Running On Ginnis

HL 5K - 21:49

2011-10-19T04:09:00.000-07:00

On 8 October 2011 I participated in the 'world's toughest 5K'! This is a local race that is easily the most challenging 5K I've ever ran due to the crazy hills. I've ran this race 4 times now. 2 as a chubby runner and 2 as a not so chubby runner. Oddly enough, the second time I ran it (chubby), I finished third in my AG at 28:04 (the 20-29 AG is never really that competitive). The first time I ran it as a decent runner, I finished in 11th place overall with a time of 22:56 (I think?). On 10/8/2011 I scored some hardware again, finishing 3rd in the 30-39 AG with a time of 21:49.

The hardware! (posing with my wife's uncle who also scored some hardware for his AG....2 hip replacements later and he's still rocking the 5K....AMAZING!)

Now, this is by no means a PR course. My times are always well off of my 5K best (20:09/10). But, it is still a lot of fun. It's a great challenge. But, what I'm most proud of this year is the fact that my 9 year old daughter ran the race too!!

It's a family thing y'all!

Time is running out to accomplish my remaining race goal for this year....5K in under 20:00. I'm considering a race this weekend, so we'll see! Stay tuned!!

FitFace Mystery Workout

2011-08-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

Hey folks! In case you haven't noticed, I've slowed down my blogging quite a bit....but, not because I've lost focus or motivation...I've just been busy logging my workouts on a social media group site that I created through Facebook. I've been using the site to share workouts and encourage others to share their own. It has really picked up and there's even a group of local people that get together every week for 'Mystery Workouts'. A mystery workout is just that.....you show up at a given location and you have no idea what to expect...you just know that you are about to sweat. A lot.

I hosted today's mystery workout, but it was mostly for me and two buddies that have been coordinating the mystery workouts. Today was a bit more exclusive....it was good fun.

Sunday Funday

Feel the Pain

Made it to the Top

FitFace Crew

R & R!

2011-07-25T02:19:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the delay in my posts once again. I hate to keep my loyal readers waiting, but I've been very busy with my new water sport training regime.

We took some unexpected R&R this past week to visit my in-laws at their second home....which is soon to be their primary home. We had a blast...lots of boating, swimming, eating, and drinking...and even some exercising! Yeah, there's no doubt I put on some lbs...but, I am a believer in allowing the body to reset every once in a while.

At least I didn't eat as bad as these guys:

I certainly did not help them tear up that hotel pizza. Really. I did not.

I managed to get a few decent runs in on some very hilly terrain. Kinda like this:

I capped my much-needed R&R off with a great day of fitness. I started off with a hot and humid 10 mile run in the morning and then finished the day with a nice 30 mile bike ride in the afternoon. Look out le tour!

On a more serious note, I want to dedicate the following video and song to someone that has motivated me more than just about anyone. I won't be seeing this dude for a while, but I'll be thinking about him every time I need to push myself through a hard run or workout...just like I did in Chicago on 10-10-10. Thanks for all that you do and stay safe. Watch your six...we'll see you in a few and a wake. Over.

Stop, drop, kaboom!

2011-06-26T07:29:00.000-07:00

First, let's start with the races.

Tremont Turkey Fest 5K: 20:09....3rd in my AG! I had a great race. But, sooo close to my goal of finishing a 5K in under 20:00...soon.

Steamboat Classic 15K....1:10:xx...new PR and a great race!! This is one of the most challening 15Ks around. It has a beast of a hill that sucks the energy right out of you...and the course takes you up the hill twice! I felt pretty good during the race, just a bit of side cramping that never really developed into anything serious. The hill is definitely a character builder.

Yeah, so maybe I need to score some new race day clothes. :)

Cookie Club Racing....messy faces in .32 seconds...also a new PR!!

With the exception of the past week or so, I have still been rockin the gym and the pavement. The last week has been a different story though. I had some unexpected travel and stuff come up for work and my routine has been pretty shaken up. My eating certainly hasn't been great and my runs have been minimal. Proof that this journey of healthy living is never complete....always at war, just different battles along the way.

I'm looking forward to getting back into the routine this coming week. I've been doing a lot of high intensity training at the gym (The Big 55, crossfit-like workouts, sprints, tire flips, etc) and it has been kicking my butt. Winning.

I also had an opportunity to go for my first Texas run earlier this week....95 degrees...but, it was as dry heat. :) It was actually a pretty interesting run. I had just flown into Texas and knew that I needed to sweat it out a bit just to get the endorphins moving. I was only planning to do 3 or 4 (for some reason my post-flight runs never feel great). I didn't really have a route mapped out and I really had no idea where I was going. But, I found a sidewalk and decided to just use my garmin to tell me when to turn around and head back to the hotel. This plan was going quite smooth...until...my ADD brain saw a nice residential area and thought 'how about I just take a looksy at this neighborhood?'. Yeah, mistake #1.

I got deep into the residential area....distracted by the nice homes...and suddenly realized that all of the nice homes were looking alike. Then I realized that I was totally lost. Every street that I turned down was either a dead end or led me to a busy intersection with no sign of my hotel.

5 miles into the run, the sun blazing down on me, and the early signs of panic beginning to settle in (i.e. I paused my music, stopped my garmin, and proceeded to cry, screaming 'Why God? Why???'...ok, I made that last part up...really, I did....).

Fortunately for me, the people of Texas are a very nice breed. Seriously, some of the nicest people on the planet. In fact, when I ran into a nursing home to ask for directions back to my hotel, only a few of the guests tried to trip me with their canes. Actually, without hesitation, they told me exactly where I needed to go. That's a first folks....thank God for the elderly. Anyway, 6 miles later I found my finish line at the Holiday Inn. Yep, that's right...I was chillin at the Holidae Innnn. Stop, drop, kaboom!

*Warning...NSFW!*

10 for Fun

2011-05-21T05:56:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-05-16T02:32:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-07T03:31:00.000-07:00

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.

The Omaha 6

2011-04-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

Hello bloggies! It's been so long since we've talked! Oh how I have missed your company. Really. I have. Just messin' peeps! I haven't posted in a few weeks and I'll spare you the lame excuses of being too busy with work, family, blog-stalking, and...dang! See what I just did there? Anywho, this past weekend we drove to Omaha, Nebtaska to see my broseph before he does his thang. We had a blast...we all hit the zoo to see (my wife's relatives) some cool animals and stuff, we had some killer margaritas, and then my brohem and I had a little guy time and we managed to squeeze in some fish n chips and my very first bloody mary. So, yeah....we did some damage.

But, we also managed to knock out a freezing cold, wicked windy, stomach churning 6 miles. Seriously, my bra and I were sooo close to calling this one off. It could have been the fact that as soon as we stepped outside we were both nearly blown away by an Omaha hurricane. Or....maybe it was because we ran out of throwing stars and I left my numchucks at the hotel....let's face it, you gots to be packin these days. It's a good thing my ninja bro knows kung-fu.

While we were in Omaha my two sons decided it was time to start serving their country. I have to admit, I'm darn proud of my boys and seriously, it's about time they start earning their dues.

I was able to pound out a quick and sweaty 4.5 in the hotel fitness center/sauna before we started the drive back home. I was a sweaty mess, but it felt good sweat out some margarita goodness.

After all of the eating, drinking, and sweating was over with I had to shake my bro's hand and wish him well. It was an emotional moment, I'm not gonna lie...it's a good thing I don't cry. Ever. I love my bro and I can't even begin to tell you how proud of him I am.

Some people talk about it, others DO IT. Here's to those who serve, especially my bro. I'll see you in a few.

I knocked out a good 12.5 today at a nice and easy 8:22 ave pace. I'm ready for race day next weekend. I've decided that every step I take will be dedicated to my brother...I'll be finishing this one for him.

13.1 Training Run...1:47:x

2011-04-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

GREAT run today....FINALLY some gorgeous weather. Dr. C and I pushed it hard today (read: he made me go faster). We had planned to just do 12, but at the 12 mile mark we were pretty pleased with our pace and we knew that stopping short of a half marathon made no sense at all. So, we made 13.1 happen. We finished in 1:47.x at about an 8:10 average pace. If I can repeat today's run in Champaign in a few weeks I will be a happy runner dude.

Everything felt outstanding today....minus some chaffage. Note to self, buy Body Glide....and possibly some new running shorts. Me thinks I've got too many miles on the 3 pairs of shorts that I rotate through now.

Check this out....the wife hit her first double digit run today!!! 10 miles!!! AND, she did it in under a 10 min/mile pace!!! OUT-friggin-STANDING! She has come a LONG way in a very short time period. Pretty impressive stuff!

The wife about to make it happen! (and someone else sporting his new runner's briefs)

15 for Fun

2011-03-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was 15 miles in some amazing weather in the beautiful Mackinaw River Valley.....I was loving every minute of it....until around mile 11 when I had a series (probably close to 700?) of hills to tackle that made me feel like a Sherpa on Everest. The good thing about this 15 was that I didn't do it alone. At first there was one Sherpa scaling the hills of Mackinaw. Then I was joined by a second Sherpa. Together we became a pack of Sherpas, a Sherpa-pack if you will.

A local P90X superstar, a future school board member, and doctor hit the run with me (all one person). I am not going to mention his name here, but let's just say that the run was just what the doctor ordered.

It was his longest run in 12 years and probably the fasted 15 I've ever completed. We finished right at an 8:30/8:31 pace. I know, we didn't break any records...but it felt great!

35 miles total this week. 41 days until my next half marathon!!

St. Pat's 5k - 20:52

2011-03-13T13:21:00.001-07:00

Well, it wasn't a 5K PR, but it was a course PR. Last year I decided to run this race about 45 minutes before it started. This year I was planning to sit it out due to this nasty cold/sinus sickness that is refusing to leave my house. My family has been getting it's butt kicked by the cold bug....I started getting it last weekend and then it hit me hard at around the middle of this week. Pair it up with a stressful week of work and it makes for a very rough week of training. In fact, I only ran/worked out once this entire week.

I woke up this morning happy that I was able to get some decent sleep, but still feeling pretty miserable. The wife and I were both registered for the race, but after doing a quick round of temperature checks we found that 2 out of our 3 kiddos had slight fevers. So...that meant that either me or the wife would need to stay home. I was pretty convinced that I would get sick bay duty, since the wife seemed to be feeling a little better than me. But, after thinking it through (read: me nagging and whining), I was nominated to go run. We knew that someone had to go pick up the race packets to get our shirts....and I felt that if someone was going to drive all the way in for the packets, that person should also run the race. The wife and I didn't quite see eye to eye on that one. :) She was scheduled to teach an aerobics class later in the day, so I didn't feel so bad about racing.

The running conditions weren't that bad....just over 30 degrees, very little wind, and a big crowd. Unfortunately, I couldn't quite shake the mucus out of my system! (gross, sorry). I wasn't really sure what to expect from this race. I told myself that if I could finish under 21:00 I would be happy. I started off feeling great...not too fast this time, pace felt really good. My pace slowed towards the end, but I still felt good. In fact, I probably could have kicked it in a bit more. I ended up finishing at 20:52, 40th place overall. I'm okay with the time considering my health, but I know I could have done better. I guess I was just a little hesitant to kick it in. Next year!

Frozen Turkey 5K - 20:31

2011-02-27T04:43:00.000-08:00

Ready to Rock It (is that a ninja??!!....)

This weekend I knocked out the first race of 2011!! The first ever Frozen Turkey 5K in Tremont, IL. I finished in 4th place overall with a time of 20:31. It was a really fun race. For the first time in my racing 'career' I actually led the pack for a little bit. I was leading the way for about a quarter of a mile....I have to admit, it was a strange feeling. I thought about how everyone else in the race was following...me. I wondered what would happen if I took a wrong turn....I wondered what would happen if I actually finished first. Then, before I knew it, some speedster zoomed past me and the thrill was gone. I looked at my watch at about the one mile mark and the pace read 5:51....what the heck was I doing?? Then I started to think about finishing in second place....but once again, I was passed by a couple of youngsters. The top 3 were gone and I thought for sure others would be approaching as well. But, I reached the halfway point and turned around to see that there was a pretty good distance between me and the 5th runner. So...I gave it all that I had and finished hard at 20:31.

Yeah....a fourth place finish at 20:31 tells you that there weren't too many runners (around 90) and that there may not have been too many fast runners....but, I am totally good with a PR that is 25 seconds better than my previous PR. And...I still have some time this year to shave 32 seconds off of my 5K time to reach my goal of finishing in under 20 minutes. I was 29 seconds away from getting a trophy too...only the top 3 male and female finishers scored trophies...damn you young bucks. Had I known, I totally wouldn't have let those kids pass me.........Oh well.

I'm pretty pleased with my time, but the best part about this race was seeing the wife come in at 26:18!!! She did an amazing job. Amazing. Her previous 5K time was 33 and some change...mad improvement!!! She totally rocked the Frozen Turkey!

Bringin It Home!!

Some pre-race posing!

We Wear Short Shorts!!

2011-02-13T14:54:00.000-08:00

Happy February!!!! Today was the first shorts run of 2011!!! Let me tell you, it...felt...FAN-FRICKIN-TASTIC!! 13.1 miles in 1:49 and some change...a new outside training run PR! Lookout Illinois Half Marathon PR, HERE I COME!!!! I'm not sure if it was the awesome weather, the new shorts, or just the joy of running, but something hit me good today and I felt like I could run for days. I was only planning to run about 12, but when I realized that I was on pace for a nice training run PR, I decided to get the full half marathon in. I really, really had to convince myself to turn back home though.

Words just can't describe how a really good run makes you feel. There's just something about being in the running zone that makes you feel so alive. The zone...it's such a peaceful place to be. Everything moves right...arms, legs, breathing...everything just clicks. You live in the zone and you don't want to leave it.

I can't wait to be in the zone on my next race. Tell you one more thing....if I keep finding the zone, there's a good chance that I might just sign up for 26.2 in 2011....instead of waiting for 2012. We shall see loyal readers...we shall see.

