10 for Fun

I hit the pavement at approximately 0600 hours today....not knowing how far or how fast I was going to go. I have a 5K in STL tomorrow with family, so I wasn't really sure what to do today. It's been a pretty tough week in the gym and I had a super crappy 9 miler on Thursday....I was actually thinking today would be a rest day, but...rest is highly overrated (not really).

The weather was beautiful....it's so nice to run in May....without cold weather gear. The only issue was that is still seems like it takes 3-4 miles for my feet and legs to get comfortable with the new kicks. But, after I'm settled in, I turn it on. The first 4 miles I averaged around the slow 8:20s. I ended up doing 10.17 at an 8:07 ave pace. I really felt great towards the end....but the start was a little rocky.

I'm thinking I will take it easy at tomorrow's race....maybe I'll help Traci PR!

New Kicks!

Check it out, an early bday present from the wifey and kiddos!!! Nike Free2 with a runningonginnis spin! Make it Happen!!


I'm loving the new kicks! I broke them in with a local charity run on Saturday to benefit a very special person. It was suppose to be a 4 mile course, but the course wasn't marked well and everyone pretty ran a different distance. But....no one was complaining....this one was for a great cause. Never stop running Sacha.

The weather was absolutely terrible...and I didn't even get any pictures. But, imagine almost everyone in a small town coming together to raise money for someone that needs to be lifted up. At first, the new shoes felt very strange....almost as if I had forgotten to put shoes on! I felt a bit unbalanced...like I was going to slip and fall at any moment. My calves and shins were a little tight too, but overall I think I'll really like the shoes. I was in second place overall for most of the race, but then I lost the first place guy and pretty much had to guess where the route was. I finished with 3.76 miles. The first place guy finished with 3.5. Two other guys came up on me as I was trying to guess the route....not sure where they finished at. But, I'm pretty sure I came in at first place in the 3.76 mile race. :)

On Sunday I knocked out 10...also in crappy weather! Cold weather gear in May....really Illinois? Really??!!


My calves and shins felt tight for the first 4 miles...but after that, everything felt great. It seems like it took 4 miles or so for my legs and feet to get used to the new kicks. Seriously, the shoes were rockin. I finished at a 7:59 pace and definitely could have kept going longer and faster.

Here's to making it happen!!

Illnois Half Marathon - 1:42:08....The Perfect Race

You may recall that back in January I set two 2011 half marathon goals. I wanted to PR (1:50:30) and break 1:50. I ran this race with an IT Band injury last year (1:59) and it completely sucked. I am proud to tell you (finally) that I crushed both goals last weekend! I had the perfect race.

At the very last minute the wife and I decided to find a hotel near the race....surprisingly, we found one! We drove to the expo Friday night, picked up our packets, and made a few rounds through the booths and shopping area. As much as I love this race, I really think they could do a better job with the expo...and the race shirt. But, I shall not gripe about the perfect race.

We woke up Saturday morning bright and early....ready to make it happen. The weather was a little chilly, but I was sporting some new arm warmers, so I was all good.


We both found our way to the start line...saying hello to a Boston Marathoner on the way!! While we were hanging out waiting for the race to start we also stumbled upon a few other folks...my friend KC and her husband GC! KC and I occasionally run together during the weeks....she also ran Boston! She ran Illinois just for kicks...mostly because it's a race that she'll do every year. I also saw a few other folks that I knew. One of them is a guy named Mike. Mike is an amazing success story of a lifestyle transformation. He has provided me with a lot of motivation as I have moved through my own transformation.

Seeing Mike there really made me wonder how many other runners were there that day saying goodbye to a lifestyle that was unhealthy, depressing, and no fun. My motivation spiked....I was ready to rock it!

My goal for this race was to finish in the upper 1:40s. I was thinking something like 1:47. As the race kicked off I stuck with KC and GC. It really felt like a normal weekday training run. My pace was very comfortable....we all kept looking at our Garmins and announcing that we were running a sub-8:00 min/mile pace....but it felt so good that we kept it up. In fact, we kept getting faster. The first 10 miles flew by...I've never felt so good during a 10 mile run. The next few miles even felt good....it was awesome.

We finished our last mile at 6:40-ish! This course finishes on the college football field. We sprinted out the final 50 yards and I felt super. I was actually wondering if I should have kicked it in a bit more and finished under 1:40! Next time!

Here's a little self-portrait postrace action


The best part about this race? It was for my bro. Every single step. When I felt like I needed some extra motivation to push forward, I looked at my hand.


Thanks for the motivation bro. Be safe and watch your 6 while you are over there. This one was for you.