Why Do I Run (Part 2)

8:28PM

Let me start by saying I had to run on the treadmill tonight. Don't get me wrong. I'm glad to have it. It's a nice backup plan and I'd rather run on it than not run at all, but I would so much rather run outside. But I can't. For the first time in a long time, I literally can't run outside b/c there is too much snow. There is a solid sheet of ice on most of the backroads and several inches of snow on top of that. I guess I could try it, but it would be very dangerous and I think I would hurt myself. So I ran 4 tonight on the treadmill. I'm due for my long run tomorrow morning. I really considered doing it anyways. I always like an adventure. I figured I would just allow myself a lot of extra time, go slow, and give it a shot, but now I've reconsidered. I think I'll just do a regular run tomorrow, maybe back on the treadmill and save my long run for Monday morning. I'm banking that we won't have school again Monday and I can do it that morning. Of course the snow may be just as bad. It's not supposed to warm up tomorrow at all. So basically I don't know what's going to happen. I hate to just skip my long run for the week though.

Ok, back to the title of the post. First of all, I appreciate the comments I got for part 1. Let me clear up a couple things. Several of you, my wife included, were concerned about my heel pain. It's really not that bad and it's going away. I am 95% sure that it was b/c my shoes had worn out. The heel in my shoes always goes first and it causes my heel to hurt. It lets me know when I need a new pair. I bought a new pair a little over a week ago and so my heel is now getting better. But my wife did some research on things I can do to help it so I'll look into it. Secondly, I also do know that just b/c I run now, doesn't mean I will have bad knees when I grow up. I guess I played into popular thinking there but I know there's nothing to back it up. I guess I just meant the occasional pains I get, and my knees do ache every once in a while. But I'm glad that there's no proof that my knees will one day be bad b/c of what I do. I just know some people that think that way and some have even told me I shouldn't run as much as I do.

Ok, on to the goods. As I said in the last post, the goods of running far outweigh the bads. So why do I run? Well, there are several reasons. Here they are:

1. I run because it's fun. Hey that rhymed. My wife thinks I'm crazy when I say that it's "fun". She hasn't quite found the fun in it yet and I realize that some never do. But I love it. I enjoy it. I think it's fun to run on the streets. To run places I've never run. To say "yeah, I ran 20 miles before church this morning" and see the looks on people's faces. To run races and try to improve my times. It literally makes me smile a lot.
2. It makes me feel good - in so many ways. This one is going to sound selfish and it is, but I'm proud of myself when I run. I feel good about myself that I went out and ran 3,4, 12, 22 miles whatever it is. It makes me feel good and happy inside. Every once in a while when my music is playing, I get that runner's high and it's literally a euphoric feeling. While I'm being selfish, I like the praise and compliments I get because I run. It just adds to the self-confidence and pride that I have as a runner. I like doing well in races because of the "congratulations" I'll receive later. Is it wrong to feel that way? I hope not because if I'm being honest, I do.
3. I like that running keeps me healthy and fit. Now granted, I still need to work on my eating b/c I'm not great at that, but I'm in pretty good shape. I've brought my weight down from close to 200 to close to 150 and I'm hovering there consistently. I can go out and run 3-4 miles without really getting tired. I like that I can do that now. I like that when I went to my doctor last time, he told me I was doing great. There is heart disease in my genes and I'm glad I run to help with that. I hope I can keep it up well into my late years.
4. I do like to challenge myself. I love coming up with new challenges and accomplishing them. I get excited thinking about new marathons I might do in the future. I like the travel, the people I meet, the crowd cheering, and just the celebrations that each event brings. And I like pushing myself. I don't mind feeling some pain because I know it's going to be such a great feeling afterward. Now that I've accomplished the marathon, it opens the doors to so many options for me and I'm excited about taking some of them on.
5. Finally, I like the people I've met because I run. I have enjoyed so much finding others through blogs, podcasts, Facebook, Twitter, whatever who share my love of running. I get so much support and encouragement through these people most of whom I will never meet. But I'm addicted to talking with them, reading their posts, and sharing stories with them. It keeps me motivated and I need that.

