Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Basebuilding? Not on this run!
Today's Run: 5.0
Run Time: 48:04
Total Miles to Date: 376.4
Thoughts on the Run:
Wow. What a rush.
For the first time since I was injured, there is an entry in my running log for a week with nothing. Nil. Zilch. Nada.
Why?
Well, I could probably use several excuses. I've been spending a lot of time focusing on building my team and the business for my company. This means a lot of time in the office. We've had some major deals that required a bit of extra effort and this has meant long hours out of the house. Of course when I come home, I'm interested in spending quality time with my wife and daughter and then catching up on sleep.
Yeah, that sounds great and noble. But let's face it. I'm human. Somehow in that "hectic" schedule I managed to find time to "unwind" and sit in front of the television to watch movies or read and even sip on a glass of wine.
Sure, we need our unwind time. I'll be the first to admit that.
But what we DO with that time is our choice, and there is certainly the opportunity to keep the ball rolling so to speak.
Actually, I am excited about some progress with my main site. I've polished it up a bit and added more content and I believe people are starting to gain some real value. It's not a major "comeback" of my Natural Physiques business ... that is in the past for now ... but my desire and passion will always be in health and fitness. I really enjoy being able to build out the content without the pressure of trying to make it into a full time business. I can focus more on quality of content and take my time rather than worrying about deadlines, conversion rates of visitors and marketing angles.
That's not to say it's not commercial. I still own a corporation and that corporation exists to generate profits. However, I have broadened the focus and am generating revenue through my network marketing business, book sales, writing contracts, and online advertising rather than new products and coaching packages.
I have had a few people approach me to ask whether I've given up coaching or if I will ever coach again. The answer is an emphatic "No and Yes" (no, I haven't given it up, and yes, I will coach again). However, I've really discovered my niche. And it's not producing mind-blowing fat loss or muscle building programs like Chris "SwoleCat" Janusz — he does a phenomenal job there and I don't care to reinvent the wheel. I've also moved away from the desire to build a lifestyle coaching club like David Greenwalt ... he has a decade jump on me and has done a tremendous job (I've enlisted the aid of both of these fine coaches).
No, my niche is somewhere else. My true passion doesn't come from plugging in numbers or spitting out workout routines. It comes from writing, communicating, and above all, connecting. I love speaking on the phone and in seminars. I love writing, and I am passionate about helping people focus on the inner drive to accomplish what they may not currently feel is possible. That is where I will focus and where my coaching will be.
So getting back to the point ... yes, I've done a bit, but I've also managed to talk myself out of running every single day.
Too busy. There is the frame.
Got home late. Okay, now wrap the fabric.
Too tired. Throw on the cushions.
Need to unwind ... voila! The coach is made. These are the fragile excuses that tend to pull us into the comfortable embrace of our coaches to bask in the electric warmth of the television and let someone else think for us.
That's not what I would consider The Pursuit of Greatness.
If there is one way to know you're not internally convinced of a goal, it's to keep it secret. Yup. When I decided this was it, I was going to get off my duff and focus on some volume during the weeks (one long run ain't going to cut it) I didn't announce it because there was that nagging doubt I would see it through.
The plan was simple: head into the office a little late. We were doing an upgrade to the data center so I was scheduled to be there at 2:00am. I'd be out between 3 and 4, sleep in, and run.
Like all good plans, this one fell apart. For various reasons, I did not end up heading back home until 10am the next morning. So I arrived in this state of "well, a little too late to sleep and too early to go to bed for the night." I still have a team to support. So I worked a bit, rested a bit, and watched the time tick by. My wife and daughter went on a field trip to the local Girl Scout office, so I was home alone.
And then it struck me.
I could think about it. I could dwell on it. I could make excuses.
Or, I could do it.
Forget a nice, easy run. I was MAD. Time to get out there and do it.
So, I threw on some shorts, slapped on my GPS and hit the pavement. Goal was 10-minute miles. First mile was a solid 9:35 and I was stoked. I surprised myself at how excited I was when the second mile came in at 8:43. Then 9:20. Walked a bit as there was something new to this run: heat! I was actually sweating! Finally, no running in the cold OR the rain. So I cooled off for a slower 11:07 run, then plunged up a hill and finished solid in 9:15 for 9:36 overall.
Judging from the swelling of my ring finger and the caked salt on my face, it's time to take a salt tablet (I had 200mg of sodium in my Sports drink but evidently it wasn't enough).
And now, here we are. I don't have to give excuses, because I don't need them. I did it. Tomorrow is a new day. Oh, and it's rather interesting to run without having slept in 24 hours ... this ultra stuff is going to be fun!
Warmly,
Jeremy
Run Time: 48:04
Total Miles to Date: 376.4
Thoughts on the Run:
Wow. What a rush.
For the first time since I was injured, there is an entry in my running log for a week with nothing. Nil. Zilch. Nada.
Why?
Well, I could probably use several excuses. I've been spending a lot of time focusing on building my team and the business for my company. This means a lot of time in the office. We've had some major deals that required a bit of extra effort and this has meant long hours out of the house. Of course when I come home, I'm interested in spending quality time with my wife and daughter and then catching up on sleep.
Yeah, that sounds great and noble. But let's face it. I'm human. Somehow in that "hectic" schedule I managed to find time to "unwind" and sit in front of the television to watch movies or read and even sip on a glass of wine.
Sure, we need our unwind time. I'll be the first to admit that.
But what we DO with that time is our choice, and there is certainly the opportunity to keep the ball rolling so to speak.
