Midweek Exercise Update

To help hold myself accountable I am back to sharing my exercise in the quest to get back into the shape I was once in this time last year.

Monday - I started back to running. I need to find the joy I once had with running. I think I burned myself out from running by worrying about pace and time and splits all the time. I need to get back to just remembering the simple joy of running. One foot in front of the other.

I am jumping into a marathon plan, but not worry about pace, time, or actually even running a marathon. I needed a basic structure to follow to give me some guidance.

I ran 4 miles which was a great starting distance to get back into the swing of things. It helps to have Chad running with me so we can keep things easy and allow us to just chat about stuff. This really helps pass the time and keeps you out of your own head.



Tuesday - After an open water swim Sunday I knew I had some more work to do in the pool. Swimming is probably my strongest sport right now as I  have not missed a swim workout in a while.
Today I decided to mix it up and did a workout I saw in Triathlon magazine to do something completely different from what I have been doing. This was a tough workout. I have not crossed the 3000 yard swim barrier in a very, very long time.

800 warm up - 200 free, 200 kick x2
12 x 25 on :30 working on descent of stroke count - My stroke count was high hovering at 15-16. I was able to get that down to 13-14 by the end. This is way too high.
500 - 25 fast/75 normal - This was a gasser
4 x 150 on 3:00 - I did one set free, one kick, one free, one kick to work on swimming with tired legs
500 pull with 3/5/7 breathing - I did 50 at 3 breath, 50 at 5, 50 at 7, etc. 7 was a tough. I hate that panic feeling of not having oxygen. It was good for me to work on this.
8 x 50 - 3 fast at every :50 and 4th one easy at 1:10 - It is amazing how fast the time goes between sets. I would finish roughly around 40 seconds so the 10 seconds flies by.
100 cool down kick




Wednesday - Today was another 4 mile run. Felt much better despite more humidity and heat. Feels good to get out and run. I don't always want to do the run in the morning, but feel really good afterwards.

Training Put On Hold

I don't know what I did, but Tuesday night after coaching my basketball game my right ankle started to bother me a bit. By the end of the night it was hurting pretty good. I have no idea what happened or what caused it as I did not do anything.

Wednesday morning when I woke up I planned to get my bike workout done, but I could barely walk. My ankle was on fire and hurt something fierce. Throughout the day it just got worse, started to swell a bit and the pain moved to my heel and calf.

Today the pain is still there. I am taking another rest day and the pain is now more the heel, but if I rotate my ankle it hurts and the swelling has also increased.

So, I was back on track, but have a little setback. I need to get to the doctor so hopefully Monday I can make a quick trip over to see as I am busy today and out of town all weekend. The joys of getting old.

Training - 10 Mile Run......Harder than the Marathon

Wowsers! I finally got myself up and moving around today to get my run in that I had planned to run on Thursday that I bumped to Friday that I finally got today. I wanted to get a 10 mile run in this week just to maintain some of the fitness level that I had achieved over the last four months. I have the Living Farms 7 mile creek run coming up in November and I want to run well in that so I need to make sure I don't fall off too much in my conditioning.

With that being said it has only been about two weeks since the marathon. Mentally I am just not as strong as I was prior to the race. That is to be expected as my brain just needs time to take it easy before I throw out the next daunting goal of mine.

I went out for my run around noon when I finally had a time to run. It is hot today here in Iowa pushing 80 degrees. I have not ran in heat period in quite some time. I took off towards the bike path with breaking the run up into two 5 mile splits. From my house I can run to a water/restroom area on the bike path that is exactly 5 miles on the dot. I did not take my water belt as I did not feel like running with that on. I took one GU and was out the door. I wanted to time my first 5 miles and then GU it up and run back in hopes of breaking the time it took to get there.

It felt great to be running again. The sunshine felt fantastic and with the breeze it was actually not that bad. I was so glad to be out running. I ran mile 1 in 8:27, mile 2 8:15, and mile 3 8:19. I really started feeling good while on the flat bike path and picked up the pace running mile 4 8:02 and mile 5 in 7:47. I finished up running the first 5 mile split around 41 minutes and some seconds. It was at this point that things started to fall apart fast.

During the last few miles my stomach started to hurt. At the rest area I grabbed some water, took a GU, went to the restroom, and took off. I did stay long as I wanted to keep going.