First Race Registration of 2011!!

2011-01-23T09:37:00.000-08:00

Dear Curt,
Congratulations! You are now registered for Illinois Marathon. Please check the event's official website for updates: http://www.illinoismarathon.com

**********************************************************

YEAH! 4/30/2011....here we go! I'm looking forward to redeeming myself from last year's time....I ran the entire race with severe IT band issues (which resulted in about 3 months of physical therapy....ouch).

Even more exciting....the wife is running it also!!! Her first half marathon!! AMAZING!!!

Sick Ninja, Chopper!

2011-01-10T02:06:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a nice and cold 12.5 miles along the rolling hills of the Mackinaw valley. It was the longest and coldest run of 2011! Most of my bod stayed fairly warm, in fact....I might have overdressed a bit. My hands got a little chilly towards the end of the run. I will admit, it wasn't a speedy run by any means (8:37 ave pace)....that is until about mile 10 when I was attacked by a vicious ninja-eating K9 that came out of nowhere. I swear it was hungry for the blood of a Nike protected runner...I thought I was a goner....it darted across the country highway and immediately began to attack me...my ankles were almost done. Until...a passerby saw the attack as it was driving by and honked it's horn to scare away the beast. Luckily, that did the trick and the little monster went running back to it's hideout...waiting for its next victim I' m sure. Stinkin mutt.

If only Doug were there to protect me. But alas...sleeping on the job again.

Here's to the dog days of winter!

The End of an Era...or something like that....

2011-01-02T17:12:00.000-08:00

After a splendid 11 mile run today I became extra motivated to follow my fellow bloggers and type an end of 2010 posting....but, then the Bears game came on, followed by a brief nap, and then some laundry...and here I am, finally. Just like today (minus the laundry and the Bears losing), 2010 was a year full of goodness.

As you might recall, the year started off with a photo shoot for Mens Health magazine!! What an amazing experience. Soon after my national publication appearance, I began to train for the Illinois half marathon....well, I trained myself right into physical therapy due to IT Band syndrome. It. Sucked. I was still able to run the race, but it certainly wasn't pretty. It was by far the most painful race I had ever done....until, 10-10-10 that is. The Chicago Marathon....I still don't think it has fully hit me yet...still hard to believe that I ran 26.2 miles. 26.2 freaking miles....each time I say it, I get chills, followed by a huge inside smile because I'm proud of how far I've come and how hard I've worked....but also because I know Chicago won't be my last 26.2. In fact, that brings me to my next subject....2011 running goals!

Race Goals:
1. Half Marathon PR (current PR is 1:51:31)
2. Half Marathon in under 1:50:00 (might be crossed off after number 1?)
3. 5K in under 20:00
4. Sign up for my next full marathon!!!! Jan or Feb of 2012...race is TBD...Disney??

Weekly Goals:
1. 1 speed session every week
2. 1 leg strength training session every week
3. 1 stretching session every week
4. Ab strength training 3 times per week (2011 will be the year of the 6 pack!!!)

Well, that's it folks....I've got a busy 2011 ahead of me. It will be full of new challenges, tough runs, brutal workouts, buckets of sweat, maybe some tears, and lots of fun. Here's to making it happen in 2011! YEAH

Do you know this guy? I sure don't.

First half marathon, 2009

Second half marathon, 2009 (PR!)

First FULL marathon, Chicago, 2010

Here's to a good 2011!!

If It Ain't Rainin, We Ain't Trainin

2010-12-31T11:41:00.000-08:00

It's December 31st and it's nearly 60 degrees outside...perfect day for a run, right?? Oh, did I mention that it's also pouring down rain and there are tornado warnings??!! I've said it before and I'll say it again, screw the elements. If you want to make it happen then sometimes you just gotta say what the F....and let it roll. 7 miles later and I feel fantastic...just like I knew I would. Thanks to my new Northface jacket for keeping me dry, my Nike tights for keeping my legs fresh, and my wicked tunes for keeping me motivated.

Here to making it happen on New Year's Eve!!!

Ho Ho GO!!

2010-12-26T09:11:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas loyal readers!! I hope this holiday season finds you all healthy, fit, and running on ginnis. I was certainly feeling the sluggishness of the holiday feasting this morning....I knew the only cure was to get out and make it happen. I knocked out 10 solid miles on the dreadmill. It felt fantastic. I have to admit, the first 3-4 were pretty rough....visions of sugar plums were dancing in my...belly. But, I stuck with it and made it to 10. YEAH, take that Rudolph!!!

When I got home from the gym even the wife was feeling the Christmas feasting blues, so.....

She rocked the ninja gear and went for a stroll!!! Here's to making it happen ninja style!!!

Heck, even Ty got in on the exercise bug today!!

Bouncy style!!

Not Dead Yet!

2010-12-18T11:02:00.001-08:00

That's right folks, I'm still alive. I've still been putting in the miles on the dreadmill and I've still been hitting the weights. But, clearly....I have not been blogging much. After today's 11.5 miles I just couldn't refuse a quick update for my loyal readers.

I must admit, the winter running season is already getting a bit old. I've been logging around 30 miles per week, all on the dreadmill. I'm really not training for anything....my next half marathon is at the end of April and I'm sure I'll do a few shorter races (St Pat's 5K!)....but, you know how it goes...you still gots to put the miles in to keep the pounds off!

So here's to making it happen, even when there's snow on the ground yo!

Jingle Bell 5K - 20:57

2010-11-15T02:08:00.000-08:00

With hopes of crushing my 5K PR (20:56) and possibly finishing in under 20:00, I signed up for the Jingle Bell 5K run yesterday. I really wasn't quite sure what to expect with my finish time, but I was looking forward to doing a fast race. Unfortunately, momma nature decided to let her winds blow so hard that at times it felt like I was running in place. The wind, combined with the unusual course, meant no PR for me. To be honest, deep down I kind of knew that I wasn't quite ready to break 20:00. BUT, that day is coming....this is my promise to you!!

After I got home from the race I took Doug the dog for a nice 2.44 mile cool down....Doug's first run!!! YEAH!

Back on the Road Again

2010-10-24T14:57:00.000-07:00

My recovery is officially complete....and I managed to get a few good runs in during the down time!

I wasn't quite sure when to start running again after Chicago on 10-10-10, but by 10-14-10 I was sooo ready to hit the pavement again. I did a nice 4 miler....and honestly, it felt like 14. My knees and feet were barkin, big time. I hit the pavement again on the following Saturday....got a nice 6.5 in. It felt great....still not 100% good to go, but I was well on my way.

On the following Monday I started back in the gym and back on the weights. This week I started working out with a fellow Gold's Gym morning regular. He's a cool guy and an Army Vet....we seem to be a good mix. We are going to rotate our strength training plans every other week or so. He's going to help me stick with a toning plan (lighter weights/higher reps) since I always want to lift heavy...and I'm going to help us pack on more muscle (higher weights/lower reps).

On Monday we hit BIG chest and followed it up with a 5 mile treadmill run. On Tuesday we did the standard 7 mile run and then hit abs. Wednesday was a no run day and instead we just hit back and lats really hard. On Thursday we did sprint intervals that felt fan-frickin-tastic. Then we followed it up with some legs and abs....YEAH! It had been looong time since I hit legs... On Friday we hit arms and shoulders and then we knocked out a quick 5 miles on the treadmill. I took Saturday off and then hit today with a nice 8.11 mile run in 1:06, 8:10 pace.....YEAH!!! Damn, it feels good to be a gangsta......or something like that.

It sure felt good to be back on the road again....felt even better to get the lead out with a tough hilly run. AND...I did it in my new Chicago Marathon participant shirt!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm going to continue to hit the weights hard over the next several months. I'll also be doing some shorter races (5Ks) and then I'll start training for half-marathon season in the spring. I'll be posting my 2011 race calendar soon....so be ready loyal Ginnis readers!!

I'm a Marathon Man

2010-10-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

It's official folks....I'm a marathon man!!! Do you believe that??? Who would have thought that I could run 26.2 freaking miles??? Just over 2 years ago I weighed around 270lbs, I hated my life, hated my body, and I wasn't motivated to do a thing about it. I never would have dreamed of being able to run for 4 and a half hours......but, YEAH....I DID IT!!! All of that training, all of that suffering, all of those early morning miles....I MADE IT HAPPEN!!

Traci and I arrived in the city at around 2:00pm or so on Saturday. We had no problems at all getting to the expo. It was totally cool.....MUCH different from the Illinois Marathon expo. There was a lot of free stuff and a ton of really cool stuff. I got checked in, picked up my packet, bought some more Gu and some throw-away gloves (that I totally didn't need), and then we browsed the expo a bit. But...not too much, cause my dogs needed to rest!

After some quick lodging adjustments, we ended up at our final destination for the evening. I ordered some plain spaghetti and washed it down with a tasty beverage (Gatorade). I called it a night pretty stinkin early.

I woke up just before 4am to the sound of sirens (a constant sound throughout the night) and I decided it was a good time to get things moving. I ate half of a bagel, took a nice warm shower, and then downed a tasty endurance shake with a bit of coffee......yummy!! Traci and I were out of the door by 6:00am and we made it to the race area with plenty of time to spare. The weather was perfect...nice and cool, probably around the upper 50s, maybe lower 60s. We said our goodbyes and goodlucks at the gate and then we went our own ways - me to torture town and her to McDonald's for some pre-race observer fuel. :)

Pre-race photo op!! A little blurry due to my pre-race jitters.

After finding my spot in the open corral area with the 4:00 hour pace team, I was ready to go. I waited it out with the 45,000+ other runners just trying to take it all on. Still not sure what to expect along my 26.2 mile journey, but excited to test myself. At around 7:30am the race started....I crossed the start line about 13 minutes later. I was expecting to be in the line for over 30 minutes, so I was pleasantly pleased with the minimal corral time.

And we were off! (this is actually at the 2 mile mark, but my photo crew couldn't be at the start line)

I have to admit...the first 3 miles were kind of a mess. TONS of people, including about 10,000 people that overestimated their speed and quickly became obstacles for the pace groups. There were also lots of people cheering and waving...and just plain goofing off. In fact, one girl took a hard spill almost immediately after crossing the start line because she wasn't paying attention. Lesson learned, I hope.

So, the first several miles were a blur. I had a few issues that popped up immediately....minor side stitch and some odd foot pain that I couldn't figure out. But, I pressed on and the side stitch went away....the foot pain remained, but it wasn't really an issue. I was feeling it....I was slightly ahead of schedule at every mile mark....thanks to my cool pace tat.

I had my first Gu at mile 5, took a quick treeline potty break at around mile 6, and at around mile 7 that stinkin side stitch came back again. This time it was a bit more serious. I tried to adjust my breathing, slow my pace down a bit, and try to hold my arms over my head. It finally went away....and it didn't manage to slow me down too much. In fact, I hit the halfway mark right on schedule. I remember thinking, YEAH, I'm going to do this thing in 4 hours!! And then....

It seems like every running issue that I've dealt with over the past year or so came back on Sunday. The side stitch came back hardcore, my IT band flared up, and my feet/toes were hurting.....and the temperature continued to rise. I think I heard that it ended up being as high as 89 degrees. It was painful....but not as painful as watching my pace get slower and knowing that my goal of finishing in under 4 hours was gradually fading away.

Before I knew it, I was severely dehydrated...even though I drank at every water stop. I did Gatorade and water...made sure I got some decent gulps in at every stop...but, it wasn't enough. And my pace continued to drop. I'm not sure exactly at what point I knew that I had to adjust my goals, but the realty eventually set in. I remember thinking to myself, 'Okay, it's not that bad...just remember, your first goal was to finish the damn thing'. So that's what I focused on...finishing.

As the miles went on, I seriously wondered how I was going to even finish. I very clearly remember thinking that there was no way....there was no way I was going to make this one happen. My side stitch was about to make me hurl, I had nearly stopped sweating from being so dehydrated, and my IT Band was bringing me to a limp. In between mile 17-18 I found a bit of joy....a running buddy and her husband were cheering me on!!! She even ran out to give me a fist bump....it was exactly what I needed....I drove on...for a bit.

After I hit mile 18 I realized that I still had 8.2 miles to go....my body was telling me to walk or die, but my heart was telling me to think about the moment. The moment....it's where you live at mile 18 when you have nothing left to give...the moment where you decide to give up and walk, or dig deep...REAL DEEP and push through. I was slow folks,...but I wasn't going to walk. I knew that I would never forgive myself. So I pressed on.

One of my other running buddies and I were talking during one of our weekly morning runs about a race day mantra....something to keep playing in your head to keep you going. My mantra has always been, 'Make it happen'. But, at 18.5 miles, I changed it. I kept saying to myself,

'Feet, just get me to mile 20...and let God do the rest'.

That's exactly what happened. Those last 6.2 miles were brutal...absolutely brutal. To this day, I have no idea how I did...I have NO idea how I kept running....I just did. It really seemed like the last 5 miles lasted an eternity. I didn't want to look at my watch or at the mile markers....I just looked ahead, gazing into the crowd....hoping to see a finish line.

Finally, I looked up and saw a sign that said 800 meters to go...then 400 meters, then I saw it. It was glorious. The final turn...the final hill. I very clearly remember thinking, what idiot designed this course so that the final stretch involved a freaking hill?? But, somehow, someway....I found my feet again on the hill. I finished hard, all the way to the FINISH LINE.

Ahhh.....I'm a marathon man.

I couldn't have made it happen without the support from so many people. Training for a marathon really takes a team - of people that may not understand why you do it, but are there to pick you up anyway. Thanks to all of you that have inspired me, picked me up when I needed it, ran with me, laughed with me, gave me chocolate milk, made me ice baths, finished my long runs with me in the pouring rain, sang songs with me during 5:15AM runs, shared SitReps with me, motivated me, and had an extreme amount of patience with me. A very special thank you to my wonderful family...I know I had to be away from you every weekend for the past 18 weeks....thanks for understanding and for supporting my crazy bucket list. I dedicate my finisher's medal to all of you - I wouldn't be a marathon man without you.

