Christmas is the reason...

Cookies, snacks, dinners, candy, chocolate, more cookies, restaurants, etc... - It's hard staying on task during this time of the year. I didn't feel much like running this morning but am so glad I did. I ran a 5 miler and averaged 8:56 miles. Slowly building up that speed on the long runs and although I'm burning calories to eat calories during this season, I'm feeling pretty good about the progress I've made so far. Once January hits, I'll focus more on diet too - then lookout because I should really see the speed increase.

I'm running a 6 miler with my friend Elise on Saturday. She's never ran more than 5 miles before, so I'm excited to help motivate her in achieving this new milestone! It's an incredible feeling when you push yourself to go that "extra mile" and you feel like you can push past any barriers in your life!

Snow, Snow, Snow

Winter is here! I've been getting my daily runs in during the morning and it is always fun to leave the first tracks in the freshly fallen snow. Although today was a little bit deeper than normal... I started training for the 5/3 Riverbank Run on May 8th. Expert training started on November 29th - so I'm about 1-1/2 weeks into it. The nice folks from 5/3 mailed me a training calendar. It is so nice to have a plan laid out in front of you, checking the runs off as you go. I also started doing some weight training this week - using a work out video titled "ChaLEAN Extreme" by TurboJam found Chalene Johnson, whom happens to be a personal friend. What a motivator she is! If you haven't tried one of her DVD training programs, I highly recommend it!

Talk to you soon - and watch out for us runners on the road in the wee hours of the morning (or dark hours of the evening!)

Daddy needs a new pair of shoes!

I've tried a few different makes of shoes this past year - Nike, Brooks, Adidas, Mizuno - but I had to go back to my Saucony Omni that I trained for and raced in the Chicago Marathon with. They just feel right - but they are getting pretty worn and with winter coming up, I'm going to need some new treads. The cheapest I can find them for is $49.99 plus shipping on eBay. I'm trying to sell my Mizunos on eBay also - for $39.99. Somebody buy them!!! Then I can apply that to a new pair of Omnis and be ready for the winter season. Help me!

Here I Go Again...

Nothing like a little Whitesnake intro

I dont know where I'm going,
But, I sure know where I've been,
Hanging on the promises
In songs of yesterday
An I've made up my mind,
I aint wasting no more time
But, here I go again
Here I go again
Tho I keep searching for an answer,
I never seem to find what I'm looking for
Oh lord, I pray
You give me strength to carry on,
cos I know what it means
To walk along the lonely street of dreams
An here I go again on my own
Goin down the only road I've ever known,
Like a hobo
I was born to walk alone
An I've made up my mind
I aint wasting no more time

I guess we can all infer our own meaning from those words. That song is on my MP3 player and comes up everyone so often when I'm out on a run. I feel so independent and realize it's up to me to make a choice, a change - to stop wasting time.

The New York City Marathon was on November 1st - just two days ago. The next one is Sunday, November 7th, 2010 - and I am gearing up to run in it. It's a lottery and the drawing will be in March. Between now and then, I'll be running some Turkey Trots and Jingle Bell Runs and then seriously training for the 2010 5/3 Riverbank Run 25k. I ran the Chicago at 36, I'll run the New York at 38, and I'll run the Big Sur at 40 - I aint wasting no more time and here I go again!

It's been.. One year since

I ran the Chicago Marathon exactly one year ago today. What a difference the weather is compared to then. Last year it topped out around 86 degrees during the race and this year it's barely pushing 40 degrees. It's hard to comprehend the fact that I ran (and walked some) 26.2 miles! I ran 6.5 almost two weeks ago and am in no shape to add another 20 miles to that. After I finished, I was dead sure (and pretty much dead) that I would never do that again. Not just the exhaustion of race day, but the 18 weeks of training prior to it, were enough to say "never again - check that baby off the list." But I'm getting the itch to find a race for next May or June. I love the training schedule with the goal out in the distance. Staying on task and keep yourself accountable. Is our daily journey in life any different? Keep running...

Mind over Matter (or Time, I guess)

Had to get my long run in a day early - heading down to the Tigers' game tomorrow. It would be awesome if they won tonight, then we'd have the chance to see them clinch the division tomorrow afternoon.