So there are some reasons I run. There are others, but those are what popped into my head. Running is more than just a hobby for me. It's a major part of my life and I'm so glad I found it. So why do I run? To sum up. Because I'm a runner. I'm meant to run. And next to my faith and my family, it brings the most happiness to my life.

So I plan to...

Keep runnin',
Albert

Why Do I Run?

7:23AM

A week or so ago, Mike, from one of the blogs I read (Westy's running) posed the question "Why do I run?" I loved his answer which was basically that he wanted the "challenge to fail" meaning each time he runs a race, it shouldn't be 100% clear if he'll make it. He wants to continue to challenge himself with things he's never done. He knows he can and will finish any marathon so he is challenging himself to bigger distances or tougher courses. Mike, if you read this, feel free to comment if I'm wrong.

Regardless, I do love the phrase "challenge to fail" and it got me thinking about why do I run? I agree with his thinking and I feel the same way. I do want to continue to challenge myself. I now know that I also can and will finish any marathon, so it is my desire to try new races, new courses, new places, and therefore new challenges. But for now, I don't have a desire to run a longer distance. Maybe in the future. Right now, with only 2 marathons under my belt, I'm enjoying that distance too much. The marathon is the race for me right now. I am really enjoying it. I realize my next big race is a 1/2 marathon, but the purpose of that is to work on my PR time and possibly improve it. I still enjoy the 1/2 distance as well. So why do I run then? My answer isn't exactly the same as Mike's. But what is my answer?

I've thought about it a lot since I read Mike's post. Why do I run? I mean I have to admit there are some definite disadvantages to running. So let's get those out of the way and end with the positive things. I guess the biggest disadvantage is the time it takes, especially marathon training. It takes sooooo much time. I don't like running when my boys are awake. I sometimes do, but I try to keep those time the exception and not the rule. I don't want my hobby of running to take away any time we have together. And it would take A LOT of that time away if I felt otherwise. So this means I must do my running early in the morning before they wake up or late at night after they go to bed. I do both. I typically do most of my short runs at night and my long runs in the morning. It just works well this way. But neither is my favorite. I am tired in the morning. I want to stay in bed. That's natural. And at night, I want to relax, watch TV, read, spend time with my wife, go to bed early maybe. I have to admit that it's sometimes hard to motivate myself to run at night, especially if it's late for some reason. I always do it, unless it's a rest day, but it is sometimes hard. Another disadvantage is pain. I get pains in my feet, legs, knees, etc. Right now, I have a pretty annoying one in my left heel. Not sure what it is. And I'm sure that I'm probably doing damage for the future. I've heard the horror stories about life-long runners having bad knees when they get older. I'm sure that'll be me. The final disadvantage (even though there are several other minor ones) is the money it cost. Running is expensive. You wouldn't think it would be, but it is. Shoes are expensive. Gear is expensive. Races are expensive. I want to do more races. I love them, but they eat away at our measly budget and it's not fair to my family to go overboard. I wish I had an inexhaustible race budget, but the fact is that I don't so I have to choose my races carefully and that's not always easy. For those reasons alone, it would make sense not to run. But it's the advantages and the benefits that outweigh the above. In other words, the goods far outshine the bads.

So what are the goods? Why do I run? I think I'll save it for next time. This post is getting long. Stay tuned....

