Training This Week: Searching for a Medal

I don’t run races for all the glory. I don’t run races with the thought of beating everyone else. I don’t run races to please anyone else. I run races so that I feel good. I run races for myself. I run races for the two things you get at most of them: The bib number and the medals.

Bib numbers show the hard work. I have often displayed them in my rooms as they have collected. Initially they were hung on one wall, in what I called the Wall of Pain. As you can imagine with enough races it would be difficult to keep this from expanding to much in one direction of the other.

When I moved to my new apartment last summer, I took the Wall of Pain apart bib number by bib number. They sat in a stack upon my floor, and in a box for a little bit until we moved. When we set up in our new place, I needed to decide. Should I erect the Wall of Pain again? Or should I display my bib numbers in another fashion? I found a new way to display them, I call it the Tour de Pain.

The Tour de Pain instead of the numbers in need columns and rows hanging on one wall, starts in one corner of my room and runs itself around the upper walls strung together by the pins that once held them on during a race. They trace my ceiling until they meet again back where they started. I did run out of room at one point, so now they are starting a new second row in multiple places around the room. I have a video, but am unfortunately unable to post it on here.

Medals though are another story. Not all races I run have medals, mostly only the half marathons and marathons I run. That said I do have a couple of 5k medals for placing in my age group. All said I have two 5k medals, six half marathon medals, 6 full marathon medals, and one medal for placing first in my age group at the Coeur D’Alene Marathon last year. Below is how they are arranged, with a couple having been added since.

This weekend I will be adding one more bib number and one more medal to my collection. The Priest Lake Half Marathon is tomorrow, and I cannot wait to see how I do. I know my training has been great in the last few weeks, and I know that I am ready, even after a pretty slow 14 miles last weekend. The race atmosphere will surely help, and even though it’s a smaller race, it should be a great race! I will bring you a race report over the next couple of days!

Training This Week:

Monday: 7 miles in 52:48 (7:30 pace)

Tuesday: 5.6 Miles in 43:49 (7:49 pace)

Wednesday: 7.6 miles in 55:05 (7:14 pace)

Thursday: 5.4 miles in 37:55 (7:01 pace)

Friday: 5 miles in 37:33 (7:30 pace)

Saturday: Rest Day

Sunday: Priest Lake Half Marathon

So far I am sitting at just above 30 miles now, with a little bit of pace pushing in the latter half of runs this week. I will get to about 44 or 45 miles this week. Ready to race.

Nobaching Down

 

Bringing You Closer- Weekly Training From Yours Truly

I have numerous blogging friends who share their weekly mileage and what they did for training at the weeks end. I think this is a great way to stay connected to those who read my blog, as well as motivate you, and hopefully create some conversation.

This week had some highs and it had some lows, but overall it was a successful week, and a week in which I went for it. I have heard some concern from close friends of mine who are worried about me. I can see their concern, just under 6 months ago I found myself in the zone of injury. A stress fracture is nothing to mess with. It has to heal before you can do much of anything in terms of running. Some cross training can be done if you make sure you’re not putting pressure on that area (in my case the foot) and causing more harm than good. I talked with my coach when I got back to school in January and we took a total of 8 weeks off.

When it came time to get to running again, the talk was of slow and steady. Not pushing to hard too early, until we were sure we had breached the “over the hill” gap. We didn’t want to regress and cause another stress fracture in my foot, or another injury elsewhere by bumping up too high. We planned two weeks at a time. Taking it slow. When we were 9 weeks later and post spring break, we figured we had crossed the point of not worrying about injury, having secured over 30 miles in a week. Next up was to get my long run back. Something that I personally love. It’s my favorite run of the week, and where I am the strongest.

At that point my long run was 7 miles. So it’s been a slow process this quarter moving that long run to what it was this week, so without further adieu my week in training!

This week I decided after a 46.5 mile week last week I wanted a 49 mile week, but also a rest day. Having run 14 days straight without a day off, I needed to get one in at some point. That set up the necessity to average over the next 7 days 7 miles a day for 5 one long run of 14 miles (having run 12+ last week this was manageable) and a rest day.

Monday: 7 miles with Nathan, and a blistering last 3 miles at 6:33 pace. After a miserably hot week of running last week Monday brought in a load of rain, and a dumping while we were running. This Western Washington kid loved it!

Tuesday: 7.1 miles at a slower pace and all alone. Having a team is great, except when nearly everyone else is on a break, and you’re still working your way back! Not to worry, I function just fine on my own!

