The Road to Ultra

So, I woke up early.

My daughter happened to wake up, too. Our dog, who sleeps with her, got excited and jumped out of her bed. She came stumbling into the hallway, blinking and rubbing her eyes.

"Daddy, what are you doing?"

"I'm getting ready to go downstairs and work out, honey."

"Daddy, can I workout, too?"

"Sure."

"Okay, Daddy, hang on ..."

And then she was off to change into her "workout clothes."

I stumbled down the stairs and poured a cup of water.

"Daddy, what's that for?"

"I always like to have some water before I train."

"Oh, yes. There's lots of reasons why. For example, if you brought your cup downstairs, you could spill it. It's important. But I'm smaller, so I don't have to drink a full cup."

So, we had our drinks and then stumbled down the next set of stairs to the basement. I helped her get set up on the recumbent bike. The dog ran in circles. I started on the treadmill.

The tops of my feet and my right thigh were aching. My daughter gave me a look like, "What on earth are you doing?" I was looking fairly pitiful, limping on the treadmill. She offered some suggestions. "Daddy, you don't look so good. Maybe you can go slower. Or trying something different, like the jump rope."

"No, Daddy just needs to get warmed up."

After 5 minutes, it was evident I wasn't getting too far. I was scheduled for a 3-miler. So, what to do?

My daughter was bored with the bike. So, I moved in. I ended up cross-training and doing eight miles (although it was odd because I never really ended up anywhere) and burning a few hundred calories. So, I did get a workout in. And, after all, my legs felt GREAT. It was just what I needed.

My daughter drove her scooter around the basement while the dog chased her, then jumped rope and finally did a short jog on the treadmill. Her goal was simple: run until she burned 100 calories. She got to cheat a little because we kept my weight in the console instead of putting in hers.

Afterwards, it was whole grain organic waffles. She went off to start her lessons with Mom, and I worked a bit from the house before rolling into the office for a lunch meeting.

A great day! Tomorrow is "off" which means I'll probably do some strength training (yoga) and then Saturday and Sunday are 5 and 10. Looking forward to it!

Jeremy

Today's Run: 5.11
Run Time: 51:59
Total Miles to Date: 136.2

Thoughts on the Run:

Today I tried my best to sleep in and talk myself out of running.

But, I knew I would. So why fight it? It's old habits.

I forced myself awake. Went downstairs, had a glass of water, walked the dog, and then got to it.

The run started off at a slow pace. My right thigh was a little sore so it was tough for me to focus and keep good form and stride. I knew once I warmed up it would be fine, so I gritted my teeth and focused.

After the first mile, I started to pick things up. I tackled the hills without pause and did my first three miles sub-10:

Mile 1: 9:47
Mile 2: 9:06
Mile 3: 9:46

Then it was the huge hill ("Goliath") ... here is where the run almost fell apart. I was trucking up the hill and trying to talk myself into stopping and walking it. Then I asked myself, "Am I a quitter, or a winner?" I also thought about it: did I want to stop because my body needed rest, or was it my mind trying to talk me into it? Of course, it was mental. And I know I need to train my willpower as well so I made the decision I was not going to stop. I plodded my way up and made it without stopping - mile 4 was in 11:04. Mile 5 also had some sharp hills and it was cresting one extremely steep one that I was almost convinced to shorten the run and head home.

Again, I knew my body could handle the full distance so I simply decided to catch my breath for a block and then finish strong. That last mile finished in 11:17 and then add another 56 seconds for the last 0.11 mile (8:42 pace).

It was overcast but not as thick as yesterday and the GPS reading was very on target.

I was happy that I not only finished the run but did not compromise and shorten it or walk up the longest hill. I also spent 20 minutes with my yoga flexibility afterwards, which I feel helps me recover much better. I have a three-miler tomorrow, a day of rest on Friday, then it's 5 on Saturday and 10 on Sunday. Going to be a busy week and I look forward to every footfall.

I also have been working on a project that I've kept under wraps but I'm very excited about. It's not a business venture, although I do pay for the hosting and services of the site so I do post Google ads to generate modest revenue as well as advertise my book. It's sort of an "online biography" to collect my thoughts and projects. I have the main page (it's ugly to look at but I'm not web designer, just going after the content) at JeremyLikness.GoldenSummitInc.com but the section I'm most excited about is the collection of writings here.

While the gist is health and weight loss, I've also posted some of my poetry. There are some long segments from my book as well. The most interesting is probably the section that explains glycemic index, glycemic load, insulin index, and the satiety index here. Another one for bodybuilders is the Seven Laws of Training, while my inspiration continues to come from the feeling I captured in The Pursuit of Greatness. Also, each of the pages is printer-friendly so they print fine without navigation or ads on most browsers.

That's it for today ... time to focus on other projects, but the best part? My exercise is done for the day!

Jeremy

Today's Run: 3.0
Run Time: 27:39
Total Miles to Date: 131.1

Thoughts on the Run:

Today was a fast three. I originally planned to run in the morning but had some obligations at the office, so I ended up heading in and moving my run to the afternoon.

It was perfect weather for running. I came home just as the sun was beginning to set. I had hoped to step outside in the light but there always seem to be small tasks to do first, and so I found myself stepping outside in twilight.

The temperature was perfect. It is my absolute favorite temperature to run at - 66 degrees. Less than sixty and I start to get cold, more than 70 and it's hot - this was perfect. It was very cloudy and overcast, so my GPS flaked out a bit (it is funny to see how it had me hopping all over the street) so I don't have good splits. It thinks I did 3.25 but I know from the course it was just 3.0.

I started out up the hill and decided I would not hold back. It's been several days since I ran my half marathon and I've been itching to get out and exercise. I know this is going to be a shocker week because I went so long on my "taper" (it is ironic that I had such a horrible cough right up to the half marathon, but then after that run I actually got better and am 100% now ... go figure) that I did not put in many miles in November - we're at 40 for the month, with only a week or so left, when October was an 80-mile month. I'll be adding 26 miles this week.