Keep runnin',
Albert

15K - Divided Three Ways

11:15AM


Today is my wife, Susan's birthday. I won't tell you how old she is, but Happy 36th, baby. Hope you have a great day! I only ran 3 last night. I wanted to get home in time to watch 24 live so I could go to bed early. Gotta get those priorities right, you know. I was tired. I did end up watching it live but I didn't go to bed early. Not sure why. Anyways, if I had run 4, I wouldn't have made it home in time and would've had to wait until it was over to start watching it on tape. Susan was using TIVO.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I THINK I'm going to be doing a new race in March. Susan and I were having dinner with friends, Nate and Andrea, the other night when they mentioned needing a third for a 3-way 15K relay. They ran it last year with another friend but she's not available to run with them this year. The race is the Huff 'N Puff 15K relay in Sheffield, Alabama on March 13. Click here for the website. You can run the 15K by yourself or in teams of 2 or 3. So we would be a team of 3 each doing a 5K. That is the Saturday of my Spring Break so the timing works out well. It's not a definite yet, but I'm hoping it'll work out. I always enjoy new races and I've never done a relay before.

I'll let you know if we decide to do it. BTW, it's getting colder. Snow expected at the end of the week. Yuck! I was enjoying the milder running temps, but I know I'll be wishing it was freezing when it starts getting hot out there. Ok, hope everyone had a good day. As always...

Keep runnin',
Albert

(2:37PM - later note - Found out that I am indeed running this relay. I'm excited about it and will add it to my upcoming races list. More info. as it approaches)

Zoo Run Update

6:42AM


I just ran 12 miles in the pouring rain. I am drenched. I almost turned around and decided to wait on it but I decided to stick it out. Glad I did.

Just a quick update on yesterday's Zoo Run. The results have now been posted and they have me at 19:55. I know it's just 7 seconds, but I really think they are off. They have my gun and chip time as the same but I didn't cross the line at the same time as the gun. It was about 5 seconds after the gun went off before I crossed the line. But I'll go with their time. It gives me a better chance of PR-ing in the future. I also found out from the results site that I won my age group!! I've never won my age group. I think I would've gotten a prize, but I left right after the race. Oh well. I may call and see if it's still available.

Ok, gotta go get ready for church. I'm freezing!! Have a good Sunday!!

Keep runnin',
Albert

Zooper Day - 5K PR!

9:47PM

Today was a good day. Running wise. But in other ways too. I got to sleep in. Cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Got to see my sons' basketball games. Youngest son scored in his game and they won. Oldest son didn't score and they lost, but he played well. Great defense and he's getting better. Great weather today. 50's. Maybe low 60's. It was a good day. Running wise - it was a great day.

I ran in my first 5K of the year today at the Nashville Zoo. I did this one two years ago. I took it off last year but decided to try it again this year. It was the first 5K that I've done twice so I knew the course and knew what to expect. My time in 2008 had been 23:13 and I remembered it being a pretty tough course. There are a lot of hills at the Nashville Zoo and A LOT of sharp turns. You are actually running through the zoo so the paths aren't straight. You curve around the animal enclosures and literally run through every nook and cranny of the zoo. I told my wife tonight that they don't leave ANY of the paths out. It's almost like they squeezed every ounce of path into the run through the actual zoo so they could get 3.1 miles and not have you run out of the gates very much. But it's a fun race.

I got there around 2PM. Race was to start at 3. Found out quickly they were postponing 15 min. b/c of heavy traffic. It had been difficult to turn into the zoo. They needed a police officer directing. I registered, got my bib, t-shirt, and chip. T-shirt was cotton. Yuck. I like synthetic. Is that what it's called. That wickin' material. I like that. Oh well, cotton will work. Nice design anyways. It was only 2:10 at that point so I went back to my car to put on my bib and chip. I listened to the radio until about 2:40 and then headed to the start area. I saw a couple of people I knew across the crowd and waved but decided to stay put and not try to wiggle my way through. A friend found me and we stood and talked for a while. I soon saw my wife and boys watching across the crowd on the hill. I was so happy to see them there. My oldest had a b'ball game at 4 so they weren't sure if they would get to come but it's so nice to have family there and it made me feel great. The race started promptly at 3:15.