Actually, I am excited about some progress with my main site. I've polished it up a bit and added more content and I believe people are starting to gain some real value. It's not a major "comeback" of my Natural Physiques business ... that is in the past for now ... but my desire and passion will always be in health and fitness. I really enjoy being able to build out the content without the pressure of trying to make it into a full time business. I can focus more on quality of content and take my time rather than worrying about deadlines, conversion rates of visitors and marketing angles.
That's not to say it's not commercial. I still own a corporation and that corporation exists to generate profits. However, I have broadened the focus and am generating revenue through my network marketing business, book sales, writing contracts, and online advertising rather than new products and coaching packages.
I have had a few people approach me to ask whether I've given up coaching or if I will ever coach again. The answer is an emphatic "No and Yes" (no, I haven't given it up, and yes, I will coach again). However, I've really discovered my niche. And it's not producing mind-blowing fat loss or muscle building programs like Chris "SwoleCat" Janusz — he does a phenomenal job there and I don't care to reinvent the wheel. I've also moved away from the desire to build a lifestyle coaching club like David Greenwalt ... he has a decade jump on me and has done a tremendous job (I've enlisted the aid of both of these fine coaches).
No, my niche is somewhere else. My true passion doesn't come from plugging in numbers or spitting out workout routines. It comes from writing, communicating, and above all, connecting. I love speaking on the phone and in seminars. I love writing, and I am passionate about helping people focus on the inner drive to accomplish what they may not currently feel is possible. That is where I will focus and where my coaching will be.
So getting back to the point ... yes, I've done a bit, but I've also managed to talk myself out of running every single day.
Too busy. There is the frame.
Got home late. Okay, now wrap the fabric.
Too tired. Throw on the cushions.
Need to unwind ... voila! The coach is made. These are the fragile excuses that tend to pull us into the comfortable embrace of our coaches to bask in the electric warmth of the television and let someone else think for us.
That's not what I would consider The Pursuit of Greatness.
If there is one way to know you're not internally convinced of a goal, it's to keep it secret. Yup. When I decided this was it, I was going to get off my duff and focus on some volume during the weeks (one long run ain't going to cut it) I didn't announce it because there was that nagging doubt I would see it through.
The plan was simple: head into the office a little late. We were doing an upgrade to the data center so I was scheduled to be there at 2:00am. I'd be out between 3 and 4, sleep in, and run.
Like all good plans, this one fell apart. For various reasons, I did not end up heading back home until 10am the next morning. So I arrived in this state of "well, a little too late to sleep and too early to go to bed for the night." I still have a team to support. So I worked a bit, rested a bit, and watched the time tick by. My wife and daughter went on a field trip to the local Girl Scout office, so I was home alone.
And then it struck me.
I could think about it. I could dwell on it. I could make excuses.
Or, I could do it.
Forget a nice, easy run. I was MAD. Time to get out there and do it.
So, I threw on some shorts, slapped on my GPS and hit the pavement. Goal was 10-minute miles. First mile was a solid 9:35 and I was stoked. I surprised myself at how excited I was when the second mile came in at 8:43. Then 9:20. Walked a bit as there was something new to this run: heat! I was actually sweating! Finally, no running in the cold OR the rain. So I cooled off for a slower 11:07 run, then plunged up a hill and finished solid in 9:15 for 9:36 overall.
Judging from the swelling of my ring finger and the caked salt on my face, it's time to take a salt tablet (I had 200mg of sodium in my Sports drink but evidently it wasn't enough).
And now, here we are. I don't have to give excuses, because I don't need them. I did it. Tomorrow is a new day. Oh, and it's rather interesting to run without having slept in 24 hours ... this ultra stuff is going to be fun!
Warmly,
Jeremy
Sunday, February 18, 2007
An Illustrated Guide to the Silver Comet Trail
Today's Run: 20.73m
Run Time: 4:16:18
Total Miles to Date: 371.4
Thoughts on the Run:
First, it's interesting to note that despite all of the pain and effort in my training, I've only been on my feet a grand total of 2 days and 20 hours. Before you say, "Wow, that's a lot" keep in mind many ultra runners can spend that much time in a single race ... and often more!
Today's run wasn't really a run at all ... I think it was more a seminar on not quitting. I really set out to have a nice, long, fun run. I even loaded up my MP3 player with an interesting mix of music: Santana (oh, what's the name, the recent one with the funky cover) ... Enigma ... an old Mtv dance compilation from the early 90s that had songs like "Strike it Up" and "Let's Talk About Sex" (hey, now my blog might get picked up on search engines), and a funky techno-style CD from a group called Tibet. I stuck a fresh battery in it. I decided I'd give myself permission to take pictures. And then I set out on my way.
Only thing different about this run was three miles (going for 20 instead of 17 like the last) and Ultra instead of Amino (my drink for the first half would be pure carbohydrate instead of the carbohydrate plus amino acid mix I had been trying).
I have done this enough to know to bring a dry shirt, dry socks, and a fresh pair of shoes to change into after the run, as well as stick a Gatorade bottle to drink from after the run was done.
Breakfast was a mixed berry bowl of cereal with soy milk from Trader Joe's and some organic french roast coffee. I also had a slice of whole wheat toast with Nutella before the run (I'm a chocolate nut). I headed out earlier because I saw the temperature would "peak" at 40 degrees around 2 so I wanted to be well into my run for that and not end up coming back in twilight as I have in the past.
The run started out great. My strategy was simple ... I would park 8.6 miles out from the trailhead, run away from the trailhead for 1.5 miles, come back, then head to the trailhead and back ... that's 1.5 x 2 + 8.6 x 2 = 20.2, but GPS error and me meandering a bit made it a nice round 20.7.
The run started off fine, other than I was FREEZING. I believe there was a 10 degree drop in temperature everytime I went into the shade. In fact, I've got the pictures to prove it - because water was staying frozen in those areas. It was cold, but the sun was out and it was a beautiful day.
