Looking Back Five Years Ago the Journey Continues

Sometime around Jan. 2006, I was at the doctors office with the flu when he came in and mentioned that I had high blood pressure. He said that you should come back in over the next couple of weeks and get it checked quickly and see if this is something that will need medication or not. At that time, I decided that I would get back into shape. I was probably a little overweight for my height and frame also at 166. Even a girl that I was seeing at the time mentioned that I was getting a little fat. Below is the journey of 5 years. A quick summary is 5 years later I'm still continuing on my journey, lost 30 lbs, achieved my 2nd degree black belt, completed 3 marathons, 3 half ironmans, numerous triathlons, and other running races.

The opportunity at that time to get back in shape came with martial arts. I knew someone that had started a class at Conway Regional once a week and at that time I decided to attempt to get back into marital arts. I had taken taekwondo until I was 18 and then quit when I went to college. Now at the age of 25, I was getting back into the action.

Throughout 2006, I really was just involved in martial arts with some other workouts here and there, but my interest in running grew when I saw my dad complete the 2006 NYC marathon. After watching him complete the marathon, I would register for the 2007 NYC marathon. As luck would have it, I got the lottery entry.

In 2007, I began my training for the marathon and on NYC completed the NYC in 4:45 minutes. My interest in fitness began to grow even more in 2007 with my first attempts at a training log. You read in various articles that is good to keep a long and in 2007 the log began. The log is mainly filled with just miles run and hours trained. There is still no biking in the picture yet! The 2007 log shows 168 hrs of training and 327 miles of running from June to December.

2008 brought along my second marathon in NYC which was completed in 4:25 minutes and the purchase of my first bike. I purchased a Specialized Allez Elite. I purchased the bike in March but with work travel and just not riding I only rode 225 miles that year. The funny thing about this year was that I actually ran my first 5k in August. I also began to swim in 2008. The idea of completing a triathlon began. 2008 brought 244 hrs of training, 608 miles of running, 225 miles biking, and even 11 miles of swimming. During 2008, I also tested for my Black Belt in taekwondo in February and then tested for my 1st degree in October. After 2.5 years of taking taekwondo, I had finally achieved my black belt. Of course, I still have much more to learn and will continue to advance.

It's 2009 and it's time to Tri! In 2009, I began to pursue triathlons. I had a new position at work which didn't require travel and so my adventure in triathlons began! My first triathlon was in Texarkana at the Four States triathlon. It was adventure on the swim with a slight panic at the start but I pushed through and finished. I knew at that point I wanted to do more. In 2009, I completed 5 triathlons (3 sprint and 2 international distance). In December, I committed to the 70.3 in New Orleans also. Also, in 2009, after 4 years of teaching in taekwondo, I finally completed the required 120 hrs to be certified instructor. I also achieved my 2nd degree black belt in August. In 2009, I trained 356 hrs, ran 447, biked 1641, and swam 73.

2010 is the year of the 70.3 distance. I completed my first half ironman in New Orleans. I think I found the distance that I love. It's a challenge and you can push yourself to the edge. I also completed one in Lubbock and here in Conway. I also set a PR in the marathon in Memphis in December. I ran a 3:55! This was my first marathon in 2 years. I love the challenge of the marathon and the effort it takes to push through your own limits to complete.

I think every year I grow a little more and continue to learn and will continue the journey. There is no end to this journey. It will continue on for a long time to come.

St. Jude Memphis Marathon

Well after 12 weeks of specifically training for the Memphis marathon the day came to run. I began my training with using my triathlon training from the previous months as the base and started building my long runs in September - November. The training was going very well up until 3 weeks before the race. Just after I finished my last long run of 21 miles. My knee was very sore the next day. I decied to layoff of it for a few days. I went for a run on a treadmill that next Thursday and it didn't go so well. I could barely run. I was traveling at the time, so I decided that it would be best to stay off of it for a few more days. When I got home the week of Thanksgiving, I went for another run that I could barely complete on that Monday. I figured I to not run on it for another week and the week of the marathon. So by the time the marathon came, I had only done a long run of 3 miles the Wednesday before. It felt pretty good. So, I was feeling pretty ready for the marathon.

I was staying in Downtown Memphis at the Springhill Suites. It was a pretty good hotel with it only being a few blocks from the start. I wouldn't have to worry about parking or driving after the marathon. The dinner the night before was at a restaurant called Papa Pias. I had the chicken parmesan and it was a great meal! I was able to get to bed early and slept well. Of course when you stay in hotels all the time, it can be pretty easy to get used to the beds.

