ScoJo's Running Down a Dream Journal (comments welcome)

[ScoJo15]

Thanks to everyone for the continued support!! I've been slacking on getting to other peoples journals this week and appreciate you guys stopping by anyway.

Offtopic - random thoughts......is it just me or is this the worst final 2 in Apprentice history?......is it just me or is Taylor gonna be our next American Idol?....when wanting to get on an elevator, why do people stand right in front of the door when the ding goes off? Don't they realize that people may be getting off of the elevator first? .....why do schools even open for the last week of the year? DD's last week consisted of art day, game day, awards day, movie day, absolutely no school work was even attempted so why bother?.....how in the world can meterologists even come close to predicting this years hurricane season when they can't get a 10-day outlook or even tomorrow's weather forecast accurately predicted?.....and finally, when a baseball hits the foul pole, why is it considered a fair ball/home run?

On to a short update today....

Monday May 22nd
Hard to believe it had been a week since I did a run thru the neighborhood, but the rest did me a ton of good. I felt good during the entire run and finished 4.0 miles in 45:09 (11:17 mpm, 180/163 HR). I did a 4r/1w again but ran extra on the downhills and walked extra on the big hill. As I mentioned, I really benefited from the extra rest last week....my body wasn't sore at all afterwards and my back has almost returned to normal.

Tuesday May 23rd
Watched American Idol while on the elliptical at the fitness center. I did 40 minutes (4.32 em, 9:16 mpm, 167/148 hr) and again felt really good during and afterwards. I weighed in at 213.0 which I was pretty pleased with since I'm having a difficult time with the whole healthy eating thing.

I spent some time on gmaps-pedometer today and really think that the course was marked incorrectly this past Saturday. The mile 1 marker was not really on the 1 mile mark, it was around the .7 point if I'm remembering right. This would explain the 7:30 split. It would put that first mile in the 9 minute range which is what I feel like I ran. The whole course looks like it was 3.1 miles so I think the overall time was right....it was just that mile 1 sign that was in error.

Almost Memorial Day weekend everyone!! Have a good day/week/weekend!

 

[AmyBeth68]

Hey Scott! I'm still in awe of your time for the 5K last weekend! SUPER JOB!!!

And wtg on your Monday workout....I know that my first run after the weekend LR has been a bit of a curse for me so any time I finish it with a good time I'm super happy . You did great with your 4 miler! And way to keep rockin' on the elliptical!

You are going to totally kick butt on your next race !!!

 

[eeyore25]

Hi Scott,

Way to go on your Monday workout! That is great!!! Good to hear that you were not sore after...sometimes our bodies just need a little extra R&R!!!

Keep up the great work!

Have a great day

 

[ScoJo15]

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy holiday weekend!! Time to fire up the grill and take a dip in the pool!

On to today's journal update and a huge decision that I have to make....any input from my fellow WISHers is much appreciated!

Wednesday May 24th
Was planning on going for a walk but ended up just taking a rest day (I swear it had nothing to do with the fact that both American Idol and Lost season finales were on tv). I also talked with the wife on somehow making it work to where I could run the full WDW marathon in January. To make a long story short, here is what came out of the discussion. She's fully supportive of me and understands my determination and need to complete this journey. But she cannot miss work on that Monday, making a family trip that included the full marathon an impossibility. So I'm left with a decision to make.

Option #1 - Drive down with the family on Thursday. Run the Disney 5k with the family on Friday. Run the Half Marathon on Saturday. Drive home with the family on Sunday. We'd be staying with my wife's mother the whole time which would cut down on hotel expenses and provide a nice environment.

Option #2 - Drive down solo on Thursday. Run the Disney 5k solo on Friday. Meet up with the WISH team on Friday night for a dinner. Go cheer on the Half Marathon participants on Saturday. Run the full marathon on Sunday. Drive home on Monday. There is the chance that my parents would make this trip with me, but I'm not planning that into the equation just in case.

So do I choose the family weekend or go solo and complete my ultimate goal of finishing a marathon? I will note that it's not a typical Disney vacation...if the family does go, we aren't planning any time in the parks. But if they go, then we all get to run through MGM together which would be a pretty cool thing to have happen.

Anyway, I've given myself one week to decide. On June 1st, I'll be registering for something. I just hope I make a good choice.

