What can I say? I love to run. I've run 4 full marathons and 6 halfs. But I love God more and I'm determined to run this race of life for Him to receive the ultimate prize of Heaven. I'd like to share my thoughts with you. You can agree or disagree. Comment or don't. You can read or not read. But it's here if you want it. Enjoy! .
My 2nd marathon is in 5 days. 5 days. 5 stinkin' days. I should be freaking out. Maybe I am inside but I'll keep it hidden so as not to scare anyone. Actually, I'm not freaking out. I'm not even nervous or anxious at this point. Oh, I will be. When I wake up Saturday morning. When I put on my running clothes and bib number. When I get into my starting corral. When the gun goes off. But then it will be over. The nervousness will be gone when I actually start running. And then God only knows what will happen for the next four hours (hopefully less than 4 hours). I'll give it all to Him at that point and just trust in my training, my supportive family, but mostly in Him. I can't believe it's in 5 days. It hasn't really sunk in I guess.
Nate and Andrea from church will be there running the 5K. They are both awesome and amazing runners. They also offered to order tickets to a pasta dinner and Grizzlies game. $25 for all you can eat pasta, bread, and drinks as well as the game ticket. Not a bad deal. So Mark and I decided to do that too. That'll be fun. I've never been to a Grizzlies game. In fact, it's been probably 20 years since I went to an NBA game. It's going to be a fun weekend. I can't wait.
Oh, by the way, the title of this post is attributed to the fact that we found a picture recently. We were searching for old pictures of the boys and Santa and found the picture below hidden in one of the frames. It was shocking! Susan was shocked. I was shocked. Not to offend anyone here, but I look like I ate a cow. A whole cow. Bones and all. I'm huge. Shout out to Courtney who also has a similar picture of the past me. But here's the picture.
I would say I'm close to 200 pounds in that picture. Now, here's a picture of me recently at Disney World.
Looks different, huh? I weighed myself yesterday after my 10 mile run and I now weigh 149. That's my lowest weight ever - well at least since I weighed that back in high school on the way up. So I've probably lost about 50 pounds since I started running about 3 years ago. I guess it's like one of those magazine adds for diet pills. The before and after me. " Look what these diet pills can do for you." Except I don't take diet pills. I just did it by running. I still don't eat great. Susan will tell you. That's my hardest thing. But I try. Sometimes.
(A kid brought me a chocolate doughnut as I am writing this. Not kidding. I have to eat it or the kid will feel bad, right? Chocolate doughnuts are my weakness. Mean kid...who is now my favorite student. Ok, this doughnut is so good. Sorry, back to the post...)
Oh well, I told Courtney and I'll tell the world now. If you ever see me starting to balloon back up, show me this picture and just shake your head in a negative way. I'll get the message.
I'll try to write from Memphis on Friday and let you know how things are going. Not sure if the old Super 8 will have wireless. If they ever did, someone probably stole it. We'll see. Until then...
One week from right now I will be a little....what's the word? Anxious. Nervous. Excited. Stressed. Adrenalineized. Is that a word? One week from right now I will be sitting in the scariest hotel room ever (see a couple of posts down) on the night before my 2nd marathon. I should be asleep one week from right now, but I know we won't be. Mark and I will be talking in our hotel room. Or we might be pushing the dresser in front of the door for the night. Whatever. The point is - I can't believe it's just one week away. It seems so long ago when I decided I wanted to do another marathon. I actually decided the day of my first marathon. I had thought about doing a 2nd but that day was when I decided I had to do it again. There were so many good things that far outweighed any bad. I knew I wanted to experience all that good again. And I knew Memphis was the place And it's almost here.
Well, it's officially official. Today, we called and finalized our reservations for our next trip to Disney World. Our tradition of going once a year continues. For the past three years, we have gone in October during Fall Break. But for a couple of reasons which I'll discuss later, it will be better if we go at a different time next year. So recently, we decided on May, right when school lets out. I will love that. I always enjoy having trips to look forward to as school closes. Last year, it was Holiday World which we loved. This year, it's THE World. We're only staying four nights instead of our usual five. Money's a little tight. And we're only going to three parks instead of our usual four. We're skipping out on Animal Kingdom this time. I'll miss it, especially some of the rides (Dinosaur - my favorite), but it's the easiest park to give up. We have it done in just a few hours. There's just not much there so it'll be fine to give it up for this trip. We'll go back in the future. We also booked our restaurants today and got everything we wanted. I'm very excited as are Susan and the boys. Yes, we went ahead and told them. No surprises this time. Oh well - I'll talk more about the trip as it approaches. It's still 6 months away but it's always fun to get it on the calendar. I'm hoping my next trip to Disney after that is also on the calendar - the Goofy Challenge. Registering for that comes up during the first or 2nd week of January so I'll keep you posted.
On a side note - this post is taking me forever to type because I'm watching "Footloose" in the background. Haven't seen that one in a long time. I still think it's a pretty good movie. Maybe I'm crazy. Well, I know I'm crazy, but does anyone else think that's a good movie? Sorry - back to important things...
I got the first half of the outside lights up. I'll finish up tomorrow. I guess I should've kept a count of how many lights but it's gotta be several thousand. I'll try to get a picture or video on here or something. Just call me Clark.
Doing my last long run Sunday - 10 miles. I'm still deciding on the 5k for January. I'll probably register for one or the other next week at some point. Ate a huge Thanksgiving lunch yesterday and then ran home from my parents (5.5 miles). My dessert(s) hadn't quite digested yet so my stomach hurt a little but at least I ran off a few of the thousands of calories I most likely ate.
One last thing. My Auburn Tigers lost a hard fought game to Alabama today. 26-21. I was very proud as I was expecting a blow out loss. So it's still great to be an Auburn Tiger. And I hope Florida kills Bama next week. I never root for Florida, but go Gators!
Just got back from Opryland. Yes, I still call it Opryland and I always will. I miss that place. Susan and I actually got to talking about it tonight. We told the boys all about all the rides and what each one did. No mall, no matter how big can ever replace what was Opryland. Sorry - short rant. We do enjoy the hotel and went to the Delta tonight to enjoy the water show, boat ride and Christmas decorations. We'll start decorating our house tomorrow.
I'm looking for a 5K for the Winter. I'll probably take a week off after the marathon but I certainly don't want to get out of shape or stop for very long. I need another race to look towards. I am doing the Country Music 1/2 in April but I felt like I needed something in between to keep me motivated. So I've narrowed it down to two races: The Zoo Run Run 5K at the Nashville Zoo OR the Nashville Predators Fangtastic 5K. The Zoo run is at the end of January and the Predators race is at the beginning of February so they are around the same time. They are both $25 so money doesn't make a difference. But there are pros and cons for each.
Zoo Run Pros - I've done it before so I know the course. Smaller race which I like (not too crowded). Got a nice T-shirt last time. Enjoy supporting the zoo (we're members). Fun course as you run throughout the zoo and see the animals as you go.
Zoo Run Cons - I've done it before (do I need something new?). Some running on trails and rough surfaces. Not an easy course (some hills).
Predators Run Pros - Never done it before so would be something new. Run downtown and most likely a little flatter. Get a free ticket to a Predators game plus the t-shirt.
Predators Run Cons - A lot bigger so more crowded and less chance to place well. You only get one ticket to a Predators game (like I'm gonna go by myself). Unfamiliar course.
So I'm still deciding. I'm leaning towards the Zoo run but I'll let you know in the next week or so. I'm just excited to have another race almost on the calendar with Susan's approval. That's always a big step.
10 days. 10 days!! until the marathon. Holy cow! I'm getting excited. I'm in the taper so I'm not running as much which feels a little weird but it is nice to have a little extra time to sleep.
Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I'm very excited to be out of school and love this time of year. I'm going all out on the outside lights this year. More about that later. It's gonna be crazy!!
I had every intention of running last night but I was so tired. I think I'm on a bad schedule where I am getting tired really early (7-8 PM) and am waking up early (4-5AM). I can't seem to get off that schedule. I would rather get tired around 10-11 and wake up around 5-6 but I'm about an hour or two off. Anyways, I got up this morning around 4 and ran the five miles. So technically I did it today (Wed.) but I'm counting it as my Tuesday run b/c I have every intention of running tonight after church. But I may do it tomorrow morning. We'll see.
