The good stuff

Last night I was still so focused on the fatigue and the pain--not to mention the huge load of self-doubt I carried for 26.2 miles--I completely forgot to mention the good stuff. Oh, the good stuff.

First of all, the citizens of Green Bay totally support their marathon. People on the route had music playing, some were out distributing fruit and water and hard candy, and all the volunteers were cheerful and smiling. Even the cops were friendly, and they spent a full shift stopping traffic for marathoners like me.

A church group erected an inflatable wall just past the 20-mile mark and dozens of them were there, cheering us on and dancing and stuff. Another church group handed out towels at another mile marker (I forgot which one). People were lined up on a bridge over the Fox river, cheering us on and giving us high fives.

Just before the 25-mile mark, three or four guys who were already wearing their "Finisher" medals were walking on the sidewalk and saw me. They all started clapping, yelling for me to keep it going and the 25-mile mark was just ahead.

Then there was Lambeau Field. I ran through the same tunnel where Bart Starr, Max McGee, Don Hutson, Ray Nietzsche, Jerry Kramer, Fuzzy Thurston, Paul Hornung, Reggie White, Brett Favre, and so many other legends have run. I ran on this little walkway around the outside of the playing field, and I sized up the wall where players do the Lambeau Leap. I thought about trying it, but I knew I didn't have the gas.

And then I saw my wife Linda in the stands, her arms in the air and screaming her head off for me. That was great.

The theme of the Green Bay marathon is "Touch the Tundra," referring to the Lambeau grass which is always called The Frozen Tundra. But they had the grass roped off. So I did what I could--I stuck my foot out and actually touched the tundra. Oh yeah!

Then, once I was back in the tunnel, I had to grab a wall and stretch my calves so I could make it to the finish line. And I did make it to the finish line. With the benefit of a night's sleep and a few doses of Advil, I can say that I'm glad I ran this marathon.

What was I doing there?

So I'm kicking back in a hotel room in Green Bay, Wisconsin, nearly seven hours after I completed my first marathon. How was it?

Scary, exciting, exhilarating, and absolutely brutal.

I was so nervous when I got up this morning, it was difficult to eat breakfast. I took my instant oatmeal and peanut butter from home (because you don't do anything different on race day than you did on your long runs) down to the continental breakfast room. The place was packed with runners already dressed for racing and wolfing down bagels, cereal, fruit, and such. That's when it hit me: all those guys looked like they belong in a marathon.

What the heck was I doing there?

I ate and went back to the room to get dressed. Even as I was applying multiple layers of Body Glide and pulling on my clothes, I wondered why I thought I could do this. We got on the bus for Lambeau, I checked my gear bag, and wandered into the starting corrals.

What the heck was I doing there?

Like a fool, I went out a little faster in my first mile than I intended to, and struggled a bit into the first 9 miles. At the 9-mile mark I had to get in line for the porta potty. I've never made a potty stop during a run. Ever.

This was after I'd turned in my slowest 10k ever and before I hit my slowest half marathon ever. But what was weird was, after hitting 15 miles in 2:55, I started feeling stronger. By the time I got to 18, I was feeling really good. I got through 20 strong, even though my left Achilles tendon barked at me.

But right after 23, somebody came along and stole all my energy. My calves got tight and I could barely move. It took me over 42 minutes to get through the last 3 miles. But there was the lap around Lambeau Field--as tired as I was, I refused to stop. At least until I got back to the players' tunnel again. Once I was in the bowels of the stadium, I found a wall to lean on and stretch my calves.

Then it was on to the finish line. I heard the announcer call my name and looked at my watch as I went over the final timing mat. 5:09.

I was completely drained by that point. I truly had nothing left. I had covered 26.2 miles and was still standing. And I still didn't know what the heck I was doing there.

That may take some time to figure out.

Done

Complete the circle today with a 3-mile run on the treadmill. I started this training program in January with an 8-mile run on a treadmill.

That one was because the wind chill was way below zero and the female members of my family were concerned for my safety. Today I simply wimped out. It was a cloudy, cool day with a chance of rain and I just did not want to take a chance on catching a cold.

So onto the treadmill I went. The best I can say is, I got done.

All done.

Bring on Green Bay!

One More Day

Went for an easy 3-mile run at noon. Temperature was right on the dividing line between comfortable and warm, with a wind.

But it was nice. It was certainly better than getting my lunch out of the refrigerator and chowing down on beef and pork again with a little fresh spinach on the side. One more day and then we carbo load!

Depleting Carbs

Carb depletion time--before you carbo load, you have to deplete your carbs. Doing that prepares the body to grab the carbs later and store them away.

And why do we want the body to store away carbs? It's all an effort to avoid hitting the wall. Or, as it's spelled in many marathon training books and articles, The Wall.

I already wrote about my legs stiffening up just past the 21 mile mark on my 22-mile run. I didn't do any special nutritional preparation for that run. So just maybe, by depleting carbs and then loading up on them, I can make it easier to get from the 20-mile mark to the finish line.

And I'm continuing the taper. I woke up at 10 til 5 this morning and figured, what the heck, let's get the 3 miles in now. So I did. It was great, considering that I was just starting to feel warm and in the groove just about the time I was done. Par for the course these days.

But tapering also helps us avoid The Wall, according to Bill Rodgers. We'll see if he's right.

At this point, I really can't wait.

Final Saturday Run

The last Saturday long run for the Green Bay marathon is in the books. THAT is a great feeling.

And it was a really good run. I don't know why, but I truly felt wonderful the whole time. The plan said 8 miles, so I ran the Interurban Trail to Woodside Road. From my house to Woodside is just over four miles. So there and back is an 8 mile run.

Usually the trail knocks me out. It's flat and straight and overgrown on both sides, so to me it's a bit boring. But today it felt fun. I was looking around, there were a couple deer about a hundred yards ahead of me at one point, and I never felt bored the whole time.

It was much better than the series of loops last Saturday.

It was also another solo run, and that was great. I know all about the power of a group run--I'm evidence that the group can help you go farther and faster than you think you can. But there is also a beauty, a serenity, to running along all by yourself. It's peaceful, and very enjoyable.

A week from Sunday I'll be running with 6,000 people. That will be a completely different experience.

Taper, Taper, Taper

Thursday got here soon enough, and with it came another 3 mile run as I continue the taper phase. Like I mentioned the other day, a 3 miler these days means that, just as I'm getting warmed up and feeling good, the run is over.

That was about the size of things today.

It was a good day to run, though. Temperature in the low 50s, cloud cover, and rain had gone through the area earlier. I was perfectly dressed in shorts and long-sleeved wicking shirt.

I've been thinking about clothes a lot these days. It's time to worry about the weather conditions that we'll see on marathon day, and what clothes to wear. I'm planning on taking everything with me so I can adjust to the conditions of the day.

And, of course, I'll concentrate on starting slow. Start slow and taper off.

Speaking of tapering, that phase of the training is coming along nicely. I concentrated on going slow the entire three miles today. Almost managed it, too.

Pumped Up

After I got done with last night's post, I found out that the Green Bay marathon had their Event Brochure available for download. I looked it over and found out that there are something like SIX parties along the marathon route.