Thursday May 25th
I was re-reading Marathoning for Mortals and noticed that the training runs should be 60-70% of your race pace. That led me to think that maybe I was pushing it a little too much in trying to always better my previous time. So I set out on my run with the idea of maintaining an easy jog pace, not get winded and enjoy myself.

Well, the problem wasn't keeping an easy pace....it was the freakin' humidity!! I had a completely drenched t-shirt less than 2 miles in and I wasn't exerting myself like I usually did. So I accomplished what I set out to do but made a big mental note to factor in the humidity prior to working out. I ended up doing a 4r/1w for 46:42 (3.95 miles, 11:49 mpm, 185/167 HR) and promptly hit the shower upon returning home. I think I got a preview of how humid it will be during the Peachtree RR....time to go buy some moisture wicking apparel!

Thanks for visiting and have a great day!

 

[toystoryduo]

Hi Scott,

Yeah for Taylor!! Since you're an AI fan, I just had to give that shout out. By the way.... loved the random thoughts!

In regards to your decision... Whew! That's a tough one to make! I know that you really want to do the full marathon, but you also want your family there for the experience. To be honest, I'm not sure what I would do. Do you want your first full marathon experience to be at WDW or could it be anywhere? What is the difference mileage wise between the half and the full? Will you have enough time to train for the full? I'm sorry I am asking so many questions... I don't know much about marathons or training for them. Whatever you decide Scott.... you should be very proud of yourself for how much you have accomplished in such a short time! Keep on keeping on!

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

[CACruisin']

Lost Finale was interesting! Now to wait alll summer to see how this one gets resolved.

Tough call on the Marathon vs. half. Running the 5k together would be very cool. Is there another Marathon that you might do sometime in the Fall? You have plenty of time to train still for a late Fall race. Then the Disney half would be more fun and less nerves. Good Luck with your decision and let me know if you want more opinions about running w/ and w/o family around. I have done marathons both ways.

 

[toystoryduo]

Hi Scott...

Stopping by to see how your weekend went and to see if you had come to a decision yet.... I hope you and your family are doing well. Take care!

 

[ScoJo15]

Thanks again to everyone for stopping by!! Support around here is so awesome to have!!

Offtopic - Hmmm...geesh....not much to say today...other than just remember that everything happens for a reason. Have a bad workout or bad race? Don't get all fed up with it, but understand that there is a reason for it....maybe something you ate, maybe you didn't stretch properly or maybe your body is just telling you to slow down...could be a number of things but there is definitely a reason there somewhere. My Name Is Earl and Lost are just TV shows, but there is something to be said for karma and fate playing important roles in our lives. Karma is there to even things out and fate is there to lead us down new paths and adventures. Sometimes things are just meant to happen. What led to all of this?? Who knows but something told me to write this today and I'm sure its there for a good reason. Hope this helps some of you out on your own journeys.

Now that I'm completely confused about the point of my offtopic today, how about the regular update??

Friday May 26th
Made it home in time to get a 30 minute elliptical workout in at the fitness center. Did 30 min (3.27 em, 9:10 mpm, 166/152 hr) and felt really good. I really like that machine for the majority of my cross training, I seem to get a pretty great workout on it every time. I also weighed myself again and was shocked to see the result. I weighed 208.2, which equates to a 4 pound loss over the course of the last week. Funny how much my weight jumps around but it is definitely showing a downward trend....looks like I've lost 12 pounds in three months. Motivated by this, I went home and re-measured my waist, chest, legs, etc....turns out I've lost 2.5 inches off of my stomach!! No wonder I'm using a new hole in my belt now...nothing like some positive progress to motivate me to continue on my quest!

Saturday May 27th
Took the day off from normal exercise today but had a great time with my daughter. I started out early with a round of golf with some friends. Then came home and took her to the pool for a good three hours. From there we went out to eat some Mexican food and then went and saw the movie 'Over the Hedge'. We even stopped for some ice cream afterwards to round out a pretty awesome day.

Sunday May 28th
Was planning on taking the day off so I'd have two good rest days before the 10k but I decided to go get another elliptical workout in. For some reason I just felt the need to exercise! So I ended up doing an easy 30 minutes (3.1 em, 9:41 mpm, 164/141 hr). I also wanted to see if the weigh in on Friday was a fluke or not so I stepped back on the scale. This time it came up with 205.8??
Hmmm....don't really know what is going on to cause such a dramatic loss over the course of the last few days. Maybe it has something to do with my decreased water intake during the weekend? I drink a lot of water thru the week and maybe it inflates my weight. Don't know but I'm not gonna complain.

