7/17/09 Gross Blog Negligence

Oops! I keep forgetting to post for some reason. Actually I know the reason...........Farm Town and Vampire Wars on Facebook or "Crack"Book, whichever you want to call it! Crazy addicting stuff! I'm in here screaming, "I CAN SEND A CHICKEN NOW!!" Ridonkulous!!
My running on the other foot is going very, very well! I'm putting in some good mileage! Last week held about 30 or so miles, and as a matter of fact, next week I am looking at a 50-60 mile week! I'm feeling great and moving well. Most of my training is done at about an 8 to 8.5 min pace. Pretty steady for me. Lean Horse is looking good right now and I'm hoping to pick up the pace there as well. The course itself makes for a good chance for a PR. I'm not sure that I want to post a goal time or not since it kind of locks ya in! ha I may and I may not! I'll try and keep ya posted. In the meantime, if you need me to send you a goat or a donkey for your Farm, let me know!! Peace!

7/3/2009 Three Cheers for Ebay!!

Alright now, I've been running pretty consistently for the last couple of weeks and have really noticed a difference in how I'm feeling! I really think that my "rediscovered" need to run has to do with ONE thing! The La Sportiva Slingshot! As I've mentioned before, these are my favorite shoes of all time and the company discontinued them a couple of years ago. Anyway, I did some searching and found a total of 3 pairs in my size on Ebay (by luck alone!). I went for my first run in them almost two weeks ago and just felt like I was really connected to the Earth again. I know it all sounds weird and corny but I've been hopping from shoe to shoe to shoe since they discontinued the Slingshot, trying to find one that would make me happy and just haven't found "The One." I really, really cannot stand a heavy or clunky/bulky shoe and so many trail shoes are that way. The Slingshot is so light and form-fitting, and so minimal, that it is exactly what I like. I can feel the ground beneath my feet, the little pebbles and subtle imperfections in the dirt that go unnoticed in traditional trail shoes. Anyway, I am going to use up these three pairs and then figure out what to do from there. I am seriously considering running permanently in Fivefingers KSO's or Sprints. But until these Slingshots are worn out, I am going to rock it out! I've lost about 7 pounds in the last couple of weeks so now I'm down to about 166! On the right path, I think. I'll post a little bit in the next couple of days about my Tabata's that I'm doing! They are freaking painful but MAN, do they get results! Peace!

6/28/2009 Here we go again!

Ok, back on track! Obviously I've been out of pocket for the last couple of weeks but things are being put back in order. I've been able to get out and run pretty much every morning before work and have been feeling pretty terrific. My mileage for week before last was about 25 miles and then last week was about 20. I took this weekend off to watch friends rock it out at the Buffalo Springs Lake Ironman 70.3. My friend, Stanton, came up from Wichita Falls and stayed the weekend with us. This was his first half Ironman and he really did well, finishing in 6:18. Aubrey set a PR for his 70.3, finishing in 6:44. The weather was really perfect I thought. It rained for a good part of the bike leg which kept the temps down. One poor kid, about 16 years old, bit it hard right at the entrance to T2. He took the turn too sharp on the slick asphalt and went elbows and assholes over the handle bars. I felt sorry for him cuz he did get pretty banged up with road rash but he went on to finish his race since he was only doing the sprint distance.
Aubrey hosted a couple of pro guys and one pro girl at his house this year. Both guys are Australian and one of them, Leon Griffin, won the 70.3 last year in a time of 3:58!! Freaking crazy! Today, he took second in 4:03 and the other guy, Simon Thompson, took 3rd! It was really cool hanging out with those guys! They were interesting, funny, and just downright cool to talk to! The girl, Uli Bromme, was born in Germany and then raised in Canada. She's only run a couple of races as a pro and she finished this race in 4:55, a fantastic time! And to top the day off, Aubrey's stepson, Geoff, ran the sprint and finished 46th out of 211 finishers! Kickin some ass!!

So it was a fun, fun weekend but the work will start again tomorrow. I am picking up the mileage a little this week and also plan on incorporating the Tabata Method into my workouts a couple of times a week. That should be pretty interesting........and painful! I'll keep ya posted!

6/11/2009 Sabbatical!