Well here goes. The hotel story. As you know if you've read any of this blog, I am running a marathon in a little over 2 weeks in Memphis. About 3-4 months ago, I decided I needed to start looking for a hotel. The race starts at 8AM so I didn't want to drive from Nashville that morning, plus I needed to register on Friday anyways. So I began looking for a hotel. I knew that Susan and the boys weren't going to go for good reason so I began looking as cheap as possible. My feelings on hotels has always been that it's just a room. Now don't get me wrong, I like nice hotels and the few times I've been privileged to stay in one have been great, but I'm basically fine staying in anything with a bed. That's why we stay cheap at Disney. We're only in the room awake for a couple of hours at most so what's the point of paying a lot of money for a huge room. I realize that if I had the money, I might feel differently, but I would hope I wouldn't. All that to say, since my family wasn't coming to Memphis, I knew I would just find a cheap room and go with it. On the race website, they had a list of hotels, how far they were from the start line, and how much they were per night. I scrolled down and down and down until I found the right price. Distance didn't matter as much since I will have a car. I knew when I saw the Super 8 only 2 miles from the start at the low low price of $45 a night, I had found my room. I clicked on the hotel website to get the number and happened to notice the reviews. Holy cow - the reviews!! Pause on that story because it leads me to another story....
In 2005, I was in charge of planning the reward trip for our church. I work part time at our church with the youth and have been in charge of the reward trip for many years. The reward trip is just that - a reward for those that have participated in a certain number of service projects throughout the year. In 2005, the reward was King's Island in Cincinnati. I was in charge of finding hotels, getting park tickets, getting a list of those going, etc. etc. I always find several hotel choices and then take them to the youth minister so we can discuss the best options. We decided (and I'm gonna use "we" here so everyone can't put ALL the blame on me) to go with the Econo-Lodge in Erlanger, KY for our first night. It was cheap, not too far outside of Cincinnati, and looked pretty nice on the internet. On the day we were supposed to leave, I just happened to be watching the news and noticed the top story about how a couple had escaped from prison (from right here in TN by the way - ironic?) and had been caught in Ohio. Click here for the story if you just really have a lot of time to waste. Before the couple was caught (after murdering a prison guard no less), they had stayed in, you guessed it, the Econo-Lodge in Erlanger, KY. I called my youth minister immediately. We called the hotel. They said the hotel had been cleared and all would be fine. All would not be fine.
When we arrived at the Econo-Lodge that night, it took forever to get checked in. I had specifically asked for non-smoking rooms and I think 4 out of 15 rooms were non-smoking. The hotel was next to a very loud bar with music. The rooms were disgusting and didn't seem to have been cleaned in months. So while I was dealing with all that, I kindof forgot about the news story. It never crossed my mind that the room where the fugitive couple had stayed would be given to us, or for that matter, be available to anyone. But as you've probably figured out, room 111 was assigned to us. We still didn't know that was THE room and we hadn't told the kids about the news story, but some had already heard and it spread quick. We assigned four high school boys to room 111. They quickly came and told us about the room. I still wasn't convinced it was THE room until I got to the room and some scary looking lady was sitting in her car in the parking lot and said (and I quote), "Room 111, right thar, that's them criminal's room."
Why me?
It was filthy (which matched all the rooms) but there was a very specific and large blood stain on the bed spread (by the way - the fugitive had been shot in the escape).
I am realizing as I'm writing this that I still can't believe it really happened. Sorry - got off track.
Now the boys were okay with it. They were a little upset but in a funny way. They filmed it and made jokes. We realized afterward that we should have asked for another room, but it was so late and we were so confused by it all that for some reason we didn't. These boys' parents were less than happy when we got home and rightly so. It was a nightmare come true. We laugh about it now but it really wasn't funny at the time. By the way, I would later complain and get an apology letter from the hotel management - didn't help much. I will never stay in an Econo-Lodge again. Period.
Now, I told that story because one of the boys in room 111 that night was Mark Slagle - the same Mark I previously wrote about who will be my roommate in Memphis. I booked the hotel before I knew he was coming. When he offered to run and I asked him if he wanted to share the room, I forgot all about the reviews and the above story. Click here to read the reviews and you'll see why this story is funny. The reviews match the description of the Econo-Lodge from 4 years ago. In fact the 2nd one matches the title of this post - just not quite as nice as I made it. When I told Mark about the reviews, he just laughed. He might not be laughing in 2 weeks. The picture makes the hotel look pretty nice but I'm sure that's deceiving. I really want to run this race so I'm just hoping I make it to the start line after a night in this hotel. I'm assuming it is probably also in a scary part of town as I've certainly heard that Memphis has some scary parts, actually a lot of them. No offense, Memphis. Well, at least we'll have each other and won't be alone, which was my original plan. I don't mind a dirty room too much as long as the bed is sleepable. Is that a word? I guess if someone scary comes knocking on our door, we can throw Super 8 soaps at them and hit them over the head with the ice bucket, if we even get one. Please pray for our safety - and I'm pretty serious about that. I'm sure we'll look back and laugh on it as we already have but I hope nothing happens to take that laughter away. Oh well - I know this is way too long, but I had to share.
Just a quick post to say my last long run before my marathon is done. I just finished 22 miles in 3:06, averaging just under 8:30 per mile. I am very happy with my time. I was expecting around 3:20. This gives me even more confidence that I can do this marathon under 4 hours. It felt great this morning. I could tell I was going fast. My legs did start to get that numb feeling with about 3 miles left but I made it home fine. I just hope I can do that last 4 miles on race day. It's a little scary to stop at 22 miles but that's what all the programs recommend.
Now I'll start my taper with 12 miles next week and probably 10 the week before the race. I'm about to go turn on the oven to surprise the family with cinnamon rolls this morning. That's just as much my reward as it is theirs. But I figure I deserve them after running 22 miles. And Max picked California Pizza Kitchen for lunch today. Even more reward.
I'll write more about the marathon at some point this week. Hope everyone has a great week.
My heel was a little sore after Monday's long run. I ran 20. It took 2 hours and 53 minutes. 2:35 AM-5:28AM. Not bad. By the way, I did four 5-mile loops this time instead of my one long 20-mile loop. Decided to try something new. It was a little boring but I think it was a little easier. I stayed close to home, passed it four times. Flatter streets. But like I said, my heel hurt pretty bad, especially on Tuesday, so I took Tuesday off. Figured I'd give my feet an extra day to rest. It helped. I felt better yesterday and ran 5 last night.
The marathon is a little over 3 weeks away. Very close. Like I said last time, I'm looking forward to it for so many reasons. It'll be nice to run a new race. I've heard many good things about this race. It'll be interesting to see how I do. It's a trip and I enjoy any trip, no matter how short or close. But I'm really looking forward to it because of Mark. I mentioned Mark Slagle last time. Since my family isn't going for very good reasons, it'll be very nice to have Mark there. Mark is like a brother to me, since I never had one. We met when I was Mark's teacher and camp counselor at church. Even though he's about 15 years younger, I have always enjoyed any time we've had together. We've had a lot of laughs together over the years and Mark is one of the most talented people I've ever met. He has been the star of many of my camp skits and I couldn't ask for better. He made those skits legen....wait for it...dary. (Sorry, I watch "How I Met Your Mother".) Mark is just awesome in so many ways.
This summer, I experienced one of the greatest weeks of my life. I went on Trek with 14 other guys from church. We flew out to Salida, Colorado and climbed Mount Antora. It was an incredible, spiritual, memorable, life-changing adventure and I will never forget it. Mark was one of the two guides that led us up that mountain and for that I will be eternally grateful. He was already a best friend but through that, our friendship grew even stronger. On our last night, we were eating at Sonic and somehow the Memphis marathon came up. I told Mark he needed to run with me. I was surprised when he quickly agreed. That's so Mark. He will do anything and be anywhere you need him to be at the drop of a hat. He didn't even think about having to run several miles and the pain he might have, he just said, "I'll be there.". Now, being that he has never done a major race that I know of, I'm glad he'll be doing the half marathon while I do the whole. And I'm sure we won't stay together. But just the fact that he's been running, training, and preparing for this is just awesome. It's a true testament to what a great friend he is.
I talked to Mark yesterday and he said he's still good to go. He's been running and can't wait for the trip. Our hotel is a whole other post and I'll talk about that soon. There's a definite story there. Let's just say neither of us needs to be by ourselves in that place. But it will be awesome and I certainly can't wait. It'll be another one of many adventures with Mark.