Here's to asking your legs to get you to 20 and letting God do the rest. Here's to making it happen and here's to Running on Ginnis!!!!!!!

One Week

2010-10-03T06:47:00.000-07:00

One Week....that's what stands between this moment and the most difficult running journey of my entire life. 26.2. 26.2. I see those numbers in everything....they haven't left my mind for several days now. 18 long weeks ago I started to train for this thing...and now I'm one week away from making it happen. Training is the challenge....the race is the reward. YEAH.

Since my last 2o miler, I've had some really solid runs. My long run that followed the 20 miler was absolutely outstanding. I did 13.25 at an 8:30 pace.....had a GREAT 13.1 time. The run felt perfect. I had some good runs during the week and then yesterday I capped off my weekend training runs with a decent 8 miler. I had intended to do a rehearsal run, sticking with marathon pace, but I ended up going just a little bit faster.....because I was cooold yo!

This coming week should be interesting. I have to admit, this tapering business ain't easy. I don't like not being able to run my standard mileage....especially when I want to continue to eat like I have been. I know I shouldn't be worried about gaining weight, but I am worried about overeating!! I just keep telling myself that after the race I'll get back to my normal fitness and nutrition routines.

I almost have my running gear ready to go.....new shoes-check, new socks-check, shorts-check, gel-check, official Chicago Marathon running shirt......on its way!!

Make 20 Your ____

2010-09-19T05:43:00.000-07:00

I knocked out my second 20 miler yesterday!!! YEAH!! AND....I shaved 14 MINUTES off from my last 20 mile time!! But still...20 miles ain't no joke.

I've always thought of myself as a person that has had to work hard for everything...nothing ever comes easy. That was certainly the case yesterday as I pounded out my final 20 mile run before the marathon. I shoved off at around 0830...less than 10 minutes after I started I had to make a quick pit stop (I apologize to any passer-byers). But, then I was good to go for another 8 miles or so when I had to make my second pit stop. I used the same route that I had ran a couple of weeks ago...basically, route 9 all the way to my parents' house. But, this time I did things a bit different. I carb'd up on Thursday and some on Friday, and I drank an endurance shake about 2 hours before I started the run. The changes clearly made quite a difference. My legs hurt like crazy, but my stomach and endurance felt pretty good. I had energy throughout the entire run. AND, my hydration team met me at mile 12 for some ice cold drink!!!!! It was a beautiful thing.

Now, back to the whole working hard for everything bit. Even though I felt fairly decent, as already noted, my legs were a'hurtin. My knees were a'hurtin....and my dogs were a'barkin (feet). But, I knew that at around mile 15 or 16 I was going to get some extra motivation, so I pressed on. And so did the rain. Right at mile 15 God decided that the first 2+ hours of my run were too easy, so He opened the clouds and dumped His holy rain on me. Just after mile 16, my motivation appeared...in the form of high speed, motivated Air Force combat killa...my bro! When I saw him, I knew that the rain wouldn't phase me. I knew that it was time to make it happen. So we did it together. We finished the run, soaking wet. We made 20 our b*tch.

And then we celebrated.

Getting the Lead Out

2010-09-13T02:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's run was off the chain!! I had a great 14 miler in some beautiful weather....it felt out-friggin-standing. Okay, so maybe not exactly 'off the chain' material, but it certainly felt like I was getting the lead out. I finished at an 8:47 pace with fuel still left in the tank. It was a great confidence-building run as I'm about to head into my next 20 miler this coming weekend.

There seems to be a point in some of my runs where I can actually feel my feet and legs pushing off of the pavement. Sometimes running just feels like you are dragging your legs along...but this run was different. I could feel a spring in my feet and I could feel my muscles moving me forward. I've missed that feeling!!

Next weekend's run will be interesting. I'll be doing my last super long run before I start to taper down for Chicago. I've decided to run the same (dangerous) route that I did for my last 20 miler. I'm going to run from my house to my parental unit's house, all on Route 9. BUT, my younger bro is in town on leave and he's going to meet me at the 15 mile mark and we are going to finish the run together!!! YEAH!!!!

I've also decided that I'm not eating enough before my long runs. The balance of consuming enough fuel without over-eating is still a challenge for me. But, I certainly consumed some fuel (read: overeating) for a few meals on Friday and Saturday, which may have helped with my run. I'll have to keep this in mind for the upcoming 20 miler and for race day.

20 Something...

2010-09-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

That's right. 20 miles. DONE. 20 long, slow, and painful miles. DONE. Check it off, cross it out, chew it up and spit it out....it's finished. I don't want to see it again....well, at least for another 2 weeks when I tackle my next 20 miler.

As of Friday night, I still wasn't sure about my route. But, I finally landed on a destination, the place of dwelling for my parental units. I didn't want to do an out and back, or a 10 mile circle (2xs)....and I figured that running to an actual destination might be a little more motivating. I was right...and I certainly needed some extra motivation.

By mile 10, as I passed through my old hometown, my quads and calves were already a'burnin. But, I remember thinking that a few years ago I never would have thought of 10 miles as being a fairly easy half-way point...crazy. In order to help with the hydration problems I ran into last weekend, I ended up buying a new water bottle with a hand strap. It worked out really well...and it even has a pouch for a Gu! I downed my first Gu at around mile 6. Unfortunately, by about mile 15 I knew I was going to run out of water/Gatorade. I was cool with it though because I thought my hydration team was planning to leave the hydration headquarters a little early to meet me along the route with some fresh hydration. However....there was a slight communication breakdown and the hydration team had no plans of meeting me. But....I kept telling myself that any minute they would pull up along side of me and give me a VERY cold bottle of Gatorade. Just the thought kept me moving...a little. :)

I had another Gu at around the 15 mile mark as I was trying to ration my drink. By mile 18 I was fresh out of the drink and I was hurtin....BAD. The thought of stopping crossed my mind...then I picked up that thought, looked at its ugly face, and spit on it. 2 miles. 2 MILES. Nothing was stopping me. NOTHING.

Before I knew it, I had made it to the parental headquarters. I crawled inside, they made me an ice bath and poured me some chocolate milk. I was good to go.

It was an amazing, and VERY painful run. Those last 2 miles were quite an experience. I'm convinced that you have to be comfortable with reaching a point in your mental and physical state in which you aren't thinking, you aren't seeing, and you aren't hurting....you are just moving. You have no idea how you are moving, but you are. Somehow, your feet continue to pick themselves up as you reach closer to the finish line. Your brain is no longer in control....something else takes over. I don't know what it is and I don't really know how to explain it. It's an odd experience, yet one that I can't wait to feel again at the next finish line.

20 miles ain't no joke. 26.2....here I come.

Note to self....

2010-08-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

Hello blog-o-peers! First, to my very, very loyal fan(s?)....I'm so sorry for not writing lately. When I started this blog I told myself that I never wanted to feel pressured into writing....I didn't want another deadline. But seriously dudes, this is ridiculous. Unfortunately, I just haven't had much to write about lately. My training has really taken a hit these past couple of weeks......vacation and time in sick bay....it's been brutal. Unfortunately, I got sick on vacation so that was even more brutal!! I do hope to post a few pics of my vacation soon....

Anywho....this week I finally had a couple of great runs and after looking at a few of the training plans that I've been using, I decided that I was really due for some pain. Some serious pain. Sooo....I marked today as my first 20 miler day! But wait....before you begin to think about how much of a running stud I am.....I didn't quite make 20. :(

I started the run at around 8:00am (note to self: I will start much closer to 6am next time). I shoved off feeling good. It wasn't hot out and there was a nice cool breeze. I really wasn't sure what route to take and I wanted to stay somewhat local. So, I landed with doing one of my 10 mile routes twice (note to self: bad idea). You see, the 10 mile route that I landed on is very hilly. Very. Hilly. Got it? The first 4 miles or so are loaded with some pretty serious hills that just kick my booty. But, I drove on. Unfortunately, by mile 4, my water bottle was done driving on. I had a water bottle emergency folks. Out of nowhere, the cap completely popped off of my water bottle and fell to the road in multiple pieces. I still have no idea what happened, but I had to stop and pick up what was once my perfectly good method of much needed hydration. The stopping and the struggle of trying to drink through an open hole while running was bad news.....needless to say, my hydration strategy was not looking good.

But, I did press on and luckily, my 10 mile route took me past my house.....my hydration team was waiting for me with iced Gatorade and half of a granola bar. The Gatorade was a life saver.....it was amazing.....but....I was so thirsty from not drinking enough during the first 10 that I sucked down the tasty beverage rather quickly. After another round of stinking hills and the blazing sun beating down on me, I was nearly out of the drink. by mile 14 I knew I was going to run out and I had to change my route in order to swing by my house again.

My hydration team obviously wasn't expecting me to stop by again, so I had to run inside.....I was hurting. My legs immediately started to cramp as I down a glass of ice water. My hydration team refilled my bottle and I was off.....but, my pace was probably just a little faster than a slow crawl. I knew there was no way that I would make it to 20. I was feeling dehydrated and my legs were completely dead. Finally, at mile 17.....my body was telling me that if I didn't turn back I would pay a painful price. Running has certainly taught me to listen to my body more.....I've learned this the hard way....and I wasn't about to mess with it.....especially since I'm 6 weeks away from race day. So......I turned back. Or....limped back, rather. I made it to 17.17 miles.

Yeah, I'm a little disappointed....but, I know that 20 this weekend is ahead of many training plans, so I'm trying not to sweat it. I'll knock out 20 next weekend and I'll pick a better route (read: flat) and I'll have a better hydration strategy.

Note to self: 17.17 miles still ain't no joke. Here's to making 20 happen next weekend!!

Moving Along

2010-08-01T13:51:00.001-07:00

I haven't updated my loyal fans since my last long (and painful) run, so I'm due for a post. Things are moving along with my Chicago training....I still have yet to find a training plan that I'm sticking with, but I think I'm on track with most plans.

After my 18 miler I scaled it back a bit during the week and then hit a decent 10 mile hill run the following weekend. Then, this past week I picked up the mileage and speed a bit more....had a couple of great runs during the week. I was considering doing a 20 miler yesterday.....even though I know that most training plans aren't calling for 20 for a few more weeks.....but, I woke up and just wasn't feeling it. Plus, we had some things to get done and I didn't exactly have management approval to be gone for 3 hours.

So I took off at around 0800 and told the wife to just head towards Normal in about 2.5 hours. I ended up running a 15 mile route that I've done before and I had time for an extra half mile. It was a great run....I did it at marathon race pace.....I definitely could have done more. I'm still kind of kicking myself for either not picking up the pace a bit or not running 20. Oh well, at least I have some confidence back after my miserable 18 miler.

I have determine that the hydration belt will be a no-go for future runs....and I need to figure something else out. I ended up carrying my water bottle bottle for the entire run. I'll either need to plant water along the route or arrange for someone to drop some off to me along the run.....

I'll be hitting it hard this week as we prepare to shove off for the eastern Caribbean next week!!!!

SitRep - 18 Mile Style....PRs out the wazzoo

2010-07-17T11:05:00.000-07:00

I hit a couple of new personal records today....first, my longest run EVER...18 MILES!! YEAH!! Second, my best 18 mile time EVER!!! HA! I'm not gonna lie folks, it was brutal.....it was hell....it was brutally hell. I had planned to run from my house to my bro Hendo's house and then finish up the rest with him. I was already at a little over 14 miles by the time I arrived at his house. I was hot, dehydrated, and out of water. I can't tell you how good it felt to see him walking down his driveway with a cold water bottle for me.

I was really only planning to do about 15 or so....I was off on my mileage just a bit when I linked up with Hendo and I knew he was wanting to get a run in. So, I drove on. We debated about the distance we would go as we got started...I said, "let's go for 3 and maybe we'll get 4". He said, "we'll do 4". I was struggling...big time. I know I was close to heat exhaustion. I was ready to call it quits at mile 15, but Hendo helped me press on. By mile 17 I was dead...completely drained. My entire body was hurting and I was on the verge of barfing. But, we drove on.

By the time we reached our stopping point, I had absolutely nothing left. I basically collapsed on the side of Hendo's driveway. I woke up to him pouring ice cold water on me....it felt amazing and it certainly perked me up. There's no question, I owe this run to Hendo - good friends give you what you want, great friends give you what you need.

Hard to believe that in about 3 months, I'll be running an additional 8.2 miles more than where I ended up today. Here's to making it happen!!

Independence Day

2010-07-04T16:01:00.000-07:00

Today was one of the best Independence Days I've ever had. I had the privilege of riding 32 miles with some of the bravest men and women in our nation's history. My buddy Hendo and I participated in the Sea to Shining Sea bike ride. This is a group of wounded soldiers that are biking across America to raise funds and awareness for wounded troops. Hendo and I biked from Pekin, IL to Normal, IL with the group today. It was an honor....and quite an inspiration. Here's to the men and women that have fought, are fighting, and will fight for our independence.

P.S. Here's a pic of Hendo and I with former US Ambassador to Iraq, Paul Bremer...turns out he's a pretty good biker!!

Chicago Marathon Training - Week 1

2010-06-27T06:54:00.000-07:00

I ended week 1 with a nice 12.26 mile run yesterday. It was a beautiful morning and I finished just before it started to get hot. I tried a new route and only encountered one ill-tempered dog.....he got a face full of Gatorade too.

Week 1 called for a total of 36 miles.....a bit high for the first week, but I rolled with it. I'm using a training plan from Runner's World Smart Coach. I'm still working on getting my pace to where it should be, but my endurance feels pretty good. I have noticed some pain in my left leg....perhaps new IT Band issues....so I'll have to watch it. I've read about runners who get IT Band syndrome in one leg, let it heal, and then get it in the other leg right away......