Ok, everyone! Hear ye, Hear ye! I am making the official announcement that I am going to take a short sabbatical from LOOOOOONG distance running for a couple of months! My body be tired and used up and I am wanting to rest for a bit! I am taking a week or so off from running completely and then I will pick it back up again pretty quick cuz otherwise I'll go crazy! I am still thinking about the Lean Horse 100 in August so we'll see what happens. Anyway, til then, PEACE!

5/31/2009 Time to Taper

I got in a 20 mile training run today before noon luckily. It was hot, hot, hot! I felt freaking slow! Not sure why. My times weren't that bad but I guess I just felt sluggish. Kelli had to bring me some more water about 15 miles in due to the heat. I was really putting down the fluids. I also had her bring me a Coke and man, it was good! I just love that rocket fuel while on long runs.
So I will run a couple more times before Wednesday and then nothing til Saturday. I was contemplating bumping back to the 50K but it wasn't in my heart to do so. I'm just going to let chips lay and see what happens. Wish me luck! Peace!

5/25/2009 Quick update

Ok, so 10 miles out on 1585 rounded out my 3 day weekend. I felt really good out there despite the wind and heat. Heading into the west I had a 20mph sandblaster in my face and then with the wind at my back on the way back east, I got toasted by the sun. I love to run in the heat! That way I don't have to wear long sleeve shirts all the damn time. ha Alright, let's see what kind of mileage I can get out of this week. May the motivation be with me!

5/23/2009 Actually Did Something Today!!

First off, THANK YOU to everyone who wished me a happy birthday yesterday!! I really appreciate it! I had a nice evening with Kelli and the kids. We went to Abuelo's and stuffed ourselves with fantastic Tex-Mex then came home, ate chocolate cake, and watched Rise of the Lycans. Nice and relaxing! Just the way I like it!

I actually hit the road today and really felt good. I ran a simple little 6 miles out on 1585. It was overcast and cool with some sprinkling rain mixed in. Fantastic running weather!! All in all, like I said, I felt really good and strong. I need to get some distance in over the next week to get ready for Hell's Hills but I really do think that my base will carry me through. If not........c'est la vie! It'll be fun anyway!

5/21/2009 Offer Me Some Motivation...........please!

Hey, guys! Ok, so what's up???? I CANNOT get myself motivated this week! I am eating crap, crap, and more crap! I haven't run since last Sunday! I've done a "little" strength training but that's it! I'm gonna turn into a fat ass if I don't get going! Hell's Hills is in 2 weeks!! Someone out there has the right kind of motivational speech to offer me! I just know they do! Lay it on me! Come on, Tony? Dave? Rick? PJ? Someone help a brutha out! Peace!

5/17/2009 Lazy SOB

Dudes and dudettes, I've been mega-lazy this last week. I ran the Horseshoe Bend 11 miler last Saturday and then an 8 miler on Monday then nothing else until today! I DID do some strength training but nothing exceptional. Not sure what the deal was other than maybe I just needed a break. I had planned on running a long run yesterday back out at the canyon but it was chilly and raining throughout the day. At least that's my excuse. ha Today brought beautiful weather so I headed out to 1585 for some speedwork. I ran a simple little 5 miles in really fast interval bursts. Those kinds of workouts just kill me! At times I would glance at my Garmin and during my bursts I was actually running a 5:30 pace. WHOA! Maybe I DID need the week break afterall!! Watch out, Rick, I may actually catch your speedy ass someday!! haha
Hopefully I can dig deep and drag my ass out of bed earlier this week so I can pick up the mileage again. Hell's Hills is less than 3 weeks out!

5/9/2009 Horseshoe Bend Canyon.......Revisited

This morning the kids and I ran the Horseshoe Bend Canyon Run with the WTRC. Zach, Makenzie, and one of Zach's baseball buddies, KC, ran the two miler and all medaled. The boys ran a 9:03 pace and finished 1 second of each other. Makenzie ran a 10:56 pace and finished as the first girl in her age group. I think she needs to push herself a little harder next time. She's a more natural runner than Zach but I think she got a little lazy today. However, they all had a blast! This was KC's first time to run a race and he really enjoyed himself! KC is FAST when it comes to running bases so I would like to see him drop the hammer at one of these races next time as well! Also one of my friends from work, Robert, ran the 11 miler and rocked it! He took first in his age group, running an 8:08 pace!
I had a fantastic race myself! I ran the 11 miler and finished in 1:38. Not bad for me, an 8:55 pace over 11 miles. I felt really good out there and again enjoyed the hell out of the scenery. It's so gorgeous out there! There was a really good turnout for all of the races too which always makes it fun.