After doing some interval work yesterday, wasn't sure if I should try to tackle a long run tonight or not, but the weather was perfect. Ended up running for 61 minutes for a total of 6.44 miles at 9:28 per mile. It's nice to be able to maintain the long distances, but a year ago I would have ran that in 8:15 miles. It's hard to believe that it's been almost one year since I ran the Chicago Marathon. I couldn't even dream about running 26.2 miles right now - I mean adding another 20 miles to what I just did? Crazy!?!?! But I'm getting the urge to start prepping for another - looking at maybe one in Toledo in late April. I've also found my goal marathon to run when I turn 40 - the Big Sur Marathon that runs along the Pacific Ocean coast in California. Check out the pictures at www.bsim.org - pretty impressive and inspiring.

Keep running... and Go Tigers!!!

Stretching It Out

I pushed myself out to 50 minutes tonight - logging 5.34 miles at 9:27 miles. I think my euphoric zone or "runner's high" hit around 4o minutes because I felt like I was gliding for the last bit and even thought about pushing it out to 60 minutes. But I also felt my quads and gluteous maximus :) tightening up quite a bit. No sense risking injury for some personal pride.

This weekend is "Man Weekend" out at the cabin. I figured I better burn some calories before partaking in meat, meat, beer, meat, beer, beer, and more meat. We are hoping for great weather for grilling out, shooting guns, playing horseshoes, watching MSU football, and just "being men." It will be a slow start running again beginning next week - but hopefully I can make 60 minutes next Thursday! Keep running...

15min Letdown

So much for popping off about a 45min run. After a long weekend away from home (I did do some walking and bike riding around Mackinac Island), I went out for my run tonight and absolutely killed myself just to finish a 15min run. I'm sure the 6 beers in about 45 min on Saturday (after watching my beloved MSU fall to the irish of notre dame) didn't help. Nor the french dip sandwich, onion rings, and beer sampler at Big Buck Brewery on Sunday afternoon.

Need to get back to the basics of eating well and running well. I'll hit it again tomorrow with some hills and interval training. I'm sure that will really kill me!

45 Minute Reflection

I have a copy of a movie that I've been wanting to watch, but just haven't gotten around to it. It's called "The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner." I have this idea of what it's about - and maybe I've delayed watching it because I don't want to ruin the fantasy that I've created on my own runs. This afternoon I did a 45 minute run. Now that is certainly not a long-distance run by some standards, but from where I've been that last couple of months, it qualifies to my standard. When I started out, I had not intention of running for 45 minutes - but a left turn here, back country mile here, and next thing I knew, I was further away from home than I planned and the only way to get back was to keep on running.

And you know what? It felt GOOD. And there is a certain loneliness to it. Just you and the road, your music, and your thoughts. A time for reflection, or a song bring backs a memory, or a reminder, and all of sudden energy permeates throughout your body. I won't kid you - the last 10 minutes were brutal and full of sun, but I persisted and won the battle.

Maybe I'll watch that movie tonight - not to ruin my holistic vision of how I perceive it, but maybe to understand how someone else understands this personal time of you and the road. I like to run because it's between me and me - and I hope the positive, good, healthy me wins.

On the Road Again

Wow - it's been a while since I posted. That's because there's a little bit of guilt in the air... associated with not running and staying on task. Update: I won the "Biggest Loser" and lost the motivation. I laxed off and have only been running on and off through the summer. Now that school has started again and Susan and I are back into a regular routine, it's been easier to stay focused and make a schedule.

Susan and I have also had some changes in our church life. Although we have retained our membership at the local Methodist church, we have been regular attending a Lutheron Missouri Synod church. Anna has begun pre-school there also. The Methodist church made some changes with the contemporary service (and now doesn't have a praise band due to a leadership issue). It also lacks a general direction for purpose and how to achieve it. We have been impressed with the leadership, mission, and goals of the Lutheran church.

So - please come back and check regularly. Although this is now MSU tailgate season, I am back running and trying to eat healthy and get back on track. I'll give myself some leeway on football Saturdays in East Lansing! :)

Final Four 5k - 24:20

What an awesome race and incredibly awesome day!!! Although it was a little windy and chilly, it was a great race along the Detroit Riverwalk. Finished with a very strong time of 24:20, improving on my last time by 48 seconds! The atmosphere was amazing with a majority of the runners sporting Green & White colors and cheering for the Spartans. (Check out the picture of me and Sparty!).

The day only got better as MSU played the early game of the Final Four - wiping out UConn 82-73. Downtown Detroit was incredible and we had a great time celebrating the victory! Tonight is the national championship game against North Carolina - Go State!!!

Getting Irish Jiggy With it

Ran the first 5k of the season yesterday with my friend Spike at the Irish Jig in East Grand Rapids. Great course with some small hills in the first two miles and a nice downward slope for the last 1/2 to 3/4 mile. Ran a 25:08 - very pleased. Spike ran it in 23 minutes - his first 5k race ever!

