Knee Injury

So, every year during Christmas at my old high school we have an alumni tournament. This year there wasn't supposed to be one, so I didn't bring my basketball stuff (shoes and knee brace) up with us because I didn't think I would be playing basketball. Plus with me training for the marathon, I didn't think playing basketball would be a good idea. It wasn't, but I did it anyway.
So yesterday my friend told me that a group of guys was going to get together to play basketball...so I decided to skip my 5 mile run this morning and play a few hours of basketball instead. Bad idea. So I get there (and I'm playing in my running shoes, not my basketball shoes) and for the first hour or so things are going great. I'm feeling good, I'm have good stamina, and I'm scoring a few points. Then, we're on defense, and I literally turn to look at the guy that I'm defending, and I hear and feel a pop on the inside of my knee. NO!!
Anyway...so I come home (actually, I stopped at dairy queen and grab a blizzard first...b/c at this point I think my marathon hopes are out the window), jump in the shower, and head to the hospital to get my knee looked at. So I get there at 3...the radiologist X-rays my knee at 4...and at 5:30 the doctor comes and see's me (it's a good thing Star Trek was on TV).
So the X-ray didn't show any tears or breaks. The doctor said I probably pulled/strained/sprained/did something to the meniscus on the inside of my knee and maybe tore a little bit of it, but it isn't anything major, and it should heal itself in 4-6 weeks. So I ask her about the marathon training, and she says in 2 weeks I can ride a bike, and in 4-6 weeks I can probably start running and training again, depending on how my knee if feeling.
So I still don't really know what I am going to do. The marathon is in 16 weeks. I don't know if I will still try to do the full 26.2 or opt for the 13.1. I don't know. I am hoping to start running in 4 weeks and still get a good 12 weeks of training in. I guess I should take care of my knee and think about long term things instead of this short term goal. Ugh I don't know what to go. I will probably sleep on it and take things one day at a time.

Keep Calm and MarathOn (especially if I can't)

Morning Run

There's something very serene and peaceful about most mornings. Nobody's awake, the sun is just coming up, and things are calm (again, on most mornings). This morning was one of those mornings. I got up at 7:45 and did not want to run. I thought it would be freezing cold out, so I told myself I wasn't going to run. I got up to check the temperature, and it was only -5 Celsius, so I decided that I should go. I got out and it was beautiful. There was a slight head wind in my 2.5 miles out, but the way back was great. The roads were clear and I felt like I was able to actually run (and not tiptoe on the snow) for the first time in a long time. On my way out, the sun started to come up and the clouds had tinges of deep red (I wish I had my camera or an iphone to take a picture of it). I was really nice. I love mornings like this morning. I wish every morning were like this My 5 miles flew by, and before I knew it I was home.

Finals week and Christmas time

So, I just finished up my last week of finals. It was pretty intense. I think this has been my hardest finals ever (I am going into my senior year). So, with that said, my running took a hit. This week I ran 5 miles on Monday (the 16th), 3 miles on Friday (the 20th), and 5 miles today (the 21st). I was supposed to run 4 miles on Wednesday, but I had tests and papers due, so I didn't. But I feel pretty good about running 5 miles twice this week. On Friday I should have done more than 3. I felt pretty crappy for the first mile, but after I turned around to come back I felt pretty good and I wish I would have gone 1 more mile. Also today was windy, so my 2.5 miles out were great, but the 2.5 on the way back sucked. Like, majorly sucked. I probably did the 2.5 out in 20 minutes and the 2.5 back took an extra 8-10 minutes. But, I finished strong and it felt great. I am really determined to keep running over the Christmas holiday and to not eat a ton of crappy food (I will eat crappy food, just not 2 thousand pounds of it). I know if I stop running for these 2 weeks my training will be thrown way off and I will struggle to make it to the marathon. Anyway, that's all I've got.

Keep Calm and MarathOn

Winter Running Gear

So, since I am running outside, and it is December in Idaho it gets pretty cold. So I invested in some new outdoor gear that will hopefully keep me warm while running.