At mile 11 the local chapter of the Parrotheads is having a Parrothead party. Buffet music and margaritas! I told Linda I might not go beyond mile 11. I'll just hang there for the day.

This whole marathon thing is going to be so much fun. I was really pumped after reading that event brochure. Then there were the emails I got from Anne and Nancy and Linda talking about the great feeling they got from finishing their first marathon, the Flying Pig in Cincinnati.

So today I went out and had a nice easy 5 mile run on the hills of West Washington Street. Even though the temperature was in the mid 70s, it was overcast and breezy so it didn't feel bad. My body decided to sweat heavily after I got back to the health club, but I was fine while I was moving.

Now I'm looking forward to Thursday's 3 mile run. Oh yeah!

Short Runs

I think it's been seven weeks since I went out for a 3-mile run. I know it's been a while since I had a run that short.

Funny, but it felt like I was warming up the whole time--like I never really got into rhythm before the run was over.

But maybe it's just this feeling I've been having lately that I really dislike running. That's odd, because I've always liked it. Going back to like junior high, when I would get into a certain level of conditioning, I always enjoyed jogging around for a while.

I liked running when I was training for Abe's Amble. I liked running when I was training for the Frostbite Festival. And I even liked running when I was in the early training for this marathon. Lately, though, I really just want it to be over.

Hoping that feeling goes away pretty soon after May 18.

Dull 12

I really did not want to get up this morning and run 12 miles. I really did not want to do it.

I was running on a Sunday instead of Saturday because we went to the St. Louis drag races yesterday. Also, yesterday morning was cold with a howling wind blowing--I didn't want to deal with those conditions on my first tapering weekend.

So that left Sunday. I had to run 12, but I didn't have a route. I could have used the same route I did a couple weeks ago in between the 20 mile runs. But that route goes out to a church and this is Sunday morning. I didn't want to deal with the possibility of a lot of cards on the narrow roads on this route.

I also did not want to have to carry a bottle of water with me to stash on the route or go out and stash a bottle somewhere on Saturday night (like that's ever going to happen). That left me planning a series of loops. I ran a 6-mile loop, then a 4.5 mile loop, and finally a 1.5-mile loop. I figured a stop for CarbBOOM and water at the end of the 6-mile loop would hold me for the run; that last shot of water before the 1.5-mile loop would be just the thing.

And everything worked fine from that aspect. I didn't have a drop in energy or have any cramping or anything like that. But the run was almost as boring and running 12 on a treadmill, and that was my fear. I was reall afraid that looping around to a specific spot three times would be dull.

It was.

And I had some tightness in my ankle off and on. It was never bad enough to affect my stride or pace or anything, but it was there. Kind of like something rattling around in the trunk of your car.

The redeeming aspect of it all was that this was the last time I have to get up at 4:20 for a banana and toast with peanut butter. Next Saturday is 8 miles, and I'm planning for a banana and Gatorade for breakfast. And I'll take along a bottle of Gatorade to drink and stash along the way.

Now I gotta look up what I'm supposed to do this week.

Owie

It's been five days since my longest training run of 22 miles, but today my right ankle started to complain again.

I'm just more than a little bit bummed out about this. Five days?

That was worse than dealing with my first run of the year in 70-degree weather. It was worse than laboring because of all the beer I drank on the company bus trip to the Cardinal game yesterday.

Five days after a major run and I'm still having ankle pain. I don't like this. Tomorrow is the Nautilus workout that replaces the one I skipped yesterday. We'll see how that goes.

Workouts--Running and Otherwise

Yesterday the ankles were still pretty stiff and sore, so I did not do the 5-mile run that was on the schedule. Instead, I did an aerobic machine workout.

I started out with the elliptical trainer, then went to the recumbent bike. Those two machines stretched out my ankles enough that I could do some running on the treadmill.

It felt like a pretty good workout.

So this morning I got up early and did my 8-mile run. I was concentrating on pushing just a little bit, and I think I came in around an hour and 20 minutes, also known as 80 minutes. That felt good.

I also skipped a real breakfast and sucked down a packet of CarbBOOM instead. I took some water along and drank that a little past the 4-mile mark. And I never felt like I bogged down. May have to try that again some time.

Oh, and tonight I mowed the lawn. Not that lawn mowing counts as exercise, but it was time on my feet. And it sometimes takes a toll on my ankles. They're feeling pretty good right now.

We'll see what tomorrow brings.

The Wall

Anyone who reads about the marathon will eventually read about, or hear about, The Wall. It's a point approximately 20 miles into the race when the body runs out of the glycogen it has been using as fuel and has to switch over to the alternate source, which is fat or cartilage or maybe brain cells.

There are some legendary stories of athletes hitting The Wall and suddenly losing all their energy and strength and stiffening up to the point where they can barely walk, let alone try to run. According to myth, they feel like they actually ran into a brick wall. Hence the name.

My encounter with The Wall was not of mythic proportions. I did, however, feel a distinct drop in my energy level soon after the 20-mile mark. Soon after that my calves felt like they were burning. They weren't cramping--I haven't had cramps in quite a long time--but they burned like muscles feel during intense weight training or speed training.

Then, soon after the 21-mile mark, my legs felt stiff from hip to toe. I stopped to walk for a minute or so and then ran--kinda ran--the rest of the way. According to USATF.org, I did just shy of 22.2 miles (I was going to link to my route, but apparently I did not save the thing. Sigh.).

The good news is that I did feel strong through 20 miles. I set a slow pace and walked every 20 minutes. I had no pain in the hips, knees or ankles, no hint of cramping, and at some intersections I had to pick it up, almost sprint, because drivers were waving me through.

I had a funny experience with a bottle of Gatorade that I bought at the Jiffi Stop in Chatham. I couldn't find the perforation in the plastic wrapper on the top. This thing had a fancy drinking top to it. I twisted the top off the bottle and discovered one of those paper-foil seals on the top of the bottle! So I had to remove that thing and screw the top back on just to get some drink. Sheesh.

It was a 24-ounce bottle, so I drank half of it and stashed the rest at the base of a lightpost north of the Route 4 intersection with Woodside. It was still there when I came back.

I sucked down two packets of CarbBOOM and tried to decide whether I needed to suck down another. I finally decided that I wanted to find out how far I could go on how little gel. I did gel around 5.5 miles and at 14 miles. Maybe, maybe another one would have helped.

And I started my day with oatmeal with peanut butter and a banana. That seems to be the best way to prepare for these runs.

I started running around 5:35 am and hit 22 miles at 9:50 on the dot. That's about 4 hours 15 minutes for 22 miles, which means I'd have to maintain an 11-minute pace for the remaining 4.2 miles to finish under 5 hours. In other words, I don't think I'm gonna come in under 5 hours. On the other hand, I won't be stopping at stores to buy Gatorade and water during the actual marathon, so who knows.

Now we taper. As people keep telling me, tapering is good.

Early to Rise

I could seriously get back into this early morning running habit. I went early again today because thunderstorms were forecast beginning around noon and lasting the rest of the day.

I was up early, sucked down some Gatorade, dressed, and was on my way by 5:15. Since the schedule called for 5 miles, there was no need for solid food. My right ankle was a bit stiff, so I suffered with that for a while, but by the end of the first mile I was moving fairly well and felt good the rest of the way.

