Just a quick update. I am still working on my Monster Half wrap up blog, hopefully later today.
Good that I finally got back to swimming. After about two months away from the pool, we were finally healthy and got out but out of bed to get to the 6:30 masters swim this morning. It was very rough, cardio conditioning was still there but my arm and shoulder muscles both were screaming at me by the end. Even my bad left shoulder decided to let me know how unhappy it was. And boy was I slow..... Turtle, Turtle, Turtle. At least I am back in the water.
Sad that on my way to work after swim and morning coffee I came across a little dog that had just got hit. I turn around and came back to see if there was any hope. He was gone. I picked him/her up to get out the middle of the road, I didn't want the little guy/girl to get hit anymore. Unfortunatly the little dog was wearing a collar but there was no tags.
As I was standing there calling the police, a women pulled up, at first I thought she might be the owner, but it turns out her husband hit the dog while driving their kids to work. Apparenty he was very upset/shaken and could not stop with the kids, he called her to see if she could go see if there was anything that could be done. She also called the Police and as we were talking a squad pulled up. Hopefully the Police can check for micro chip to let the owner know. Heaven forbid anything ever happen, but I would rather know then always wondering what happened to one of my dogs.
I know I am a big sap, and it doesn't really suprise me how much I am affected by this, very sad and shaken, and I just stopped to try to help after the fact. I would be an absolute mess if I ever hit any animal, especially a dog or cat.
Tonight, I am going to go home a hug everyone of my pups, even Rugar, and make sure all of their tags are on their collars and are up to date.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Tuesday (Wednesday) Night Track Intervals
According to the schedule Tuesday was supposed to be 4x800m intervals at the track. Unfortunately when we got there the football team was still on the field and the marching band was just warming up, marching on the track?? We guessed they must be practicing Homecoming?? Anyway, we were unable to get on the track to get our workout in so we decided to try again on Wednesday evening, what we should have done was adjust and get in Wednesday’s easy run, but instead we headed home for dinner. Not a big fan of after work workouts, body is too hungry.
So last night we tried again, this time we also invited Steve, he was looking to get in a four mile and I suggested he could get it done on the track, with getting dark earlier it is getting tougher to get evening workouts in. When we got there, the only people on the track/field was that soccer team, but the track was clear so we started our warm up laps. When we finished with the warm up, Steve was just arriving, so he started on his 4 miles we started on our intervals. Unfortunately for Kris, her shins started to bother her on the warm up, so she was not sure what she could get done, but she started just after took off.
My first 800 was fast, wish I knew how fast but I had an issue with Kris’s Polar HR watch and did not get it started. I was able to see my HR and it was 172-176, which was about the target for tonight’s workout. I defiantly could tell I took off fast and slowed down a bit on the second lap. Really sucking wind when I was done, took a cool down lap and even then an extra minute to rest before I started again.
Second time was the charm, got the watch started and I finished with a 3:01, one second faster then my goal range but felt better, did not take off so fast this time. Cool down lap, grabbed the water this time. 3rd 800 was a bit slower, 3:08 this time, but still in my target range. Cool down lap, HR is no longer coming down as fast this time, down to 142. 4th and last 800, 3:00 my fastest timed 800 of the night, remember I had no time for the first 800.
All in all I was very happy with tonight’s workout. All of my 800’s were in the time range and my HR was actually lower then what I was expecting, closer to my Tempo range, 87-92%. And the average for the 3 800’s and the cool down laps was 144. So the question then becomes, do I have more in me, could I have gone faster? Do I have a faster pace in me? The second lap was tough every time so I am pushing myself.
During my workout I noticed that Kris had stopped, her shins were still bothering her and she did not want to push it, which is the smart thing to do, but I know that she wants to go fast and wanted to push herself tonight. I had to reassure her that one bad workout will not derail her training and that she is smarter taking it easy so she does not make anything worse. We have an easy run scheduled for tonight so we can see how she feels.
Two other things of note. Just after I finished my last cool down lap, Steve was just finishing his 16th lap; he was able to get in his full 4 mile run, good for you Steve. And it didn’t hurt any of us that the lights at the track were on, probably because of the soccer team but it worked for us as well.
After the workout it was VERY clear that I still have a bit of my cold from last week. Spent the next two hours in varying degrees of coughing fits. Feel fine today, but the hard workout really shook something loose in my lungs.
So last night we tried again, this time we also invited Steve, he was looking to get in a four mile and I suggested he could get it done on the track, with getting dark earlier it is getting tougher to get evening workouts in. When we got there, the only people on the track/field was that soccer team, but the track was clear so we started our warm up laps. When we finished with the warm up, Steve was just arriving, so he started on his 4 miles we started on our intervals. Unfortunately for Kris, her shins started to bother her on the warm up, so she was not sure what she could get done, but she started just after took off.
My first 800 was fast, wish I knew how fast but I had an issue with Kris’s Polar HR watch and did not get it started. I was able to see my HR and it was 172-176, which was about the target for tonight’s workout. I defiantly could tell I took off fast and slowed down a bit on the second lap. Really sucking wind when I was done, took a cool down lap and even then an extra minute to rest before I started again.
Second time was the charm, got the watch started and I finished with a 3:01, one second faster then my goal range but felt better, did not take off so fast this time. Cool down lap, grabbed the water this time. 3rd 800 was a bit slower, 3:08 this time, but still in my target range. Cool down lap, HR is no longer coming down as fast this time, down to 142. 4th and last 800, 3:00 my fastest timed 800 of the night, remember I had no time for the first 800.
All in all I was very happy with tonight’s workout. All of my 800’s were in the time range and my HR was actually lower then what I was expecting, closer to my Tempo range, 87-92%. And the average for the 3 800’s and the cool down laps was 144. So the question then becomes, do I have more in me, could I have gone faster? Do I have a faster pace in me? The second lap was tough every time so I am pushing myself.
During my workout I noticed that Kris had stopped, her shins were still bothering her and she did not want to push it, which is the smart thing to do, but I know that she wants to go fast and wanted to push herself tonight. I had to reassure her that one bad workout will not derail her training and that she is smarter taking it easy so she does not make anything worse. We have an easy run scheduled for tonight so we can see how she feels.
Two other things of note. Just after I finished my last cool down lap, Steve was just finishing his 16th lap; he was able to get in his full 4 mile run, good for you Steve. And it didn’t hurt any of us that the lights at the track were on, probably because of the soccer team but it worked for us as well.
