Bob the runner

Ready or not, my first 2015 Triathlon is coming on fast.  I'm excited for the event but nervous too.  I don't expect to win anything but want to do well.  I've been training hard so just need to focus this week on getting ready.  Here's a recap of my training for the week: Running:  Completed 4 runs total.  Three of the runs were 5K in distance the other was 1 mile and part of a brick.  My pace has improved and all but one of my runs were about 9:45 pace.  My lower back felt better and I was able to push a little harder.  The foot is still doing OK.  The breathing is still not easy and hopefully will improve as I push harder.  This week I plan to run 5K on Monday with the Arvada Tri Club at Roadrunner Sports.  On Wednesday I plan to do a speed 5K run and see if I can get below 9:30 pace.  I may do a 2 mile easy run on Friday but not sure since I also need to taper for the triathlon on Sunday. Biking:  2 rides comp...

I'm such a sucker.  One of my friends is doing the TriBoulder Sprint Triathlon on 26 July at the Boulder Reservoir.  He asked me to join him and I said "yes".  Uh oh, now I only have 2 weeks to get into some sort of triathlon shape.  What was I thinking?  We are talking 750M swim, 17.3 mile bike and 5K Run.  Sounds easy and I have no doubt about finishing but I also don't really want to embarrass myself by being last.  This will really change my goals over the next two weeks but I'm signed up so better get ready! I guess the first thing to do now is set my expectations.  My mind says I am ready to do my best Triathlon ever.  My current level of physical fitness is laughing and says "You better rethink that"!  I need to use this race as a training race for "My Way or the Tri Way".  This will be my first race of 2015 and will be a good gauge of where I am and what is possible for my Tri next month. This past week I was actually im...

Hooray,  I ran two miles last Tuesday! I know.  It seems comical.  Bob the Runner bragging about a two mile run.  What's up with that? I can also tell you it was the toughest two mile run in my memory and  I averaged 10.49 per mile.  It was a nice casual run but I wasn't dogging it.  I was disappointed in my slowness but also at the same time happy that I could run the distance.  The run started off easy enough but started to get really hard after about a mile.  My hip started tightening up, breathing was tough and it really wasn't fun...  :-( Wait...I like running.  Where did the fun go?   Unfortunately I think the lack of taking care of my body during my foot injury is reaping some results and not in a good way.  British beer, fish and chips, British pie, potato chips, cheese, bacon, and you get the picture!  Eating and drinking was fun but the extra 20 pounds makes running much tougher.  The good news is...

On Friday, May 29,  after 4 more weeks (6 total) in the boot the Dr said I could take it off.  The X-ray seemed to show enough healing to warrant his decision.  He said no running for another 3 weeks but biking and swimming are permissible.  In my mind I jumped for joy!  It would have hurt if I really jumped.  I didn't bring a shoe with me to the Dr appointment so had to wear the boot home. My first destination after removing the boot was Roadrunner sports (my favorite running store).  I wanted to get a pair of comfortable cushy running shoes for everyday wear.  I know..."Dr says no running" and I won't.  I ended up choosing a pair of Hoka One One Clifton's.  The shoes felt very comfortable from the time I put them on.  They fit well and were easy to walk in.  It was kinda like walking on pillows under my forefoot and mid-foot.  The only concern with the shoes was the heel drop-off.  The shoes are rounded up at the ...

My wife claims I became obsessed with running.  She thought it became too important in my life.  She claimed I was imbalanced.  I sure did enjoy running and thought about it often. Ask my wife, I even talked about it often!  Planning my next race and destination and how to train for it was definitely high on the priority list.  Was it an addiction?  Was I out of balance? I can't answer the question but I do know when I wasn't running my thoughts weren't far off from running.  Strava, Garmin connect, and how to improve became some of my best friends.  When I couldn't run I became cranky. When I was running 4-6 days per week, I could eat what I wanted and not gain weight.  I looked really good and my jeans fit great.  My blood pressure, cholesterol, and other medical results were always great. It all happened so quickly and has hit me like a ton of bricks.  Friday the 13th.  A normal day?  Perhaps not!  Thinking b...

Mercer Island Half Marathon. 22 March 2015 I was nervous about this race. Somehow I hurt my foot on March 13th, just 9 days before the race.  I was out for an easy 5 miler and about 4 miles in, the pain was so bad walking was necessary. Walking was slow and painful.  I rested the foot for a couple days and the pain subsided somewhat. It may sound strange but I really couldn't find the exact origin of the pain. I knew my foot hurt but why?  A visit to the Dr and X-rays showed nothing definitive. The Doc called it an overuse injury (in other words I dunno why it hurts you) and said try it out and let pain be my guide. With that advice, I knew the state of Washington medal would we earned but hopefully not at a prolonged injury cost. Julie and I flew into Seattle on Friday. The foot was sensitive but not really painful. We rented a small lake house on Lake Sammamish so headed there after we picked up our rental car.  The house was small but had wonderful ...

I had never been to Mississippi before this race and not sure I will ever return. T he name "Mississippi Blues" and some of the reviews attracted me to this race.  I love old country songs and many of them talk about the blues, so, I thought "why not run a half marathon there and hear some good music?". We arrived at our hotel Thursday evening and were instantly concerned by all the abandoned businesses and homes near the hotel. The Hilton Gardens in downtown Jackson seemed safe and was a decent hotel but they also warned us not to go walking around after dark. Seems there are a bunch of homeless people in the area that are considered dangerous. We are not downtown people so we were a bit uneasy and decided to eat dinner at the hotel Thursday evening and it was very good. Friday we walked about 10 minutes to the Expo. It was held at the Jackson Convention Center and was lots of fun!  We found some good bargains on clothes and listened to some good B...