Back Again

Well Im back blogging about my quest to run an ultra. My life hasnt changed much. I still have alot going on with the kids activities so training time is hard to come by. I had planned on running a marathon last year, but we went to london and paris on a trip and I just lacked motivation after we got back. Weeks turned into month and here we are again. I will be running a marathon this fall, I plan on picking one in the next few weeks, and paying for it. Once Ive dropped the 100 bucks I seem to get motivated. Once the fall marathon is done, I want to keep my milage up through the winter and then run the Grin and Bear it 50k in June of next year. If that goes well, Ill think of doing an 50 mile sometime.

Vandals Caught!!!!

Last night we caught the kids who were vandalizing our mailbox. A neighbor caught them with lighter fliud in there hand and our mailbox was on fire. The neighbor put out the fire and brought the kids to the door. I was really pissed and called the cops. It was a couple of 13 year old kids from down the street. I told the cop early on I didnt want to press charges, but wanted him to give the kids a little scare. He frisked them and put them in the back of the car and started talking to them about spending the holidays in juvi-hall. They called their parent and needless to say they were not happy with their kids. In the end the mailbox didnt really have much damage and the parents are going to pay for a new bush, and hopefully the kids will think twice about doing stupid stuff like this again, and the vandalism to our mailbox is hopefully over.

To catch a vandal

Over the last six months or so we have had someone vandalizing our mailbox. A couple of times there has been an egg in it. Then a few days ago a clump of grass and dirt. No huge deal, I usually just clean it out and go on my way. But yesterday they uprooted a bush by the mailbox and shoved it in the mailbox. So last night I set up a web camera pointing at the mailbox.

So now we wait...

Feeling Good

Im not feeling too bad from my run in with the rowing machine on Monday. Im planning on hitting it again today. I got a 4 mile run in last night and felt surprisingly strong. Im worried that Im just putting in junk miles though. Im going to look at getting a heart rate monitor, so I can train in my target heart rate zone. There are a few books that describe how to train for longer endurnce races based on heart rate. By training in certain zones you teach your body to burn fat, not completely glycogen.

I can feel the effects of the rowing machine mostly in my arms and my butt, A little in the stomach and back. Hopfully adding this with give me the core strength Im looking for.

I noticed after my 10 mile run this weekend that my lower back was really sore. It was definatley muscular, because the rest of the weekend certain ways I would turn would cause my back to spasm. If had this issue before, but usually running and walking seem to help.

A few years ago I went to a chiropracter and found out my one leg is slightly shorter than the other, and that when your younger you body is stronger and can deal with it better. As you get older the muscles start giving up on correcting this. So I need to work on some core strength exersizes.

At work we have an exersize room with a treadmill a few weight machines, stair climer ect. So yesterday I decide im going to do the rowing machine. I had used these quite a bit back in college, but not ever since then. Man that thing kicked my butt, I could only do about 20 minutes.

Im going to start doing that on monday-wednesday-friday and running tuesday-thurday and saturday. As it gets closer to the marathon the running days will increase.

Back Blogging

Well Im back blogging again. Hopefully Ill keep it up a little better this time.
I ran the bayshore in May and had planned on running the North Country trail 50 miler in September. The bayshore went pretty well. It was a little warm but I had a decent run 4:37.
I ended up hurting my foot somehow in the marathon, It might have been a stress fracture im not sure. I ran a 10k the next weekend and it hurt like hell. So I took 5 weeks off of running to let it heal, so the 50 miler never happend.

My plan is now to do the martian marathon in april and try the north country in september.

Long Overdue Post

Well its been over 2 months since I posted last. Man that went quick. I have been busy in that time. I signed up for the Bayshore Marathon in Traverse City, MI on memorial day weekend. I have been running quite a bit, except for the last week. My training has consisted of 3-5 miles 3 or 4 times a week and then a long run on the weekends that has peaked so far at 15 miles. I should be getting 16 in this weekend and 18 next weekend, and then taper up to the race.

Im still toying around with the idea of a 50 miler in the fall. Im going to wait til after the marathon to make that call. I have had a few aches and pains in my legs, and Im not sure if I have the time to train for something like that. But if not the 50 then I do plan on a fall marathon.