Finally!

5am
49 degrees
3.55 miles
30:24

4:45am came way too early. Jumped out of bed and didn't even think twice. Thanks to the poster on the Cool Running message board for that piece of advice.

There's something thrilling about not just the run, but the process of running. Laying the clothes out, strapping the watch on, etc.

49 degrees is not too bad today. Wind out of the south. That could be a bear on the way back. It's cold, but my breathing isn't affected by it.

*sidenote - I went to the pulmonologist (sp?) yesterday. It doesn't look as though I have asthma or RAD. What the heck is it then? I'm leaning towards stress/anxiety. I consider myself a pretty laid back guy, but who knows? With all of the balls I'm juggling throughout the school year, I guess it's possible.

I'm excited just to get out the door! That's the battle right there. Bingham's book talks about enjoying the journey and not the end result. It's like a game.

"Not the victory but the action; Not the goal but the game; In the deed the glory."

I think that that engraving at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln says it all. For the longest time, I didn't know what that meant, but it becomes clearer each time I read it.

Quick prayer thanking Him for my health, family, friends, etc. I'm truly grateful He's given me the gift to run.

What to do in Philadelphia? It's one week from tomorrow. I kinda know what my presentation will be about, but I'll probably wing about 40% of it. I really want to run on the Rocky steps. It's like 5 miles away, though. Think I can do it? This might be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Hands are a little cold, but I'd look like a dork with short sleeves and gloves. Gotta be cool at 5am.

I'm truly alone on my runs. Not bad. I get a lot of thinking done, but I keep wondering about a running partner. The Holiday Run in December should be fun. Not a race, but a run. I'm looking forward to it!

Feet feel good, blood's pumping, breathing is good.

Now I'm heading into the wind AND this part is uphill. Crap. I'm going to have to slow it down. I will NOT stop. That's the nice thing about running first thing in the morning. I force myself not to stop. We have such a structured system waking the kids up and getting them ready that I CAN'T stop.

Last leg of my run. Somewhat of a kick. I'm heading downhill for the very last part and it's really tough and then....almost magically...I feel all the stress that I have just leave my body. It's quite the feeling, let me tell you. No worries, no breathing troubles, just me on the road for one of the biggest final kicks I've ever had. Wow!

And with that I'll leave you until Thursday morning.

So close

I had the alarm clock set.
I had just finished half of "The Courage to Start", by John "The Penguin" Bingham to get myself psyched up.
I finished watching the Red Sox capturing their 2nd World Series title in 4 years.
I was ready....
....and then I woke up.
....at 3:30am.
....and I couldn't get back to sleep. God knows I tried, but I just couldn't do it.
3:30am became 4am. 4am became 4:30am. I was in no shape to run. I was just too tired and I blame it on this RAD/asthma/anxiety thing.

I've had breathing troubles for about 4 years now. It always happens in the fall and it always goes away by about February. It feels like someone is sitting on my chest. I'm always trying to take a deep breath. Here's the funny thing, though: it doesn't act up when I run. One doctor said that I was having mild anxiety attacks and another says it might be Reactive Airway Disease. Either way, I'm going to a pulmonologist today to get this thing figured out AND, either way, I'm running tomorrow morning. Wish me luck! Hopefully, an update tomorrow.

4pm
55 degrees
3.33 miles
29:43

I really didn't want to go out running through the neighborhood nor did I want to go on the dreadmill. How about the track? Sure, what the heck. I'll give that a try. A first for everything, right?

Basketball team is doing pre-season conditioning. Looks like some of them haven't run in awhile. Should be an interesting year. Coach is a good guy and good motivator, so I'm sure he'll have them up and running (shooting?) in no time.

Here's something new, and potentially dangerous: when I run in the neighborhood, I don't stop because I don't want to have to walk back. If I stop on the track, at MOST I'm walking about 400 yards to my car. Yikes.