After the workout it was VERY clear that I still have a bit of my cold from last week. Spent the next two hours in varying degrees of coughing fits. Feel fine today, but the hard workout really shook something loose in my lungs.
Monday, September 28, 2009
If you find a race small enough....
even I can have aspirations of actually winning a race.
On Saturday, Kris and I signed up for and ran in the Plymouth Firefighters 5K, a race put on in conjunction with their Plymouth on Parade festival. After doing our back and forth feed the pets routine we arrived with plenty of time to pickup our race numbers and shirts. I was pleasantly surprised on both accounts. I know that we were going to get a long sleeve shirt but I was impressed, a nice red long sleeve with a Firefighter hat logo on the front, one which I will wear again frequently as long as it does not shrink the first time I was it. And as a bonus, it was not a generic Runner’s World or similar number but a Firefighters 5K race specific number. We decided that since all of the number started in the high 200’s, they must have ordered a large batch last year, not year specific, and continue to just hand out the next highest number this year. This is the 5th annual race so they have had time to figure out organizing a race and it showed.
During check in, I was notified (paper clipped to my race number) that I “won” one of the random door prizes, a free “Love It” creation from Cold Stone. Not a bad start to the day. While we were checking in, I noticed the little wooden plaques for 1st-3rd place for both the men and women; more on those in a bit. In addition to Kris and me, our friend Steve was running as well, this would be his second race ever. Steve signed up for the Monster 10 mile and is trying to get a few races under his belt before then.
So after checking in and meeting up with Steve, Kris and I decided to warm up a bit with a quick jog, we headed about ½ out and back just to warm the legs up a bit and then stretched a bit. This is something new that I just started at Minneapolis Du, never really ran before a race to warm up, I am happy with the results so far.
So after our warm up and stretching, where I managed to tweak my back a bit, there was less than 10 minutes before the race so we walked over to the start and line up near the front. One of the unique things about this race is that Engine #21 leads the race through the course, it is kind of fun following a Fire truck. So the race starts and we head out under two ladder trucks with their baskets extended and American flags flying below. Very quickly I was out near the front with one other runner and a high school kid in a yellow top. It quickly became obvious that the high school kid was good, so I paced right behind him for a while and we managed to drop the third guy. At about the ½ mile point I was side by side with the kid and I was feeling good, by the 1st mile marker I was actually in the lead of a race, for the first time in my life. It was at this point that those little wooded plaques jumped back into my mind, could I actually win one?
By the halfway point the answer was clear, nope not today. Either I starting out two fast, the cold I had been fighting the past week was showing signs or the fact that this race course was constant hills, more likely a combination of all three, I was beginning to fade. Guess it was just not in me today. My heart and lungs were fine, did not feel like I was pushing too hard at all, but my legs were giving out on me quickly, quads were tired. When we got to the mile 2 marker, I had let about 5 other runners pass me, including the kid. Sigh…
If the 1st mile was all about being fast, and the second mile was losing momentum, then the third mile was more about avoiding the wall and just trying to finish strong. By this time the rolling hills of this course were really beginning to take their toll. Man that course was hard. I was still happy with my run though, I came out and put on a good show so far, I was still letting a few runner pass me but not to many, and I was still trying to be positive, “Perhaps this will be my first race that I finish better that the top female.” And just as I was having that thought with about ½ a mile to go, not only did the 1st female pass me, but on her heels was #2 as well. Oh well, it is still a good race. Crossing the mile 3 marker with .1 left to go I reached down and tried to grab some last energy for my final kick. If you have ever seen me finish a race you might know how strongly I can finish, perhaps it is not leaving enough on the course but I can normally sprint the last .1-.2 of any race at my 1 mile pace. Not today, as much as my body was screaming inside “GO FASTER” my body was gone, best I could manage was :32 for the last .1 which is an 8:34 pace. Even so, I was still very happy with my race today. I crossed the finish line at 21:02. Prior to Saturday, my best 5K stand alone race time was 22:35 so from that aspect and when I take into consideration how hilly and hard this race was, it was a success on so many levels. I have a new stand alone 5K PR that shattered my previous PR!!
Race times/splits with pace:
Mile 1 – 6:14
Mile 2 – 6:58 - 13:12 Total - 6:36 Pace
Mile 3 – 7:17 - 20:30 Total - 6:50 Pace
Finish – 21:02 - 6:46 Pace
Results can be found here:
I finished in 13th pace. 13/296 – Top 4.4%
Unfortunately since this race was small enough there were no Division or Age Group results. I can tell you that I was:
11th in my Division
2nd in my Age Group (35-39) or 3rd in my Age Group (30-39)
4 weeks ago, during the Minneapolis Duathlon, I ran the first 5K in 20:47 which is my fastest 5K ever, almost 2 minutes faster then my previous 5K PR. I think it was just one of those mornings when you wake up and you body is just in the right place to turn out a great performance. That race is responsible for my new goal, I want a sub 20 5K, and I think I can do it. Saturday was slower that the Minneapolis Du but I think it is a good start to break the 20 minute barrier.
On Saturday, Kris and I signed up for and ran in the Plymouth Firefighters 5K, a race put on in conjunction with their Plymouth on Parade festival. After doing our back and forth feed the pets routine we arrived with plenty of time to pickup our race numbers and shirts. I was pleasantly surprised on both accounts. I know that we were going to get a long sleeve shirt but I was impressed, a nice red long sleeve with a Firefighter hat logo on the front, one which I will wear again frequently as long as it does not shrink the first time I was it. And as a bonus, it was not a generic Runner’s World or similar number but a Firefighters 5K race specific number. We decided that since all of the number started in the high 200’s, they must have ordered a large batch last year, not year specific, and continue to just hand out the next highest number this year. This is the 5th annual race so they have had time to figure out organizing a race and it showed.
During check in, I was notified (paper clipped to my race number) that I “won” one of the random door prizes, a free “Love It” creation from Cold Stone. Not a bad start to the day. While we were checking in, I noticed the little wooden plaques for 1st-3rd place for both the men and women; more on those in a bit. In addition to Kris and me, our friend Steve was running as well, this would be his second race ever. Steve signed up for the Monster 10 mile and is trying to get a few races under his belt before then.
So after checking in and meeting up with Steve, Kris and I decided to warm up a bit with a quick jog, we headed about ½ out and back just to warm the legs up a bit and then stretched a bit. This is something new that I just started at Minneapolis Du, never really ran before a race to warm up, I am happy with the results so far.