I headed up our hill from the cul-de-sac and just settled into a steady pace. It took my breath away but I didn't care. Where three miles used to seem "long" to me in the past, this is just a small out-and-back now. Even the long hill beside the clubhouse didn't phase me ... I just kept a methodic stride and pounded right up. When I crested the hill, I didn't stop to catch my breath but took advantage of gravity and ran fast down the hill. Another uphill, no problem. Then it was a long downhill (running down Goliath, as I call it) ... I decided I would earn my victory over Goliath by running down it fast and hard, then keeping a steady non-stop pace back up.

I did just that. In fact, my pace was so strong coming back up that I lost track of what I was doing - instead of an agonizing crawl to the top, constantly checking the distance, I was daydreaming and was at the top in no time. It also helps to run in the dark because you can't see how far you're going.

Down, up, then a long downhill back to the house. I used this to open up in a semi-sprint. The splits on my watch had me doing 8:50 for the first mile, 9:22 for the second mile, then 7:48 for this last mile ... then another 1:39 for the phantom 0.25 miler of GPS error. I don't doubt that I did a sub-8 on the last mile because it was all downhill and I was pushing hard.

I reached the end and stopped with a smile. A glance at the watch showed 27:39 ... that is a 9:13 split (the phantom 1/4 mile would make it 8:31, a goal of mine but definitely not what this run was). I felt phenomenal.

The run was almost like a meditation. I decided several runs ago that I would ditch the MP3 and just focus on the environment, the people around me, and my own thoughts. I've enjoyed every run and had better runs since then and have no desire to load the MP3 back up. Not even on the longer runs ... I enjoy the "getting away" so much.

After the run, I walked a bit to cool down and then performed 20 minutes of yoga to stretch out.

It was a great start to a great 26-mile week.

5 miles tomorrow morning - I look forward to it.

Jeremy

Today's Run: 13.1 (Atlanta Half Marathon)
Run Time: 2:18:32
Total Miles to Date: 128.1

Thoughts on the Run:






Today was the half marathon. My goal was to finish (done) and do less than 2 hours (not done). I came close to a goal of 10-minute miles, but fell short ... but am not disappointed.

At 4:00am my alarm went off. I jumped out of bed, brewed a cup of coffee and toasted some whole grain waffles for breakfast. I got dressed: shorts, long running pants, a long-sleeved running shirt with cotton shirt on top, bandana to keep my head warm. I put lotion on my lifes to avoid chafing and powder in my shoes to keep my feet dry. The running pants have zippered pockets perfect for my license, my MARTA cards, and the car key.

I was out the door at 4:45 and it took 45 minutes to reach the MARTA station. There, I met "Tithers" who I know from an online running forum. She had run this before and was a very great guide for getting to and back from the race. We hopped on the train and rode down one exit to the start line.

It was pitch black and we were some of the first people to arrive at the start line. We walked down a long hill to the section where they were serving water and sports drinks and had the porta-potties, but then found that the bag drop (I had clean shoes, socks, and a shirt) was actually back up the hill where we came from. So, we headed back up so I could check my bag. Then back down to the start. Tithers was freezing so I let her borrow the $2 gloves I got at the expo. We waited a bit and then it was close to start time. She was going to the 11-minute group and I wanted to start with the 9-minute group so we parted ways (and I got my gloves back).

Soon they counted down and we were off. It was a sharp hook and then over the timing mat and I started my watch.

I settled into what felt like a nice, even pace. The course started out level and I completed the first mile in 9:15.

I decided that I was going to just take water for most of the race, but that I would drink at every aid station, so I stopped and grabbed some water and and drank it as I ran. The course dipped downhill. My strategy was to bank as much time as I could on the downhill in the front, so I picked up the pace and finished the second mile in 8:52.

The third and fourth miles were uneventful. I felt like I was running a perfect pace and kept running through the water stations. Mile 3 was 9:07 and mile 4 was 9:34. So far, so good for my goals - I was actually on target for a sub-2 hour finish.

The fifth mile started crawling uphill. I got a little dizzy so I pulled to the side and walk for a bit and then decided I would slow the pace down. I finished that mile in 10:11, still solid.

The sixth mile was 9:37.

The seventh mile, still no problem - 9:33.

The eight mile was where the fun started. Mile 8 started a steep climb and I had to slow my pace to drive up the hill. At 10:52, it was not a bad mile, but then mile 9 came and things fell part.

Miles 9 - 11 were agonzing for me. Suddenly my stomach started churning and I had severe stomach cramps. It felt like diarrheah. I would move to the side and just squat down, the only position I could get into to make the nausea pass, and then wait. Eventually the cramps would subside and I'd venture back out. A few episodes of this and I resolved to walk for a bit to settle it down. I even approached a port-a-pottie but the line was too long. It was as I was walking towards this that I happened to glance down and realized I made a mistake by not taping my nipples - there were two big red spots on my shirt from the bleeding. Fortunately I could not feel a thing.

Mile 9 was 11:51. Mile 10 was 11:58. Mile 11, when I stopped the longest and toyed with the idea of making a "pit stop" was 13:27.

In the middle of mile 11, I stopped by the station and decided I would go ahead and try some PowerAde. I chugged a cup of that in addition to a cup of water, and got back on the path.

While the last several miles were mostly uphill, suddenly my cramping was completely gone. While my legs felt stiff and sore, I was able to move into a steady jog and make my way up the hills. I finished mile 12 in 10:41 and then mile 13 in 10:52. Mile 13 had the most hills so I was happy with the pace considering the uphill nature.