Yesterday's run:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/38328055

Monday: 9 miles
Tuesday: 7 miles
Thursday: 8 miles
Saturday: 12.26 miles

Easy Rider

2010-06-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my bro, Hendo, yesterday I was able to get in my first ever road bike ride!! After a quick 4 hour 'nap' (thanks to a night out with friends), I woke up and drove to Hendo's house. We were on the road just before 0730. We hit a route through the deep...deep back country.....and it was a BLAST! We were planning to do around 20 miles, but we were both feeling pretty good so we made it to 27.27 miles. It was absolutely awesome....I loved it. I'll admit, there were a couple of hills that really kicked my butt, but I truly enjoyed the challenge. I think I could definitely get used to the biking thing on my non-running days.....or maybe even on my running days???

Later yesterday afternoon I found myself with a really strong desire to....SWEAT! Plus, the weather was amazing (read: HOT), so I had to get outside. I did a very nice and relaxing 'recovery' 5 mile run. It was awesome just to get outside and sweat some more.

Today is Father's Day, so I'm sitting back and replenishing all of the carbs that I lost yesterday!! :)

Turkeying Around

2010-06-14T02:03:00.000-07:00

I did another last minute decision 5k this weekend....the Tremont Turkey Festival 5k! Believe it or not, but this was my first ever Turkey Festival 5k....which is strange because I went to school at Tremont! I was pretty nervous about the race...I really wasn't planning to do any 5ks this summer because I figured the speed work might be too stressful on the knee, and I certainly don't want to do anything that will delay my training plan for Chicago. But....I woke up to a very muggy morning on Saturday and decided to make it happen. AND...the wifey AND the Mom2 ran it with me!!!! This was the wifey's first ever 5k...so how cool is that??!!

I saw a lot of folks that I know/went to school with....many of which did not recognize me! ;) I also saw the Johnson family, who completely ROCKED the course, as always (those dudes are amazing!!).

Considering that last week was really my first week back from IT Band recovery, I was pretty pleased with my time - 21:45. Not a PR, but I still pushed it pretty good. Overall, it was a great experience and a race that I'll probably continue to run. There's talk of a mini-triathlon in Tremont in a couple of weeks....Hmmmm.....

Race results: http://www.lakerunclub.org/results/2010/TTF_5K_OVERALL.HTM

Me with my Turkey...errr...game-face on pre-race

The wifey and Mom2 ready to pound out 3.1!!!

Sixes and Fixes

2010-06-05T05:06:00.000-07:00

I'm up to 6 miles now!! I did 5.5 on Wednesday and then 6 yesterday. Still not fast by any means, but I'm getting there. Wednesday's pace was around 8:32 while Friday's was close to 8:44. It was friggin hot out there folks!! My IT band was hurtin a little bit on Wednesday.....BUT, on Friday....there was NO pain!!!! Not sure what changed really. I did wear an IT band support wrap on Friday's run, but that hasn't done much for me before, so who knows. Regardless, it felt SUPER....for the first time in a while, I felt FIXED.

I'm still going to take it slow as I build myself back up, but I really feel like I'm getting there. It's amazing how far back I fell though in terms of speed and endurance. I have some serious work to do on my breathing and hydration which should help things a bit.

Rock out!

And I Ran....

2010-05-29T11:52:00.000-07:00

That's right blog-o-lites, I ran today. For the first time in many weeks, I ran. It wasn't far and it wasn't fast, but....I RAN. 4.34 miles. It felt absolutely amazing to be back on the pavement. The sun was beating down on me, the sweat was pouring out, the tunes were rockin, and I was lovin it. It's really hard to describe the feeling that running gives me....while I'm out there, it's just me and the road. Nothing else.

When I got home I made myself a delicious protein shake with a side of FF yogurt, strawberries, and a 1/4 cup of granola. Mmmmmmm......

P.S. I apologize to all of the local residents that may have been temporarily blinded by the glare of my pale white skin. It was way too stinkin hot to keep a shirt on today.

It's a Boy!

2010-05-22T05:32:00.001-07:00

I had my first physical therapy session this week....they did a ultrasound on my knee. Turns out that my knee is 8 weeks pregnant. HA. Actually, the ultrasound is suppose to help accelerate the healing process. It took about 5 minutes and then I was done...I didn't feel a thing. I'm hoping this actually works.

For the past few days my IT band has actually been feeling pretty good. Walking up and down stairs isn't nearly has painful as it was a few weeks ago and I've been able to get some quality miles in on the stationary bike. Depending on how things go this weekend, I'm considering a short run on Monday morning (don't tell the doc!!). We'll see...

I've got a weekend full of fun...golf today, bachelor party tonight, and bday goodness tomorrow. Can't wait for my cheesecake!!! I will say that turning 31 has been interesting for me. Now that I'm 'in my thirties' I'm really starting to reflect upon my life. So many good things have happened these past few years and it's hard to imagine celebrating my 31st in my former body and mind. It took me 31 years to reach this point of fitness....crazy that some people think they can do it in a few weeks. I'm also really feeling an urge to buy a fast sports-car....bday present maybe? :)

Here's to fitness, golf, good clean fun, and lots O' cheesecake!

Injury SitRep

2010-05-19T02:20:00.000-07:00

Yep...still injured. I'm starting physical therapy tomorrow...the doc says I could start to see some changes after just 2-3 sessions. I REALLY hope so. Not being able to run is killing me. I know, it could be a lot worse for me...but, the running addiction is a hard habit to break once you get completely hooked. You feelin me dawg?

Here's to recovery...let's hope I'm back on the pavement soon.

The Illinois Half Marathon

2010-05-01T15:28:00.000-07:00

Well, the Illinois Half Marathon is complete!!!...yet my knees and toes continue to BURN!!! I'm not gonna lie folks, this was by far the most challenging run/race I've ever completed - and I'm afraid my time shows the pain. 1:59:37....well beyond my PR and well beyond my target goal for this race. Stinkin knees....

Unfortunately, it wasn't just the knee that contributed to the poor time. I felt bad from the get go. Bad stomach cramps kicked in as soon as I started to run. Then at about mile 3.31 my knee bit it....hard. Luckily, I was able to run through it...or limp through it rather. I worked it out, but it was painful for the entire run. The stomach cramps went away until mile 12.5.....by that time my knee was screaming and my calves were cramping up. It was also friggin hot out there and there still weren't enough water stations!! Regardless....I FINISHED. I did beat my time from last year, but not by much....so I am happy about that!

Here's to never giving up, never quitting, and to MAKING IT HAPPEN!

I'm Digital!

2010-04-25T04:26:00.001-07:00

Just in case you still have refused to go out and pay a few bucks to buy the magazine, it appears that the April issue of Men's Health is online now.

Check it out!

Belly Off!

Countdown!

2010-04-22T02:09:00.000-07:00

9 days until the Illinois Half Marathon!!! Knee issues, chance for rain, lack of training over the past few weeks....no excuses!! This could be an interesting race folks!!

C U THERE!

Suck it Up and DRIVE ON

2010-04-18T17:55:00.000-07:00

Today I reached a milestone in the p0st-cortisone knee recovery period. It's down to the wire on the Illinois half marathon training, so today was a pretty critical training day. I tried to run on Thursday, but made it to 5 miles and the knee had enough. I took Friday and Saturday off, icing and Aleve'ing. Today was the day. I decided I was just going to run until I couldn't handle the pain.

I picked a fairly flat route and set out to build my confidence for 1 MAY. I did the first 3 or so and felt decent, so I decided just to do the same loop again. By the time I reached the 6 mile mark the knee was definitely barking....but, I felt like I could endure the pain for a bit more. So....I drove on. Mile 7....feel the burn, suck it up.....mile 8....wanna quit, suck it up.....mile 9....good to go. 9 miles today....I'm not gonna lie, it wasn't easy and it certainly wasn't painfree. It wasn't fast either, but I learned a very valuable lesson. I can do 13.1....it's going to be painful and it's not going to be at PR pace. But, I can do it. You know what though?....it's NEVER been easy. I don't expect that to change. My knee hurts like a sunuva-you know what, but I'm not about to quit....even if I have to crawl across that damn finish line. Yeah, that's how I roll. :)

Kneed a New Posting

2010-04-13T16:11:00.000-07:00

Dear loyal bloggies, I sincerely apologize for the delay in my postings. I know many of you have been anxiously awaiting the next update from Running on Ginnis. I haven't posted much because quite frankly....I haven't had much to post about. I've had a few good runs over the past several weeks, but not nearly as many as I would have liked.

But for good reason....for around two months I've been dealing with some soreness in my knee. Well, about 2.5 weeks ago I did a nice 10 miler (in the rain) and I had to negotiate a significant obstacle.....a huge ass hill!! Seriously, it had to be around a 1/2 mile. After negotiating the hilly obstacle, I felt fine. But once I reached my FOB (forward operating base....aka home) I immediately began to feel pain...not soreness, but pain, in my right knee...which lasted for a few days.

I tried to get a few runs in afterwards, but the knee just wasn't having it. My mileage has been extremely low and with the Illinois Half coming up in less than 3 weeks, I knew I kneeded to take action.

I took a trip into a sports medicine office today and had some xrays taken. Good news: nothing is structurally wrong with my knee!! Bad news: lots of inflammation and fluid. So, the doc laid out my options: 1. lay off the running for even longer, continue to take Ibuprofen, and gradually work my way back to higher mileage 2. Get a cortisone shot and possibly be ready to go in two weeks or less. I told the doc that I don't do well with gradual and slow healing....and then said I was leaning towards the cortisone.

I asked him if the shot hurt, he said yep. I said, let's do it doc. Yeah, cuz that's how I roll. (note: please do not validate this story with the doctor....due to doctor-patient confidentiality reasons, of course). Sooo....after the doc provided me with SEVERAL warnings about the EXTREME pain, I decided that it was time to drive on anyway. He pulled out a needle, which appeared to be a good 3-4 feet in length, and poked me with the good stuff right in the sore spot.

The doc said some people begin to notice improvement within a day or two and some people feel it after about two weeks. I have no time to waste, so I'm hoping I begin to feel the results soon.

See said knee below. WARNING: Due to the graphic nature of this picture, I strongly urge you to restrict viewing by minors and non-runners.

15 for the Constitution

2010-03-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the weather was absolutely beautiful so I decided to get my long run. I had to go into work for a class and as soon as I was done I gathered up my gear, found a place (phone booth) to change into my costume, and I was off. I haven't ran in B-ton in a very long time, so prior to getting started I did some route recon. The Constitution Trail is a very nice benefit to the Normal citizens of B-ton (insert corny drum sound here) and it sounded like a good place for me to start.

I parked on one side of town and decided that I would run out about 7.5 and then turn around. It kind of worked.....except the trail ended just before I hit the 5 mile mark....soooo, I had to improvise a bit. Anywho.....it would have worked out swell, except I wasn't feeling too great for most of the run. I had stomach cramps for the first 7 miles....by the time I started feeling better my legs started cramping up. Then and mile 10 I actually had to stop for a second and suck down some Gu and Gatorade. That seemed to help with the stomach issues, but my dogs were still barkin pretty bad. I was VERY close to stopping at 10 miles, but like a good little soldier, I sucked it up and drove on. I was happy with my distance (15 miles), but I wasn't too pleased with my speed. I was waaaay too slow. I suspect the stomach issues were related to my diet.....I probably hadn't eaten enough. I downed a full bagel with jelly in the early morning and then had a banana about 3.5 hours before I started the run. Me thinks my tummy needed more fuel....plus, I was not properly hydrated. Oh well.....15 slow miles is a heckuva lot better than nuthin.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/27441617

I'm still planning to do some intervals (5 miles?) and arms/shoulders tomorrow, but so far I'm at 36 miles for the week.

St. Pat's 5K - 20:56

2010-03-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I was planning to do a 10 miler today.....but, the weather was crappy and I just wasn't feeling the treadmill. Soooo.....literally 30 minutes before registration ended, I decided to run the St. Patrick's Day 5K race in Bloomington. I changed out of my comfy Sunday rags and I sprinted out the door at a few minutes after 12:00...registration ended at 12:30....on a good day, it takes 35 minutes to get from my house to Bloomington. I arrived at the VFW and managed to find one illegal parking spot available.....after a mad dash into the VFW Hall I reached the registration booth with seconds to spare....whew. Unfortunately, I was too late to get a cool race shirt! :(

I've never ran this race, in fact, I didn't even know about it until a co-worker mentioned it to me on Thursday. It was a nice flat course and had a really good turnout. I finished in 20:56, which is a new 5K PR for me! I placed 45th out of around 596 (I was bib 638....not sure on the final count yet...I might have been the last runner to register...). I was 6th place in my age group....damn those speedy 30-34 year olds!!!

Overall, this was a fun race and I'm glad I decided to run it. I had been thinking about doing a speed race or two before the Illinois Half and this one was a great way to start the 2010 race season.

Hot Off the Press!

2010-03-11T02:23:00.000-08:00

Extra, extra!! The April issue of Men's Health magazine is now hitting stores. Be sure to checkout page 50!! I'll try to post the article as soon as I get my own copy.

All autographed copies must be ordered at least 2 days in advance....HA!!!!!!!!!

Shorts Weather!

2010-03-06T13:03:00.001-08:00

It's absolutely beautiful out there today.....so, I had to take advantage of the shorts weather and get my long run in. 13.29 miles total.....A training half marathon PR!! My 13.1 came in at about 1:48:44. The entire run felt GREAT....a very nice stroll through the Mackinaw River Valley. No dogs, corn dust, or crazy drivers....the only issue was a little muddy patch just after I crossed the river. Felt soooo good to be outside again in shorts!

http://connect.garmin.com/player/26250955

YEAH!!!

BTW, thanks to Mike for sharing this AWESOME quote:

"This my body. And I can do whatever I want to it. I can push it. Study
it. Tweak it. Listen to it. Everybody wants to know what I'm on.
What am I on? I'm on my bike busting my ass six hours a day. What are you on?"

-Lance Armstrong

Vegas Baby!

