I am a slacker.

I am a slacker, not Geb pictured above...

I have not seen very much about this in any mainstream media, so in case you were not aware the world record for the marathon was again broken by Haile Gebrselassie at the Berlin Marathon. Geb smashed his old marathon world record by 27 seconds as he took advantage of excellent conditions on a flat course to finish in 2 hours, 3 minutes, 59 seconds. Despite an ailing calf he shattered the mark he set in Berlin last year and became the first man to win this race three times.
In the women's race, Irina Mikitenko of Germany won in 2:19:19. She improved her personal best by more than four minutes to record the seventh fastest time for a woman.

So if you can travel and want to hit a flat fast marathon, then Berlin it is!

As for me, my training for the past week has been marginal at best. I did very well up to Wednesday when I had a good 5 miler in the semi-dark morning (gotta keep alert for the coyotes and javalenias now that the sun is coming up later) and I made the core work class at 10 AM all before heading down to the first day of a three day conference put on by the Annie E. Casey foundation at the Phoenix Hyatt. Then the wheels fell off. Thursday I was worried about being late so I did not run in the morning, was late getting home (it took 1 hour 15 minutes to get home from there!) and was tired from a day of conferencing and driving. It would have been a great end to the day by going for a run but decided to stay inside and would instead run in the morning even though Friday was a scheduled rest day. The Hanson’s program is so different from a traditional American marathon plan. I think I like the Hanson’s program better, but since this is the plan my physical therapist is doing, I will stick with it as best I can. I need to really wrap my head around training and stop with the "I just want to finish with no back pain", and focus on getting some quality runs in.

What do you think happened Friday morning? The alarm did not get me up and I overslept, creating a mad dash to get dressed and out the door so I would not be late to the conference. Again getting home tired and crabby I did not want to run, I can do my long run tomorrow and be alright. So, Saturday I woke up and my wife was already out running. When she got back we only had an hour before my son’s soccer game. After that we had promised to take the kids to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua, then we had dinner scheduled at my mothers house. So, I will run on Sunday.
Sunday came and left with no sign of a run out of me but I did get a lot of cleaning and yard work done. And the Broncos won again!

Run today? Well when the smoke detector decides to alert you that it’s batteries are going dead by producing a 150 decibel chirp every 45 seconds you know that it is 2:45 in the morning. After getting the new battery placed in the detector, I was not able to fall back to sleep until about 430…the time I get up to run. So when the kids woke us up it was time to get ready to run out the door to work. Now I could lie and say that I will run tonight, but with Lyndsey working late on Mondays that is not a possibility. I didn’t think that I would miss the treadmill so much, but it was so very handy. I really need to save up for a new one. Maybe if I am lucky I will be able to cut out early and go home for a run, pick up my daughter, then drive back into town to get my son (late edit-it didn't happen). It will be a lot of miles on the gas friendly Suburban, but it is the only way I will get a run in today. I really need to get my head into my runs. With Sedona coming up in two weeks I would love to hit a few 10-13 milers up there. When I am doing well with my running I feel like I can run all day up there. With a good two weeks running I should be fine by the time I hit the red rocks.

Until next time!





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Team World Vision

Here is a video I came across about Ryan Hall and his running for a purpose. Hard to believe that people live in these conditions.



Let me know what you think.



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New IMS marathon

I recently received an e-mail telling me about a new marathon that will be run in the West Valley. It is called the IMS Arizona Marathon scheduled for February 15, 2009. for some time now I have felt that the West side of town needed some new races as there is a good base of runners out here, and maybe I will be wrong but the route this race is to be run on does not inspire me to jump up and register. There will be plenty of open fields and vacant lots to look at as you go by. And by open fields I don’t mean pristine, beautiful desert either. I mean vacant lots with scrub and dying vegetation. But it does end at Westgate which could be kinda cool, especially if they are able to get the finish in the Cardinals stadium or in the Coyotes arena.

I know that the views are not reason to run a race and I am sure that this race will do well; perhaps I may even run it next year (maybe as training run for the Sedona Marathon) 2010 as I still have my ban on running first year events (too many experiences with being a first year race guinea pig).

So, if this sounds like something you would like to try or you want to check it out for yourself go to http://www.thearizonamarathon.com/, and if you are one of the first 500 to register you will get the 2 for 1 special (as long as you know someone who will run with you).

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Learn to like the pain...

Some days are much tougher than others for me to get out for my daily run. Today was one of them. My lower back and right hip were both in agony when I got up today to get ready to go run. It was so bad that I almost did not go, then told myself that I would go about a half mile to see how it felt, then decide. The initial first few steps were killers; I almost stopped then, but continued on. At the half mile point my hip had loosened up and my back was starting to get with it. I then remembered that my physical therapist Melissa told me that there would be times like this and that the running would actually be good for it. I was glad that I continued on.

After the deluge last night the air was crisp and cool, the breeze picked up the desert scents and spread them around for all to smell. The morning after a storm is the best time to run in the desert.

Bats were flying everywhere this morning; I have never seen so many in one run. It was crazy, as they will dive bomb you from the tops of a tall saguaro cactus or a light pole, then pull away from only a few feet above your head.

