Running Hard

REACH313

2011-10-03T17:31:00.000-07:00

Philippians 3:13-14

Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus. (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Reach. There is so much more to life than just reaching the end. Finishing for finishing sake is not but a selfish pursuit. There is the heavenly prize that we are called to reach.

Reach Up. Stretch out your hands and worship the God most high. This will set your heart in action; it will connect you with the Father’s vision, for it is exactly what He is calling you toward.

Reach Out…to your neighbors, loved ones, co-workers. This is the great commission that we are called towards. Once God has put His vision into your heart, this will become your heart’s cry that none would be lost.

Reach Through. Go into the holy of holies; meet with God face to face. Let His glory shine on you and transform you. Once God’s glory has transformed you, you will be unrecognizable to your former self. This is where you will forget what is behind and only look forward to what is ahead.

Reach In…to the heart’s of your brothers and sisters. This is active discipleship. Reach into the lives of others to guide them and lead them. Jesus did not merely save you, but He left His Holy Spirit to dwell within you, to guide and direct you, to be your comforter and disciple.

Reach Down. This was God’s part. He reached down in love and grace and mercy. He set that heavenly prize in place.

God reached down so that you could reach up, reach through, reach out and reach in and finally reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize.

All this reaching isn’t easy though. It is not a sprint; it is not even a marathon. The point of this reaching is to stretch you, to stretch you beyond your natural limits. This is a true endurance challenge, and in the middle of the race you will want to sit, maybe even quit, but a DNF (Do Not Finish) is not an option. Trust in the Lord, continue reaching up and through. Isaiah 40:31 says, “but those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.”

This isn’t a race that requires speed. It is one of endurance and strength and by God’s Holy Spirit that He reached down and gave to you, you will have all the strength you need. Slow down to a walk, even a crawl, but DO NOT STOP moving forward. The prize is too great.

Heart Attack or Cardiac Arrest

2011-08-09T11:15:00.001-07:00

Heart Attack is used synonymously with Cardiac Arrest. One is a layman's term and the other the words a medical professional would use. But there is a difference.

Think of the words attack and arrest.

Attack means to set upon in a forceful, violent, hostile, or aggressive way, with or without a weapon; begin fighting with; to blame or abuse violently or bitterly.

Arrest means to seize by legal authority or warrant; to catch and hold, attract and fix.

Is your heart under attack or has it been arrested. I would say that if your heart is arrested then it won't be attacked.

God created you – God has the legal authority to seize your heart, to arrest your heart. The enemy has no authority and no right to your heart.

The enemy attacks your heart, your inner being tortured by thoughts of failure, shame, like you mean nothing - but this is not God's plan for you. 1 Peter 5:8 says: ⁸ Be sober! Be on the alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. ⁹ Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your brothers in the world.

He uses tricks and mind games, in all reality the enemy cannot find a home in your heart, but only in your mind.

The Lord arrests your heart; if you give him full access your inner being will be captured by God and put at rest. There will be peace and joy. The fruits of the spirit will come to life in you. When God truly has captured your heart, when you have thrown your arms up in surrender, God will be there to comfort you. That was His promise, that He would send His Spirit to be your comfort. Once the Lord has cast His spirit on your heart there is only light and the enemy tries to flee where he can find darkness.

Don't let your heart come under attack. Pray. Fast. Stay in the word. Allow the heavenly Father to arrest your heart. This is where peace is.

¹ Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus, ² because the Spirit's law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Romans 8:1-2 (HCSB)

John 14:27 AMP says- Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]

If your heart has been arrested by God there is no escaping it, you can try and run from His power working in your life, but you will never escape. Proverbs 19:21 - Many are the plans in a man's heart but it is the Lord's will that prevails. If the enemy is attacking your heart you just need to tell him to stop, that he can't have it because what he is attacking is not yours but God's.

The funny thing is, is that when your heart is arrested by God, you are not put in prison but you are set free, but if you listen to the enemy he will tell you that you are worthless and you will begin to build a prison of your own. You will build a wall around your life and let know one in. What a lie!!!! Imagine for a second buying into deception in the natural realm that you began to build your own prison to rot in. You have power and strength imparted unto you by the Holy Spirit of God, power enough to tear down those walls.

By the NUMBERS

2011-02-23T14:26:00.000-08:00

My running journey lately has been one of more running after God than that of running in the normal sense. Since October 1 I have been sidelined with an inguinal hernia which has been a blessing in a way.

My last run was in January and was a whole 5km. It took me just under half hour which was encouraging that I hadn't lost that much fitness overall. The inclement weather set in - snow storms, cold, melting, ice, cold again which may be a terrible excuse but such conditions could easily worsen the hernia situation with poor footing and slippery sidewalks.

Surgery for the hernia is scheduled for the end of March which puts me back in training mid may so that is less than exciting.

What is exciting though is the journey that I've had recently in my run after God.

Numbers.

Most runners obsess over their numbers - mileage, elevation, caloric intake, hydration, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

However, for as long as I've been a Christian, it was the Book of Numbers that I tried to avoid, I've read it several times and it seemed like a long list of unpronounceable names and unpronounceable places, a bore fest between Leviticus and Deuteronomy. This time though it has been different. I have never received so much clear revelation out of a single book of the bible than I have out of Numbers in the past few weeks.