2010-03-01T02:26:00.000-08:00

Not that any of my loyal readers have noticed, but my blogging has been reduced significantly over the past several weeks. I've got a few things going on right now (bottles, diapers, school, trying to sell our house, work, etc) and I just haven't had the time for running on ginnis! So sorry to disappoint you....

20 of my 30 miles this week were logged in the fitness center at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas! It was a pretty nice fitness center....I like the treadmills that have TVs on them! :) I managed to score a new 7 mile treadmill PR: 55:03. I'm also doing my treadmill runs at a 1% incline now, in order to be better prepared for the Illinois half on 1 MAY.

Vegas was full of bad eats and good treats (booze)....this week I'll be hitting the miles hard and I'll be disciplined with the eating.....oh, and no booze.

I also had a 10 mile treadmill PR at the gym the other day: 1:20:49 (1% incline, of course)!!! I know I've said this before, but it seems that when I eat a lot I rack up the PRs....but I also gain weight...Grrrrrr. Need to find the right balance.....

Yesterday I did something pretty crazy....for a good cause! I jumped into a freezing cold lake to raise money for Special Olympics!! It was a BLAST!

Here's a pre-plunge pic for you!

Winter Blues Much?

2010-02-11T02:35:00.000-08:00

In my previous life I always looked forward to the winter season because it meant sweaters to hide in, no swimming pools, and Irish hot cocoa every night. :) But....now, I'm really ready for some warmer weather. I'm ready for long runs outside, I'm ready for swimming pools (seriously!), I'm ready for shorts and t-shirts, and I'm ready for a nice cold Mich Ultra after pounding the pavement for a few hours. I sure hope warmer weather is in the forecast soon!

This weather is taking its toll on a lot of us....how do you stay motivated during the winter?

It's Official!! Chicago 2010!!

2010-02-01T16:24:00.000-08:00

Dear Curt,
Congratulations! You are now registered for Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Please check the event's official website for updates: http://www.chicagomarathon.com

What am I thinking??? Another item to cross off on my bucket list I suppose. I'll start my official training plan after the U of I half on May 1st. Here we go Chicago!!

PRs Out the Wazoo

2010-02-01T02:27:00.000-08:00

Another week, another 7 mile PR. I went from a 55:37 PR down to 55:10! I'm really starting to feel good on those 7 milers!! I'm starting to wonder if I should bump them up to 8 milers?... I had a pretty high mileage week. The run schedule was a bit off, but my Saturday to Saturday mileage was around 47.5 miles (normally my mileage starts the day after my long run and ends on a long run).

Saturday: 11 miles outside (too slow!)
Sunday: Fast 2 mile sprint, abs
Monday: 5 mile, 7:55 pace, chest
Tuesday: 7 miles, 7:54 pace, abs & LEGS
Wednesday: 20 minutes ellpitical, back, lats, & arms
Thursday: 10.49, 8:07 pace, abs
Friday: arms, shoulders, & pushups
Saturday: 12.1 treadmill, 1:38:10 (still on track for a new half marathon PR!!!)

P.S. Today I shall register for the CHICAGO MARATHON!!!!!

The Post-flu 11

2010-01-23T12:10:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow bloggies. It's been a while since we've last talked! I blame my busy schedule of kiddos, school, and work....oh and there's that flu thing. Last weekend it hit me bad. I was totally OUT Sat-Mon....didn't do a thing but lay down and hydrate (okay, I might have gotten some CoD in also). It was miserable. I finally made my way back to the gym on Tuesday. I knew I wasn't in running condition yet, so I just did 20 minutes on the elliptical machine and then had a decent chest workout. Overall....I felt pretty good. By Wednesday morning I was ready to get some miles in....and I had a new 7 mile PR (55:37; 7:57 ave pace)!! I beat last week's 7 mile PR (55:49; 7:59 ave pace)!!! Thanks Mr. flu!! I also had a great 40 minute tempo run (5.41 miles) on Thursday. I'm really starting to like the tempo runs - 3 minutes fast, 2 minutes at a slower pace. I followed Thursday's run with a really good back and lats workout. Then, I hit arms and shoulders really hard on Friday. Sooo....that leaves me to today!

Since I wasn't able to get a good long run in last weekend, I knew I had to get some miles in today....and it was around 37 degrees out, so great running conditions....until I started running and realized how windy it was. The wind sucked!! There was also a constant mist in the air that seemed to make everything wet. As if the weather conditions weren't enough, I just felt weak today. I was still able to get a decent 11 miles in, but it wasn't nearly as fast as I had hoped. I'm trying to convince myself that I'm still recovering. AND...a decent 11 is better than nuthin!!!

11 miles, 1:34:41, 8:36 average pace...check it out:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23023022

On a side note, I also wanted to give a quick update on my shoe situation. I'm sure my loyal bloggies recall how I was struggling with my replacement New Balance shoes. I've been getting some serious blisters because they appear to be more narrow in the toe than my previous NB shoes. I'm trying a few different things with them, including better socks, running w/out my orthotics, and of course, more Aquaphor. I'm still working on it, so we'll see what happens. I do want to mention how AWESOME the guys at Often Running in Normal, IL have been. I HIGHLY recommend Often Running if you are in the market for any running gear needs. I really hate being the high maintenance customer, but the guys at OR totally understand the issues that runners face. Often Running - check it out!
http://www.oftenrunning.com/ (website is under construction)

Treadmill PR?....13.2 (1:49:56)

2010-01-10T06:42:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I know there's some debate in the running community about whether you count training PRs as actual PRs. My thoughts....no, they don't officially count....but, YES, they totally count for bragging rights! :)

Yesterday I did 13.2 (an extra. .1...for the troops of course) at 1:49:56. It was a great run...I'm really liking my new hydration strategy. I still remember how sick and dehydrated I was after the Lewis and Clark half this past fall (1:51:31). The mixture of Gatorade and Clif Shot Bloks is very effective! Anyway....my 13.2 was on a treadmill....I'm sooo ready for better running weather. After last weekend's 12.2 miles someone asked me why I didn't just go for the full half marathon...well, the treadmill maker people decided that treadmills should only go up to 99 minute runs. Anyone that runs longer than 99 minutes on a treadmill must be insane, have already collapsed on the floor, or forgot to turn the thing off. So at the 99 minute mark I had to stop and reset it and then basically sprint the last 1.4 miles. It was inconvenient, but it still felt outstanding. I was pretty bored before I hit the halfway mark, but luckily there was a good basketball game on TV and I was able to do some people watching due to the continued 'New Year's Resolution' crowd.

One of my favorite (and probably a bit arrogant?) things to do during my long treadmill runs is to take note of the people that I outlast on the treadmill....in a way it keeps me motivated to see them steadily drop off as I keep going. It sort of makes me feel like I'm passing them in a race. Yes, maybe it is a bit arrogant and competitive, but have I told you how boring those long treadmill runs are?? I need all the help I can get to keep me moving....and to MAKE IT HAPPEN!

On a side note...I've been getting some mad blisters on my toes after switching to my New Balance 1064s. It's amazing how my running form is impacted by a few blisters...my stride completely changes, which of course, can lead to injury. Very frustrating....especially after hearing so many good things about the 1064s and since my 1063s had a minor defect after only 3 months. So, I pulled out the defective 1063s and did my long run with them....no blisters, no foot pain...no problem. Turns out that the 1064s must be a bit more narrow in the toe area than the 1063s. Not sure what I'm going to do....most likely I'll go back to the running shop and talk to the experts. Stay tuned...

Finish Strong

2010-01-03T02:53:00.000-08:00

I finished off my excellent Christmas vacation with an awesome 12.1 miles on the treadmill yesterday. I was really hoping to get another outside run in, but when the windchill is in the negatives I tend to stay indoors.... The run felt GREAT!!! I finished in a half marathon PR pace - I definitely could have kept going. I also tried a new hydration/electrolyte strategy using some of my Christmas goodies. My momma-in-law gave me some Cliff Shot Bloks in my stocking (orange and black cherry). I popped one black cherry blok before my run, one at the 30 minute mark, 60 minute mark, and then I had another at around the 9 or 10 mile mark. I followed each blok with a few sips of Gatorade. Everything felt outstanding - no side ache, no stomach cramps, and no signs of dehydration. I'll definitely continue to keep this strategy up for long runs and maybe even some of my runs during the week.

I've really enjoyed the time away from work and even the time away from the gym this week. But, my body is telling me that it's time to get back into the routine.

2009 has been a year of transformation for me. I completed my first half marathon in the spring, tackled the hills of the Steamboat 15k, shaved 9 minutes off of my half marathon time at the Lewis and Clark race, shaved just under 7 minutes off of my PR 5k time, dropped over 100LBS(!!!!), dropped about 10-12 inches in pant size (size 40-42 to size 30), went from wearing 3XL/XXL shirts to smalls and mediums, and I had my first photo shoot (HA!!!)

I found myself again in 2009...I had been lost for a long time - It's nice to be back.

So, here's to strong 2010!!!!

Looking out at the road rushing under my wheels
I don't know how to tell you all just how crazy this life feels
I look around for the friends that I used to turn to, to pull me through
Looking into their eyes I see them running too
-Jackson Browne

Running on, Running on Ginnis!

1 MAY 2010

2010-01-02T06:04:00.000-08:00

Dear Curt,
Congratulations! You are now registered for Illinois Marathon. Please check the event's official website for updates: http://www.illinoismarathon.com

I've officially registered for my first race in 2010!! I'll be doing the Illinois Half Marathon for the second time. This was my very first half marathon....it was an awesome experience and I'm going to try to make the race an annual tradition.

Here's a summary of the races that I'm planning to do in 2010:

May - Illnois Half Marathon
June - Steamboat 15k
September - Louis and Clark Half Marathon (I might change this up a bit if I find a different race in August)
October - Chicago FULL Marathon (YEAH!!)

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-01T13:01:00.000-08:00

2009 was a transformational year for me (which I will blog about after I recover from last night's fun), but this picture pretty much says it all! Here's to 2010!!

Men's Health

2009-12-29T13:37:00.001-08:00

I had my Men's Health Magazine photo shoot yesterday! It was an interesting experience. We met the photographer at around noon at his studio/apartment in Chicago. He was extremely nice and he really took his time with everything...I'll be very interested to see how the pics turn out.

We shot a few pics at his studio and then we went to a 'cool' Chicago gym (David Barton Gym) for some strength training pics. I did a lot of exercises ranging from bench press, to crunches, to pushups....I actually ended up getting a decent workout in! The gym was very interesting...it felt more like a club, but once we got to the fitness area it was pretty solid. Lots of great equipment and a really cool vibe. It did feel a little strange doing exercises with all kinds of lighting and camera equipment set up around me. The other gym-goers didn't seem to mind and the gym staff were extremely friendly. The pic that I've posted is from the gym lobby...in one of their 'cool comfortable' chairs... :)

After about 5 hours, we walked outside to get some pics of me running along the Chicago River. BTW, I was told to bring sleeveless shirts and running shorts....but, at the last second I decided to toss in my new Nike running jacket. Luckily the photographer seemed to like the jacket so I was able to keep it on for the river pics. But, it was still a very cold Chicago evening and I was freezing....a sacrifice I was willing to make for the good of Men's Health :)

I'll be in the April issue which will come out in March. The whole thing is still pretty crazy to me....I still feel like someone is playing a joke on me. Quite an experience...and quite a reward for working so hard over the past 18 months. But, I'm convinced that if I can do it...YOU can too!!

P.S. I went and scouted some gyms with my pops today....he and my mom are going to be joining one next week!!!!!! My dad has been a significant source of motivation to me on my fitness journey....I can't wait to see him start his.

Just Do It

2009-12-20T15:18:00.000-08:00

Finally....I scored some cold weather gear!! After months of endless online surfing, store browsing, and visions of running tights dancing in my head, I finally landed on some solid CWG. If you can't tell, I decided to go with the Nike gear. I'm completely Nike'd out from head to toe....err, head to ankle (shoes are NB and socks are DryMax).

I just did 10 miles in some pretty heavy snow and some chilling winds (around 26 degrees). For the most part, I was very comfortable. When I ran into the wind my hands got a little cold. But, my LiveStrong running gloves probably aren't made to be wind resistant ($20). The tights were perfect...my legs stayed dry and warm. I have to admit....I never thought I would be running outside in a pair of tights. It feels good to be so comfortable with my masculinity..... Anyway, the Nike thermal jacket and the thermal mock long sleeve shirt were outstanding. But, today's CWG surprise goes to the Nike ninja mask (thanks Mrs CJ)!! The hood and face mask are surprisingly warm!

I was also able to take a Garmin 405 for a test drive today. I LOVE IT. I need one......it was nice to look down and know how I was doing on pace, distance, and time (I think it does your taxes too?). I shall have one of my own....

Check it out: http://connect.garmin.com/player/20842997

It felt great to be outside again.....I feel refreshed, but most important...I feel warm!

P.S. Tomorrow I get to pick up my new running shoes! My New Balance 1063s are being replaced with the new model (1064) due to a minor defect. I keep hearing how the 1064 has really improved the minor flaws of the 1063. I can't wait to get some miles on them!

Running in a Winter Wonderland

2009-12-12T14:27:00.000-08:00

I did about 11 miles today....outside. It was 22 degrees out when we started. Luckily I was with a buddy who happen to have some solid cold weather gear for me. But....I was reminded again how much I need to invest in some cold weather running gear for myself. I'm currently in the market for the following items: Cold weather compression tights, running gloves, and a running cap

I know the gloves and cap will be easy to find...but, I've been looking for compression tights for several weeks now and can't seem to find what I'm looking for. If you have some good suggestions please comment!!

Treadmill Blues

2009-12-06T13:57:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a while since my last real post.....so here goes. The past several weeks have been full of good eats and 'minimized' workouts. I was either dealing with sick kiddos during the week of Thanksgiving, or I was dealing with a sick Curto.

