My Sport is your Sports Punishment

i love that phrase and it really rings true when other people say things to me like... i can't run, wow...a whole marathon, you ran how far on saturday?

....the list goes on forever, and even Fun Guv starts to eye-roll a little when somebody ask her how long the next marathon will be.

i've noticed that having just one marathon under my belt, gives me a bit of expert opinion (among the non-running masses), when talking with runners nervous about making the jump. For example:

i met a woman who was in Troy for training Saturday. She was staying at the little hotel i bartend at. and as she started talking with another couple, i noticed they were talking about how she runs to stay in shape. She was comfy with a 3-4 mile run, but TNT friends had talked her into training for the Freep/Detroit Marathon. She was real nervous, but hey, the marathon is a couple weeks after Chicago, she's got some time.

So, of course, i offer encouragement. She can do it. She'll have fun. Make this the first marathon, not the last. How to select a training plan, and then trust the plan. We all know the lingo, but....

Not only was she thankful, but having someone with a positive marathon experience really helped her mindset. She had heard about "the wall", the pain, suffering through endless miles of training, but not the joy during the race, running with a cell phone to call loved ones, taking pictures while running, the oneness of a group running together.

The concept of walking through a water break, or even walking while training, was foreign.

In my effort to live a humble, read....christian, life, i have always placed myself at the end of a table and allowed others to place me higher, if merited. As i read other running blogs and occasionally comment, i notice that as community, we all do that to one extent or another.

i've never read a blog entitled; I'm #1, or Eat my Dust.

i have read blogs sincerely asking for encouragement and advise. Sure, there's a little bragging about a PR once in a while, but really it's more of a "thanks for the help" variety. Something "we" all did together.

So where is this little thought headed. Well, like most maybe nowhere.-but i wanted to help friends who read my little corner of blogshere understand why i seem to under-value my abilities as an emerging runner. i can be a very vain person, if unchecked.

Sorry, no funny stuff, no political rants, and no 6 weird things about me (not yet at least), but some stats:

Ran 7 miles yesterday, through some slushy, icy areas, but finished in 1:00:10. i was a little tighter than expected after the long 14 miler on Saturday.

Thanks for reading

Last week report on training:

Well let's see last week was runs of 5,5 & 14 miles. Saturday was the nicest day to run. The weather was about 35ish, sunny, not too windy.

In true, old-school fashion, i dressed with an extra layer, filled up the camel-bak, grabbed a gu, my mp3, and trusty Garmin.

On the way out, i grabbed an apple to eat as i set out for what would be my longest run since the Marathon.

Since the Bayshore is a down and back marathon i figured to incorporate that style in my long runs. So i just ran, in a general direction for 7.5 miles, stopped, downed the gu, and headed back.

It was fun and i ended up with 14 miles and 1:58:05. Not bad. Since i was keeping track for a 1/2 marathon, i finished a 1/2 er about 1 minute/mile faster pace, than waaaaaay back April 1, 2006 when it took my 2:03 to run a half marathon. i think garmin had me at a 8:24 pace.

Extra special was the extra weight of the camel-bak and chillier than race-day conditions. Give me a race day scenario with a little warmer weather and i think i could have been faster. At least not slower.

My goal for the Bayshore, now seems realistic. It's a long 90 days away, but....3 hours to hit the 21.2 mile mark. If i can do this, i figure 45 minutes to go 5 miles and i can cruise the ending at a 9 minute/mile pace and if not, a 12 minute pace still keeps me at 4 hours.

Cross-training is going well, and even though Friday is a rest day, i did a little tennis that day. It was a little more work on my calves than i was expecting.

This week is a slightly shorter overall training week. No speed work, no tempo runs, just 3 basic runs of 7,7 & 6 miles.

It appears i have been tagged with 6 weird things about me....thanks Scott!!! Give me day to contemplate this....

of course, i can't divulge any campaign secrets.....hmmmmm???

Thanks for reading

Oooops, i almost forgot..... landmarks in the Patti Smith video....