I started the run in silence and just enjoyed the first leg. Coming back by my vehicle, I kicked on the tunes. I must have gotten a good 45 minutes before it inexplicably just cut out on me. Battery was fine, just wouldn't start. Oh well, I guess I was meant to enjoy the silence. Here are some of the pictures I snapped - click on any for the full-sized view (and then again for the real full-sized view.
First, the path going off into the distance ...
Then, looking down the bridge ... long ways down ...
Then looking around, and realizing it wasn't just in my head that the shade was COLD:
And finally, the cool bridge that I knew once I was across, it was Clif Bar time:
So I made good time running to the trailhead - most of my miles were less than 11-minute miles. You can see my splits by clicking here.
I got there and had my slowest mile - 19 minutes - but add using the restroom and mixing two bottles of shakes, then getting a call to the equation.
I hit the road again and started off strong with a sub 11-minute mile.
Then, things just got ugly. I boinked. My legs suddenly started aching. It wasn't like sharp pain, they were just sore all over from my thighs to my glutes and lower back. I started struggling to run and felt like I was wading through molasses. I was glad I had chosen an out-and-back because giving up wasn't an option ... I had keep going, it was a question of whether I was going to crawl, walk, or sort of stumble along in something that vaguely resembled a jog.
I decided to stumble, and stumble I did, averaging 14-minute miles. I'd make it a few miles, rest, rehydrate, and keep going.
I did this up until mile 18, and then it got VERY painful. Every step was a forced effort. I just wanted to give up and walk the last two miles, but I knew this was crucial for me to develop the stamina I need for the marathon. So, I plodded on. In fact, I literally counted every tenth mile. It was easy: "We're going to count backwards from 20." Okay ... 1.9 miles (19 ...) ... 1.8 miles ... (18 ...) ... I ignored the ridiculously slow pace I was going, smiled as best as I could as the little children biked past me, then kept shuffling (I wondered if they went, "Daddy, what's wrong with that man over there?") ... the last mile should have been the victory march, but that's when everything started to spasm. I was grimacing (and flashed back to my high school days ... that was my nickname on the cross country team, let's just say I was more of a track runner back then). My legs kept cramping. I could barely lift them so it was more of a shuffle. My glutes were sore, my lower back was sore. Then my stomach started this weird sensation ... I was about to celebrate having no stomach issues, when it just cramped and had a burning sensation ... it literally felt like the abdominal wall was being torn to shreds.
Okay, I know I sound like a drama queen but this was it, my last mile ... shuffle, grimace, squat at the side of the road to catch my breath ("You okay dude?" "Yeah, man, I'm good") ... (my replies didn't sound too convincing) ... man, what happened, who stretched that last mile out? Miles were a joke before today. Miles just flew by. I tried visualizing miles I had conquered - the mile from my doorstep, the mile on the track, the miles in my other races - but this mile just wanted to beat me.
But I beat it. I don't care that it was a slow 14:30 mile ... because guess what? Despite everything it had to throw at me, I managed to keep it under 15. And then I finished.
And it was proof that our mind really is in the driver's seat, because it was like I should be thankful for what I went through because the instant I crossed that "20 mile mark" (later figured out it was the 20.7 mile mark) every pain, spasm, ache, and cramp my body had it unleashed.
But, I had to laugh to myself. Dean Karnazes described projectile vomiting and almost passing out after his first 50 mile race. This was far from that.
Great, I thought. I'm not just training for mileage. I'm learning how whacked out the body gets, and this is like a 5K of pain, then there's a 10K and when I hit the 50 mile mark I'm going to look like a puppet and foam at the mouth. Fun!
Okay, just kidding, but I got it done, called my wife to let her know I was done ... she's such a supporter, she was so genuinely excited and happy for me, almost brought me to tears ... then it was on home to share this with you.
Guess the old cliche is true ... if you REALLY want it and set your mind to it.
I had a vision of running an ultra months ago, and it all started with struggling through a 3 mile run. Now I'm almost halfway to my goal mark.
The marathon first. Crawl before we walk.
Isn't life wonderful?
Warmly,
Jeremy Likness
Run Time: 4:16:18
Total Miles to Date: 371.4
Thoughts on the Run:
First, it's interesting to note that despite all of the pain and effort in my training, I've only been on my feet a grand total of 2 days and 20 hours. Before you say, "Wow, that's a lot" keep in mind many ultra runners can spend that much time in a single race ... and often more!
Today's run wasn't really a run at all ... I think it was more a seminar on not quitting. I really set out to have a nice, long, fun run. I even loaded up my MP3 player with an interesting mix of music: Santana (oh, what's the name, the recent one with the funky cover) ... Enigma ... an old Mtv dance compilation from the early 90s that had songs like "Strike it Up" and "Let's Talk About Sex" (hey, now my blog might get picked up on search engines), and a funky techno-style CD from a group called Tibet. I stuck a fresh battery in it. I decided I'd give myself permission to take pictures. And then I set out on my way.
Only thing different about this run was three miles (going for 20 instead of 17 like the last) and Ultra instead of Amino (my drink for the first half would be pure carbohydrate instead of the carbohydrate plus amino acid mix I had been trying).
I have done this enough to know to bring a dry shirt, dry socks, and a fresh pair of shoes to change into after the run, as well as stick a Gatorade bottle to drink from after the run was done.
Breakfast was a mixed berry bowl of cereal with soy milk from Trader Joe's and some organic french roast coffee. I also had a slice of whole wheat toast with Nutella before the run (I'm a chocolate nut). I headed out earlier because I saw the temperature would "peak" at 40 degrees around 2 so I wanted to be well into my run for that and not end up coming back in twilight as I have in the past.