So tomorrow is a rest day and Saturday is 22 miles. At this point I'm actually looking forward to the 22 miler.

Oh, and the storms never showed up. I keep thinking how afraid our Schnauzer always was of storms.

Trying Something New

Got back into it this morning with a 10-mile run before work. Heading out at 5 am for a long run is no big deal for some runners, and back in the day I did all of my running early in the morning. Then I'd do a Nautilus workout at noon three times a week.

But I had never attempted a 10 miler before going to work. I wanted to get today's run out of the way, though, and it was the last long midweek run on the schedule.

I was up at 4:30 to have a banana, and a little after 5 I was leaving the house with my bottle of Gatorade in hand and my pack of CarbBOOM in my pocket. I stashed the bottle at my 6-mile spot and headed out.

I was running easy at a relaxed pace and felt pretty good. Sucked down the CarbBOOM and Gatorade after 6 miles and then headed off for my 4-mile loop. When I got done with that, I was still feeling pretty good.

After all, that's my last midweek 10-mile run. Ever. How could that feel bad?

Dog Gone

We awoke this morning to discover that our Schnauzer, Susie, had passed away in the night. She was one fantastic little dog.

I know I should get my miles in, but I just don't feel like running today.

Alone Again

Maybe I went out too fast since I didn't have Anne and Nancy pacing me. Maybe I should have had a heartier breakfast than just fruit cocktail along with peanut butter on toast. Maybe I should have planned two stops for gel instead of just one. Maybe it's just harder to run on my own than I thought.

I had been looking forward to a cutback run of just 12 miles, but I felt like I bogged down a couple of times. Once was around the 8 mile mark and another came along between 10 and 11 miles.

Overall, though, it wasn't a bad run. I'm guessing I maintained close to a 10:30 pace. And I felt fairly strong at the end, too.

The best thing was the weather. Although rain had been forecast for Saturday morning, and although I got sprinkled on a couple of times, I really didn't have to run in the rain. That was nice.

And I remembered to stretch afterward. That's something I have not been doing after long Saturday runs.

This coming week the mileage goes back up, with a 22-mile run scheduled for Saturday. I still have to figure out what the route is going to be for that run.

Morning Shuffle

I dragged my sorry butt outta bed before 5 am again. This time it wasn't because I was worried about the potential for bad weather or because I was facing a really busy day.

I wanted to run a flat route. I was really tired of doing hills, and a five mile run in almost any direction from work translates into a bit of a hilly run.

So I left the house just after 5 and kind of shuffled along. The one thing that really, really worried me about preparing to marathon was how my ankles would react to all the miles. This week they've been stiff a lot. This morning they were stiff and fairly sore for the first mile or so before they finally worked things out.

Once I got a good level of flexibility in my feet, I began to enjoy the run. As I've noted before, I don't run early very often, and I'm really surprised by the large number of people out walking and running in the predawn hours of Chatham. Back in the day, when I was walking at 5 am every day, I would see maybe two other people. This morning I probably saw a dozen.

But, wow, I'm quite tired. Thinking seriously of shuffling off to bed by 9:30. Just like when I was 10 years old.

Tomorrow being a rest day, I may get re-acquainted with the jacuzzi in the health club.

Fatigue

Yesterday was a scheduled 8 mile run, so I got to work early. On long run days I either go in early or stay late because I go over the standard lunch time.

I eat breakfast at home, so going to work early means eating breakfast early. And that means that I'm running 8 miles nearly 4 hours after eating. For most people, that's probably not a problem. I certainly didn't even think about it being a problem for me.

But along about 6 or 6.5 miles, I started really bogging down. I altered my route and ended up running a little over 7.5 miles instead of the planned 8 miles.

I should have eaten a banana around 9:30 or taken along some Carb BOOM. Ooopsie.

But I've been tired this week. Really tired. I was thinking last night that I haven't been this tired since high school when we would do those two-a-day football practices.

When T.S. Eliot opened his epic poem The Waste Land with the line, "April is the cruelest month," well, he was probably training for a late May marathon.

The schedule says 12 miles for Saturday. I'm really looking forward to that.

Ankles Again

So yesterday when I woke up my ankles were so stiff with my arthritis that I could barely stand. I couldn't believe it, but after about 20 minutes I had pretty good mobility. A lot of Sundays after long Saturday runs it absolutely takes hours.

But today there was still some pain and stiffness, especially in the right ankle. People at work were asking if I was limping. Geeeez, I was hoping it wasn't that noticeable.

I told one co-worker that it was an optical illusion.

Then I did my 5 mile run. It wasn't easy with the stiffness. But by the time I was about 3/4 done, things were feeling better. I finished the run and did my stretching and showered. Then a funny thing happened.

My ankle felt better. No more limping the rest of the day.

I just can't get over how these arthritic joints respond to exercise. Sometimes they like exercise and sometimes they don't.

Well Now

I am now one of those guys--one of those guys who has run 20 miles or more. Today was 20.5 miles to be exact.

Nancy Sutzer and Anne Baker told me I could run with them. I was grateful for the invitation because I was really worried about doing that kind of distance on my own. When we all three showed up at Panera, the first thing they told me was that they run 11:30 miles. Then they said they walk two-tenths of a mile after every mile they run.

I laughed and said that was all fine with me. I needed to pace myself for the long run, and I needed to learn to take more walk breaks.

It took us well over four hours, but we did 20 miles. We ran through cold wind, rain, rain mixed with snow, and sleet. Sometimes stuff was coming down and sometimes it was not.

I felt strong most of the way; I only bogged down some around 17 to 18 miles according to Nancy's Garmin. Then the strangest thing happened--I got like a second wind. I felt strong running the last mile.

I didn't exactly feel like running another six when we got done, but I was not completely exhausted. That's saying something.

And I'm not in severe pain now. The ankles are a bit stiff, but no other real pain. That's a surprise.

Oh, and I was going to try an ice bath which people have recommended to me. But after running in cold rain for most of the morning, sitting in a tub of ice water really didn't sound like a good idea. So I took a hot shower instead.

Next week is a cutback to only 14 miles. We all had a good chuckle over that.

Bad Day

And then there are bad days.

We were getting an absolute downpour at noon, so I headed for the treadmill. I probably would have been better off waiting until 5:30 and running with the HalfWits. At 5:30 there was no rain falling at all.

Oh well, I got on the treadmill and started hoofing along. I started feeling warm, then hot, then I started sweating like it was August or something. It was warm in the health club but geez, I didn't think it was quite that warm.

After running what was supposed to be an easy four miles and then stretching, I took a shower but couldn't stop sweating for nearly an hour. That hasn't happened to me in a long time. I have no idea what's up with that.

Weather Worries

I am really getting sick and tired of worrying about the weather.

Yesterday it was worrying if I had brought the right clothes because the temp at 11:30 am was definitely not what was forecast earlier that morning. Today it was worrying that we would be hit by strong or even severe thunderstorms with dangerous lightning and large hail before noon.

I tried to work and check the National Weather Service radar at the same time. I finally decided to give it a shot, and at 10 am I left my desk for the locker room and a 10-mile run.

