Bob the runner

I just completed my 16th Bolder Boulder!  At one time this was the highlight race for the year for me.  Though I still enjoy the event, it does not usually bring as much of a sense of accomplishment as it once did.  This is probably because I have now run half and full marathons and also competed in Triathlons. At the BB2014 start line. A selfie at the BB2014 start.  Going into the race my goals were to finish and to earn a "Beat Your Age Award".  Since I am 55, my time needed to be 54:59 (8:50 pace) or less.  This doesn't sound too difficult since I've run half marathons faster than this pace but the BB is a tough course.  The first 4 miles are pretty much rolling uphill then mile 5 is a nice downhill but the last half mile includes uphill again. The race could not have gone much better for me.  The weather was perfect (low 50's) and I felt great from the start.  I went out a little too fast for the first mile and made myself s...

For several months I have been running and living with several nagging discomforts.  While training for the Maui Oceanfront Marathon in the January, I developed bursitis in my left hip, tendonitis in my right foot and in both knees.  Also somewhere along the way I developed a sports hernia in my right groin.  Earlier this year, I went to physical therapy twice for the foot pain but pretty much ignored the other pains.  After the Fargo half marathon I had had enough and decided to go see the Dr.  My regular Dr has been out for months due to a bicycle accident, so I went to see Dr Tod Sweeney, who specializes in Sports Medicine.  He diagnosed everything I listed above and told me to go see a physical therapist.  Thanks to a recommendation from a friend, I found a P/T (Douglas Wisoff) that is also a popular running coach.  This blog post is intended to detail my visit to the Running Coach. 20 May 2014 Douglas tested my muscles for flexibility and ...

Why would anyone intentionally go to Fargo North Dakota?  A great question indeed!  Well, I intentionally went and actually enjoyed the trip.  Mostly so I could add state number 7 to my "run a full or half marathon in every state" goal.  But also because I've never visited North Dakota and was curious if people really talk like the folks in the FARGO movie! "Yah", "you betcha", the movie is kinda weird and not sure I would recommend, but it was the first thing I thought of when looking to run in North Dakota.  Now on to the trip and race review. Registration for the race was easy and there was great email communication up to the day of the event.  Hotels close to the finish were a bit difficult to find unless you registered many months in advance.  I registered in February, 3 months before the event, and the best hotel options were already taken.  We ended up staying at Comfort Suites Fargo which was about 7 miles from the ra...

Earlier this month I took a business trip to Reading in England.  Reading is a busy crowded town about 40 miles from London.  One article I read claims Reading is Britain's town with the largest population.  I stayed near the town centre and can confirm there were lots of people and lots of options for shopping and restaurants.  I stayed 8 days in Reading and was able to swim, weight train, and run while there.  Since the weather was perfect (no rain), my runs were all outside.     The hotel I stayed in was called the Novotel.  I think it is French owned and operated since all of the employees had French accents.  They were really friendly and made me feel welcome and safe.  The breakfast buffet was terrific and something I looked forward to each morning.  The food options were plentiful and everything was fresh and delicious.  I am a big fan of mushrooms and enjoyed some each morning along with other traditional breakfast it...

Wouldn't you think someone who can finish a marathon (26.2 miles) would have strong leg muscles?  Doesn't it seem logical someone who can easily run a sub 2 hour half marathon (13.1 miles), and not experience any leg discomfort afterwards, must have strong muscles in their legs.  Along the same lines, wouldn't you think someone who can swim a mile (freestyle), without stopping, would have decent leg and upper body strength?  If you answered yes to all 3 then you and I agreed until recently. Each week I have been doing the following as part of my workout: Speed run (3-4 miles) as fast as I can go. Swim 800-1000 meters at a comfortable pace.  One or 2 days. 10-15 mile bike ride at a comfortable pace.  Usually includes 1 tough climb. Tempo run (5-6 miles) at race pace (9:09 per mile). Long run (8-13 miles) at about 30-60 seconds per mile slower than race pace.  When I was training for the January marathon, my long runs were much longer (16-20 miles)....

I'm not sure why but my mind has led me to blog about numbers.  The more I think about my athletic experiences, the more it becomes evident the focus is primarily on numbers and how to improve them!  I tend to become obsessed about things and this falls right into my obsession trap.  I was primarily a runner for many years and added biking and swimming in the last couple years.  These new sports gave my brain even more numbers to obsess about!  The numbers started out geared toward distance then speed entered the horizon.  Now I think about cadence, heart rate, SWOLF, and the list goes on.  The running goals started low and progressed as they were accomplished: Run one mile! Run 2 miles! Bring on my first 5K race! It's time to train for a 10K! How far can I push this thing?  Can I do a half marathon (13.1 miles)? After a couple 13.1 finishes, I start thinking a marathon (26.2 miles) is possible. Pikes Peak ascent or Mount Evans climb....

The Daytona Beach Half Marathon was a real thrill for me!  Not only did I PR (1:55:06) but my family was also there to celebrate with me which made it extra special.  My Dad, brother, and sister-in-law lapped the track (2.5 miles) and my cousins Ken and Karen Woellert walked the half marathon.  Everyone finished under the required time limits so we all had reason to celebrate!   Race morning started at 4am as the alarm clock yelled for me to get up.  I left my parents house about 430am and headed toward the race track.  Traffic was minimal and I arrived at gate 40 of the race track about 450am.  It was dark out and I was tired and anxious until driving through a tunnel and onto the infield of the race track.  I'm not a NASCAR fan but seeing the motor homes, the race track, the stands and realizing I was on the infield of the Daytona 500 race track kinda took my breath away.  I instantly became very excited and couldn't wait to park the...