Weathering the Weather, Whether or Not I Want To

I swear, everywhere I run, there is at
least one spot without a sidewalk!

So today's run was really a test of committment. Those who know me can really appreciate this. I really don't like when just parts of me get wet. It is a huge pet peeve of mine. Showers, pools, baths, those kinds of things are fine. But I hate when I get my clothes wet or when I get rained on. It is so annoyong. So when I walked out the door this morning and felt that perpetual mist, let's just say it took a lot of will power to stick it out. I know there are going to be days in training where I'm going to be running in the rain, but I plan to invest in a decent poncho.
Anywho, with the stretching I learned the other day, my legs and

I don't think there is a picture that
could emphasise how much this
viaduct sucks!!!

hips felt pretty good today. I feel I am able to discern between what is the dull ache in my knees due to the stretching and growth of muscles and what is something I should be concerned about. I don't think I'm at the point of concern at this time and I am continuing to work on improving my stride so as to prevent injury. I watched an excellent video on youtube yesterday that described some common mistakes that first time runners make when working on their stride. Check it out, it's only a few minutes long and if you're a first time runner, it could save you from having to miss your first marathon due to injury.



I worked on these techniques this morning and I think that they are going to really help to keep  me from injury.
So, there you have it. I've completed my first 4 days of training, running four miles a day. Tomorrow is my rest day so I will give y'all a break as well. Saturday is my second long run and I will be running with the Capital Striders. I am super stoked to find this group and know that it will help with the long run days!!!

Victory selfie!

Keep in mind when running, your mental state is what will make the run successful or not. Weather cannot control how you feel about a run. I had to push it hard today, especially on the last leg of the run when the wind was whipping that aweful mist in my face as if the sky was just spitting on me continuously. But I completed the trek and feel pretty darn good about today's run. I know it sounds super cheesy, but keeping a positive mindset is really, really important to training. My attempt in this blog is to be as transparent as I can be about the journey, so if this last portion sounds cliche, please know that it's really not, I'm just having a really good day. I'm sure I'll complain about something soon, so be on the look out. :-) Have a great day friends!!!

Energy is a Strange Phenomenon

I always feel like Rocky when passing
this place!

I really had full intention of getting to bed early last night. It was in my game plan. But then Kailan went out with a friend, and my Emery: I'm Only A Man bonus DVD somehow ended up in my DVD player and the play button somehow got pushed. And then, oh my, the reminicsing. Emery is one of my favorite bands and yet everytime they have come to town, I wasn't able to see them...
And I'm getting off track.
So anyway, then my wife called at 11:30pm stating that the van wouldn't start. My heart stopped. I'm glad she was in Altoona as it's a little safer, but still, my baby was stuck in the Village Inn parking lot at 11:30 at night!!! and I was with the kids and she had our only working vehicle and all the carseats. Luckily, my dad lived in town. She called him and woke him up and he came to the rescue (bless his heart) and she made it home by midnight...and then we talked until 1am about her adventures. Then Kailand siad, "Josh, you need to go to sleep. You have to run in the morning." :-D Thanks babe.
So yeah, asleep at 1am and then up at around 2:30am with crying baby. And then back to sleep again.
I really wasn't sure how I'd feel this morning, but I woke up at 6:15am, got my gear on, ate a banana, and headed out the door.
Todays run felt much better than yesterdays. I decided to help me pace myself a little better, I would play my "cool down" playlist instead of my running playlist. And it worked. I gained an extra minute per mile on today's run. I never thought I'd be trying to run slower, but with Marathon training, as my Grandpa always says, "you are running to finish, not to win!" That will stick with me throughout this whole ordeal.
I was intrigued by all the energy chews and gels they had at Hy-Vee, so I decided to try a few out. I bought the Power Bar fruit chews and one of the gels. I decided I wanted to see what the chews were like, so I popped one in on mile 3 and slowly chewed on it. I didn't really notice anything at first but after a few minutes, I began to notice that I had a little more energy. It was subtle, but it was definitely there. I also noticed that at mile 4, I was pleasently surprised that I was already there. I honestly could have kept going! That was a great feeling. I'm going to try the gel this weekend on my long run, but I really think I'm going to enjoy the chews.