So after our warm up and stretching, where I managed to tweak my back a bit, there was less than 10 minutes before the race so we walked over to the start and line up near the front. One of the unique things about this race is that Engine #21 leads the race through the course, it is kind of fun following a Fire truck. So the race starts and we head out under two ladder trucks with their baskets extended and American flags flying below. Very quickly I was out near the front with one other runner and a high school kid in a yellow top. It quickly became obvious that the high school kid was good, so I paced right behind him for a while and we managed to drop the third guy. At about the ½ mile point I was side by side with the kid and I was feeling good, by the 1st mile marker I was actually in the lead of a race, for the first time in my life. It was at this point that those little wooded plaques jumped back into my mind, could I actually win one?
By the halfway point the answer was clear, nope not today. Either I starting out two fast, the cold I had been fighting the past week was showing signs or the fact that this race course was constant hills, more likely a combination of all three, I was beginning to fade. Guess it was just not in me today. My heart and lungs were fine, did not feel like I was pushing too hard at all, but my legs were giving out on me quickly, quads were tired. When we got to the mile 2 marker, I had let about 5 other runners pass me, including the kid. Sigh…
If the 1st mile was all about being fast, and the second mile was losing momentum, then the third mile was more about avoiding the wall and just trying to finish strong. By this time the rolling hills of this course were really beginning to take their toll. Man that course was hard. I was still happy with my run though, I came out and put on a good show so far, I was still letting a few runner pass me but not to many, and I was still trying to be positive, “Perhaps this will be my first race that I finish better that the top female.” And just as I was having that thought with about ½ a mile to go, not only did the 1st female pass me, but on her heels was #2 as well. Oh well, it is still a good race. Crossing the mile 3 marker with .1 left to go I reached down and tried to grab some last energy for my final kick. If you have ever seen me finish a race you might know how strongly I can finish, perhaps it is not leaving enough on the course but I can normally sprint the last .1-.2 of any race at my 1 mile pace. Not today, as much as my body was screaming inside “GO FASTER” my body was gone, best I could manage was :32 for the last .1 which is an 8:34 pace. Even so, I was still very happy with my race today. I crossed the finish line at 21:02. Prior to Saturday, my best 5K stand alone race time was 22:35 so from that aspect and when I take into consideration how hilly and hard this race was, it was a success on so many levels. I have a new stand alone 5K PR that shattered my previous PR!!
Race times/splits with pace:
Mile 1 – 6:14
Mile 2 – 6:58 - 13:12 Total - 6:36 Pace
Mile 3 – 7:17 - 20:30 Total - 6:50 Pace
Finish – 21:02 - 6:46 Pace
Results can be found here:
I finished in 13th pace. 13/296 – Top 4.4%
Unfortunately since this race was small enough there were no Division or Age Group results. I can tell you that I was:
11th in my Division
2nd in my Age Group (35-39) or 3rd in my Age Group (30-39)
4 weeks ago, during the Minneapolis Duathlon, I ran the first 5K in 20:47 which is my fastest 5K ever, almost 2 minutes faster then my previous 5K PR. I think it was just one of those mornings when you wake up and you body is just in the right place to turn out a great performance. That race is responsible for my new goal, I want a sub 20 5K, and I think I can do it. Saturday was slower that the Minneapolis Du but I think it is a good start to break the 20 minute barrier.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Finally! A Track!!
Just a quick note.
For weeks I have been trying to find a better option for Track workouts, my NYC Marathon ramp up starts in 2 week and I have scheduled a few Yasso 800's in the training plan. The problem is that even though I like the St Thomas track, it is a bit out of the way for a Tuesday morning/evening workout. We have been trying to find a nice track on the west side of the cities but most of the time the high school tracks are fenced off and locked and there are no college tracks on this side of the cities. During a moment of inspiration today I decided to call around to several of the local running stores to see if they had any ideas. My phone calls turned up some good information; did you know that in the winter there is a domed track in Plymouth? My second call hit pay dirt; they suggested that I take a look at the track located at the Edina Community Center, just off of Highway 100 and Benton. So this afternoon I decided to stretch my legs a bit and check it out. This is the track and field used by Edina High School, in fact the football team was practicing while of was there but I found a couple very informative signs.
Yea!! A track, a nice track, open to the public, on the west side on the cities, and as a bonus, it is about halfway between my house and Kris's place. So tonight we met at the track for her track work out and it was great!! Kris is not fond of tracks as she gets bored with the round and round, but being a former track athlete it feels like home to me. Now I I could just get them to setup the pole vault.
For weeks I have been trying to find a better option for Track workouts, my NYC Marathon ramp up starts in 2 week and I have scheduled a few Yasso 800's in the training plan. The problem is that even though I like the St Thomas track, it is a bit out of the way for a Tuesday morning/evening workout. We have been trying to find a nice track on the west side of the cities but most of the time the high school tracks are fenced off and locked and there are no college tracks on this side of the cities. During a moment of inspiration today I decided to call around to several of the local running stores to see if they had any ideas. My phone calls turned up some good information; did you know that in the winter there is a domed track in Plymouth? My second call hit pay dirt; they suggested that I take a look at the track located at the Edina Community Center, just off of Highway 100 and Benton. So this afternoon I decided to stretch my legs a bit and check it out. This is the track and field used by Edina High School, in fact the football team was practicing while of was there but I found a couple very informative signs.
Yea!! A track, a nice track, open to the public, on the west side on the cities, and as a bonus, it is about halfway between my house and Kris's place. So tonight we met at the track for her track work out and it was great!! Kris is not fond of tracks as she gets bored with the round and round, but being a former track athlete it feels like home to me. Now I I could just get them to setup the pole vault.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Splash & Dash 2.0 and Masters
OK, so I need to write updates as soon as I can and work on catching up on older events when I get a chance. The Madison Ride/Chicago Rock & Roll Half Marathon blog is in the works but it is getting a bit long at this point so I will finish that up when I can and get the most current events posted.
Two topics for this blog; Gear West Splash & Dash and Master Swim:
On Tuesday night I participated in the second Gear West Splash & Dash. For those of you unfamiliar with this event it is structure like this.
