Some rocks…some roll.

Got out the Swiffer and dusted off the blog for a spin.
Trying to blog a bit more this year for various reasons that are mine alone.

2014
I'll turn 60 effing years old. Can you believe that? I sure as hell can't. Creak a bit more, my bones rattle more than they used to, jeepers I've gotten slower but in my heart and in my head I'm, well, younger than I am now.

I never blog about work, because it's never been about work for me. It's about free time and adventure and testing limits and moving. Just moving. Work this fall has been drag and my heart isn't in it anymore. Time to move on. Goal Number One for the year. Find a different path.

Goal Number Two get out a bit more. Do more. See more. With my best girl by my side, floating down the rivers of…(I'm wearing a plaid flannel shirt RIGHT NOW!)

This year was ok in the movement area for me although I missed a month and a half of running early in the year recovering from a disc issue.
2,555 miles on the bike
1495 miles running
51 hours of weight training
Total hours: 490:45
So when you think "He looks good for 60!" now you know: It takes a lot of work.

This year I'd like to do 60 events to celebrate my 60th year. Runs, organized bike rides and races Triathlons, Duathlons, the odd swim (Yuck! I hate swimming and only do it to get to the bike and run)
Weird stuff off the grid too. Just me and SPOT.

I'll also hope to raise a little bit of money for ALS, the disease that killed my cousin Pete and now has grabbed a dear running friend of mine. I hate it, this disease.

France and Spain were great with the Señora. I could retire to our favorite pinxos bar…after a run on the beach.

Later younglings!
All the best  for a great 2014 for you!

Hill-acious

Remember this? I posted this a few weeks ago when the marathon I ran today had to change the route due to the government lock out. 

Freedoms Run Marathon normally ran from Harpers Ferry West Virginia, crossed into Mary Land and ended in Shepherdstown West Virginia.
Due to the nincompoops on "The Hill" all the parks are closed and while many races have been canceled the fine folks at Freeedoms found an alternate route. A two loop out and back.

Above is the map, a hammerhead out and back which is pretty rare. The red squiggly thing at the bottom is the elevation chart.

Ouch.

Probably the hilliest road marathon I've ever done. The hills weren't too long mind you, but many kicked back to 12% at least. I found many of the hills un-runnable. Oh, I could run them but the energy expenditure would be too great on the first lap and lead to a hellish second.  Now I can WALK. I was passing folks who were running...them gasping for air and me humming along up hill.

The real nasties showed up about mile 22.

I run a fair bit. I run down hills a lot, which all good runners should to help strengthen the quads. At mile 22 my quads were mush. Trying to keep an even effort down hills of steep grade trashed them. I feel like I've been carrying Mary Lou up and down flights of stairs all day.

Perfect weather but humid, so lots of sweating.
The aid stations could have spaced a bit better but big thanks to the high school kids who staffed them.

I'd really like to do the race when it's back on it's regular turf next year.

Freedoms Run Marathon
4:40
Half in 2:05 (my watch, they didn't have a timing mat at the turn)
This makes my 55th race of Marathon distance or greater and places my total race count close to 500.
Used the Hal Higdon Marathon 3 training program with special Anton tweaks.

Batter up!

Spring! Even with the "Snowquester" on the horizon for Wednesday, Spring is just around the corner.
Pfffffft.
About time. I don't want to admit this because we often didn't see eye to eye, but my mother told me when I was off on some winter lovin'- bring on the snow -where's my ice ax rant: "You just wait! One day you won't love the winter so much!
She was right dammit.
Now, I like a good snow, and a snow day from school is like a "Free Space" in bingo, but I am tired of trying to get out the door for a run in the blowing nasties. I'm done.
After an epic MCM and recovery and doctor's appointments and yet another total rebuild when it comes to running, things are heading up!
Milage has improved. Pace is just ok but I'll save improving that till after this Springs fun.
I blew off the Greenway 50k as work intervened.
Next up is the Hampton Roads Run shown above. A warm up and long catered training run for 3 Days at The Fair in May. I might jump in something for St. Patricks day because I need to shake the dust off the kilts.
I'll take a break after the 3 Days then come back for short stuff and a build to a fall marathon.

Spending a fair amount of time on the bike. Some summer and fall plans to play out on two wheels and many many miles.

Buds on the trees already and the crocus and snow drops have their heads up...Spring!
Shorts and no shirt....well, maybe a shirt below 60 degrees.

Don't try this at home.

Ya'all know the sob story. During MCM Something happened  to me that really brought me down like a house of cards in a gale.
Herniated Disc by the time I finally got it sorted out. Epidural injections, PT, Massage therapy, yoga, stretching, A couple of animal sacrifices and burning the yule log later and I'm at, maybe, seventy-five to eighty percent.
Looming ahead was Disney. Of course as many of you know Mary Lou and I go down every year for Marathon weekend...she does the half marathon on Saturday and I do both The half and the marathon on Sunday. It makes me Goofy.
Well, I'm Perfectly Goofy. I've done all eight so far and that was the goal of this trip, to head down and grab number eight...I just wasn't ready to end the streak at 7. Bad back aside I confronted (puns intended) the bottom line:
Would be going to Disney with almost no training. Yikes. Double yikes actually since I'd be doing two events.
 After getting my diagnosis, I was able to maintain my fitness on turbo trainer...riding the bike in the basement and keeping up my cardio vascular fitness. The best way to keep some semblance of leg and running fitness was to walk. which I did a lot of. About a month out from Disney I started adding in some running for short bits. Not much, but enough. Over did it and back slide some. Got back on it and was able to get in one 13 miler before race weekend a walk run split of maybe 60/40.
Don't try this at home.
I know what I'm capable of. I know my limits. Also, I had a plan. To basically walk the events ( Can walk a 14 minute mile) with running breaks and bail out if things got as painful as MCM. Wear my Hokas. ( running shoe with super cushioning that I've been using for Ultra marathons recently) As it turned out I ran a bit more than expected and was able to maintain 13 minute miles. Some time out for pictures with characters of course.
Just took a week completely off from running and cycling and now ready to crank it back up. My back gets cranky from time to time but it was a relief to hear from so many that discs heal and they have returned to running without a problem after suffering the same injury, which, by the way, is not running related but often caused by muscle imbalance. Working on it.
I guess the upshot of this is I took a risk in going to Disney and attempting the races. I got through it easily.
Runner, know thyself.
The picture is of the Goofy Challenge medal on the left and the 20th Anniversary marathon medal on the right.