Does that mean I stopped worrying? Of course not--it only meant that I was worrying outdoors and pushing the pace early because I was scared of being caught in a thunderstorm. I pictured myself pacing around Walgreens trying to figure out who I could call that might potentially drive over there to pick me up.

And, of course, all the worry was for nothing. Yesterday I discovered that I was dressed perfectly for the conditions, because the sun was out and the wind was down. Today I discovered that the NWS does not know everything, and the worst weather I encountered was a fairly stiff easterly wind. But I wasn't running east all that long.

Over the last three years I've run in wind, rain, snow, cold and heat. Also on ice. And I know that they won't cancel the Green Bay marathon if it's raining. So I needed to be out there.

Oh, and for whatever reason the last mile today was a struggle. I don't know if it was the pace I set early or what. Maybe it was because I sucked down CarbBOOM at 7 miles when I stopped at Walgreens for a bottle of water; I might have been better off stopping on the way out instead of on the way in.

But overall it was a good run. And it was essential to get 10 in today to be ready for (gulp) 20 on Saturday.

And as of right now the forecast for Thursday (4 miles scheduled) is thunderstorms. Saturday's forecast calls for rain, wind, and snow. So I ain't worrying.

Couple of Good Days

It's a fact of the running life that there are good days and bad days--even though that sounds like something you'll find inside a fortune cookie.

We always tell other runners when they're struggling that there are good days and bad days, and you just have to take what the day will give you. On a good day nobody needs encouragement.

Well, I just had a couple of really good days.

Tuesday evening I ran with the Half Wits and felt like I was struggling. Then Thursday came along and I just floated along. I ran the 4 miles from LRS out on West Washington to Meadowlark and back on Victoria Lane. There are hills along there and I just wanted to see how I would be doing on hills.

I did just fine, thank you very much.

Then Saturday was the Lincoln Memorial half marathon. It was my official cutback week, it was a training run, I wasn't going to push myself. In fact, I was thinking about maybe walking up all four major hills. And I was going to be running with my daughter, who had never run the distance before.

Yeah yeah, all that. I went out and felt strong the whole way, ran up all the hills and finished in 2:18:30. That's an average 10:35 pace.

I really couldn't believe how good I felt going up the hills. Melissa made me run the Lincoln Street hill, which I think is the hardest hill on the course. Then she had pain in her right foot around the 9 mile mark and told me to go ahead and "boogie". So I did.

I just maintained my steady pace, and on 1st Street behind Lincoln Park I started running up the hill and just kept going. When I crested the hill and turned into the park, I felt great. I still felt strong and just wanted to keep going.

Even sprinted the last couple blocks and the finishing chute. Couldn't help it.

This week will be interesting. The schedule says 4 on Monday, 10 on Tuesday, 4 on Thursday and then (gulp) 20 miles next Saturday. Right now, I feel like I can actually do it.

Still In

Turns out I was getting all worried for no reason.

Several people who've gone the marathon distance listened to my woes and patiently explained to me that laying off for a week, even missing my 18-mile workout, won't hurt me. I should be fine, even if I only get a single 20-mile run in before race day.

They also said it's perfectly normal to panic in my situation, although they may have just been trying to humor me.

So I was up before dawn this morning, running 4 miles long before the rains came along. It felt good, even when I was running straight into the wind.

And I'm gonna quit thinking about quitting. At least for now.

Sick Time

The odds were against me--almost everyone I know has suffered a touch of flu or bad cold that's been floating around.

Linda had bronchitis and a sinus infection. Andrew's had a bad cold. People at work have had the flu.

So it really wasn't that much of a surprise to me that I felt bad Thursday morning. Bit of a fuzzy head, scratchy throat, touch of nausea, general achy feeling. Of course I had my usual breakfast and headed to work.

Each hour I felt worse until I finally went home at noon, drank TheraFlu, slept, drank more TheraFlu, and slept some more.

I didn't feel great Friday but went to work anyway. No, I'm not a Type A person, but I was in the last week before a big deadline and there's work on this project that nobody else can do. So I was there.

Saturday I was feeling less bad, but a trip to the grocery store for Italian bread and white wine for making shrimp scampi wore me out. This morning I actually had an appetite for the first time since Wednesday. I'm still pretty tired, though.

Here's the thing: Saturday was supposed to be an 18-mile run. I didn't run a step. I haven't run a step since Tuesday's 9-mile run in the wind. I haven't had the energy.

Tomorrow begins a cutback week, with 13 miles on Saturday. The following Saturday is 20 miles, then 14 the next week and 22 the week after that. I'm hoping that will be enough training to get me over the finish line in May.

Or maybe it's time to quit.

Very Blustery Day

I'm not Winnie the Pooh, but I dealt with an extremely blustery day today. The schedule said 9 miles on Tuesday, and it was really nice to do the Tuesday run actually on a Tuesday.

The wind was coming from the south at 17 mph or so, with gusts (according to the National Weather Service) in the neighborhood of 30 mph. That's quite a neighborhood, and I was running straight into it for a couple miles (I'm guessing) along Koke Mill Road.

Heading straight into the wind wasn't really easy, but it was fine compared to what I endured on Saturday. Today's run was almost all flat as a pancake, and that's exactly what I wanted today. Besides, once I had the chance to turn around and run north, the wind literally pushed me along. That felt nice.

No grouchy ankles, no tired and cranky legs, just a nice, easy 9 mile run. That was definitely a nice change of pace.

Oh, and instead of taking water along or looking for a public drinking fountain, I took along some cash and stopped at Walgreen's for a bottle of water to wash down my Carb BOOM. That store was right about at the 6 mile mark. Strategic planning.

Crank It Out

So Sunday the ankles were pretty sore but I got them stretched out by evening. Then the right one was stiff again this morning.

I worked on it while I was working, popped a couple of Advil, and went out for the scheduled 4 miles. It was sore and tight for at least the first mile and a half but slowly stretched out a bit. I was never truly comfortable, but I got the mileage in.

Tomorrow is 9 miles. We'll see how it goes, but I really am a little tired.

Well, That Was Difficult

Running 17 miles today was simply the most difficult running workout I've ever had. I quit.

Okay, I'm not quitting but geeeeeeeeeez this was hard.

I was up at 5 for instant oatmeal with peanut butter in it, a banana, water and Gatorade. I packed three Carb BOOM packets in my gear bag and got to 6th and Madison early enough to run a couple of miles before the Half Wits had their practice run on the Lincoln Memorial course.

I got going and about three blocks into my run I encountered Mary and Emily, so I ran with them. I know we were going faster than I should have, but who's gonna tell those two to slow down? Not me.

And things weren't bad on the half marathon course until around 8.5 miles (about 10.8 for me). I even ran up the Lincoln Street hill without much problem. Then we hit Oak Ridge Cemetery, and I walked up that hill. From that point on, I wimped out on the hills.

But things didn't get better. We hit the 12 mile mark (14.3 for me) and the only thing that kept me going was not wanting to fall too far behind the women I was running with. After we crossed the finish line, I set out for another mile and a half, and it was slow going. Then it was walking, running, walking, running.