I have seen a coyote on my last two runs. I was driving home last week thinking that the construction out in Vistancia had driven them further out in the desert or up in the hills. It was good to see them, it was also good to see that they had a fear of me and they are not becoming too domesticated. I also saw a road runner out by the canal; I haven’t seen one of those out here in a long time. Well enough with the nature report.

I hope to update soon with some upcoming races in the area. Until then, keep running and maybe I will see you out there.


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Catching up...

I have a lot of catching up to do. For starters the Runfar AZ program will be on hiatus for a bit as I need to get myself back up and running before taking on any other projects. My health and well being takes precedence! So...I will be posting on here about me and my training instead of posting about the group.
I will be training with the group my physical therapy office is putting on. I haven't trained with a group for three years, but I think that it would be good for me as I am basically starting from square one as my fitness is nothing right now. I can run with the pain in my back, but my lungs and legs start dying. I know that once I am able o get the miles back up it will start coming back so hopefully I can put forth a good effort at the PF Chang's.

I recently took a trip to Flagstaff and got in some good running around Buffalo Park. I was wondering if any elite runners would be there even though the Olympics took many from the area. I did see several very fast females running the loop at the park as well as legendary coach Dr. Jack Daniels as he worked with a group of kids. Most of the kids were Navajo, but it was a diverse group. Here are some pictures I snapped.

Nice Nike Free's!






I recently came across some cool videos of Ryan Hall as he was preparing for the Olympic trials and the Olympics. Here is my favorite one. He runs so smoothly, uphill, downhill, in a strong headwind. And he appears to be a nice down to earth dude.





So my current goals are to continue with the stretches and exercises my physical therapist gave me, change my diet and stick to it (I ordered the Chris Carmichael nutrition book), and get back to doing what I need to do. Run often and slow.

Until next time...





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Baldini marathon training

Here is a nice video of current Olympic marathon champion Stephano Baldini of Italy as he prepares to defend his championship in Beijing.



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Still hurtin'

I have decided that I have picked the absolute worst time to start running again after an injury. What time is that do you ask? Summer in Phoenix. It has been over 110 for almost 10 days now, but there is relief in sight, it is only supposed to be 109 then 108 before going back up just in time for the weekend. So not only am I dealing with trying to regain my fitness and form, I have to deal with the heat. Even when one ventures out at 5 AM here, it is still close to 80-85 degrees. At least in the early AM the sun is not beating down on you. The direct sunlight just intensifies everything 10 fold.
I would much rather live somewhere that does not get so hot but has a good deal of snow and clod weather. Those you can make arrangements for, the heat? Well I guess you can wear no shirt and a visor, but that is about it. With the advancements in technology there are plenty of thin, lightweight clothes out there that will keep your core temperature up even when it is below zero outside.

I recently read some of Dr. Daniels work on running in the heat. If I recall correctly, running at 90 degrees as opposed to 55 degrees adds somewhere along the lines of 20 seconds per mile to your time. I need to run more frequently with my HRM so I don’t drop dead here pushing too hard in the heat without proper fitness. As for my injury, it now appears that I did not have sciatic nerve damage, nor Piriformis Syndrome
. The popular diagnosis now if that I have Sacroiliac joint inflammation. www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/back/buttocks/sacroiliac.htm

I have been doing my stretches, and exercises. Some days I feel great and pain/discomfort free. Other days (like this morning) I feel like walking across the room is a painful exercise in self mutilation.

Some upcoming events:

There is a 10K, 5K and mile fun run in Prescott on the Fourth of July. It is run in tandem with the Frontier Days Rodeo.

There is the BBBS of Flagstaff "Run For The Magic" Half Marathon and 5K Race on August 9th @ 7 AM.

There is the Arizona Road Racers I-Did-A-Run 10K, 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run on September 14th @ 715 AM. http://www.arizonaroadracers.com/Calendar/i-did-a-run.php

My target race this year is still the Denver Marathon, as long as I can keep trying to chop away at the miles and get my fitness back, I will be there. If not…I don’t know. Maybe it is time to take up biking or swimming. Perhaps my body is trying to force me into training for a triathlon.

As for the P.F. Changs marathon training. This years training program will be in Vistancia if there is enough interest. However, if t eh registration is coming mainly from people out of the Vistancia area, the training will be moved somewhere more central in Peoria or Glendale. For more info send us an e-mail: runfaraz@cox.net



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I have not been running much (or at all) for the past several weeks. I had been having some bad sciatic nerve pain in my lower back above my right hip. It is probably due to the piriformis muscle being out of place, inflamed, or just plain old bugging the sciatic nerve.

A few weeks ago I felt good with no discomfort whatsoever so I went for a light run. I was not a half mile into the run when the pain came back as strong as ever shooting down my hamstring and into my calf. So, I started doing some area specific stretching as well as seeing a chiropractor in order to try to get things back in shape. So far I am not sure that things are working as planned due to the area where the pain generates (lower back, right side, directly above my hip) has a slight discomfort all the time now, where before it was not there unless I did something to inflame it. Maybe the area is working out its kinks and that is the pain. The chiropractor said that there should not be any such discomfort though so he performed a different kind of adjustment last time. We will see.