I ran mile 6 in 7:47 just like mile 5. After this mile my stomach started cramping really bad and my foot started to give me some pain. I lost some mile time running mile 7 8:13. Things continued to feel worse as I ran mile 8 in 8:19. I remember almost thinking about stopping at this point. My foot felt bad and my stomach cramp just kept spreading like wildfire.  It was also around this point the wind either died completely feeling super hot or blowing right in my face making it hard to run. Mile 9 I dropped even farther running 8:38. During this mile my chest and heart started to get tight. I was thinking, "What is going on with my body?". I deep some deep breathing, shortened my stride, and just tried to relax. I finished mile 10 in 8:29.

I did not meet my goal of running back faster. I did stay mentally tough not stopping and just fighting through the elements. I am positive that the combination of the heat and the unhealthy eating of the last week or so it was caused this run to be difficult. It was a great remind and wake up call that rest and recovery does not mean I turn into a slob. I am glad I stuck it out because I am sure I am going to have days like this again and I have to keep fighting through the challenges.

Have a great rest of they day. We are off to pick apples and snag some pumpkins. I finished my run in 1:22 for a 8:14 pace. I will gladly take that time.  Keep GETTING IT DONE!

Training - No run today

My daughter Ava has decided to wake up all the time the last few nights. So sleep has not been great and I have been quite tired. I took yesterday off after running two days straight and feeling tired. I was going to run this morning, but slept in instead. I don't feel bad about it. Perhaps I should, but it is not even quite two weeks yet since the marathon. I think my body is fine, but mentally I am just not in the right place yet to get back to some serious training and running.


I spent time last night planning out my next 6-8 months. I have a penciled calendar version of where I would like to go. I am going to finalize the schedule by next week and begin to train from there. I leave for San Diego Sunday for some training for school so upon my return from this trip I will unveil my plan and goal.

A few more days of taking it easy will be best for my mental aspect of my training. Happy Friday.

GETTING IT DONE! - 7 Mile Run = 1000 Mile Barrier...My 1000 Mile Journey

I woke up earlier than normal this morning to start my run around 4:45. I planned for a 7 mile run today. I ran 2 miles to the Y to meet some friends for a run. We took off and ran together for about 3.5 miles. At Tanglefoot we split ways with me heading towards my house and them heading back to the Y. I finished up my nice easy run of 7 miles which allowed me to hit my 1000th mile of training this year.

Sitting here typing this up I can hardly believe that I actually have put in 1000 miles. I know seasoned runners hit this mark way earlier than October, but this is a huge number for me. Looking back at my monthly mileage I started the year off rough. I put in only 4 miles in December of 2010 when I was injured. This lead me to falling apart in the motivational aspect as well as my overall fitness. This injury allowed me to make excuses which did not do anything positive for myself. I needed to kick start me and eventually this would happen. However, to start the year off I put in only 6 miles in January.

I finally picked things up in February by getting in 57 miles. At this point I kept toying with the idea of a marathon, but not really committed yet. March I gathered 97 miles as we were training for a half marathon. I had a training partner and things were turning around. April continued with 62 miles and May I ran my first 5k in 21:27. I ended up with 55 miles in May.

June was my turning point. This was when I finally flipped the switch. I wanted to be better. I wanted to prove to myself that I was tougher than I believed. I committed to the challenge of running and a marathon. I put into place small checkpoints(races) along the way to help me stay aligned to my training plan. I added my bike to the mix and next thing you know I put in 158 miles in June, 231 in July, 177 in August.

As you know the marathon was in September and not only did I accomplish my goal of running under 4 hours, but I finished the month up with 141 miles which is not bad considering I took a week off after the race and two weeks of tapering.

I don't know where the rest of the year will take me. I keep tossing around several races and possibly learning to bike and swim for a triathlon next year. I can only hope to take things one day at a time and just enjoy my lifestyle change. I have transformed many things in my life. I have slimmed down, I feel the best I have ever felt, and I realize that I can tackle any challenge I set out for myself. The hardest part was back in January trying to get over that mindset of making excuses. The hardest part is getting started. Now it is almost impossible to slow down.

It is amazing how easy it is to convince yourself that you can't do something. I used them all from injuries, not  having time, not having the right body type(which I don't, but I have adapted), etc. Now I use that as fuel to stay motivated. Not everyday is easy to get up and run, but why would I leave behind what all I have accomplished. I have placed myself at the point of no return. Too much has been invested to not continue. That is what is so great once you get started down any path to your goals. Once you get going it is hard to stop once you really, truly believe.