I was not in the very front so the start was a little rough. I was having to weave around people and run up on the sidewalk to find my place. But I felt good the whole time. I could tell I was going pretty fast. When I hit mile 1, I looked down at my watch. It said 6:08 I think. Wow - way too fast. But I kept going knowing I'd slow down eventually. I did slow down a little but not much. Right after the mile 1 sign, you actually enter the paths of the zoo and start weaving. I remember seeing elephants, tigers, zebras, and lynxes (is that a word?). I probably could've seen more but I wasn't really looking at each animal cage. I hit mile 2 at 12:50. I had slowed down some but not too bad. Could I hit under 20? I thought it might just be possible.

I didn't have a big time goal in this race. I thought I might like to run in the 21 minute range. Like I said, I ran 23 two years ago but I felt I was in better shape today so I hoped to improve a couple minutes maybe. When I looked down at mile 2 and realized that I might beat 20, that felt great. I was breathing pretty hard. I'm pretty sure I scared the little girl that I was running beside at that point. I was tired but I picked it up and passed her. I really wanted to beat 20 even though I never dreamed I would before the race began. Close to the end of mile 2, you hit Meerkat Hill. That's an unofficial name, but that' s what I call it. It's a very short but VERY steep hill next to the meerkats. That was tough.

Now, I know the zoo pretty well. We've been members for a few years now so I knew where I was going and how much I had left. When I hit the 3 mile sign, I knew it was in the wrong place. I knew where the finish was going to be and I knew it was much further than .1 miles away. The 3 mile sign was about at 2.8. But I pressed on knowing it was getting closer. You run out of the entrance gates and approach the finish line in the parking lot. Even though I had my Ipod going, I heard "go Albert" when I came out the gate and knew my family was still there. They had stayed. That meant the world b/c I knew they needed to leave to get to the b'ball game. I turned on the sprint and headed toward the finish. I saw the official clock approaching 20 min. so I sprinted even faster. I stopped my watch at the finish and looked at it. 19:48. That's unofficial. I'm still waiting for them to update the website for my official time, but I beat 20. I can't believe it. When I ran 20:28 in October, I never thought I could beat 20. I felt that would be my best, so I was really excited to beat 20 for the first time since high school. Actually, in high school, we ran 3 miles for Cross Country so this is technically the first time I've beat 20 in the 5K distance.

Needless to say, it was a good day. I'll run 12 in the morning and look toward my half marathon in April. I may have another 5K in March. Just found out about that one last night. More info. to come.

Keep runnin',
Albert

5K This Weekend - It's Gonna Be A Zoo.

8:53AM

I'm getting new running shoes today. This is a love/hate thing. I love going to Fleet Feet and trying on new shoes. I love the feel of a new pair of running shoes. I love browsing around the store. But I hate paying for shoes. I am having to get a pair every 3 months or so and they ain't cheap. But I have to get new ones. The heels on my current shoes are almost gone and I'm starting to feel it. I can absolutely tell when the heels of my shoes start to wear without looking because my heels get sore really quickly, especially when I wake up each morning. Right now, I'm feeling that pain so I've got to get shoes today. I even ran in my everyday shoes last night to avoid further pain.

Oh, by the way, I've got a 5K this weekend - the Nashville "Zoo Run Run 5K". It has literally snuck (is that a word? Sounds weird) up on me. I'm not sure what to expect with this race. I did it 2 years ago and enjoyed it but it wasn't easy. There are some fairly steep hills at the Nashville Zoo and the course is pretty curvy and rough in spots. However, it is fun to be able to run through the zoo and look for the animals as you go. I'm not sure if I have a time goal on this one. 2 years ago, I ran 23:13, but I wasn't in as good of shape as I am now. I guess I would love to run in the 21 minute range. I think that's doable if the conditions are right. I am looking forward to it. It's always nice to get another race under your belt. I'll put up a report on Saturday evening at some point.

I ran in shorts and a t-shirt last night. It was in the 50's and felt great. I'm enjoying this warmer weather although as a teacher, I hope we get at least one more snow day. But I can't complain about the weather lately. It's been absolutely beautiful. Of course, it's raining today, but I know we need that too.


