect for this. It's on the East side of Independence and runs along the Little Blue River. It's semi-wooded, well maintained, but, most importantly, it's made of a packed, fine gravel. Just like the Katy Trail. I started on the north end, but, next Saturday, I think I'll use the trail head on the south end. I'll get the exact address latter, but, it's just off of I-70, by all the new buildings going up, like Joe's Crabshack.

I ran for exactly two-hours and covered 14-miles. It was a beautiful day, yet there weren't too many people out. It's kind of scenic. I like the fact that there aren't a lot of cyclist on the trail, unlike the Indian Creek trail. What are those $%& @#*^&% doing riding on a trail anyway? Take it out on the road, you *&^&@ &@^!

I thought I was doing pretty good running my 8:15 pace, but, I was startled when this black guy wisked by me, like the wind. He wasn't African-American black, he was African black. Was it Shadrack Kimili? Was he real, or just a ghost, a vision?


A soft surface can go a long way in easing the beating you take. They say asphalt is a soft surface, but, it's still pretty hard to me. I'd like to do some running on a grassy surface, but, that's a little hard to find around here. A golf course would be nice. Wish they were a little more open minded about permitting runners. I think my soreness stems from some lunges I was doing a couple of days ago. I was doing them to as a way to prevent this kind of soreness. I jsut have to remember to ease into it.

After the run, I rewarded myself with burito lunch at Los Fuentes with a 32oz ice cold Dos Eques beer. Then a nap. No date tonight, yet. Took my nephew to see the Globetrotters. He liked it alot. It brought back memories of when my dad used to take me.

46, and a Day

Well I got a couple of nice birthday cards yesterday, the first was from my date last night. She was very attractive, sweet, and had the body of a 20-year-old. She also gave me two primo chocolate bars.




We went to see an Eagles Tribute band. I know they are a 70's band, but, most of the people there were in their 70's. The casino must have given a lot of comp tickets to their big slot players. My date was really, and sweet (and attractive), but, I don't know if we have quite the same lifestyles. She's an RLDS member and doesn't drink. Either I'm going to have to become a fundamentalist Christian ( I am a Christian, but more of Cathlic acting Babtist), or, she's going to have to come over to my side. Like the Lou Reed song: "Hey, babe, take a walk on the wild side, I say, hey sugar, take a walk on the wild side. And the colored ladies say, Do, di do, di do, doooo".

My workout today was an easy 4.75-mile run at lunch with my boss, Rod. I actualy felt a little run down afterwards. I think, because I have been eating low carbs lately. I have lost 3lbs since New Years.

This card was from my most recent ex. Do you think she's still mad at me?




Weight: 167.8

Today is Your Birthday, With Nothing to Do, Yeah

This is a large, dead, Leatherback turtle that washed up onto the beach near Ft. Lauderdale. He probably swam the ocean for a hundred years. I guess we all end up this way, washed up, upon the sands of time.

Happy Birthday to Me, Happy Birthday to Me, Happy Birthday, Dear David,
Happy Birthday to Me!

Technically, I'm 46 today, almost a third of the way through my life. But, if you are as young as you feel, then I'm 29. I may even have a date tonight. I won't know until 7:00.

Yesterday, I didn't have time to input my actual workout, just what I planned to do. I made a point of telling exactly what I do, no more, no less. I had planned doing a Cruise Intervals, 4-one milers, in 6:53. However, I only did 3, and at a slower pace of about 7:05. It may have been that I felt a little worn from the previous workout, or, it might have been because the treadmills I used were brand new out of the box and I think it might have been calibrated a little differently. I other words. 6:53 on the old machine was like 6:40 on these new ones.

I could tell that I was working harder than the desired level because I was wearing a hear heart rate monitor and it was ticking away a lot faster than I had planned. My maximum heart rate is 186, and, for threshold workouts, I want it to hoover around 165 half-way through the workout.

Today, was a rest day, so, I just did 20-minutes on the elliptical and then lifted weights for about 25-minutes during lunch.

My BD date just called. The date is on! She's a blonde cutie, too. We are going to go see an Eagles tribute band at the Voodoo Lounge.

Weight: 168.2 That's 2.6 less than New Year's Day.

Quality Counts

So far, all I've been doing is easy runs. Early in the season, easy, longer runs should be the bulk of your work. The idea being that you need to build a solid, aerobic base. But I have a half-marathon in two-and-a-half weeks, so, I have to add some quality workouts, or speedwork, before then.

It's important to note that Quality is just a matter of terminology. This doesn't mean that the easy, longer runs lack quality. They are just as essential to bringing out your best.

These Quality workouts fall under two categories, VO2 Max, and threshold. VO2 Max are geared more for 10k and under training, but, I'm training for a half-marathon, and then a marathon in a couple of months, so, threshold will make the bulk of my quality for right now. I'll do about 3 of these types of workouts in a two-week period.

I won't go into the biochemical details, basically, I'm just working at improving my body's tolerance of lactic acid. Think of it as a way to improve a body's ability to sustain a hard pace for an extended period of time.