I leave this post knowing that I have accomplished and met another milestone. It is one that only I can truly appreciate as I put the miles in. For others, 1000 miles is too easy and for others 1000 miles may be out of reach. Each person is unique. I only hope that those on the path to success take time to stop and celebrate what they have all accomplished. That is part of GETTING IT DONE! - taking time to celebrate. Just remember that once you celebrate it is time to get back to work towards that next goal.

Source: None via Aaron on Pinterest

Training - 4 Mile EZ Run - Path To Success

I have decided to go with a training plan for a marathon. I am going to pick up in the plan at 5 weeks out of a race. I have done this in the possibility of running a marathon. I am not fully committed. Things that are affecting my final decision:

- my foot and the pain I currently have
-fall plans and finding a weekend that does not cause too much chaos
-getting my body back to feeling fresh

I went out for a 4 mile run today. My legs just did not feel recharged. They felt tired. I only ran at a 8:23 pace, but my legs were tired at mile 2. Some of this has to come from the 5 mile run on Sunday when I pushed maybe a little too hard. I ran 8:56, 8:22, 8:14, 7:55 mile splits to finish up in 33:44.

I have another run scheduled for tomorrow. I plan on going much slower and just getting the body back used to being on my feet for some time. I am not too worried as this is all new territory for me. I just need to continue to listen to my body and take one day at a time. I need my foot healthy and body feeling good for the Living Farms Race in November. I don't plan on setting a new mile pace record or anything, but just want to go out, run hard, and have fun running through water in the cold.

What I need is just some time to plan and map out my next goal and the path to that goal. What are your goals for the fall/winter?

This is how the path sometimes turns out. Right now I feeling like I am spinning my wheels until I mark my next goal.

Source: None via Aaron on Pinterest

5 Mile Sunday Night Run

Last night I went out for a run. It was only my second run since the marathon. I have been following a plan created by Half Higdon. I ran a few miles earlier on Thursday. My legs were not quite there yet, so I took Friday and Saturday off. 


Last night I could not believe how dark it quickly became. I felt like it was 5:00 in the morning. I took not quite sure what to expect. I have been eating whatever I want, when I want the whole week. As nice as that sounds it made me realize how important nutrition is as I just did not feel myself. I felt my energy level drop(part of this is due to the marathon) and my mood change. I missed running, but knew it was better to rest.


I took off running mile 1 nice and easy at a 8:39 pace. After an easy mile my body was just screaming to get going and be pushed. I could tell that my brain and body did not want an easy run, but a little bit of a challenge. I picked up the pace and ran mile 2 in 8:02. I was starting to breath a little heavy, but felt like giving my body a good challenge. I ran mile 3 in 7:38, mile 4 in 7:21, and finished mile 5 at 7:21. It felt good to have tired legs, heavy breathing, and a good sweat going. 


My legs are a little sore today, but well worth it. I have not quite figured out what is next on my list. I did sign up for

Living History Farms Off-Road Races : 7-Mile

This race will be ran on November 19th. It is going to be a cold run through farms, trails, and 9 creeks. It just sounded too good to pass up. I stayed up until 10:00 on Friday to register. This race is in Urbandale, Iowa. That is one race lined up.

I would still like to get a marathon or half marathon in this fall. I will start training this week to gauge the body. My right foot has been giving me some problems when I stepped wrong last Wednesday. I want to take it easy and not force the running and be plagued with an injury and repeat last fall/winter.

I have my eye on the Des Moines Marathon(might be too soon) and the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon as well. I will make a decision this week. Happy Monday! 

Training - Where do I go from here?

I did a nice easy run yesterday as part of my recovery marathon training. I took today off and will probably take Saturday off. Sunday I will go out for a 5-6 mile run and assess my body at this point.

I would like to get one more race in before the winter and snow kicks in.

Any suggestions for a good marathon or half marathon or any other type of running race between now and November?

Send them my way. I am currently looking at the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, but am open to any other great races.

I have my eye on a crazy race coming up in June of next year.The Run Ragnar Relay race. For me it would be the Chicago race. Has anyone ever ran one of these? I have a possible group of people to run and we are thinking about giving this a shot. Just curious if anyone has done this race. It sounds very cool!

Happy Friday!

Training - Week 18 - Week 16 of Marathon Training - Taper

I finished up my last week of tapering to prep for my marathon. I did not have time to post during the week. It was a hectic week with Addy getting stitches on Tuesday and just being busy.