I'll be running my longest run this Sunday morning before I start tapering. I'll do 22 and it'll be a big loop instead of short ones. I'll keep you posted on how it goes. Until then...
I just completed a 41-mile week. I don't think I've ever done over 40 miles in a week. I could be wrong but I don't think I am. And that was with a class trip this week. I went to Camp Cosby in Alpine, AL with my 6th graders. This was my 10th trip. I love it there. Absolutely awesome. And this year's 6th graders are just outstanding. I can't say enough. But I was very proud of myself for getting up early Thursday and Friday while up there and running 4 miles both mornings. They were both great runs. It's beautiful up there and it felt so good to get a morning run in both days. I just finished 5 for today and that makes 41 for the week. Not to toot my own horn, but toot toot a little. Sorry - just celebrating. I'm done now. On to bigger and better things.
Today marks exactly 4 weeks until my next marathon. As previously mentioned, I am running the St. Jude's Marathon in Memphis, TN on December 5. That is four weeks from today. I know I'll be nervous and anxious as it approaches, but I am really excited. I have heard so many good things about this marathon. Mainly the flatness of it. That's always good. But I've also just heard it's a great race. It's well organized and fun to run. Plus the fact that the money is going toward such a good cause with the hospital there and all. I've heard that some of the kids come out and cheer. Not sure if that's true or not.
I have three goals for this marathon. 1. Finish. This is always goal one. Finish without quitting and without getting injured. 2. Don't walk. This is so much easier said than done but if I can run 22 without stopping (my longest), I can surely do 4 more measly miles. 3. Finish under 4 hours. I was so close in April at the Country Music Marathon. 4:11. So I think it's more than a reasonable goal. I'm hoping for much cooler temperatures this time. That's what got me in April.
I am also just looking forward to the trip. I know several people that will be there either running or cheering. The Hall's from church will be cheering. My cousin's wife will be running. Go Susan! And one of my best friends will be there with me. Mark Slagle agreed to do the half while I run the whole. I am so proud and honored that he'll be there. I'll talk more about him later but we're sharing a room Friday night and it will be so much easier having someone there to talk to and take away the pre-race jitters. Susan and the boys seriously thought about coming but decided not to and I don't blame them. We really can't pay for a nice hotel and I wouldn't dream of having them stay where I'm staying. More about that later too. Plus there are things going on here at home that weekend. It's just better for them to be here. So Mark will be my family that weekend. He already is.
Well, I'm about to head to the state Cross Country meet to cheer on our HS team. Can't wait for that. They have had an awesome season and I'm hoping for victories today for both girls and boys. After that I'm headed to our church youth retreat where I'm speaking tonight. I'll run just 3 miles there tomorrow morning and save my long run for Monday morning before school. Yuck. I don't like doing it that way but I don't really have a choice. 20 miles Monday morning.
I finished a 5K this morning. I hadn't done one since January of 2008 so I was pretty due to do another. As I posted previously, I got an email about the "Cedar Hall School Trail Run 5K" about a month or so ago and decided to give it a try. It rained all day yesterday and was raining slightly this morning so I knew it was going to be a mess. I told Susan and the boys they didn't have to go with the rain, but they were persistent and I was glad. We all packed into the van at 7:45AM and headed to Christiana, TN.
This race was out in the boonies. It was actually beyond the boonies. We passed the boonies on the way there. We drove to Murfreesboro but then went another 10-15 miles on back roads. The flyer had said there was a 200 person limit but we all knew there wouldn't be that many people there. With the weather and being in boonie-ville, we knew it would be less. There was probably around 70 that ran. We got there around 8:30 and there were only a handful of people there. It was on a farm with a ton of land. They had a fire going and a tent to register. I registered and got my t-shirt. Pretty nice. Long sleeve. White. That's half the reason to do these races anyways, right? I could tell it was going to be a muddy course, just by how the field was where we registered, but I had no idea what was to come.
They started us at 9:00 and told us there would be some mud and water. That was the biggest understatement I've ever heard. When we started, "Mr. No Shirt" got out in front. He was the only one without a shirt. It was too cold for that, even if you're a great runner. Hey, I was cold with my shorts and t-shirt. Most had on pants and long-sleeves. I decided to get out quick and not get caught in the crowd so I got right behind no-shirt. I figured someone would eventually pass me, but nobody ever did.
The course was awful. Now don't get me wrong - on a dry day, it would be a great course, but today, not so much. The first half mile was probably the toughest part. See, I was trying to avoid the mud and puddles. Note to self - just run through them. It's so much easier. The ground was very soft and extremely lumpy all over even on the course. I know the guy behind me (which was actually a boy - who stayed in 3rd the whole time) thought I looked drunk. I was stumbling all over the place. How I didn't twist and ankle I'll never know. This was by far the most "cross country" course I've ever run even all through high school. It went through woods, on trails, over rocks, through streams, rivers, puddles, lakes, whatever. It was extremely twisty and bumpy and unbelievably wet and muddy. There were many many times I ran through water that was shin deep and I'm not exaggerating. But like I said, it was much easier to just run through it than try to avoid it. I stared at my feet through 90% of it. You had to.
It was pretty well marked, I will say. I only questioned myself once if I was on the course of not. I tried to keep no-shirt in my sight and did for most of it. My ipod was acting up. I think it got wet. It was too loud or too soft or was repeating the same song. I should've just gone without but I usually run better with it. I listened to it for most of the time but eventually turned it off when I knew I didn't have much left. The miles weren't marked except for the first one so I had no idea how much I had left. I didn't like that. I knew around mile 2 that I was going to get second. I was shocked. Granted there were only 70 people or so running but I would've never put myself in 2nd. I came out of the woods and saw the finish line. That's a beautiful sight. I saw my wife and boys cheering. Even more beautiful. I high-fived the boys before I crossed the line in 20:28. Wow. Not to toot my own horn but that was so much better than I was hoping for. I was hoping to beat 22 minutes. And with the conditions, I was especially surprised. I'll take it. New PR for me. 2nd overall and 2nd in my age bracket. By the way my age bracket was 19-35. What's up with that? That's huge. The guy that won was 20. I'm 34. I guess once everyone registered, that's what they had to do to make the brackets fairly even b/c I think there were only 5-6 in my age bracket.
Oh well. I got a medal. I had a great time. I got 2nd overall. I got very dirty, wet, and tired. But it was a blast. I loved it. I need to do more of these. How often do you get to run through water, not care about how dirty and wet you are getting, and get rewarded for it. It was worth every penny of my $20 registration.
Carter and Max asked if they could run it next year. Why not?
20 miles tomorrow morning. Thank you daylight savings!!!
I ran a practice 5K tonight just to see what I could do if I pushed myself. I ran it in 21:26 which is a decent time compared to my only 5K race over there in my records. Makes me optimistic that I can PR this Saturday. And I didn't feel great while I ran. I ate terrible today - Chick 'Fil A for lunch and too much for dinner so my stomach felt full while I ran. So I could probably do a little better if I had felt a little better. On the other hand, Saturday is a "trail run" and I ran on fairly flat streets so it might even out. Still hoping for a PR. I'll let you know.
My foot pain is all but gone. I am very happy. I was really afraid it would be this long, drawn out road to recovery but I think and pray that I've seen the worst. It hurt a little yesterday morning but yesterday afternoon, evening, and right now, it doesn't hurt at all. I even ran 5 miles last night. It hurt a little when I woke up this morning but that's always the case. Have to get the morning stretch in and wake my legs up before I can tell if there is lingering pain.
My first 5-K in almost 2 years is this Saturday morning. The Cedar Hall School Trail Run. I still have no idea what to expect. I sent my money in and have heard nothing back. I finally called just to make sure I was good to go. They did tell me there would be other adults there so that will be good. I'm a little worried it's called a "Trail Run". I was hoping to get a good time and possibly set a PR since I only have one 5K in my past where I know my time. But I'm not sure if these "trails" will hinder that. Guess we'll see. I think I'll simulate a 5K in one of my runs this week to see what I can do as a practice.
It is now only about 5 weeks to my next marathon (12/5). Yikes. Hard to believe. It has come up quick!! During the month of November, I plan to write more about it - what I know about it, who's running with me, our hotel (scary), etc. etc. so be watching for more info. I'm excited though. My training is on schedule and going well. Planning to run 20 miles this coming Sunday morning. I know it's Halloween night Saturday night but we gain an hour so that will help immensely.
