Just Happened & What's Next

Just Happened

So, as some of you know I just ran the Market to Market Relay Nebraska on Saturday October 3rd.  I'm still gathering photos and writing up the race recap for that.  In a short, it was AWESOME! So awesome that we have taken the opportunity to secure our spot for next year.  Below is the recap video you can watch while waiting for the recap.

What's Next

I just got an email from Katy, the editor at Omaha World-Herald's Live Well Nebraska, saying that I won entry into this coming Sunday's inaugural of The Nebraska (Half) Marathon!  I got a choice between a 5k and the Half Marathon.  Naturally I want to run the Half Marathon, but my pace is kind of slow right now so I'm waiting to hear back on cutoff time to make sure I have enough time.  Otherwise I will likely do the 5k.  How awesome this is to be able to run the first running of it!  So, I will have that race recap coming in the near future as well.  Here is the promo video.

Until next time, keep those beats coming!

Goals...NO...Expectations for 2013 w/ 2012 recap

Here it is almost the middle of March and I'm finally putting my goals for the year out.  Is that the procrastinator in me or the father of 5 kids in me?  Either way I'm still getting it done.

Even though I was new to running this past year I would like to have done some more formalized runs.  I did 3 total runs in 2012, and they were all in the last half of my running time in the year.  I am going to try to double that this coming year.  And with some many choices in the Greater Omaha Area I don't think I'm going to have a problem getting that accomplished except when funding is the issue.  Remember....father of 5!  So, anyone want to sponsor me to do any runs?!  It's a dream to get runs paid for by every runner, but most of us have to budget it in to feed our addiction.

The first run I did was The Glow Run 5k in Omaha, NE that was put together by the KC Running Company.  I ran this on August 18th, 2012.  Now this was my 1st organized 5k, so I was already nervous about it.  Beyond that I had my brother-in-law running it with me, my oldest son, 2 of my nieces, and my nephew.  Not to mention I had some friends and a co-worker that were also running in it.

The second run I did was Mud Factor.  This was held at Vala's Pumpkin Patch in Gretna, NE.  I ran this with my buddy Brian.  This was my 1st 5k Mud Run.  I will certainly be doing more of these.  And this is returning May 4th, 2012 so I may be doing it again!  We ran it after my buddy Aaron and his wife ran, but we met up in the beer line afterwards.  It was a good time except for the missing water slide.  The main obstacle everyone looks forward to in this run and they didn't have it.  Afterwards they publicly apologized and promised to have it in the 2013 run.

The third and final run of the year was the Virtual Half Marathon as part of the RunningNerds "Winter Blast Series."  I had never ran father than 8 miles in one day so I was really pushing myself, but I was able to do it.  And I finished right about the time that I expected I would. My time was 2:39:36.  The first half I was actually ahead of my normal pace.  I usually run at an average of 5 mph.  And that's what I finished around.  The first half I was just over 6 mph.  I wish I could have finished at that pace, but a pain in the bottom of my right foot told me otherwise.  So, I had to slow my pace and finish where I originally expected to. But hey, I finished!  If you would like to read on that and see pictures from the day you can read that review HERE.

This year I'm not only looking to re-tackle Mud Factor and The Glow Run, but I'm also looking to add to my run list with some new runs.  I am going to be running one that will really test me since it's basically a half marathon mud-obstacle run.  It is called Tough Mudder.  The other is similar to Mud Factor, but much harder.  That one is called the Reebok Spartan Race.  I have several other runs that I'm looking at through out the year as you can see that I have listed in my "Possible Future Runs" that I may add to the list that I am doing, but there are the few that are a certainty.