Coach asks me how much I'm getting in today. I tell him 3.5 miles. For some reason, that motivates me to NOT stop and walk to the car.

Some kids are playing some pickup football on the field. There are a lot of them. I don't know of many schools that would allow this. Nice to know that some kids like to play on their own volition and not in the framework of "select teams" or PlayStation.

I'm in the outside lane and my lap times are TERRIBLE. I've got to be running further than if I were in the outside lane, right? This occupies my time for a bulk of the run.

Philadelphia meeting. What do we need to tell the kids? 2 of us are taking 20 kids for a national journalism convention in Philadelphia. Should be a fun time. The kids we're taking are good kids, so I don't see any problems. I've told them straight up that I'll be cranky and stressed until I can plop my luggage in our room. After that, I'll loosen up.

I really hope I can run past the Philadelphia Museum of Art and do the "Rocky" thing. Might be a bit of a run and since I had a 1.5 week layoff, that might be pushing it.

Let's move to the inside track for the last mile, shall we?

The kids on the field are running much different than I. Quick bursts of speed for them, slow and steady for me. Very weird feeling, let me tell ya.

Finish.

Well, the track isn't bad. It beats the treadmill. Still no substitute for the open road. Next week, we'll get out there. So much to do next week that a run....or, God forbid, runS....should get me focused. Maybe Sunday morning. Until then.......

Off the Road

What the heck is wrong with me? I'm on again for 2 or 3 weeks and then I'm off again for another week and a half. Last week, there was a lot of rain and I had a lot to do, even though I had 3 days off.

My beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers fired their AD and replaced him with coaching legend/Nebraska God, Tom Osborne. I'm regarding the move with cautious optimism. One thing you have to know about me is that I'm a die hard NU fan. I am NOT a Husker apologist, but I do bleed Big Red.

My Sox are in the Series! Count me as one who thought that their time had run out even before they swept the Angels. Now they move on to crush the Rockies. Sweeping the DBacks and the Phillies is one thing, taking on better pitching and better hitting is quite the other. Sox in 5.

I'm trying to expand my business and I'm giving serious thought into shooting weddings. I thought I'd stay away from that and concentrate on high school sports, but I'd like to have some more income over the summer. A buddy of mine suggested that I mention my business in my blog. **WARNING-SOLICITATION FORTHCOMING!!** So, if you know of anyone in the Omaha/Lincoln/Council Bluffs area, I'm for hire!

I'm planning on getting back on the road tomorrow after school. 4:45am and I are just not working out. Let's try to get out and release all of my pent up anger towards my kids. Wish me luck. Looks like a good week to get out there and get some mileage in.

Dodging the Rain Birds

5am
36 degrees
3.55 miles
30:39

*sound of 4:45am alarm
"I'm going to run tomorrow."
"You can't run tomorrow. I have to get up early tomorrow and you have to get the kids ready. Run today."
"Ugh"

35.7 on the thermometer. I'm going to call it 36.

Where the heck is my stocking cap?

This could take awhile to warm up the ol' joints.

Legs are warm. Upper body is slightly cooler. Gloves suck. $25 dollar pair of gloves and they can't even keep my hands warm in 35....excuse me....36 degree weather? Maybe they will warm up.

Holy #$%@#! Sprinklers???????? I've done this route countless amount of times and I've NEVER seen sprinklers on this early.

I'm about to start my run and some 16 year old girl walks out to her car. Boy, was she surprised to see me! Said "Good Morning" to her, but I don't think that it helped that I was in black pants, dark shirt, and black gloves, and THEN I started to run. Probably not a good sign. Oh well, maybe this blog and my running log can be evidence that I'm not a stalker.

More #$%@#$ sprinklers! Are you kidding me????? Do these people not watch the weather forecast?

Actually, it's not that bad out. Could be a good run.

Lots to do today. Have to get the crew working on stories and pitching new ones. Don't forget to meet with student on Friday.