So I got some ColdPruf Enthusiast single layer long sleeve base layer top and bottoms, some Yaktrax Run traction cleats for running on ice/snow, I also got some ear warmers and a neck warmer, and then I added a reflective safety vest since I run on the road early in the mornings, and of course I wear gloves (just some cheap $2 gloves). So far I have been very happy with my gear. It has helped keep me warm and dry, which is awesome. I also have an outer layer wind breaker that I wear overtop everything and then some wind pants that I wear, which both help. I haven't used the yaktrax yet though. I got them, and then it has been really sunny out for the last few days so the snow on the road is melting and I haven't needed them. But, like I said earlier, I do live in Idaho and it is bound to snow and be icy out, so I am sure I will get plenty of use out of them. Anyway, that's the new gear that I have to keep me warm while running.

Keep Calm and MarathOn

Finals Week...

So...it's finals week. I ran 4 miles on Monday, 3 miles on Friday, and 4 miles today (Saturday). I was supposed to run 4 miles on Wednesday, but we went on a class field trip for the day, and didn't get back until after 5, and then I had homework to do, plus spend time with my wife and 4 month old baby...so I didn't run. It has been fairly cold all week, and luckily I got some new running gear in the mail, which I will blog about tomorrow. I felt pretty good on my runs this week. I really wish I would have been able to run on Wednesday, but oh well, there's nothing I can do about it now. I am starting to add more miles next week, which I am a bit nervous about. I know I can go that far, I just worry because it was when I started running 5+ miles that I got shin splints and had to take 10 days off, so I really hope that they don't come back. I don't think they will though. I put some insoles in my shoes to support my arches and I have started running outside instead of inside on the track. Anyway, I guess we will see how I feel on Monday. Adios.

Keep Calm and MarathOn

Monday Afternoon Run

So, I ran 4 miles yesterday. It was a pretty cold day again (about -15 Celsius), but it wasn't really snowing, so I went for it. For the first mile or so, things were going great. There wasn't any wind (or so I thought) and my legs were feeling great. Then I started running south (literally and figuratively). There was a steady breeze roughly 15 km/hour that I was running into head on for 2 miles. The wind chill was cutting through my clothes and I got pretty cold. After about a mile I started getting really mad at the wind and frusterated that I was out in the middle of nowhere running in the stupid winter. I wanted to stop and walk, but I knew if I did I would just get colder and it would take me longer to get back home. So I kept running. I decided that if it is ever colder than -20 or if there is ever a wind more than 20 km/h I will run inside at the BYU-Idaho track. -20 is just so cold. So...I don't know, that's my plan for now. After I started running with the wind at my back/side I was fine. I felt great again, I didn't have freezing air trying to blow through me, and I was able to finish strong. It was like a sandwich, with really delicious bread and a crappy middle. Oh well, I did it and it was great.

Keep Calm and MarathOn

December 7, 2013

Hey, so I decided how I am going to proceed with the blog. I decided that, on days that I run, I will talk about my run, how I feel, what I eat, the weather, etc. On days that I don't run, I will talk about other things like how the training is going, gear, my thoughts, and other stuff that has to do with running.

With that said, I ran 4 miles this morning...

...tt is nasty outside. It's not super cold (-11ºC) out, but there was light snow and a breeze, and the snow was hitting my face and it stung so bad. It felt like little needles hitting me. Also, the last mile of my run was straight into the wind/snow, which made it pretty hard to finish strong. 

Here I am after the run...my chin/face was frozen. I ordered some new running gear on Amazon yesterday and I can't wait for it to get here, but that's for another day.

I felt really good for the first 3 miles of the run. The first mile was against the wind, but it wasn't too bad. There were houses on either side of the road, so they blocked some of the wind. Then for the next 2 miles I was feeling great. I was on a straight, flat country road with very little traffic, so I was able to run and not worry about cars getting really close to me. I felt like I could have gone another 2 or so miles on that same road. But then I turned to come back home. I was facing wind and snow head on, with no protection. It was pretty tough. I increased my pace a bit to get out of the wind/snow faster, which felt alright. I was just happy to get home and get out of the piercing snow.