Nazirite Laws - Numbers 6 explains the laws of the Nazirite. This was a special vow taken "setting themselves apart to the Lord in a special way." Numbers 6:2. What caught me about this was that there is a lot of things one had to do to be set apart (sanctified) for God. Don't drink, don't cut your hair, don't touch death...a lot of don'ts. As I considered this, my thoughts jumped to the book of Judges and the story of Samson. Samson was a Nazirite, kept his vows perfectly, until he was tricked by Delilah and given over to the Philistines, bad stuff happened, they pulled out his eyes and he ended up committing suicide while killing all the Philistines in the process. I thought about how Samson lost his strength because he broke a vow and realized that because of Christ's death on the Cross, and our acceptance of that act as the final redeeming sacrifice for our sins we are sanctified once and for all. Christ sealed our sanctification with the sending of His Holy Spirit to be our comforter and guide in the book of Acts.

Answer to Moses' Prayer - In Numbers 11, Moses gets somewhat fed up of dealing with all the whining of the Israelites and asks God to help him, and so be it, Moses is able to choose seventy other leaders to help him. Two of these men, however, began to prophesy and Joshua (basically the next in line to lead the Israelites) protested about this. "But Moses replied, Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put His spirit on them all." Number 11:29. Guess what, In Acts Chapter 2, God did pour out His spirit on all of His people and 1 Corinthians 14 speaks of the gift of Prophecy.

The Slayer and The Avenger -
But if the slayer ever leaves the limits of the city of refuge, and the avenger finds him outside the city and kills him, it will not be considered murder. The slayer should have stayed inside the city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the slayer may return to his own property.- Numbers 35:26-28

The slayer is a picture of a sinner, constantly looking over his shoulder for the avenger to destroy him. The avenger is a picture of the devil - the accuser of the brethren, roaming like a lion, seeking whom he may devour. Jesus is our place of refuge where we find rest, but Jesus is also our high priest that has died and any possible conviction is erased. There is protection in Christ Jesus but there is also freedom in the death of Jesus. There is no more condemnation and no more conviction. In Jesus YOU ARE FREE.

So Numbers isn't so boring after all. The entire bible is woven together like a wonderful tapestry. It is beautiful in all its pieces and even more so when you allow the Holy Spirit to weave it into your heart.

Canadian Death Race Race Report

2010-08-06T12:44:00.001-07:00

Better late than never is what some say and so it goes with my report from the CDRX. Anyone who reads this has probably already talked to me about it, but this writing bit is more just to get it out there.

If anyone doesn't know what the Canadian Death Race is, well here is a quick overview. 125km of pure intensity that takes over the small town of Grande Cache, Alberta and involved 1,500 runners. Some run the entire thing solo, most are part of a team, all are out there for the challenge.

The race started at 8:00am on Saturday with the elite soloists and leg 1 runners getting out fast. These runners amaze me, how they can endure the challenge ahead with what seems to be effortless ability. I was running leg 2, so after the start I went back to the hotel and got myself prepared and made sure the family was up and ready to go.

This is the first race of the year that my wife and children were able to make it to, and it was a special treat having them there. After we were all fed and watered we hooped in the car and drove out to the Denard Rail yard. This would be the transition from leg 1 to leg 2. At this point the nerves were settling down and the immodium was beginning to work and my stomach had settled. I don't know if I've ever shared it here but prior to a race I always take some immodium, the last thing I want is to stop for an emergency.

After about 15 minutes of waiting, our leg 1 runner came in, her time was 2:18 and change, a really great effort. I got the coin and the timing stick, started my music and off I went to summit 2 mountains and survive a powerline and slugfest.

Leg 2 is not the longest section of the Death race at 27km but it is considered the most technical. There is around 6,000 ft of climbing and an equal amount of descent. A majority if the initial climb was on double track quad trail, I ran what I could, but I quickly realized that this was going to be a long hike. I reached a small downhill section and ran it as hard as I could, just to make up some time. On the next bit of climbing I rounded a bend and looked up, there was still a long way to go and I could see people a couple hundred feet up who still were not close.

The quad trail ends abruptly as you meet the runners who are on their descent and there is a sharp right hand turn up a small goat trail that begins a tough climb at a sever grade. At the end of the trail the double track continues and takes you to the summit where there are stunning views of the valley below. After a small rest at the top of Flood Mountain I began the descent, the trail was crowded and again I ran what I could until I got to that point where the goat trail started up, only this time it was a sharp right hand turn and down SLUGFEST. This is the nastiest bit of trail and thanks to the trees and their helpful branches I got down in one piece. But Slugfest is not only down, it also continues up as the racers make their way to Grande Mountain and it is a tough uphill push. Slugfest ends at a small lookout and it time for another natural rest. Everyone that was taking a little break was in good spirits and there was a small amount of chatter.

Rest time was over so with a death racer yell "GO DEATH RACER" I was off down the next downhill section and on my way to the Grande Aid Station. As I got through the singletrack and the quad trail started again there were a couple stream crossings which were sent from heaven I am sure. I soaked my hat in the first and then filled my bottle in the second as it was very warm. As I made my way up to the Grande Aid station a group of fellow death racers came up and we were all singing "You are my Sunshine" It was a nice moment of levity to take away from the continuous climb that was ahead.

Finally, I made it to the aid station, only 10km to go to the finish but I still had a solid climb and the dreaded powerline to contend with. The volunteers were super. I stopped for a bit and had a pro bar and had some water and gatorade and again refilled my water bottle. I still had plenty of GU ELECTROLYTE BREW in my hydration pack but water is always a nice break.

I left the aid station and was off to summit my second mountain. Grande mountain rises to an elevation of just over 6,500'. I made it to the top, checked in, took some photos and was off to tackle powerline. As tough as slugfest was, the powerline is the most gruelling downhill I have ever been on, thank God it was dry because if it wasn't I would have slid all the way down. Then came the most disheartening part of the run. As you descend the first part of powerline you can see ahead that it turns again drastically uphill, not really what I needed right now because my energy was zapped. The issue being that I had gotten really sick on Wednesday and Thursday and was not quite fully recovered and in addition to my immodium I also took some 12 hour cold medicine before I started. 12 hours means nothing when you sweat like this and it turns into 3 hour cold medicine. My nose was running faster than I was which made for a challenge and my energy was dropping too fast.

