Music choices

So, after a long lay off (because I'm a slacker, that's why), I'm getting back into running. I mean, I've done some races this year, but the training for said races was very lacking, to put it mildly. So, now I have to get back on the horse, as they say.

Today when I was running a couple of older songs came on. I think they were, Great White Hope and Borrowed Time, both by Styx. You know what? They made me feel a little better while I was running. Sure, they may not be your typical running songs, but they were from my days as a kid, so I felt a little younger while listening to them. Only a little, though. Remember, the lack of training I mentioned earlier?

As I was driving home with the kids, I've decided I need to go through the music on my iPod Shuffle and mix in some older stuff to keep me going. I'll keep the Styx on there, but I need to go and add some more. I need to make sure I don't pick out some super mellow songs.

Okay, I've got Styx, I'll put on some Kansas, but as I look through my iTunes list, I don't know if I have enough stuff like that.

Okay, I just bought something. I don't know if I can tell admit what it is. It's on the cheesy side, but this was some of my first taste of heavy metal. Also, I went to a private Lutheran school, if that gives you any hints. I just heard some and it made me laugh, so I think it is perfect. I need something that is going to make me feel good when I'm getting tired. It's not like I have some psycho trainer person yelling at me when I'm running. I need all the help I can get. You know?

Is this post a meandering mess? It seems that way. Okay, I need to go back to iTunes to find some more music. Or maybe Amazon.

I'll leave you with this, since it is the first day of June. It's not from my youth, but it's a good song by a band called Spock's Beard. Give it a listen. It's not metal at all. Just a good song. Enjoy! Happy June!

Did I ever show you my geeky running shirt?

I think I might have mentioned it before, but I never got a chance to take a picture of it and post it for you all to enjoy. 

It's from the Martian Marathon in Michigan. I've never run it, partly due to it being in Michigan, and because I'll never run a marathon. But, back when Jenn found this race I knew I had to have the shirt. It's too cool. Maybe one day I can run the 10K so I can say I earned the shirt. Not that I really care. 

Before you ask, no, I'm not going running now. I need to get the kids soon. Besides, the shirt is black, I need to wear it on cooler days; it's going to be in the 80's here! 

Happy Friday! 

Finding old friends

In a bit of weirdness this week, I managed to connect to a few old friends. They were different levels of connection, but connections nonetheless.

Two friends my wife and I found while looking around on LinkedIn. They were both college friends that we lost touch with shortly after graduation. I actually talked to one of them, Scott, on the phone a short time ago. We haven't talked in 17 years, or so, but we were able to pick up were we left off for the most part. We are going to try to get some of the people together for a mini-reunion. I'll let you know how it goes.

The other two were from grade school. Yes, a long, long time ago. Back from the days when we took dinosaurs to school, and worked by candlelight. Those I found through Facebook (Yes, I know). Actually, they found me since I signed up and added a mutual former grade school friend that I am already in touch with. Not that we talked about much, but it is still kind of neat. As you know from reading this, I do have a thing for nostalgia.

I guess there is a good purpose to the Internet and all it's information. More so than just having a place to quickly look up quotes for stupid movies. Or the lyrics to Run Joey Run.

These past few weeks have been busy so I haven't been posting a whole bunch. I think things may calm down a little bit now that Christmas break is done, but my son's birthday is coming up, then we go to LaJolla, CA soon after that. So, maybe not!

On the New Year's Resolution front, not that I made any, I did sign up to run the Shamrock Shuffle and the Soldier Field 10 mile. Jenn talked me in to the 10 miler. I'm a little scared. See, I've been a total sloth these past few months. It started after I finished the Walter Payton run. I had no other races on my schedule so I slacked a little on the running, then I tweaked something in my hip so I backed off even more on the running. Then, well, it got cold. Yes, I do belong to a gym with and indoor track, what's your point? Now that I have some motivation, I'm hoping I get off my butt.

Wish me luck! I need to go find a snack. All this talking about running is making me hungry.

My first 10K (almost a KO)

I ran my first 10K this weekend In Buffalo Grove. Illinois that is, in case you weren't sure. I had trouble sleeping, I think I was nervous. I had trouble going to sleep and I woke up frequently. I think I was afraid of over-sleeping and being rushed in the morning. I don't trust my alarm. I have had problems with me hitting the button to turn it off in my sleep, and it is 15 years old. What is the life expectancy of a clock radio anyway? Three years?

I did get up on time (6:00!) and I had my breakfast of a banana and cinnamon toast with peanut butter on top. (What? That doesn't sound good? It is, trust me.) I was out the door by 6:40 with all my accessories in hand. I went by myself since Jenn was sleeping in, she had her own race tonight. Right now actually. I wonder how it is going?