Geez, I have to figure out what the heck I'm going to talk about for my presentation on Monday. I'll figure out something on the bus ride down there.

So if school is like a business, who are our clients? The students or the parents? The students are our #1 concern, but the parents are the ultimate authority. Right?? As a parent, I want to say that I have the final say. As a teacher, though, we seem to think that we know what's best. One of my favorite professors always said that ALL parents care about their kids....they just show it differently. Sometimes I have trouble believing that. I guess I'd say that the parents are the final say.

What am I going to say in Lincoln on Monday???

Geez, these gloves s-u-c-k SUCK!

Oh yeah, I have to finish my "Rising Star" application. Nice to be nominated, but I don't play the political game, so I highly doubt I'd even be considered.

Lots of shop talk today on the run. I'm sure that'll be great for the blog readers. Assuming I even HAVE readers.

Weird run today. Unsuspecting 16 year old and now a John Deere Gator comes out of nowhere on my run. What in God's name is THAT doing out on the trail?

I need to come up with a system where I jot down these thoughts RIGHT AFTER the run.

More sprinklers.

You know what are great inventions? Turn signals! How about that truck uses them?? Apparently, I'm supposed to be able to read his mind.

Hey! I have a kick today!

downhill.....turn the corner....annnnddd time. 30:39. Much better than Tuesday! Whew! thought I lost a step.

It's Gonna Get Colder, ya know....

5am
50 degrees
3.55 miles
31:57 (9:00/mile)

Good to get out here this morning. Charlie has finally figured out how to sleep through the night, so I'm able to return to running in the morning. Came damn close to hitting the snooze and opting to run after school, but I have too much stuff to do. Off I go....

Brisk, but not cold. It's supposed to dip below 40 on Thursday morning...my next scheduled run. What to wear? I can't remember what layers I had on for what temps. Has it been THAT long? I don't think so.

Quick prayer. Thanks for everything, Big Guy!

3.55 miles. Feels like I should be upping the ante a little bit.

Man, this route is NOT lit well at all. 2 things I'm worried about: 1) Planting my foot into a chuck hole that I can't see. 2) Meeting up with the "quiet neighbor that kept to himself. Kind of a loner type". Great. I hope Ally remembers which route I take.

Kind of a light week. I can play with the kids and help out around the house.

REALLY looking forward to next week. I'm going to get a lot of things done. Parent Teacher conferences are always fun. The Mass Comm parents are fun to meet. Unless, of course, their kids are doing jack squat.

Running Math. If I run a 8:30 minute mile, I should finish this run easily under 29:15.

So what to wear on Thursday? Should I wuss out and run that afternoon? Nah. I'll figure something out.

So if you run a marathon, does a 3.5 mile run seem like an afterthought? Do you get bored?

I'm still debating between 13.1 and 26.2. My brain tells me to do the 13.1, but my competitive nature wants me to do 26.2. Either way, if I keep this up, I can train for either.

Good God, how bad are the Huskers right now? When do they start firing people?

Oh wow! I have a kick! Things are looking up! Lots left in the tank.

Do I kick on the downhill or do I let gravity pull my sorry ass down the hill?

annnnnnnnnnnndddddddd done. 31:57????? What the hell happened? Was I that slow? Did I take it that easy?

A run is a run. good time or bad time, I still get the benefits from it. Until next time......

Race Report

8:30am
74 degrees
150% humidity
Race for the Cure 5K
25:48

• 13,000+ people expected to be at the event, so downtown parking will be at a premium.
• Got the kids and the wife in the car and found the first spot available. We walk/push our way to the Civic (i.e. - the starting line)
• LOTS of people there and a LOT of white and pink. 2 things immediately come to mind. 1) great to see that a lot of people care about this and are willing to give up their Sunday morning to do it. 2) The start of this race is going to suck.
• We forge our way to our respective "teams". Ally (dear wife) finds her ad agency and I find the school. Not much going on in the Westside camp, so I hang out with the wife and kids.
  