The end of the race was cruel. There was a very steep uphill, a gentle down-sloping grade, then another uphill before a short (2-10ths of a mile) downhill to the finish line. I was going to blast through but just didn't have the legs or energy and finished steadily. I crossed by 2:18 on my watch. Official race time was 2:21 but it took 2 minutes to reach the mat so my official "net" time is probably 2:19.

All-in-all I am happy with all of my splits because there wasn't much I could do during the slow miles. I handled the distance better than my last half marathon. It was beautiful scenery - the sun was rising just as we started and in full brilliance at the finish. I grabbed a water, drank it, then went to the baggage tent and changed into dry clothes and stretched. Then I grabbed our goodie bag (cheese crackers and a Milky Way) with a Coke. I bumped into Tithers again, and we then bumped into a gentleman who goes by "North Georgia" online and we were all heading back on MARTA, so we headed back. As we headed to the station, my cramping came back and it was a very miserable walk.

On the train, I felt like I was going to pass out. Unfortunately, I hadn't stopped at any of the bathrooms at the finish, and there were none in the MARTA stations. I was pretty sure my nausea was due to my cramping so I just held on as we rode back to the station. We arrived and everyone said goodbye (I was really excited to meet everyone in person, and Tithers was a great guide and helped me find everything at the race). I drove home. Relief came quickly with access to facilities, and I decided perhaps my waffles weren't a good choice (I had eaten french toast before a training run prior with no problems). Judging by the swelling in my hands I also figured I sweated out a lot of electrolytes so that may have been the cause. I am going to have to resolve what is going on there before going to marathon distance so I'll be doing more experimenting in the upcoming runs.

After a nice soak in the tub, I was feeling back to normal (as normal as can be, my calfs, knees, and thighs ache) ... we sat down and had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with my parents and then I felt 100%. Now I'm sipping wine and unwinding and looking forward to enjoying an evening of relaxation.

So, missed a few goals but still accomplished 13.1 miles. Definitely feel ready to take on the marathon as I feel the only fault in this race was "gut management" which is an ongoing learning process.

I need to remember to tape my chest as well ... it stings!

Everyone, have a happy, blessed Thanksgiving Day.

Warmly,

Jeremy Likness

Today is an exciting day.

The weather forecast gives me an idea of what to expect tomorrow. It will probably be between 35 - 40 degrees at the start line, but warming up slightly during the day and with nice, clear skies. Looks like a great way to run.

Yesterday I went into our downtown office, which is just about 5 minutes from where the expo for the event was hosted. A co-worker and I headed over only to find the parking deck was sold out. We ended up deciding instead of driving around for 20 minutes trying to find a space, we'd just pay the valet and be done with it. Valet parked for 10 minutes! Hey, time is money and my 20 minutes is worth more than $6.

The expo was a lot larger than the last one, which makes sense, as it is a bigger event. I enjoyed browsing the various booths and actually made an "expo purchase." The only element missing from my gear for tomorrow's run was a pair of gloves. At $2 I figured I couldn't go wrong, and now my mits will be well-protected.

I picked up my bib and timing chip. The bib number is 4980. This is the number to look for crossing the finish line before 2 hours are over ... that is the goal.

What do statistics think of my goal?

This calculator predicts two times for me:

1. Based on my 5K of 28:00 very early in my training, the predicted half marathon time is 2:09:26. This would beat my PR of 2:16 in the Black Hills of South Dakota by 7 minutes.

2. Based on my 10K of 57:18, later in my training, the predicted half marathon time is 2:07. That's a few minutes shaved off. So where does the other 7 - or 30 seconds faster each mile over 13.1 miles - come from?

That's a good question. I'd say two places. First, I've done plenty of longer runs and it takes a few weeks for the body to adjust. I've revised my strategy and found what works. But, most importantly, I'm looking for something else a little less scientific to carry me through the finish line with an overall 9-minute pace. Heart. A lot of faith and heart to push through and give an effort above and beyond my training runs.

Let me say there are really three goals coming into this ... because remember, my "ultimate" larger goal is a 50-mile ultramarathon. This is a step on the way, part of the training process.

Priority 1: Finish. Nuff said.
Priority 2: Sub-10. This is what I feel I am capable of and SHOULD be able to do given my training, level of fitness, etc.
Priority 3: 9-minute pace - this is where I feel I should be if I truly give it all I've got.

After looking through my running journals, I realized just how much of a taper I've really had. Due to the persistent cough and feeling under the weather, last minute travel and lots of hours working on various projects, I haven't run but a few times the past few weeks. Compare that with the volume I'm going to need to work into in order to meet my marathon goal for March. It's going to be challenging, but if it weren't, I wouldn't be doing this at all.

I'm confident because my 10 mile run, my 8 mile run, and the past several runs have come from ease and with decent paces, and that's without the adrenaline and pushing forward that comes with a race.

So, here I am, not knowing what to expect except that I will ask of my body nothing less than every effort it can put forth. I'm not holding back just because it's a holiday tomorrow or this isn't my ultimate goal. It's part of the ongoing "test" of life and part of how we FEEL alive, by testing ourselves and pushing our limits.

I don't want to be a recreational runner. That doesn't mean I expect to be elite, but I won't take average. That's not a judgement against people who run less or slower or have other struggles, not at all. It's a challenge to myself because I know what I am capable of and anything less is falling short.

As surely as I am drinking from a coffee cup that reads, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined..." I can say I've fallen a bit short in the past year due to lots of changes. The rollercoaster ride was worth every up and down but along the way I lost a bit of focus and this journey is pulling that focus back.

Today, my parents have set out from Florida and will be making the 8-hour (okay, let's face it, with today's traffic perhaps a 10 or 12 hour) drive here to Atlanta. I don't know if they'll be at the race or not, which is fine, but I look forward to their company. My mom is an avid runner and was hoping to run some event here but is not ready to take on a half marathon. I'm sure she'll be excited and that just adds to my own excitement and resolve.