Tuesday I ran 6 miles nice and easy.

Thursday I ran 5.1 miles nice and easy.

Saturday I ran a quick and light 2 mile jog.

 Yes, this is short. But there will be more to come.

Training - Week 17 - Week 15 of Marathon Training - Thursday through Sunday

It has a been a crazy four days and I have loved every single minute of it. I am not going to go into all the details of the craziness as it would ended being a 5 page blog post and who really wants to read that?

Instead I will go over the training that has happened as I have not had a chance to post my daily training posts like I have been doing for over a 100 days now.

Thursday - I had a 5 mile run planned. Due to some mistakes on my part I had to get up and run to my school to create some sub plans after making a mistake with the new sub calling system. Long story short it was all figured out and I taught Thursday. However, due to the chaos I was only able to get in 3.5 miles. I ran the 3.5 miles in 28:55 for a 8:11 time. It was freezing cold! I was way under dressed. The water from a sprinkler was frozen on the sidewalk. I tried to sidestep this and in the process rolled my foot that I have had problems with and my foot the rest of the way. So running out of time was probably the best thing to happen.

Friday - normally this would be a rest day, but Amanda was headed to Chicago for the weekend right after school so I had to get this run in. I ran 5.64 miles in 47:50 running at 8:29 pace. I am still struggling to get dialed in to a lower mile pace that I need for the marathon. This was a nice run and probably one of the few times where I have ran four times in a row without feeling worn out. This was just what I needed.

Saturday - rest day of running, but nonstop busy chasing three kids around the house and getting them to all their destinations.

Sunday - today I was able to get out and run around 4 pm. Amanda got home later and when the house was somewhat calm I headed out. It was raining and as soon as I took off the rain increased. I got soaked. I felt like crap. My stomach was bouncing liquids and food around, my legs went numb on me like they were worn out after a mile, my foot felt tender, and my knees hurt from the change in weather. I was a mess. I formed a bad attitude and wondered why I was doing this.......

I then remembered a blog post I read earlier in the day from Katie Gaffney about embracing the rain. I thought about her words and the book I just finished, The Distance by David Mills, and I decided to stop being pouty and just run. I decided to embrace the rain like Gaffney and just enjoy the moment. I changed my frame of mind and I ended up loving the run. It was the best 7 miles I had after going through 3 terrible miles. Yes, all those aches and pains were still there, but they were not going to bring me down. I stopped very shortly at mile 5 to consume a GU gel and some water and to take off my jacket that I had on. Despite the aches, once I changed my frame of mind I was kicking butt. I ran the 10 miles in 78 minutes for a 7:51 mile pace. I felt good. I feel good. I am ready.

I am six days away from achieving a goal that I have been focused on for over four months. Each day this week I will focus on something as I countdown to my big day. I am over the mind of not sure I can do this to finally knowing in my heart this is going to happen. I cannot believe it is almost here!! I will be GETTING IT DONE! in six days.

Training - Week 16 - Week 14 of Marathon - 7 Miles of More Blah!

Woke up a little earlier than normal to get my 7mile run in this morning. I was out the door about 4:45 or so to make sure I was home in time. I am still trying to get dialed in at my marathon goal pace of 9:09 to make the 4 hour mark. Today I ran at an 8:51 pace which is very slow compared to where I have been running. I think I will end up running around this rate because I cannot imagine going any slower.
I finished up the run in 62 minutes for 7 miles.

Despite running this slow it was not an easy run. I am still not feeling the greatest and I cannot shake this cold. It moved from my head down into my chest which is about the last thing I need while running. I spent the first half of the run coughing and hacking trying to clear a pathway for oxygen. I spent the last half just trying breathe. My body has still not recovered from the weekend run. The poor body is just not able to bounce back fighting this cold and running sessions. With how slow I am running trying to get dialed in for my race I don't feel like I am pushing my body too hard, but these runs should feel very easy and they just have not felt that way.

We are down to 11 days until race day. Every single day I cannot believe I am about to embark on this huge goal of running 26.2 miles. I know thousands have already been here and done that, but for me this is one of the greatest challenges I have set for myself.


Remember, I need your positive thoughts so please find time and send them my way. Use your voice recorder on your phone and email the audio file. Quick and easy.

