by

Nightmare on Oak Mountain

Running up the mountain…

Thoughts running through my head…

A dream.  I was hear before in a dream.  I remember part of that dream.

Oh. Another dream.  Another thought.  I can see a vision of it in my head.

By now, I’ve totally forgotten I’m running. Flashes are going through my head.  One dream, another, another.  It seems like dozens.  I remember.  Now were these dreams I’m remembering or were they real.  What is the difference between my dream and reality.  My mind is reeling.

Suddenly I’m near the top of the mountain.  I’m not feeling well.  Was I running too hard or is there something happening that all these thoughts are causing.

I start walking.

I am panicing.   What is happening to me.

20 seconds.

I start running again.

Slowly.  I feel better.  I am moving toward the end of my destination and heading back down the mountain.

5 minutes later.

I forget most of the thoughts.  The visions.  Even the panic and feeling like I am not going to make it.  All gone.  I feel normal again.  I get back to my car and head home.  All is normal again.

What was that.  I wasn’t running too hard.  I eat eggs and a banana.  Everything was normal.  Then it hit.  It was like a daymare.

Ever happen to you?

I hope I never experience it again.

Tom

by

33 miles and 20,000 views

 

 

 

 

To begin this post, I wanted to put up a screenshot from my phone from yesterday morning.

photo

 

20,000 views.

That may not be a big deal, I don’t honestly know.  For me, however, it is really cool.  Thank you to everyone who looks at my blog, either once, twice or daily.  It means a lot to me.  The best ever at 646 was the day of my marathon.  Good times!

Okay, on to running news.  I got my 6 days in a row in for a total of 33 miles (not bad coming back from an injury).  Yesterday was my sixth.  I went out a bit overconfident and started too fast.  By the 2 mile mark I was shot.  So I walked a few seconds and started up again.  Sort of funny that I was overconfident.  Confidence in running hasn’t been my thing over the past year.  Still my average pace ended at 8:40, which is only about 5 seconds a mile slower then my other days this week.

No more said about ACV this post.  I use it and I like it.  Even the taste is getting tolerable.  I have almost 2 weeks of great progress and I mostly attribute it to that.

Today will be an off day.  I will try to get several miles in walking.  Then tomorrow we are leaving our adult kids at home and going to Chattanooga.  I plan on getting up early each day and running River Walk.   It is an awesome path that was built and goes about 7 or 8 miles along the river.  I hope to run 8 miles each day we are there.  Tomorrow morning I will get up, get a wash in, drive to the park and do my weekly run up the mountain.  Then I will be getting ready to head out of town.

Everyone needs a break and I really enjoy these weekend trips with my Lovely Wife and this time with my oldest son.  We have a great routine and time away is always good.

I hope everyone has a good weekend.  This may be my last post until Monday, but time will tell.

Tom

 

 

by

The pace continues… Where did this come from?

Day 5 of running and my pace hasn’t slowed down.  This may not be a big deal to most people, but for me, I always run faster after a day off and as time goes on, my pace slows.

Yesterday I thought that I wasn’t running as well as past days.  I am still taking 2 Tbs of apple cider vinegar (ACV) twice a day.  Once in the morning and once before my run in the afternoon.  Honestly that is the only thing I can equate to my lowering pace.  I have been running now for almost 2 years (in 6 days it will be 2 years) and have tried almost everything to help my running.  I fell on ACV by accident as I read it was beneficial for weight loss.

Back to yesterday…

I got to the 4.8 mile mark and got a call from work.  I paused my app on my phone with my Pebble watch and talked for about 5 minutes.  I then looked at my pace and it was 8:38.  Seriously. I have been running for 5 days straight and my pace has been almost exactly 8:38 each day.  My last two miles were 8:14 and 8:18.  That is crazy for me.  By day 5, I am usually in the 9:30 area and ready for a break, especially running 5 miles a day.

So perhaps SOMEONE out there in the world who reads my blog can tell me if you use ACV before a run.  Or perhaps someone will give it a try and let me know if you experience the same thing I do.  I honestly think it is the difference in my running and would like to verify that.

Funny, TJ used to tell me that it would take him a couple of miles to warm up and then his runs would get much better.  I never experienced that myself.  I just felt pain and tiredness throughout my runs, but I continued out of commitment and the desire to reach my goals.  Now, I am hopeful that I can start enjoying running the way others have and start really making a difference in my life.  I have a half marathon in just about a month.  Hmmm.  I wonder if they make ACV GU Energy Gels.  Nah.  Probably not.  That might just be a little too disgusting.