The run started out great. My strategy was simple ... I would park 8.6 miles out from the trailhead, run away from the trailhead for 1.5 miles, come back, then head to the trailhead and back ... that's 1.5 x 2 + 8.6 x 2 = 20.2, but GPS error and me meandering a bit made it a nice round 20.7.
The run started off fine, other than I was FREEZING. I believe there was a 10 degree drop in temperature everytime I went into the shade. In fact, I've got the pictures to prove it - because water was staying frozen in those areas. It was cold, but the sun was out and it was a beautiful day.
I started the run in silence and just enjoyed the first leg. Coming back by my vehicle, I kicked on the tunes. I must have gotten a good 45 minutes before it inexplicably just cut out on me. Battery was fine, just wouldn't start. Oh well, I guess I was meant to enjoy the silence. Here are some of the pictures I snapped - click on any for the full-sized view (and then again for the real full-sized view.
First, the path going off into the distance ...
Then, looking down the bridge ... long ways down ...
Then looking around, and realizing it wasn't just in my head that the shade was COLD:
And finally, the cool bridge that I knew once I was across, it was Clif Bar time:
So I made good time running to the trailhead - most of my miles were less than 11-minute miles. You can see my splits by clicking here.
I got there and had my slowest mile - 19 minutes - but add using the restroom and mixing two bottles of shakes, then getting a call to the equation.
I hit the road again and started off strong with a sub 11-minute mile.
Then, things just got ugly. I boinked. My legs suddenly started aching. It wasn't like sharp pain, they were just sore all over from my thighs to my glutes and lower back. I started struggling to run and felt like I was wading through molasses. I was glad I had chosen an out-and-back because giving up wasn't an option ... I had keep going, it was a question of whether I was going to crawl, walk, or sort of stumble along in something that vaguely resembled a jog.
I decided to stumble, and stumble I did, averaging 14-minute miles. I'd make it a few miles, rest, rehydrate, and keep going.
I did this up until mile 18, and then it got VERY painful. Every step was a forced effort. I just wanted to give up and walk the last two miles, but I knew this was crucial for me to develop the stamina I need for the marathon. So, I plodded on. In fact, I literally counted every tenth mile. It was easy: "We're going to count backwards from 20." Okay ... 1.9 miles (19 ...) ... 1.8 miles ... (18 ...) ... I ignored the ridiculously slow pace I was going, smiled as best as I could as the little children biked past me, then kept shuffling (I wondered if they went, "Daddy, what's wrong with that man over there?") ... the last mile should have been the victory march, but that's when everything started to spasm. I was grimacing (and flashed back to my high school days ... that was my nickname on the cross country team, let's just say I was more of a track runner back then). My legs kept cramping. I could barely lift them so it was more of a shuffle. My glutes were sore, my lower back was sore. Then my stomach started this weird sensation ... I was about to celebrate having no stomach issues, when it just cramped and had a burning sensation ... it literally felt like the abdominal wall was being torn to shreds.
Okay, I know I sound like a drama queen but this was it, my last mile ... shuffle, grimace, squat at the side of the road to catch my breath ("You okay dude?" "Yeah, man, I'm good") ... (my replies didn't sound too convincing) ... man, what happened, who stretched that last mile out? Miles were a joke before today. Miles just flew by. I tried visualizing miles I had conquered - the mile from my doorstep, the mile on the track, the miles in my other races - but this mile just wanted to beat me.
But I beat it. I don't care that it was a slow 14:30 mile ... because guess what? Despite everything it had to throw at me, I managed to keep it under 15. And then I finished.
And it was proof that our mind really is in the driver's seat, because it was like I should be thankful for what I went through because the instant I crossed that "20 mile mark" (later figured out it was the 20.7 mile mark) every pain, spasm, ache, and cramp my body had it unleashed.
But, I had to laugh to myself. Dean Karnazes described projectile vomiting and almost passing out after his first 50 mile race. This was far from that.
Great, I thought. I'm not just training for mileage. I'm learning how whacked out the body gets, and this is like a 5K of pain, then there's a 10K and when I hit the 50 mile mark I'm going to look like a puppet and foam at the mouth. Fun!
Okay, just kidding, but I got it done, called my wife to let her know I was done ... she's such a supporter, she was so genuinely excited and happy for me, almost brought me to tears ... then it was on home to share this with you.
Guess the old cliche is true ... if you REALLY want it and set your mind to it.
I had a vision of running an ultra months ago, and it all started with struggling through a 3 mile run. Now I'm almost halfway to my goal mark.
The marathon first. Crawl before we walk.
Isn't life wonderful?
Warmly,
Jeremy Likness
Labels: ING Georgia Marathon, running, Silver Comet Trail
Sunday, February 11, 2007
11 1/2 in 11 1/2
Today's Run: 11.48m (18.48K)
Run Time: 2:10:58
Total Miles to Date: 350.7 (564.4K)
Thoughts on the Run:
First, from this point forward I will do my best to make this blog "International Friendly." I'm going to go back through the articles at my website and do the same ... it takes only a little effort on my end but makes it much easier for our international readers!
This week has been a fun week. Let's cover some personal items first.
We've had a wonderful dog named Lizzie for quite some time. Lizzie had a companion who for various reasons stayed behind in South Dakota when we moved down to Florida. Unfortunately, one of the main reasons was that the little house on the beach we moved into would only allow one modest sized pet. So, we took our cats over to my parents house and let Bailey, our other dog, find a very friendly home in Spearfish, South Dakota. As one of my dear parrots died on the trip up there, I didn't want to put the other parrot through the same thing on the way down, so we found her a home, too. That left us with a turtle and Lizzie.