Ok, on to more training! PEACE!

5/2/2009 A Morning Run with Huckleberry

My friend, Dave Elliott, came to town today for a nice morning run. His cousin is getting married this evening in Levelland and we took the opportunity to meet up and run a fun-filled, misty morning 15 mile hill workout. He showed up at my house around 8am and we took my Xterra out to Horseshoe Bend Canyon, just east of Buffalo Spring Lake. Horseshoe Bend is really a nice place to run, being a large part of the bike course for the Buffalo Springs Lake Ironman 70.3. The traffic is very minimal and the scenery is nice, nice, nice. There are 3 significant, long hills out there and we hit them all, including the steepest north one twice. All in all we had a fantastic time talking and just enjoying the views and the nice cool weather. The time passed relatively quickly and the 15 miles was done before we knew it. Dave said that he had pushed himself a little harder than he normally does which is fantastic! It's always motivating to run with new people that can inspire you and push you a little more. Hopefully I was able to do both! ha Dave got some good pics of the scenery and should post them to his blog as soon as he gets home. I had a great time and can't wait to meet up with him on the trail again sometime soon!

4/24/2009

Howdy everyone! Ok, so I finished up my last night in the ER on Wednesday night! I'll still work little 4 hr shifts there from time to time to keep my skills sharp and also to remind me why I left. ha I haven't run at all since Rocky Hill and that's no good. I feel like I needed the break but it's time to start getting busy again. I am definitely planning on heading back down there for the inaugural (and free) running of Hell's Hills 50. The course from what I could tell is a lot of fun and I think I'll have a good time running it. Hopefully I can coerce Aubrey into joining me for this trip and he can run the 25K. I'll keep ya posted and let ya know what's up.
I'm headed to Dallas this weekend for my cousin's wedding and then I'll hit the road hard come Monday. Peace!

4/19/2009 Rocky Hill Ranch is a Washout this year!

Zach and I headed towards Smithville around 6am. We made good time and got there around 1:30pm. On the way, Matt Crownover called me and warned me that if I was bringing Kelli and Makenzie along for their first camping trip.........it would be their last! He said that they, the Crownovers, had made it down there the night before and the rains had soaked everything. It had also been hailing some. Once Zach and I got there the rains had picked back up again and it was just a sloggy mess! The saloon at Rocky Hill Ranch was flooded and the electricity was off for a bit as well. My plan was to pitch the tent as usual but the ground was so wet that I knew it would make for an absolutely miserable night. We decided to just sleep in the Xterra. It was pretty cramped with all the camping gear in there but we did ok. I had supper with the Crownovers and the Teasters and had a really great time. The food was fantastic and so was the company. Zach and I headed to the car and got settled in and watched a movie before we retired. We all still had hopes that the race would go off as scheduled but we just weren't sure. Matt had decided to drop down to the 50K since he is in for Western States this year and didn't want to chance an injury in the mud and slop going the full 50 miles. I got up around 4am and got myself ready. The rains had stopped pretty much for the night but you could tell the weather was pretty ominous, even in the dark. Buddy and I met up and walked the mile to the race start. People were showing up late, including Joe and Joyce. So weird for one of their races to be like that! But with the weather the way it was, it was understandable. They had had a really hard time the day before because their truck got stuck in the mud and they had to have a tow truck pull them out! Anyway, before he started the race he let us know that, if there was ANY lightning, he would be cancelling the race. The safety of the runners and his volunteers is definitely the most important thing. So a little after 5am we took off! The first 50 feet or so were ok and then we hit the mud! Sloppy, sticky, and soul-sucking! ha My feet were each about 10lbs heavier! Then the rain started and the whole loop, which I felt was about 12 miles long, was like running in a stream the whole time! It rained, it poured, it was dark, and it was FUN!! It was a lot like being a kid again and not worrying about getting dirty or wet cuz you had NO CHOICE! There were a couple of steep areas where you just had to "ski" down and then spin your way to the top on the other side! It was terrific fun! However, all fun must come to an end! The lightning started about 15 minutes into the loop and we knew that he would be calling us off. It was pretty impressive, the lightning. Striking the ground in some areas and lighting up the course. Some of the 50 milers actually turned around and just headed back. I never even thought of that! Most of us just kept plugging around the loop enjoying ourselves and acting like kids. We knew he had called it when the two aid stations we ran through were like ghost towns! Anyway, I made it back around to the race start and found out for sure that it had been cancelled. I made it back to the Xterra and accidentally scared Zach who had just started watching a movie in the front seat! ha It was only 8am at that time and he hadn't been awake for more than 10 minutes! Boy, did HE miss all the fun! I headed to the shower, ironically, to rinse off and get the mud off of my shoes and legs and then I got back to the car and dried off (which is hard to do in the rain) and we headed out! I was so ready to be warm and dry! The trip home took a helluva lot longer than the trip down I thought.
I never saw Teresa after the race to ask about the Grand Slam and what we needed to do about it but I suspect she'll be in touch. We got to see our awards on Friday night and they are pretty dang cool! Once I got home, there was an email from Joe explaining his decision to cancel, which really didn't need explaining. However, the cool part of the email was that we can all head back down there on June 6th and give it another whirl! He is offering all of the distances, a start/finish, minimal aid, and awards for people to come back. And in light of this catastrophic weekend, he has changed the name of the race to Hell's Hills! Very cool! We can even invite our friends and we all get to run FOR FREE! So if you read this and you want to head down to Smithville, you have an opportunity to enjoy a great run and great company! So come one and come all, let's have some FUN!
So I've got to decide what to do now. I will probably head back down there and run the 50 miler again! I am leaning toward running the Lean Horse 100 this August instead of volunteering at TransRockies. So Hell's Hills will be a great training run for Lean Horse!