On the final descent into town I had to stop and sit at the side of the trail. Cell coverage was great on the mountain and since I was beyond my goal of finishing in 4:30 I texted my wife with an update that included the words "I'm so done." She encouraged me though, as she always does and I was on my way, the final descent puts you at the Grande Cache Cemetery, kind of fitting for a Death Race. Then there was the final ascent into town and then down the main street back to the start finish line where I exchanged with our leg 3 runner and she was off. My total time was 5:41.

The rest of our runners did great, our leg 3 runner finished in 2:48, leg 4 in 5:57 and leg 5 in 2:30. Our total time was 19:17.

As I said earlier the elite guys are fast and appear to do it effortlessly. The top male, Hal Koerner, finished in 12:45 and the top lady, Ellie Greenwod, finished in 13:28, both destroying the old men's course record of 13:48.

Will I do this next year, I'm still on the fence. I know my blog title says the ultimate goal is to solo this thing next year, but I have a long way to go to get there. It was a good time, but it was definitely the hardest physical challenge in my life to date.

For now, Run Scared, Have Fun

Blackfoot 50km

2010-05-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

It is finished. Sure, I know, the Lord said it first and He was talking of something much more epic than a 50km race, but those words rang out in my head more than once as I was completing the 2nd loop of the race.

It was a miserable day weather wise. At the race start it was +3 with very little wind and it was raining fairly steady. I started strongly, settling into a nice pace. I passed the first aid station (4km) in just over 20 minutes so it was a quick pace for me, but this was the easiest part of the course. My legs were feeling very fresh through the first loop, I made it the 2nd aid station (15km) in 1:29. Things slowed down after this, the rain was starting to affect the trail and things were getting sloppy. I finished the first loop in about 2:45. I was happy with this. I took a 10 minute break at the start/finish and had some nice hot soup.

The 2nd loop wasn't quite as good. I didn't take any Aleve prior to the start of the loop so my hip started to bother me. I stopped tracking time splits so religiously and just tried to get it done. An hour and 16 into it I was at about 9km. It took me close to two hours to hit aid station 2 and 1:45 to finish the last 10km which was mostly walking as the muddy conditions were not conducive running at all and my hip was in excruciating pain. It was times like this when I would think about the cross and how all my pain was taken away on the cross. It helped me to pull through the toughest times.

I finished strong but did not hit my sub 6 hour goal. i finished in 6:45. I'm not sure of my placing. I am happy that I finished and I know that next time it will go a little better.

Now my focus turns to the Death Race on July 30. I am running leg 2 which is 27km and 2 mountain summits.

1000 kilometers

2010-05-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

For most runners I run with on a regular basis, they probably bang out this number every 3 months or so, but I was quite elated last night when after returning from a most epic interval workout with the folks at AthleticsNorth, to see my lifetime kilometers at 1004.91.

It is a big milestone for me, I never thought it would be but it is. To think, in March of last year I hadn't done much running, for the most part I can say that I basically never "ran" before in my life. This has been an interesting journey. A 10 minute mile was a great accomplishment for last year, and now to think that I am regularly clocking 8 minute miles is a great feeling.

To think that a year ago, the longest run of my life was probably 3km and now, in 8 days I am embarking on a 50km Ultra Marathon.

Running has become my release, the more stressed the day at work, the better the run, the better the day at home and when things are going well all around, the better the run. It has become a time for me to embrace the abilities that God puts in each of us, and truly live a victorious life in freedom.

Victories are not counted by medals or podium finishes, but by the sheer pleasure that we bring to our Creator. he truly is my strength and I know that as I run through the beautiful trails at Blackfoot next Saturday, He will be with me, His Spirit within me and His glory upon me.

1000 kilometers.

Run Scared, Have Fun

Tears...Almost

2010-04-25T19:21:00.000-07:00

MapMyRun.com - Race: EPF Half Marathon on 04/25/2010

I had a great race today. After a good workouts on Tuesday and Wednesday my shin was feeling a little tweaked. I was unsure throughout the rest of the week and ws really uncertain of making my goal of sub-2 hours.

But God is good and helped me to run light. After Ryan Hall's inspirational run in Boston this week I decided that I too would try and run free. Run free I did. I ran to my strengths. I stayed steady on the flats and made good advances on the uphills and the downhills. I just focussed on keeping a high rate of turnover on the hills and it worked out.

My final official time 1:56:43, this is over 15% or 22 minutes faster than my Intact Half Marathon time.

The finish was extremely emotional for me. As I sprinted for the finish line I glimpsed at the clock above the line and it read 1:57:29. At that time I knew I had reached my target, I had completed a sub 2 hour half marathon. My eyes welled up but the tears never flowed. If Marcelene and the girls had been there, I'm sure the flood gates would have burst forth.

It was a great day.

Run scared, run free

MapMyRun.com - Tempo Run: 6-24-6 AT Run on 04/21/2010

2010-04-21T22:25:00.000-07:00

MapMyRun.com - Tempo Run: 6-24-6 AT Run on 04/21/2010

A really good threshold run tonight. Last hard workout before the half this weekend. I had a good pace for the 6.4km on this run, I just need to be able to keep this pace on Sunday morning.

MapMyRun.com - Interval Training: 10min w/u; 120, 110, 100, 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10sec int w/ 2min rec; 14min cd on 04/20/2010

2010-04-21T07:20:00.000-07:00

MapMyRun.com - Interval Training: 10min w/u; 120, 110, 100, 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10sec int w/ 2min rec; 14min cd on 04/20/2010

Nice easy workout. followed JAck's advice and ran on grass and tried to just keep a good tempo going. Legs are feeling good going into the middle of the week.

