Boston Inspiration

I was able to find a live stream of the Boston Marathon yesterday, so I could catch the men's and women's finishes from my office at work.

It is amazing to me how fast the elite athletes are. Ryan Hall finished 4th (2:08:47) after running sub-5 minute miles for 26.1 miles. That is insane. That is basically a dead sprint. How can that not win? I can't even run one mile that fast.

Watching those fast runners is inspiring and depressing at the same time. Inspiring that makes you want to get out and run, and depressing that you will never run that fast.

Still, it was fun to watch, and congrats to all Boston finishers!

I ordered "The Stick" and received it yesterday. My wife said I could have made something like it, but I think she overestimates my handyman ability.

It is a pretty cool device, and I really wanted it to be able to roll out my calves a couple times a day. They get really tight.

Running Update

I've been nursing a sore foot (again), this time it is the top of my foot and I think it was caused by running in the orthotics. So, I put those away temporarily and am giving my foot a week or so of rest to heal up. I had been running 3 times a week until this past weekend.

Also, I've been reading "Running for Mortals" which was a gift from my wife, and I've found some really good tips in their. I like that it breaks things down for the average guy (or girl) trying to run.

Running the Sahara

Running the Sahara

I finally saw the movie "Running the Sahara" last night. I've heard about it for a while (it came out in 2008), but like most movies we wait until it comes out on TV.

The movie, if you haven't heard of it, is a documentary about 3 men (one from Canada, one from Taiwan, and one from America) who decide to run across the Sahara desert (4,500 miles).

Matt Damon is one of the producers and also does the narration.

I thought the movie was great. Even my non-runner wife enjoyed it. The struggles that they face amazing--including countless blisters, cramps, muscle fatigue, sand storms, high heat (140 degrees at one point), dehydration, etc, etc.

These guys ran about a marathon and a half a day for 111 days straight. No days off. Across sand. In blazing heat. Consuming massive amounts of liquid and food. Losing upwards of 40+ pounds. Getting lost. Across countries. Against incredible odds.

I can't imagine the wear and tear that this type of event would take on someone's body. My body can barely endure a 1/2 marathon. These guys were running 30-50 miles a day for over 100 days in a row. One of the guys said he had just taken up running late in life, got hooked, and became an ultra runner. This movie is definitely worth checking out if you're a runner.

Running Update

The latest Runner's World has an article that talks about coming back from injury and it states that if you've been off for more than a month, you should treat it like you are starting over. Well, I definitely feel like I am starting over (after being off for 3 months). I'm trying to take it slow, and run injury free. This week I had several 3 to 4 mile runs, and I am not running two days in a row to give my body the chance to rest in between runs.

Watch Where You're Running

Ouch.

Why Not to Go to a Foot Doctor

Well, let me re-phrase that....why not to go to MY foot doctor:

I went in for my check up with the podiatrist two days ago. It had been about a month since I'd seen him, and about 2 weeks since I started wearing the orthotic inserts.

I'm not sure what I expected from this visit, but it certainly felt like a waste of my time. The entire visit took about 5 minutes.

The doctor never looked at my foot. He never touched my foot. He basically asked one question --"how is your foot feeling?" And I rambled on for about 5 minuntes, then he said "well, sounds like you're on the right track, let us know if anything changes."

We could have had that conversation over the phone, and I could have saved the $25 co-pay. Frustrating.


Running Update
I have run 3 times this week, nothing too fast or two far. Just my normal 3 mile route. The foot is doing okay, but I'm being very careful with my foot plant, and paying attention to any sign of arch weakness during my runs.

During this morning's run, I felt like the neighbors were all out to get me.

You know how sometimes you run down a long dark neighborhood street and a car will back out of their driveway just as you get to them? Well, that happened about 5 times this morning. Seriously. I am never sure if they can see me and have to take evasive action.

It's Official -- I'm Out of Shape!

I had my first "real" run in probably 4 months this week. It was my normal 3-mile route, which I usually cover in about 29 minutes. This week it took me 34 minutes. Yep, I'm out of shape. I feel like I am starting running again. I guess that's what 4 months of laziness will do to you. I was sucking wind, and I had terrible side and lower back cramps. I took multiple walk breaks to get through the run. It wasn't pretty, but at least I got it done. The one piece of good news is that my foot seemed to do just fine with the new inserts.

I know that I should have been keeping my conditioning up while I couldn't run --you know, strength training, aerobic activity, flexibility, etc---but the truth is, I just haven't mentally been in the mood for exercise. And not just because of my injury, either.... the weather here has been depressing, and it's been hard to get motivated to do any type of fitness.

I am hopeful that this "first run" will get me kick started mentally to get back into it again. I feel like it will. And, it won't hurt if the sun comes out this week either.

Side Note: My K-State Wildcats are in the Sweet Sixteen! Go Cats! Mel, sorry about your Zags.

Saucony shoe giveaway here.

March Madness!

(My buddy and I with Wille the Wildcat)

Today is the first day of spring, and the end of my kids' spring break, but it snowed 3-4 inches. How is that for March madness???

I was able to go to Oklahoma City with a buddy of mine to see K-State play in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Our seats were about 4-5 rows up from the court behind the basket, and I'm pretty sure we were on TV a few times. We saw the double overtime game between Florida and BYU, the last second shot win by Northern Iowa over UNLV, the K-State-North Texas game, and about half of the KU-Lehigh game.

We had a blast cheering on Kansas State, and they won easily. We take on BYU this evening for a spot in the sweet sixteen. There have been a lot of really good games so far in the NCAA Tournament, and many upsets, including Northern Iowa knocking off top seeded Kansas. Even though that loss messed up my bracket, I'm not heart broken, I'm a K-State fan, not a KU fan.

Go State!

How to Catch a Leprechaun

This is a Leprechaun Trap. My 1st grade son made it just before spring break. It's a kleenex box with a ladder where the leprechaun can climb up, and fall into the hole. There are gold coins at the top to attract them, and the sign says do NOT enter, because leprechauns always do the opposite of whatever you say. This was totally my son's idea. Iit's fun having a 7 year old.

Happy St Patricks Day everyone.