There are two types of threshold workouts, Temp runs, and Cruise Intervals. My favorite Cruise interval workout is to run 4 X 1-mile repeats @ threshold pace (TP) with a very short rest of about 1 or 1:15 in between each. Think of your TP as being the pace you can run in an hour long race. For me, right now, that would be about 6:50 or so. You can quickly and steadily lower this pace over several weeks.

It would be nice to have a training partner right about my level that I could do these with on a track, but, for right now, I do them on a treadmill.

Weight: 169.2

Twice a Day, Keeps the Dr. Away

Another great day for running. I ran a moderate paced 6-miler at lunch with my boss, Rod, and Damieon. We ran from the Y and around the downtown airport.

I started doing 2-a-day workouts about 6-weeks ago. Even with an understanding boss, it's hard to get in an adequate workout during the lunch hour, so, I go to the Y after work for a second one. It's usually fairly light. My main goal is to just burn some calories. I work at a desk all day, and, I'm not that active at home either. As I said before, one of the keys for me to reach my goals is to lower my weight. I'll start off with 20 - 25-minutes on the elipictical. That will bun off about 3 Ultras (as in Michelob). Then, I do some lifting. I did military presses, leg lifts, setups, lunges with dumbells, lats, and curls. Since I'll lift on back to back days, I'll focus on different body parts each time.

I'll do two-a-days 3 or 4 times a week. It helped quite a bit in maintaining my weight during the Holidays. I'll typically gain about 5lbs., which is pretty typical.

I turn 46 on Thursday. I'd like to go see an Eagles tribute band, but, I don't have a date. Yet.

Weight: 170.4

Beginnings

This was taken on a trip with Yolanda on the Island of Kaui. She just got married this fall. That makes 3 ex-girlfriends who have got married in the last couple of years. That makes me feel... Like, whew! I dodged some major bullets! Actually, they were all pretty cool chicks. I just wasn't ready.

Yesterday, Sunday the first, was a beautiful day! Record temp of 62 for New Years. I wanted to go to a New Year Day running party, but, I didn't get up until 9:45 and wasn't feeling too whoopy from the last night. I ran a very slow 6-miles to, and through Mt. Washington cemetery. A beautiful place.

Today, it was back to work after a week of vacation. I ran with my boss, Rod, the 31st St. route, downtown KC, which is hilly as hell. It's a 5.5-mile course.

At the beginning of the week , I try to plan my workouts for the rest of the week. And it helps to know what you want to accomplish. So, you need goals! Since this is the beginning of the new year, I'm going to establish my long term goals (for the year). I'm also going to establish intermediate goals (within 2-months). Once you have these, it's easy to layout your short-term goals for the week.

I'm laying out pretty aggressive goals this year:
1) Qualify for the Boston Marathon and set a PR doing it. That means that I have to run under 3:18. I wanted to do the Feb 19 race in Ft. Lauderdale, but, I probably will need another month to PR, so, I'll shoot for a March marathon instead. Maybe at Virginia Beach.

That will give me time to recover and start training for my second goal:
2) Win at least 1 medal in the Corporate Challenge. I've come pretty close, but, so far no cigar. Potential events are 5k, one-mile, 800-meters, bike race, and/or duathalon. These events run from mid-May to mid-June.

That's as far as I want to plan ahead for now. Now, for the intermediate goals. There is a cool half-marathon in Topeka on the Jan 21. If I can run under 1:30, I might win a master's trophy. I should be able to get at least an age-group medal.

The following week is the Ground Hog Run 10k. That's really too close to the half to expect too much, but, I'll see what I have.

Now, for my New Year's resolutions:
1) Drink less and less often
2) Lower my body fat to 10% or less by the end of the year. That's probably about 15 lbs. I'll post my daily weight as well
3) Keep my house clean(er)
4) Always be a gentleman
5) Always wear a condom (if given the chance)

Today's weight: 170.8

¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

That's one of my resolutions, to learn a new Spanish phrase every day. It's New year's Eve, mid-afternoon, I still hadn't got around to my daily workout. Somedays, you just don't feel it, and today was one of those days. What do you do on days like that? You feel the need to workout, but, the will is not there.


Well, I packed my gear and drug my butt to the car and headed to the Y. When I got there, the parking lot was empty. They were closed! I took that as a sign, today would be a rest day, which is probably for the best. Rest is an important element to the any training program.

At least it was a moral victory. I had fully intended to run an easy 4 and then lift some weights. Instead, I spent time with my nephew shooting baskets and playing keep-away with his crazy Boxer dog, Beaner.


Now, my attention turns to another problem. It's 6:30 and I don't have a date for New Year's Eve. I check for messages on my personal's accounts, but, no luck. It's doesn't look good.

Then, I hear a faint knock on my door. It's an old girlfriend of mine. She said that she had just been dumped. Now, I had an attractive date/designated driver for New Year's Eve. It's off to the Voodoo Lounge at Harrah's. GO TO THE VOODOO THAT YOU DO BEST!