Sweet Giveaways at irunfar.com

2010-04-20T13:33:00.000-07:00

Check this out. Always great giveaways at irunfar.com.

Earth Week Trail Gear ReUseAPalooza 2010!

Technique Clinic, Hawaii and Back Home

2010-04-19T17:37:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a great couple of weeks. The technique clinic at FastTrax was a great experience. It was good to hear that I am using a mid-foot strike and that my cadence was as prescribed at around 90 RPM. Based on the technique clinic it is probably my downhill form that needs the most work. Thanks to Robin for his help. The next day it was off to Honolulu so running took a back seat through the weekend, but I did get out Monday for a little tempo run (5km) and Tuesday my math was way off and I ended up doing twice as many intervals as was in the plan but the view all but made up for the extra pain in my pinky toes. This view at the Diamond Head lookout kept me going. I also was able to do some barefoot running at the end of my intervals as a cool down. It was more out of sheer pain in my toes that a desire to barefoot. Thankfully the sidewalks and grass along the Ala Wai Canal are fairly rock free. It was a nice week in Hawaii, but it was nice to get home to my girls on Friday and then get out with the AthleticsNorth gang on Saturday for some nice easy intervals and then get a recovery run in on Sunday. The weather was beautiful running through Kennedale Ravine. Last week of preparation now for the EPF Half Marathon I will get out tonight for a 6-24-6 Aerobic Threshhold Run, tomorrow for intervals, wednesday for another AT run and then recovery runs on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Ryan Hall ran Boston in 2:08:41 today. My goal is to beat that by a minimum of 9 minutes. The only difference is I'm only running half as far. That's it for this Monday. Have fun, Run Scared.

Shin Splints with risk of Stress Fracture

2010-03-30T08:14:00.001-07:00

That was my clinical diagnosis yesterday. Not exactly what a guy wants to here with less than month to a half marathon.

The next few weeks of training will be exercise bike based and some strength training in order to keep the muscles in tune and the heart and lungs in shape.

I also went for an xray yesterday to rule out stress fractures. This would be the worst case scenario as it could lead to some significant time off. I'm not sure when I will get the results but I hope I'm not waiting too long.

In the first 4 full weeks of March I logged 101km, significantly less than the 125km logged in February. The biggest change in March was to my new trail shoes, which I ran in a very limited amount but may be the culprit.

It is great that I have a diagnosis from the Doctor but the answer lies in how to correct whatever is causing the issue. Perhaps I will get some solutions when I take a technique clinic next week, and a week in Hawaii can't do my body any harm. Who knows?? Maybe some barefootin on the beach will help.

For now...Run Scared

MapMyRun.com - Cardio - Bike: Interval + workout on bike on 03/27/2010

2010-03-27T11:57:00.000-07:00

MapMyRun.com - Cardio - Bike: Interval + workout on bike on 03/27/2010

A decent workout this morning. I sweat alot which is good and being on the bike definitely worked my quads more than running usually does.

My shins are in a world of hurt so I know I will be on the bike quite a bit until the pain eases, then probably to the elliptical until they feel perfect.

Its only 4 weeks until the EPF half so I don't want to lose any of my fitness. This will be a challenge to get ready for but I'm pretty sure I will get there. Besides, with a week in Hawaii in the middle of April, my body should be well rested.

Have fun, run scared

MapMyRun.com - Interval Training: Interval 5-10-15-20-25-30-35-40-40-35-30-25-20-15-10-5 secs w/ 2min recoveries on 03/25/2010

2010-03-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

MapMyRun.com - Interval Training: Interval 5-10-15-20-25-30-35-40-40-35-30-25-20-15-10-5 secs w/ 2min recoveries on 03/25/2010

Decent interval workout. Intervals done at 3km race pace. Looked easier on paper than it actually was. Shins were feeling pretty bad.

I've gone for 3 physio treatments now for my shins and the pain isn't subsiding at all. I've even been trying to ease up on my pace. The first two physio treatments consisted of ultrasound and some stretching recommendations and the most recent one was ultrasound followed by acupuncture.

I have another appointment booked for Monday but I think I will cancel it. I bought a roller massager tonight for $22, less than half the price of a physio visit, and I can administer it myself after every run.

It is 4 weeks until the Edmonton Police Foundation Half Marathon and I am sticking to my goal of sub 2 hours. It is a hilly course so it will be a challenge but I am feeling confident that God will strengthen me and give me relief from the pain in my shins.

Training Progress

2010-03-02T20:15:00.000-08:00

Things are progressing really well, I am getting stronger and faster. The program that Jack from Fast Trax has me on is pretty intense.

I ran a 15km simulation run on Sunday and completed it in 92 minutes. I am feeling really good that this will help me get to my goal of a sub 2 hour half in 8 weeks.

Update my blog today, which is obvious if you've been here before, or no big deal if you haven't.

I have some things noodling around in my head for later this year, hopefully I will be able to just get at it and be able to announce it later in the spring.

Thanks to who ever is reading this...if anyone.

Run Scared, Have Fun

http://dailyviews.runnersworld.com/

2010-01-20T13:30:00.000-08:00

http://dailyviews.runnersworld.com/

MapMyRun.com - Regular Run: 3 mile recovery run on 01/20/2010

2010-01-20T11:35:00.000-08:00

MapMyRun.com - Regular Run: 3 mile recovery run on 01/20/2010

2010 Races & Training

2010-01-20T07:45:00.001-08:00

Well it's mid January and training is going well. I have registered for 3 races so far and who knows what else the year holds in store.