The swim is 200 meters consisting of 2x50 meter out and back swims. You will swim out and around a buoy and back then run out on the beach around a cone and then back in for another out and back swim. You will transition to a 1 mile out and back run north on Brown Rd. Rest then repeat. (200M 2 lap swim/1 mile run, short rest, 200M 2 lap swim/1 mile run)
At the first Splash & Dash, seven of us competed under questionable weather conditions and for me it was more of a learning curve. Results:
I am happy to report that Splash & Dash 2.0 was a much better performance for me. My swims and runs improved considerably and in the first run I posted the 3rd fastest (out of 15) run time of 6:33. My runs were very consistent at 6:33 & 6:34. I guess race number 13 really is lucky! Results:
Everyone had a good time, 5 of the 7 original Splash & Dash participants returned for version 2.0 and it was fun chatting with everyone during the event. It was good to see Steve Stenzel of Steve in a Speedo fame again and his wife Pharmie joined us as well. I would highly recommend this event to anyone as it is a nice break during the week and it might not seem like much but it is defiantly a challenge. How often do you get out of the water and transition right into a run? Tougher then you think!
Two topics for this blog; Gear West Splash & Dash and Master Swim:
On Tuesday night I participated in the second Gear West Splash & Dash. For those of you unfamiliar with this event it is structure like this.
The swim is 200 meters consisting of 2x50 meter out and back swims. You will swim out and around a buoy and back then run out on the beach around a cone and then back in for another out and back swim. You will transition to a 1 mile out and back run north on Brown Rd. Rest then repeat. (200M 2 lap swim/1 mile run, short rest, 200M 2 lap swim/1 mile run)
At the first Splash & Dash, seven of us competed under questionable weather conditions and for me it was more of a learning curve. Results:
I am happy to report that Splash & Dash 2.0 was a much better performance for me. My swims and runs improved considerably and in the first run I posted the 3rd fastest (out of 15) run time of 6:33. My runs were very consistent at 6:33 & 6:34. I guess race number 13 really is lucky! Results:
Everyone had a good time, 5 of the 7 original Splash & Dash participants returned for version 2.0 and it was fun chatting with everyone during the event. It was good to see Steve Stenzel of Steve in a Speedo fame again and his wife Pharmie joined us as well. I would highly recommend this event to anyone as it is a nice break during the week and it might not seem like much but it is defiantly a challenge. How often do you get out of the water and transition right into a run? Tougher then you think!
One more shout out to my own personal rockstar, Kris “rounded out the “podium”” with third place in her division. It must be your addition to coffee that makes you faster!! ;)
Masters Swim – Since March I have been swimming with the Hopkins Masters swim group, at least once a week sometime I get my butt out of bed twice a week. When I started, I could not even keep up with the rest of the swimmers in Lane 1, for those of you who don’t know Lane 1 is the slowest lane. After 4+ months I feel I have made a lot of progress, I still might not be the fastest swimmer, nor will I ever be “fast”, no matter what Kris thinks; but in the past two weeks I have been able to make all of my times and intervals at two very challenging speed workouts. I typically am very tired after these speed workouts but I feel great, so I am very happy with my progress.
So what is next? Race the Lake – 90 Mile bike race around Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin on Sunday.
Masters Swim – Since March I have been swimming with the Hopkins Masters swim group, at least once a week sometime I get my butt out of bed twice a week. When I started, I could not even keep up with the rest of the swimmers in Lane 1, for those of you who don’t know Lane 1 is the slowest lane. After 4+ months I feel I have made a lot of progress, I still might not be the fastest swimmer, nor will I ever be “fast”, no matter what Kris thinks; but in the past two weeks I have been able to make all of my times and intervals at two very challenging speed workouts. I typically am very tired after these speed workouts but I feel great, so I am very happy with my progress.
So what is next? Race the Lake – 90 Mile bike race around Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin on Sunday.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Busy Week….. I'm tired!
In the past 8 days I have ridden a century ride (my first), ran the Torchlight 5K and completed my first Half Ironman Triathlon.
CENTURY RIDE – Sunday July 19th, 2009
Two weekends age Kris and I signed up for a Minnesotab Tri Club’s Century Ride, a real bargain if you ask me for just $10 for non-club members. You ride with the group and get to take advantage of 2 aid stations along the route, approximately at miles 18 & 39 on the way out and miles 61 & 82 on the way back. Each aid station had energy bars, gels, water, Gatorade powder, fruit, pretzels, cookies, extra bike tubes, CO2 cartridges, sun block, bug spray, hand wipes and more. It was nice to be able to restock every 20 miles of so and not have to carry such a huge amount of food for the majority of the ride. The morning started out a bit cool and I was wearing my cold weather mock-turtleneck for the first 18 miles, but the first aid station I had warmed up enough and I was able to drop the extra layer and the pick it back up on the final 18 miles.
The route was their northern route and took us up Highway 47, 10 miles beyond Princeton/Highway 95, which was where aid station number 2 was located. By the time we got back to aid station number 2, which was then our third stop, we were getting into was new ground for me as 62 miles was my previous longest ride. At about 75 miles my left knee was beginning to hurt and lose a lot of strength on the uphills. I had experience this pain a little bit before on my 60 mile ride but this was the longest I had to keep going after the my knee started to hurt. I was able to finish the ride with no serious pain but it is defiantly something that I need to be aware of in the future.
By the last aid station, Kris and I were the last ones on the ride, except for the ride leader, but he had to stay at the aid stations until they were picked up by someone. So we basically finished alone but that was OK as we were both nursing sore knees and testing the waters at this distance. We finished the ride with 6:31:58 of saddle time, which was a 15.4 mph average, not bad considering this was a learning experience. Now you might think that after a 100 mile bike ride that would be plenty, but no not in the world of Ironman training. After we got off the bikes we went for a easy 50 minute run. Yes I know we are crazy. ;)
TORCHLIGHT 5K – Wednesday July 22nd, 2009
On this past Wednesday night was the Torchlight 5K, just a fun run with a few thousand of your good friends. I like running the Torchlight, it is another one of the Lifetime Fitness runs that I like to do every year; Turkey Day, Reindeer and Torchlight. Large races where you get to run down the streets of Minneapolis and have fun. This year’s race was unique in the fact that it was my friend Steve’s first 5K race, actually his first race period. He was very nervous about this being his first 5K and was concerned that he might not be able to finish the race without needing to walk it, he actually asked me if there would be any shame if he could not run the entire race. Steve shouldn’t have been so worried; he actually ran the entire race without any problems or even looking tired. I think a lot of that had to do with the race and the amount of people that were running. It is easy to get distracted by what is going on around you during a race and forgot that you’re actually running. Congrats Steve!! 31:12 for your first 5K is pretty good!