Finally, I have decided to add a feature above - the Disney "Tip of the Week". We enjoyed our trip so much and plan on going back each year if we're able. People ask us all the time about tips and how we manage to ride everything with virtually no lines. So I thought I'd add a new tip each week and keep a log of them. We made a video of our trip this year and the link is below. You might have already seen it but if not, check it out. Slightly embarassing but well worth it. We had a blast. Can't wait for our next trip.
I did it. I just finished 18 miles on a beautiful, cold, Sunday morning. But the cold was perfect for running. I love running in cold weather. Best news - my foot didn't really bother me. I only noticed pain a couple of times and mainly the last 1 1/2 miles. I noticed it a couple of other times throughout the run but only when I thought about it. I'm sure it will hurt later today but I'll ice it and I think it will be fine. God answered prayers and gave me a great run. It took me about 2 hours and 38 min. which is a little over 8:30 per mile so I'm happy with that. It feels good to be able to do a long run after 2 weeks off.
Quick story from this morning. I always am a little wary of running in the dark. I love it b/c there is nobody on the streets. I maybe pass 4 cars when I run early on Sunday mornings and it's so nice to have the road to myself. But being so dark and being that there are some crazies out there, I always gets a little paranoid if a car drives really slow passed me or especially if there is a stopped car. So on about mile 12 or 13 this morning I got that paranoid feeling when I could see headlights up ahead and flashers on. And of course this was a section with NO street lights so it was pitch dark except for the car. As I approached, I looked around to see if I could figure out why this car was stopped but didn't notice anything.
I then began to think about my standard defense methods. Oh believe me, I've thought many times what I would do if someone or something did attack me. I think everyone had to consider options like that. I mean I've seen coyotes, foxes, deer, snakes, etc. and isn't it possible that one of these creatures (like a rabies infested rabbit) could go psycho on me and attack? I'm not joking - it wasn't 2 weeks ago that a squirrel jumped out of the woods and ran through my legs while I was running. No lie - I jumped 6 feet in the air. It scared the living willies out of me. And what are the odds that some crazy person would attack a runner? I mean what's the point? What would they gain? A free ipod I guess but I figure people have better things to do at 5:00AM. But on the other hand, like I said, I know there are some crazies out there and so I have to be ready. So, here are my standard defenses mentioned above. If someone (or something) attacks I can: 1. Throw my water bottle at them. It's small but full of water, it could pack a real punch. 2. Take off my shoe and beat them with it. Maybe not quite the punch the water bottle would pack. 3. Wrap my headphones cord around their neck and pull. Might be hard to maneuver this, but I could try. 4. Quickly put the headphones in their ears and play some annoying music, except all my music rocks. 5. Any other suggestions?
Ok, back to the story. As I got close to the car, I pushed pause on my ipod. If someone is about to attack me, I want to hear them coming so I can quickly ask, "Why Me?". I didn't hear anything or anybody. I passed the car slowly and decided to look. I'm not sure if you're supposed to look. Sometimes people can get offended by just you looking at them so it was a gamble but I had to take it. There was nobody inside the car!!! What in the world? Why is there an empty car with it's lights and flashers on? Now I was really confused. That's when I saw it.
I had taken only 3 steps past the car when I looked ahead of me and saw the shadow of a figure in the road. My heartbeat doubled. Remember - no street lights. All I could see was a black figure. In the middle of the road!!! Middle. Not side. I was running in the middle b/c of the car on the side. I was in line with the figure. Water bottle ready. Headphone cord is the backup.
I approached the figure slowly. Do I say something? Do I immediately go into attack mode? Do I turn around and run the other direction screaming? I decided to face my fear and just approach him, her, it. As I got right to it, she spoke. It was a female and apparently from another country because she had an accent. She said, "I've just hit a deer and I'm picking up the pieces of my car." Wow. I wasn't expecting that. I had never planned that scenario in my defense planning. So my first question was probably a stupid one. I said, "Where's the deer?" Nevermind this poor woman who is trying to find her side mirror. What about the deer? I guess my first thought was that I didn't want to trip over a half-dead deer in the road. She told me it was in a ditch. I never saw it. Maybe it didn't die. Who knows? I then came to my senses and asked "Are you okay?". She said she was fine. I then kept running. I felt bad at first. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to stop but what help could I possibly be. I guess I could've looked around for car parts but to be honest, her car looked fine. I certainly didn't notice anything as I approached it. I thought about turning around but I didn't want to scare her. It was then that a police car passed me and turned on it's lights. Apparently she had called. So I definitely kept running. Hope she was fine. And the deer? Well, hope it was fine but who knows?
So that's my "quick" story. Sorry it wasn't quick. Always an adventure which is another reason I love running. You never know who or what you'll "run into".
Pain. I've got pain in my foot. My left foot is still hurting. It began in Disney as I mentioned in the previous post. It got better the last couple of days, probably b/c we didn't walk as much. I thought it was gone but it's back and hurting worse than it ever did on the trip. I ran 5 miles Thursday night and it started to hurt as I was finishing up the run. Then yesterday, Friday, it hurt badly all day long. I decided not to run on it yesterday and ice it down last night. I think that helped. I iced it again this morning and will continue to do so all day today. This is scary for several reasons:
1. I've never had an injury like this where I couldn't run. I've had minor knee pain but it usually goes away when I start to run. 2. I haven't run this week much at all. Because of Disney at the beginning of the week and now this, my week total is pitiful. 3. I'm supposed to run 18 miles tomorrow and I really don't want to skip it. I didn't do a long run last weekend b/c of Disney so I hate to take off 2 long runs in a row. 4. I have a 5K next weekend. My first one in a long time and I really want to run it. 5. I have a marathon in a little over a month and I have to keep my training going for it.
I'm sure there are other reasons this is scary but I don't want to be too scary. I think what I'll do is ice it a lot today and not run today. I'll try my 18 tomorrow and see how it goes. I'm sure if I make the 18 I'll be in a lot of pain Monday. I can continue to ice it all week and be ready for the 5K. I'm just hoping and praying it gets better quickly and it's nothing serious. I also hope it doesn't need a doctor visit b/c I really don't have the time. This next week is going to be very busy. It's the Region meet on Thursday for the HS which I've been helping with. And the MS awards dinner is Monday night. No time for doctor visits.
I'll keep you posted on how I'm feeling. This is annoying and frustrating. I don't like not running. It feels weird.
Oh well even though I can't right now.... Keep runnin', Albert
Well here goes. Probably more than you'll ever want to know so read what you want and stop when you get tired of it.
We just got back from Disney World last night so here's a trip report. I'll try to include most of everything and even put some pictures at the bottom. If you're a Facebook friend, you can see all of my pictures on my page.
We left last Wednesday. I left school at 11AM and we had a friend take us to the airport. We have never left that early but we loved getting to Orlando by 3:00. We were at our hotel by 4PM and checked in with no problems. We have stayed at the All Star Sports the last 3 years and love it. It's cheap and if you have to stay at one of the cheap ones, stay there for this simple reason - the busses come there first. An empty bus always picked us up. Once we unloaded in our room, we went to dinner at the hotel. It's basically a food court but has a lot of choices. We used one of our counter services on our dining plan but I did buy the refillable mug. I didn't use it as much this year as I have in the past but I love having it for the hot chocolate alone. We needed hot chocolate this year. Keep reading.
After dinner, we decided to go swimming - well the boys and I did. Susan took pictures and relaxed in the room. She also got stuff ready so we could be up and early the next morning. And I mean bright and early!!
Thursday was Magic Kingdom day. We always start there. You almost have to. It was extra magic hour morning so the park was opening at 8AM. Since the busses start coming at least an hour before opening time (it's actually closer to 2 hours we later found out), we got outside to the bus zone around 6:40. We missed the first bus (we got out there earlier the rest of the time) but got on the 2nd. We were still first at the turnstiles when we got to the MK. We ate our breakfast and chatted with the cast members there. They let us come through at 7:45 and the park officially opened at 8. We ran like crazy to Dumbo - our tradition. We were the first ones on. We had Fantasyland (Dumbo, Pooh, Snow White, Peter Pan, Small World) done by 8:40. We then ran and did Splash Mountain and got fastpasses for Thunder Mountain. We noticed that Haunted Mansion was closed and it didn't open back up until around 3PM. We got rides done very quickly. The park was not crowded at all. The longest we waited in line was 10 minutes until Haunted Mansion opened back up and everyone ran there. But that was probably only 20 minutes. Lunch was in Future World and dinner was at Crystal Palace. We skipped that last year so it was good to be back. Great buffet. Max slept through dinner. Doesn't remember a thing. We had to leave the park at 7 b/c we weren't doing the Halloween Party but we were ready to go. We were tired and had ridden everything there is and several things twice.