Up next is the Road to the Final Four 5k in Detroit on April 4th - hopefully Michigan State's basketball team will also be playing that day. Let's go Spartans!

Discipline

Wow - talk about being boastful and arrogant! Refer to my post on February 26th. I bragged about losing 5 pounds that week, maintaining my daily bible reading, and keeping my running regiment on track. Since that time, I have only kept up with the running. I gained a 1/2 pound the next week, then lost 1 pound for a net loss of one 1/2 pound in two weeks. I fell behind on my bible reading almost 5 days at one point. But I did keep the running on track - getting down to 8:20 miles on my four mile run this past Saturday.

I had a huge wake-up call last night as I attempted to catch up on my bible reading. I was skimming instead of reading and understanding. So, for the next week, I'll just read two days worth per evening to catch-up. I also need to re-focus my eating habits. Susan pointed out that I need to talk about eating healthy in front of Anna and Paul - and not talk too much about losing weight and placing focus on appearance. She's right - the appearance will take care of itself when I eat healthy and exercise.

I need to stay disciplined in all areas of my life! And not boast or brag about my accomplishments without giving due credit to the One who is in control.

At the Intersection

I went for a nice hour long run on Saturday. It ended up logging 7 miles. On my long runs, I'm not always sure where I'm going to go or end up. There are some busy streets that I run through and as I'm approaching I send a quick prayer to God to let me know which way I should go. If cars are coming, I turn left or right, if no cars, I keep heading straight. I don't do this for every intersection, just ones where I know I need to make a concrete decision. Sometimes it's when I don't think I want to run anymore - I just say, "God, if you want me to run a little longer today, if there are no cars, I'll go straight, if there are cars, I'll turn left and start back home." I know this sounds extremely simple as to my request to the Lord Almighty, but I trust the decision and keep on running. Do I do this in life decisions as much as I should? Probably not, only when faced with really tough decisions, or hardships, or trials - and maybe not even then. But we should be asking God to help with our decisions all the time - even the simple ones.

Rich's 2009 Running Tour

I've been reviewing the calendar and looking for 5K and 10K races. If you have one in your area, let me know! For now, here is my tentative schedule.

3/14/09 - Clare St. Patrick's Day 5k Road Race
3/21/09 - Irish Jig 5k - East Grand Rapids
4/4/09 - Road the Final Four 5k - Detroit
4/25/09 - Bell Isle Spring into Nature 5k
5/9/09 - 5/3 Riverbank Run 10k - Grand Rapids
5/16/09 - Dart Frog Dash 5k - Toledo Zoo
6/6/09 - Mackinac Island Lilac Festival 10k

Happy Birthday To Me!!!

After downing a large size burger from Red Robin (jalepenos, pepper-jack cheese, salsa, mmm-mmm) last night, I had to pay the piper this morning. It was a little tough at the get go, but ended up logging 5.4 miles at an 8:55 clip. It feltgood running and I stretched it out for about a 1/4 of a mile. There was fresh snow on the ground and it covered up some ice patches. I slipped a few times, but at the end of my run I truly bit it. I must have been parallel to the ground, landed flat on my back (hard!), but did not hit my head. I was pretty embarrassed at first but then my back was tightening up. I nice fellow was driving by when it happened and pulled over to make sure I was alright and even offered a ride - there are still some good Samaritans out there!

Today, after many searches over the last 3-4 months, I finally acquired a Wii game system (and a Wii fit). Pretty exciting!

Losing it!!!

Wow - big week for the weight loss as I dropped 5 POUNDS!!! Pretty awesome - I'm now down for a total of 24.5 pounds since it started. Running, lifting weights, and crunches has been paying off. I ran an easy 3.2 miles today in 28:34 - 8:59 miles.

I've also held my commitment with my daily bible reading and worship devotional. It's become routine now. Put Anna to bed, read devotional, read bible... when I know that I will miss a day, I read in advance instead of trying to play catch-up.

My friend Chris (remember him from below? - www.chrisjane.org) has been selected to play on the Big Ticket Festival Tour. It's a play-in competition to be picked to play at the actual Big Ticket Festivel which is a summer Christian music tour in Gaylord, MI. Third Day, Dave Crowder Band, Newsboys will all be performing and this could be Chris' big shot! If you are in the Grand Rapids area, stop by Resurrection Life Church in Grandville. The Tour plays from 2-8pm and Chris is scheduled to go on at 4:00 and has a 1/2 hour set. Pray for Chris inspire and lead others to a worshipful experience!