• I wheel them up to the starting line of the one mile walk. They all look cute with their matching shirts and bib numbers. Charlie has found his thumb and is now asleep and content for the rest of the walk.
• As I'm waiting for the race to start, I'm looking at all of the bibs that say who they are running for. Moms, aunts, sisters, co-workers, etc. I also notice the women in pink that are running. Without a doubt, the most inspiring thing I've seen at a race.
• I'm being timed, so I strap on my chip. No lace thingy on this one.
• 3 minutes before the race, the director suggests that the walkers for the 5K may want to head to the back and that the runners being timed may want to start out on the right. There are walkers for this? Great. No one moves. The start of this is going to be slow, at best.
• Big round of applause...and deservedly so....for everyone who made it out.
  
• Butterflies in stomach, even though this is just a 5K.
• BANG! The mass of people are moving and I'm stuck behind everyone that is either walking or running realllllllllly slow. The start of a race is always slow, but this is ridiculous. Keeping the positive attitude, though.
  
• I spot some runners from Ally's ad agency and try to stay behind them.
  
• Hop up on the sidewalk to get away from some of the stragglers.
• Fast start after that. Too fast? We'll find out.
  
• What is Sharon thinking right now? Is she amused? Is she proud? Probably both. Either way, she's sipping a Bloody Mary right now.
• OK, I have to wear headphones to the next race. This wheezing from the others is really playing tricks in my head.
• Lots of people wearing the race t-shirt today. I notice that, at the bottom of the shirt, it says "Freind Sponsors". Whoops. Who was in charge of proofreading? Might want to check that before you print 10,000+ shirts.
  
• Halfway done. I'm not getting passed much, but I'm not getting into a rhythm either. Usually, there's that one person you can hang with. I can't find that person and I'm not going to hang with the guy that has no shirt and looks like the Missing Link. Really? You couldn't find a shirt for a 25 minute race?
  
• OK, I made this mistake before. Don't kick early! I did that at Corporate Cup. Wait until the overpass.
  
• Was there a hill before the overpass? Shit!
• Lots of people are stopping and taking a break. Don't look at those people.
  
• Overpass. No kick in me. Started off too soon. Damnit!
• The last stretch is downhill into the chutes. Finish off to the right.
• One of the Redstone guys that I tried to follow is on the sidelines cheering me on. How long has he been there??????
• Finish. 25:48. Wow! I was shooting for a sub 26:30.
• Everyone is drinking water. Did I miss something?
• Finally get my water. It's gone in less than 20 seconds.
• Find Ally and the kids and we walk back to the car. Anna is so inspired, she jogs all the way back and then stretches. Very cute!

Goooooood Morning Omaha!

5am
48 degrees
3.15 miles
27:12

Man, it was great to get out in the morning! I kept telling myself that "this was the morning", only to find myself hitting the snooze for the 3rd time.

Crisp, but not cold. Had the long sleeve tee on. I noticed that I warm up once I start stretching. Off I went!

Quick prayer. Thanked Him for family, friends, and everything I could think of. Also said a prayer for anyone affected by breast cancer. Then, I remembered that Sharon is (was?) one of those people. I'm dedicating my run on Sunday to her.

Things to do today:

• WTV - keep plugging away on stories.
  
• TV 2 - keep working on PSA's and I need to set up the Music Video unit. Have to work that around Intersession.
• Mass Comm - yet another movie. Can we stop with the movies, please?

Philadelphia is coming up. You'll probably get to read about me getting ready for that. 5000+ budding high school journalists in one place. Help me now. We've got a great group, so I'm not anticipating any problems. I do have to figure out what I'm going to present, though.

Race for the Cure is Sunday, so I'll get a run in on Friday and rest on Saturday. My goal is to run to run 26:00 or better.

Can't really remember what else rattled through my head. I really thought I ran better than 27:12. I seem to run better on cooler days.