Sheeesh.

Once I got done, I was so drained that I plopped into the back seat of my car and dug around for a dry T-shirt to change into. The morning had stayed cold but 17 miles meant that I had soaked my shirts with sweat. So I struggled out of the running shirts and into a T-shirt. Then I dug out a dry long-sleeved T-shirt to go over the other one. Then I hauled myself to a standing position by the car to pull on my heavy ISU hooded sweatshirt.

That's when the Mormon missionaries decided to start talking to me. Why me, God? I commiserated with them a bit over the fact that I had hauled my 51-year-old fat body through 17 miles and they were quite impressed. Then I begged them to just let me go home--I could chat with Mormon missionaries another day.

They were nice about it.

I had no calf cramps during the run, but my legs feel tired and a bit tight. What's weird is that my ankles don't feel outrageously sore the way I expected them to feel after 17 miles. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Nooner

Running on streets during daylight was a real shock to my system when I started with Abe's Army in 2005. I had been running, and before that I had been walking, in a lot of predawn hours when nobody could see me.

After I got going with Abe's Army, I eventually started running at noon. Working for LRS gives me access to health club facilities, including locker room and shower, so changing into running clothes and back to work clothes was no issue at all. Running by myself in full view of people was a bit of an issue.

But now it's no big deal at all. That's good, because today I left my desk around 10:30 to change and head out for an 8-mile run. EIGHT MILES! Yikes!

I've never attempted a run like that during a work day before. That's longer than what my Saturday long runs used to be. So how do you manage 8 miles at, um, lunch time?

Weeks ago I had a discussion with my manager about my training and the need I would have to disappear for a couple hours at a time. I said that I would either make up the extra time or take paid time off, so that wasn't an issue. His concern? He wanted to make sure somebody knew where I was in case something came up that needed to be dealt with. So I put the long run on my calendar in Outlook which is accessible to everyone, and I make sure the administrative assistant is aware of my bizarre plans.

And I stressed over food. I had oatmeal with peanut butter and a soy shake at 7 am, and then I ate a banana around 9. Plus I drank a lot of water this morning and slugged down some Gatorade.

The run itself was pretty nice. The temperature was around 40 with a wind out of the north that felt pretty cold when I was running into it. But the conditions were really the best they've been in weeks. I kinda looped through Washington Park, out on some side streets, and finished feeling pretty good. I chatted with older ladies I saw out walking their dogs and just tried to enjoy being out.

Quite a change from those early Abe's Army days.

I also stretched thoroughly after running. That's another advantage of having access to the LRS health club.

Tomorrow I have to do 4 miles. I wonder if THAT's going to be an adventure . . . . and I hope not.

You Can Go Your Own Way

Thursday evening and Saturday morning I was running on my own, even though the HalfWits were running both times. Do I suddenly dislike group runs? Do I think I'm better than the HalfWits.

Not at all. I know I have to do some hard-core running by myself in the weeks that are coming up, and I want to start getting used to the concept. Besides, the forecast for Saturday morning was rain, and the idea of driving into Springfield to run in the rain and then drive back was far too depressing.

So I ran on my own. I ran the 8-mile route east on Walnut to the I-55 frontage road and back. Then I did my usual 3-mile run for a total of 11 miles. I've never gone that far my myself and I was really dreading it.

But I dragged my butt out of bed at 5 for a yummy breakfast of banana, toast with peanut butter, and Gatorade. I dressed, got my two bottles of Gatorade ready for the run, and grabbed five pieces of Starburst candy since I had no Gu or Carb Boom.

And it was not a bad run at all. I had the usual difficulties in the construction zone on Walnut and the narrow shoulders on the road between Gordon Drive and the lake area, but I had no physical problems. No cramps, no unusual fatigue in light of the fact that I had no Carb Boom

What really got my attention was the feeling I had once I had completed the 8-mile loop and started in on the final 3-mile loop. I felt energized, almost as if I had convinced myself that I was just starting a 3-mile run, as if I hadn't already run 8 miles.

Wild.

At the end, I was glad to have logged an 11-mile run on my own. In just a few weeks, I have to go twice that far. I'm dreading that one as well.

Terrible

I feel terrible tonight.

I did a hill workout with the HalfWits, after a three-mile warmup of my own. During the warmup and during the hill workout, I felt pretty slow and still a little stiff.

But, wow, that was nothing compared to how I felt by the time I drove home. Really stiff and also sore in places that running usually doesn't affect.

I ate and stretched and took some Advil (aka "Vitamin I") and I feel better than I did when I first got home. But I still feel terrible.

I sure hope things get better as I keep training.

On the positive side, though, a couple people who've run marathons have told me that it's quite normal to feel extremely hungry all the time after hitting the long runs. I've been hungry ever since the 15 mile run on Saturday. But at least that's normal.

Maybe I should ask them about feeling so bad so many days later.

Owie

Owie. That's what I kept thinking at noon today, running 3 miles on owie ankles.

All day yesterday I was dealing with pain, especially in my ankles. I couldn't decide whether to try to get up early today to run and then lift at noon, so I just let it go. If I woke up early and things felt right, I would run early. Otherwise, it would be a noontime run.

Yeah, I woke up about 20 minutes late. So it was a noontime run. Even then, the ankles were complainin'. I didn't listen to them.

It's almost 9:30 now. I walked the dogs after work and drank some cheap red wine with dinner, and the ankles feel just fine now. We'll see what happens tomorrow.

Look Ma, No Cramps!

It's kind of sad when the highlight of my Saturday is a run free of calf cramps, but there it is. Okay, the real highlight was watching Illinois State put Northern Iowa away and advance to the MVC tournament title game. But a 15-mile run with no calf cramps was pretty sweet.

At 5 am yesterday I had a banana, a slice of multi-grain toast with peanut butter, and Gatorade. I also brought TWO packets of Carb Boom gel along for the run. That's good, because we were down to just water at the last water stop.

And I felt strangely tired and a little stiff around the 9 or 10 mile mark. I don't know what was up with that, and I was very stiff for the rest of my Saturday. And of course the ankles were stiff, sore, and angry this morning. But I'm working on them.

I took the dogs through the park and got some flexibility about halfway through, which was nice. And they're starting to feel a little more like ankles right now instead of just massive pain points.

Next week is a cutback run of 11 miles. That will be nice. I'm trying not to dwell on my accomplishment so far because I've got so far to go, but it's kind of neat to think about the fact that I've now finished runs of 14 and 15 miles. Wow.

Five AM

Yeah, I've logged some early-morning runs already. But this morning I actually got out the door before 5 am, something I haven't managed before.

That was important today because I was aiming for more than seven miles, and at my pace that means I was going to be running for over an hour. Ten minutes over an hour. And then I needed to get ready for work.

So I got out the door, I ran into a strong headwind, and I logged 7.4 miles before work. At noon, when the snow was falling so hard that it was difficult to see, I was really glad I had gotten out the door before 5.

I ate a few strawberries as soon as I got out of bed, but that was obviously not enough. Somewhere around the 4 mile mark I really felt a drop in my energy. The rest of the run was more of a struggle. It's not like I was crawling or anything, but it was more effort.