I really need to get back to running as I have missed the last two marathons I have wanted to run due to this pain (It was present at a much less severe way back in November when I had to stop training for the P.F. Chang’s Marathon), and as anyone who knows me can attest to, running is my anti-psychotic/anti-depressant all in one. When I am running well and in a good training program running becomes my therapist. No matter what may be on my mind when I lace up my shoes, by the time I arrive home I feel much better about the situation and often have a solution for whatever the problem is. And I have also gained about 10 pounds as I stopped running, but that is just a side note.

I may try to get out and run again this weekend as it is a holiday weekend, and I am on call Monday so being out on a run would really prevent me from having to take a call!

We will see. If everything goes as I hope, I will be up and training for the Denver Marathon in a week or two.

On an side note, what is up with this weather? It was 111 degrees on Monday and today it is 65 and raining. I really wish that I was up to running as there are few things as enjoyable as a run in the light rain when the air is clean and clear. The ground gently gives way to your strides and cushions your body as the top layer of soil is damp, and the desert flora put their scents out for all to smell. Occasionally even the animals come out to enjoy the weather. There are few things better than that.

Running in Sedona through the red rocks with a light snow falling is one of them. The last time that happened was a surreal run that I will never forget. I hope to recreate that event a few times this year. Heck, it is probably snowing there today; I know that it was in Flagstaff and down the canyon.

Keep putting the miles on, and remember to take a second to say hello to whomever you go past. It is amazing what a simple thing like saying hello can do for the spirit of you and whomever you say hello to (unless it is the cyclists in Vistancia that ignore you even when you say “hello’, or “nice day isn’t it?” to them as loudly as you can while they ride by. Just kidding-sort of).

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Useful information!

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Useful information!

http://www.athlinks.com/

This is a website that I recently came across that when you enter your name it brings up all of the races (running, biking, triathlon, etc) you have done in recent years along with the finishing times, or so they say. When I put my name in many of the races I have done came up, along with several races and times for events that have taken place in States where I have never stepped foot. Also several runs I have done were not listed at all, so while this site can be useful if you have forgotten what your finishing time was at a certain race, you may or may not find it here, along with some races you didn’t know you did! Where are those finisher medals and t-shirts?

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Product review: Power gels!

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via FoxyTunes Product review:

I recently tried two new gels on the market (new to me at least), AccelGel and Cytomax Energy Gel.

When I had initially tried the Cytomax product during a few longer training runs the weather had just started to turning warm here. The first thing I noticed about the product was it’s taste. I had the orange and vanilla flavors, and when I ate them it was like taking a bite of the most sugary, flavorful cake frosting that you ever had. Initially I liked the taste as it was a very nice change from many bland gels but I soon realized that all of that sugary taste comes with a steep price, a very sticky and dried out mouth. The first few times I had the gels I did not have water or a beverage with me, so although the gels went down without a hitch, the pending cotton mouth was a beat to be reckoned with. Plus the taste lingered in my mouth for a very long time which while initially enjoyable ended up being annoying (I know that I am easily annoyed). With water the gel is much more tolerable in regards to the sugary taste and the aftertaste does not linger for as long, but it is still there. Now this surprised me. When I looked at the sugar content I expected to see some out of this world amount of sugar content, however it only has 5 grams of sugar out of 27 total grams of carbs. So, I am not sure where that fluffy, sugary, came straight from the top of the richest cake ever made taste comes from, but it is there. Now that it is really getting warm here (90’s) I can’t imagine using this product on a hot long run. I think that my mouth would fuse shut. But with enough water or beverage it should do the trick just fine for those of you with an over sized sweet tooth.

As for performance, there was nothing remarkable about the product as it did as advertised and expected. Just like all gels it helped me through the longer stretches of the runs and got me home.

The next new product I tried was the Accel Gel Accelerade. What intrigued me about this product is that it contains the 4:1 ratio that has made the Accelerade and Endurox products famous. So while there is only 20 grams of carbs, there is also 5 grams of protein in each pack. I thought that this was going to require me taking more of the product in order to get through my training runs, but as it turned out my assumption was wrong (sense a theme here?). Compared to the taste of the Cytomax gel the flavor is very bland, but it is just enough to cover up the texture and natural flavor of gel.

As for performance, this product got me through my long runs feeling fresh and as if I was ready to keep going on. And when I was expecting to have some fatigue and post training soreness that I usually experience, there was none. I assume that it due to the addition of the protein in the formula. I have since started to exclusively use the Accel Gel as my training and racing gel of choice, but knowing that there is too much of a good thing and that the body needs change as it adapts and grows I will also occasionally supplement with other products like the Powel Gel I received a part of their training program sponsor program. I took a liking to the Accelerade line after using their drink at last years San Diego Rock and Roll marathon. I was not complete toast when I finished (I could walk around the finish area and did not have to collapse) and I was not as sore as expected afterwards. If you can’t tell I really like their line of products.

Ratings:

Cytomax Energy Gel 3.5 out of 5 stars

Accel Gel 4.5 out of 5 stars.

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