Animal Kingdom was the next day. It was opening at 9 so we got to the bus stop at 7:30. A bus came pretty quickly and we were definitley the first ones there. We once again chatted with the cast member and waited patiently. The boys always do great getting there early. We ran to Kilamanjaro Safari at the rope drop and were the first ones on. I then ran to Everest to get fast passes. We then went to our breakfast reservation at Tusker House. The buffet there is amazing. They have every breakfast food you could possibly imagine. After breakfast, we went to Everest. Max decided he was going to try it. He hated the backwards part. Some tears were shed and he was done with that one, but I was proud that he did it. Carter and I would do it again later. We've decided that Animal Kingdom is definitely our least favorite. There just isn't a whole lot to do there for kids. It does have my favorite ride - Dinosaur which I did twice by myself b/c nobody else in my family likes it. But we were pretty much done with most everything by lunch and just did stuff again. It does have a couple of great shows. The boys were picked again to be in the Lion King show. I've decided I like that show better than the Nemo show there. We left the park around 6 to get on the bus to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We had dinner reservations at Boma there. This is our new favorite restaurant. It was outstanding. Great, great food. We'll go back for sure. We had to take the bus back to Animal Kingdom to get a bus back to our hotel. It was NOT a Disney bus that picked us up but a random charter bus. We were a little hesitant to get on as was everyone but the driver did take us back to our hotel.
The next morning (Saturday) was Hollywood Studios. It was opening early at 8AM for hotel guests so we got out to the busses at 6:20 or so. The first bus driver thought we were wacko (and we didn't argue) for being out there so early but she took us anyway. She wanted to make sure we knew we'd be standing out there for 1 1/2 hours. We said we understood. She shrugged her shoulders and said "ok". It was still dark when we got there. Security wasn't even there yet. I love my family. I know we're crazy but it's so much fun. We ran straight for Toy Story Mania. We've learned that the best strategy here is to go ahead and get fastpasses and then get on. By the time I got fast passes, we were probably 50th in line or so but it was worth it. Fast passes for this were gone by 11:00 or so. We got to ride it 3 times. It is becoming my favorite. We all rode Tower of Terror. Once was enough for Max. Carter and I did it again that night. Lots of great shows at HS. Oh yeah, Susan had been picked to be in the Indiana Jones show the last 2 years so we decided this year it was my turn. Susan told me to wear red and stand up and wave my hands right when the lady says "I need a volunteer". We had gotten there early (of course) and so were in the 4th row or so. So I did it and I got picked. It was a lot of fun. Susan got picked later in the day to be in the short movie during the backlot tour. She got drenched and was visibly scared but it was fun to watch. I got in on video. We had a great dinner at 50's PrimeTime cafe. The dessert there (smores) is my favorite of all desserts at Disney. It started to get cold on this day. The morning had been pretty cold but the night was freezing. Susan and Max went back early but Carter and I toughed it out and rode ToT one more time. I was a little worried about the next day as I brought no warm clothes. NONE. I had shorts and t-shirts. That's all. I would regret it.
Sunday we were up early again. Had a family devo and got out to the busses by 7AM. Epcot was going to open at 9. We were first in line yet again and this time it paid off. We got to open the park which meant we got 2 fast passes for the four of us and some other souveniers. The boys liked getting to countdown to open the park. We ran to Test Track (Susan's favorite) and rode it immediately. We then went and got fast passes for Soarin' since they usually go quick. We rode the recently updated boat ride "Living with the Land" but couldn't tell too much difference. Padded seats now!! We ended up not really needing the fast passes we were given for opening the park. We got to ride everything several times. But we used them anyways and gave away some fast passes we had gotten. I enjoyed making a couple of families very happy. Dinner at LeCelier in Canada was amazing as usual. This is one of our favorites. Their cheese soup and pretzel bread is outstanding. Oh yeah - it was freezing that morning and that night. The boys and Susan bought sweatshirts which were selling like crazy by the way. I should have but hated to spend the money so I just toughed it out. Susan went back right before the fireworks but the boys and I stayed and watched. We had told Max he could spend his money at the end of the night so we headed into the gift shop after the fireworks. Susan had told me not to come back with anything too big. But when Max saw the giant model Epcot Ball, he had to have it. And I'm the sucker dad that gave in. Getting that thing home on the plane was not easy. It didn't fit in the overhead bins so the steward had to put it who knows where. But it made it home even though the box was pretty banged up (it got stuck in the security check at the airport).
Our flight Monday wasn't until 3:35 so we got to sleep in (finally!) and eat a nice breakfast at the hotel. We had 10 snacks left on our plan so we stocked up for the trip to the airport and the plane. We found out at the Orlando airport by email that Max had a makeup baseball game at 6PM. We got to our house at 5:30 and pretty much left immediately for his game. I stayed in my shorts and t-shirt and it was freezing last night. When will I learn??
By the way - I didn't run in Disney. I figured we walked several miles and much of it was at a running pace. I did hurt my foot pretty bad but I don't know how. It was very sore - especially the first couple of days. Weird huh? I can run 18 miles and have no pain but then I try to run/walk around Disney and it hurts severely. Oh well - it's going away and I'll start running again tonight.
So I got up at 3 this morning. Actually I woke up around 2:45 on my own. That ALWAYS happens to me. I'll set my alarm and I'll wake up a few minutes before it's supposed to go off. I figure I don't need to set an alarm, but the first time I don't, I know I'll oversleep. So I went ahead and got up, stretched really good and put on my long running pants and long-sleeve shirt since I knew it was going to be cold this morning. I got my water bottle, Gu, ipod, and house key and headed out the door. It was 2:55AM. It was then that I realized that it wasn't cold. What happened? The last 2 weeks it's been freezing every morning I come out. Well maybe not freezing, but certainly cold enough for a jacket and certainly cold enough to wear long pants and a long-sleeve shirt to run in, but NOOO, not this morning. I really didn't want to go back inside and change. I was too ready to run. So I just decided to run in what I had on. Mistake.
By mile 2 of 18, I was sweatin' a lot. My clothes felt heavy the whole time. I thought about shedding the shirt, but I thought it might look really weird to be running in long pants and no shirt. Then again, maybe I would've started a new running fashion trend. But I kept the shirt on. By mile 18, I was soaked, but the run overall went well. It took me just over 2 and 1/2 hours. My feet and legs are a little sore but that's to be expected I guess. I'm glad it's done. I'm going to HS Cross Country practice today. Not sure if I'll run with them or not. I brought my stuff just in case. Hope my legs can handle it. I might run in the morning before we leave for Disney around noonish, but I'm not sure.
I guess this will be the last post for a few days. We'll be in Disney until Monday. Tell you all about it when we get back.
Well, we told the boys tonight about Disney. They had no idea we are leaving for Disney World in less than 48 hours. They got a little scavenger hunt around the house to put the sentence together "We are going to Disney World in 2 days!!" There wasn't a whole lot of reaction, but I think it was because they were in slight disbelief. Check out the video attached.
I don't plan to run in Disney because we'll be in the parks from opening 'til closing, but I figure all that walking will keep me in shape. I also won't be able to do a long run at Disney. However, I am doing one in the morning.
I'll try 18 miles in the morning since I wasn't able to do it this past weekend. I'm getting up around 3AM so I can be back by 5:30 or so to get ready for school. So I basically need to go to bed about an hour ago. I'll let you know tomorrow how it went. I'll take next week off due to Disney and then do 18 again the next Sunday.
I'll post picture and an entire trip report when we get back. Sorry, not much here but I need to get to bed.