I'll also be joining some old friends and associates for lunch, some who I have not seen in years.

My wife and daughter have decorated the home in anticipation of my parents' arrival. We're going to do Christmas early with them as we will not see them again before the end of the year. Even our dog, Lizzie, seems to be excited and senses that something fun is going to happen.

I'll focus on my carbohydrates today. I'm not one to drown myself in fluids because I don't believe in changing things drastically on race day, so I'm sticking to my regular hydration schedule. Tomorrow it will be up at 4am and then a nice drive to the MARTA station where I'll catch a train to the start line.

Then it's 4980 and 13.1.

It's T. S. Eliot and Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.

It's The Pursit of Greatness.

It's an exciting journey and I look forward to posting the results sometime after today.

Warmly,

Jeremy Likness

Today's Run: n/a
Run Time: n/a
Total Miles to Date: 114.9

Thoughts on the Run:

It feels odd to have lost a little momentum with posting runs and distances and times and splits. This week is a taper week for me, so there are no more planned runs. I did miss a few of my taper runs. I have been struggling with the chronic cough for several weeks after the last 10K and decided it would be best just to continue to rest and not aggravate it. I think it's the right choice.

The only "nervous" I feel about the upcoming run is excitement. I'm looking forward to it. I have not felt as well prepared for any race in the past. My only concern is the temperature - it looks like it may be a near-freezing start. I'm not a huge fan of running in the cold but I do it better now than I have in the past. I did an 8-mile training run in similar weather so I have an idea of what to expect.

Unlike my half marathon in South Dakota, this one I feel prepared for and I feel like I understand the distance. In South Dakota, I had no concept of pace or hydration strategy or even how far I'd really be going. I had simply focused on putting in the miles. It's no wonder I had horrible stomach cramping during that run (drank nothing but the aid station Gatorades which I found are not the best choice for me unless diluted with water) and felt like I was crawling near the end. I burst out at a 9-minute pace that quickly deteriorated later in the run.

Based on my recent runs, I have a strategy. I will go out steady but not pushing it, because I need to warm up to have a good run. Whenever I go out too hard I end up tanking. If I go out easy and give myself a good 10 - 15 minutes to warm up, then I can kick it into gear and not suffer. Of course I can warm up a bit before the start but I'm more interested in going the distance than squeezing out any last little bit of performance that I possibly can.

I also know the run is almost all uphill for the last 10K. So I feel I need to take advantage of gravity during the first half and get in a good pace (closer to 9-minutes) in the beginning if I intend to have a sub 10-minute pace overall. Hit the hill "steady as she goes" and use grit, will, and determination to cross the finish line.

This past week was a very busy week for me. There was a lot going on and my stress levels were pushed to their limit. The result was the return of my cough and a general feeling of funk for awhile. I believe we are all responsible for how we feel and that while life happens, it is how we deal with it that determines our happiness and success. So, I took a step back and asked myself if I was dealing with it the right way. The answer was, "no" and so I made the changes and adjustments and had a GREAT weekend.

One thing we did was drive around after breakfast yesterday. We went into some beautiful neighborhoods. My wife had been browsing homes and found a beautiful home that she decided to save as her desktop about a year ago. While we were driving, we ended up in a very beautiful neighborhood and then ... WHAM! Right there! We passed the EXACT house she had. It is a very unique architecture and design and you can tell by the position of the chimneys and arches leading into a courtyard that this was it. Talk about synchronicity! Atlanta is a BIG place so to stumble on this was something else.

We then drove to a section called Columns Drive. When we first met, we were blessed to find an apartment here. The approach is on the Chattahoochee River between multi-million dollar homes. Somehow we managed to find this apartment complex nestled behind the neighborhood with spacious floor plans - including windows on BOTH sides of the apartment (very rare, most just have one outward facing), views to the river, etc. We had expected it to be out of our price range but it ended up being one of the least expensive options on our list. The complex was walking distance from the trails that run parallel to the river.

Not only would we walk down to the park often, but my office at the time was on the other side of the trail system. I would meet with co-workers and we'd jog in the early morning before starting our day. I always remember how beautiful it was to see the sun reflecting from the river's surface and the great feeling of accomplishment we'd share after finishing the run and stretching out in the parking lot before hitting the gym to shower.

This visit almost took my breath away. It's probably been six years since I ran on that trail, but immediately I felt it again. I remembered the turns, the views, the bush here and the rock there. As my wife, daughter, and I walked on the path, I was taken back to that time when I ran just to burn calories and keep my weight down. It is so interesting to take that and view it in a different perspective and notice how the runs are different when you approach them with a different mindset.

One thing that has been consistent is the pleasure I experience during the run. Both before and now, my runs are a way to meditate, pray, and relax. They allow me to ground myself and remember to breathe, look, hear, touch, feel, and taste life.

My daughter said, "Daddy, let's run" and took off with a cloud of dust behind her. I jogged a little bit with her as we watched the leaves fall from trees, joggers huff past, and bikes zoom into the distance (it's also a great mountain bike trail system).

These moments are powerful. I reconnected to the same place, but the experience was different because I have changed. The contrast was a powerful one and helped me bring things into focus.

This will be an amazing week. My parents drive up on Wednesday to spend the holiday with us. I accomplish a personal milestone on Thursday with my second half marathon, and the first one I'll do without walking and in a sub 10-minute pace. Then we'll all give thanks and celebrate together, and I'll begin the long, steady climb of mileage to prepare myself for my first marathon in March.

Blessed be,

Jeremy Likness

That was exciting ... the headline is about the wife of a good friend of mine who lives close to me. I was planning on running with him but he is recovering from some injuries he sustained in training for and running the Chicago marathon.

Anyway, here is the article.