Wednesday: 7.9 miles Longer than that 7 miles a day, but I was feeling pretty good! Had some extra time, and misjudged the distance that was actually going to end with the loops that I added together. Does it matter much? Not really. Seeing as…

Thursday: 6.6 miles was this run, and was blasted through hoping to get through it between classes. I didn’t have time, and just ran one of my old favorites, that I don’t run much anymore because it’s all pavement, and the team has other routes that we use for our runs instead.

Friday: 7.1 miles again with Nathan. He was feeling slow the first half, I was feeling slow the second. Bit of a role reversal, but overall it was a good run. Also enjoyed some racquetball afterwards! Little bit of fun makes for a good day.

Saturday: 14 miles my long run. I immediately described it as a pitiful run to a couple of friends. One who responded with “14 miles and pitiful can never go in the same sentence. Ever!” I suppose that’s true. Considering this was 20 straight days of running, and the end  of my longest week of running since November, and cumulatively  17 weeks of straight upwards movement in terms of mileage and toughness. I cannot be upset with how today’s run went.

Sunday: Much needed rest day.

Total mileage: 49.7 miles

All said, it’s time for a break. I haven’t included speed or pace work for the last two weeks cutting it out just to focus on my mileage. I will do this one more week, culminating in the Priest Lake Half Marathon next weekend, that I was lucky enough to receive entry into from a friend. I will be taking it easier, running 5 or 6 miles a day on five days, and then the half marathon on Sunday used mostly as a long training run, although I assume it will be faster than my long runs of late!

What was your week like? Did you enjoy success in your running? Where are you at with exercise? I want to know.

As always,

Nobachingdown

Bloomsday 2013 Race Recap

There is one thing that I can solidly take from this years Bloomsday, as well as the week of running that has ensued after it, I don’t handle the heat well at all.

I grew up on the West side of Washington State. The West side known for it’s moderately cool days and abundance of rainfall. The west side that gets very little days that reach into the 80′s each year, and very rare days where that happens in the month of May. Can it get warm? Yes. Do I choose to run in that weather? Not often. So when this years Bloomsday rolled around with some higher temperatures in the forecast, I was woefully unprepared.

I did my best though. I set out on Bloomsday morning catching my usual first bus out of Cheney at 6:30. Always the early bird. I made my way down town and set up shop near the Worship Festival on the Floating Dock that has become a staple of my Bloomsday morning! I hung around waiting for my friend Michael’s Dad and his friend Don. I wanted to at least say hello, and make sure that they were doing well, I listened to a few worship songs, and then parted ways to meet up with my friends Nathan and his brother David, and to get in a warm up.

We met on the warm up street in front of Riverfront mall, and got in a good mile+ warm up. I applied some sunscreen, then we all checked our second seed bags and hopped into the waiting crowd of runners. Temperatures were still moderate, but overall, getting warm. When the gun went off and we made our way across the starting line, the three of us weeded our way through the ever packed streets of Bloomsday morning. Another friend Aaron came by us, himself shooting for a fast time, wished us well, and started making his way forward. The three of us pounded out our first mile just shy of the pace I believed we needed to be at (I was about 30 seconds slow of what it should have actually been) then picked up the second mile to the pace we needed to hold the rest of the way. Well the next couple of miles were tough for me. David pulled ahead of Nathan and I as Nathan stuck with me, trying his best to encourage a Brandon that just wouldn’t move much faster. Down Government Way and in front of Spokane Falls Community College he stuck by me, but I could tell he had a lot left in the gas tank, and I knew he could do a lot better than he would sticking by my side. At the bottom of the ever feared Doomsday Hill, I told him he could cut me loose, he told me he didn’t want to leave me, if I wanted him to stay he would. I told him I’d be okay, that we would meet up afterwards, and wished him well, then I was alone in my running, with 47,000 other people.

That’s the beauty of Bloomsday. There are just so many people, you will never truly be alone on the race course. I continued to push through the last 2 and a half miles after Doomsday hill, getting passed and passing people. I turned the corner to cross the finish line and was really rather relieved. I finished in 53:30, slower than even last year, but still just happy to have run the best race that is out there. I do believe that. There is no other race like Bloomsday.

I started hydrating myself as soon as I could post finishing. Getting in a couple of cups of water. I made my way through to the finishing shirts, and to Nathan waiting by the fountain in the park. We cooled down then enjoyed our second seed festivities with Aaron who had run pretty well! Nathan himself finished with a time of 47:45.