I rounded out the day by washing the car and pressure washing around the house. I have to say that I was a little nervous all day about the upcoming 10k.

Monday May 29th - Memorial Day - Celebrate America 10k
Forced myself out of bed around 5:15am so I could get showered and ready for the 7:30am start time. The race took place in Alpharetta, about a 30 minute drive from my house.

Upon pulling in to the movie theater parking lot where all of the festivites were taking place, I quickly realized that this was gonna be my biggest race yet in terms of participants. I got registered, collected my shirt and went to go warm up behind the theater. I found out that the course was a 5k and those wishing to run 10k would simply do the course twice....both events would be run at the same time.

I estimated the number of runners to be between 500-750 at the starting line and it was a little crowded just getting going. I did find some space for my pace though and made my way down the course. The first mile went fairly smooth, I did it in 8:45....took a walk break and pressed on...second mile came in at 9:45 where I took a few sips of water and made my way back to the starting line just past mile #3 in 10:20. Up to that point, everything was pretty successful...I had run the first 5k in about 28:50....so I took a little more water and continued around the same course again. I hit mile 4 at the 40:00 mark exactly. It was at that point that I began to feel major fatigue. I was on pace to finish just over 60:00 but there was no way I could maintain my strong start. My legs would just not cooperate....it was everything I had just to continue on. So I took a few walk breaks during that long 5th mile. I think I completed it in 11:30 (memory was a little groggy by that point). At the 5 mile mark I considered simply walking the rest of the way...my heart rate was up, I had worked up a pretty good sweat, it was humid out and I was not gonna break 60:00....and then I was passed by a man wearing a sling around his arm. Now there is nothing against anyone who wears a sling and I give him MAJOR props for being out there and doing so well, but I just could not let him beat me. So I walked a lot that final mile but kept him in my sights, close enough so that I could easily pass him about .2 tenths of a mile from the finish chute. I finished the race in 1:05:45 (10:35 mpm, 202!!/184 hr, splits were 8:45/9:45/10:20/11:10/11:30/12:15 to the best of my recollection).

I was pretty disappointed immediately afterwards. I had never hit such a tough point in any race or training as what I did on that course. But I did manage a 10:35 average mile which in retrospect wasn't really all that bad, especially for my first run at a 10k distance. When I look back at the month, I think I may have screwed up a little by running so many races and not training the way that I should have with the long runs on the weekends. Heck, I ran 2 5k's and a 10k in the span of four weeks...that's a lot for someone in their fourth month since starting this whole running deal.

Anyway, I made it back home and took the dog for a walk. Did some grocery shopping and then took my daugher to the pool again for a few hours before finally crashing from the long weekend.

Tuesday May 30th
After sleeping off a major headache Monday night, I woke up to a pretty sore and tight left hamstring along with a nice ache up near where my wisdom tooth is breaking through. Thank goodness for Motrin.

I have decided to run no races during the month of June and focus solely on completing the Peachtree Road Race 10k in under 60 minutes. I'm going to take at least today off and maybe tomorrow if my leg isn't feeling any better and then I will resume a schedule that will look like this:

Monday - 45 min 4r/1w
Tuesday - 40 min crosstrain (elliptical)
Wednesday - off
Thursday - 45 min 4r/1w
Friday - 40 min crosstrain (elliptical)
Saturday - 6.5 mile run
Sunday - off

This way, I'll have 4 weeks of solid training, including 4 6.5 mile runs under my belt before taking a couple days off and then running on July 4th. I am very excited about the Peachtree...it's billed as the nations largest 10k (entries close at 55,000 people) and features a nice big hill at the 4 mile point called Cardiac Hill complete with a hospital at the top of it.

Wednesday May 31st
Well, looks like May is gonna finish without another workout for me. My leg is still hurting today. I'm trying to stay off of it as much as possible and I'm stretching it in the morning and at night....I just hope it gets better soon. The last thing I'm gonna do is injure it any further. I'll play tomorrow by ear and see how it feels. Once I feel pretty good about it, I'll just do some non-impact elliptical trainings to get back in the swing of things.