Jeremy

Today's Run: 8.35m
Run Time: 1:26:07
Total Miles to Date: 114.9

Thoughts on the Run:





Graphics Courtesy of RunTracker.RunnersWorld.com

This week was supposed to be a taper week. This means I decrease my volume leading into the main event, the Atlanta Half Marathon. I am excited and look forward to the run, and feel better prepared than I ever have. Because the organizers did such a fine job of publishing the race details, I was able to plot out my best estimate of the course map.

I say this week was supposed to be a taper because I tapered a little too much. Due to my nagging cough and generally having a hectic week, I did not do two of the runs scheduled during the week. I decided the long run would be the most important so instead of risking injury or getting sicker by running the shorter runs, I waited until today.

In the morning, we had a special service at our church. We had our yearly congregational meeting, and we were also installing a new associate pastor because our last associate pastor moved out of state. It was a great service and afterwards everyone gathered for a nice Thanksgiving style dinner. I took the opportunity to load up on energy. I had a moderate amount of turkey, a roll, some mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and some sweets (chocolate).

I gave this all an hour and a half to digest and then I hit the road. Continuing my philosophy of "easyology" I decided not to push hard, but focus on being consistent.

I was surprised at how easy the first mile felt. It was high fifties but this time the sun was shining so I felt great. Definitely ideal weather for running. I hit the uphills and felt I was going slow but when my watch chimed the first mile, I did it in under 10 minutes (9:29 to be precise).

I knew that if I kept pushing this pace I'd suffer for it later so I eased up a little and had a more sane 9:55 the next mile. I was surprised when my watch chimed because the second mile seemed to come so fast. I still remember being in tears the first time I completed a four mile run about five years ago because it seemed like such a far distance. This felt easy and I knew it was going to be a great run. The second leg took me up some fairly steep hills which slowed my pace a bit but I still felt strong. I was eager for a break when the fourth mile hit and I had some more of my mixture. I decided this time on two chanes for hydration: first, I got a squeeze top so I could drink on the go and limited myself to just 30 seconds of a pause every two miles, and second, I mixed both of my bottles with 50% Gatorade and 50% water.

After chugging down a few sips I hit it again and dumped out of the neighborhood I was in. Now I was on my main loop that is 4.5 miles if I don't go into the neighborhoods. I've done this loop scores of times so it felt mentally relaxing to be on the last leg of my journey. While the library is two miles straight out from our house, my excursions into the neighborhoods clocked me in at six miles. I had a few more sips and then welcomed a bit of downhill.

The sixth mile I started to feel some pain in my legs. I felt a little run down but I realized probably most of it was mental. So, I refocused my thoughts and reminded myself I had the opportunity to make this my best long training run ever. With renewed focus, I hit the bottom of the hill at the end of mile 7 and started the long, steep climb up the last hill before the finish. I felt energized and while the split was my slowest at 11:17, I made it to the top without stopping and had enough energy to push a 9-minute pace down the last 1/3 of a mile.

I finished strong with a decent distance to walk. I actually could have stopped at 8 miles but wanted to get a little extra in. After I finished, I pulled out an extra (dry) shirt I had in my pouch and threw it over my Champion running shirt. I walked briskly and drank on the way back.

I realized my strategy with the diluted Gatorade worked - this time there was NO stomach discomfort at all. I also focused on cooling down and taking extra time stretching. The result? I feel much better. While my last few long runs had me completely wiped out afterwards, tonight I feel like it was a typical 5-miler and am fresh and ready to go.

I was worried at how the run would feel after taking extra rest due to my cold but in fact I had the best training run yet. I feel very confident about tackling 13.1 miles in a 10:00 minute or less pace and look forward to the event.

My mind is slowly wrapping itself around distance. Even though I have not run more than 10 1/2 miles, the 26 miles of a marathon now seems like a very doable distance and the 50 miler no longer sounds impossible. Only time will tell the truth.

Until next time,

Jeremy

PS - Check out the workout and splits here.

Today's Run: n/a
Run Time: n/a
Total Miles to Date: 106.5

Thoughts on the Run:

I haven't run this week because the cough persists. I found out that lots of people in the area have it - a slight cold/fever followed by several weeks of coughing. I believe the long run is the most important, so instead of wearing down my immune system during the weak with shorter runs, I decided to rest until the weekend and instead of an 8-miler go ahead and do a 9. Not sure if that will be on trails or in the neighborhood yet.

It's also now official. I just signed up for the ING Georgia Marathon. A little late so there was a bit of a penalty but I'm on the roster. I'm very excited. When a marathon distance seemed so long in the past, now it feels like the next logical step. I am really looking forward to building up my mileage after the half marathon and getting to the longer 20-mile runs.

That's it for now, lots to do, but I'll check in again when I do my long run this weekend. We're getting close ... only a few weeks until the half.

Can you believe this year is already almost over?

Also, slowly building out a website with my articles on it. Not like my old site where they were general articles, this is more of a "resume" of ones I've authored. You can browse them at the Golden Summit Inc. website. If you're interested in weight loss then the archives of the weight loss vault should be interesting as well.

Until next time,

Jeremy Likness

Today's Run: 5.12
Run Time: 52:03
Total Miles to Date: 106.5

Thoughts on the Run:





Graphics Courtesy of RunTracker.RunnersWorld.com

There are a lot of parallels in life. Take, for instance, business. Because I knew when I started my own business that there was a lot I did not know, I made sure I became a student of success. I had many mentors and coaches who assisted me with the journey. I discovered there are two common approaches to a successful business.

One involves the intensity of a start-up. It's a lot of hard work, burning the midnight oil, constantly building the business, etc. This is a valid approach and works for many companies. Some people seem to thrive on this mode and do it constantly, while others get burned out quickly and succumb to the stress.

The other involves what one of my mentors referred to as "easyology" or going with the flow.