Training - Week 16 - Week 14 of Marathon - 5 Miles of Blah

I feel like crap. I have my allergies flaring up and I have a cold. I woke up this morning realizing I fell asleep after my alarm went off so I had to hustle to get out the door. I ran 5 miles and my goal the next two weeks is to get my body and mind used to running at my marathon pace. This morning I wanted to run around 9:00, but I just could not get my body to run that slow. Despite how terrible I felt I ran around 8:47 pace. Maybe this is the pace that I am capable of running at? I don't know, but it felt super slow.

My legs were pretty sore from the 13 mile run on Sunday. I could not shake out the fatigue in this run and battling a cold the last couple days is probably not helping the body recover. My foot was not feeling the greatest either, but in the end I was able to work through it all, clear my head, and get the run done.

12 days until showtime.

Don't forget to send me your audio messages

Happy Tuesday

Training - Week 16 - Week 14 of Marathon Training - Sunday Long Run - My own MRI Half Marathon Run

Yesterday I had plans to run the Clinton Half Marathon, but due to my MRI I was not able to run. This morning I got out for a run mid morning after a long night of Ava waking up. I was scheduled for 13 miles and this is my last long run as I begin to taper for the marathon in 2 weeks. My legs were a little tired and I did not feel the greatest with my allergies and minor head cold.

I set out at a decent pace running mile 1 in 8:00. Around mile 2 or 3 I decided that I wanted to turn this into my very own race. I came up with the name

Inaugural Maurer MRI Half Marathon Madness Run

About mile 3 I decided that since I was not able to run yesterday there was no reason that I could not push myself and see if I could beat my half marathon time of 1:46 from a year ago. I also decided that this would be my last big push of a run and from here until race day scale back the pace to get used to my marathon pace time. I have been running way faster than my pace time and it is time to get accustomed mentally to running at a slower rate.

Before I scaled back my pace I wanted to push hard and hit a wall. I wanted to hit a wall and give myself a challenge to work through the pain and fatigue much like yesterday during my 3 mile run. I know I am going to hit some walls during the race. To achieve my goal it is going to come down to how I deal with the walls and setbacks along the way.

I was not able to push as hard as last weekend when I ran the 12 miles at a 7:45 pace, but I still held my own.

Mile 2: 7:51
Mile 3: 8:08
Mile 4: 8:11
Mile 5: 8:07
Mile 6: 8:06
Mile 7: 7:52
Mile 8: 7:48(halfway through this mile I had to stop for traffic and that about killed me getting back on pace)
Mile 9: 7:33
Mile 10: 7:43

Mile 10 is where I hit a major wall. It smacked me so hard in the face. I really struggled to fight through the last three miles. My legs were tired, I felt hot, and my mind started to doubt finishing the last three miles. I had to fight like crazy to keep going.

Mile 11: 7:54
Mile 12: 8:13
Mile 13: 8:14

Right around the last .1 of a mile I thought I was going to puke. It was right at my throat. I went to mile 13 and called it to be safe. What was .2 miles really going to do for me?

I finished the 13 miles in 1:43. 3 minutes faster than my PR of 1:46. Add to my time about another 1 minute or so for the last .2 to make it official. I was able to beat my goal. I know it is not an official race, but it was a great test for my mind and body. This lets me know that I have improved. If I had been in a real race I know I would have ran even faster. This run today really helped alleviate some more self doubt. I am slowly getting my mind dialed in for this race that is exactly 2 weeks away. I cannot wait, but I am nervous like no other.

Today I am going to order my race shirt from Live Uncommon and spend the next two weeks getting this body in prime shape for the 26 miles that lay ahead. I cannot wait.

The official race results for the

Inaugural Maurer MRI Half Marathon Madness Run

Total Runners: 1

1st Place Finish: Aaron Maurer

Course Record: 1:43:47

Training - Week 16 - Week 14 of Marathon Training - 3 Miles of Running with 1 Tough Mile

Saturday proved to be a good day(well, until the Irish decided to play like crap the 4th quarter). I went to the doctor at 7:45 for my MRI on my foot. I sat still for the 25 minutes and met quickly with my doctor afterwards. She won't get the official report until Monday, but from what she could tell there appears to be no stress fracture. I was so happy I about jumped out of the seat. She did say it looked like there might be fluid around the tendons which could be tendinitis or possibly a tear on a tendon. She won't know officially until Monday. I am hoping for tendinitis because that is just a matter of dealing with the pain. I hope to possibly get something to mask the pain until the marathon is over.