In April I will be running the EPF Half Marathon - goal is sub 2 hours

In May I have the Blackfoot Ultra 50km - Goal is sub 6 hours

And on July 31 I have the Canadian Death Race; Leg 2 - Goal is sub 4:40

The K100 is a possibility again this year and then there is the 5 peaks series as well.

I want to focus on trail running for the most part as road running gets kind of boring.

I have also joined the FastTrax Marathon Club or Athletics North as it is now called. This will give me a good training routine and access to a lot of experience.

It's all coming together.

Have fun, Run scared

Long time No post

2009-10-19T19:52:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I posted anything.

The half marathon went well, 2:19 was my time, especially considering I was aiming for 2:45 based on my 2 hour time for the K100.

After the half I started slacking, I think I ran once before I went on vacation to Trinidad. Then vacation really through a monkey wrench into the whole running and blogging thing, but it was awesome to get away and spend some wicked good time with my family.

After I got back from vacation I was determined to run another race so I chose the 26th Annual Fall Classic 10 Miler. It was a pretty low key race but I was pleased with my time of 1:44:39. Now it is the offseason, the keys oer the winter will be to shed some pounds, change some eating habits and get ready for what will be a busy 2010. Right now I'm thinking the season will start with the EPS Half Marathon in April, then the Blackfoot 25km in May, Death Race in August and finally the Intact Edmonton Marathon. I will taill off in the fall with some half marathons and trail running.

This has been fun so far.

Stay Scared.

5 sleeps to go…

2009-08-11T18:46:00.001-07:00

Well, I’m on the home stretch so to speak. After last week its amazing I’m even walking. Of course I got the new shoes and ran 8.5km, then I wasn’t satisfied so ran another 9.7km the day after, then after 1 day of rest I did 3 miles in a personal best time of 29:17, and then Thursday I went out for 4 miles and finished about 2 miles before my shins got so bad I nearly crawled home, it was the worst pain I’ve felt during this journey.

So I took it easy on the weekend, went to Calgary with the family, walked around Calaway park for 8 hours and followed that up with the zoo on Sunday. During the weekend I discovered that my calf muscles were both extremely knotted up with knots the size of golf balls…BINGO…there was my big problem.

The last couple days I’ve tried to work the knots out and they are coming along thanks to a little bit of help from my wife.

I decided to get to the gym today and get on the elliptical for an hour, since this was a good strategy for me back in April when I took a month off pounding the pavement. It felt awesome, my legs felts great and my heart and lungs felt even better, if anything I don’t want to lose the cardio endurance I’ve built up. And in other great news, I broke through the 220 pound mark and am down to 218. It feels great to see some progress in that area as well.

I’m off to Ft. McMurray tomorrow, then back home Thursday. I am hoping that I will be able to at least run 2 miles on Friday night just to get my legs underneath me, then rest and stretching on Saturday and then the big run, 2:45:00 is my goal.

Enjoy your week everyone.

Play Hard, Run Scared.

Almost there….

2009-08-02T21:09:00.001-07:00

Well today I crossed the 200km mark for total distance since March 10. I wasn’t satisfied with 8.5km yesterday so I thought I’d go for a little a longer. I went for 1:00:47 and finished 9.86km, I was about 300 meters short of my next speed goal which is 10km in less than an hour. So close today though. My best time for 10km before this was 1:10 so I am at least 9 minutes faster now.

It was a great run, I pushed myself as hard as I could. I also finally figured my hydration/nutrition strategy for my long runs. Water/Gatorade every 10 minutes, alternating between them; and at 30 minutes a fruit to go bar. I really felt a difference at about 35 minutes when the sugars from the fruit got to my system, I was able to push a lot harder.

The new shoes are really helping, I felt no pain in my knees today and my legs felt great the entire run. Shoes and hydration are figured out, now its time to ensure that I am running as efficient as possible, the question is whether or not to go for video gait analysis before the half or not.

More to come…

Play Hard, Run Scared

2 Weeks to go – 8.5 km in a thunderstorm with my new shoes

2009-08-01T18:32:00.001-07:00

Well the running has definitely slowed down, I thought this was summer vacation.

I ran 5.5 km on Tuesday in 31:43, it was a great short run, nice and fast (for me anyway).

I went to Fast Trax Run & Ski Shop this afternoon, Marcelene needed some new shoes so, at the recommendation of a few friends, we went down to Fast Trax. The service was fantastic. They make you walk on a treadmill and check if you are neutral, over-pronate or under-pronate. After they have a good idea of your foot, they pick out about 5 pairs of shoes to try, and by try I mean run on a treadmill to see how they feel and fit. If you’re in e-town and looking for shoes, go see the folks at Fast Trax, it’s not the nicest shop but the selection of shoes and other gear is fantastic and they don’t brand all their gear with their logo. Also the owner runs a crazy amount so that has to count for something – you can see his training plan and what race he is preparing for here.

Well, not to be outdone, I had to get myself some new kicks as well. I decided to go for the new Nike LunarGlide+ shoes. They are wicked lite and they look awesome…oh yeah they fit me really well too.

When I got home, the clouds were rolling in and the wind was picking up so I decided to try out these new shoes. I did and I was not disappointed. I just started running, I had no distance in mind, just run until I couldn’t run anymore, but the weather had other ideas. As I was running west along 167th Ave, the wind kicked up and was trying to stop my 220lb frame dead in its track. A dust storm blew in from the north east across the open fields just north of 167th so I put my head down and ran until I got to a road that went south. I wish I could have made it as far as 82nd street before I turned south, but I got to 59A street and headed south. After all was said and done I ran 8.5km in 53 minutes. The best thing is, my legs feel great and I don’t have any pain in my knees.