No Running for ME today......even if I wanted to!

This post is happening about 4:36pm and it started raining and hailing about 15 minutes ago. The hail is not huge but sounds like cannons going off inside the house! Both of my kids are wigging out, thinking they aren't gonna make it through this HELL! ha I told them to sit down and shut up. It's still hailing while I write so I figure if I still have an internet connection, the world isn't coming to an end! Enjoy the pics! Peace!

4/15/2009 Rocky Hill ready!

The last one in the bunch coming up! I am ready to git er done! It'll just be Zach and I again, camping out at the race start. Also the Crownovers will be close at hand and that will be great for Zach. He loves spending time hanging out with Noah and Micah just romping through the woods and fields. Good times! This course should prove to be a little bit more diverse than the Grasslands and hopefully I will be a little more engaged. I feel pretty well trained up and am feeling pretty good physically.........at the moment. ha Teresa McCoul sent out an email and she is giving the Grand Slam finishers a spaghetti dinner on Friday night and a barbecue Saturday evening after the race. I, personally, think that's pretty cool. She's even offering veggie options for us weirdo veggie-people there. ha Alright, so, let's see how it goes!
I'm ready for a couple months of rest and relaxation. Also getting settled into the new job, starting Monday, April 27th. I can't wait for that! Peace!

4/9/2009 New Outlook!!

Alright, so the last few days have brought a total of 15 miles or so out on 1585. I'm feeling strong and ready to go. I plan on running another 10 miler tomorrow, wind-allowing, and then taper from there. I'm looking forward to the completion of Rocky Hill and then a couple of months of no racing. It'll be good to just rest without having to worry about getting ready for another long distance.
Ok, so in other news, I just found out yesterday that I got the new job that I put in for!! I am really excited about it! It'll introduce me to a whole new world of my profession. I am the new Case Manager for MICU/SICU!! My hours will be more "normal", being 8 to 5, Monday thru Friday, and I will have more flexibility as well. I will be so glad to finally get out of the ER! After almost 13 years it has really taken a toll on me. I am ready to settle in to something new and exciting! I'll keep ya posted as to how it's going. I won't start for a couple of weeks yet but I AM READY!! Peace!

4/3/2009 Gotta Run!