The Murals from the Detroit Institute of Arts...
Joe Louis Fist....
Lafayette Coney Island....

A New Toy

A couple things i love about work, providing financial advice to help people get into the homes of their dreams, and the people i work with!!

That may seem strange but i've never worked as a loan officer in a place where i felt loyalty was appreciated. i tend to be very loyal to friends and clients. To be loyal to a lending company??? Well let's just say it really doesn't happen too often for anyone in my business. That's why i've been here almost 4 years and have no desire to leave, regardless of how weak the home buying market is in Michigan right now.

Anyway, back to the people i work with:

My Boss gave us all gift cards for Christmas this year. She likes to provide these every year. They're gift catalogues that come from an Amway person she knows. So, i guess even though Mr. DeVos isn't our running our state, i have some of his companies stuff.

Anyway, this year as i thumbed through the catalogue, i found a hydration pack. i'd seen lot's of mountain biker's using these and decided to get it.

It came last week. Since the weather was real cold i figured it would freeze and haven't used it yet. Check out Russ's blog in the sidebar for a confirmation of that thought.

Anyway, i think this weekend's long run, 14 miles, is going to be the perfect day to break out my 2 liter bladder/backpack.

Tonite is going to be a 5 mile tempo, 1 mile warm up, 3 @ 8:03 (i'm going to try for faster) and 1 mile cool. The temps are in the 40's finally. Should be fun.

Vote for Mike '08

It's time to put my money where my hands type. More on that later, but please check out my new work blog at the sidebar....more on that later

Serves me right for not running a Google search on Hamtramck.

i guess i always thought it was Polish. Damn you, lack of fact checking skills, but hey, at least someone's reading the blog.....

....maybe from beyond the grave, but someone's reading.

Anyway, i don't normally post on a daily basis but i just finished a new read.

i highly recommend it, but typically it's a "preaching to the choir" type book. i assume most liberals read it with a little chuckle and right-wingers look for holes to punch threw the rhetoric.

For me, it also brought a sense of what initially drove me away from organized religions, other than to experience and understand cultures different from my own upbringing.

While reading the book, i kept my Bible close to verify citations and context, and well....i find myself asking the question, asked many times on the book, although i don't believe the phrase was coined by the Author...

"Who would Jesus Bomb?"

Anyway, looks like i'll be running 24 miles this week; 5 today, 5 Wed (tempo), and 14 Saturday. Temps look to be near 40 this weekend. Maybe, i'll break out the shorts??? Maybe not...

Thanks for Reading

Weekend Report:

Well, hello again happy readers, and let me report this week was a good week for training and general health stuff.

Sunday.... chest, back abs 100 crunches
Monday...ran 6 miles, 100 crunches
Tuesday...Arms and shoulders 125 crunches
Wednesday.... ran 5 miles 3 at 7:30 pace on treadmill with 800 meter warm, recover, and cool
down 125 crunches
Thursday/Friday...rest
Saturday.....12 miles outdoors, finished in 1:39 per the Garmin. 150 crunches

Weight....197

Quit Smoking??? Well, i seem to have relapsed a bit, but don't quit quitin', right???

Good luck to Tange, as today is his marathon in Gainesville. Make sure we get a report.....

Tuesday is Fat Tuesday, which in Detroit area means paczki day!!!!

So i figure, i'll have a poonch-key. Somebody teach the damn poles to spell....paczki is missing an N, Hamtramck is missing the I, to become Ham-tram-ick......back to the point....

These damn donuts have something like 800 calries, Polish spellng fr calories....So next weeks update, my weight may be higher...damn they are tasting, fatty, treats.....avoid the prune-filled, not so tasty.

Not Running Stuff:

A funny thing has been happening as the blog has developed over the last nearly a year. i seem to have more to say and think than i think is truly appropriate for blogging. See, to me, a blog is a quick one-hiter. i like to read lightly and move on make a point, but avoid the rhetoric, if possible. i also take notes of funny things i notice to comtemplate blogging about. Well, funny to me.

i liken it to work emails. At work, too long or too short of an email, and my brain shuts out all the info in the email. For me, it's more of what i can truly concentrate on while at staring at a computer screen. It's a hard length to define but i know it when i see it. To really think, ponder a point, i prefer to read true text.