Few people start here, but many people I know who began intensely - my mentor included - eventually evolve to this phase. It's a realization that you don't have to force things to happen, but you can attract events by who you become. You begin to live in flow and have more faith in life.

I was recently engaged in a debate on a forum that addressed theories about religion, evolution, and other hotly argued topics. I don't believe it's my place to convince anyone of anything, so I was sharing points. Most people look for evidence in life, and for me, the evidence was clear: almost all of the successful people I met, who were living an abundant life (note my choice of words - it doesn't necessarily mean they were overly wealthy, but they had time and financial freedom and were living the life they imagined) attributed their success to living in flow, having faith, operating in a certain way of thinking.

This is something that I struggled with my own business. I certainly wasn't starting my company to "be rich" as I was already doing quite well as a Director of Information Technology at a web software company. I was passionate about fitness and wanted to make a difference and felt I could create a successful business based on those principles.

My problem was not that I jumped too soon, but that I reacted instead of becoming the right person. Let me explain ... in the beginning, I simply pursued my passion. I wrote articles, built content, created CDs, wrote my book, hosted seminars, and coached a lot of people to good health. That was the passion part. But in order to get a quality web server, to build software, to produce CD sets, to edit and publish a book, I also invested a lot. My savings. 401K. Credit cards became "business loan devices." All for a good cause, and in fact my business revenue tripled the second year from the first.

However, the problem was me. Instead of staying focused on the goal, the passion, and building my business, I became more focused on the bills, debts, and checks. A great teacher Frederick Lehrman taught me that "what you think about expands." The more you focus on debt, the greater your debt becomes. It seems like a paradox and again, some people will say, "This is crazy" but my experience is that when I learned to shift my focus away from debt, that is when we began encountering solutions to it.

To make a short story boring, I created a large debt in my business but hadn't planned ahead well enough to have the capital ready to maintain it. Suddenly, it was no longer fun. I was writing to survive, not because of my passion, so my writing suffered. I let stress interfere with the message I was sending and I stopped getting in flow. When I used to hold teleconferences, I wouldn't have a single note - I'd pick a topic and let it flow for the entire hour, and produced some great audios. When I focused on the wrong areas, however, suddenly it all became forced and I struggled with generating content.

There IS a point to this ...

Finally, I decided to "let go." I stopped struggling. I stopped forcing myself to try to make things happen. I took the philosophy of my teachers to heart: instead of trying to make it happen, why not set my intention and let it happen?

Once I reached that stage, things changed tremendously. I was able to sell my website and pay off a large portion of business debt. I was contacted by a company to write for them. My books began selling. Out of the blue, I was contacted by the founder of a company I worked at for five years and always imagined what it would be like to help start a company with him. Others will call this coincidence, but I consider it to be a result of easyology. When I let go, opportunities presented themselves because it came from the heart and not out of need or desperation.

Part of this process is why I decided to shift my focus away from the coaching empire that I was building, get back into technology and do running, writing, and the rest on the side. I wanted to get back to easology, and to take the stress out of what I do for fitness. And it's been working. Not only have we had a phenomenal and abundant ride at the company that I direct their technology department for, but I've also had the opportunity to pursue a new passion for running, write articles and grow my knowledge in new directions.

So what does this have to do with today's run?

My training has been a lot like that process. I certainly believe easyology is why my 10.6 mile run seemed to go by faster than what 5 mile runs would feel like in the past. I'm not worried about how fast or when I'll finish and instead live in the moment of the run. I enjoy the present, take it easy, and there I am.

Only, I'm not really taking it easy. I've been pushing hard and it's showed as slower times, slight injuries, a nagging cough, etc.

I was reading a bit of information about a philosophy of training known as "low heart rate" training. The idea is that you purposefully build an aerobic base running at a lower heart rate and don't push harder runs, trying to sprint up hills, training with weights, etc.

They listed some symptoms that may indicate this is the right type of training ... the list goes on and on ... the link I was reading is right here.

While I didn't fit all of the symptoms, a few were intriguing. I decided maybe I am pushing myself too hard. Why not focus on my ORIGINAL goal of going the distance, rather than also forcing myself to try to run hard?

Then I read these journals. I noticed my best runs were ... well, quite frankly, the ones where I took it easy.

Suddenly I realized my mistake on my long run. I was pushing hard from point to point, ready to stop and rest, when I could have probably nailed a faster pace if I just ... took it easy.

So, today, I decided to, well, take it easy.

I started my run and instead of forcing myself up the hill, I took it nice and slow. Plenty of time to warm up.

I resisted the urge to break loose on the downhill. Just nice and steady.

When the uphill came and I started to tire, I did something different. Instead of gritting my teeth and forcing myself up, I slowed down, took deeper breaths, and relaxed.

And then suddenly it began clicking. Mile 2 felt easier than mile 3. Mile 4 was a breeze. I loved mile 5. What was this? No "struggling to the end" but rather, enjoying it?

I ended up with a few negative splits ... mile 4 was slow but that also included the infamous Goliath. So what did "taking it easy" on the long hill do for me? For one, I managed to crest it without stopping. More importantly, instead of feeling spent at the top and dragging my butt for the last mile, I was able to open up and finish strong.

Overall, I enjoyed the run, and felt great - not wiped out - afterwards. Now one run is highly scientific, but it is a good start in my opinion. I'm taking easyology and applying it here, to my runs. It may mean that I adjust my half marathon pace from sub 2-hour to 2:10, and that my full marathon goal may be 4:20 instead of 4. But you know what? This is my first year seriously running, why try to take on the world? Let's build a nice base and then grow from there, and ... take it easy. Enjoy the sights.

Oh, and there is something to be said for toys as well. I was so excited to run today, despite feeling a little sore and under the weather and having to jog in the rain ... because I looked forward to trying out my new Garmin on the trail.