Later that day after sitting through some soccer games I finally went out for a run. I decided not to do my long run, but instead do a 3 mile run. The 3 mile run was supposed to be my recovery run from the long run, but I just flipped them. I ran in the evening and was not sure what to expect.

I took off a good pace knocking out mile 1 in 7:39. It was around this point that I decided I wanted to push myself. I wanted to get my body to hit a wall and learn to push through the pain. I have a lot of mental cobwebs in my head giving doubt to completing a marathon. I needed to work on knocking those out and giving practice to my body to deal with pain and fatigue.

I picked up mile 2 and ran it in 7:13. I still felt great and was rather surprised. I was not breathing that hard and my legs still felt fresh. This was after running about a 1/2 mile in long grass along 53rd. I decided that I would push even harder and force myself to run the third mile under 7 minutes. I don't think I have ran that pace since the 5k back in May. I took off and ran mile 3 in 6:36. I still felt pretty good. I think I could have maybe ran one more mile at that rate before hitting a major wall and being done.

I recovered very quickly and was really happy. Despite feeling out of shape and sloppy I continue to run pretty well lately. I don't know how I can have such contrasting thoughts. I have two weeks to work through the negative talk in my mind and get ready. This was a good run. I felt it later that night as my legs were pretty tired. It felt good GETTING IT DONE!

With no stress fracture in sight it is time to dial in my weight and race strategy.

Training - Week 16 - Week 14 of Marathon Training - 8 Miles on New Course

It has been a long week. It took a lot of willpower to get out of bed. If it wasn't for the fact that I woke up drenched in sweat and super hot I probably would have overslept. Last night was super busy with the start of Lego Robotics and Amanda having Open House for her school and Aiden having another round of homework with math worksheets, a book to read, and studying for a spelling test(yes, all in 1st grade).

I got up to another awesome morning of weather and decided a few miles into the run to try a new route. What began as a run on the bike soon lead me to running the length of Elmore to 53rd through construction and the I-74 overpass. Needless to say this was a very interesting run and quite enjoyable as I have never ran this way and I know that running on these roads at any other time of the day would be stupid and lead to being hit by a car. However, at 5 am it was not too bad out, but still busy for the time of the day. It was just what I needed. Something new, something fresh, something unexpected. I was in a rut of running the same routes so this added something different for me.

Foot is feeling fine and I hope the MRI results state the same thing tomorrow. Once I get those results back, then I begin to really focus on the marathon and possibly some other road races this fall.

I am feeling good lately and hope this lasts another 16 days.

I ran 8 miles in 64:44 for 8:03 pace. Took off nice and easy and towards the end was feeling really good so I picked up the pace just for something different and felt awesome. My body acted like it felt so good to be pushed a little. I ran mile 7 in 7:36 and mile 8 in 7:11 and it did not feel that difficult. I could have kept running at that rate for another mile before it started to feel tough. I attribute all this to the weather for sure.

Have a great weekend and continue GETTING IT DONE!

Training - Week 16 - Week 14 of Marathon....only 18 days

Yesterday I did not get my run due to a poor night of sleep and oversleeping. My foot was a little tender and running all over the building and football field launching rockets, exploding pop with mentos and hamster maze races probably did not help matters.

I woke up this morning and my foot was hurting. I was a little bummed because I was not sure how the run would go. I took off and it was a beautiful morning. It could not have been a better morning to run. I took off and about a quarter mile in my foot felt like it loosened up and felt really good. It was one of those runs when you just look around while running and remember why we run in the first place. I took time to just enjoy the run. It felt great to be out letting my life move at a nice and peaceful rate and just take it easy. Things have been so incredibly busy this year that it is important to take time to slow down. My runs are my escape.

I ran 6 miles in 49:54 for 8:14 pace. My foot felt great until around mile 4.5 when I had to stop for a car and my foot flared up a little. I cannot figure my foot out and still praying that my MRI Saturday shows a healthy bone in my foot.

For some reason...I am thinking it is the fact that race is 18 days away I have self doubt about this marathon. I don't feel prepared despite sticking to the plan except for all of 8 miles last weekend. I know I am ready so I attribute the thoughts to nerves and this darn foot problem.

Off to the races of getting three kids ready for school and myself. Have a great day and I hope to have another great morning of running tomorrow when I head out for 8 miles.

Training - Week 16 - Week 14 of Marathon Training - 5 Miles

It was a little chilly out this morning. I ran in my long sleeve running jacket and I was not too warm. I love this type of weather. Nice and cold, but not so cold you have to bundle, but you also don't have to worry about being hot.