Maybe i'm a throwback to pre-email, text, instant technology??? i like to think so. Fer instance, if you tell me a funny story or email me one, i prefer (Ha,Ha) to LOL, or let me make the distiction for myself and i'll laugh out loud too.

Anyway, i'm danger of breaking my own rule. Maybe if the margins weren't so wide???? LOL

thanks for reading

Quote from a current read

Cause in 2007, blind faith in your leaders or in anything will get you killed.....

Ran a nice 6 miles last night. It was real chilly. i love the easy run after a long saturday run. it always my most refreshing run. Yesterday was no different.

not much to add today just wanted to update some housekeeping stuff.

i'm feeling a political rant festuring, my apologies as i try to be more running and a little cheeky, but between reading the Bible over the last year, and trying to negotiate my personal beliefs through the religous right, i seem to have stumbled upon a viewpoint i agree with....

it's a little stuck in my head,

More Running Stuff:

i seem to have aquired two novice runners asking my advice on preparing for a 1/2 mary. Since i think of myself as a novice as well, it seems funny that they have came to me for advice. I am happy to help. More on Coach Mike as we go along.

thanks for reading

First Week of Marathon Training:

Well lets see. One down, 15 to go to the Bayshore, which i am now officially registered for. Which brings my total up to 2 marathons registered for this year.

Saturday was a beautiful day to run. The weather was in the 20's and the wind did not affect too much. Additionally, i was well layered for the cold and nothing froze and subsequently fall off. Yippee for the little battles!!!

Anyway, last week broke down to 3 runs of 6 miles, 5 miles (tempo) and 10 miles.

This week bumps up by 2 miles so i'll be hitting 6,5 and 12. The five miles are speedwork. As we are currently in a winter storm watch for the next 3 days, and up to 8 inches of snow is expected, i may be doing some treadmill stuff.

Weight is currently 200 lbs. i am working on cutting out the Carbs a little and being a little more aware of the foods i eat. French Fries, a life long friend and nemesis to losing weight and keeping it off, are going away for a little while.

Since, i have decided to actually crosstrain, i have broken out the Soloflex. We bought one a few years ago with all the attachments. Although i have not used it recently and when the weather changes i'll do more biking, i'm putting a 5 day rountine in place that involves running 3 days a week, light weight training 2 days a week, 100 crunches a day for 5 days a week.

Outta my Monday Moanin' Mind: (a la Bob Talbert)

"Blister in the Sun", somehow the Violent Femmes are mainstream classic rock enough to be used by Wendy's. This disturbs me on so many levels...

Met two IT people from Cleveland, Tennessee at the bar last night. As i am bartender to the world at the little hotel i part-time work at. So this is a thanks to Chris and Margaret, welcome to the great state of Michigan. They were interested in my blog and maybe they'll actually see this. Vote for Mike '08, moves across the mason-dixie. Sorry not a lot of politics in this entry.

"Roxanne".....not my favorite Police song, mostly thanks to Eddie Murphy and 48 hrs, but i guess it was a better choice then "Every Breath You Take"

Kudos to the Dixie Chicks for sticking to their guns, being texans i'm sure they have guns. Radio statistics say the song they played at The Grammy's has only been played 15 times since it's release, in the Detroit Metro Area, as heard on 96.3 fm 5 minutes ago. 16 including what they played while discussing it. i sure that's 16 more times than in Cleveland, Tennessee airwaves have played it.

thanks for reading

My Last Daddy-Daughter Elementary School Dance....

It was a truly wonderful affair and if any of the PTO mom's happen upon this entry....

...as Fun Guv is on the board and tends to promote my blog better than i do....

i just wanted to shout out a big THANKS for all their hard work.