I first looked at Tough Mudder as one that I couldn't possibly do or be ready for.  After tackling Mud Factor and doing the Virtual Half I told myself to stop telling myself that I can't and know that I can!  The makers of Tough Mudder slogan it as "Probably the toughest event on the planet."  Well, I am putting myself up for that challenge.  I will be running it with several friends in the Kansas City event (actually being held in Topeka, KS) on Saturday September 21st, 2013.  Tough Mudder is a run that supports the Wounded Warrior Project.  This project is to help those that have served our country with the aid that they may need to help in their daily lives.  Tough Mudder is a 10-12 mile obstacle course that is designed by the British Special Forces.  They are designed "...to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie."  Some of the obstacles featured are the Arctic Enema, Berlin Walls, Electric Eel, Electroshock Therapy, Everest, Fire Walker, Hangin' Tough, Twinkle Toes, and Walk the Plank.  You can read about all of them and see examples on the Tough Mudder obstacles page.  After looking at all of the obstacles I'm more than ever committed to running this!

I also have the opportunity to run a race for free this year.  I was persevering and patient enough that I was the 500th "like" on the Facebook page of G.O.A.T.z (Greater Omaha Area Trail-Runners).  And they were running a "contest" for the 500th person to get a "surprise."  They also have a Facebook Group here.  There will be a "staggered" run this coming June they are calling "The Dizzy Goat." It's going to be run at Schramm Park State Recreation Area on June 22nd.  They runs are going to be staggered because they have 3 different "lengths" that you can run.  The lengths are measured in distance, they are measured in time!  You can run a 12 hour run, a 6 hour run, or a 3 hour run.  Now, based on my endurance I can probably muster the 3 hour run.  I was able to run the 1/2 marathon in under 3 hours, so I figure I can run at least 15 miles in this time.  Now to get my training going if this is the run that I choose.  You can read more about the run on the page for it. (http://www.goatztrailruns.com/dizzygoat)  They are also bringing another run series called the "2nd Annual G.O.A.T.z Trail Runs and G.O.A.T.z 50k."  This is Omaha's 1st Ultramarathon.  In 2012 this run sold out with a cap of 300 participants.  In 2013 the cap will be 500 with a limit of 250 on the 50k portion.  They will also be holding 5, 10.5, and 21 mile runs on the same course at the same time.  Now, this run is taking place this October so I already know I can do the 5 miler, and the 10.5 miler but will I have the ambition to hit the 21 miler if I decide to run this one instead?  I guess I have a short time to decide.  I don't have any runs scheduled in June yet except the possibility of Warrior Dash so June may be a possibility over October.  If you have a recommendation for me between the 2 runs, please comment and share your thoughts.

I do have a run that I will be unofficially running.  My main reason for running it will be that 2 of my kids will be running it and parents are allowed to accompany their kids for safety and taking pictures.  It's the Muddy Heroes 2k/4k that I posted about earlier this month in my Mud runs for kids! UPDATED post.  If you want to read more you can check out my post or the website for the run. (http://www.muddyheroesrun.com/)  Unfortunately only 2 of the kids old enough to do anything at this run will be able to do it.  2 of them will be at their mother's house on visit so they will have to catch the next one.  But, we will be sure to take lot's of pictures and even provide a recap.  Maybe I can get a video of my kids giving me their own recap!  Oooh, 2 points for me for the idea!  This run will be May 18th, so the recap will be shortly after.  Since I'm getting married to my amazing fiance in mid-June I will have to be on top of this one.

I also have a list of runs that I am registered for, runs that I have done, and ones that I am contemplating doing.  It's the "Past/Future Runs" tab just below the header.  I need to update this page so that it includes the results for the timed runs that I have completed.  I'll get to it....eventually.

Until next time, keep those beats coming!

Virtual 1/2 Recap

My very 1st half marathon.  Holy cow!  Did I just say that I actually ran a half marathon?!  Never in my life did I think that I would like running.  Let alone be able to and wanting to run a half marathon.  Once back when I started high school I asked my dad to take me out to a cross country meeting about joining.  He had me run the dike behind our house to get a feel for what it would be like to run.  I run about 2 miles, but I don't quite remember if I didn't go out because I never spoke another word and just dropped it after that, or if I didn't like running so I purposely didn't bring it up, or if it conflicted too much with my band schedule (yes I was a band geek) and I dropped it because of that.