After the run I ate peanut butter on some soda crackers (we are out of bread, so toast wan't an option) with sliced bananas on top and a glass of chocolate milk. The crackers, peanut butter, and banana was really good. Anyway, that's it. 

Keep Calm and MarathOn

Why I Am Really Running

So, I realized that I haven't actually said the reason why I am running this marathon and making this blog. Lots of people run marathons for charity and to raise money or awareness for some great cause...but not me (I would love to one day run a marathon for a charity and raise money, but not this time). I am running this marathon to say that I have run a marathon. See, I am a person who gets really fixated on something and then does that one thing a lot for a while, but then finds something else to fixate on and loses interest in the previous fixation.

For example, I LOVE the Dark Knight Trilogy. Absolutely love it. I think that Christopher Nolan is a genious and I would love to get the chance to one day meet him. Anyway, so when the Dark Knight Rises came out, I got all hard core and bought a book about the making of the Dark Knight Trilogy and I read a ton of articles about the movies and I watched lots of interviews with the cast and crew. I have honestly seen each of the three movies probably 10 times each, since the Dark Knight Rises came out in July of 2012. So, after a few months of being really into the Dark Knight Rises, I got on this Daniel Day-Lewis kick. I went on a netflix spree watching Daniel Day-Lewis movies, read tons of articles, watched interviews, and learned a ton about Daniel Day-Lewis. Anyway...this seems to be a pattern with me (especially with movies/actors, but with other aspects of my life as well. For example, my greek yogurt smoothie spree, nutella, Mumford and Sons, and the list goes on). I will be really interested in something for a few months, but then find something else to be really interested in. It's not that I lose interest in the previous interest, it's just that I want to learn so much about the new thing that I put the old thing on the shelf and leave it there for a while. It's like when you are a kid and you get a new toy. You play with it a lot, but then your grandma buys you a new awesome toy, so you put your old one in the toy box and spend all your time with your new one. You still love your old toy and cherish the memories you have with it, you even bring it out and play with it occasionally, but that new toy is just so great that you need to spend time with it (hopefully that all made sense).

The point I'm trying to make is that I struggle to commit to things for a long time, and I don't want running to become an "old toy" that I do for a while but then put on my shelf and move on to something new. I want it to be a part of me, something that I can't live without. So, I am determined to train for and run this marathon, and to make running a part of me. For this purpose I have started this blog. To allow myself to talk about my experiences and to motivate me to stick with it.

That's why I am running a marathon and that's why I am writing this blog.

Keep Calm and MarathOn

So, I'm going to run a marathon

Hey everyone...or anyone...if there is anyone actually reading this. If there is or isn't, I don't really care. I am not writing this blog to get a huge following, or any following for that matter, I am writing it for me. I am hoping that by blogging about my marathon training, I can stay motivated to persevere and endure, especially on days when I don't want to run or don't feel up to it.

With that said, I am training for a marathon. I plan on running the Salt Lake City Marathon on April 19th, 2014. I have never run a marathon before. I have run a few 5k's and not much else. In January 2013, I made a new years resolution to run a marathon. I started running and training and got up to 6 miles, but then we found out that my wife was pregnant. She had really low energy for the first 3 or 4 months, and so I spent a lot of time at home with her, and thus my training took a hit. Well, our son was born in August, and in October I decided that I was going to start training again. I started training for about 3 or so weeks when I got really bad shin splints. I had to take 2 weeks off, and now I am back at it. This is the first week that I am back training, and I have decided to take things a little slower than I previously did. Anyway, I am up to 4 miles and so far I am feeling great.

I don't know what else there is to say. This will be my outlet for sharing my thoughts about training, how I feel after runs, what I am eating/drinking, and everything else that has to do with marathoning. If there is anyone out there reading this, I hope that you enjoy.

Keep Calm and MarathOn