I'm running a 5K. Yahoo. That's it. I guess it's not as exciting as announcing say a marathon or even a half marathon but I actually am excited. I noticed on several other running blogs that other runners are doing 5K's and 10K's all the time. I also noticed that some of my other running buddies have a list of races a mile long. Mine ain't that long. Look to the right. You can see it. So I was seriously just thinking this week that I'd like to participate in some more races. Maybe a 5K before my big marathon in December. And then I got the email.
It was Monday I think. Maybe Tuesday. I have no idea how this guy got my email address but he sent me information about a 5K that is being run on Halloween morning. Maybe I got it because I am the coach of a middle school cross country team. Maybe I was supposed to forward it on to them. Ooops. I figured it was for me. I checked my schedule. I have nothing on Halloween morning. Nothing that day at all except trick-r-treating that night with the boys. Carter's a vampire. Max is the red Power Ranger. Just FYI - in case you were wondering. Back to my story.
Since I had nothing to do, I figured why not? It would give me something to look forward to and a chance to better my PR in the 5K since it's based on one race. I have only run two 5K's that I know of in my life and I can't find my time on one of them. So the one and only is my PR. And it's decent but I think I could do better. Maybe. So I thought this race would give me an opportunity to do that. So I was excited. Then I started having 2nd thoughts.
You see the 5K race on Halloween morning is at a school. Cedar Hall School in Christiana, TN. Where on Earth? I started thinking- 'wait a minute, if this is at a school, could it be kids only???' Now I'm worried. So I wrote the guy back who emailed me the info. I asked if it was going to be mostly kids who ran the race. I got no response. So either he doesn't check email, he doesn't care, or he's laughing because I will be the only adult runner in a sea of elementary kids. We'll see. The flyer does say 'kids and adults'. Or does it say "kids and adult?" Singular. Oh well, I've already sent in my $20 so I'll go and get my t-shirt and scope it out. If it's me and a bunch of mini-me's, I may start the race and run right to my car and drive home. I'll let you know.
Yep. That's what time I got up this morning. My schedule is crazy. I didn't get to run in Cross Country practice yesterday because we did a scavenger hunt. It would've been silly for me to run around looking for clues that I hid myself. So I got the ice cream prizes ready instead and chatted with the High School team a little. My plan was to do my Wednesday run last night after church. But that didn't happen. I was dead tired. I might even admit that my eyes were pretty heavy in our "Love Dare" class at church but that would be wrong. So I decided when I got home from church that I was going straight to bed. And I did. I was out by 9:00. Probably a few minutes before that.
But I wasn't going to give up my Wednesday run. I just decided I would do it on Thursday morning. I will still run tonight. That'll be my Thursday run. Unless I decide to do my Thursday run on Friday morning. We'll see.
So I got up at 3:45. Ran 4 miles. And then caught up on a couple of TV shows I had Tivoed. Is that a word? I watched Glee (hilarious-very good show). Funny - Glee was about a boy who couldn't stay awake at school. And that'll probably be me today. Ironic? I also watched a couple of other shows. I just can't watch them at night. I'm too tired. I know. I'll say it once again. I'm a little strange. My wife can attest. Is that a word?
By the way - I think I'm entering a 5K race on Halloween. I'll write more about that tomorrow if I can find time. Maybe I'll get up at 3:45 and write it.
Update. We ended up running at Radnor. About 4 miles. The rain let up about 30 minutes before we were schedule to leave. All other sports cancelled. We didn't. That's what I love about Cross Country. It was perfect running weather. The kids did great and they were very grateful for the candy bars and soda a-waitin'. Enjoyed conversations with them as we ran. Saw God in many ways - in the 8 deer we saw, in the lake itself, in the beautiful forest surroundings, but mostly in my runners. Great team this year. Great season. 2 more days.
Ladders went well yesterday. Only problem - the car alarm wouldn't go off. I was holding down the stinkin' panic button for about 2 minutes and nothing was happening. The whole team was staring at me and probably wondering what in the world I was doing just standing there looking at them. So then I pressed another button and the door came open. I heard a couple of them say "why is that car door opening?" So the whole alarm thing flopped, but I just ad libbed. The lights flash when you unlock it so I just used the "wonder why that car's lights are flashing." I'm an idiot, I know. I did trick a few of them who thought we were doing a scavenger hunt. I'm sure they were thrilled that it was ladders instead. But yes, like I said - I had more than one runner come up and say, "These really aren't that hard." Every year.
Today, we are going to Radnor Lake. They love this practice. I call it "Pepsi/Snicker Day". It's named after a practice I did in High School when our coaches would reward us with carbonated drinks (a runner no-no, but oh well) and candy bars. I'm doing the same for them today. And Radnor is the best place in the world to run. I'm hoping the rain holds off, but there's a line of storms coming. We'll see. I would love to run Radnor in the rain but not sure I can take a whole team there. No doubt we'll see some deer if we go with the cooler weather. You can defintely see God all over the place there. Hope my runners see Him too.
I ran 16 miles yesterday morning and it was perfect. The weather was cool. My teeth were actually chattering at the beginning, but once I ran a mile or two, the cool air felt great. I had some great podcasts to listen to. (Thanks Crazy Runner and Running to Disney and WDW today) and the run went very smoothly. I was shooting for 2:20 and ended up at 2:15 so I was very happy with that.
Next week is 18 miles as I continue to train for the St. Jude Marathon in Memphis on December 5. I'm not sure when I'll do the 18 though b/c my wife is housesitting and babysitting this weekend so I can't leave my boys on Sunday morning. Maybe Monday morning before school which will be fine.
I am a Middle School Cross Country coach and this is our last week of the season. We have our last meet on Thursday of this week. Today, we are doing ladders in practice. They always groan about ladders which is weird b/c they are not that difficult of a workout, but apparently they think they are. What's funny is they ALWAYS end up saying "that's wasn't too bad". I guess it's just that word. Ladders. I always try to come up with a creative way to tell them we're doing ladders. Today, I drove my wife's car instead of my own. There is a ladder in the back of it. I'm going to make the alarm go off while I'm talking and then pretend that I have no idea whose car it is. When I open the back to "make the alarm go off" there will be a ladder there. It's random, I know, but anything to make it different this year. I'll run with them. Probably only 3 miles today as I recover from yesterday's long one.
I'm still working on the blog. Planning to add past race times and PR's. Maybe even Disney tips and info about upcoming races of course. Stay tuned.
I'm about to go to bed. Got a long run in the morning. For some reason I like doing my long runs on Sunday mornings before church. I love running in the dark with no cars on the road. I like the quiet and it just being me and the world. I actually get to sleep a little longer tomorrow because our church is only having one service and it's the late one - 10:30. We are celebrating the opening of our new "gym" (yes, I call it a gym, some people won't like it, but tough) so there is one service and then a fellowship lunch. So I won't get up until 4:30 instead of 3:45. Still early, but I'll take what I can get. I am running 16 miles again tomorrow. I found a new route last week that I like so I'll do it again. It should take me around 2 hours and 30 min. but I'm shooting for 2:20. I'm training for a marathon on December 5 in Memphis but more about that later.
I'm watching my Auburn Tigers beat up on UT. I hope they slaughter them. So far, so good. I ran 35 miles this week. Pretty good. Four today. Max had a party in Franklin so I dropped him off, parked at the Factory in Franklin and ran 4 miles there. It was a good route and I enjoyed treating myself to ice cream at the mall after I ran.
Disney in less than 2 weeks. Can't wait. Haven't told the boys yet. It's a surprise. We'll tell them first of next week.
Ok, that's it for tonight. Going to go lay in bed and watch the rest of the game.
I seriously thought about making this blog about Disney World too. My wife and I are kindof obsessed. It's such a fun place to go and take our boys. We have started the tradition of going every October. This year's trip is just 2 weeks away. I love that we do this. We consider ourselves semi-experts. I enjoy several podcasts and blogs about Disney. I'm actually not an expert but I certainly have lots of tips and love talking about it on any occasion. That is why my ultimate goal is to run the Goofy challenge at Disney. I'm planning to do that in 2011 and I have (I think) the support of my wife. I'll write more about that later.
I ran 4 miles last night after church. It felt great. I'm liking the cooler weather, but I'm having to wear a shirt when I run now. I know the neighbors are disappointed. :) I have also entered a program here at Lipscomb where I teach to run during the month of October. Hey - it's a free t-shirt and I was going to run anyways. I have to do so many miles. It's called "Walktober" but I was told running counted too. I'm always after free t-shirts. Well, that's it today. I'll run tonight after my son's baseball game.