CHISAGO HALF IRONMAN TRIATHLON – Sunday July 26th, 2009
OK, so this was the big race of the first half of my year, no doubt about it. The really odd thing is that during the past couple of weeks leading up to the race I was not nervous, worried or even concerned about trying to complete a half ironman. I don’t want to imply that I was nonchalant about the race, but because of training and the experience that I gained at the 3 previous triathlons this year, I knew I was ready. And surprisingly, I was not even nervous about the swim, my worst skill. I just knew that I could swim 1.2 miles now. I guess that is one of the benefits of all the training, you just get to a comfort level and know what you are capable of.
The day started out really, really early as we have to make sure all the pets are feed and let out so we have to get up at 3am so that we could be in Chisago by 5:30am. One of the problems I have discovered with Triathlons is that you typically have to be there so early to get a good spot and setup transition that Caribou’s are not open. And Sunday was no different, so I had to settle for a cheap SA coffee, works in a pinch but defiantly not my first, second or even third choice. But on some level coffee is coffee.
So we got to Chisago and picked up our race packet, which was a little wired, no bike number and no swim cap, I was not even asked about a swim cap and Kris was told that you could grab one if you needed it. Of course I need a swim cap, especially if there are caps that say Chisago Lakes Triathlon, need to add it to the collection. So I got number 345, sort of a fun race number, Kris was number 69, for the second year in a row, how weird!! Anyway, Chisago in different in the fact that all of the transition spots a marks on the bike rack, you number tells you the exact spot you are going to be in. So as I was looking for my spot, somehow I transposed my number and Kris’s number and tried setting up in spot 369. That is until the real number 369 showed up and I realized my mistake, so then I went looking for spot 345, which once I found it I was very happy, end spot next to a tree, a lot of room to setup and for my gear bag. But then I discovered that I misplaced my race number, my day was not starting out very well. So I went back to the information tent and a new hand written number was created for me. So now I am walking back to my transition spot and I hear over the announcement, “Would a Mark Kuhn please report to the announcement area, we have your race number” Sigh…… OK, at least I got my real race number back. After that the transition setup well, and I was just about ready, just need to empty the tank, put on my wetsuit and head down to the beach. Unfortunately everyone else had the same idea, and we waited in a long line at the johns, so long that Kris just made it down to the beach with 30 seconds before her wave started. I was in wave 7 so at least I had a little time, no warm-up but I was not cutting it as close.
Swim
My swim went very well, this was the longest continuous swim I have ever attempted and I was surprised on how smoothly it went. I did make a point not to rush, stayed to the outside and avoid as much traffic as I could which generally helps out my anxiety level and I was rewarded with a decent swim, 35:24 which is a 1:49 pace/100m average. I am going to go out on a limb and say with an average like that it was either a short 1.2 miles or the fact that there was a long run up to transition that helped keep the average down. First segment down and I was very happy.
T1
I will be the first to admit that I tend to lollygag in T1, bad habit or just my concern about clean and somewhat dry feet for the bike. I bike without socks so I am concerned about getting all sand off of my feed, don’t need and sand between the toes to rub and cause a problem later. But I will admit that 4:06 time in T1 was a bit long, leisurely even. The plan was that since Kris was 10 minutes ahead of me, Wave 2 vs. Wave 7, I would haul ass on the bike to catch up with her and when I did catch her we would be going at her pace I figured I had a little extra time in T1. Little did I know how fast the bike course would be and how long it would take me to catch her.
Bike
Off on the bike now and I loved every minute of it, very flat, very fast course. I had heard complaints about the previous course, rolling hills and rough roads, but not with this new course. The majority of the roads were either new or recently resurfaced and very smooth. My only complaint would be that for the first half of the course, a very long straight first half of the course, there was a slight head wind. After we made the turn to come back at about mile 29, I was able to add on even more speed. The course was marked every 5 miles and I was lap timing my 5 mile spit times, prior to the turn I was averaging about 18+, after the turn I was averaging 20+ with my final average as 19.5mph, 56 miles in 2:50:04.9. Even with my high average speed, it still took me about 55.75 miles to catch up with Kris. I was beginning to be sure that I would not catch her on the bike but within the last mile I spotted her up ahead, and by the time we were going through the tunnel back to the park, I was on her back wheel. At least we would get into T2 at the same time and would be able to run together.
T2
Much better, 1:57 but still nothing to write home about. Of course miss transition speed demon was out of T2 ahead of me and I had to play the catch up game again. At least this time she slowed a bit to let me get caught up, fixing her ponytail is the official story.
Run
If you were to ask me what my strongest skill was, I would tell you run, but not today. Either the fact that this was a Half Iron or the fact that I was really pushing to get caught up to Kris, I was totally burned out when I started the run. Wow the jump to Half Iron distance is significant and does require some conservation of energy, when I completed the LTF Tri two weeks ago, I was able to maintain and even higher bike average, 20.5mph and I was able to still run with a sub 8 minute miles but today was a different story. I just consider myself lucky that I was running, and I use that term loosely, with Kris as she was the one to carry me today. The run course has more then it’s share of hills and my legs were having nothing to do with it, walked most of those, in addition I think my stomach and digestive track had enough of hammer gels, and was not happy with me, requiring a pit stop at the half way point, very unusual for me. Kris was an angel to stick with me, she could have had such a better time if she ran her own race, probably get back the time difference that I made up during the bike and she would have finished in the low 5:50’s but she stuck with me. And I am glad she did, we finished together, in sync as it was pointed out to us in several pictures, hand in hand.
For the record, my run time was 2:20:37, which is a 10:44 average pace. :(
So now I am a 70.3 Half Ironman!! Total time 5:52:09.2, a sub 6 hour half ironman, but I would have been much happier to share that honor with Kris as she deserved it more than I did. Next 70.3 maybe??
It is the Wednesday after the race and my legs are still sore, part of the problem I think is that for the past two days I have been wearing and older pair of boots with poor support, ankle, knee and hip was causing me issues yesterday. Needless to say those boots are history. We got to Masters yesterday morning but I have yet to run, and I should, I really think it would help my legs at this point. The plan is for tomorrow morning.
This coming weekend, we will be headed to Madison to ride the Ironman bike route on Saturday and then on Sunday morning, we are running in the Chicago Rock & Roll Half Marathon. Hopefully I can redeem myself and who knows, we might even get Kris a new PR, do I hear a sub 2?? If anyone is interested you can track us at competitorwireless.com.