Thanks again for reading thru this long report....hope you have a great day!!

 

[AmyBeth68]

Hey Scott,

It goes without saying but you TOTALLY ROCK!!! All those events in 4 weeks....you are a machine. And I think you did great in your 10K. Bottom line.....you finished w/ around a 10 mpm...which in my book is pretty awesome for a distance event like a 10K. I will be happy to finish my June 23 run in that time (and it's only a 5 miler LOL).

Definitely take it easy. Rest the leg if you need to....remember the goal is to get to the starting line of the marathon. These events leading up to Jan. 07 are simply training runs so don't let any one event disappoint you. Goals are great....heck I've got loads of time goals too. But remember that we learn something each time we are out there and the races are prepping us for the big time . So.....CONGRATS!!!! AND please listen to your body and rest that leg!!!!!

 

[goldcupmom]

Scott, your progress in running has just been INCREDIBLE!!!

Tough decision to make about the Dis, but you'll do great at whichever you choose.

Have a great rest of the week!

10 k done....Marathon's next!! You'll do GREAT!!

 

[CACruisin']

1:05 is a a great time for your 1st 10k. I think you are taking the right approach with respect to your training and getting the longer runs in and doing good cross training. Distance running is part physical training and part mental training. You are going to find the right balance for you.

Good for you listening to your body and taking it easy on your hamstring. Hope it heals quickly.

 

[kimwim8]

Hey Scott...I'm sorry I haven't stopped by in a while. I honestly am surprised at how long it's been.

You are doing AWESOME. That's really all there is to say! 3 races in 4 weeks is incredible...and the times you've pulled are simply AMAZING!!

I just want to be the voice of reason for one second...and remind you of what you said:

Thursday May 25th
I was re-reading Marathoning for Mortals and noticed that the training runs should be 60-70% of your race pace. That led me to think that maybe I was pushing it a little too much in trying to always better my previous time.

Please don't stress about times. Look at each run (and race) as stepping stones. And in the end I think it's more about endurance than speed. Correct me if I'm wrong, but try not to beat yourself up over not finishing in 60 minutes. YOU FINISHED!!! (and I assume you beat out the arm sling runner ). You finished, and you were still able to go on with your day! Think about how far you've come!!

How much water are you drinking during the week? I wonder if you are drinking too much and are retaining it. My nutritionist's advice was no more than 1/2 your body weight in ounces (so no more than 100 ounces for you) or else you'd retain. I'm sure all of our bodies are different, but that might be a guideline to check against.

Keep up the GREAT work, and good luck with your decision. I'm sorry, but that IS a tough one!

 

[ScoJo15]

June 1st Special Post --- Breaking News Flash!!

So after much thought and a little arm twisting from a good friend, I have officially signed up for the FULL MARATHON!!! No turning back now!!

I'll post more later in an 'official journal entry' but right now I'm really excited because my ultimate goal is now in sight!! I look forward to a great weekend and hope to meet those of you who will also be around for any of the events.

Off to go wonder what the heck I've just gotten myself into!

have a great day everyone!

 

[RunningLilo]

Hey Scott!

Thank you so much for all of your support in my journal. It really means a lot to me.

Sounds like you're an old pro at this race thing now! I can't wait to hear how the peachtree goes. I think your decision to focus this month on training for it is wise. Remember that rest time is just as important- if not more so- than training times. That's when your body improves.

As far as advice for the Disney decision. I can't tell you what's right for you, but I know for sure what I would do. I would definitely make it a family trip and do the 1/2. I think when you look back on your first marathon weekend knowing that you shared it with your wife & Megan will be more meaningful than the distance you covered. Just imagine seeing them cheering you on as you run by...it makes me tear up just thinking about it. And think of the memories you'll make for Megan by running together as a family in the 5k. Letting her earn her first (I'm assuming) metal will mean the world to her and plant a seed for lifelong running. I know it is a tough choice because I completely understand about your ultimate goal being to run a marathon. But there's always next year. Plus since you are so new to running like me, why try to conquer the giant in your first year? It'll give you something to work towards next year as you continue to enjoy a more active life.

I hope this helped, and didn't make your decision any harder for you.

 

[RunningLilo]

Okay, disreguard my previous post. Apparently you decided already. Sorry! Best of luck as you train for the full! Wow!!!