Ok, not sure if there is a point to this, but I've decided to try my own blog. And I figured it should be based on what I really love the most. Problem is - I love a lot of things the most - God, family, friends, hobbies, teaching, kids, etc. etc. etc. But there is one thing I spend a lot of time doing. It is something I enjoy talking to others about and reading other blogs about. That would be running. I love to run. So that's what this will mostly be about, but I may throw the other stuff in here occasionally too. So feel free to read and comment as I talk about my running experiences. Keep runnin', Albert
WEEK 1 (12/7/09) Ok, so for my recent marathon, I put together a playlist of motivating songs to listen to. So I figured I'd write about the first song on that list this week. Not sure why it was the first one, but it played first when I started the playlist. It was "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood. I don't listen to a lot of Carrie Underwood but there is something about this song. Maybe it's the beat and the fact that's it's pefectly in line with my pace. I hope it's not the fact that the song is about a woman smashing her ex-boyfriend's car to pieces. I'm not saying the message of the song is a positive one and I'm not a violent person. But I do like that song. It does tend to make me run faster. So that's my first "What's on my Ipod". Feel free to comment under the latest blog post.
WEEK 2 (12/14/09)
Something I've been listening to a lot lately and definitely during my recent marathon is "Glee" songs.I know this show is very 'high school musical' and can be cheesy, but I'm sorry - I love the show. The music and especially the arrangements of popular songs is incredible. I have downloaded several of these songs and plan to do more. Of course their version of "Don't Stop Believin'" is the best one (You can listen to it here) and was the first song they really did in their opening episode. I ran 3 miles the other night and listened to nothing but Glee songs and it was the easiest 3 miles ever. I love this show and can't wait for it to come back in the Spring. But I love the music even more. Fills me with "glee". Ok, I know. Cheesy. But that's the theme here.
WEEK 3 (12/21/09)
With it being Christmas week, I have to be honest and tell you that I've been listening to a lot of Christmas music lately. I actually start listening to it off and on right after Thanksgiving. And I do have a pretty good selection of it on my Ipod. So occasionally, I'll listen to that while I run. Some of my personal favorites are Deck the Halls, Please Come Home for Christmas, Let it Snow, the Christmas Vacation theme song, and my very favorite - O Holy Night. But I have many many more that I will listen to. I love this time of year and listening to those songs gets me even more in the Christmas spirit.
WEEK 4 (12/28/09)
Another song from my marathon playlist this week. This is one of the first songs I listened to in my running that really motivated me. And it's funny - I just happened to be turning the channels a couple of weeks ago and noticed "Footloose" was on. Classic movie. But the scene that was playing was the tractor chicken scene where they are riding tractors towards each other. The song playing is "Holding out for a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler. It's a great song. It's always been one of my favorites and it's the perfect running song b/c of the beat and enthusiasm in it. Always makes me run a little bit faster. So that's what I'm listening to this week on my Ipod - among other things.
WEEK 5 (1/4/10)
I do listen to music a lot on my Ipod, but I also listen to several podcasts. I discovered podcasts about a year ago and enjoy searching for new ones, but I also have several favorites which will be mentioned here in future weeks. But this week I thought I'd mention the first one I think I ever listened to. It's the Running to Disney podcast put out by Gordon Harvey. Gordon has his own blog at runtodisney.com and a little over a year ago, he began a podcast as he trained for his first marathon at Disney World. Listening to his podcast has really motivated me and it was a big factor in my desire to run at Disney. Gordon is also planning to do the Goofy challenge in 2011 like I am. I enjoy Gordon's comments as he's very down to Earth and speaks his mind. We also have a lot in common. We are both teachers, have run 2 marathons, have 2 sons, love to run and love Disney. He recently did a couple of podcasts about the Disney marathon and what to expect. They were very good. You might want to give it a try. I find it very interesting, entertaining, and motivating. You might as well. You can download the podcast from his website or from Itunes.
WEEK 6 (1/11/10)
Another song from my marathon playlist this week. I remember while running in Memphis that when this song came on, it inspired me with a slight burst of speed and energy. It's a little random but I do like it. "Jump, Jive, and Wail" by the Brian Setzer Orchestra. I've always enjoyed that orchestra/big band style of music. My wife and I have been to a few Harry Connick concerts and I always enjoy his band and show. But that's the song that's on my ipod. It played again this week and I was back at the marathon once again.
WEEK 7 (1/18/10)
I've been listening to mostly podcasts this week. I'd rather hold off on mentioning those and spread them out a little bit so instead, I turned on my IPOD and hit "shuffle". I decided I would talk about whatever song popped up first. I like that and may do it that way from time to time. Anyways, this week's song is "Blue" by Eiffel 65. I know this is an "old school" song. In fact, I remember that it came out around 1999 or so b/c it was during my first year of teaching. I remember that class of 5th graders singing it during class. They used to make up lyrics b/c the chorus basically consists of da ba dee da ba dah etc. etc. etc. Anyways, used to be a catchy tune if I remember and somehow it ended up on my IPOD. I liked it when it came out and so if it pops up every once in a while, I'll listen to it.
WEEK 8 (1/25/10)
Shuffled the Ipod again tonight and what should come up but a little Pearl Jam. I'll admit I wasn't as in to Pearl Jam as some of my friends used to be, but I like them every now and again. The song that popped up was "Last Kiss". I know it's a remake but I do love the Pearl Jam version. Good classic song that I enjoy listening to every once in a while. I remember we had some middle schoolers do it in the talent show a few years ago and did a pretty good job if I remember correctly. Anyways, that's what's playing on my Ipod this week.
WEEK 9 (2/1/10)
Shuffling my Ipod today produced the song "My Life" by Billy Joel. There are so many Billy Joel songs on my Ipod. In fact, there are very few songs by Billy Joel that I don't like. He's one of my favorite all time artists. I got to see him in concert when I was in high school (or maybe college) and it was a great show. He's a classic. There are probably songs I like a little better than "My Life" but it's a good one.
WEEK 10 (2/8/10)
I've got a favorite NEW song. All my previous Ipod posts have been old songs or podcasts, but this is the first new one. I am loving the new Lady Antebellum song "Need You Now". They play it every five minutes on the radio so I'm guessing it's pretty popular. But I have to admit it's a great song. Every few months there's a new country song that I really like and this is it for the moment. I had to have it so I downloaded it and put it on my Ipod. So that's the song of the week!
WEEK 11 (2/15/10)
Ok, I'm gonna embarrass myself a little bit here. In addition to downloading the song from last week (Need you Now by Lady Antebellum), I also downloaded another one. I'm not sure why I did it. Maybe because it was on Glee, one of my new favorite shows. Maybe because it's catchy. Maybe because I saw it in a movie preview and a commercial. Who knows, but I did. And I'm admitting it. I just added "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it)" by Beyonceto my Ipod. Does that take away some of my manhood? Probably so. Oh well.
IPOD FOR THE WEEK OF 2/22/10
This week I’m highlighting another podcast.I listen to several podcasts while I’m running, but I’d like to space them out instead of listing them all back to back.Besides the “Running to Disney” podcast that I mentioned a few weeks ago, this one is the other that I have been listening to since I discovered what podcasts were.In other words, this was one of my first ones.It is called WDW today.It features 4 regular guys and one girl as they discuss various topics surrounding Disney World.It is typically about 20 minutes long and is broadcast every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.It is a GREAT podcast.The 5 regulars have great chemistry together and are hilarious at times.Plus they all know a lot about Disney.They all have regular jobs that revolve around the parks.Once a month, they will do a longer live show and it’s fun to listen to as well.This is a great podcast for anyone even semi-interested in Disney World, especially if you are planning a trip there soon.By the way, every Wednesday show they answer listener’s questions.They have answered several of mine over the last few months.Click here to visit their website and you can download the shows from there or from iTunes.
IPOD FOR THE WEEK OF 3/1/10
Ok, I did a shuffle on the Ipod today and the song "The Look" by Roxette came up. Random, I know. I don't think I know another single Roxette song, but I always did love this song. They are kindof a one hit wonder for me. To be honest, I don't know much about the group. I think they had a song on the Pretty Woman soundtrack. That's about all I know. But go listen to "The Look". It's a bit of a classic.