CENTURY RIDE – Sunday July 19th, 2009
Two weekends age Kris and I signed up for a Minnesotab Tri Club’s Century Ride, a real bargain if you ask me for just $10 for non-club members. You ride with the group and get to take advantage of 2 aid stations along the route, approximately at miles 18 & 39 on the way out and miles 61 & 82 on the way back. Each aid station had energy bars, gels, water, Gatorade powder, fruit, pretzels, cookies, extra bike tubes, CO2 cartridges, sun block, bug spray, hand wipes and more. It was nice to be able to restock every 20 miles of so and not have to carry such a huge amount of food for the majority of the ride. The morning started out a bit cool and I was wearing my cold weather mock-turtleneck for the first 18 miles, but the first aid station I had warmed up enough and I was able to drop the extra layer and the pick it back up on the final 18 miles.
The route was their northern route and took us up Highway 47, 10 miles beyond Princeton/Highway 95, which was where aid station number 2 was located. By the time we got back to aid station number 2, which was then our third stop, we were getting into was new ground for me as 62 miles was my previous longest ride. At about 75 miles my left knee was beginning to hurt and lose a lot of strength on the uphills. I had experience this pain a little bit before on my 60 mile ride but this was the longest I had to keep going after the my knee started to hurt. I was able to finish the ride with no serious pain but it is defiantly something that I need to be aware of in the future.
By the last aid station, Kris and I were the last ones on the ride, except for the ride leader, but he had to stay at the aid stations until they were picked up by someone. So we basically finished alone but that was OK as we were both nursing sore knees and testing the waters at this distance. We finished the ride with 6:31:58 of saddle time, which was a 15.4 mph average, not bad considering this was a learning experience. Now you might think that after a 100 mile bike ride that would be plenty, but no not in the world of Ironman training. After we got off the bikes we went for a easy 50 minute run. Yes I know we are crazy. ;)
TORCHLIGHT 5K – Wednesday July 22nd, 2009
On this past Wednesday night was the Torchlight 5K, just a fun run with a few thousand of your good friends. I like running the Torchlight, it is another one of the Lifetime Fitness runs that I like to do every year; Turkey Day, Reindeer and Torchlight. Large races where you get to run down the streets of Minneapolis and have fun. This year’s race was unique in the fact that it was my friend Steve’s first 5K race, actually his first race period. He was very nervous about this being his first 5K and was concerned that he might not be able to finish the race without needing to walk it, he actually asked me if there would be any shame if he could not run the entire race. Steve shouldn’t have been so worried; he actually ran the entire race without any problems or even looking tired. I think a lot of that had to do with the race and the amount of people that were running. It is easy to get distracted by what is going on around you during a race and forgot that you’re actually running. Congrats Steve!! 31:12 for your first 5K is pretty good!
CHISAGO HALF IRONMAN TRIATHLON – Sunday July 26th, 2009
OK, so this was the big race of the first half of my year, no doubt about it. The really odd thing is that during the past couple of weeks leading up to the race I was not nervous, worried or even concerned about trying to complete a half ironman. I don’t want to imply that I was nonchalant about the race, but because of training and the experience that I gained at the 3 previous triathlons this year, I knew I was ready. And surprisingly, I was not even nervous about the swim, my worst skill. I just knew that I could swim 1.2 miles now. I guess that is one of the benefits of all the training, you just get to a comfort level and know what you are capable of.
The day started out really, really early as we have to make sure all the pets are feed and let out so we have to get up at 3am so that we could be in Chisago by 5:30am. One of the problems I have discovered with Triathlons is that you typically have to be there so early to get a good spot and setup transition that Caribou’s are not open. And Sunday was no different, so I had to settle for a cheap SA coffee, works in a pinch but defiantly not my first, second or even third choice. But on some level coffee is coffee.
So we got to Chisago and picked up our race packet, which was a little wired, no bike number and no swim cap, I was not even asked about a swim cap and Kris was told that you could grab one if you needed it. Of course I need a swim cap, especially if there are caps that say Chisago Lakes Triathlon, need to add it to the collection. So I got number 345, sort of a fun race number, Kris was number 69, for the second year in a row, how weird!! Anyway, Chisago in different in the fact that all of the transition spots a marks on the bike rack, you number tells you the exact spot you are going to be in. So as I was looking for my spot, somehow I transposed my number and Kris’s number and tried setting up in spot 369. That is until the real number 369 showed up and I realized my mistake, so then I went looking for spot 345, which once I found it I was very happy, end spot next to a tree, a lot of room to setup and for my gear bag. But then I discovered that I misplaced my race number, my day was not starting out very well. So I went back to the information tent and a new hand written number was created for me. So now I am walking back to my transition spot and I hear over the announcement, “Would a Mark Kuhn please report to the announcement area, we have your race number” Sigh…… OK, at least I got my real race number back. After that the transition setup well, and I was just about ready, just need to empty the tank, put on my wetsuit and head down to the beach. Unfortunately everyone else had the same idea, and we waited in a long line at the johns, so long that Kris just made it down to the beach with 30 seconds before her wave started. I was in wave 7 so at least I had a little time, no warm-up but I was not cutting it as close.
Swim
My swim went very well, this was the longest continuous swim I have ever attempted and I was surprised on how smoothly it went. I did make a point not to rush, stayed to the outside and avoid as much traffic as I could which generally helps out my anxiety level and I was rewarded with a decent swim, 35:24 which is a 1:49 pace/100m average. I am going to go out on a limb and say with an average like that it was either a short 1.2 miles or the fact that there was a long run up to transition that helped keep the average down. First segment down and I was very happy.
T1
I will be the first to admit that I tend to lollygag in T1, bad habit or just my concern about clean and somewhat dry feet for the bike. I bike without socks so I am concerned about getting all sand off of my feed, don’t need and sand between the toes to rub and cause a problem later. But I will admit that 4:06 time in T1 was a bit long, leisurely even. The plan was that since Kris was 10 minutes ahead of me, Wave 2 vs. Wave 7, I would haul ass on the bike to catch up with her and when I did catch her we would be going at her pace I figured I had a little extra time in T1. Little did I know how fast the bike course would be and how long it would take me to catch her.
Bike
Off on the bike now and I loved every minute of it, very flat, very fast course. I had heard complaints about the previous course, rolling hills and rough roads, but not with this new course. The majority of the roads were either new or recently resurfaced and very smooth. My only complaint would be that for the first half of the course, a very long straight first half of the course, there was a slight head wind. After we made the turn to come back at about mile 29, I was able to add on even more speed. The course was marked every 5 miles and I was lap timing my 5 mile spit times, prior to the turn I was averaging about 18+, after the turn I was averaging 20+ with my final average as 19.5mph, 56 miles in 2:50:04.9. Even with my high average speed, it still took me about 55.75 miles to catch up with Kris. I was beginning to be sure that I would not catch her on the bike but within the last mile I spotted her up ahead, and by the time we were going through the tunnel back to the park, I was on her back wheel. At least we would get into T2 at the same time and would be able to run together.