Run in the Sun (and sometimes snow)

Beautiful sunny winter day in northern Michigan today. Went for a nice, easy 30min run and ended up running 3.34 miles (8:59/mile). Not too shabby for not even pushing it. Went long on Saturday - 6omin run equaling 6.6 miles (9:07). The run felt good, but it snowed the whole time. Had icicles hanging from the eyelashes and eyebrows. Last week, I lost another .5 pound in the biggest loser which puts me at 19.5 pounds total. This should be a much better week as I have been trying to bear down a bit - especially because my birthday is this weekend and we're heading to my favorite restaurant (Red Robin)!!!

Reflective Run

I went for a 30 minute run today with lots to think about. One of my best friend's father passed away this past week and the funeral was this morning. TM was diagnozed with cancer a very short three months ago. How quickly that time passed for my friend. Today was an awesome celebration of his dad's life - including great music in which my friend accompanied the band on the drums. There were many witnesses and testaments to the life of TM - and also joy in the fact that he had accepted Jesus Christ as his savior. Someday, we'll all get back together again.

Susan and I are so blessed to still have our parents with us and so very much involved in our lives. Three months seems like a short time, but we can lose loved ones in a blink of a second. Remember to say "I love you" today, and tomorrow, and the next day. Peace.

Happy Valentine's Day

It's back to Michigan winter temperatures with some freshly fallen snow out there. I like to run in the cold and it was perfect today - about 28 degrees with just a light wind. I ran my longest run yet in this new year - 42 minutes totaling 4.5 miles. It felt good and it's good for you! Did some lifting today also - building some muscle. I lost another 2.5 pounds this week in the Biggest Loser contest - down 19 pounds total. What a difference from 6 weeks ago - both in weight and how far and fast I can run.

My friend Chris Jane is a Christian singer/songwriter. He just received copies of his newly published CD - Watching the Leaves Go By. He's the former Praise Band Leader at my church and is extremely talented with a God-centered heart. Check out his webpage at www.chrisjane.org and you can also listen to some of his songs or buy his CD. You'll enjoy it!

Feel Good Day

It's a beautiful, sunny, warm day today. Topped out at 57 degrees on February 10th - wow! I had one of my speed workouts today. I did a 5 minute warm-up run then a 20 minute interval training where I ran hard for 1 minute, ran easy for 1 minutes, and so on. It was a good workout and for that 20 minutes, I average 8:35/minutes per mile. This once a week activity will help slowly increase my speed. Last week I did some hill training where I would run as hard as I could up the hill, then jog back down - repeating 10 times. Now that was a workout. It was cold and I thought my heart was going to burst.

I have a church council meeting tonight and I've been thinking a lot about what I am going to say. These runs really give you time to think. Anyway, in my 365 Worship the King devotional, last night's message was perfect timing. It talked about what the church is and what it should be. One important message to take with you - "It's not always 'What Would Jesus Do,' but we should be asking, 'What Is Jesus Doing With Our Lives?'" Amen!

February Warm-up

Wow - it's 42 degrees outside! It felt great to run without my fingers feeling like they were going to fall off. It was a little windy, which made it a little more difficult to run, but it still felt great. At least it wasn't raining yet - it's supposed to sometime today. It will be a mess out there if/when it does.

I ran 3.84 miles today at a clip of 9:10 per mile. Yesterday I ran 2.5miles at 8:52/mile. My speed is increasing. Since I ran a marathon last year, my goals this year are to run leaner and faster. I'm going to run 5k and 10k races with the ultimate goal for breaking 20 minutes for a 5k race. Right now I'm about 27:40 - So I have a ways to go. Two years ago, I ran a self-timed 5k in 21:30 - So, I think I can do it. Of course, this hope is based on no injuries and continued weight loss. I'm done about 17 pounds since the beginning of "Biggest Loser." Yeah!!!

Spam I Am (not)

So, sorry for the long delay. Apparently the blogspot.com thought I was using this site to send spam to all of my friends (future ones too). After numerous requests to unblock the site, someone finally reviewed it and said that I am good to go again.

It's been over two weeks and I've been running and lifting like crazy. I am currently in first place (with my teammate Lisa) in the "Biggest Loser" contest - having lost 13.5 pounds!!! It feels good. My latest long run last Saturday was 3.87 miles in 35:21 - so about 9:07 miles. I've signed up for the Irish Jig on March 21st but was blocked out of the Shamrock Shuffle because I didn't sign up on time. Bummer!