IPOD FOR THE WEEK OF 3/8/10
I just took a nap outside. Yep, outside. It's a beautiful day and the temp. here in Nashville is approaching the 60's. Anyways, while I was laying down on our deck, I was listening to my Ipod. I decided that I really wanted to hear Rich Mullins' version of How Great is our God because we sang that in church this morning. Our preacher did an amazing sermon on just that topic and he led us in that song to close. I don't think we had ever sung it in worship before but we had in youth devos and at school. It's one of my favorite spiritual songs and I love the Rich Mullins' version. Awesome song on an awesome day!
IPOD FOR THE WEEK OF 3/15/10
So, I was pressure washing our sidewalk today and decided to listen to my Ipod to make the chore a little more interesting. So technically, I wasn't running while I was listening to this song, but I'm still gonna use it because I've certainly heard it while running before. The song that really caught my attention and caused me to wash at a little faster pace was Karma Chameleon by Boy George. I know that's really old school - 80's, but that's classic if I've ever heard it. I used to love that song even though Boy George was a bit of a freak. Understatement.
IPOD FOR THE WEEK OF 3/22/10
This week is easy! This song was on my Ipod a lot this week due to the video that my son and his friend made. If you haven't watched the video yet, check out the recent post with the YouTube video included. They had a lot of fun doing it and I really enjoyed making it. We've gotten a lot of positive comments about it. So this week's song is Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield. Great, classic song from the 80's that both my boys have fallen in love with. Glad I could introduce them to it!
IPOD FOR THE WEEK OF 3/29/10
Well, my Ipod is fried (see post 3/29) so I'm not listening to anything this week, but before it died, one song that I recently discovered and downloaded is Company of Fools by Great Big Sea. This is the theme song to one of the podcasts I listen to and it's another very catchy song. I'd not really heard of this group before this song, but I might try to discover anything else out there by them.
IPOD FOR THE WEEK OF 4/5/10
The Ipod is still fried - planning to get a new one this next weekend. But I do have a cheapy mp3 player that I'm using. This week I was listening to a little Aerosmith - one of my favorite bands. I could listen to them all day long and the 2 or 3 concerts I've been to have been amazing. Classic, classic group. Today, it was Eat the Rich by Aerosmith, but I love all their stuff. It's all good motivating, running music.
IPOD FOR THE WEEK OF 4/12/10
I got a new Ipod!! I'll post about it soon, but I loaded my entire library on it and it was so nice to have one again for my long run this morning. While I listened to podcasts for most of the run, I did shuffle some songs toward the end. The last one to play was Shout to the Lord by the American Idol cast of a couple of years ago. It is such an inspirational song and it really gave me the runners high as I finished up my 14 miles. I've been singing the song for years at church and school, but I never really liked the song until I heard this version.
IPOD FOR THE WEEK OF 4/19/10
This week, I had to pull out some really old school music. My students are all caught up in Justin Bieber and NO, I didn't download one of his songs (yet), but they did want to watch the brand new "We are the World" song when Lil' Bieber sang the opening line. That got me thinking about the original (and much better if you ask me) version of the song. So I found it and put it on my Ipod. I loved this song when it came out. Who didn't? I even tried to play it on the piano. Brought back some memories. Good times!
IPOD FOR THE WEEK OF 4/26/10
On Mondays, I'm in charge of chapel here at the school where I teach. Every once in a while, I'll do "Student Spotlight" where a student or 2 can show off some talent. Last week, I had a student sing a Keith Urban song "Walk in the Country." Great, great song so I had to download it. It's my new favorite this week.
IPOD FOR THE WEEK OF 5/3/10
Bon Jovi was in Nashville last week for their annual concert. I didn't go, but I've been before. They always do a great show. Favorite song of all time by Bon Jovi is "Livin' on a Prayer." However, I have several favorites as they have put out many, many good ones. Maybe I'll highlight others in the future but since they were here last week, I decided they would be this week's "What's on my Ipod?"
IPOD FOR THE WEEK OF 5/10/10
I've been saving this one for a while but I listen to it nearly every time I do a long run. It's another podcast. I listen to very few podcasts so I've been trying to spread them out but this is one of the best and I can't hold it back any longer. It's called "Two Gomers Run a Marathon" and their website can be found here. It is 2 guys, Anthony and Stephen, talking about their upcoming first marathon. Anthony lives in Florida and Stephen lives in Arizona. They were best friends growing up and now train together in separate states only to meet up for a race. Last year they ran their first half marathon and started this podcast. I didn't listen then but somehow found it this year for their 2nd season where they are training for their first marathon which will be somewhere up north in about 5 weeks. They were originally scheduled to run the Atlanta marathon in March when Stephen got hit by a car a few weeks before the race. It was a little scary but they were very positive about it and turned it into some great material. The bottom line is they are hilarious and very entertaining and this is quickly becoming my favorite podcast. They put one out religiously every week and include regular features like "the week in review", "songs to run to", "the runners corner" and many others. I highly recommend this one.
IPOD FOR THE WEEK OF 5/17/10
Did a little shufflin' this week during a run and it landed on Marc Cohn's "Walkin' in Memphis." I had almost forgotten about this song. He has some classics but this is definitely one of his best. When I ran my marathon in Memphis in December, I remember thinking about this song and looking for things he talks about in the song.
IPOD FOR THE WEEK OF 5/24/10
Pulled out the IPOD yesterday while my boys and I were playing cards. I wanted to do a shuffle and listen to some different and unexpected songs. But why is that every time I play music, my boys want to hear Michael Jackson? They are obsessed. And the scary thing is that right now they are obsessed with the song "Dirty Diana" by MJ. Should I be worried? I didn't really like that song growing up listening to MJ, but b/c they like it so much, it's kindof growing on me. We're a weird family.
IPOD FOR THE WEEK OF 5/31/10
Since we just got back from Disney, I've got Disney music going through my head. I'm going to try and find some of it to put on my Ipod. I particularly love the themes from Soarin' and Fantasmic. But all those cheesy Disney songs (which we all secretly love) are on my mind this week. We had a great trip and so I'm going to enjoy it for a little while longer with some of the tunes.
IPOD FOR THE WEEK OF 6/7/10
No surprise here but I've been listening to a little more High School Musical this week then I'm used to. This is b/c I used the song "What Time Is It?" from HSM2 in our Disney video. So as we've watched the video several times, I've been hearing the song a lot. And yes, it's cheesy, but a catchy tune nonetheless.
IPOD FOR THE WEEK OF 6/14/10
Ok, I'll admit. I'm a Gleek. I love the show. I don't care who knows. I like that cheesy music. This past week was the season finale and I loved it. So I've been listening to a lot of Journey this week. You'll have to watch the show to see why. But songs like "Anyway you want it", "Highway Run" and of course "Don't stop Believing". All amazing. Big Journey fan - mostly b/c of the show.
IPOD FOR THE WEEK OF 6/21/10
Overheard a song in a restaurant on vacation this week that I had totally forgotten about and it's NOT on my Ipod. It's a little old school but I really liked it when it came out. It's "Just Another Day" by Jon Secada. I'm planning to download it soon. Good tune. Should make for a good running song.
IPOD FOR THE WEEK OF 6/28/10
Nothing special this week so just did a random shuffle. The song "Games People Play" by Inner Circle came up. Another classic yet catchy tune. Good song.
IPOD FOR THE WEEK OF 7/5&12/2010
I'm a little late updating this for this week but I realized this is for the next 2 weeks due to the fact that I won't be able to update this blog next week. This week, I've been listening to a lot of Acapellawhich is a local (but fairly popular) singing group. I've been listening to them since I was very young and I got the chance to see them perform last weekend at Lipscomb Univ. here in Nashville. They were amazing and it made me want to listen to them more. So I've pulled up a bunch of their stuff on my Ipod. Check 'em out!
IPOD FOR THE WEEK OF 7/19&26/2010
This post is delayed just like the last one. Sorry about that. This summer is just so busy I can't find the time to update these things. So I've decided to post for 2 weeks again this time. I just got back from a week of camp where I was a counselor to a group of high school boys. That's one reason why I've been so busy. It was a great week and ended up being a whole lot of fun. Being the oldest cabin, we always do a song & "dance" number. This year it was to "We're not gonna take it" by Twisted Sister. It turned out really good and after hearing that song over and over, I put it on my ipod to listen to. Another great hit of a few years back.