 

[CACruisin']

Congrats on making your decision to do the FULL. You are going to do great!

Happy Training!

 

[ScoJo15]

thanks to everyone for weighing in their opinions and support! Here is the official journal entry for today...

Tuesday May 30th thru Thursday June 2nd
Lumping all three days together due to the fact that I have injured something in the hamstring region of my leg. All was well on Monday but I woke up pretty sore on the back of my left leg Tuesday morning. Muscle was really tight and did not want to extend out when I walked. So I'm being extra careful with it and not doing any kind of working out. I do not want to ruin my chance at running the Peachtree. I will say that by Friday morning, a lot of the tightness has went away but it is still sore in spots. I will wait until it is 100% recovered before I attempt to do anything. I've got one full month until the Peachtree so a few days won't hurt me and I don't think my training will suffer a big setback.

So...

June 1st was my deadline for making a decision on the Disney ordeal. I had to make a tough decision and I factored in as many pros and cons as possible. I kept coming back to one major thought that eventually swayed my choice....timing and health (ok, maybe that's two). A marathon isn't something you buy a ticket for and just show up at the right time. It takes lots of training which requires a lot of time to be able to complete. It takes the ability to get the time off of work for the race weekend. It takes good health to be able to simply participate in the race. Fortunately, I have all three in place right now. Sure, I could delay the marathon by a year but life changes so quickly that I'd hate to have something come up, be it health or personal, that would then prevent my participation. If your goal is attainable and is in your sights, then why not reach out and grab it?

The flip side is my family. Sure, I want them there to see this great achievement of mine. But the achievement outweighs the need to have them see me do it. Ultimately this is a personal journey. The weekend would not have been a family vacation type event anyway...to take my daughter to Disney and not ride the rides almost seems criminal. I am taking her in September to fill that need and we'll have a blast. I have found a couple other events that I can actually run with her in and plan to do that. Who knows, maybe she'll get hooked on those events and want to run the Disney 5k in 2008?!?! They are there to see how much work I'll be putting in and to support me on my journey to the start line, which is almost more important. Once I'm running that marathon, I'll carry their spirit with me for motivation.

So at approximately 10:30 on Thursday night, I whipped out the credit card and signed up for the full marathon on January 7, 2007. It is official!! Never have I had so many butterflies in my stomach while signing up for something. I'm pretty excited and a little nervous. The minimum pace is 16 mpm and I can easily walk that...so worse case senario has me walking if I get in trouble. It's so exciting to finally realize that I'm gonna do it.

With all of that said...it will be so nice to have the support of the WISH team during that weekend!! I can't wait to cheer on the half marathoners now!!

Now it's off to sift through a million different training programs. I'm gonna look at all of them and try to customize a good plan. Right now, I hope to resume 10k training on Monday at the latest...that will take me thru July 4th. Then I'll maintain a light workout routine until the marathon training starts...tentatively around August 7th.

Have a happy friday!!

 

[kimwim8]

YEAH SCOTT!!!

I am so happy for you!! I know you'll do great, in both training for and running the marathon. I know that was a tough decision...but I totally agree with your rationale.

Take care of yourself, and rest up until you feel better!

 

[RunningLilo]

Hey Scott!

Your reasoning for the FULL makes complete sense. Congrats on registering! I found this quote in a book and thought of you.

"It was also the right time in my life...I knew I was grabbing that year for all it was worth. Opportunities like that don't present themselves often in life. Balance? I can now balance out that year of intensity with the years to come, in which my running is the recreation that punctuates the richness and fullness of the rest of my life."

If the opportunity is there now why not take it and RUN with it!!!

I'm so proud of you. I know you made the right decision since you had butterflies in your stomach as you were entering your credit card number. It was a heart decision.

for the hamstring and those butterflies!

 

[AmyBeth68]

Hey, Scott......i know it was a really tough decision....but I'm really happy to have you running that full marathon!!!! I really love the quote Dena posted above.....seems to fit the situation well. Very zen LOL! I'm stealing the quote Dena....need to write it in my training manual along with my fortune cookie quotes!!!

And good job listening to your body!!! So glad you didn't push yourself this week.

And my favorite fortune cookie quote.....your dream must be bigger than your fear. Yours is! It's inspiring .