Until next time…

Tom

by

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it

This was the news from my chiropractor yesterday.  I wanted to make my hip was well since I hurt it on the steps about 10 days ago.  He examined me, and did an adjustment and at the end said everything looked great.  He thinks my runs up the mountain at our state park have done wonders for me.

So I got home after that and a long day at work.  Not long hour wise, but long difficulty wise.  We moved our phones over from one carrier to another and our internet.  It was so crazy that I didn’t even get to eat lunch.  I got home and drank my apple cider vinegar and headed out for my run.

The beginning was a bit rough.  I had just been adjusted and my hip wasn’t too happy.  But after a couple of miles, my body fell into place and I ran great.  In fact I had to stop to take a phone call from work in the middle of my run and didn’t stop my app, but with that call, I still came in under a 9:00 pace and that was without eating all day.  My fastest mile was at an 8:12 pace.

I’m not going to make a habit out of not eating lunch, but I honestly think the apple cider vinegar gives me energy that I never had before.  Also for the first time in 2 years, I run and feel like I can push it if I want.  I “feel” like a runner and not an old man.

So all is well in body, mind and spirit.

I can’t ask for more than that.

Tom

by

3 runs and I feel great!

After my week off from running because of falling up the steps and hurting my bad hip, I had a very successful “come back” running this weekend.

Here are my workouts:

  • Friday: 4.25 miles in my neighborhood @ 8:40 pace.
  • Saturday: 8 miles up my mountain @ 9:43 pace.
  • Sunday: 5 miles in my neighborhood @8:38 pace.

Okay, I have been hurt before.  I have taken a week off before.  In fact this time I took a week off 3 weeks ago while sick, then ran 5 days, then took another week off for my hip.

There are many times I come back strong after taking time off.  It makes sense.  However this time there was a difference.

Yesterday’s run was – different.  I ran well.  I ran hard.  Up hill especially.  I would normally attribute that to my mountain runs, but I haven’t run my mountain in 3 weeks and that mountain wore my legs out yesterday.

I have another thought.

I’ve been taking apple cider vinegar for over a week now.  I take 2 tbs in water in the morning before breakfast and 2 tbs in the afternoon before my workout.  I started this to help my weight while not running as I read it can be beneficial.  However I noticed last week as I walked that I “felt” like walking longer distances than normal and my energy level was up in general during the week, especially at work.

My runs have felt much better to me over the past few days.  Of course it could be all the rest, but honestly I think there is more to it then just rest.  I have energy in my runs, in my legs and in my body overall.  I wasn’t planning on running yesterday, but an hour opened up in the afternoon, so I went out about a half hour after I took my 2 tbs of apple cider vinegar.  I felt so good that I decided to go for 5 miles rather than the 4 that I had planned.  Normally my head is screaming at me to shorten my runs, but I didn’t have that yesterday.  It was just a good, hard run.

So, have I stumbled on a super drink or is it just coincidence.  Either way I am going to keep up with the drink.  I strangely seem to be sleeping better also.  Maybe there is something I was missing mineral wise that the vinegar fills.

So all in all it was a good weekend and a good time running.  17 miles in 3 days after an injury and I feel great.

I can’t complain.

by

Hanging with the dog…

I haven’t posted much about my time with The Dog lately, but here is a pic I liked… She just goes, and goes, and goes… I wish I could run with her enthusiasm!!!

20140315-171239.jpg

by

My guest post on a great blog!

I have been blogging for over a year now.

I have had a few posts that people have really liked and have a lot of great followers who I really appreciate.

About 6 weeks ago I wrote a post about the freedom that running gives me and, for me, went viral.  I got about 10 times the number of views on that one post compared to my average.

One person whom I follow and who follows me, wrote and asked if he could post that post on his blog.  His name is Bruce Matson and he recently published an awesome book about health, running and his journey to Christianity.  The way I found out about Bruce was my running buddy @BigBigGeek bought me an audio copy of his book to listen to as TJ and I drove up to Pennsylvania to run our first (and so far, only) marathon.