So, I came along the idea of running a half marathon when I "found" the RunningNerds.  They created the Virtual Half Marathon and Treadmill 5k Challenge and I contacted them because I was interested in the half marathon, but I knew that I might not be able to pay for it so I was probably going to do the 5k.  The "leader" of the RunningNerds, Tes Sobomehin, contacted me back and helped me out.  So, I was able to run the half marathon at a discounted rate in exchange for helping to promote the event.  I graciously agreed to this offer.  They were giving me the opportunity to represent Nebraska as the 1st runner.  I did promote this via my Twitter account and also some on Facebook.  The basic "rules" of the run were to run where you wanted, when you wanted, and how you wanted.  This means that you plot your own course or run the distance on a treadmill.  You choose when you want to run between Dec 22, 2012 - Jan 1, 2013.  You are to then upload your time to the Zulu Racing site for the results to be given publicly.  The final results can be found here.

Now that I'm done rambling, on to the actual recap of the morning.

The day started out with the alarm going off at 6:00 AM.  I laid out my clothing the night before.  We had actually ran to get me some compression pants the night before because I realized that I didn't have any and I should probably have another layer on my legs.  So, you'll notice that most of my gear is C9 by Champion.  It's only available at Target stores, but it was certainly within my budget.  I also have my Swiftwick Sustains that a won courtesy of Larisa over at 0to26point2.  I also wore my Mizuno Wave Creation 13's that I also won.  These were courtesy of Mizuno's Mezamashii Project and Louise Cunningham over at Runners Ramblings for the invite into the project.

As I walked out the door it didn't feel that bad outside.  I looked at the temperature and it read that it was 10 degrees out.  Wait, was I really going to do this?!  Not only have I never ran a half marathon, but I also have not really run when it's that cold out.  I knew that my 3 running buds were expecting me by 7:30 AM to do what was now being called the "Polar Bear Friendship Run 2012" between us.  We were going to run around Zorinksy Lake a couple of times to make the distance we needed.  I had actually heard from my boss the day before because he runs Zorinsky regularly and had ran it the day before.  He was letting me know that the trails looked pretty good.  I had made a pit stop on the way in order to grab a bar for before and after since I didn't eat anything before I left home and a bottled water to hydrate some more beforehand.

We all started together and for about the first 2 or 3 miles we were within about a quarter mile of each other.  After that time frame we all kind of hit the stride that we were used to.  Me being the only non-military/non-fitness person of the bunch I figured I'd be last, but Aaron kept about the same pace as I.  I was glad to have him running with me to keep me company because I am sure it helped the time go by much quicker than it would have otherwise.  I wasn't opposed to running the whole thing by myself, that was how I was originally expecting to do it.  We both kept one of our headphones in, but ran together chatting as we were going.  It actually turned out to be a great morning to do the run.

After about the half way point I ran into an issue.  On my right foot behind the "ring toe" in the padding of my foot it felt like I was "rolling" a bone every time my foot hit the ground.  I was upset about this because I was already running at a pace faster than I normally run at.  I knew I would have to slow my speed so I didn't hurt myself.  I kept on running though.  The view was great and the company was great so I couldn't complain much.

As we were running along towards the end I felt some sweat running down around my mouth.  I went to wipe it away and noticed that I had ice crystals around my mouth.  I hadn't even noticed them until now.  Aaron said that I looked like Jack Frost.  I guess you can look for yourself as I took a picture.  It's in the pictures below.

Once all four of us finished I certainly felt accomplished.  We took a little different routes, but we all finished. Aaron and I took a different route so we finished first.  3-5 minutes after we finished Brian trotted in to the finish.  He got something to drink and had to leave after he "cooled off" a bit because he had somewhere to be.  Mike finished shortly after Brian.  He was what I'm describing as drone running from the distance.  He is active Army and is used to running, but not this distance and not this temperature.  He just got back from a deployment in Kuwait.  So, we was used to it being 120+ degrees. VERY different temperatures.