Hope everyone is having a good week.

Keep runnin',
Albert

#7 Revealed

2:49PM

So I didn't run this morning. I'm a little disappointed in myself, but not too much. I actually got up at 4:30 to run and could immediately hear the rain. Not a good sign. I then went to the front door to look outside. It was raining pretty hard. Now, I've run in the rain before, but I just didn't feel like getting cold AND wet this morning. And going back to bed sounded soooooo nice. Plus, I'm off tomorrow for MLK day so I knew I could do it then. So I quickly made that decision. Yes, it would've been nice to get it done but I had some good reasons. So I WILL do my 12 miles tomorrow. I promise.

So I figured it was about time I revealed my surprise. I had put #7 in my "Top Running Moments of 2009" and in my "Running Goals for 2010" as a surprise or something that I couldn't talk about yet. This past week on Thursday, it became official so I can talk about it now. I was asked not to until it was announced. This may not be a big deal to some of you out there reading but it is a very big deal to me. Are you ready? Should I ramble on for another few paragraphs and hold you in suspense? Ok, sorry, here goes:

I was named the new High School Cross Country coach at David Lipscomb High School this week. That's it. Ta-da! Like I said, may be boring for some of you out there, but this is something very exciting for me. I have been coaching middle school Cross Country for 11 years now. And don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed each and every year. I love coaching. And coaching running is so much fun with how much I enjoy the sport myself. But to be able to move up and coach on the high school level has been a dream and goal of mine for several years now. The HS CC program at the school where I teach has a reputation and history of big success and I am really looking forward to being a part of that. Don't get me wrong again - I have some worries and anxious feelings about it. There is a lot of work to do and things to learn. It's a totally different program for MS CC and I don't know a lot about it ...yet. But I know it will go well and I'm going to put everything into continuing the traditions and successes that the program has had.

So there you go. It'll start in the fall (actually summer) so I'll be posting about it I'm sure. I'd appreciate any thoughts, prayers, comments or whatever you've got. But I can't wait to work with these runners. They are an awesome group as I coached most of them just a few years ago. It's gonna be a blast.

Keep runnin',
Albert

Disney Race Video #2

10:56PM

Found another great Disney marathon video. Very well done. Enjoy.



Keep runnin',
Albert

Disney Race Video

11:52AM

Found this on another runner's website. His name is "runblogger" and you can find the website by clicking here. He ran Disney this year and posted a great video. Makes me all the more excited to run next year. Enjoy.

Runblogger Runcast #6 - The 2010 Disney Marathon from Pete Larson on Vimeo.

Keep runnin',
Albert

Well, It's Official. I.....AM....(wait for it)....GOOFY!!

10:59PM

It's late. Just got back from a college basketball game. Lipscomb vs Belmont. Lipscomb won. Yahoo. Good game. But I had to post before I went to bed.

I am officially registered for the Goofy Challenge 2011!!

I will run a half marathon on Saturday, January 8, 2011 and a full marathon on Sunday, January 9, 2011 in Disney World. This has been a goal and dream of mine for about three years now and I can't believe I'm officially registered. There's no turning back now. Unless I want to lose 300 bucks. I have a year to plan and get excited. I'm already excited. I'm pumped. I have several internet running friends who are planning to do it also so I'm excited to meet up with them as well.

Ok, that's it. Short post. Just had to share.

Keep runnin',
Albert

Am I Crying?

6:35 AM

10 degrees!! 10 stinkin' degrees. That was the temp this morning when I set out for my Sunday long run. I just finished the 12 miles in 1 hour and 35 minutes so it was a good run, but it was cold. Again, like last week, it wasn't bad once I got warm, but those first few miles....Ouch!