Victory selfie on the viaduct!

So anyway, my take away today is that you can't always judge a run by it's start. Some days, you start off strong and end strong. Other days, you start off slow and build your strength. the important factor is that you make it. Even if you are walking by the time you reach your destination, you push yourself to get there. When you keep going every day and make it a habit, you'll find it gets easier to get out and start. I know I have a long way to go, but I'm glad that I've made it where I am. Another huge thing to me is that I'm not sure if I'll ever get to the point where my sides hurt and my lungs burn again. That is just crazy to me how much my lung capacity has improved. I think if anything stops me from finishing this marathon, it will be my knees, but even that, I don't think will be enough to stop me! See ya tomorrow friends!!

Good Days and Bad Days

So I went for a 4 mile run today. It was pretty uneventful. I was still a little sore from Saturday so my countenence was shaken a little. But I did it. I pushed on and made it happen. But it wasn't as fun as I had expected. I thought with a short run like this, it would feel like a breeze, but I think I'm still struggling with my stride. I feel like I'm still pushing too hard. They say that during your runs, you should be able to hold a conversation while running. Since I don't run with anyone, I sing along with my headphones. It is probably the most hilarious thing to see for those who get to witness me in all my glory. Especially since there is a fine amount of metal on my running playlist. (I probably scare some people too!)

I dread running up this cursed viaduct!!!

But this morning, I kind of wanted to quit early. It wasn't my body. I felt good physically. And my
side doesn't even burn anymore when I run, which is awesome!!! Also, my breathing was still a good rate and my heart rate stayed at about 180 or so. It was just, I wasn't in it this morning. Now, after thinking logically, I figure that many runners in training have these days. I can't be the only one. (Please tell me I'm not). But I think that's okay. Anything else that I've ever enjoyed, I know I didn't enjoy EVERY time. And most of the times, if I wasn't enjoying it, I just wouldn't do it. But this is training, so it's different. Perseverance is the key and that is what I plan to put in!
So for all you positive vibe givers out there, feel free to send some my way. Because, I could use something to pump me up on days like today.

Racing the sun!

But on a positive note, I found a running club. One of my coworkers trains and is a part of the Capital Striders. And what's better is, they do their long runs on Saturdays which is right on my schedule!!! I am super stoked. Also, my mom has offered to bike with me some Saturdays as well, which is equally as awesome! Cuz, if ya'll don't know yet, I'm a mama's boy! And my mama has been a great support for me as well.
Well, that's about all I have for today. Oh yeah, also, my friend at work informed me that the pain in my knees is totally normal and is due to the ligaments stretching below the knee cap in result of the muscles growing around my knees. So that's a nice relief. And for all you worriers out there, I took my wife's advice and am going to my doctor next Monday just to check up to see if everything's a-okay for me to train for this. So, DON'T WORRY :-)

Ten Miles..Why Am I Doing This?

Quick stop to snap awesome downtown view

So, yesterday I ran my first 10 miles...in a row...like, no stopping...then I died. Okay, I felt like I was dying. Now for the avid runner out there who is reading this, prepare your scoffing and head shaking, because it's about to get ugly.
My first mistake was I didn't bring or drink any water during the run. I know, I know, all you experts and non experts alike are shuttering right now. I really don't know the reason that I forgot to drink water, just that I was super nervous about my first 10 mile run and I think I just wanted to get it under my belt finally. Secondly, I brought nothing of nutritional value along with me. Oh sure, I brought a granola bar or two, but I've read enough to know that you want something high in nutritional value but not taxing on your digestive track. Many runners use protein gels or chews to give this energy and I had none of that. So let's just say I was not getting up the rest of that day!