Bruce asked that I add a few references on the spiritual side for the post which I was glad to do.  I honestly don’t post much about spiritual things on my blog, not because I am afraid to post about them (see my Faith tab above), but I set out to write a running blog and though I give God all the credit for all that I have accomplished, I’m sure He understands this is a running blog and is not offended. 🙂

Okay… First I want to say thank you to Bruce for posting my edited post on his blog…

Go here: http://bhmatson.com/2014/03/14/faith-running-freedom/

Second I encourage you to read his blog and look into purchasing his book.  It is very well written and is close to paralleling my journey from 278 to … soon Boston… maybe.  It is almost uncanny how closely our journeys have paralleled each other.

Lastly, thank you @BigBigGeek for introducing me to Bruce.

You know, it is really cool that I started this blog with just a few people following me and now I have hundreds and I have a post on Bruce’ blog – an author.

I am grateful to Bruce for the post and all of you who read my blog… even when I have to only write about walking. 🙂

Tom

by

I’m being taunted by RunKeeper

I use 3 running apps to track my progress.  I like both Nike (with whom I share workouts with @bigBigGeek and @David_Topping) and RunKeeper.  I really like features about both and so I track my runs in both.  The way I track my runs in 2 apps is by using a 3rd; iSmoothRun.

The iSmoothRun app lets me use it to track my run and then upload to both Nike and RunKeeper. On top of that, I send a backup to my DropBox just in case it is needed (which I have needed once in the past).

So how is RunKeeper taunting me?  I got this nice reminder on my phone a few minutes ago:

Exactly 7 days go, you were working out. Lets make that happen again!

Seriously RunKeeper?!?  I have a hard enough time NOT running while trying to recover from falling UP the stairs.  Now you taunt me with this?

Okay, I am just kidding… sort of.   However, for me, that reminder was honestly not appreciated. 🙂

Tomorrow is a new beginning.  Nashville, here I come!

by

2 days until I can run again…

Need I say more? 🙂

by

The 4 wheeler and the cop

Yesterday, I had decided to walk 4 miles.  About half way into the walk my hip began acting up a bit and to err on the side of caution, I decided to cut my walk short.  So my route was changed and I headed home.

As I entered into my neighborhood and was waking towards my home, a 4 wheeler came down the hill, through a stop sign and was traveling at a high rate of speed.  As the guy passed me, he looked back like he was looking for someone.  In my mind, I first thought I’d see another 4 wheeler come behind and perhaps they were racing through the neighborhood.  I also thought, he is going so fast, that short look back could have caused an accident as he was running through all the stops and going much faster than the speed limit in my subdivision.

I continued to walk and saw a police car pass by.  He slowed down and rolled down his window.  I took my earbuds out of my ears and walked over to him.  He asked if I saw a 4 wheeler go by.  I told him I had and that he had already gone way up the hill and out of view.  He said that this guy was trying to avoid him and took off after him.

A few minutes later a truck stopped by me and asked what was going on.  I told him the 4 wheeler story and he said that cars in general fly through the neighborhood so fast that he is worried about all the kids that play and bike.  I agreed and said it is also worrisome for a runner like me.

That was it.  I walked home and never heard another thing.

It is crazy the way people drive in our streets.  I live in a great neighborhood and city.  It is small and a suburb.  There are no bike paths though and it is a constant struggle to keep a watch for drivers who don’t seem to care that I’m out there or who are distracted on a cell phone.  I know all of you have similar stories, but seriously, it gets crazy.  I have almost been hit once and TJ has had to literally jump into the grass and a car almost wrecked after noticing him.  They just kept going.

I guess this is life in the small city.  99% of drivers are great.  I try to be extra careful.  I guess it just takes patience and vigilance to stay safe with people so distracted and in such a hurry.

I’m not complaining, at least it gave me something to write on my blog about. 🙂

by

Good weekend, but miss my running

It was a nice weekend.

I didn’t run.  I did get to do some walking.  My hip was feeling better, but I got a strange pain between my two hips above my tailbone, so I figure I need to take it easy and see if this is something to be worried about or just “fallout” from my fall up the stairs.

I guess I am in the, “two steps forward and one back” phase of my running.

I can’t wait to get back to my mountain and regular running.  I can feel the endorphins leaving my body as I write this.

Oh well.  It is all part of the fun of running.  The ups and the downs.

I did get me a new pair of my shoes ordered so they will be waiting for me.

Have a great week.