I knew it was cold when I looked at my shoulder around mile 9 or so and noticed that my shoulders and upper chest were covered with about 1/4 inch of snow. And it wasn't snowing. My sweat had literally turned to snow on my shirt. Not kidding. I made snow. I could've brushed it off and gone sledding a little bit. How weird is that?

I also noticed around mile 5 or so that my eyes felt weird. It was like I couldn't blink right or something. I tried to wipe them with my glove but it was too cold and it hurt to rub them so I just left them alone. But they felt weird the whole time. When I got home, I immediately looked in the mirror and my eyelashes and eyebrows had ice all over them. They were frozen. My eyes were frozen open. Of course coming into the warm house, they immedately started to melt and water was falling from my eyes. It was like I was crying. Maybe I was. I don't know. But it felt really good to get inside. It's cold out there and you know what, I'm starting to get tired of it. I know it's January and we've got a lot of winter left, but I'm ready for some warmer temps. At least in the forties or something. It's been in the teens for a week.

I had to nose my Ipod again this morning. See below. I'm getting pretty good at it now.

It also felt good to know I was running at the same time the Disney marathon was going on. I can't wait to hear all the reports from the race. This time next year, I'll be running from park to park.

Hope everyone has a good week. Stay warm. Don't freeze your eyes open.

Keep runnin',
Albert

If I Had 10 Wishes

6:20AM

Snow!! No School!! Actually wait - there's no snow. It's 6:20AM and I just got the call that there's no school today. I'm looking outside and there ain't squat on the ground. Not that I'm complaining. Hey, teachers love the snow days just as much (actually more) as the students do. We have no school because they say the snow is coming. Supposed to hit this morning which would make the afternoon pickup a slippery situation. I hope the snow does come. Our sleds are drastically unused. They look so lonely and new over there in the corner of the garage. I'd like to put a few scratches on them today. We'll see.

So as I'm wishing for some snow this morning, I started thinking about wishing for other things, related to running. If I had 10 wishes, obviously I wouldn't wish them all on running. I'd probably do the old "wish for more wishes thing". I know - so cliche. Maybe I'd wish for world peace. Naaaah - boring. I don't know what I'd wish for if I had 10 wishes. I'd have to put a lot of thought into that. BUT - if I had to use my 10 wishes on running, I know what I'd wish for. Here are my 10 dream races. In other words - these are the top 10 marathons I would LOVE to run. I hope to do some of them in the future. Not sure if I'll get to them all, but if I had those wishes....

MY MARATHON WISH LIST (Click on each for the race website and more info.)

1. Goofy (Half and Full at Disney) - This has been my dream for a long time and if you read this blog, I know you're probably sick of me talking about it, but I can't deny my dream. This is one of the few on this list that I'm 90% sure is gonna happen. Next year!

2. Boston - Come on. The marathon of marathons!! I would love to run Boston. Problem - you have to qualify and the qualifying time for my age is 3:10 (3:15 when I turn 35 this year). I think that's a stretch for me. If I'm still running like I am now when I'm 50 years old (3:35 qualifying time), maybe. But this would be the ultimate dream race for me.

3. Chicago - I've also wanted to run this marathon for a while. I've heard so many great things about it and I love the city of Chicago. This one also has a pretty good chance of happening in the next few years. Maybe this year.

4. Marine Corps (D.C.) - I think it would be awesome to run a race around the national monuments in Washington. I've enjoyed the couple of time I've gotten to go there and I would love to run this race. I have also heard some great things.

5. New York - Another classic. I really enjoyed watching this one on TV a few weeks ago. I also love going to NY and would love to run through it with the many thousands.

6. Big Sur - This one takes place in Carmel, California along the Pacific Coast. I don't know a lot about it, but I've heard great reviews and seen some amazing pictures. The scenery is amazing and I think it would be a fun one to run. Plus it would be fun to do a race out west as all my other wish races are in the eastern U.S.

7. Rocket City (Huntsville) - I almost did this one for my fall 2009 race, but I chose Memphis instead. I've heard this course is great. Flat. It's close. I may tackle this one some day.