Lizzie is a very smart and playful dog. However, we've always known she loved having a companion and had talked about finding one for her. For some reason we all came to agreement this past weekend it was time. A few searches on Craig's List later and we found a candidate. The puppy came to visit and instantly was "adopted" by our family. She is a young (9 weeks old) mutt who already knows how to sit and is very well "potty trained" (yes, she has a few accidents but always after she's made it to the door to let us know her intentions). It's been a fun week because she is one of those pets who fit right in. Lizzie was surprisingly timid the first day and actually acted afraid of the puppy. The puppy had no fear and would chase Lizzie around, and we instantly agreed upon the name "Sassy." The second day, Lizzie was moping around acting depressed. She was no longer afraid of the puppy but had the look of "make it go away." The third day, however, and they were playing nonstop and now you cannot separate the two.
I had a very productive week with all of my businesses. Major code pushouts for the WiFi business, as well as construction on my health and wellness website - extended the gallery, added some exercise illustrations, some more articles, etc. What I did not do a good job of this week was, well, um ... running.
So I missed a sizeable midweek run. I had a good, fast, short run, but it was time to do some distance. After a beautiful service at church (our daughter was presented her personal bible this morning, and we welcomed some new members to the congregation) we came home and I prepared for my run. My shipment of nutrition had not come in yet so I bought some Gatorade Endurance and brought along a Clif Bar.
The intention was to go a full 20 miles but I was happy with anything over 10 - I'm a little behind on my schedule and it usually staggers long distance with middle distance.
I may have mentioned for me the best run is the out-and-back. Loops make it too easy for me to make excuses and come back home. I was lazy and did not want to drive down to the Silver Comet, so I ran a 10 mile loop around the neighborhood.
The loop went well. My Garmin 301 worked well the entire way (the previous run it had shut off for some unknown reason). I also paced myself well ... I was elated to find I had finished the 10 miles at just over an 11 minute pace. I grab a handful of peanut-filled pretzels, refilled my water bottles, and headed out to do the loop again. I was already struggling on the first mile, but it was the hills that did me in. The Silver Comet is a flat trail and it was simply to put one foot in front the next on the way back. Trying that while scaling a sizeable hill, on the other hand, eventually defeated me. Once I was walking, it was over.
Now, I know that in the ultras, there will be a fair share of walking up hills. So this is a strategy I need to embrace and practice. I have to get over the constant desire to run at a fast pace and focus on the real goal of distance. But let's face it - 2 hours into a run, grinding to a halt on a hill and starting to get cold makes for a great excuse, especially when home is a short walk away.
So, I turned around and headed back.
Now, I'm not going to complain about running a nice 11.5 run. I still remember the excitement I felt doing 12 in the rain the last day of 2006, so I appreciate that this distance feels like a "normal" distance now. And there was another bonus. If I hadn't turned around, I would not have met the gentleman in his driveway who saw my bottles and my Garmin and instantly deduced I was coming back from a "long run." It turns out there are six men in the neighborhood training for the ING Georgia Marathon and he invited me to get in touch and perhaps catch a ride down.
I may take him up on the offer .. however, I also received a surprise from my wife and daughter the other day. They had an event scheduled that Saturday and weren't going to be there for the run. However, they had a talk and decided they really wanted to support me for my first marathon and be there. So, they are going to arrange to be at the finish line to cheer me on and receive me at the end of my first marathon! Very exciting.
So, another sizeable run to add to the log books. I will continue to refine my schedule and get it right, but I know my important runs are the long ones so if I have to sacrifice anything, it will be the shorter ones during the week.
The other exciting news is about my book. I did not hesitate to make it available on the Google Books engine when it was available. When I sold my Natural Physiques website, I had to transfer the book to my Golden Summit Inc. account. Some technical glitch kept them from porting the book over. It's taken ... get this ... ELEVEN MONTHS for them to fix the glitch! Insane! However, not only did they get it back in, but if you do a search on lose fat, it's the first entry.
If you are curious about the book, I allow 70% of it to be browsed online and am seriously contemplating opening up the entire book. However, it's a great way to browse it and see if it is something you are interested in if you've been sitting on the fence.
Until next time ...
Warmly,
Jeremy Likness
Run Time: 2:10:58
Total Miles to Date: 350.7 (564.4K)
Thoughts on the Run:
First, from this point forward I will do my best to make this blog "International Friendly." I'm going to go back through the articles at my website and do the same ... it takes only a little effort on my end but makes it much easier for our international readers!
This week has been a fun week. Let's cover some personal items first.
We've had a wonderful dog named Lizzie for quite some time. Lizzie had a companion who for various reasons stayed behind in South Dakota when we moved down to Florida. Unfortunately, one of the main reasons was that the little house on the beach we moved into would only allow one modest sized pet. So, we took our cats over to my parents house and let Bailey, our other dog, find a very friendly home in Spearfish, South Dakota. As one of my dear parrots died on the trip up there, I didn't want to put the other parrot through the same thing on the way down, so we found her a home, too. That left us with a turtle and Lizzie.
Lizzie is a very smart and playful dog. However, we've always known she loved having a companion and had talked about finding one for her. For some reason we all came to agreement this past weekend it was time. A few searches on Craig's List later and we found a candidate. The puppy came to visit and instantly was "adopted" by our family. She is a young (9 weeks old) mutt who already knows how to sit and is very well "potty trained" (yes, she has a few accidents but always after she's made it to the door to let us know her intentions). It's been a fun week because she is one of those pets who fit right in. Lizzie was surprisingly timid the first day and actually acted afraid of the puppy. The puppy had no fear and would chase Lizzie around, and we instantly agreed upon the name "Sassy." The second day, Lizzie was moping around acting depressed. She was no longer afraid of the puppy but had the look of "make it go away." The third day, however, and they were playing nonstop and now you cannot separate the two.