Man, it's been a busy week! I worked Saturday-Wednesday, all 12 hr shifts and I am beat! I was off yesterday but didn't do anything but sleep. I plan on doing a nice little interval workout on the elliptical later today and some strength training and then hopefully tomorrow morning will bring a good 10-15 miles out on 1585. I GOTTA RUN! I'm getting cabin fever big time. Rocky Hill is only 2 weeks away so I need to get in a few good runs before then.
Ok, so new subject..........I have been going through withdrawal from my La Sportiva Slingshots ever since the company discontinued them. I have been hopping from shoe to shoe trying to find something that I like just as well. When the Slingshots went the way of the dinosaur I decided that I would try to find something with more cushioning and support. I went with the Salomon Speedcross 2's and I like them but I don't LOVE them. However.....I've been really happy with the way the Salomon's fit my foot and they ARE comfortable, so I am going to give the Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra's a try. They have been around for a long time and have lots of great reviews. They've got a nice low profile which I really like and they are a lighter shoe. Not lighter than the Speedcross but light enough. They should be here in a couple of days and I'll let ya know what I think. I wish we had a damn running store here in Lubbock!

3/27/2009

My legs were ready to go by Monday, I was impressed! However, two toes on my left foot weren't feeling up to the challenge. ha My second and fourth toenails were really inflamed and painful. During the race, around mile 43 or so, I felt the toenail on my fourth toe lift up like the hood of a car in my shoe. I stopped, sat down in the middle of the trail, took off my shoe and nasty sock, and smashed it back down. I was able to keep running with no problem but man, have they been sore this week. As of yesterday they were finally feeling good enough to wear a shoe without pain. So my plan was to get out this morning and put in a short run, but I guess the wonderful weather of the Texas plains had other plans. It's been in the 70's and 80's this week but a cold front blew in last night and dropped the temp to 28 degrees and left a thin dusting of snow everywhere. Nuts! I did an interval workout on the elliptical yesterday and also did some strength training so I'm still on track, but I'm really itching to get out the door and put in a few miles. I'm off today but then work the next 5 nights so not much running then either. Damn!

3/22/2009 The Grasslands Race Report

I got home around 1145 this am, tired and ready to just sit. This weekend was really great! The race, for me, was kind of weird though. I got to the Bluebonnet Resort around noon on Friday and got checked in and got my tent set up. I was really close to the bathrooms, the showers, the pool, and the hot tub. So nice! After I got set up I headed to the hotel where they were having packet pickup. Teresa McCoul, the race director from Cross Timbers, was there handing out packets. It was really good to see her again. She would be running the half marathon. Laurie Underwood was also there. It's always nice to see her, she is so sweet! Anyway, after that I had an early supper at Chili's and then headed back to the resort. I relaxed in the hot tub and enjoyed the company of some of the other campers for a bit and then I headed to bed so I could make sure to get up early. I made it to the race start around 0615 so I had plenty of time to set up. I put my drop bag pretty close to the start and then found the coffee. They had Starbuck's!! A big plus! The race this year was headed up by a new RD, Kevin Boudreaux. He really did a fantastic job!! I got to meet up with Dave Elliott before we got started as well. Very nice to finally meet him in person! We started promptly at 0700. First things first, the 50 milers had to do a simple little out and back as a "distance corrector." It was about 4.8 miles and I finished it in about 47 minutes. I felt ok but my legs were just kind of fatigued. I picked up the pace to see if I could wake them up a little but it never really happened for me. Once back at the start we took off for Loop 1, the blue loop. About 13.5 miles, this loop was pretty uneventful. Several people got off course though! The course, I thought, was well marked but you did have to pay attention in a few areas, especially on that first loop. Two of my friends got a little off course at this point, Matt Crownover and Shanna Armstrong both. ha It did not, however, impede their race. Matt would go on to drop the hammer and take second overall! Fantastic race, Matt! Shanna would end up finishing about 22 minutes ahead of me. Anyway, my legs continued to feel fatigued and just didn't want to go. At the start of the second loop, the yellow one, which was 10.4 miles, I became very apathetic about the whole thing. Very strange for me. I absolutely could NOT force myself to run much. I just felt like crap and didn't want to do anything. I can only assume that since this was my third 50 miler in the last month and a half, it had finally taken somewhat of a toll on me. I guess that's understandable! So I continued to plod along and made it back around to the main headquarters again. I fueled up with an oatmeal creme pie and a chocolate Boost and headed out again. The third loop, or white one was the longest for me! It was 12.8 miles and it just seemed to drag on and on and on. Once I was about 5 miles from making it back around to the headquarters on the white loop Matt came up on me while running the last part of his last loop. I couldn't believe how far he had moved ahead of me! I finally started getting a little spring in my step thanks to some good music on my Ipod. I never listen to the damn thing but decided to later in the day because I was still so bummed out. I made it back to the start and again drank a Boost and ate an oatmeal creme pie. The last loop, the red one, was 8.9 miles. I was actually able to run most of this loop which helped make up a little lost time. I crossed the finish line at 10:37. Not a bad time, just not the best for me. Kevin was standing at the finish line with my buckle and a firm handshake. I really enjoyed watching him in action. He seemed to take a very active role in everything and made the race his own. I was really happy with everything.
So in summary........it was a really good race. I am still a little aggravated with the amount of apathy that I had but was glad to have forced myself to get it done. The last three races that I have done have been pretty technical and have kept my mind really engaged. This race, while beautiful and diverse scenery-wise, had no technical aspect to it at all. It was flat dirt trails and some areas with fairly deep sand. Each one of the loops had something different to offer though which was pretty cool. One loop boasted scrub trees and sand, while the next offered a gorgeous wooded area with cedar trees and fine dirt, then another was through some tall, waving, grassy fields. I was really surprised at the amount of soft, deep sand out there. I did not expect that. I think overall that the lack of any technical trails was what contributed to my lack of interest. I do, however, want people to know that the race was really, really well run though. The aid stations were top notch with friendly, helpful people and...........they had BROWNIES! Always one of my favorites! Kevin Boudreaux, again, did a really fantastic job running the whole thing! Thanks again to everyone that helped out!
And a big shout out to Dave who got his first 50 mile finish! Congrats, Dave on a job well done!
Matt, congrats on second place! Way to kick some trail!!
Ok, so 26 days until Rocky Hill Ranch! 4 down, 1 to go! Peace!