Anyway, in typical DD dance fashion after we arrived MacKenzie found a friend and we sat at a table, i met her friend's Dad and the girls???.....off like a prom dress....really i should stop using that phrase as my daughters are entering that phase of scholarly life.

A couple short observations and thoughts of the night. Mack was asked to fill in a little sheet with our names on it. It also asked why her dad is so special, and a song to play. If her name was picked she would get a little box of candy.

OK fine...i did not help and Mackenzie picked this song..... (the one playing unless you stopped the song....unpause....)

Miss Independent was here, i removed it to not have it constantly repeat anymore as i updated with new post. thanks

Truthfully, the song means nothing, but Mack picked it. i was honestly surprised she didn't pick something from High School Musical but this was her choice.

Anyway, fast forward to the dance and we did all the standards, Hokey Pokey, Chicken Dance (sober, never did that before), some stupid song...slide to the left....slide to the right....jump up 5 times....whatever the damn name is, the Macarena...however the stupid thing is spelled. btw this dance is fallen out of the collective unconsious of America as i noticed none of the girls really knew it correct, thank gawd, 100 variations on a line dance. Also no dads danced to this, and of course....YMCA.

Anyway...to the point....so occasionally the DJ would introduce a selected daddy/daughter; what made Dad so special, and their song to be played... Now look, i know Mom wanted to be involved but, truthfully what 8 year old girl would honestly pick "Daddies Little Girl" without Mom's coaching??? Cause Dad??? He ain't picking that song either. Or this big winner.... "Butterfly Kisses" and of course.... "My Girl" oooh the motown sound.

So i guess in the big picture, Zen, Karma moment i realized that my daughter picked a song about being independent. She's nobody's girl,.... she's her own, even if she doesn't truly realize it with the song she choose.. The subconsoius mind is a tricky thing and i think the groundwork is there for everything i always wanted for Mack. Cues sounds of ice tea being stirred and fingers snapping

Anyway, i'm off to run 10 miles today. i'm just wasting time waiting for the sun to warm things a little bit. Post run report to come tomorrow. Hopefully no penisicles, honestly how can i use plural here?, thanks for the new word Bob.

I'm feeling a political tirade coming on....vote for mike update soon.

Registered for the Bayshore....finally.... more on that too.

Thanks for reading,

SCOREBOARD: MIKE 2 ARTIC WIND 1

Well.... Yesterday was another run on a treadmill. 5 miles of tempo. 1 mile at 8:30 pace, 3 at 8:00, and 1 at 8:30.

i only almost fell of the teadmill one time. i tend to zone out and just run focusing on a smudge on the wall. It helps to actually visualize my true running route. Except i drift a little and an occasional heel hit the side of the runner, throwing me a bit off-balance and thrusting me back into the reality of not really moving.

Saturday is a 10 mile run. No way can i do that on a treadmill. It's gotta warm up, i gotta get outside....

Temps may be in the 20's, close enough, i'm hitting the road.

The marathon that never ends....

Well, i received my official results book and finisher certificate, suitable for framing, for the Chicago marathon. My official time was the same as my unofficial, go figure. The book is nice.

Never give an Obsessive-Compulsive this book......

"Ultra Marathon Man, Confessions of an All Night Runner"

Cause the first thing i start doing is running numbers. What pace would i have to maintain? How much weight would i need to lose to really finish? How to begin to train for an Ultra?

Then, all kidding aside with regards to the Canadian Death Race, are there any close adventure races to where i live?

Then, i find one, near Hell, MI

Turns out i know someone who runs this every year as a relay.

Never tell an Obsessive-Compulsive they can't do something.

i think, in my quest to find a race that i would be iffy about finishing, i have found one.

Two things: first, Fun Guv' vetoed it, Second my relay friend laughed at me when i asked him about it.

But i'm thinking....commit to losing 20-25 lbs, work up to 8 hr training run, get a support team together, heckuva warmup to the next Chicago Marathon.

10:45 pace should qualify for the WS 100.....

oh wait, you thought i was thinking about the 50k, not the 50 miler....