Yep, I caught the bug and it sucked. I was planning to do a race in East Peoria on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, but I was a sick little boy....I did however, manage to win a nice hand in the annual Thanksgiving Poker Tournament. I spent most of the week after Thanksgiving recovering (from the sickness....and from poker night). I was still able to get a few decent workouts in, but something still wasn't right.

For some reason, my side cramp keeps coming back and it's having a serious impact on my running. It's no ordinary side cramp either....I can usually run through the standard cramp...but these are painful. Very painful. I think what I'm experiencing is known as a side stitch. It's a sharp pain just under my rib cage on the right side of my body. It sucks. Sooo....I did a little research, talked to some resident experts (one told me it might be a flesh eating disease?)....and the last couple of runs have been much better. I still feel the stitch, but it's not as painful. To remedy....I'm doing some yoga-like stretches before my runs, I'm cutting back on my pre-run snack/drink combo, and I'm trying hard to focus on deep breaths during runs. So far, things seem to be going well. Let's hope it is just a side stitch and not a flesh eating disease. :)

Also, while I've had to cut back on the running....I've modified the strength training a bit. Just to mix things up over the past week or so, I've decreased my reps and increased my weights. I think I might keep mixing things up every couple of weeks or so.

Monday: 5.18miles, 40 min, 7:44 pace and BIG chest

Tuesday: 7 miles, 58:10, 8:27 pace (bad side stitch), and abs

Wednesday: Planned to do a 5 mile run, but the side stitch came back hard core within 10 minutes of running....so I did about 15 minutes and then switch to the evil stairmaster for 15 minutes of torture....then did BIG lats and back

Thursday: REST (not feeling great)

Friday: 6 miles, 49:39, 8:13 pace, and BIG arms & shoulders (yeah!)

Saturday: Christmas shopping...ALL day (scored some sweet clothes...and bought the wife a new coat!)

Sunday: 2 miles 17:30? (slow....focusing on side stitch breathing....then had to make a quick latrine break), got back on the treadmill and did 10 miles, 83:33, 8:20 pace (YEAH side st(b)itch!!)

Total Mileage: 31.x
Weigh-In: 157.4?? (seriously....how did I drop more weight?)

I'm hoping that I'm completely finished with this sick and weak feeling!!!

The Amazing Disappearing Ginnis Boys

2009-12-02T16:43:00.001-08:00

Here's a pic of me (red shirt) and my uncle (brown metro shirt)... :)

I'm down 100+ and he's down 180lbs!!!! I'm not gonna lie folks...we look good. :)

EoW Report!

2009-11-22T12:24:00.000-08:00

Had a great high mileage week! Looking forward to hitting it hard this coming week in preparation for Turkey Day!!

Monday: 3.1 miles, big chest!
Tuesday: 7 miles in the freezing cold rain.....and abs
Wednesday: Back, Lats, Arms, 3.1 miles
Thursday: 5 miles, abs
Friday: 5 miles, legs, shoulders, arms, pushups
Saturday: rest! (pushups)
Sunday: 12-13 miles w/ mom2!! (hills and intervals)...total distance is unknown due to my interval strategy...I would run ahead and then run back to mom2 (I think she was annoyed)

Total mileage: 35.2-36.2

EoW Report!

2009-11-15T18:32:00.000-08:00

Had a pretty solid week....recovered from the 15 mile run and hit the weights pretty hard.

Monday: No running (recover from 15 miler); Chest
Tuesday:7 miles, 56:49, 8:07 pace; Abs
Wednesday: Back, lats, & arms; 15 minutes on the stairmaster
Thursday: 7 miles, 57:02, 8:10 pace; Abs
Friday: Shoulders, arms, & pushups (100)
Saturday: Walked around the Lincoln Museum and....pushups! (100)
Sunday: 10 miles, 83:21, 8:27 pace...on a treadmill!! (stinkin rain!)

Veterans' Day

2009-11-11T18:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Veterans' Day to ALL of the Veterans out there!!! Use the cool link below to send a thank you note to someone that has served....the company I work for is making a financial contribution to the Fisher House for every thank you sent!!!

http://thanksforbeingthere.com/

Information on the Fisher House:

http://www.fisherhouse.org/

HOOAH!!

Angry dogs, big cows, corn dust...and Lilly...a solid 15 miles

2009-11-08T17:05:00.000-08:00

For some reason the number 15 has been floating around in my head lately....I knew the day was coming when I would have to push my limits. Today was the day. I did 15 miles on a beautiful November afternoon. I ran from my house to basically the edge of Normal. I never EVER thought I would run from my house to a point where I could see Watterson Towers...

For some reason my legs felt super tight for the entire run and my stomach didn't feel right, so I knew that my time wasn't going to be great. It was pretty slow for me (2:16....around a 9 min/mile pace), but it's the longest I've ever ran....and it feels great to be done. Those grain elevators by Mitsubishi never looked so good.

I survived angry dogs (almost bitten...again), said hello to some big cows (I always give a mooo shout out when I pass cows on a run), ran through a cloud of corn dust (I'm very allergic to corn...fyi), and I made it through the town of Lilly (I'm pretty sure that's where Deliverance was shot).

11/07/2009 Route
Find more Runs in Mackinaw, Illinois

EoW Report
Monday: 3 miles, 23:12, 7:44 pace, and BIG chest
Tuesday: 7 miles, 57:16, 8:11 pace, and BIG abs
Wednesday: 28 minutes on the stairmaster and BIG back/lats, and 1.6 mile fun run at work
Thursday: 5 miles (I was dead tired) and BIG abs
Friday: Arms, Shoulders, and 100 pushups (poker night!)
Saturday: REST
Sunday: 15 mile run

Total mileage: 31.6

*This coming week will be pretty strict on the eating...I'll be limiting carbs over the next couple of weeks to help prepare for MH!! :)

Building an Ark

2009-11-01T17:26:00.000-08:00

Today's run was quite interesting, yet still satisfactory! I started off not knowing exactly how far I would go and I couldn't quite figure out the weather. I ended up ditching my gloves and long sleeve shirt to go sleeveless. It was a cool November day, but it felt great to be outside. I had a nice pace going on my normal 12 mile route. In fact, it felt so good that I decided I was going to go for 12 again, trying to beat last weekend's time. But, at about mile 3.5 I came across a major obstacle....my road was closed due to flooding. Yep, one of the great things about living around the Mackinaw River valley is that when it rains the back country roads flood out. I jogged around for a little bit looking for a trail to lead me close to my path, but all I found was mud and water. So, I turned around and headed back to a different route.

I ended up doing around 10.5 (hard to tell without a Garmin!!...that's a hint for Santa if he's reading). The wind sure made it seem like a 12 mile run though... I'm glad I was able to work off some of that halloween candy!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Men's Health

2009-10-27T02:17:00.000-07:00

A lady from Men's Health magazine called me at home last Friday. I thought for sure she was trying to offer me a special gift to renew my subscription or something. But...she was calling to setup an interview!! Per suggestions from some family and friends, I submitted my fitness story to them...of course, I didn't think anything would come of it. But, it turns out they have selected me for their March or April Belly Off profile!!!! Absolutely crazy.

I did a phone interview with the writer yesterday and she said the art department would be in touch with me....for the photo shoot!!?? I'm still shocked....and I'm wondering if someone is playing a prank on me... Any minute now that Ashton dude is gonna pop out of the bushes and yell 'You've been punked!'....

The October 12

2009-10-24T12:18:00.000-07:00

I had a nice and cold 12 mile run today. The breeze was quite crisp, but it was just enough to take my mind away from my burning calves, which were still hurting from Thursday's leg workout (I think I might scale down the calf raises next week...). I haven't been able to get a long run in for a couple of weeks due to 5k races and other obligations. It felt great to get outside and off of the treadmill again. It was a tough run, but if it was easy everyone would be doing it!!

10/24/2009 Route
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Heritage Lake 5k - 22:27

2009-10-18T11:23:00.000-07:00

I survived the hills of the Heritage Lake 5k. As of 1pm yesterday I still had not decided if I was even going to run the race...but, I finally gave in. It was a beautiful day - a perfect day for a tough race. I would dare anyone to find a 5k course that is more challenging than this one. I expected to be about a minute off of my 5k PR from last weekend's race (21:56) but I was a little off.

I finished with a decent time of 22:27, beating last year's time by about 5:30 minutes. There were around 97 runners and I placed 11th overall. I was the 10th male finisher, with the first place female runner finishing just ahead of me. Out of the 10 people that finished before me, 8 of them were in my age group. So....unlike last year, no AG trophy for me this year. The 30-39 AG is a very tough grouping....lots of great runners. But, I placed 42nd out of 83 runners last year, so I'm pretty pleased with the improvement. :)

I do a lot of hill training, so I was fairly prepared for the tough hills. The downhill sections were probably more painful. In fact, during most of the race I was going back and forth with a guy that went to the same high school as me (he's an ironman athlete). I would pass him on the uphills and he would pass me on the downhills. But, within the last mile I really turned it on and ended up passing him and 3 other guys.

I have to admit, I never thought I would ever come close to finishing in the top 10 of this race. Last year I got smoked by my brother (26:31) and my bro-in-law (25:27), and 39 other runners. I had a blast this year, but I'm hoping we can all run it together again next year.

Ryan A Beaupre 5K - 21:56

2009-10-10T11:50:00.000-07:00

It was an honor to be involved in the Ryan A Beaupre Memorial 5K at Illinois Wesleyan University. Captain Beaupre was one of the first US casualties of war in Iraq. He was a dedicated Marine, an IWU grad, and a State Farm employee.

Even though I PR'd today....I didn't run for time. No one did. We ran for Ryan.

On this fine October day, I raise my running shoes to Captain Ryan A Beaupre, US MARINES.

You will never be forgotten.

Sunday to Sunday Recap

2009-10-04T14:51:00.000-07:00

Here's the Sunday to Sunday report:

Sunday: 11 miles
Monday: 4 miles, big chest
Tuesday: 7 miles, abs
Wednesday: 3 miles, big back & lats
Thursday: 6 miles, abs
Friday: arms, shoulders, pushups (4 sets of 25)
Saturday: rest!
Sunday: 10 miles (hills)

I've decided that I'm going to really focus on tone for the rest of the year, specifically abs, lower back, and legs....while also continuing a similar running plan. It's time for me to start seeing more definition in my abs - my goal for the next couple of months will be to reshape my abs and obliques. I'm also going to work on building up leg strength in order to help with my running in 2010 (full marathon training perhaps?).

I've got a 5k in Bloomington coming up this weekend and then I have the Heritage Lake 5k in Mackinaw the following weekend. The Bloomington 5k should be a fairly flat course, but it does have a lot of turns. I'm really looking forward to the Heritage Lake 5k....it is by far the most challenging 5k around (hills....big hills), but I'm anxious to see how well I've improved from last year.

This is your face.....100lb update

2009-10-04T14:25:00.000-07:00

This is your face on not running...

This is your face on running...

Any Questions?

No Sleep 'til Brooklyn

2009-09-28T02:23:00.000-07:00

My half marathon rest period is officially finished. I did a decent 11 miles yesterday and I only logged about 18-19 during the week. I'll glad to finally get back in the routine this coming week. I told myself that I was going to cut down on the mileage a bit during the week after the Lewis and Clark race, so I could increase the strength training....but, I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do yet. I'll probably still try to increase the strength training, but keep logging about the same amount of mileage. I have a couple of 5ks coming up (one this weekend in Bloomington and one the following weekend in Mackinaw) so I might try to do some speed work. I definitely need to hit the gym hard this week because I've been eating like crazy during the past two weeks....the resting period really interrupts my routine. I love the races, but the week prior and the weeks after really take a hit on me.

On another note....I'm really considering running a full marathon next year. My goal for 2009 was to run a half. I ran my first half in April and then did my second a few weeks ago. I always said that I would never do more than a half....but lately I've really been giving it some thought. I don't want always wonder if I could have done a full....soooo, I'm considering making it a 2010 goal. Possibly Chicago in the fall? We'll see. Hopefully my feet and knees will hold up!!

Lewis & Clark Half Marathon - 1:51:31

2009-09-13T14:44:00.000-07:00

Pre-Race pic of me and my bro-in-law!

I survived the Lewis & Clark!!! It was a beautiful day...perfect weather for a half marathon. Not too cold in the morning and it didn't really get too hot during the race. There were some serious port-a-potty issues (lots of port-a-pottie, but very few were actually operational) at the start line and at the end, but, over all it was a pretty good race.

I knew that I started off much faster than I had planned, but I was feeling pretty good so I just kept it up. Unfortunately, I felt a pit stop coming on at about mile 4. At mile 6, I sprinted to a port-a-potty station, but they were all occupied. Sooo....I made about a 10 second stop at mile 10. I had an orange cliff bar gummy at mile six and then half of a margarita gummy at mile 11. I also had a sip of water at 3 water stations.

Miles 10-11 were definitely the toughest. Mile 10 was more of a mental challenge because it was the most back-country stretch of the race....it was just us runners and some cornfields. I really felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. I really started to drag at mile 11, but luckly by mile 12 we were back in the city and the crowds picked up my motivation.

10 minutes after my finish I started to feel extremely sick. Not sure if I was just severly dehydrated or what...but it was bad....REAL bad. I was sick all the way home from St. Louis...it wasn't fun. But, everytime I looked down at my stopwatch time I was able to smile just a bit.

Lots of hard work went into training for this one. My first half marathon was in April and I came in at around 2 hours. I'm pretty pleased with the improvement!

If it ain't rainin, we ain't trainin

2009-09-09T02:30:00.001-07:00

I had a decent 12.5 mile run on Sunday...thanks to mother nature I'm still trying to dry out my shoes. As soon as I hit the road it started to sprinkle a bit, but I was going to drive on. At miles 5 and 8 the rain was coming down pretty good and I was soaked. But, I finished my last long run before the Lewis & Clark Half Marathon this coming weekend.

I did 6.23 in 50 min yesterday, I'll do a 30 min tempo run today, and then an easy jog around the pond tomorrow. Looking forward to the weekend!

Dueling Banjos?