8. Flying Pig (Cincinnati) - Another one I've heard a lot about but don't know much. Have some friends at church that have done it and liked it. This one seems to have a lot of neat traditions and the name alone makes me want to run it. And Cincy's not too far away.

9. Chicamauga Battlefield - This one takes place in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. It's a 2 loop course which I don't like but I've heard it's a great course, one that's very historic, scenic, and exciting. I've also hard this is a very family friendly race. It would only be a couple of hours away so I would enjoy giving it a shot.

10. TIE - Little Rock or St. Louis - I would like to do both of these. Again, they aren't too far away and I enjoy big city races. I love the city of St. Louis and would enjoy running through it. I've only been to Little Rock once, but I've read good reviews of this race.

So there's the list. My top 10 (well OK - 11) dream marathons. I may add this list to my sidebar over there and keep track as I hopefully accomplish some of these. If anyone reading has run these or has other recommendations, let me know.

By the way - I unexpectedly was a part of the Runners Roundtable podcast again last night. I just logged in to listen and ended up making a couple of comments. My mic wasn't working well so it was hard to hear me but it was fun to again be a part. I enjoyed the show which was a call in "Resolutions" episode.

Ok, I think I just saw a spare flake out the window so I'm going to get the sled. Have a great weekend!

Keep runnin',
Albert

Nosing my Ipod

10:06PM


Brrrrrrr. It's Fuh-Reeezing out there!! I'm proud of myself. I did my long run this morning. I'll admit that I debated it ever so briefly when my alarm went off at 4:40AM. I knew it was going to be so cold out there and I quickly asked myself, "Do I really need to run 12 miles? 12? I could sleep another hour and just run 5 or 6." But that quickly passed. I put on my hat and gloves and set out in low teen temps. It was soooo cold. It's hard the first couple of miles. After that it does get easier to bear the cold.

Here's the thing....I couldn't do it without the gloves. My hands can't take the extreme cold. The problem.....I can't work my Ipod with my gloves on and I can't take my gloves off after a couple of miles. Why you ask? My gloves are thick. They aren't even running gloves. They are just regular winter...play in the snow...gloves. So my hands sweat in them. So if I take them off, they are too wet to put my hands back in. This morning on mile 3, my Ipod starting messing with me. First one headphone went out. Then the volume mysteriously went up too loud. I groaned and took my glove off and fixed it all. Then I struggled to get the wet glove back on. Then, around mile 6, I needed to turn the Ipod dial to a new selection. I wasn't about to take that glove off again so I was in a bit of a pickle. I thought - what can I use to change this Ipod. I tried to use my gloved hand but Ipod doesn't read glove when you are turning the round part. Just FYI in case you didn't know. Apparently Ipod needs bare skin. How does it know? Ipods are apparently pretty smart. Anyways, I didn't have a lot of exposed bare skin because of the afore mentioned extreme coldness. So I used one of the few exposed parts....my nose. I moved my (runny, but effective) nose around the Ipod dial to change my music selection. It worked! Side note....you might not want to use my Ipod now or my gloves for that matter. But it worked! I was proud of my resourcefullness. Is that a word? I'm sure if anyone was looking out of their home or driving by, they thought I was using my Ipod as a Kleenex but I wasn't. I was using it as a Ipod dial turner. It does work. So there's my running tip of the week.

Noses work on Ipods.

And you thought this blog was pointless!!

Like I said, it wasn't too hard after I ran a few miles but it was a little painful when I got home. I was pretty red all over from the cold and not to get too personal here, but I had to shower pretty soon after I got home to get ready for church and the hot water on my cold body actually hurt pretty bad. Guess I didn't let my body warm up naturally or something. It's supposed to get even colder this week. But I plan to keep running. Can't stop now.

Good luck to all those running the Disney marathon this coming weekend!! I plan to be there next year. Can't wait! Until then....

Keep runnin',
Albert