In the week since Bloomsday I had three afternoon practices, all at 2 pm and all in 80+ degree weather. Armed with 2-4 water bottles daily, I made my way through 6-8 mile runs those days and was relieved to be running earlier in the day on Thursday and Friday. I’m not one to suggest running in the heat. If you do, make sure there is plenty of water. I ran those early days this week with Nathan on Monday and Wednesday, and alone on Tuesday. I’ve learned that I am not an easy person to run with when I am uncomfortable. I complain the whole time, and am definitely a lot slower in the heat. For those that have put up with me, you are all blessings in my life, Nathan especially, who continues his willingness to run with me, even when it’s a constant drag.

This next week is supposed to be cooler. So I pray that it is!

Until the next time,

Nobaching Down

Bloomsday Weekend: The Expo

The best weekend of the year is here.

I am not kidding about this either. I make a big deal about the Boston Marathon, and Christmas, and who doesn’t love the Super Bowl? All of these are great, but in my life they are all just days. Marathon Monday (day of the Boston Marathon) is my favorite day out of the year hands down. Christmas, is the best holiday out of the year. The Superbowl is just a great day to watch a game. Bloomsday Weekend though, it doesn’t get much better than this.

This will be my fifth Bloomsday Weekend, and none are ever the same. The first year, I went down with my roommate and his girlfriend, it was a quick in and out for packet pickup, and then Bloomsday morning I was by myself thrown into the whirlwind of my first big race experience. The second year, I was ready to just gut it out, I had trained hard, and was about ready to ramp myself up for some marathon training, I spent all day Saturday at the expo, talking with everyone, getting myself excited, visiting all of the marathon booths. I was ready to race. My third Bloomsday I had qualified for Second Seed and had been so looking forward to running fast. That was the year of the IT Band issues though and I was unable to run, so instead ran and walked it. I enjoyed the expo all the same, just without the same gusto I had the year before. My fourth I was able to spend time with my good friends Duard and Michael, we had a great time at the Expo, and just an overall great weekend. Having run a couple days before 21 miles, the race wasn’t going to be an all out adventure towards a PR.

This year though, things might just change. I won’t know what speed the race brings until tomorrow, but I do know what the expo had to offer!

This year I got up around 6:30, and got some laundry started, and headed out for a run. After a quick shower and breakfast, finishing my laundry, I set about to get into Spokane. My friend Jenni was on the same bus, so we chatted our way down to the Spokane Convention Center, she was working for Spibelt today so we parted ways when we got there, on the promise I would drop by the booth at some point! I made the quick trip to the Second Seed station, where I was able to purchase my amenities package and my Second Seed singlet that I would actually be able to take advantage of this year! Then into the wild throng of Expo booths I went!

Now the first stop is always the Safeway booth as it’s just off to the left and you can win some great prizes! This year they didn’t have the wheel as usual, but I snagged a few granola bars and was on my way. Making my way through I stopped at the Nordstrom’s booth where I normally buy a pair of shoes for a pretty decent price, but they were lacking on a good pair of shoes for me this year, so I let it slip by, I have a couple of pairs of reserve shoes anyways!

A main task that  I wanted to get accomplished today was to get in touch with the Washington Races that have booths at the expo. I wanted to let them know about the Gametiime community and at least drop that as an interest for them. I also love talking to race organizers, so it was a perk! So I hit up as many as I could! I was surprised to see what I felt were fewer races than normal. There are some that have been there in the past that I know were missing. I was able to chat up the Seattle Marathon guy, James, and talk a little bit about the ambassador program that I hope to be a part of this fall!

I also met up with my friend Nathan, whom I will be running with tomorrow, and his dad for a few minutes before they darted off to Idaho for the last Eastern Washington Eagles track meet of the regular season! As well as my former roommate Kylie and her dad.

My favorite interaction of the day though goes to a man also named James. This man was someone I bumped into just after Nathan and his dad left. I turned and was looking at the Fleet Feet booth, trying to see if my friend was working there, and this guy looked at me sort of funny, and told me he had seen me run the week before at the Duane Hartman invite, the 5k. I am still processing the conversation, but he basically thanked me for being out there. He was impressed at the fact that I ran against guys a lot faster than myself, and wasn’t worried about coming in last place. He remembered me because of my “Pre Stache,” telling his daughters before the race “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see him take off.” Well that’s not what happened, and I fell back almost instantly. I am glad to have made some impact on someone though. He told me he, even in his prime, had never run the time for the 5k that I did. He just thanked me for running.