3/18/2009 Sorry, Guys......... A RANT!

It's not been too bad of a stretch at work over the last few days. It's been busy but nothing outrageous. Maybe with the warmer weather, people will actually do something with their time other than spending it in the freaking ER. After almost 13 years, it still amazes me every day what people come to the ER for. I mean, seriously, who the hell taught them to go to an ER if you have a sore throat, toothache, or you puked one time. Apparently, you're just never supposed to have to suffer in life. They want the "wonder pill" that fixes everything instantaneously. Many of the people we see are rude, crude, and hostile towards the nurses and the doctors. They check in to the ER at triage and we become "Enemy Number One." It makes no sense to me. They act like we're all stupid, nurses and doctors alike. If we're that stupid, why come to us in the first place??? If they don't get what they want or we tell them something they don't want to hear, ie "Everything looks ok on your labs" or "You just have a virus/cold", it pisses them off and they want another doctor. It's ridiculous! I mean, I DON'T CARE IF YOU READ ABOUT SOME STUPID DISEASE IN EFFING READER'S DIGEST! You DO NOT know more than we do about medicine and healthcare because you watched every episode of 20/20 with Barbara WaWa!! Obviously we see A LOT of low class, uninsured pieces of crap who think that the ER is free healthcare because due to governmental restraints we can't ask for a copay until after they are seen. We HAVE to see everything that comes in the door whether it's bull shit or not. Then once they are medically cleared, we are STILL unable to collect any money. If they would just make all non-urgent visits an automatic 35 bucks before they are treated, it would make all the difference in the world. That's what it costs to go to an Urgent Care Center! They have to pay up front at those clinics and that's why they don't go to them. It should be the same for the ER. If it's a true emergency then WELCOME! We'll settle the bill at a later time. If it's your cough/cold/puked once/my vagina hurts type of visit then pony up, brutha/sistah!! This shit ain't free!

Ok, like I said, Sorry about that! Be glad that it wasn't in all caps! Back to running! So, I've tapered down and I'm ready to run this weekend. More than anything I'm just ready to get out of town and spend some relaxing time on the trails. Peace!