Of course, right about then I had turned north and was running straight into the wind again. I'm not entirely sure that the wind didn't have as much impact as the lack of pre-run nutrition.

Maybe next time I'll suck down some raw eggs, just like Rocky. Or not.

Weather Watchin'

At 11 this morning a cold wind was blowing and there was a stinging drizzle or light rain. I just wimped out--I did NOT want to deal with that stuff today.

Besides, my right ankle was still a little stiff and weak. So I did a 5k on a treadmill. Yippee.

We've been under a flood watch today, but the heavy rain never fell here. We've also been under a winter storm advisory.

Now the forecast is for snow to begin around 6 am and continue all day Tuesday. So I'm thinking about a 4:30 alarm so I can get 7.5 miles in. Whose idea was it to train for a May marathon, anyway?

Miles

I have now run 14 miles in a workout. That's the good news. The bad news is that I got some calf cramps in the last mile and a half or so.

And today I've been dealing with some ankle pain. But that's not news at all, is it?

I began the day Saturday with a 5 am bowl of oatneal and five strawberries. I mixed up some gatorade and drove to Panera.

The three-mile run was fine and so was most of the 11-miler with the group. I drank Accelorade at the trail head, which is like 2.5-3 miles from Panera. I sucked down my Carb-Boom and drank water at the halfway point.

On the second trip through the trail, all the Accelerade was gone. I had water only and wondered if that was going to be bad news for me. I don't know if the lack of sports drink brought on the cramps, but I doubt that it did anything to hold them off. Also, once I got done running and drank down my gatorade, my legs felt fine.

And I have to admit--I felt strong all the way. I was worried that I'd be getting all tired or weak in the last couple miles, because in the past I've struggled once I've gone beyond 11 miles. But Saturday I really felt fine. Except for the cramps.

Next Saturday is 15. I've got to make sure to do the CarbBoom twice during the run, and maybe a few more calories for breakfast.

But all in all, it was a good ending for a grim week. Weather crap just kept coming along--snow, slush, yuck--and all I can say is that I got my miles in.

Oh, and I found out that this blog is public--it's not the private, invitation-only bog I thought it was. So I'm turning the comments on. Feel free to leave a comment if you wish.

Snow Day Again

The best news about Saturday's run is that I got through it. We had a couple inches of new snow on the ground, which meant that we were running in soft, dry snow in some areas, slush in some areas, and on ice in some areas.

I'm really tired of snow.

I put in my 3 or 3.5 before hooking up with the HalfWits, and it was slow going. Then with the group I did my thing of speeding up to talk with some folks and slowing down to talk with others.

Problem is, the hills on the Abe's Amble course kind of got to me. I was struggling a bit in the last mile, and I'm not sure if it was the last uphill, the steep crown of Sangamon Avenue along that stretch, or the residual effect of giving blood on Thursday.

On the other hand, the temperature was just fine. And there was no ankle pain afterwards.

Shoelaces and Blood

There I was at 5:30 am, running along and feeling fine when I felt the tale-tell tapping against my lower shin that signaled a flopping shoelace. For the second consecutive run, I had an untied shoelace. What am I, five years old all over again?

There was a time when I would double-knot my shoelaces every time I ran, and I guess I have to return to those golden days. Or buy those shoelace clips, but buying anything else for running this year is pretty much a non-starter in my mind. I've paid for my Green Bay registration, I'll be buying new shoes in May, and I'm committed to the travel expenses for the marathon trip.

So shoelace clips can take a number.

Anyway, I stopped in the early morning chill, knelt down, retied my laces, double-knotted them, and got going again. Of course, I'd had to pull off my woolen mittens to do my shoe tying, which meant I had to pull the mittens back on to start running again.

Once I got going again things were good. The temperature was around 12 and there was a brisk east wind, but except for the two times I was running straight into the wind, I was comfortable. I should have been, because I must have taken 20 minutes to dress this morning. That's the part of winter running I truly hate--taking so long just to get ready to head out the door.

But I was really glad I ran early, because the snow started falling before noon. Then the blood center called, with an urgent need for my blood type. I drove on over and dropped off a unit and smiled that I now had a very good excuse for skipping my weight training for the day.

Sometimes life is good. Even when your shoelace is flopping around.

ET

Tuesday at 5:30 the HalfWits group was doing a hill workout and I was right there with them. While most of the crew was charging up the hills and jogging or walking down them, I was concentrating on maintaining my pace uphill and down.

Last year I really concentrated on improving speed. That was my goal for the year--get faster. Or maybe get to where I might consider myself "fast." I did speedwork and hills and track work and, well, I didn't really get any faster.

So this year I'm training for a marathon. Based on what I've read and what I've been told, a real key to finishing, which is my marathon goal, is maintaining a steady pace. So that's what I worked on Tuesday night.

I also put in enough mileage for a 5.4 mile workout. And my ankle felt fine the whole time, thank goodness.

So today I decided not to tempt fate by going for a run. I used an elliptical trainer--ET--instead. I worked that thing for 40 straight minutes, which felt like an eternity (only because it's so boring). Except for the tedium, it felt great.

So does my ankle. I'm hoping to wake up early enough for a 5 am run tomorrow. We'll see what happens.

Ankles

I have arthritis in both ankles, and the pain flares up as the oddest times. Most of the time it's fairly minor or something that I can run through and get my miles in.

But wow, after Saturday's run, and especially in the evening after I had been sitting a bit, the pain was intense. Sunday morning it was difficult to walk, especially on my right side. I stretched it and worked it and got to the point that I was walking okay.

So I planned to run early today, a day off from work. But when I got up this morning, the pain was back. Pain and weakness, so I didn't run. I thought I'd be able to get my run in sometime later in the day, but the damn thing still hurts. This is throwing off my week--at least it's a cutback week.

Cramps

Yesterday morning at 5 I had a banana and a slice of toast with peanut butter. Why am I thinking about that? Because I started getting a cramp in my right calf around the 10-mile mark.

Not a bad cramp, but about three times there was a brief shot of pain for a moment. But when I've cramped before, it was always around the 11-mile mark; 10 miles seems awfully quick. So I'm trying really hard to figure out why they came along. In two weeks Nutrition can be a factor, but I usually eat a banana each day. I think I've been missing a few bananas, er, days lately.

I'm also wondering if a long break could be the problem. I ran 3 miles on my own before I joined up with the HalfWits group for their 9-mile run. But I waited around for 20 minutes before we started running again. I got kind of cold standing around and I was a little worried about that. I didn't think about the possibility that my legs might tighten up in that time.

I have a 14-mile run in two weeks. I really want it to go well, because I've never run farther than 13.1 before. Also, that's a little more than half of the marathon distance. I really really don't want to have to deal with cramps.

Nautilus

There is really nothing like a workout that leaves you feeling more energized than when you started. That's the kind of workout I had at noon today.

I did leg and upper body weights on the Nautilus machines. That means I was doing exercises that focus on the knees, among other things.

I'm really obsessing about my knees these days. Too many runners I know have had to give up on long-distance training programs because they developed knee trouble. I'd hate to get further into this training for the marathon and then have to give up because one of my knees blows up.