Which is all I can do. I’ll be out there tomorrow,

Nobaching Down

Duane Hartman: Return to the Track

Well, here I sit, still sweaty, still recovering, but no worse for my the wear less than an hour and a half from finishing what was my return to the track, and is likely my last venture on it. It’s not that I was injured in the 12 and 1/2 laps I did run on it. This was really just me, wanting something different. Something different is what I got.

I don’t think I’ve set out to compete on the track in a true race since the Spring of 2008, my last high school campaign. Today wasn’t really about running fast. Just getting some more experience. Getting in another race. I live on bib numbers. I have had the chance to now add two to my “Tour de Pain” in the last 5 days. I knew walking in I would probably run from the back the whole time and wasn’t afraid to do so.

I ran a pretty solid race, going out a touch faster than my final pace would intend, but settled in and started plugging away at the laps. Falling behind, and eventually having some people to run with as they all passed by me. I ran my last lap all alone and just clipped it together in a steady 90 second quarter, finishing in 18 minutes 46 seconds.

Compared to the efforts of my Assistant Coach Paul, and my teammate Chris, my time is forgettable. Compared to my best ever 5k, it’s still a time to be forgotten, at a minute and twenty seconds slower than that best from high school, maybe I’ll get back there one day, but my dreams lie in a much bigger arena: The Marathon.

So while today was a practice in being different, tomorrow I return to my real goal. I start the long road back to marathon shape and chasing down the Boston Marathon dream.

On our cool down this evening my assistant coach told me that he appreciates the fact that I come out. That I don’t complain. That I just enjoy the running I do. It really means a lot. I know that I will never be the fastest, but I also won’t be the slowest. I know that I can be the person who enjoys running the most. I wouldn’t give up any moment of my training and my running for anything. It’s brought some great people into my life and I know it will bring so many, many more.

Nobaching Down

Seattle Marathon Ambassador: Do I have what it takes?

What a loaded question huh?

Do I have what it takes to be one of the lucky few Seattle Marathon Ambassadors this year? What do they even do? Other marathons have them, most notably in my running career the San Francisco Marathon, they have people who take part in training runs, who are there to give advice, and who run a lot of social media background for their marathon. Of these three categories, I might best fall into the giving advice section, here’s why:

I have been running now for 9 years. By the time the Seattle Marathon rolls around this fall, I will be heading into my 10th year as a runner, am I an expert? Hardly. I have however, as they say, “done it all.

I started as a lowly runner in middle school, finding my way on the track, moving from sprinting, to jumping, to throwing (ha! I’m a weakling!), to the 800 (a long distance event to my middle school mind). In ninth grade I found what would become the love of my life, true distance running. I worked my way through the ranks, starting as one of the last place finishers in the field, to being one of the top finishers in some of the varsity meets by my junior year. I was a captain for two years, I have the skills to be a leader. Injury plagued me though. My junior track season was off to a rocky start with Plantar Fasciitis taking hold of my heels and grasping tightly. I eventually made a slow comeback to the running world later in the spring time. I finished my high school career looking for something more. I cried at the end of it, the whole bus ride home. I wasn’t sure where I was going. I wasn’t sure what running would entail in the coming years. I was a good runner, but not enough to garner much college interest, I could walk onto a team, or I could walk alone.

College brought a bit of both really. I am in my fifth year now at Eastern Washington University and the last 5 years have been quite the ride for my running career. I came in the fall of 2008 to run. I wanted to run. I knew one guy on the team, a freshmen as well, who I had competed against in high school. After a couple of weeks though, the fit wasn’t right. I enjoyed my time with them, but decided to hang up the competitive running shoes for a while. I cut them loose and went out on my own, running here and there, but not much until I stumbled upon the best race of my life, Bloomsday.

Bloomsday has become the race I look forward to every year. It’s one that I wouldn’t miss for anything. I will be competing next week for my fifth time, hoping to reach sub 50 minutes for the 7.5 (12k) course. I started training again in the Spring of 2009 and this was a wake up call. I was sore after the race, and I knew if I wanted to run better the following year something needed to change. I also knew I wanted to get some longer distances in. That summer I worked a little harder, but not much training here and there with the teams I helped coach. I took a four day trip with some guys from my church. I was a sagwagon driver for their bike ride around the Cascade mountains. They all asked when I would run the marathon. They asked when I would venture into this new arena. I hadn’t given it much thought to be honest. It was something to strive for, something I wanted to do, but knew it would take more work than I had put in over the last year of my running life. That trip really sparked something in me. A desire for the longer distances.

