HL 5K - 21:49

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

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!

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!

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

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

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

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

New Kicks!

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


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

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

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


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

Here's to making it happen!!

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

Here's a little self-portrait postrace action


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


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