The morning of the marathon started off well. I got up took a warm shower to loosen up the muscles and then taped my knee with the KT tape that I had. It seemed to be pretty effective in helping with my knee pain recently. I then had a breakfeast of cliff bar, banana, and gatorade endurance. After that, I proceed to walk down to Autozone Park where you could check your gear and wait around for the start. The temperature was around 54 in the morning with a slight wind. Now the only thing that I was thinking about, should I go for a time of 3:40 - 3:50. I decieded to join the pace group of 3:45 and hope that I could hang on. I've been reading the book Lore of Runniing lately and it seems that the best strategy may be to start off faster and hang on because it is very diffcult to run a negitive split. At 8:00 am the marathon was off and running. I was with the 3:45 group. The group had a pretty energetic pace leader who was an experienced marathoner. The first half was pretty flat with some small up and down hills. I was holding strong till around mile 15. Around that time I started to feel my legs start to tire a little. The race course also had even more rollers after mile 15 which I think started to effect me. I was thinking that not running for 3 weeks may hurt. I know the marathon is all about overcoming the mind, but around mile 19. I told myself to walk for one aid station and then get going again. Well that was the wrong decision and after that I was run walking for the remaining 7 miles. The finish finally came at a time of 3:55:02. I was very happy to fight for the sub 4 hr time. Just after I crossed the finish, I experienced my first hamstring cramp that would have brought me to the ground had not two catchers been in the area. I'm glad my body waited till the finish. This is my third marathon and it's always amazing after completing any long distance event how the adrenline wears off after crossing the finish. It makes you wonder how you completed the race in the first place. Overall it was a great experience and I'm ready to complete another marathon again, this time I hope to not hurt my knee and modify my training a little to not allow for injuries to crop up.

Up In the Air

Ok, well I continue to busy traveling with work since Labor Day. I was counting up the days that I have been gone and it 48 days so far. I haven't swam since Sept. 11th during the Toad Suck 66 triathlon. I've ridden my bike maybe 5 times, but at least there is always running while on the road. I'm always making sure that I pack some shoes and running clothes. Sometimes, I get good chance to run around the cities other times my hotel isn't in a good spot or it's late and I just hit the hotel treadmill. I have the Memphis marathon coming up in 2 weeks and feel I'm prepared for it except for my right knee that has decided to act up. So for now, I'm going to take it easy and attempt the challenge of the marathon for the 3rd time on December 4th.

The Return of Me

Well ok, I've fallen by the wayside since I last posted an entry. I think it's time to get back to it and see where this goes. Over the last couple of months, I've been pretty busy with work and life. I've neglected this blog and now is the time again to get started.

I've completed two races since my race at Lubbock. The first race was the Toad Suck 66 here in Conway, AR. This race was a 1 mile swim, a 52 mile ride, and a 12 mile run. It is run by DLT events. The race morning started with rain as I was driving to the site. It quit raining once I got there, but I knew more rain was on the way. We started the swim with overcast skies. The swim did not start off well as my goggles came off on the swim. Once I put them back on, it was back to racing. Once out of the water, I realized that I would have a lot of catching up to do. I got on my bike and off I went. The ride takes you on two loops using the foothills north of Conway. It is an up and down ride. I was riding really well. I was catching people. I figured since this was last race of the year it was time to hammer. The rain started to come down and didn't stop until about 2:30:00 into the bike. I got off the bike and onto the run. It was clearing by then and it was overcast, so it keep the temperatures down a little. I was able to run really well off the bike. I was able to hold a 8:30 per mile pace. It was best run off the bike off the year. I was able to finish 9th overall and 2nd in my AG. It was a small race, but I was out there racing.

The second race was the Soaring Wings half marathon here in Conway. It is a local race that supports a place that takes care of abused and neglected children. The race actually has a good turn out. There were around 1400 people participating. I have been training for the St. Jude Marathon in Memphis, so I was hoping the distance training would pay off with a PR in the half-marathon. Well the race started off well, but by the time I got to the 6 mile mark, I started to feel off. My pace fell and I knew that a PR was gone. At this point, I was trying to maintain at least an 8:00-8:15 as a practice for the marathon. It was a tough race and it gave me some stuff to look at for the marathon I have coming up.