Since I left early I had an hour to kill at the race site. Last year there was nowhere to park so I figured I'd be looking for a spot for 10 or 15 minutes then have to walk another 15 minutes to get the the starting line. Instead I parked 100 feet from the starting line. I guess that is good, but what was I going to do for an hour? Walk around a lot, it turns out.

One thing I found out, I'm too slow for the setup they have. There are three races; a 10K run, a 5K run and a 5K walk. They stagger the start times but when you are slow, like me, you end up meeting the walkers at the end. I did a lot of bobbing and weaving to get to the finish line.

Before I got to the end though, I had to run the 6.2 miles. Unfortunately, that is farther than I have ever run. I've run 5 miles a couple of times, but that was it. Oh, and the last two weeks I didn't run much. Mostly because I was a little under the weather, partly because I was lazy. So, yeah, it was a little rough to get the distance done.

I tried to start off slow, but as usual, I started off too fast. I was making a mental note to try and slow down, and it worked, for the most part. One thing I do often is find someone running about my speed and keep them in sight. I don't run next to them, that is kind of rude, but I stay a few paces behind them and match their speed. Today there was a man, close to my age, running with his daughter who was maybe 9 or 10 years old. I figured they would be perfect to follow. It worked well until the last 1.5 miles. I got too tired and too hot and had to walk a bit. I never saw them again. I wanted to feel bad about being beat by a 10 year old kid, but then I remembered they are made of energy. It was never a fair battle.

The good news? I wasn't last. I think there were six or seven people behind me. Hey, that's something!

Now I have a 9.5 mile race in two weeks. I'm dead.

How is your holiday weekend?

Wish me luck

Tomorrow we are running in the Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago. This is the longest race I've ever down. Well, I really shouldn't call it a race since I don't plan on coming anywhere near the lead, but you know what I mean. It's an 8K which isn't all that long, but with the lousy weather we've had around here, I'm not as prepared as I'd like to be. On top of that, the weather is supposed to be rainy and cool. So I expect to be sick next week.

Today I feel like I am walking through a vat of molasses. Not the way you want to feel the day before a race. Maybe, deep down, at a sub-conscious level, my body is telling me to go slow and rest up. Yeah, that sounds right. Now, can I convince my wife that I should just lay on the couch all day? She can too since she is running as well. No, I don't think it will work either. She was nice enough to let me sleep in this morning, but it didn't help me much.

So watch for me on the news. I'll be the guy taken away in a stretcher. Hopefully I'll have enough strength to do the weekend assignment tomorrow. Hmmm. Maybe I should try to get that done tonight.

Happy Feet

My wife and I went to Fleet Feet this weekend to buy some new running shoes. She found the shoes she wanted right away, but I had some trouble. The salesperson helping us was nice and patient, and brought out several pair for me to try, but my feet are not easy to please. It seems that my left foot turns in more than my right foot, and my right foot is wider than my right.

The first pair I tried were the Adrenaline GTS 8 from Brooks. The left shoe felt great, but my right foot wasn't happy. Since my right foot was wider, it was hanging over the edge and getting jabbed by the stitching. The same thing happened with 5 other pairs of shoes. I think my left foot was getting ticked off at my right foot, I can't be sure though. Nike, nope, Asics, nope, Saucony, nope, it was frustrating. The salesperson recommended getting the wide version of the Brooks, I didn't know my old pair were 2E, but that store was out. So she called one of the stores in Chicago and they sent it right to my house. Saved me an extra trip.

I was nervous about getting shoes that I never tried on, and even though the box came last night, I waited until this morning to try them. Maybe I thought I'd be less disappointed if the didn't fit after I had some rest. I shouldn't have worried, they felt fine. I ran on the treadmill without any problems. Now both feet are happy.

Can I get some heat here?

As stated in a previous entry I do not like the cold. Well, I must have ticked off the Big Guy upstairs with that one. Our furnace has gone out. How fun is that? We had to pay overtime charges on Saturday for the HVAC guy to come out and say the furnace is in a bad state. It needs at least two parts, and maybe just a total replacement. Nice, huh? Perfect time too, right after the holidays.

So, I've spent the last two days thinking about that and trying to drown my sorrows in candy. All that did was make my stomach hurt. I'm still cold! Actually it is not too bad in here. I ran out to get some space heaters to help, and occasionally I can coax the furnace to work for a short time. The rooms close to the heaters are running about 67, but rooms further away, like our bedroom, are colder. Time to pull out the flannel pj's!

Tomorrow I'll get the call on the price of the parts and the price of a new furnace and figure out what we are going to do. The furnace is 20 years old, and who knows if those two things are all that is wrong. You can see which way we are leaning.

I'm going to run on the treadmill tonight to warm up. I may have to wear some warm running gear in the laundry room, it is the furthest from the space heater. At least it will be good practice for running in the cold.