I had a very productive week with all of my businesses. Major code pushouts for the WiFi business, as well as construction on my health and wellness website - extended the gallery, added some exercise illustrations, some more articles, etc. What I did not do a good job of this week was, well, um ... running.
So I missed a sizeable midweek run. I had a good, fast, short run, but it was time to do some distance. After a beautiful service at church (our daughter was presented her personal bible this morning, and we welcomed some new members to the congregation) we came home and I prepared for my run. My shipment of nutrition had not come in yet so I bought some Gatorade Endurance and brought along a Clif Bar.
The intention was to go a full 20 miles but I was happy with anything over 10 - I'm a little behind on my schedule and it usually staggers long distance with middle distance.
I may have mentioned for me the best run is the out-and-back. Loops make it too easy for me to make excuses and come back home. I was lazy and did not want to drive down to the Silver Comet, so I ran a 10 mile loop around the neighborhood.
The loop went well. My Garmin 301 worked well the entire way (the previous run it had shut off for some unknown reason). I also paced myself well ... I was elated to find I had finished the 10 miles at just over an 11 minute pace. I grab a handful of peanut-filled pretzels, refilled my water bottles, and headed out to do the loop again. I was already struggling on the first mile, but it was the hills that did me in. The Silver Comet is a flat trail and it was simply to put one foot in front the next on the way back. Trying that while scaling a sizeable hill, on the other hand, eventually defeated me. Once I was walking, it was over.
Now, I know that in the ultras, there will be a fair share of walking up hills. So this is a strategy I need to embrace and practice. I have to get over the constant desire to run at a fast pace and focus on the real goal of distance. But let's face it - 2 hours into a run, grinding to a halt on a hill and starting to get cold makes for a great excuse, especially when home is a short walk away.
So, I turned around and headed back.
Now, I'm not going to complain about running a nice 11.5 run. I still remember the excitement I felt doing 12 in the rain the last day of 2006, so I appreciate that this distance feels like a "normal" distance now. And there was another bonus. If I hadn't turned around, I would not have met the gentleman in his driveway who saw my bottles and my Garmin and instantly deduced I was coming back from a "long run." It turns out there are six men in the neighborhood training for the ING Georgia Marathon and he invited me to get in touch and perhaps catch a ride down.
I may take him up on the offer .. however, I also received a surprise from my wife and daughter the other day. They had an event scheduled that Saturday and weren't going to be there for the run. However, they had a talk and decided they really wanted to support me for my first marathon and be there. So, they are going to arrange to be at the finish line to cheer me on and receive me at the end of my first marathon! Very exciting.
So, another sizeable run to add to the log books. I will continue to refine my schedule and get it right, but I know my important runs are the long ones so if I have to sacrifice anything, it will be the shorter ones during the week.
The other exciting news is about my book. I did not hesitate to make it available on the Google Books engine when it was available. When I sold my Natural Physiques website, I had to transfer the book to my Golden Summit Inc. account. Some technical glitch kept them from porting the book over. It's taken ... get this ... ELEVEN MONTHS for them to fix the glitch! Insane! However, not only did they get it back in, but if you do a search on lose fat, it's the first entry.
If you are curious about the book, I allow 70% of it to be browsed online and am seriously contemplating opening up the entire book. However, it's a great way to browse it and see if it is something you are interested in if you've been sitting on the fence.
Until next time ...
Warmly,
Jeremy Likness
Thursday, February 08, 2007
4.5 miles seems so small now!
Today's Run: 4.5
Run Time: 0:49
Total Miles to Date: 339.2
Thoughts on the Run:
Last night I was going to run 10 miles. Then I decided to do a loop with my running partner and just get a faster, shorter distance in and shoot for heading home earlier to run the full 10 today.
We had a nice run. The temperature was a little cooler than I expected, so I was motivated to push a little harder to stay warm. I ended up doing just a touch over a 10-minute mile.
Not much else to report on. I drank a bunch of diet sodas during the day, so the run made my stomach expand and did not feel good - time to get back to good old water. I felt great, recovered well, and am definitely up for a 10-miler this evening.
Warmly,
Jeremy Likness
Run Time: 0:49
Total Miles to Date: 339.2
Thoughts on the Run:
Last night I was going to run 10 miles. Then I decided to do a loop with my running partner and just get a faster, shorter distance in and shoot for heading home earlier to run the full 10 today.
We had a nice run. The temperature was a little cooler than I expected, so I was motivated to push a little harder to stay warm. I ended up doing just a touch over a 10-minute mile.
Not much else to report on. I drank a bunch of diet sodas during the day, so the run made my stomach expand and did not feel good - time to get back to good old water. I felt great, recovered well, and am definitely up for a 10-miler this evening.
Warmly,
Jeremy Likness
Sunday, February 04, 2007
17.2 on the Georgia Silver Comet Trail
Today's Run: 17.2
Run Time: 3:30:00
Total Miles to Date: 334.7
Thoughts on the Run:
Whew! What a rush.
This morning I slept in (thankfully - I've been needing to catch up on sleep). I had a high-carb breakfast (Pecan Crunch cereal, soy milk, and then a chocolate croissant from Trader Joe's (remarkably only 290 calories for the thing). We went to church and were blessed with watching our daughter sing in the choir. I love our Sundays because we connect with so many people and families. Afterwards I allowed myself a donut and coffee, then came home to have a granola bar and some fluid.
I'd been debating where to run. I have had numerous people tell me that the Silver Comet Trail is a great place to go. I've been holding back because it is a bit of a drive, but decided today that a nice out-and-back is what I needed. I keep doing loops in the neighborhood and face two challenges: first, the hills sap my energy, and second, the loop gives me an excuse to get close to home and abort the run early.
