Chicago Marathon Training: Week 7

Thursday marked my first day of training with no work obligations interfering with my schedule. It was another good week with reasonably solid training and few aches and pains. My last day of school was on Wednesday, so I celebrated on Thursday by running six miles through Lebanon Hills Regional Park.

I'm really digging the time off of work, and will be using a good chunk of it trying to get ahead on strength training. I'm hopeful that if I can get all my stabilizing muscles nice and strong, I will finally be able to ramp up my mileage closer to where I want it.

My week ended with a trip down to my parents' place in Norfolk, Nebraska. My mom, sister, Laura, and I all ran in the Laugh-and-a-Half races on Saturday morning. My mom and Sarah did the 5k, Laura did the 1/2 marathon, and I ran the 10k. It was pretty fun running with my family, especially in the town where I went to high school.

I'll get into more detail on the 10k in my race report, but I will say that it let me know I've got a ways to go in my training. I had thought about racing the 1/2 marathon, but I know that my lack of mileage would keep me from running anywhere near a time I would be happy with. I thought I might be able to do better in a 10k, but that was not the case. I couldn't come anywhere near my 10k PR pace, and the pace I ran at (slower than my 1/2 marathon PR pace), was still difficult.

Though it was a tough race, I did manage to finish at a somewhat strong pace and without collapsing. I was also able to get a few miles in afterward to turn Saturday into my sort of long run day.

Sunday my legs were feeling pretty sore, but I enjoyed a nice jog around Skyview Lake. It was clear, sunny, and breezy and cool--a great way to end my seventh week of Chicago Marathon training.

Happy Running!

Chicago Marathon Training: Week 6

This was the fastest week of training for Chicago yet. Our young adult group met at our church's sand volleyball court last Tuesday night, my report cards were due the next day, and our all school field day that I helped plan and run was yesterday!

So, my fastest week of training went by quickly in the relative sense. I didn't run any faster than normal, and didn't get quite as many miles in due to all my other time commitments. I am, however, still enjoying my training and have had a lot of enjoyable runs and bike rides.

My favorite run this week was on Sunday morning. Laura and I spent Friday night and most of Saturday at the summer camp where we met, Camp Omega. I was hoping to get a run in on Saturday morning, but was awaken to the sound of pouring rain and thunder. Sunday morning, however, we were in Rochester to celebrate an early father's day and the birthdays of grandpapa and my brother-in-law, Joe.

Before the party, I got up, did a little more work on field day, and set out on a two hour run. About four miles in, I encountered a family of three investigated a snapping turtle that had planted itself in the center of the Cascade Trail. I chatted with them for a bit, and then the dad said, "Let's see if we can get it to move." He began to roll his stroller towards the eighteen-inch long turtle.

Visions of the turtle using its powerful jaws and sharp beak to snap the jogging stroller's front tire asunder popped into my mind's eye. "Careful," I said, "it will snap your tire." A look of surprise formed on the father's face as he thought better of, "getting the turtle to move." He reversed the stroller's direction, potentially diverted a blown out stroller tire.

A little down the road I encountered a runner walking on the trail. We exchanged pleasantries, and since I was ready for my walk break, I joined him for a bit as he talked to me about the Chicago Marathon, his career as a Marine and Delta pilot, and his joint problems as a result of ejecting from a fighter jet during the first Gulf War. At 65 years old, he was still going strong, running marathons in under four hours.

Though I put in the least of amount of time running and biking this week--about four hours--I still felt good about my week of training. I've been keeping up with my core workouts, have been sleeping better, and am still enjoying training for Team World Vision. On almost every run I think about those without clean water, and this thought helps me put my minor setbacks into perspective.

My school year is over on Wednesday, at which point I'll dedicate more time to running, biking, and strength training.

Once again, if you feel so inclined, consider making a donation to World Vision. Visit my fundraising page and consider a donation in any amount.

Happy Running!

Chicago Marathon Training - Week 5

Another week down in the Chicago Marathon training and Team World Vision Fundraising. This week I spent a little over six hours biking and running. I also managed to squeeze in three decent strength and core workouts. Although I only have eight school days left, there are still a myriad of things to get done before the school year ends.

My favorite workout this week was a trip to Lake Calhoun with Laura. One of our favorite summer pastimes is driving to Minneapolis to run around the chain of lakes. We got a little bit of a late start, and by the time we got there it was almost 80 degrees.

Traditional preparations for a long run at the chain of lakes

We had an enjoyable run, despite the heat. We ran together for a bit, then parted ways to run our separate distances and paces. It was a great way to spend the day before our seventh wedding anniversary.

I'm down to eight school days left, and am looking forward to have a little more time to spend training. I know this last week-and-a-half of school is going to go by quick--I just hope the kids don't tear the place down before then.

Feel free to check out my Team World Vision fundraising page. I still have four months to raise about $800. A donation in any amount is appreciated.

Happy Running!

Chicago Marathon Training: Week 4

Training for the Chicago Marathon continues to truck along. Weather in the Twin Cities has been gorgeous. Sunny mornings, comfortably warm temperatures, and dry conditions have made training enjoyable up to this point. Knowing hot, humid weather is coming makes me enjoy the temperate conditions even more.

While my fundraising for Team World Vision has hit a standstill, I'm hoping that an announcement in my school newsletter and a mailing in the next couple weeks will get things rolling again. I appreciate all the continued prayers and support.

The highlight of my week was a 12 mile long run down to the Fort Snelling Minnesota River Trail. I'll leave you with some photos my two hour run along the river.