Until next time,

Jeremy

Today's Run: 10.63
Run Time: 1:54:36
Total Miles to Date: 101.4

Thoughts on the Run:

First, notice my summary of mileage doesn't "add" to the previous. That's because I'm using my log at running ahead because it allows me to detail splits, etc.

So, this was the first run with my new Garmin 205. I was blown away. It also makes for a very rough training partner.

We met some friends at the trailhead. I had mapped a route that I estimated to be about 10.6 miles. It turns out the maps for the mountain are accurate because, when all was said and done, the GPS tagged me at 10.6 miles.

So, where to begin?

First, I picked up a running shirt. No, not one of those crazy $40 or $75 ones you see in sports stores. This was one in Wal-mart that used the Wick-lite material and looked just as good as the rest - for $15. It was long sleeved and vented.

Second, I used Gatorade Endurance again, but changed my strategy. I switched from orange flavor to lime because I thought it would be less sweet, and I diluted my second bottle with 8 oz of water because last time it was the end of the run where it started getting too sweet for me.

The weather report showed 58 but I'm positive in the shade under the trees it probably dropped well below that. I decided to do a loop not so steep. I also decided I would take it in 2 mile stages - run as best as I could for 2 miles, then walk and sip some of the Gatorade, then run 2 more, etc.

I started the run and immediately felt like it was going to be a lousy one. I just seemed to struggle the first mile. I hit uphills and was walking fast. My calves were burning and shortly into the run, my left foot fell asleep. Not a great way to start.

I gritted my teeth and pushed through. The air was cold and was triggering some coughing and I found it a bit harder to catch my breath.

I finally hit the 1 mile mark and was surpised to see that my split was 9:41 - that's with the walking. Not bad, I would certainly be happy to finish with an average 10-minute pace. I loosened my shoe laces on my left shoe and kept running. The foot woke up. A few more hills had my calves burning but soon I was on my way and forgot about them.

It wasn't long before I crossed a bridge, looped a corner, and was at Dallas Highway. I stopped a bit to wait for traffic, crossed over, and was running the 0.7 mile spur to the parking lot for another section of the park. That went without incident, and I saw some beautiful horses on the trial. I reached the start of what would be my widest loop and cut over and began running it.

A few notes on the Garmin. I had customized the displays to show a million things but I found in the run all I really cared was:

What is my average pace?
What is my current pace?
How far?

Those were really the key ones. I had elevation but really didn't care - I knew when I was going up hill. I also had the watch beep when I was going too fast or slow. At first too fast was an 8:00 pace and too slow was a 10:00 but I quickly learned when you're walking hills or stepping gingerly down switch backs that you set the slow pace to 17:00 and even then I was getting pestered by the watch.

A really great feature was how it would beep for me each mile. I didn't have to keep looking at my watch, I'd just push forward and when I got the beep for every 2nd mile, I'd stop and take a drink (while walking).

Eventually my calves were no longer sore, and I felt okay. A few times I would get a feeling of nausea and slow down, but once I gave myself some rest, I was able to push on. I stopped one time when a hill brought me to a screetching halt and checked my pulse - 150. That was probably the highest it reached on the course.

I was amazed at how easy it was to break the run into 2 mile pieces. The 2 mile segments seemed to happen quickly and psychologically, it was great to know there were just 5 of them.

Once I reached the halfway mark, I knew I was well on my way. I was also excited because my total time was 52:33 or just over a 10 minute pace. I decided I would shoot for an 11-minute pace (I would have been happy with anything under 12) and started to push forward. While psychologically it felt like I was running hard, the reality was that there were a lot of hills and my pace was slowing. I had a few slower splits. When the watch beeped at the 8 mile mark, though, the end "was in sight" and I knocked out a faster pace. I hit the 10 mile mark and decided to push through to the end ... and eventually saw my wife, daughter, and friends ahead on the trail (with of course our cute dog, Lizzie). I raced up to them and stopped the watch at the end of the run.

That was my longest training run, ever. Even training for the half marathon in South Dakota, my longest run was around 9 miles prior. I felt great and knew I could go further. I was hit with a coughing fit at the end but rehydrated, stretched, and then we headed on.

When I got home, the fun began. I uploaded my route, you can see it here. I created a Google Earth file for it and was able to "tour it".

My favorite parts? First, calories computed based not just on distance or pace, but on elevation.

Total calories burned? The estimate is 3,508 or one pound of fat. Unfortunately, I forgot to weigh after the run to see how much I lost to check how my hydration was going.

The new strategy with the lime flavor and diluted second bottle worked. I had only minimal cramping and wasn't sick of the mix by the end.

My splits for the run (note that every 2nd mile I stopped to take in fluids and walk for a minute or two):

Mile 1: 9:41
Mile 2: 11:55
Mile 3: 9:54
Mile 4: 11:25
Mile 5: 9:38
Mile 6: 11:32
Mile 7: 11:38 (my roughest mile)
Mile 8: 10:33
Mile 9: 11:58
Mile 10: 9:51
Mile 10.6: 6:32 (10:21 pace)

Breakdown of the run:

I spent about 10 minutes walking, 1 hr 4 minutes jogging (< 10-minute pace) and 40:36 running ( > 10-minute pace).

I was stopped for about 5 minutes, which accounts for a few road crossings and a few time squatting down waiting for some stomach pains to pass.

40 minutes of the run was spent going uphill. Total elevation change was 800 feet, total cumulative uphill was 6,000 feet. About the same going downhill distance wise, but I did that in 28 minutes. I spent 44 minutes on flat ground.

Anyway I could load you with stats but this is why I'm so excited about my new tool. The shirt worked great as well, no rubbing or chafing and kept me pretty warm throughout the run.