2 weeks and counting.

Play Hard, Run Scared.

14.7 km – 90% of what my goal was

2009-07-19T12:58:00.001-07:00

Well….Saturday was long run day and the target was 16km. What I learned from this long run was the following.

Don’t eat a bunch of greasy food the night before – As good as the food at taste of Edmonton was, it wasn’t exactly 96 octane, let’s just say that there was possibly some sludge build up and the engine couldn’t perform as designed.
Don’t be chintzy with the H20 – if you’re going to binge on greasy food the night before, a lot of water will be consumed during the run. On this particular run I didn’t touch my water bottle until 1 hour in, this was much too long to wait – so long actually that the sweat actually stopped.
Slim fast isn’t enough calories for a 2 hour run – on average I burn 1,000 calories per hour while running, therefore 300 calories in a morning slim fast isn’t enough to keep a guy going, especially when the reserve fuel is greasy street vendor food. Mmmmm greasy street vendor food.

So that’s the lessons. I have never experienced my legs just stopping on me, it took all I had within me to walk the last 1 km home – the walk of shame. The key though is that I got out and ran, and the pain today isn’t that bad. 4 weeks to go until the Intact Half Marathon, methinks I will be ready.

As always, Play hard, Run Scared

Don’t Worry Still Running

2009-07-16T21:28:00.001-07:00

I haven’t written in a while due to no computer at home, but now we got our new one so it’s all good.

Last time I ran was Monday and I did a nice 10km. Amazing how well I felt afterwards, not to mention I took 5 minutes of my best 10km time and finished in 1:10.

Plyometrics has been the key to building stamina, plus strengthening the more forgotten muscles in the lower legs. If you haven’t tried jump training I highly recommend it. I’ve been using the plyo workout from P90X, its a wicked hard workout.

Well that’s it.

Have fun, run scared.

Happy Canada Day

2009-07-02T07:38:00.000-07:00

Well the workout didn't happen on Canada Day, not conventional anyway. Instead of lifting weights and running for 30 minutes I decided to move over one and a half tons of sand and lift patio blocks/slabs in excess of one ton. So to say the least my back, shoulders, arms and legs are all feeling it today.

Hope everyone else enjoyed their midweek holiday.

Live Hard, Run Scared

Countdown to Edmonton 1/2 Marathon

2009-06-29T09:54:00.001-07:00

Well, with the K100 out of the way, it is time to dig down deep and go for 21.1km on August 16 at the Edmonton half-marathon. Once again I have put together my training plan to get me there. My weights routine will consist of a simple 8 exercise circuit. Here is the coutdown for the next 48 days

48 - Weights
47 - Short 5km
46 - Weights + Fartlek 30min
45 - Short 5km
44 - Weights
43 - Long 14.5km
42 - Rest
41 - Weights
40 - Short 5km
39 - Weights + X Train – 30min
38 - Short 5km
37 - Weights
36 - Long 10km
35 - Rest
34 - Weights
33 - Short 5km
32 - Weights + Fartlek – 30min
31 - Short 5km
30 - Weights
29 - Long 16km
28 - Rest
27 - Weights
26 - Short 5km
25 - Weights + Fartlek – 30min
24 - Short 6.5km
23 - Weights
22 - Long 17.5km
21 - Rest
20 - Weights
19 - Short 5km
18 - Weights + X-Train – 30min
17 - Short 5km
16 - Weights
15 - Long 13km
14 - Rest
13 - Weights
12 - Short 5km
11 - Weights + Fartlek – 30min
10 - Short 6.5km
9 - Weights
8 - Long 19km
7 - Rest
6 - Recovery
5 - Short 5km
4 - Fartlek 45min
3 - Short 6.5km
2 - Recovery
1 - Recovery
0 - RACE DAY 21.1 KM

Live Hard, Run Scared

K100 Final Thoughts

2009-06-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

Well, it's the Monday after, and I am still able to write so it can be labelled a success. I ran my leg of 16.5 km (10.24 miles) in 1:59:59 a pace of 11.7 minutes/mile, I actually ran the first and last miles in a pace of 8 minutes/mile. My estimated pace was 12 minutes/mile for a total time of 2:02:53.

It was a beautiful day for a run, it was sunny and around 22 degrees, and I had very little wind (some wind would have been nice). It was also beautiful scenry for a run, I highly suggest a drive along hiway 40 if you're ever in the Kananaskis area.

The most inspirational part of my run was when I saw Marcelene and the girls standing on the side of the road cheering me on and having them at the finish line of my leg was awesome.

I have to give props to the KMC Longhaul support crew of Chad (who couldn't run due to a bad knee) and Arne (who ran leg 4 of the race in stellar fashion). They did a fantastic job of getting me water and gatorade.

The most sobering thought of the day is that I found out that a gentleman had a heart attack and passed away while running his leg. It makes you think twice about what is important and how we have to make sure that we are doing things for the right reason.

So Kananaskis is done...next up the Edmonton Half Marathon in August.

Play hard, Run Scared

3 more sleeps, "Feeling Good Billy Ray"

2009-06-17T21:59:00.000-07:00

3 sleeps, wow, it came fast. I went out for a little 3 mile jaunt tonight at my race pace i.e. long run pace of 11 minutes per mile. Everything is feeling good. I've gotten used to this dull pain in my shins. I stocked up on supplies tonight; band aids, athletic tape, moleskin, a new hat, new running socks and a water bottle belt.

I mapped out my leg of the race on mapmyrun.com, it is a lot less intimidating the way that mapmyrun shows the elevation change vs. the k-100 website.