After two miles, the end of the line

Ran across the MN River on the Highway 77 Pedestrian Bridge

View of the bridge from the west side of the river

A spring along the Minnesota River Bottoms Trail where I rinsed the chunks of mud off my shoes

Back up the pedestrian bridge

View of the boat launch and a fisherman from the 77 pedestrian bridge

I met two friendly bikers along the way. One bike told me that turning southwest from the 77 bridge is the Minnesota River Bottom Trail. I directed the other friendly biker, originally from southern California and currently residing in Des Moines, back to his Mall of America hotel.

Once again, thank you for reading. I appreciate all the prayers, well-wishes, and financial support.

Link to my Fundraising Page

Chicago Marathon Training - Week 3

I'm down to twenty weeks of training for the Chicago Marathon. I've been blessed the past week in the following ways:

• A chiropractic treatment that really loosened up the Achilles tendon that's been bothering me since November.
• Generous donations from friends and family to World Vision, totaling $510 so far.
• Some fantastic runs and bike rides, including a group run with other Team World Vision runners and a long bike with my brother-in-law, Joe.

It's been an unseasonably cool spring in Minnesota, and while that makes for some cold feet while bike riding, it's made for some great runs.

The Chicago Marathon will be the sixth marathon I've raced since 2009. I've learned something different every training cycle, and my training for Chicago will probably be the most unique of all the marathons. Rather than setting goal mileage for each week, I'm writing in goal workouts, and running based on how I feel that particular day.

While I have been enjoying most all of my training thus far, the best part has been running for Team World Vision. Being part of the global community has been one of my passions since I moved to Oahu when I was 10 years old. Praying for peace, social justice, and the spiritual wherewithal for all people, rich or poor, slave or free, righteous and unrighteous, brings me amazing joy.

I know I'm no better than any of these people, and I realize that any support I can offer to my fellow human beings is a drop in the bucket of human need. However, I invited any and all of my readers to join me and support me for the next twenty weeks as I train for the Chicago Marathon while raising money for World Vision.

Thank you for all your support thus far. I'll leave you with this little tidbit from a letter written to the Christian church in Ephesus:

¹¹ The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³ until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. ¹⁴ We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

Chicago Marathon Training - Weeks 1 and 2

I'm two weeks into my training for the Chicago Marathon. Week one went well with four runs and three bike rides. I spent about five hours running or biking, and besides Achilles tendonitis and a sore knee, I felt about as good as I had in a few months of running.

Week two included four runs and three bike rides for a total of about four hours and forty-five minutes of running and biking.

Highline Trail

Saturday morning included an embarrassing fall on the bike at a busy intersection near Easter church. I was leaning the wrong way at the stoplight and failed to get my foot out of my right toe clip when I mistimed the stoplight.

I fell over in slow motion right in front of the car making a right-hand turn in front of the bike path. The light then turned green, and I was able to quickly right myself and start pedaling south on Pilot Knob. Though my left knee hurt for a bit, it quickly loosened back up and I was able to get a good workout riding the ups-and-downs of Eagan's Highline Trail.

I've been seeing a fantastic chiropractor in Eagan who is also a distance runner. Yesterday he gave me a treatment on my Achilles, and this morning was the best it felt in several weeks. I'm now off for an easy run this morning. The sky looks clear as the sun is beginning to peak through my window.

Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers if you're so inclined. I've already raised $360 for World Vision--almost a third of my goal of $1310.

Check out my fundraising page through Team World Vision:

• Team World Vision Fundraising Page

Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon

Springtime has brought me a rush of inspiration about running. The outdoors, other runners, and longer days have me feeling better about my running, work, and life. On Saturday, I drove up to Avon, Minnesota to watch some friends run in the Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon.

I've been talking with my good friend Jon about his training since January, and I wanted to surprise him with an appearance at his race. I arrived at Avon in time to watch Jon run by mile 18 around 9 AM.

During a two mile jog while I waited for Jon, I ran into my buddy, Dan LaPlante. I told him to get moving because he was less than a minute behind the third place runner. I jogged with him a while (if you can call running around 6:30 / mile jogging), said some motivational garbage to him, then ran back to see Jon.

Jon at mile 18

After Jon went by, I called Jon's wife, Linda, to let her know I was headed to mile 20 to catch Jon again before the finish. Jon was still looking strong at 20, and so were several other runners who passed by.

Jon still looking strong at mile 20

Linda showed up to meet me at mile 20, so I asked her if I could jump in her car and ride to the finish. I wanted to run a few more miles, so heading back to my car from St. Joseph seemed like the perfect way to spend fifty minutes of a beautiful day.

The finish area was a gorgeous central Minnesota May morning.  I got several shots of the joy and determination on runners' faces as they ended their 26.2 mile journey from Holdingford to St. Joseph.

Dan LaPlante coming in at 2:52:26 in fourth place

Jon bringing it home after yakking around mile 21

Just short of his BQ

It was tough to watch Jon finish in 3:05:48. Even though it was a 12 minute PR, he missed his BQ by 49 seconds — less than 2 seconds-per-mile.

After Jon hung out in the medical tent for a bit, Linda and I let the mixed emotions of such an amazing race sink in for Jon. It was great to hang out with the two of them for a while, congratulate some of the top finishers, and chill out in the grass on a beautiful morning.

Jon, Linda, and puppy with the St. Joseph water tower

I jogged through a field and back onto the trail. I spent around 6 miles cheering for runners as they neared the finish, and got to see another running friend, Leah Blix.

I ended my day with Jon and Linda at the Maple Grove Granite City where we enjoyed good food, beer and conversation.

Now I'm back with my own training, and hoping to stay healthy as I wind up my base phase of training for the Chicago Marathon. My knees weren't happy with me for falling on my bike Sunday morning, but that's a story for another post.

Happy Running!