Mid run snack

But, I did it. I pulled off my first 10 miles, and besides feeling nauseous and nonenergetic the rest of
the day, it felt great! And actually, after I had my second helping of pasta for dinner, I was able to really feel better enough to bask in the victory, but I did go to bed early. I am a mere mortal after all.
So, some thoughts I gleaned from this run. Long distance running takes patience. Even when I wasn't hurting or exhuasted, I was kind of bored after awhile. My grandpa warned me of the boredom on the long distance runs and suggested a running partner. If there are any takers, I am doing my long distances on Saturday mornings and he even suggested it could be someone riding a bike along side. But even without a partner, patience is an important lesson. I caught myself looking at my watch to see my distance and freaking out when I realized I had only gone one more mile...Keep in mind, it wasn't too long ago where I was excited to even make it a mile. Oh, how things have changed.
I also learned to glean from those who've been there. I had an excellent conversation with my grandpa the night before my long run, as he has ran a few marathons himself.
As we video chatted, it was so much fun to hear his advice and realize that I was talking to a marathoner who knew the ropes and was willing to teach them. I think I've taken for granted all these years that he was such an athlete and it was mostly due to the fact that I had no interest in running when he was in the thick of it. But my admiration for him now is beyond expression. He told me that training for a marathon is a part time job and asked if I was sure I was ready for that commitment. My wife and I responded that we were and then he gave his advice. Pa is always looking out for me and my family. I love it!
Another thing I learned on the trail was that I am worthy of this competition. I'll admit, when I first arrived for my run, I saw all these other runners in their fancy gear and shoes and what not. I am going to get geared up when our taxes come in, but until then, it's simple mesh athletic pants, t-shirt, light jacket, and a regular pair of tennis shoes for me. I felt unworthy to train for this with that gear, but I knew I wanted to get this 10 miles in, so I started after it. When I hit mile 8, a realization swarmed over me that I felt dumb for not thinking of before. The clothes and apparel don't make the runner, it's the heart that makes the runner. I had every right to be here training as anyone else. Not too many people can say they've ran into the double digits and I was about to. The feeling of pride came over me and I moved on....
Until mile 9 and 1/2. That's when all my energy drained, my knees burned like wildfire, my calves really showed that they could charlie horse. I had nothing left. So, you know what I did? I imagined I was in the last half mile of my marathon. I imagined that I had just ran 25 and some odd miles and just had that last half to go. It wasn't 90% heart anymore. It was 100% because my body had nothing left. Oh, I forgot to mention another distraction that almost made me lose focus in the middle of this run. My fitbit quit half way through. It was mind numbingly urking. Luckily it tracked what I had already ran still and I just had to reset it. So basically I knew I had ran a little over 5 miles and so I decided to run 5 more to make sure I didn't cheat myself. I really wanted to give up when it stopped but I knew it was stupid. I really just wanted to see that 10 miles on my watch instead of the 5 again, but I knew that wasn't the point. So I mustered on.

Victory Selfie. Notice my eyes say "No MORE!"

And when I did hit that 5 again, the euphoria that overtook me was insane. I quickly texted my wife a victory picture next to Grays Lake, which is where I started and finished, and then I slowly walked back to my car, allowing my heart rate to slow. I did my post run stretches and drove home, grabbing the largest bottle of water I could find along the way. And I have to say, now that I've had my rest, I feel pretty amazing. Sure my knees hurt. Sure my thighs feel like jello. But I'm going to do it. I just ran just over 1/3rd of a Marathon seven months before race day. I'm going to be all over that beast!
Final thoughts. I am having to figure out truths and lies as I try to keep positive during my training. So here is an example of what I'm talking about. I told myself a lie on the way home. I said, "I don't want to do that again." The truth is, I don't want to feel like that again. Another truth is, I won't. When I run my next long run, my body will be in better shape than it is today. I will be more prepared and learn from the mistakes I made. Thanks again for all the support I have received thus far in this journey. You all mean more to me then you will ever know! And when I receive the medal for crossing the finish line, I will owe it to all of you! But my wife's getting this one. Sorry!

After fitbit stopped for no reason!

Before fitbit stopped for no reason