That's all for now, so as always, Play Hard, Run Scared.

1 Week to Go, 11.6 Km, year end dance finale

2009-06-13T22:24:00.000-07:00

What a day. The weather was amazing. I got up and out early due to the fact that the year end dance show was today (more on that in a bit)

I headed out this morning just trying to run a little longer than 10km. I had no preset route so when I finished, I didn't know how far I had went until I mapped my run. Turns out it was 11.6KM, my longest run of my life. I did it in 1:26:37 (hh:mm:ss). Pretty good I guess, still slower than I'd like to be running, but I have to be realistic. 1 week from today I will run 16.5KM, luckily it's mostly downhill so if all else fails I can just roll down the hill.

The dance year concluded today with the final show at the Jubilee Auditorium. Carrington and Channing were both amazing, I am such a proud papa. It is pretty cool to see your kids perform on the same stage that the Alberta Ballet performs on, or that such legends as Tony Bennett have been on.

Although the whole show was 6 hours long, seeing my girls up there for their combined 20 minutes was well worth it.

There won't be much running this week, a couple of short runs to keep the legs and heart going and a whole lot of stretching.

As always...Play Hard, Run Scared

10km...

2009-06-09T19:19:00.000-07:00

Not much more to say than the title. I ran 10km tonight, it felt good, my shin wasn't too bothersome.

I feel a little better about my chances to get the 16km done on race day. 10km is the longest I've ever run. EVER. I'm happy I got it done, however not happy that it took me 3 minutes longer than I hoped. I didn't push hard though because I want to run again this week and, well, we all know what happens when I push too hard...yup...shins hurt for a week.

Anonymous...I know who you are, thanks for the encouragement bro...

Play hard, Run Scared

Shins....

2009-06-09T09:26:00.000-07:00

I haven't run since last Tuesday. My left shin has been very painful so I thought some rest would be good. The race is in 11 days and my biggest fear is that they won't hold out for 10 miles. Slow and easy will be my pace. I would really like to finish in 1 hour 45 minutes, but the pace I'm working towards is 2 hours even. My leg is mostly downhill so I am hoping to shave a bit of time.

The shin is feeling alright today (no pain going up and down stairs) so I may try a nice east run tonite.

Have fun, Run scared.

5 miles, Edmonton is a running city

2009-06-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

Well I did it. My longest run yet. 5 miles in 59:37. It was the exact time I expected and hopefully I can maintain this pace for the race. That would give me 2 hours to finish my leg. Hopefully with the majority of my leg being downhill I will be able to shave off a few minutes.

As I was out for my Saturday morning jaunt, I realized that there are a lot of active people in this city. The paths were steady with people either running or walking. I decided to watch throughout the weekend and all weekend, sure enough, there was always someone on the sidewalk running.

I never really noticed this before but its like anything else, you don't really notice how many Jaguars there are on the roads until you take a keen interest in Jaguars, or Mercedes R Class or insert car type here.

I'm definitely enjoying this journey. I've lost about 7 pounds so far; in May I ran 50.07km and burned an estimated 6,876 calories. June's goal is to put on 80km.

19 days to the K-100. Run Scared, Have Fun

5 Hour Drive, 3 Mile Run, 10th Runner Found

2009-05-27T18:02:00.000-07:00

Busy day today. Out to Suncor site for the morning for work. I got a few things done, all that I wanted to get accomplished while on that trip north.

The drive home was good, I felt a little sleepy a few times but I made it home safe and sound.

I missed my run last night so I had to make a decision today, weights (back and triceps) or catch up on my miles. I figured since I am in this whole thing for running I should get my miles in. I am super stoked that I ran. I ran my 3 miles (5km) in 29:55. Sub 30 minutes. That's wicked awesome. It was my first time goal to run 5km in under 30 minutes. The last time I ran this 3 mile route I did it in 35:55. 6 minutes. I knocked off 1/6 of the time. 16.6% faster. I am very happy about this.

In team news, the KMC Longhauls have found a 10th runner. I'm not going to release the name yet as there is still a meeting to happen on Friday at 2 to go over all the details. All I can say right now is it is a super find and that I owe our team captain $2 because I never thought he would go ahead and approach this person to run for us.

Play hard, run scared.

Phoenix to Fort Mac

2009-05-26T19:49:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time. A trip to Phoenix and now to Fort Mac.

Phoenix was incredible. The weather was great. 42 degrees celsius sunny, palm trees. I ran the Saturday I got there and on the Tuesday, plus I did my work out on the Monday. I skipped Wednesday for travel and a round of golf at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale. It is the home of the Frys.com open, part of the fall series on the PGA tour.

I ran 4 miles on Saturday and got back on track. Things are feeling really good. My shins are feeling great. Its only 4 weeks away now. I'm not running tonite because I don't have the gear for colder wet weather, darn that weather network.

Our team took another hit today, one of our runners has pneumonia and has been advised against running. We are scrambling to find a 10th.

That's all for now. Play hard, run scared.

Week 2 Alberta Dance Festival and Sore Shins Again

2009-05-14T19:49:00.000-07:00

I know this is supposed to be a blog about me running but I have even greater news. Carrington had an awesome week of dance competition. On Tuesday, her and her team won a Gold medal for their Tap routine and today they were awarded a Silver for their Jazz routine, and on top of that they received the Most Outstanding award for the Novice Jazz Group.

Well this week of training has gone good so far and I've stayed on track (sorry about the pun). Monday was Chest and Biceps day, Tuesday was FARTLEK day - that's the best day in the routine because it's so fun to say. It actually means speed play in Swedish and it's basically interval training, using this method I was ale to run my 2 mile loop in 18:21, 2 minutes faster than my regular short run pace. Wednesday was Back and Triceps day and today I ran a 2 mile short run in 19:04. The bad thing is my shins are hurtin' somethin' fierce.