No excuses this time. Instead of starting at the trailhead, I decided to park at Carter Rd, right at 8.6 miles. I'd run to the start, refill my water bottles, and then jog back. As an out and back, there was no turning back.
The ride took me about 30 minutes to get there. The temperature was 50 degrees so I was just going to wear my running shirt, but as I was taking off down the trail, a cool breeze hit me and I decided it would be better to take my pullover just in case (turns out the temperature dropped 10 degrees, so the pullover came in handy after all).
I started out down the path and was pleasantly surprised with the view. While you could see the backs of some neighborhoods and industrial centers, for the most part it was heavily wooded with creeks. The path is raised up high. We passed by golf courses, over rivers, even high over major highways (no pun intended).
Turns out the Super Bowl isn't the end-all, be-all as I was not alone on the trail. There were plenty of other runners and lots of bikers whizzing by during the run.
I was down to two packets of Amino so I bought some Gatorade Endurance and tried that out. Turns out it worked well for the run. I had put 12 oz in each bottle and then diluted it with another 4 oz of water. It was perfect and I felt fine heading to the start of the trail. For some reason my Garmin kept shutting off (maybe it didn't like the fact it was overcast and I was going between rock walls, so there wasn't good satellite reception) but I had noted the time so I was able to clock my run, just not the splits. Distance isn't a problem on the Silver Comet Trail as it is clearly marked.
I crossed a high, wooden bridge and decided at 2 miles out from the finish (6 miles into the run) that I'd have half of my Clif Bar. It never tasted so good! I guess I do need more calories on the run, because I wolfed down the half and had to talk myself out of eating the whole thing. I washed it down with the Gatorade and was on my way.
I was behind another runner for the last two miles, we kept pretty much the same pace. I realized I was happy my Garmin had shut off. This was a fun, enjoyable run. I wasn't worried about distance or pace, just enjoying it. I've got to do that more often - if I do GPS it, just keep my shirt over the watch and not focus on my times or splits or any of that nonsense.
We reached the "start" (mile marker 0.0). He stopped and smiled and told me what a great run he had. I congratulated him and let him know mine was half over. He wished me well.
I used the restroom, then mixed up my Amino shakes. I also popped one of my salt caps. Then I started back.
My friend Shane called just as I was heading out. He wanted to know what I was up to and when I was running again. I told him I was halfway through a 17-miler and was on my way back. He wished me well and we hung up (I always bring my cell phone, it conveniently fits either in my zippered pockest or the waist bag I carry my shakes and bars in). I felt phenomenal and was running with a solid pace.
Two miles back (over 10 into the run) I stopped to have the rest of my Clif Bar. I had my first Amino. My stomach was starting to feel quite upset. I struggled a bit and was alternating walking and jogging. Eventually, however, the upset went away and I was able to continue.
At about mile 12, where I normally bonk, I still felt great. I wasn't full of energy as at the start of the run, by my legs still felt like they had life in them and my stomach was behaving. This was a phenomenal sign and I started to get really excited at the prospect of breaking my previous record of 14 miles. The 14 mile mark came and I knew I was only 3 miles away. I chugged down some more fluids and kept going. This was the most prolonged and painful part of the run. It wasn't really physically painful - my legs weren't hurting - but I was in a sort of state of keeping "inventory" of my body and making sure one foot landed in front of the other and that I kept a steady pace to my goal. I was no longer running on automatic, and my mind was not detached or in a meditative state - instead it was like I was feeling every bone, muscle, and part of my body, and suddenly had to remember to breathe, step, and do everything necessary to keep running.
Shane must have thought I was done because he called again. I answered because it was nice to have some company. I told him I was doing my last mile and a half, so he laughed and congratulated me again and hung up. Then I started moving to the finish.
It is ironic because I felt I was probably doing a molasses pace. I had no clue what the time was but suspected I was averaging maybe a 14-minute mile just because it felt like I was going so slow. I had stopped many times - at street crossings, to down my drinks, to eat my Clif Bar, for the break at the trailhead, for my stomach - so I just knew I'd have a slow time. I didn't really care because it was a record for me as far as distance.
The mind plays tricks and of course if I was running 20, I'd be fine. Since I was running 17.2, when the end was in site, that's when my legs began to ache, my head felt dizzy, my back started to hurt, and everything conspired against me having a solid finish. I pushed it back - no way was I going to give up after having come so far, so I started pumping my arms and made it. I even tapped the milemarker to reassure myself I was back at 8.6, and 8.6 x 2 is most definitely 17.2.
IT WAS DONE!
I pulled out my watch and looked at the time.
And then my jaw dropped.
5:38 it read. I started the run exactly at 2:08. That was 3:30 minutes. I quickly pulled the calculator up on my phone and computed - even with the breaks and feeling like I did the last several miles, I had managed to cover a record distance averaging just over a 12-minute pace! I was elated.
I called my wife to let her know I was safe and finished and would be heading home.
The drive back was relaxing, then I had some ziti with all natural beef hotdogs, some cheese (I was conscious of getting protein) and a granola bar. I also drank the rest of my Amino, Gatorade, and had a glass of Pelligrino at the house.
What an exciting day!
Warmly,
Jeremy Likness
Run Time: 3:30:00
Total Miles to Date: 334.7
Thoughts on the Run:
Whew! What a rush.
This morning I slept in (thankfully - I've been needing to catch up on sleep). I had a high-carb breakfast (Pecan Crunch cereal, soy milk, and then a chocolate croissant from Trader Joe's (remarkably only 290 calories for the thing). We went to church and were blessed with watching our daughter sing in the choir. I love our Sundays because we connect with so many people and families. Afterwards I allowed myself a donut and coffee, then came home to have a granola bar and some fluid.