So once a week I work on the Nautilus leg machines. So far it seems to be working. And it was nice to feel energized after a workout.

Catching Up

It's been over a week since my last post. Time to catch up.

I actually went ahead and ran last Tuesday and got caught in a driving rainstorm. Put in 3.5, including some hill work, so I guess it wasn't a total waste of time.

Friday morning I did some Nautilus lifting and some swimming in a failed attempt to cut some weight for the stupid Biggest Loser contest at work. My workout had no impact, but it really felt good to do some swimming.

Saturday was a very good running day. The temperature was over 30, the wind wasn't bad, and the sun was out. I put in four miles before the HalfWits run got going around 7:30 and ran seven with that group for a total of 11.

I kept my pace even, and I was a little concerned. It has been a few weeks since I last ran 11 miles--I'd have to look up the exact date that I last ran that distance. When we were done I wasn't really tired and had no pain. Got home and took the dogs for a walk and then rested. After laying around for a couple hours my ankles stiffened up and started to hurt, but it could have been worse.

I don't know why, but 11 miles is kind of a milepost distance for me. When I can run 11 comfortably like I did on Saturday, I have a lot more confidence about increasing my distance. Confidence is going to be vital in coming weeks, I think.

Yesterday I was back at it, running three miles at lunch time, and I picked a route that still had a lot of ice on the sidewalks. Getting through the running wasn't easy, and that's just because of the condition of the sidewalks.

Which brings us to today's run of six miles. This is the first time I've attempted to run that kind of distance during the work day. I went in a half hour early to make up for what I knew would be an hour and a half of exercise, stretching, showering, and dressing.

And of course it started snowing this morning. And the temperature never got above 18, even though the forecast promised that we would see the 20s. I almost decided to lift weights today and postpone the run to tomorrow, but I went ahead for a run.

There were some slick spots out there, but for the most part the footing was firm and secure. That was a good thing, because I had some mild hills on the route I had picked out for the run. I went through Washington Park and headed up Lincoln Street, which is fairly steep coming out of the park, then back in on Park Street.

I felt great the whole way. So far my Tuesday runs have felt just wonderful. And today, with the crisp air and some snowflakes flying around, it was really good. Felt strong on all the hills and confident all the way to the end of my six.

So we're in the middle of Week 5, and the marathon is 96 days away. I just don't know what I think about that yet.

Wimp Day -- One More Time!

We had thick fog most of the day, including 11:00 this morning when I wanted to get my Monday 3 miles in. Also, there was still slush, ice and slop on the streets and sidewalks. So I wimped out again and headed for the treadmill.

I did my 3.1 miles on the treadmill and then did some pushups and crunches. I'm trying to do pushups on a regular basis now, even though I've managed to avoid them for, well, years. Just seems like they could help with the old upper-body strength.

The worst part of the workout was when I was finishing and Jack, Russ and some others mentioned loudly that they were heading outside. Whatever.

Tomorrow it's ran and thunderstorms. I may do weights tomorrow and run on Wednesday and Thursday.

All Better Now?

The pain in my right knee subsided very slowly throughout Friday, and I just kept gobbling Advil. Some of my buddies refer to ibuprofen as "Vitamin I" and I may be thinking of it that way myself.

There were still some times when it felt a bit stiff on Friday, and I was a little worried even though it felt pretty good by bedtime.

I should probably mention that Thursday afternoon we started getting snow. By Friday morning we had just short of 13 inches of snow on the ground.

Saturday morning I felt no pain. Even though I was concerned about how the footing would be, I went ahead and ran an easy 6 miles with the HalfWits group and it felt fine during and after the run. Even with less than perfect footing, even with the occasional slip underfoot, everything felt fine. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

It was interesting to me that I considered this run as no big deal. It wasn't that long ago that I thought it was the high point of good conditioning to be able to run 6 miles at any time. Now it's a warmup.

Long run this week is 11 miles. We'll see how it goes.

Knee

So I'm really concerned about the health of my knees. Last night my right knee tested me by starting to hurt really bad. It was also stiff.

And it was worse this morning. So I took a rest day today and ate a bunch of Advil.

We'll see how it feels Saturday, I guess.

Weather Wackiness

I ran from 11:20 until about noon on yesterday. The sun was peeking through the clouds, the temp was near 60, a breeze was blowing from the south, and I was in shorts and a thin wicking T-shirt. On January 29.

By 9 pm, the temperature was around 9 degrees with a howling west wind. In between, we'd had rain, sleet, and snow.

This weather is so wacky. There's no chance for anyone to get acclimated to any level of warmth or cold. I'm just hoping I get through the next couple of months without a major cold or case of the flu that puts me out of action for a week.

To focus on the actual running, I really can't get over how strong I'm feeling on these Tuesday runs. I usually run the eastern part of the Frostbite Festival course so I get some hills. These are hills which used to knock me out. Now I'm rolling through them--they require effort, of course, but I don't feel exhuasted when I get through them. It's really kind of fun.

And I'm concentrating on doing leg exercises on Wednesdays, my Nautilus workout of the week. This week I actually got up early Monday morning to run 3 miles (3.4 or whatever) and then some Nautilus upper-body work at noon. Wendesdays, though, I make sure to use the leg machines in additon to the upper-body machines. I've been told several times that it's vital to have strong muscles around the knees.

I HAVE to keep my knees healthy this spring. They're going to take a lot of pounding.

Tomorrow is the last 2-mile run on the schedule until we reach the taper weeks, so I'm going to stick pretty close to 2 miles. And then Saturday is 6 miles, the last time I run anything that short on a Saturday until after the marathon. So I'm planning to enjoy both runs.

Slow Distance

Today the schedule called for a 9 mile easy run. I did 9.6 very slow and it wasn't really hard.

I used part of the Interurban trail, which always knocks me out. It's a hiking/biking trail that's basically an abandoned railroad right-of-way that's been paved over. Trails like that to me are just a step up from a treadmill. In other words, they bore me.

Except for a little stretch right after the turnaround, I felt pretty strong the whole way. Oh, how slow was I? I finished in 1:39, which translates to 10:20 per mile. That's a little slower than I really want to go in training, but I'm really trying to focus on piling up miles.

I keep telling myself that I simply want to finish this marathon, that I don't have a time goal. But I can't help thinking about how nice it would be to finish in under 5 hours or maybe even 4:45.

Wimp Day

The temperature was below 10 degrees Fahrenheit at 11 am, but that's not really the reason I wimped out and used the treadmill for today's three-mile run. No, it was the half-inch or so of snow that was on streets and sidewalks.

Who needs a twisted ankle or knee in week 2? Not this boy.

So I really concentrated on running nice and easy for three on the treadmill and I think I actually achieved it.

Rest day tomorrow and then 9 or 10 on Saturday. Forecast is for the low 20s.

Happy Birthday

So as of today I am 51 years old. Did a basic Nautilus workout at noon, came home, and ate Godfather's pizza and drank Cabernet.

At some point I have to write about the fact that it's been almost 7 years since I found out I'm diabetic, and that I manage my glood glucose with diet and exercise with no drugs.

But tonight I'm going to bed.

A Strong Run

We got our snow overnight, but it wasn't much. It certainly wasn't the 1 to 2 inches that had been forecast.