I took yesterday off to rest my foot and body after running 4 straight days. This morning my body felt alright. My knees hurt and towards the end of the run my foot started to get a little tender. Nothing major, but something to keep an eye on. My foot has felt good the last 4 days so I hope that continues.

I ran the 5 miles in 39:30 for 7:54 pace. A good way to start the day after sleeping terrible last night. I went to be around 10 and I was wired and could not fall asleep. Around 11:30 I got up to drink some milk and I think around midnight my brain finally slowed down for me to crash. We were woken a few times with Ava who has a cold and cutting teeth so it was not the best night of sleep. A great way to get ready for a day of school.

Time to get ready.......

Keep pushing hard to achieve your goals. The QC Marathon is 19 days away. I am in a fog with the notion that I will be running 26.2 miles in less than three weeks(hopefully, after the MRI Saturday).

Training - Week 15 - Week 13 of Marathon Training - Stubborness Clashes With Stubbornes = A Great Run

What perfect weather today!!!! I went out for my long run today with a mind clash. I was told by my doctor not to run more than 12 miles until the MRI next Saturday in case of the stress fracture in the navicular bone in my foot(see my post from yesterday for the whole story). Today is going to be my 4th straight day of running. I took Monday-Wednesday off after experiencing non-stop pain in my foot after the 18 mile run I had last weekend. Thursday my foot gave me the greatest pain I have ever experienced in sports in my life. Friday it felt better. Saturday my foot felt good despite all the things that went wrong during the run. Today my foot, well my whole body felt the best it has felt ever! Strange and something I don't understand.

I was supposed to run 20 miles today bringing a close to my big block of running. This would have been my third 20 mile run in my training. The few weeks I have put in a long run of 18, 20, 18, 16, 13, 20, 18, 16 if you work backwards in my training. I have put in some serious long runs being that prior to this training I never ran more than 13 miles in my life.

As I took off I knew right away my body was feeling great. I ran mile 1 in 8:07 which is a fast first mile for me especially for a long run. After mile 1 I never went over the 8:00 mile pace mark. I had to use all my might and mental toughness to not run more than 12 miles. It was one of those mornings that I knew I could run at a good clip and possibly have my best 20 mile time of my life. However, I had to use my own stubbornness to battle my stubbornness and not run more than 12 miles. I had the voice of Amanda in my mind with her strong warnings of not running more. I am glad I have a wife that just tells it like it is because without her giving it to me straight last night and again this morning about not being stupid I realized that my doctor probably knows more than I do and I should not run long.

Instead of trying to push the envelope now and completely eliminating any chance of running the QC Marathon or any future races I turned around at mile 6 and came back home. Instead of going long I decided to try to keep the mile pace up and work on my speed to try and get the best out of the 12 miles. I have huge hope that my foot is not a stress fracture so I can get a shot and run this race. Call it denial or whatever word you like, but I am calling it optimism and I plan on running the 26.2 miles on September 25th.

Back to the run. With the perfect weather and breeze I was able to push my limits a little more than usual and ran the 12 miles at a blazing speed(blazing for me anyways) running 12 miles in 92 minutes for a 7:45 mile pace. The great thing is that I was not tired when I finished and feel like I could go run 12 miles right now. This pace did not wipe me out and I feel very fresh. I pray to all the gods I feel this great on race day. This mile pace is not that far off of my Bix 7 mile pace.

Mile 1: 8:07
Mile 2: 7:55
Mile 3: 7:55
Mile 4: 7:51
Mile 5: 7:48
Mile 6: 7:37(this is when I decided to run around and not keep going)
Mile 7: 7:36
Mile 8: 7:32
Mile 9: 7:35
Mile 10: 7:27
Mile 11: 7:49
Mile 12: 7:37

The great thing about this run is that the back 6 I ran faster and each mile was actually uphill in moderation(looking at ascent vs. descent I was always going uphill). I was able to push at a mile pace that is 1:20 or so faster than my marathon pace. This is a great sign that despite not getting my long 20 mile run today I feel like my body is ready. It is all mental. When it comes down to it on race day it will be all about how I have my mindset. If the weather is like this and my body feels like it does today there is no reason for me to not achieve my goal. I only wish I could run the half marathon next weekend, but the MRI must get done to make sure that there is not any damage. I feel much better about things today. I hope the pain stays away. I hope my body continues to feel good. I hope to be at that race on 9/25/11. Many things that are out of my control, but as long as I listen to my body and be smart I should be ready to go. Despite some setbacks I have found ways of GETTING IT DONE! My new shoes are feeling great on my feet(I bought another pair of Brooks Ravenna 2). I think I am going to go with a red shirt from Live Uncommon to match my shoestrings. You know have to be color coordinated while running!