I'd been debating where to run. I have had numerous people tell me that the Silver Comet Trail is a great place to go. I've been holding back because it is a bit of a drive, but decided today that a nice out-and-back is what I needed. I keep doing loops in the neighborhood and face two challenges: first, the hills sap my energy, and second, the loop gives me an excuse to get close to home and abort the run early.
No excuses this time. Instead of starting at the trailhead, I decided to park at Carter Rd, right at 8.6 miles. I'd run to the start, refill my water bottles, and then jog back. As an out and back, there was no turning back.
The ride took me about 30 minutes to get there. The temperature was 50 degrees so I was just going to wear my running shirt, but as I was taking off down the trail, a cool breeze hit me and I decided it would be better to take my pullover just in case (turns out the temperature dropped 10 degrees, so the pullover came in handy after all).
I started out down the path and was pleasantly surprised with the view. While you could see the backs of some neighborhoods and industrial centers, for the most part it was heavily wooded with creeks. The path is raised up high. We passed by golf courses, over rivers, even high over major highways (no pun intended).
Turns out the Super Bowl isn't the end-all, be-all as I was not alone on the trail. There were plenty of other runners and lots of bikers whizzing by during the run.
I was down to two packets of Amino so I bought some Gatorade Endurance and tried that out. Turns out it worked well for the run. I had put 12 oz in each bottle and then diluted it with another 4 oz of water. It was perfect and I felt fine heading to the start of the trail. For some reason my Garmin kept shutting off (maybe it didn't like the fact it was overcast and I was going between rock walls, so there wasn't good satellite reception) but I had noted the time so I was able to clock my run, just not the splits. Distance isn't a problem on the Silver Comet Trail as it is clearly marked.
I crossed a high, wooden bridge and decided at 2 miles out from the finish (6 miles into the run) that I'd have half of my Clif Bar. It never tasted so good! I guess I do need more calories on the run, because I wolfed down the half and had to talk myself out of eating the whole thing. I washed it down with the Gatorade and was on my way.
I was behind another runner for the last two miles, we kept pretty much the same pace. I realized I was happy my Garmin had shut off. This was a fun, enjoyable run. I wasn't worried about distance or pace, just enjoying it. I've got to do that more often - if I do GPS it, just keep my shirt over the watch and not focus on my times or splits or any of that nonsense.
We reached the "start" (mile marker 0.0). He stopped and smiled and told me what a great run he had. I congratulated him and let him know mine was half over. He wished me well.
I used the restroom, then mixed up my Amino shakes. I also popped one of my salt caps. Then I started back.
My friend Shane called just as I was heading out. He wanted to know what I was up to and when I was running again. I told him I was halfway through a 17-miler and was on my way back. He wished me well and we hung up (I always bring my cell phone, it conveniently fits either in my zippered pockest or the waist bag I carry my shakes and bars in). I felt phenomenal and was running with a solid pace.
Two miles back (over 10 into the run) I stopped to have the rest of my Clif Bar. I had my first Amino. My stomach was starting to feel quite upset. I struggled a bit and was alternating walking and jogging. Eventually, however, the upset went away and I was able to continue.
At about mile 12, where I normally bonk, I still felt great. I wasn't full of energy as at the start of the run, by my legs still felt like they had life in them and my stomach was behaving. This was a phenomenal sign and I started to get really excited at the prospect of breaking my previous record of 14 miles. The 14 mile mark came and I knew I was only 3 miles away. I chugged down some more fluids and kept going. This was the most prolonged and painful part of the run. It wasn't really physically painful - my legs weren't hurting - but I was in a sort of state of keeping "inventory" of my body and making sure one foot landed in front of the other and that I kept a steady pace to my goal. I was no longer running on automatic, and my mind was not detached or in a meditative state - instead it was like I was feeling every bone, muscle, and part of my body, and suddenly had to remember to breathe, step, and do everything necessary to keep running.
Shane must have thought I was done because he called again. I answered because it was nice to have some company. I told him I was doing my last mile and a half, so he laughed and congratulated me again and hung up. Then I started moving to the finish.
It is ironic because I felt I was probably doing a molasses pace. I had no clue what the time was but suspected I was averaging maybe a 14-minute mile just because it felt like I was going so slow. I had stopped many times - at street crossings, to down my drinks, to eat my Clif Bar, for the break at the trailhead, for my stomach - so I just knew I'd have a slow time. I didn't really care because it was a record for me as far as distance.
The mind plays tricks and of course if I was running 20, I'd be fine. Since I was running 17.2, when the end was in site, that's when my legs began to ache, my head felt dizzy, my back started to hurt, and everything conspired against me having a solid finish. I pushed it back - no way was I going to give up after having come so far, so I started pumping my arms and made it. I even tapped the milemarker to reassure myself I was back at 8.6, and 8.6 x 2 is most definitely 17.2.
IT WAS DONE!
I pulled out my watch and looked at the time.
And then my jaw dropped.
5:38 it read. I started the run exactly at 2:08. That was 3:30 minutes. I quickly pulled the calculator up on my phone and computed - even with the breaks and feeling like I did the last several miles, I had managed to cover a record distance averaging just over a 12-minute pace! I was elated.
I called my wife to let her know I was safe and finished and would be heading home.
The drive back was relaxing, then I had some ziti with all natural beef hotdogs, some cheese (I was conscious of getting protein) and a granola bar. I also drank the rest of my Amino, Gatorade, and had a glass of Pelligrino at the house.
What an exciting day!
Warmly,
Jeremy Likness
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