T2
Much better, 1:57 but still nothing to write home about. Of course miss transition speed demon was out of T2 ahead of me and I had to play the catch up game again. At least this time she slowed a bit to let me get caught up, fixing her ponytail is the official story.
Run
If you were to ask me what my strongest skill was, I would tell you run, but not today. Either the fact that this was a Half Iron or the fact that I was really pushing to get caught up to Kris, I was totally burned out when I started the run. Wow the jump to Half Iron distance is significant and does require some conservation of energy, when I completed the LTF Tri two weeks ago, I was able to maintain and even higher bike average, 20.5mph and I was able to still run with a sub 8 minute miles but today was a different story. I just consider myself lucky that I was running, and I use that term loosely, with Kris as she was the one to carry me today. The run course has more then it’s share of hills and my legs were having nothing to do with it, walked most of those, in addition I think my stomach and digestive track had enough of hammer gels, and was not happy with me, requiring a pit stop at the half way point, very unusual for me. Kris was an angel to stick with me, she could have had such a better time if she ran her own race, probably get back the time difference that I made up during the bike and she would have finished in the low 5:50’s but she stuck with me. And I am glad she did, we finished together, in sync as it was pointed out to us in several pictures, hand in hand.
For the record, my run time was 2:20:37, which is a 10:44 average pace. :(
So now I am a 70.3 Half Ironman!! Total time 5:52:09.2, a sub 6 hour half ironman, but I would have been much happier to share that honor with Kris as she deserved it more than I did. Next 70.3 maybe??
It is the Wednesday after the race and my legs are still sore, part of the problem I think is that for the past two days I have been wearing and older pair of boots with poor support, ankle, knee and hip was causing me issues yesterday. Needless to say those boots are history. We got to Masters yesterday morning but I have yet to run, and I should, I really think it would help my legs at this point. The plan is for tomorrow morning.
This coming weekend, we will be headed to Madison to ride the Ironman bike route on Saturday and then on Sunday morning, we are running in the Chicago Rock & Roll Half Marathon. Hopefully I can redeem myself and who knows, we might even get Kris a new PR, do I hear a sub 2?? If anyone is interested you can track us at competitorwireless.com.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
I'm back, and with great news!
Long time no Blog!!
Looking back it appears that the last time I blogged was back in April. A lot has happened and a few things have changed for the better so I think I can talk more openly now. So with that being said I am going to try and get my Blog back on track. I am going to start with this short update and then over the next few days I am going to post a few race updates. I have competed in (1) 1 Mile, 2 5K’s, 2 10K’s (1 official), (2) 10 Miles, 3 Half Marathons, 1 Dualathlon, 1 Sprint Triathlon, 2 Olympic Triathlons and 1 Splash and Dash, yet I have not talked about any of them. I have also updated the look of my blog a little, going with the blue for boys and pick for girls theme. <3>
OK, now on to the BIG news of the day!!
I got lucky and was picked in the lottery for the TC10 Mile race!
Most people who read this will probably know what that is but for those who don’t, it is the companion race to the Twin Cities Marathon on October 4th. This is really cool and exciting for me on a several levels. First and most important, I will get to run the race with Kris, who was lucky enough to get her name picked earlier in the summer when we ran the TC 1 Mile race. I had been crossing my fingers to see if I would get a chance to run with her since she found out back in May. The second reason is that this will complete my vision of running both of the big Minnesota Marathons, Grandma’s and Twin Cities last year and then getting to run in their companion races this year. I already ran Grandma’s Half, the Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon about a month ago.
Stay tuned…..
Looking back it appears that the last time I blogged was back in April. A lot has happened and a few things have changed for the better so I think I can talk more openly now. So with that being said I am going to try and get my Blog back on track. I am going to start with this short update and then over the next few days I am going to post a few race updates. I have competed in (1) 1 Mile, 2 5K’s, 2 10K’s (1 official), (2) 10 Miles, 3 Half Marathons, 1 Dualathlon, 1 Sprint Triathlon, 2 Olympic Triathlons and 1 Splash and Dash, yet I have not talked about any of them. I have also updated the look of my blog a little, going with the blue for boys and pick for girls theme. <3>
OK, now on to the BIG news of the day!!
I got lucky and was picked in the lottery for the TC10 Mile race!
Most people who read this will probably know what that is but for those who don’t, it is the companion race to the Twin Cities Marathon on October 4th. This is really cool and exciting for me on a several levels. First and most important, I will get to run the race with Kris, who was lucky enough to get her name picked earlier in the summer when we ran the TC 1 Mile race. I had been crossing my fingers to see if I would get a chance to run with her since she found out back in May. The second reason is that this will complete my vision of running both of the big Minnesota Marathons, Grandma’s and Twin Cities last year and then getting to run in their companion races this year. I already ran Grandma’s Half, the Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon about a month ago.
Stay tuned…..
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The week so far....
For what initially started out as a bad week, it has turned into a good week so far.
Had a great swim on Monday morning, kept up and completed all 2350 yards. I think I was the only one in lane 1 to do that. Tonight is a Team swim and I am looking forward to it. I might actually get in all three of my swims this week. :O
Last night we went out and had a great 70 minute bike ride in Elm Creek Park Reserve, approximately 17 miles followed up with a 25 minute brick (ick) run.
One thing that I did noticed this week. This is the first week that I actually feel almost 100%, no longer sick, and it is defiantly showing in my workouts. The workouts do not seem excessively hard for what I am doing and I am not overly tired. Truth be told, I have been feeling great after I am done.
I also feel like a big weight has been lifted off of my shoulders since yesterday morning. I made the decision to step down as the Online Director. Besides the obvious, not having enough time, there were several reasons why I stepped down, including a lot of frustration. I am not willing to stand by while someone lies about me and puts words into my mouth. Apparently that behavior is OK, but not with me. To borrow from another friend of mine, I don’t need that kind of drama/stress in my life.
So it is only Wednesday (hump day), halfway done with the week but things are looking up and I feel much better than I have in weeks.
Had a great swim on Monday morning, kept up and completed all 2350 yards. I think I was the only one in lane 1 to do that. Tonight is a Team swim and I am looking forward to it. I might actually get in all three of my swims this week. :O
Last night we went out and had a great 70 minute bike ride in Elm Creek Park Reserve, approximately 17 miles followed up with a 25 minute brick (ick) run.