I'm also one month into my quest to read the bible in a year. It's been a great joy and is a great way to wind down before going to bed. I'll catch up more later!

-2 degrees plus a wind chill (How cold is that?)

I got up early this morning to run because it was the only time during the day that I would have. Susan has an all day training event for a volunteer charity she is working with so I'll have Anna all day - she can take Paul with her. She'll be home by 3:30 - but MSU plays Illinois in basketball at 4:00. I always make time in my day to watch the Spartans :)

It was cold, windy, and snowing this morning. I ended up running about 2.2 miles. I didn't really have a plan. I knew that I wanted to run at least 1.5 miles but I guess the survival instinct came on and I ran back to my street corner. My eyelids were just about frozen open, and I had icicles hanging from by eyebrows and eyelashes. My fingers were a little cold too - but the rest of my body was comfortable. I didn't see one person or even one car. It's a great feeling to know that you are up and about while others may never get a chance or the will to get about all day.

Added some weight training to the routine this week - that will also help build some muscle and raise the metabolism.

Biggest Loser

I am part of a local "Biggest Loser" contest. It's run through the school and it's for partners - so I signed up with my friend Lisa. She is a runner also and is training for a marathon in March. We both packed on some pounds over the holidays and will use this as motivation to run and get healthy.

As part of my bible readings, I came across the excerpt -

Proverbs 3:7-8 : Don't be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.

It seems appropriate for the changes I am looking to achieve!

Cold As Ice

Wow - it's cold out today. Just finished a mile run followed by a mile walk/cool down. It didn't take long to cool down. The legs felt much better today but it was a little bit difficult catching my breath in the cold air. It's supposed to get colder, may have to find a place to run indoors or get the old treadmill operating.

Shamrock Shuffle

I was just discussing what race I should shoot for to stay motivated - and guess what? Today I received an e-mail about Chicago's Shamrock Shuffle on Sunday, March 29th. It was forwarded to me because of my participation in the Chicago Marathon. It's also sponsored by Bank of America and the 8k course uses parts of the Marathon course. It's $40 and the cost of travel (hotel, gas, parking, etc). I'll have to review my options, but that could be the motivation and reward that I was looking for. I also reviewed the Irish Jig 5k and that race is on Saturday, March 21st- which would be a perfect warm-up for the 8k race!

Weight Watcher

I started using the Weight Watcher program this past Monday. It works great for me and it's easy to use. I ran again today - 2min run, 1min walk for 20 minutes. It was snowing outside and a little slick underneath, but I made it - about two miles total if you count the cool down walk after the 20 minutes. I'm not sure what my goal is yet for a race. I'm sure I won't run the 25k Riverbank Run again - it's a little too late to get into the training for that, but maybe the 10k. I think I'm also going to push for the Irish Jig 5k race in Grand Rapids - that's definitely doable and it's a race that I've wanted to run for some time.

About my yesterdays

I'm sure I won't be the only one starting a new blog about a new year commitment to change - but this will be my first blog ever and hopefully this will keep me accountable. The concept of changing mind, body, and soul only begins by reflecting on the past. First, I'm a 36-year old husband of Susan (8 years) and father of two beautiful children, Anna (2) and Paul (5 months). Those three are the main motivations of change.

I've been running for just over 5 years now. I have run a couple of 25k road races and even ran the 2008 Chicago Marathon (5:36). I have hardly run since - a couple of short runs, a 5k in Wyandotte, Michigan on November 22nd, and my last run was on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Until today - I laced up the shoes and could barely run a mile. Wow, just three months ago I finished the Chicago Marathon and now I can barely run a mile. I've only gained eight pounds since the Marathon, but the clothes are tighter, the fat has come back, and all that muscle has been pretty much lost. Sad. I need to renew my commitment to be healthy. That's the change the "body" part.

I've also been a member of my church since confirmation and attend regularly. I consider myself a Christian and have accepted Christ as my savior. I still falter quite a bit, don't read the bible regularly, and have a yearning to develop a closer relationship with God and his son Jesus Christ. I just picked up a couple of books from Borders - one is a daily worship devotional and the other is a 365 day bible. That's the change the "soul" part.

Last, I've achieved goals in the past (running a marathon, financial discipline, weight loss), but I've never been good at maintaining. I stop working out, eat more, spend money, etc. This blog is my hope to keep me accountable to myself - and I'm also inviting friends here to help. That's the change the "mind" part.

I'll revisit yesterday in future blogs, spend some time on today, and work toward a better tomorrow. Until next time...