running

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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

 

 

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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!

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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.

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Those stupid steps!

It was a good run.

I got 5 miles in.  The first 5 mile since I got sick 2 weeks ago.  It was cold, raining, and I felt great!

Then it happened.  No not on the run.  I was home.  I made my Lovely Wife some eggs and was taking them to her.

I walked ran up the stairs and my foot slipped.  I fell on my knee and… yes… jammed my bad hip.  Seriously?  I was so angry with myself and in so much pain!

My run was almost perfect.  Even though it was close to freezing and raining, I ran great.  I ran steady.  Outside of my first mile, I kept the same pace the whole time.  That is a big deal to me.  I tend to vary my pace quite a bit, but this was just steady.  It felt good.  I felt good.  My hip felt good.

Now I’m hurt.

I woke up this morning and didn’t feel as bad as I thought I would.  But as the morning has gone on, my hip is getting stiff and sore.  I am walking and icing and doing anything I can to keep it mobile which helps.

To be honest, I don’t think I could run today, even if I tried.

Doctors orders will be a week off.  I’ll be walking and keeping it moving.  I’ll be resting.  I’ll be taking anti-inflammatories.

Just to kick my mood up, I purchased a new pair of my running shoes.  I love my Brooks Pure Flow 2 shoes and got them for $50 with free 2 day shipping at RunningWarehouse.  They will be waiting for me next week as I start my umpteenth comeback from injury.  This one was stupid, but an injury is an injury.

Have an awesome weekend.  Run, walk, have fun.  Life is short.

Tom

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My dream, my hope, my life – Thoughts from yesterday’s run

As I ran yesterday, I thought about dreams.

Not dreams as in sleep, but dreams as in aspirations, desires, goals that seem beyond reach, but something you want to attain with a desire that is beyond normal desire or hope.

Dreams are an important part of life.  Some dreams never come to pass.  They sit in front of us an become a frustration, depression or just make us angry.

I realized yesterday that I have had many dreams I wanted to attain in life and many of them I have actually achieved.  Most were within my ability to achieve if I persevered beyond normal effort.  As I ran, realized that each major phase of my life has had a dream just outside my reach that I had to really work for in order to see it come to fruition.  Many times those dreams took perseverance beyond my own ability to achieve.

I am being purposefully vague here as I don’t need to go into all those dreams.  But my thoughts went on to the fact that so many people deal with anger and depression because they don’t get to fulfill their dreams, at least in the timing that they have chosen to see them fulfilled.  Without a dream, or as the Bible says, a vision, we will perish.  Hope is essential in life.  The American Dream has kept people pursuing their lives vocation for generations.  A hope for a good life and an even better life for their children.  I think a lot of Americans have given up on achieving their Dream.

My current dream or hope or goal is to qualify and maybe one day run in the Boston Marathon.  Back before last year’s race (and tragedy) TJ would talk to me about us qualifying together.  Then, last March I made that my goal.  I hadn’t even run my first marathon yet, but my new goal would be to qualify for Boston… Then I ran my first marathon in September and that dream seemed to be pushed beyond achievement.  I ended up hurting myself after the marathon and it took months to get back to a semi normal running routine.

I still have that as my goal, my dream.  It keeps me going home each day and heading out to run in good or bad weather.  It helps me get past heel spurs and hip pain.  It makes me run up mountains in order to build my endurance and run down mountains to build my strength.  

It is my dream.  

I could give up on my dream.  It is going on 2 years since I began running and a year since I made that decision to qualify for Boston.  That is a long time.  I am getting close to 2,500 miles run, mostly in my neighborhood.  It seems like a dream that is out of reach.  But that is exactly what makes it a dream.  That is what gives me hope.  The thought of the day I achieve another dream and overcome almost impossible odds to do just that…  That is what makes life fun.

So my run ended yesterday much quicker than most.  Not because I ended it early, but because I had so distracted myself from running by dreaming about dreaming.

Keep dreaming.  If it were easy, it wouldn’t be a dream.

Tom

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Running in the cold and feeling my hip again

I felt my hip yesterday.

I ran 4.5 miles and it was cold.  In fact just one day before TJ and I were talking about how hot it was as we ran.  But yesterday, windchill was below freezing and I had all my winter garb on.

My hip hurts when I am not running relaxed.  I can feel pain, tell myself to relax, and within seconds the pain has subsided.  I also think it is worse in the cold.  Holding my body stiff as I run into wind and cold that I thought had passed for another year.

All in all it was a good run.  By the time it was over, I felt as if I had settled into it and could run more, but decided I didn’t want to take a chance of hurting myself so I stopped.  This was the second run after my sickness.  I can still feel it in my chest some, but I am definitely on the mend.

3 more runs before I take another week off.  Just some personal stuff I need to do.  Then on with training for my April half marathon.

Life is good.

Tom

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Finally… a run

I survived the weekend and came out the other side feeling much better.  My recent bout of sickness culminated Friday with me leaving work early and crashing at home.  I thought some fresh air and a slow walk would help, but… Nope… I started out and then headed home and got rest.

The weekend was not restful however.  Saturday I went with RS to get a new TV for his room, JR got a new bed and HM got tires for his car.  That was just the major parts of the day.  I must say, through I wasn’t feeling great, I was better.

Sunday found me running again.  I don’t think I went too soon.  I felt good, it was a beautiful day and so TJ and I went to the park to run a few miles.  I had hoped to get in about 6 or so, but could only manage 4.  I still have some congestion in my chest which the run helped, but it also impacted my ability to run further.

So I am 90% better.  I don’t want to have a relapse, but I think I am past that.  I must say, this was the first time in my memory of the past few years that a cold knocked me down for a week. It was pretty rough overall.  I looked so bad on Friday that my boss made me go home early from work.  That was a first also.

Today finds me tired, but doing much better.  I really want to get back to my running schedule as I have a half marathon in 7 weeks.

By the way,, the weather today is going to be strange here in the deep South.  It was in the mid 50’s when I got up.  By lunch we will be in the 30’s and by the time I run this afternoon we will be back in the 40’s.  All we need is snow to make this a perfect day. 🙂