Oh well

Thanks for reading

Scoreboard: Mike 1 Artic Wind 1

Well, it goes like this. Fun Guv', again using the brain that i seem to be missing, vetoed any notion of me running in the apparantly dangerous conditions. i begged to even just run the mile around our neighborhood 6 times, stopping in to update my status every lap.

But, the look i received meant that even if my privates didn't freeze and subsequently fall off, they were not going to be put to use any time soon. Soooo, plan B.

Mother-in-Law has a nice treadmill, and only lives a few miles away. Kids like to see their grandmother, so a quick pack and we are out the door.

My treadmill cherry was popped last night. i hate to admit in a Sam-I-Am way, that the treadmill wasn't the worst thing in the world. After the treadmill/storage rack was unearthed from the stack of old junk mail, correspondence, clocks and smoke detectors in need of new batteries, Fun Guv ran her mile. Then i ran my 6.

O.K., i ran. i wasn't bundled up, no wind, just me and running shorts in a hot sweaty room, no circulation. It was a sauna. i think this may have been the first sweat to actually fall off and land on this treadmill in it's existence.

i think i'll try to do my speed work on it.

Movin' On:

Good luck to Marc St Angelo, (Tange) as his next marathon is only 12 days away. Run strong buddy and ex-roomy. Looking forward to an update from you. Tange---post a bib number and the website to the marathon to the comment section, and i'll see if i can stalk your progress.

Sad note:

MacKenzie has to deal with a loss as her 4yr old Guinea Pig.

Mary, was found dead this morning. The pet store guy told us Mary would live to be about 4 when we got her. So i think Mack did a great job with her first pet. Mary was a great part of our family and will be missed...

Mary's remains are scheduled for cremation this afternoon....

Condolences to MacKenzie may be left on the comment section of this blog. i am sure she would appreciate any thoughts....

thanks for reading

Scoreboard: Mike 0 Arctic Wind 1

Well here we are at the beginning of an arctic blast. Temperatures yesterday were in the teens, windchill in the single digits and off I go for my typical Saturday morning 10 mile fun-run.

The wind was out of the south & west, oddly enough...arctic wind from the south? So I started by heading west for 2 miles and then south for a mile and a half. Anyway, all bundled up per my previous post description of winter running gear I felt pretty good.

So when I reached the farthest south and west points of the run I really looked forward to running with the wind at my back. That was fine for the next 2.5 miles. I even flipped the face mask up.

Then a new pain, and actually it's one that crept up when I made my long run to the in-laws a few weeks ago. I've never written about this in the blog before....BUT...here's the deal, I think I made a bad choice in underwear. See, I switched to boxer briefs a few years ago and while they are very comfortable, they don't really support too well. So I think my exposure to the wind froze a couple parts of my anatomy. Like, froze. Millions of nerve endings frozen, chafing against loose fitting cotton briefs. With each stride causing more irritation. To the point of a standing fetal position, wretched in agony, to trying to walk with a glove in my pants trying to warm things up, to my bare hands cupping the area in my pants walking thru the neighborhood like a pervert.

Eventually, I warmed up enough, sort of, to manage a short jog to the BP and coerced the attendant to let me make a phone call. Fortunately he didn't speak english so he wasn't sure what he was agreeing to at first. Luckily, I was only 2 miles from home so I was able to warm up while waiting for Fun Guv to make the little trip to pick me up. I bought a PowerAde and came home for a well deserved shower.

So gents, any thoughts? Tomorrow I have a 6 mile run scheduled and temps will be in the single digits with negative wind chills. Although Fun Guv & I don't intend on having any other children, I'm not sure I want anything to freeze and fall off. Any advice?

One item though, this is man vs. nature ~ no treadmill.

I think my brain froze yesterday too as I have no thoughts regarding the Vote For Mike '08 campaign other than updating my video that got pulled from YouTube for apparent copyright infringement.

I must have "the man's" attention. Establishment pulled a video from YouTube after I used it with a voting connection. Maybe I'm just paranoid.

Thanks for reading.