Thar's Blisters In Them Thar Hills!!

Well today is Saturday and I certainly would have liked to join all of you for dinner at the Mac last night and the run today. We made it up to the lake house here in Kentucky about 11:30pm last night (late start leaving Madison) then up at 7am to get ready for the run. But where to run? Mom-in-law reported a high school about five miles down the road. So, I ask my wife to get up and go with me in case I break an ankle or pass out and no one will know I'm alive. Of course she was thrilled (not!).

So we get to this high school and sure enough a great track just like at Ridgeland and Madison Central. It was a nice cool 69 degrees and I was doing great! I discovered a new interval for me that seems to work. I ran 100 steps and walked 100 steps. I did my first mile in 12:36! (down from the usual 14-15 range). Then two miles came in at 26:15 (down from the 30 minutes). Things are going along quite nicely.....my wife is sitting there saying encouraging things like "wow, when you started, I was walking as fast as you were running!" and "my, you've gotten faster!"

As the sun started getting higher and clouds moving out, the temp was rising to 84 degrees and mile three and four started slowing down, but I did my four miles in 56:51 (down from the usual 1hour and 3-4 minutes!). I was stoked!! I was actually making good time and feeling good doing it. (Must have been the nice even track.....). Then, all of a sudden, all of these buses and cars started pulling in and unloading. I stopped to get some water and talk to one man. Wouldn't you just know it? They were having a county wide track meet today (they are still in school up here).

So they directed me to a park with a 'nice 2-mile route' another 5 miles down the road, so we hop in the car and off we go. (it was nice getting a 10 minute ride in the air conditioner). I hop out and stretch some more, and think, 'just three times around and I'll have 10". OH MY GOD!!!!!! The dreaded hills I was worried about, came out to bite me!! At one point on the trail, at the top of one of my 'smaller hills' I looked out onto the park and the top of some trees! If you've ever been to Gatlinburg or Pigeon forge, think hills like that!

Needless to say, I could only walk the trails and run the flat spots. I couldn't even run down or I might lose control of myself and start collecting things on the roll.....Anyway, the hills both up and down proved to be too much for my feet and I'm now the proud parent of several toe blisters. I could only make it back to the car after two laps thus only getting in 8 miles instead of ten. I hope to go back to that park this week and take some pics to post to prove I'm not lying. If anyone from this area runs in Chicago, they will fly! I will gladly take the small hill routes back home. My quads, my glutes, and my toe blisters will thank me for it........:-)

Well, I too will also harp on how beautiful Saturday was with the weather and the water. It was a good trip and one that I will sorely miss when the Mississippi heat returns for good until October.
I'm glad to see everyone had better times on Saturday. I was doing well up until the last two miles when my legs just cramped up and I had to walk it in. I was able to get to know Joyce better as she walked it in with me. She is an amazing woman and I found out we have several things in common. She certainly made the last two miles go by much easier.

I tried to 'grind it out' with Steve instead of wogging and I did ok for the first six miles. I would actually catch my breath when I started walking fast instead of jogging along with him.
This has gotten me to thinking seriously about speedwalking. I wish I could get that lady that spoke to us early on to come back to give me some pointers. Reading on the internet is one thing, but I need some instructions. With my stride as long as it is, I think I could do well with this without many screwups.

I'm just going to be honest. The longer the mileage, the harder it has become for a big 285lb man. I think if I can speedwalk, I will have a little easier time and not so much jarring on my knees. After about two miles, I feel as if I'm carrying a 2oolb backpack on me and the farther I go, the harder it is for my legs to pick up and move. We'll see how the week goes as far as training goes.

I will be up at my in-laws lakehouse at Kentucky lake this coming weekend, so you guys have a good run on Saturday. I can tell you this 10 miles up there will be murder as every road looks like a rollercoaster. I think the national park in Vicksburg may run close in some of the more 'flat' parts of Kentucky Lake. I will see how I do up there. It's usually 10 degrees cooler than whatever we are here, so hopefully, I'll still get to enjoy some cool weather.

I hope all of ya'll have a great week, wonderful run and a good Memorial Day Weekend. I won't be back until next Wednesday, but will be checking blogs, posts, etc. if you need me for anything......:)

Diamonds are a girls best friend......

I tell you, I am soooooooooo thankful for my hydration belt! That last leg on Saturday from the trail back to fleet feet in the sun was quite hot!! I was squirting water on my head more than in my mouth. I stopped and squirted a few people along the way as well. Poor Chuck looked like he needed an IV and Shelly had to sit on the curb a little bit as well. I shutter to think of how hot it is GOING to get! I may need my TWO water bottles on my person somewhere.

Somebody told me about a hat (I can't remember who) that has those refreezable gel packs in them. I'm off to search for one of those......needless to say, I may have to switch from my sun visor to a hat anyway. When I got home on Saturday, my little bald spot on my head was fried!! Too bad I didn't have any eggs with me. I could have had some protein grilling up there while I ran! (ha/ha).

I did my nine miles in two hours and twelve minutes. Not very fast, but at least I did it. Then a sobering thought came to mind.......when those little Kenyan winners cross the finish line, I'll be at only the nine or ten mile mark!! They could probably go tape a show with Oprah and come back after a nice dinner to watch me cross the finish line!!

Hope all you 'maternal females' had a great Mother's day! My mom came down from my hometown of Columbus this weekend and it was a great visit. After my dad's death three years ago, every visit is special and I take nothing for granted anymore. So the next time you see your loved ones, give them a big hug and tell them you love them because tomorrow is never promised.

On a lighter note, go to www.dickssportinggoods.com and go all the way to the bottom menu and click on 'outlet'. They have some pretty good prices for running clothes both summer and winter. I'm such a cheapskate. I don't pay full price for anything and never look unless it says at least 50%off. Good thing my wife is the same way, or I would probably be divorced. I try to buy her jewelry and she refuses saying it's too much money. God I love her!!!!!

Happy Nurses Week!!

Well, I was very impressed with everybody running the cannonball on Saturday. I felt like a bloated sea cow that was beached with the buzzards circling.....Lesson learned. Run your own race and do what you can do. Don't try and do other people's intervals or speed. I hit a wall so fast that I thought I was a crash dummy. I thought, "Oh My goodness! I've got six more miles to go!". The entire way back, I felt like my legs had concrete blocks tied around them. I kept look back to see if the mafia was trying to grab me to throw me in the river!! But hey, EIGHT MILES!! I used to not even bike that far!!

Shout out to Christa, who reminded me of woman on a mission. You go girl!! You left me in the dust. Shout out to Shelly who helped me make the last three miles. If you weren't there, I don't know how I would have finished. It was so cool seeing your family waiting for you at the finish line. Phil, I missed you being my running partner. my timing was all off with out you.

I think the worst thing was when you crossed the finish line and got your number, you saw all of these people standing around having a cold beverage, and yet you had to turn around and do two more miles. That was the hardest two miles of my life! I couldn't feel my feet and I have a heel bruise on my left heel. Not good living in a house with tile floors. Needless to say, when I got home, my son had not mowed our lawn or our two neighbor's lawns (which he gets paid for and I have to do all the edging because he does a lousy job....) So guess who got out in the hot sun and edged and blew THREE yards?? Yours truly, Mr. stupid. I couldn't move Saturday night.

I can only hope and pray that after nine miles on Saturday that I don't have any chores to do. Well at least my hamstring felt better (especially in that ice bath that night).

Keep up the good work marathoners! We will prevail.....We will come out alive even after seeing all of these doctors for pains, sprains, and tendonitis. We may be a few inches shorter, but we will make it!