I did not get my 40 miles in this week as planned. I did however get in 32 miles and that is a lot more than I thought I was going to get done. Rest day tomorrow after running 4 days of 7,7,6,12. Need to play it safe. Have a great day.

P.S. I thought this was quite humorous this morning. While I was running I ran right by my doctor. I had to wave, but of all people to see. Should make for an interesting conversation piece next weekend.

Training - Week 15 - Week 13 of Marathon Training - When It Rains It Pours....Literally

Yesterday I had my doctor appointment. I was feeling good going into this thinking I would just go in, get a shot or two in my foot to eliminate the pain, and get back on track. After sharing my pain and how things have been going she asked to take an X-Ray and scheduled a MRI for next Saturday. She wants to make sure I don't have a stress fracture in the navicular bone. This is the one possible stress fracture that she said she does not mess around with because of the location. Blood flow is weak around this bone which means healing is not the best. If is is a stress fracture, then my goal of the QC Marathon are out the window as she told me my running days will be over to recover. If the stress fracture were to break, then she said the average recovery of a break is a year and in some cases never. This was the last thing I wanted to hear or expected to be confronted with. Last night I felt bad for myself and ate like a slob and lost a lot of mental toughness.

And then I remembered that nothing has been confirmed yet so I need to regain my composure and focus on the goal at hand. I cannot be stupid with my training, but I can't just give up because if it is not a stress fracture, then things are possible and the shot to eliminate pain could be in order. This mental toughness has been harder to get back than expected.

I ran today and my foot had zero pain. Weird right? After having major pain nonstop for 3 days and almost in tears running Thursday to feeling good today. I ran 6 miles today in 47 minutes for a 7:54 pace running the last two miles at 7:30 pace.

This run was a challenge. My stomach was killing me. My body felt blah. As soon as I got to around the 3 mile mark it downpoured on me. Go figure. Foot problems, body feels like crap, then I get rained on while running in soaked and heavy basketball shorts and regular underwear as my running shorts and compression shorts were in the wash. I had to run with soggy shoes and 5 lb shorts. I just started laughing to myself while running thinking things cannot get much worse in the training than this. I had to view as a challenge to test my toughness. I think I passed because I finished strong.

Maybe I am in denial, but I don't think I have a stress fracture. I am hoping I don't have a stress fracture because I want this marathon. It is frustrating that this stupid injury has gotten so far in my head that I no longer believe I can run 26 miles. It has just wiped my memory clear of all the great things I have accomplished the last four months. I just need the MRI to come back looking good so I can get my mind right.

Tomorrow I am going to go for a semi long run if my foot feels up to it. I was to run my last 20 mile run tomorrow, but that is not going to happen. The doctor said I could go 12 miles, but would go any farther. I will try my best to listen to this advice, but if my foot feels good it will be hard not to go farther. I begin to taper Monday. This also means the Clinton Half Marathon is out as I will be at the doctor Saturday morning.

Life gives us challenges and it is all about how we respond to them. I need to be smart and tough. I need to continue to work on my mental training and stay strong in hopes that I can run this race. This means eating very clean and healthy(I have been bad this week), positive self talk, good visualizing exercises and just believing in myself again. GETTING IT DONE! is not always easy, but anything worth achieving needs to have barricades and walls to overcome to make it feel worthwhile.

Training - Week 15 - Week 13 of Marathon Training - Friday - 7 Miles

Hot and humid this morning during the run. Almost did not get out as I took off it began to rain so I waited it out. While waiting I checked the radar for weather and realized I need to run. I am glad I did because I don't known if I would have ran tonight with the craziness of this week. I am worn out.

The run today went better. For some reason the pain in my foot was tolerable and the outrageous pain of yesterday. I see the doctor today so hopefully I will get injected with some goodies to allow me to run pain free in the marathon. That is my hope anyways.

Depending on how I feel I need to get one last long run in this weekend. I need this to round out a great 4 months of quality training and to get my mind focused on the race and not my foot.

Have a great weekend. Continue GETTING IT DONE!

Oh and I ran 7 miles this morning in 61 minutes for 8:42 pace.