I'm probably going to take a recovery day tomorrow, just doing some stretching. I don't really want to work out on my legs too hard, especially since I have to get on a plane to Phoenix on Saturday morning.

That's all for now.

1 Week Down, 6 To Go

2009-05-10T21:01:00.000-07:00

What a crazy week. Wednesday I was in Fort McMurray for the day and I was wiped by the time I got home so my back and triceps missed out on a workout.

I picked it up on Thursday with a 2 mile run in a time of 20:53 which was over a minute better than Monday. Friday was shoulder & leg workout day and I barely squeezed it in (pun intended) before the gym closed (why would they close an hour earlier Friday than every other week day?)

Saturday I has to get my run done before taking the kids out to their grandparents place in Mundare so that Marcelene and I could go and barbecue hamurgers and hot dogs for the YDES. But I got my 2 miles done in 20:38. By the way, the YDES is going to be raising funds again next weekend at the Greenland Garden Center in Sherwood Park. It was my first time out there on Saturday and it is a pretty impressive garden center so get out there to get your garden supplies and grab a hot dog to support a great cause.

Finally Sunday. Happy Mother's Day. Church was first on the list and Pastor Ron preached an awesome message on raising children. The rest of the day was filled with making sure my loving and adoring wife was happy. I finished off the day with a 3 mile run at a long run pace which is supposed to be a little slower than the short run pace I've been doing. I got it done in 35:55. I am pretty pleased because the last time I ran 3 miles (in March) it took me over 38 minutes.

After week 1 I'm feeling good. 6 weeks to go.

Dance Jam Day 2 and Short Run Day

2009-05-05T20:48:00.000-07:00

Carrington Rocks!!!!!! She did an awesome job tonite in both jazz and ballet. Her team won gold in jazz and silver in ballet. Carrington looked so beautiful in her ballet costume.

Tonite was my first run in over a month, starting slow. I ran 2 miles tonite (3.2km). It felt great. I ran it in 22 minutes which is a pace I'm happy with at this point. I took it easy as to not reaggravate (is that a word?) my ankle and shins.

I am blessed to have a wonderful wife who is supporting me in this endeavour.

Dance Jam Day 1 plus Weight Training Hypertrophy Begins

2009-05-04T21:49:00.000-07:00

Carrington had her first dance competition of the season tonite. Tonite was Tap at Dance Jam, She did amazing, the work that she has put in has really paid off. She has a special gift. Unfortunately, her team ended up with a silver medal, but she is in good spirits and looking forward to tomorrow; jazz and ballet.

My wieght training tonite was chest and biceps. It went well, it has been a long time since I lifted free weights (there's actually nothing free about them except for the fact you are free to drop them on yourself).

The workout ended in a ridiculous dip/pushup bi-set (a set of dips immediately followed by pushups - both to exhaustion and I did 3 sets total). It may be one of the most difficult things I've ever done; except for spin class (never again).

The nice thing about exercising, it really allows me to clear my head and just get lost in whatever I'm listening to. Tonite it was Drentch's first 2 albums; Symphony of Tears and Everything. I had a good time of worship at the gym. If God can't take your mind off the pain, nothing can.

The Race To Kananaskis

2009-05-04T14:21:00.001-07:00

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

SATURDAY

WEIGHTS

SHORT RUN – 2 MILES

WEIGHTS

SHORT RUN – 2MILES

WEIGHTS

SHORT RUN – 2MILES

SHORT RUN – 3 MILES

WEIGHTS

FARTLEK – 20 MINS

WEIGHTS

SHORT RUN – 2 MILES

WEIGHTS

LONG RUN – 3 MILES

REST

WEIGHTS

SHORT RUN – 2 MILES

FARTLEK – 20 MINS

WEIGHTS

SHORT RUN – 2 MILES

WEIGHTS

LONG RUN – 4 MILES

RECOVERY

WEIGHTS

SHORT RUN – 3 MILES

WEIGHTS

X-TRAIN

SHORT RUN – 3 MILES

WEIGHTS

LONG RUN – 5 MILES

RECOVERY

WEIGHTS

SHORT RUN – 3 MILES

WEIGHTS

FARTLEK – 20 MINS

SHORT RUN – 3 MILES

WEIGHTS

LONG RUN - 6 MILES

RECOVERY

WEIGHTS

SHORT RUN – 3 MILES

WEIGHTS

FARTLEK 30 MINS

SHORT RUN – 3 MILES

WEIGHTS

LONG RUN – 7 MILES

RECOVERY

REST

SHORT RUN – 3 MILES

X-TRAIN

SHORT RUN – 3 MILES

REST

RACE DAY

47 Days to go to Kananaskis

2009-05-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

This is my first post on my new blog. Myself and some coworkers have entered a team into the 23rd annual Kananaskis 100 Mile Relay. I am running leg 7, a nice 16.5 km run that starts sharply down hill with 170m in elevation loss over the first 5 km.

I created a plan to train through this last 47 days. Over this time I have to stay diligent to train through dance competition season, a trip to sunny Phoenix, AZ, long overdue yard work and preparations for Channing's 4th birthday.

The training plan is basically weight training on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; short runs (2-3 miles) on Tuesday and Thursday; long runs (3-7 miles) on Saturday with interval training or cross training on Wednesdays.

I started weight training last month as I had to take a month off running due to doctor's orders, I have made it through the adaptation phase and now I'm moving into hypertrophy (muscle building). Not a great time for bulking up as I prepare to run, however, it will help me with the weight loss phase as I prepare for the Edmonton Half Marathon in August.