2009-08-30T06:30:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try to take advantage of this beautiful weather and do another long run today. I'm going for a 12 miler through the Mackinaw River Valley...let's hope I don't run into any banjo players.

08/30/2009 Route
Find more Runs in Mackinaw, Illinois

**Update: I decided to drive the route before I ran it...you never know when the back country roads will be closed due to flooding. Sure enough, a section of my running path was closed. I modified the route a bit and I have pasted the new mapmyrun.com route above. It came out to be a little over 12 miles. It felt great!! I definitely felt like I could have kept running...in fact, I would have, but I had a softball game to get to. It was a double-header...I should have just kept running because we got smoked.

Hello Again...

2009-08-24T02:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it's been a while since my last post. My bad. I'll spare you the excuses and just move on to the blogging.

First off, I had a great 11.5 mile run yesterday with my bro-in-law in St. Louis. We came in at about an 8:37 pace. It was a tough run, but it was a beautiful morning. I was due for a good run because my mileage was pretty low during the week (16.65 miles).

Second, I found out that my younger brother isn't going to be able to run the USAF Half Marathon....turns out that the USAF can be about as dumb as the USARMY...typical military bs. Unfortunately, I'm already registered for the race so I'm not exactly sure what to do. My options are: stick with the USAF half (drive 4+ hours to Dayton, OH and spend more $$ on a hotel room) or cancel (be out of my 60 bones) and look for another race closer to home (I'm considering the Lewis and Clark half, which is in St Louis...my mom-in-law and bro-in-law are both running....but, that's another 55 bones to register). I also saw that there is an IVS half coming up in Peoria, but I know it's going to be very hilly. I'd like my second half to be similar to my first so I can check on progress accurately (or something like that)...
If anyone has any other suggestions, please let me know!

Lastly, I'm hoping to reach the 100lb mark very soon....possibly this week. My goal is to be there by the end of August...we'll see!!

EoW Report

2009-08-10T02:19:00.000-07:00

I had another solid week of running and I hit the strength training really hard (I think I'm still sore from Wednesday's deadlifts...). Looking forward to a productive week and then some fun in the sun with friends in Michigan over the weekend.

Monday: 4 miles, chest
Tuesday: 7 miles, abs
Wednesday: 3 miles, back, lats
Thursday: 6 miles, abs
Friday: pushup workout, biceps, triceps, shoulders
Saturday: 11+ miles (I'll have to measure it out...I think it might have been just under 11.5)
Sunday: REST

total mileage: 30+

Need Some Motivation?

2009-08-05T17:21:00.000-07:00

I love this story...this what I think about on mile 7 when my feet hurt, my legs ache, and I want to stop. Enjoy.

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=64011

...As the squad leader then zigzagged through a field, he felt someone tug at his shirt sleeve. Hours later, after the firefight, he’d discover that a bullet had whizzed right through it, narrowly missing his bicep. It tore a hole through his 10th Mountain Division patch and through a pack of cigarettes in his arm pocket, destroying all but one.

"So I pulled it out and had myself a cigarette," Camacho says, holding the patch over his arm. Then he lifts the patch to expose a scar. It’s not from that bullet in April, but from another one a month later, earning the 22-year-old his fourth Purple Heart for wounds in a war he just won’t quit...

I love the smell of sweat in the morning

2009-08-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful morning for a 10 mile run. The weather was nice and cool, there was as slight breeze, and the traffic was very light. I had a great run...my best 10 mile time yet. Man...it feels great to get that knocked out first thing in the morning.

Running is a big question mark that’s there each and every day. It asks you, “Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?”

2009-07-31T17:48:00.000-07:00

Peter Maher, a Canadian marathon runner once said that. It reminds me of a brief conversation I had in the gym locker room a few weeks back. I had just finished a tough run and was about to hit the shower. I said hello to another morning regular and asked him if he had a good workout. He said something to the effect of, 'Yeah, hopefully this running thing will get easier soon'. I knew that he hadn't been running very long, so I didn't want to squash his motivation. I simply replied with a casual, 'Yeah, I hear ya'. But, what I wanted to say was the truth. I wanted to tell him what really happens. I wanted to say, 'Hey buddy, this stuff never gets easy. If it's easy, then you are doing something wrong. You aren't pushing yourself.'...or something like that. I understood exactly what he was saying, but I don't like to ever hear the world 'easy' in the gym. Sure, I might have periods of easy running during a long run, but nothing about the full gym experience should ever be easy.

So, to my loyal Running on Ginnis readers I say this. Sweat it out, grunt it out, lift it out, run it out...whatever it takes. Every drop of sweat is another calorie burned. It's never easy, quick, or painless....if it was, everyone would be in shape. I certainly don't consider myself to be the perfect example of fitness, but I know that I am different from others because I enjoy the sweat and the pain. I don't ever want it to be easy. Sooner or later, some of us have to realize that we are not normal. Normal is sleeping in. Normal is going on vacation and not even thinking about working out. Normal is easy. Normal is weak. Like Peter Maher said, 'are you going to be strong today?'....well, are you?

EoW Report:
Monday - 5.5 miles, big chest
Tuesday - 7 miles, abs
Wednesday - 3.1 miles in the morning and about 2 in the evening, big back and lats
Thursday - 5 miles, light abs
Friday - pushup workout, curls, shoulder press, upward rows, tricep extensions
Saturday - looking forward to a nice long run in the morning!

Vacation '09 Pics

2009-07-26T07:01:00.000-07:00

Our first steps in the Atlantic Ocean

Getting sand in places where the sun don't shine

Carbocide?

Skylar swims with the fishes

Posing in Gatlinburg

Traci about to give Ty a bath

Standing guard

Vacation '09

2009-07-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

Back from vacation! We had a blast at Myrtle Beach, SC. The trip started out a little rough....Gatlinburg, TN is quite an experience. No offense to any of my loyal readers, but I would describe Gatlinburg, TN as the place where carnies go when there are no carnivals. The kids loved the aquarium, but we were ready to leave shortly after we arrived. So, we changed our plans a bit and headed to Myrtle Beach a day early. We loved it...the weather, the hotel, it was perfect. I was able to get a few runs in along the beach...an experience that I will never forget.

In my previous life, I hated the beach. I hated everything about swimming. I pretty much hated anything that meant shirtless frolicking on a hot day. But, this time it was much different. For the first time ever, I really enjoyed the beach. I felt comfortable with myself. This might seem like a trivial and insignificant accomplishment to some, but for someone that has struggled with weight for his entire life....this was huge. People that have never had weight issues don't understand the emotional baggage that all of those fatty pounds carry with them. I was glad to finally have a vacation on the beach. I've got a long way to go still, but the future looks bright.

I very strongly believe that in order to make the fitness thing work, you have to make a lifestyle change. People keep asking me how I lost the weight...I usually tell them that I don't believe in diets, I believe in eating healthy and working your ass off in the gym. That's it. It's a simple plan, but it sure ain't easy. Several years ago I couldn't have cared less about the fitness center in the hotel or accessibility to running routes on vacation. Don't get me wrong, I didn't work as hard as I normally do while on vacation...in fact, I've got a few pounds to shed as a result of some good food and limited exercise, but I didn't completely let go of my new lifestyle. I certainly saw glimpses of the former me, but a few pushups or a few miles on the beach reminded me of how far I've come. I always tell Traci that sometimes I feel like I'm one cupcake away from being the old Curt...I know, it's a little extreme, but it's always in the back of my mind as a reminder.

Vacation was a blast. But, now it's back to reality. I need to hit these next 3 weeks hard - limited carbs, extra miles, and solid strength training. Here we go!!

EoW Report

2009-07-11T06:28:00.000-07:00

After last week's high mileage I decided to turn it down a bit this week. I had some pretty significant knee and leg pain last week, so I wanted to give it a bit of a rest this week. M-Th I got in 16.5 miles and then this morning I did a 4.5 mile run followed by some hardcore sprint work. The sprints are kicking my butt....but, I'm really hoping they help with my tone and endurance.

I've had a few folks ask me about my workout routine, so I thought I would take some time to explain my program. I am certainly no personal trainer, but so far my program seems to be working.

I probably do more cardio than I need to, but I've got the running bug and if I don't get a run, or some form of cardio, in then I don't feel like I've pushed myself enough. Most of my strength training sets consist of a rep pattern of 12,10,8,6,10 (adjusting the weight as I move along).

Monday:
3 - 5 mile run

Chest: decline dumbbell bench press, incline dumbbell bench press, flat dumbbell bench press or seated press on the machine, cable fly with a pec deck burnout at the end.

Tuesday:
5-6.5 mile run

Ab routine: exercise ball crunches (25), side bends w/ 45lb weight (20), 15 pushups, then repeat 2 more times for a total of 3 sets. Sometimes I'll do a flat plank for a minute before the pushups. I think I'm going to start hitting abs a bit more...need to mix it up.

Wednesday:
3-5 mile run or elliptical machine (I always play Wednesdays by ear...it depends on how hard I ran on Monday & Tuesday...sometimes I won't do any running on Wednesday)

Back/Lats: Lat pull downs, dumbbell row, deadlifts (light weight, usually 4x10) with a reverse situp burn (holding a 25-35lb plate), close grip pull down, wide grip seated row (or sometimes I'll do a wide grip laying row), I'll finish up with an exercise that I got from Men's Health magazine called the standing face pull...there are lots of variations of it, but I use a rope attached to the cable machine. I grab the rope with both hands facing each other and then pull it to my face, extending both hands just past my ears. It's a good stretch and it's suppose to hit the lats and traps a bit more.

Thursday:
5-7 mile run

Abs: exercise ball crunches (3x25) and side bends with 45lb weight (3x20)

Friday
No cardio (REST!)

Fridays used to be a complete rest day for me, but I've recently started doing a pushup and arm routine that I like a lot. The pushup routine also came from Men's Health Magazine....it kicks my butt big time. I use a small platform that is around 3-6 inches off the ground. It goes like this:

1. One hand on the platform the other on the floor, do 10-12 pushups then switch to the other arm
2. Start with one hand on the platform, the other on the floor, do one pushup then as quick as you can switch to the other arm/hand on the platform and do another pushup. Do this 10 times
3. Form a diamond on the platform, touch your chest to the diamond, 10 pushups
4. Form a diamond on the platform, touch your chest to the diamond then push up as hard as you can so your arms land just outside of the platform, do a regular pushup, push up as hard as you can so your hands land back on the platform...this is one. I can do this about 5-6 times.

I've done these a couple of different ways....sometimes I'll do three sets of each before moving to the next pushup type, or I've also done 1-4 as one set...doing a total of 3 sets.

I follow this with light weight bicep curls (3x12), military press (3x10), upward rows (3x10), and then tricep extensions (3x10). Sometimes I'll do the curls separate and then other times I'll do all of the exercises together as one set, repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 sets.

Saturday:
I've been rotating my Saturday runs. It's usually the only time that I can get outside and run, so I love to take long runs. But, lately I've been trying to mix in some sprint work as well. So, one week I'll do a 10 mile run and then the next week I'll do a 3-4.5 mile run followed by sprints. For sprints I'll do a 40-50 yard spring, jog back to the starting point and then take off again. I'll do this 10 times. As I mentioned...it kicks my butt.

Sunday:
REST REST REST REST!!!! Get ready to start it all over again on Monday!!!

So there's my workout plan. I'm sure there's lot of room for improvement, but so far it has worked well for me. I usually try to be done with my strength training in about 35 minutes. It's probably about time for me to mix up the strength training a bit, so I'm starting to look for new ideas. Feel free to send any suggestions my way!

One thing to note....when I first started lifting I wasn't concerned about increasing the weight at all. I stuck with lower weights but higher reps (12-15). As I got more comfortable and started to see more results I increased the weight a bit and lowered the reps. This took several months....I wasn't concerned about being the strongest guy in the gym. But, once I started to see results I was even more motivated to push myself harder.

Thursday Report

2009-07-02T18:49:00.000-07:00

Monday: 6 miles (50 min), chest
Tuesday: 6.79 (60 min) miles, abs
Wednesday: back/lats, 15 min elliptical
Thursday: 6.85 miles (60 min), abs

Had a pretty good week...the higher mileage certainly had a negative impact on my energy level and appetite throughout the day though. I'll need to watch this in future high mileage weeks.

Looking forward to some golf followed by a good pushup/arms/shoulders workout tomorrow and then a nice 10 mile run on Saturday.

Happy Independence Day! Don't forget to think about the men and women in uniform that are serving away from their families on Saturday.

Ranger Run

2009-06-30T02:38:00.000-07:00

For several weeks now I have been trying to improve my 6 mile time. I'm happy to report that yesterday I did 6 miles on the treadmill in 49:16. It felt great!

I've also started to work some sprint routines into my running schedule. This past weekend I did an easy 3 mile run followed by a good sprint workout. I sprinted about 50 yards, then jogged 50. I did that 10 times. I'm hoping this will shock my body a bit and help me shed those additional 10 pounds that I need to get rid of. We'll see!!

Hill Yeah!

2009-06-22T02:36:00.000-07:00

I finished the Steamboat 15k on Saturday. My brother-in-law ran it too, while my mother-in-law ran the 4 mile race. I was pretty nervous about this one....after a week in Vegas and all of the bad things I was hearing about the hills....I wasn't sure if I would survive! But, I'm not sure what happened, but it just seemed to click. I felt great throughout the entire race. I didn't think the hills were bad at all...I was expecting it to be much worse. There are several factors that could have led to my race day success...1) I only ran twice during the week, allowing plenty of rest from running 2) I hydrated like crazy on Friday 3)I ate lots of pasta Thursday night and then had a bit more for lunch on Friday 4) my modified training plan during the weeks prior to the race (rotating a week of shorter distances, but more speed; followed by a week of longer distance with the same speed or slightly slower) 5) the 10 mile weekend route with the killer hills 6) increased protein intake throughout the month

I'm not sure what it was...maybe a combination of everything. I finished with a stopwatch time of 1:21:01. My pace was right around 8:48-8:50...I definitely felt like I could have kept going...so I'm looking forward to my next half marathon.