Below are the pictures that I took of the day:

Here is the gear I wore. 2 layers on bottom, 3 on top.  My top always seems to get colder.  I could probably have ran in shorts except that I didn't want wind burn on my legs and to end up sick.  Notice, I wore my new Swiftwick Sustains on this run. I also just noticed that I forgot to add a my Mizuno Wave Creation 13's to the picture. (Note: The link is to the 14's page as there is a new model out now.)

The view beyond my buddy Brian's car is just a great one to start a morning run.

My buddy Brian while we wait for the other 2 runners to arrive.

A quick snapshot of me.

As we start to run this is what I see. You can see my buddy Brian ahead in white and my buddy Mike with his yellow reflective stripe.

We had an onlooker that we were onlooking that was playing hockey by himself in the middle of the lake.

A quick post-race shot as we wait for all of us to finish.

And here is the 4th runner, Aaron having a post-run smoke

You have to love an ice beard!  This is even after I pulled some off.  I thought I should have a picture to share before I take it all off.  I was told that I looked like Jack Frost running!

Now, here is runner Mike and runner Aaron the night before our run.  Mistake?  Or equalizer?

Post run I added a 4th layer since I was cooling off and sweaty, but I'm still smiling!

So, what did we do to celebrate...some more beer the night after the run to celebrate the New Year as well!

Aaron was my running buddy as we ran most of the time together.

The 4th runner that we haven't seen yet.  This is Mike.  Or as he looked at the end of the run, the Dumb & Dumber Zombie.  He was "drone running" with snot frozen to his face similar to you see in the movie.

Now that all of that is done, where to next?  I guess I'll have to look forward to training.  I'm trying some interval training to increase my speed and endurance.  I was talking with Aaron and he talked about maybe heading out to Zorinsky to train more.  I guess we'll see where we end up.

UPDATE: I forgot to post my time yesterday.  I finished with a time of 2:39:36!

Until next time, keep those beats coming!

Pre Half Marathon

I've never ran a 1/2 marathon before.  Honestly, I never thought that I would in my entire life.  I never thought I would be a runner to be completely honest.  Yet here I am not only a runner, but soon to be a half marathoner!  I'm so nervous and excited at the same time.  I have a 5k (Glow Run Omaha) and a 5k mud obstacle run (Mud Factor Omaha) under my belt why couldn't I just be happy with just 5k's?  To be honest, they aren't far enough now.  I am running 3.5 miles to 5 miles on my "normal" weekend runs and I still want MORE.  I am getting in 2.5 miles to 3.5 miles on my lunch break at work.  I've even started using the Zombies, Run! 5k app to entertain myself some while I run and I plan on getting the full app as well. (Review to come when I complete the training.)

Back to the topic at hand, the 1/2 marathon that I am running.  It's hosted by a group called the RunningNerds.  How fitting since my fiance calls me a computer nerd/geek all of the time.  The run is a virtual one in which you sign up, you are given a time frame to run it in, you map your own route, run it on your own time in your own location with whom you want, you time yourself using any means that you have (recommended is a tracking app like Endomondo or MapMyFitness), and then you report your time to the site they give you.  You still get the swag that you normally would from a run.  You can see mine below.  You get to skip out on registration day of and parking fees (unless you park where you are not supposed to).

I ran over 6 miles between yesterday's lunch and today's lunch runs.  Tomorrow is going to be a rest day for me so that I don't overdue it and can't perform to the level that I hope I can.  Especially since of the 4 of us that are running 2 of the guys are former active duty Marines and 1 is active duty Army and just got back from a deployment in which he did lot's of running.  Oh yeah, and one of the Marines is not only doing Crossfit, but he is also in school to become a personal trainer.  And me, well the closest I came to the military was to become a Cadet Colonel in the IA-951 Air Force Junior ROTC at Abraham Lincoln High School.  So, I've probably got a challenge ahead of me with what I am running with, but they are awesome friends and I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else.

So, until my post race recap I bid you a good day and happy trails behind you!