So at lunch time I went for a very nice 5 mile run. The schedule says the run should be easy miles. Well, they were. Sort of. Part of the route I ran was hilly; at least as hilly as Springfield gets.

The thing is, I felt strong. I was concentrating on running a nice, even pace through the hills and it must have worked. Even the last hill, which is a challenge, didn't tear me apart.

It was nice to feel strong during a run. That has not been happening lately.

Re-learning Old Lessons

Today began Week Two. At lunchtime today I went outside and ran 3 miles. It felt great, even though I was really going faster than I should. I noticed that I was out of breath a couple times; that's a sure sign that I'm pushing the pace instead of just running easy.

But I keep re-learning the same old lesson. Like Saturday, when I was getting ready to hit the treadmill at the health club.

I've learned through bitter experience that I need to grease up my toes with petroleum jelly before longer runs. Definitely anything longer than five miles means it's time to use the jelly. Using petroleum jelly provides the protection I need to prevent blisters from forming due to the rubbing of shoe interior against foot.

Saturday I knew I was going to run 8 miles. And I knew that I was going to be on a treadmill, which is a different surface and different feel than pavement. So that's a whole different stress and probably different contact with the shoe. So I made sure to grease up, right?

Hah!

Saturday night I felt a pain on my right foot. I took off my shoe and sock and saw a big, dark red, round blister on my little toe. It looked like a small jelly bean on my foot.

Lesson learned? I hope so.

Hitting the Treadmill

Saturday morning Suzie woke me up barking at the paperboy. We don't get the paper but that doesn't stop her from barking at the guy who delivers to other houses.

I dealt with her and checked Weather Channel. As I recall, it was 3 degrees with a wind chill of 10 below. I had really planned to run no matter what; I've run in colder weather. I've run when the actual temperature was below zero.

But not this time. I just couldn't make myself do it. I went back to bed, and when I got up for the day at 8, the temp was up to 4. Hooo-hah.

Luckily, Melissa was home this weekend and eager to use the Health Club where I work. So we went there at 3 in the afternoon and hit the treadmills. I did my 8 miles on a treadmill and hated it. I had brought along my Bruce Springsteen concert DVD in hopes that it would make the time pass more quickly. Didn't work.

I kept thinking about Dick Beardsley, who said he routinely does 20-mile runs on his treadmill because winter conditions in North Dakota (or maybe Minnesota) are too brutal for training. It's bad enough that Beardsley can finish 20 miles in two hours in his fifties. The fact that he can do such a workout on a treadmill really depresses me.

Oh, and even though I thought I used a liberal amount of Body Glide, I ended up with a bloody nipple. It was too much fun.

After the workout, we went to D'Arcy's for horseshoes and Harp lager as an advance celebration of my birthday. So the day wasn't a total loss.

Laying the foundation

I was 15 years old and watching the Munich Olympics on TV the day that Frank Shorter became the first American to win the marathon in over 60 years. I can still remember Marty Liquori's voice telling Frank not to worry, that the runner in the Finnish uniform who had entered the Olympic stadium ahead of Shorter had to be an imposter.

I know that I was upset that someone had decided that this was a great moment to rain on someone's parade by running into the stadium and circling the track as if they had actually been the one to win the marathon (they even had someone running with them carrying a Finnish flag). I know that I was concerned that Frank Shorter was upset about the whole thing.

I know I had those emotions. I must have had them--everyone did.

But what I remember was thinking what a great feeling Shorter must have, knowing that he had already run nearly 26 miles and was now less than a lap around the track away from finishing the marathon. I remember thinking, GOD, that must be a great feeling.

That moment, that thought, began a lifelong obsession with the marathon.

Okay, so obession is a strong word. I obviously have not been obsessed. I have not spent every waking moment thinking about running a marathon. My running history has, in fact, been an on-and-off thing. There have been times when I was really committed to running and times when I was really devoted to my couch.

But the marathon has always been able to get my attention. In the years after Shorter's Olympic win, I bought a few books about the marathon. I got really fascinated with the Boston Marathon and became a fan of Boston Billy, Bill Rodgers. I can still remember sitting in a bar my senior year at Illinois State University (I spent a lot of my senior year in bars) the day that Rodgers won the 1979 Boston Marathon.

I don't remember what channel the bar had on the TV (this was back when only a few bars had ONE television, let alone a bank of TVs), but there was a news break in which the on-air guy mentioned that American Bill Rodgers had won the Boston Marathon in record time. I remember seeing Rodgers coming across the finish line and my buddies joking with me about even caring about the race.

I remember the Sunday morning in 1984 when the women finally got their own Olympic marathon and Joan Benoit took off like a rocket. She immediately took the lead position and I actually yelled at my TV. "Slow down, you can't lead the marathon from beginning to end!"

Yeah, I was the expert. Joan won that race.

For a lot of years I didn't think much about marathons. But in the last few years it's been getting back into my thoughts. I know more and more people who have run the race. I got to meet Dick Beardsley, an elite marathoner back in the early 80s who had the Duel in the Sun with Alberto Salazar. Beardsley talked about how marathon philosophies and training have evolved since he was one of the top runners, and I drank it all in.

Then the Springfield Road Runners Club brought Bill Rodgers to speak at our annual dinner. I was like a kid at Christmas time; I had really followed his career during my college days when he was winning the Boston and New York City marathons seemingly every year. The day after the dinner, he was at the local running store signing books and talking to everyone. And I started getting The Talk.

You should think about running a marathon.

You're a strong runner. You're goal oriented.

You could do it.

Look, I'm over 50. I'm 230 pounds on a 5-9 frame. I'm a 10 minute-per-mile runner no matter what I try to do.

And I'm training for my first marathon.

I wish I could point to a single point when I really made the decision to prepare for a marathon. I wish there was a moment like watching Frank Shorter entering the Olympic Stadium in Munich or watching Bill Rodgers finish a cold, rainy Boston marathon. I know that a conversation I had with a woman who ran in the abbreviated Chicago maratohon of 2007 had a lot to do with changing my mind, because she's built a lot like me and runs even slower. Part of her advice was to find a spring marathon so I could train in relatively good weather instead of putting in 20-mile runs during late August here in central Illinois.

And then I discovered Green Bay. The Cellcom Green Bay Marathon is run in late May, which means the long training runs are in April, when it can still be cool in central Illinois. That means my long training runs won't be in severe heat and humidity and probably won't be in bone chilling cold.

Not only that, but the final mile of the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon goes through Lambeau Field, the very place where Bart Starr played, where Vince Lombardi paced the sidelines, where Dallas lost the NFL championship on a last-second quarterback sneak in subzero weather. Marathoners aren't my only heroes.

Preparing to marathon may be the dumbest thing I've ever attempted to do. It will doubtless be the most difficult thing I've ever attempted as well. I expect pain and hardship and fatigue.

But there's one thing that I've heard from everyone who has finished a marathon, one thing I can't wait to find out. The sense of accomplishment, the deep feeling of satisfaction, was shared by all of them, even those who said they would never attempt another marathon. Every one of them said that feeling was worth all the pain and effort.

That's what I'm looking forward to feeling.