One thing that I did noticed this week. This is the first week that I actually feel almost 100%, no longer sick, and it is defiantly showing in my workouts. The workouts do not seem excessively hard for what I am doing and I am not overly tired. Truth be told, I have been feeling great after I am done.
I also feel like a big weight has been lifted off of my shoulders since yesterday morning. I made the decision to step down as the Online Director. Besides the obvious, not having enough time, there were several reasons why I stepped down, including a lot of frustration. I am not willing to stand by while someone lies about me and puts words into my mouth. Apparently that behavior is OK, but not with me. To borrow from another friend of mine, I don’t need that kind of drama/stress in my life.
So it is only Wednesday (hump day), halfway done with the week but things are looking up and I feel much better than I have in weeks.
Friday, April 24, 2009
You get out of it what you put into it!!
OK, so I have to comment after two things brought this to my attention.
Last night I was at spin and I always take my training seriously and give at least 100%. We were doing a number of differant things including hills, speed and one foot drills. During the workout I noticed one of the girls just cruising along at a high cadence for the amout of resistance that we were supossed to have, she was probably at 80 and I was struggling down at about 60. So I started watching her and anytime our couch told us to add a half a turn or a quarter turn she would barely move the resistance dial. I also noticed that when we stated and particular skill, we were told to increase the resistance untill we stated to feel it, but consistanly she would start with almost no resistance at all. No wonder she could be cruising along at a cadence of 80 or so when the entire rest of the group was struggling.
Second item. A firend pointed out a another frineds blog to me this morning and after reading it I thought about spin class girl and the comparison. This other frined is having doubts about Triathlons and that is understandable they are a challange and they take up a lorge part of your life and money. But I had to disagree about one of his points based onmy own experiances so far. He mentioned that he thought that you could not stay in shape just by swiming and/or biking, I completly disagree. He pointed out that if you go to any pool or anywhere bikers are you will see people in good shape but most of them would be overweight. My experiance would be the complete opposite. Where ever serious swmimers and bikers are you will see some of the fittest people that I have come across. At the masters group that I go to, 99% of all the swimmers are in GREAT shape. And if you ever watch a serios biking group, everyone of them is in fantastic shape. Take my brother for example, he is not a runner, but a biker, and he is very serious about it and he porpotionally lost about as much weight as I did strickly from riding and he is in great shape now.
I persoanlly just turned 39 and I am in the best shape I have ever been in my life! Yes I did loss the majority of my weight from running, but now that I am training for Traithlons, I have gone to a whole new level of fitness and conditioning. I have Abbs!!! Never seen them before I started Triathlon training.
So the root of my blog this time is that you will only get out of it what you put into it. If you sit on you spin bike and give half an effort then you will probably not be compleatly prepaired once the Triathlon comes around. I give 100% and I expect to get 100% back from my preformance and from my experiance at the Triathlon.
Last night I was at spin and I always take my training seriously and give at least 100%. We were doing a number of differant things including hills, speed and one foot drills. During the workout I noticed one of the girls just cruising along at a high cadence for the amout of resistance that we were supossed to have, she was probably at 80 and I was struggling down at about 60. So I started watching her and anytime our couch told us to add a half a turn or a quarter turn she would barely move the resistance dial. I also noticed that when we stated and particular skill, we were told to increase the resistance untill we stated to feel it, but consistanly she would start with almost no resistance at all. No wonder she could be cruising along at a cadence of 80 or so when the entire rest of the group was struggling.
Second item. A firend pointed out a another frineds blog to me this morning and after reading it I thought about spin class girl and the comparison. This other frined is having doubts about Triathlons and that is understandable they are a challange and they take up a lorge part of your life and money. But I had to disagree about one of his points based onmy own experiances so far. He mentioned that he thought that you could not stay in shape just by swiming and/or biking, I completly disagree. He pointed out that if you go to any pool or anywhere bikers are you will see people in good shape but most of them would be overweight. My experiance would be the complete opposite. Where ever serious swmimers and bikers are you will see some of the fittest people that I have come across. At the masters group that I go to, 99% of all the swimmers are in GREAT shape. And if you ever watch a serios biking group, everyone of them is in fantastic shape. Take my brother for example, he is not a runner, but a biker, and he is very serious about it and he porpotionally lost about as much weight as I did strickly from riding and he is in great shape now.
I persoanlly just turned 39 and I am in the best shape I have ever been in my life! Yes I did loss the majority of my weight from running, but now that I am training for Traithlons, I have gone to a whole new level of fitness and conditioning. I have Abbs!!! Never seen them before I started Triathlon training.
So the root of my blog this time is that you will only get out of it what you put into it. If you sit on you spin bike and give half an effort then you will probably not be compleatly prepaired once the Triathlon comes around. I give 100% and I expect to get 100% back from my preformance and from my experiance at the Triathlon.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
A beginning... or at least a relaunch.
Recently I was reading a friend's blog and I was inspired to revisit my blog and give it another try. At this point I am not sure what the focus of my "new" blog will be. Will it be my training for Pacific Crest and Lifetime Triathlons and all the other races before and after? What about all the time that I spend volunteering, with Homeward Bound and of course FINNEGANS. And of course there is the state of my life at the moment, I am sure that will come up as a subject every now and then.
Another one of my friend’s blogs mostly about her dating life and her eternal search for Mr. Right. That makes for interesting reading but at the same time it gets a bit gray, if this blog is public and anyone can read it will I write honestly knowing that someone in particular might read it. I don't know. The friend's blog that I was inspired by did occasionally touch on her life but only briefly and typically only if it had an impact on her training. I like that balance a little bit more. One clue about what might or might not be going on in my life typically can be found in what song is running through my head at any given moment. Today it was “Gotta Be Somebody” by Nickleback.
The trap I could fall into is that I can talk and talk and talk about running and training and my last race and the next race and on and on, all night long. I know that I talk about it a lot; it's just that it is my passion. At the same time I can easily fall into that same trap when it come to FINNEGANS, again another passion but slightly different. I guess I will need to find a careful balance somewhere in the middle.
One subject that I will probably never talk about is my job. The only thing that might come up is that fact that it is only a job, I won't say that I hate it, and I certainly don't like love it, it just pays the bills. If I manage to ever find a job that I love and am passionate about, then maybe it might come up as a subject, but as long as I am in the IT industry, I don't foresee that happening any time soon. Sigh.....
Ok that is enough for my "first" blog.
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