The post-race event was decent....I was really looking forward to the cold beer, but standing in line for 15-20 minutes with a hundred other stinky people made me question my desire for seconds. I was also ticked at all the non-runners that kept getting beer....seriously, they should do something about that. If you didn't run then you go to the other line...where you pay. Oh well, it was a great race and I'm glad it's over with. I did manage to see Mr and Mrs CJ at the end of the first loop...I hear they both did great!!

I've decided that I need to sign up for another half marathon before the AF half in September...I'm going to start looking for a good (and fairly inexpensive) race, so feel free to make suggestions.

Vegas Baby! Vegas!!

2009-06-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

I had a great 10 mile run in some beautiful June weather today. The sun was shining, yet there was a constant breeze. Aside from some minor foot pain, I felt pretty good throughout most of the run. I carried a small bottle of Gatorade with me, so I stayed fairly hydrated. Hopefully I'll be getting a new Camel Bak soon.

I had a solid week of running. Last week I tried to decrease my mileage and increase my speed. It was a really nice change up. This week I increased my mileage a bit and tried to keep the same speed as the week before. I logged just over 20 miles M-Th, just over 30 for the week. Not too shabby.

I'm catching a very early flight to Vegas tomorrow morning for a conference...I've already got the running plan mapped out. Luckily I'm going to Sin City with a few runners so I'm sure we will all be keeping each other accountable to logging some miles. I've got the Steamboat 15k coming up next weekend, so I'll have to make sure my trip to Vegas isn't too crazy.

I'm looking forward to the Steamboat race....but, I am a little nervous. I do some hill training (the first 4.5 miles of my 10 mile route are very hilly), but I'm not sure if I'm totally prepared for the hills of Steamboat. I guess I'll find out!

About 7 or so years ago I ran the Steamboat 4 mile race...my time was pathetic, but it was my very first race. It was a blast! I remember how I tried to keep up with my mother-in-law and her running friends, but they all smoked me. I never thought I would be running the looong route. 7 years ago they had a great post-race celebration, so hopefully I'll have that to look forward to again. Nothing beats a cold beer after a good run.

Lookout Vegas!

“I loved the feeling of freedom in running, the fresh air, the feeling that the only person I'm competing with is me.” -William Rudolph

2009-06-01T01:58:00.000-07:00

Finally, a 10 mile run that great. The weather was perfect - not too hot, not too windy...it was beautiful. Yesterday's run was one of those runs that makes you look forward to the next long run. I was able to stash some water at about the halfway point, but I only took a few gulps. I also tried a new energy gel that was super...it was Hammer Gel, raspberry flavor. I liked the flavor much better than the chocolate Gu. I'm not sure if it was the water, the gel, the weather, or maybe just the 2 days of rest I had prior to running, but everything just seemed to feel good.

I am going to be trying something new this week. I've found that my energy level throughout the day isn't as good as it should be. I'm thinking that I really need to boost my protein intake - especially since I've increased the lifting a bit. I scored some post-workout protein powder and a multi-vitamin mix. The protein powder is from AMP, it's called Amplified Wheybolic Extreme 60 and the vitamin powder is Mega Men Maximum Nutrition Formula. I had my first taste of the protein drink yesterday and it was quite tasty. Hopefully this will help with my energy level while also promoting muscle growth and repair.

On an exciting note, it looks like I'll be locking in my next half marathon soon - I'm running the USAF 1/2 Marathon on 19 September in Dayton, OH!!! The best part is that I'll be running it with my brother Cody who is stationed in California with the Air Force!!!! The AF is going to give him leave to participate in the race....I haven't seen him since November(?)....it's been way too long. I can't wait for this one! Link to the race site: http://www.usafmarathon.com/half.htm

I stand corrected...

2009-05-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I was just planning on taking it easy today....maybe mow the yard, do some shopping with the family, and pretty much lay low. But, my lovely bride decided to get outside and go for a 3.6 mile walk this morning....and I could definitely tell by my mood that if I didn't get out and do something too I would be miserable. With all the junk I ate yesterday I was a little hesitant to go for a run, but it was so nice this morning that I couldn't pass up the opportunity. I had a GREAT 4 mile run...it felt awesome. I feel much better now. It's amazing how much a good run impacts your mood....(ask my wife).

Eat, Drink, and be Merry

2009-05-23T10:04:00.000-07:00

It's so much more fun to celebrate your birthday when you've worked hard to be able to enjoy some good food and drinks! Today I turn 30 years old....I have to admit, a few years ago if someone would have told me that I would be able to run a half marathon I would have laughed...a lot. I'm probably in the best shape of my life right now. While it is certainly painful to say goodbye to my 20's, I'm happy to say hello to my 30's about 75lbs lighter than I was on my birthday last year. But, I learned a very valuable lesson last week. 75lbs ago I could consume a lot more tasty beverages than I can consume now. I was also consuming more beverages on a regular basis. Don't get me wrong, I still love to consume....but, I need to be more careful. Plus, I definitely noticed the effects of consuming beverages all week long in the gym.

I had a pretty decent week of working out:

Monday: 5.5 miles, abs
Tuesday: 6.42 miles, chest
Wednesday: 7.x miles, abs
Thursday: 30 min elliptical, 5 min stairmaster, back, lats
Friday: 10 mile run outside....tough run....need to bring water with me now that it's getting hot outside
Saturday: bday!! golf
Sunday: mow the yard :)

Last week:

Monday: 4.7 miles, chest
Tuesday: 5.x miles (I forgot...), abs
Wednesday: 6.5 miles, back, lats
Thursday: 7 miles
Friday: 30 min elliptical, pushups, dips, bday celebration!
Saturday: Recover

EoW Report

2009-05-10T12:40:00.000-07:00

11.5 miles yesterday! I was only planning on doing the 10 mile route that I had mapped out, but at about mile 7 I saw Traci heading my way down the road in our vehicle. At first I thought something was wrong, but then she told me that she was going to finish the run with me!! I was pumped! The only problem was that I had just reached the bottom of a very big hill....and Traci had to drop the kids off at her parents' house...which was up the hill. So, I turned around and went up the big friggin hill, which added about 1.5 miles to the run. But, it was worth it because I had a blast finishing the run with Traci - she did AWESOME!!! I am unbelievably proud of her!! Lookout Steamboat here she comes!!!

The new 10 mile route wasn't too bad. There was a lot of great scenery, but at times I had flashes of the movie Deliverance running through my head as a ran along the Mackinaw river out in the middle of nowhere. That was slightly scary, but I pressed on. The other bad part was that there is about a half mile of dirt/rock road on the route...which really hurt my right foot. I think I landed on a rock the wrong way and every step afterwards hurt...but, I pressed on again.

Overall, I had a pretty solid workout week. I finished the week with a stroll through the trails at Wild Life Prairie Park....after a tasty Mother's Day brunch.

Monday: 3.5 mile run, chest
Tuesday: 5.7 mile run, abs
Wednesday: 20 min elliptical, 10 min stairmaster, back & lats
Thursday: 6.5 mile run
Friday: light pushups, crunches, & dips (I need to start working my arms and shoulders more)
Saturday: 11.5 mile run
Sunday: Pushed a double stroller through the trails at Wild Life Prairie Park...

I need to work extra hard this coming week in order to prepare for all the bad stuff I will be consuming at my bday gig on Friday...

“In life as in dance: Grace glides on blistered feet” -Alice Abrams

2009-05-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

When I was in the Army we used to do these things called road marches. These were not your typical frolicking along, singing cadences, strolling through the park marches. The longest one we did was around 20-25 miles...with a backpack weighing around 40-50lbs, a weapon in your arms, and combat boots...not hiking boots, not running shoes, not grandma's slippers....combat boots. They sucked. The backpack and weapon weren't too bad....the boots were painful. When we first started doing them in basic training I always wondered why we had to stop along the march and change our socks. No matter how long the march was, we had to get in the practice of changing our socks. Then, after returning from a march that wasn't too long, I realized the importance of good feet care. For as long as I live, I'm confident that I will never forget the image that I saw that day in our barracks. A buddy of mine walked past my rack (bed) and I just happened to glance down at the floor to see that he was leaving a trail as he walked....a trail of bloody footprints. Yep, each step he took left a bloody image of the bottoms of his feet on the linoleum floor of our barracks. His feet were in bad shape because he didn't take care of himself. I'll never forget it...and because of that, I'll never forget about the importance of taking care of your feet.

Unfortunately, I was blessed with really soft feet....so I get blisters very easily. In fact, the bottoms of my pinky toes typically go from blister to callus and back to blister. It makes long runs interesting, but I'm learning to deal with it.

Socks, shoes, ointments are critical.

My favorite socks so far are the Nike Zoom Tab Non-Cushioned Low Cut (http://store.nike.com/index.jsp?country=US&lang_locale=en_US&l=shop,pdp,ctr-inline/cid-1/pid-207376#l=shop,pdp,ctr-inline/cid-1/pid-179715/pgid-179714)

I'm sure I can find something better, but these are what I'm currently using for long runs. I wear a pair of Addidas coolmax socks for short runs.

My current shoes are New Balance 1063. I also have a pair of specially made orthotics that I wear due to flat feet, a previously broken 5th metatarsal, and a few other fun issues. I love New Balance running shoes...I wear a size 13 extra wide and it seems that NB has the most options in my size. They also seem to last a long time.

Here's a glimpse at my current strategy for keeping my feet in decent shape:

Before Run: I will usually cover my pinky toes and any callused area in Aquaphor. If I have a really painful blister I will also wrap the toe in Moleskin. I'll finish up by rolling a drying agent over the bottoms and tops of my feet. The drying agent helps keep my feet from getting too wet, which can lead to additional blisters or continued irritation of the existing blisters. It's also helps my feet stay smelling so fresh and so clean...clean.

After Run: After I shower I rub Urea Cream on my damaged toes followed by more drying agent. I will usually do this once more before bed.

The Urea Cream and drying agent are prescription only. The Aquaphor and Moleskin can be found in lots of places. I've also substituted Vaseline for the Aquaphor.

So there's my remedy...what do you do?

Next weekend's route!

2009-05-03T17:14:00.001-07:00

05/03/2009 Route
Find more Runs in Mackinaw, Illinois

Drink Water!

2009-05-02T21:57:00.000-07:00

9 miles today....I felt dehydrated for most of the run. I have got to start drinking more water (and probably less beer). When I was in the Army 'drink water!' was often shouted when it was time for a quick break. I need to remember the friendly advice of my drill sergeants and start drinking more water.

Overall this week was a pretty solid 'get back at it' week.

Monday - 3.5 miles, chest, abs
Tuesday - 5.41 miles
Wednesday - 20 min elptical, lats & back
Thursday - 6.50 miles
Friday - REST
Saturday - 9 miles
Sunday - ?? (probably rest, combined with some random pushups and situps...)

"Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can." - Lowell Thomas

2009-04-29T02:17:00.001-07:00

5.41 miles yesterday! I was very happy to break the 5 mile mark again. It wasn't too fast (50 min; about a 9:14 pace), but it still wasn't easy. There was definitely some pain once I got past mile 4....I just kept telling myself that the harder I push today, the easier it will be tomorrow.

I was reminded again how important 'foot care' is for runners. When I have some more time, I'm going to post the remedy that I've been using and hopefully others will post theirs.

“Training was a time where resolutions made in the enthusiasm of an inspired moment were put to personal test.” -Herb Elliott

2009-04-28T02:17:00.000-07:00

3.5 miles and a light chest & ab workout. It felt great.....it still feels great. My energy level, my attitude, my mood, etc, it's all better when I can workout. The run wasn't fast by any means (3.5 miles in 31:31), I was just glad to be able to get back on the treadmill. I did some interval work to help me ease back into a faster pace and it didn't feel too bad, but I could definitely tell that I had taken some time off. I did notice that my feet weren't in great shape, which is odd considering all the rest they've had. Hopefully I won't get any new blisters this week.

Hopefully the weather gets better so I can get a long run in this weekend!

“He who loves, flies, runs, and rejoices; he is free and nothing holds him back.” -Henry Matisse

2009-04-26T07:47:00.000-07:00

Back in the gym tomorrow and back on the treadmill. I'm scared to even think about what the scale is going to say on Thursday. It's been a rough 10 days, especially the pain and the bad eating/drinking (I like Heineken). But, I'm really looking forward to getting back on track. It's amazing how much better I feel when I'm exercising. Running is like a super happy pill for me....without it I just don't feel right.

I know I'm not quite fully healed, but I'm hoping things are good enough to start easing my miles back up. I'm tired of being tired...and grumpy!!

I'm going to take it slow this week and just play things by ear. My goal will be just to get settled back into the routine.

My Bday

2009-04-21T17:47:00.000-07:00

I know many of you are still struggling with my birthday gift....you still have 32 more shopping days left. To make things easier for you, I wanted to let you know that I am in the market for a pace trainer. I know Garmin has some good ones, but I really don't have a clue what to look for. If you have any suggestions, feel free to comment!

Still no running or working out....I can't wait to get back at it. It seems that when I don't exercise not only am I a grumpy boy but, I also eat really bad....

I Survived...

2009-04-18T09:33:00.000-07:00

I survived. Doc says no running for 10 days.....we'll see....

“The greatest stimulator of my running career was fear” -Herb Elliot

2009-04-16T18:54:00.000-07:00

3.5 miles this morning and 15 minutes on the elliptical machine, followed by a good arms and shoulders workout with some light abs. I was dragging a bit during the run...probably due to running yesterday after work and not resting enough after the half marathon. But, I got a great sweat in this morning and I weighed myself....haven't been this weight since I graduated from basic training!!

Well, no more workouts for me for a few days. Tomorrow will not be a fun day.....yes, I am fearful and nervous. I'm not ashamed to admit it....well, maybe a little ashamed, but hey...this is man's worst nightmare we're talking about. Cheers to the boys.