After the run, my right quad just began burning to the point I could barely put any weight on it. Felt like as if I was doing one legged squats until the muscle gave out. Sitting down for dinner, the backs of both legs started cramping. Now my aches and pains are pretty much gone but it will be interesting to see my recovery. I plan on hitting my runs through the week but am starting the taper to the half marathon.

Until next time,

Jeremy Likness

It's been a few days since I've posted.

The cough that I had is still lingering, but it seems to be fading about the same rate as when I did run. It comes and goes. I noticed I cough mostly just after waking up and after eating. Fortunately, I cough a bit and then it's gone, I don't have sore throat, I don't have trouble breathing, I don't have a fever, no headache, etc, so I think it's more just recovery from the cold I had. We'll see.

Last night I drove by a local sporting goods store and purchased my first real, running related toy! I am so excited to try it out today. It's a long, complicated story about how I even came to a position to purchase this ... while I really wanted it, I was content to wait until after Christmas and focus on other things. However, a slight mistake on our part followed by confusion with a certain transaction created the net result of us having some unexpected cash. We allocated it to some important things around the house (like removing the dead tree looming over one side) and classes for our daughter (she is home schooled but we like to get her involved in lessons like Spanish, cooking, horse riding, etc).

So, my wife said, "If you want that thing ... get it." I didn't realize it was part of the marketing strategy, because after I was excited and jumped up and down a few times, she casually mentioned something she wanted (for the house, of course). Hah! So we decided to give each other our Christmas presents early (which we often do - if we find something we want during the year beyond what we've budgeted, we get it and then agree for Christmas it's a card and a kiss).

I normally would go online and hit eBay or some other places for the device. In fact, eBay had several auctions where the price was over $100 off the list. Even Amazon had this for a significant discount over retail. There was only one problem, however, that vendors love - it's that "impulse buy" syndrome and I knew I was running today and wanted it now.

So, I called a few places. It was quite amusing at some of the major retailers to hear their response, "You want what? Some sort of cart map thang?" I finally found a sporting goods store that confirmed it was in stock as well as the price. I'd be paying a bit more for it but hey, "it's Christmas" and I would get it in time for my run today.

I drove by the place after a long day at the office (sales presentations, interviews, and building some code) and arrived late at night. I was in no mood to waste time, eager to get home and spend some time with the girls. The first person I spoke to said, "Yeah, I wish we had those ... I want one for me ... but we don't." So I found someone else. "Fitness corner." Nope. The person in the fitness corner directed me to the central watch display. Nope. I was told, "I don't think we carry this." I explained someone confirmed this on the phone just hours ago and escalated it to management. The manager thought it might be in the camping section (we know how many campers are concerned about creating running routes and displaying their mile pace). In camping, sure enough, there was the display unit but no actual box. "We might be out." Finally he "checked in the back" and produced two boxes: the 205 and the 305. The 305 is basically the 205 plus heart rate monitor. Not worth the $100 difference in my opinion (already have heart rate monitor) so I grabbed the box and thanked him.

I guess at that store, you have to be serious about picking up a Garmin Forerunner if you really want to get one, because they don't make it easy.

So here I am, staring at this technological wonder ... and getting more excited by the minute at the prospect of taking it on the trail to map out my 10 mile run today.

More to come!

Jeremy

Today's Run: 4.5m
Run Time: 43:23
Total Miles to Date: 91.2

Thoughts on the Run:

It was a fitting run for Halloween, because I felt like a Zombie.

I still hadn't fully recovered from the long run on the weekend - my legs were sore, and I was coughing quite a bit. I had caught a cold that I managed to run a 10K through and do more training, but the cough just won't let go.

So, I made the executive decision that I would try one more run and then if the coughing persisted, take several days rest to fully recover.

I set out on my run intending to do 5 miles. It was evident early in the run that it would be a struggle. I was completely out of breath when I hit the first hill and felt like when I first started running. I decided to focus on what I do best in times like this: consistency. Just keep moving. So, I pushed through and managed to make the full hill without stopping.

I also decided to focus on what I believe is the cause of the persistent cough: breathing through my mouth. I started intentionally breathing through my nose. It actually made for a very pleasant run. There were times where I just couldn't seem to catch my breath without breathing in through my mouth, but for the most part I was able to use my nose to inhale and hopefully stop pulling dry, cold air into my lungs.

After cresting a second long hill, my body just began to feel like jelly. I decided it would be a great accomplishment just to finish the run, so I changed my goal and instead of cutting into the various neighborhoods, chose to simply complete the loop for a 4.5 mile run. This would not just shave a short 0.5 mile from it, but would let me finish the run completely downhill as opposed to the 0.5 loop that has several little uphill sections. Psychologically, it was the kick I needed to push through.

I made it to the end and was surprised to see that despite feeling miserable and really feeling like I had a lousy, forced run, I completed it in 43:23 or at a 9:40 minute mile pace. Not bad! I was actually excited.

It was ironic that despite this being one of my shorter runs, it actually felt like I had run another 10 miles. My chest hurt, I was out of breath, and my legs were sore.

It was good training but I also decided, "Okay, time to rest." I'll be taking the rest of the week off until my 10-mile run on Saturday. Hopefully that will be enough of a break to let my body get over whatever cough I've picked up and also to hit a new PR on the 10-miler. It will be at Kennesaw Mountain again, probably with the Gatorade Endurance since I doubt my order of Ultra will get here in time, but since I'm doing the flatter side I'm setting a 10-minute mile goal to finish in 1:40.

We'll see! I may not post again until the weekend.

After my run, we went to visit our good friends. We passed out candy, walked with the kids, then had chili made with buffalo meat and some beers. It was a nice, relaxing evening. I feel much better today but still look forward to some more rest to start hitting the next tier of mileage.

I was beating myself up for relaxing a little and then I saw my stats - 90 miles in the month of October. Not bad!

Until next time,

Jeremy Likness