Here we sit now nearly four years after that trip. In that time I have run 6 marathons of ranging times (3:17 at the fastest 4:32 at the slowest). In that time I have become a Marathon Maniac. In that time I become a collegiate athlete again, competing this past fall for the Eastern Washington Cross Country team, traveling from Seattle to Missoula down to Flagstaff and back. Making friendships that will last a lifetime. In that time I have been to injury and back again. In that time I have refined my training programs to get the best out myself.

So how does this all add up to being a good Seattle Marathon Ambassador? What can I do as an ambassador for this wonderful marathon?

Simply I can give advice to the multitudes. I am no doctor, but I have dealt with my share of injuries: plantar fasciitis, IT Band Sydrome, tweaked knees, rolled ankles, and more. I know my marathon training. I know what it takes to get from the beginning of a race across the finish line. I know how to handle a devastating late injury in training, just see my San Fransisco Marathon training. I live in Eastern Washington and Western Washington. I spread my arms across the state and have trained in every weather imaginable: sunny weather, cold weather, rainy days, and snow days. I’ve slipped on ice and tore up my legs, I have the scars to prove it. I’ve been to the point of exhaustion and back again. I’ve learned how to hydrate and fuel myself for the last grueling miles in a race. I am a runner through and through.

Nobaching Down

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure: Bach in Action

I love using my last name, or parts of it, as a literary pun.

The name of my blog Nobaching Down (pronounced Nobacking Down) is a perfect example of this. I use this one very frequently. The origins of this name for my blog have a bit of a history, if you want to know them visit the post about them here!

Today I made my way back into the race field. Always a nerve wracking experience after an injury, I’ve done my fair share of injury to racing comebacks, so it’s something I know well. In the light of what happened in Boston this week I was happy to be running a race the weekend after. A bit of a “I’m not afraid to race in a crowd” sort of mentality. I was looking forward to this race before last Monday, and then that much more come Monday evening.

The Susan G. Komen Race in Spokane is a pretty decent sized 5k run and walk. It draws a crowd large enough to rent out the same floor of the convention center as Bloomsday. They don’t have a great expo (much to my chagrin). It is a race to raise money for breast cancer, a great cause.

On top of being a good cause, this 5k is one of the last chances to qualify for Bloomsday Second Seeding. I did this two years ago, and have been trying to get back to those speeds ever since I was there. I haven’t actually been able to run with the Second Seed group because I got hurt shortly before Bloomsday that year and dropped back to run/walk with some family of mine instead. Last year I didn’t qualify, and I didn’t really run Bloomsday as fast as I was capable of having run 21 miles a couple of days prior. This year will hopefully be a good race, but speed isn’t the best option, it’ll be a day to simply enjoy myself.

And I will get to enjoy myself in a Second Seed singlet! Yes! Today I ran an 18:33 5k to just miss the cut of 18:40! It was a great day for racing, perfect temperatures and a great environment! Not only did I qualify for second seed, my friend Nathan has decided to join me and run with me for the race! I am hoping that they’ll allow him a Second Seed designation as well! It will make for a great Bloomsday indeed!

With only two more weeks until Bloomsday I am excited to be back racing and competing. I will be running a race next weekend, on the track for what will most likely be my last track event of my career before diving fully back into the road racing scene!

Until next time,

Nobaching Down

Boston Marathon Tragedy

Marathon Monday

Yesterday words that came to mind were excitement, history, success, racing.

Today words that come to mind are tragedy, disgust, sorrow.

This morning after watching the elite men and women crossing the finishing line I was hopeful about a post featuring the runners I was personally following, Bill and Matt are friends of mine that were running today. I followed the top Americans Shalene Flanagan, Kara Goucher, and Jason Hartmann. They all finished, they all ran well. Of course that’s not the story to be written this evening.

The tragedy that struck just before 3 pm E.S.T. is sickening. It breaks my heart. I immediately reached out to my friends, making sure they were okay. Then made my way to my locker room, to watch the information roll in. Slowly it was described to us across the nation that at least two bombs had gone off, and that the possibility of many more were out there. Now it’s being reported that there were 120+ injured and 3 have passed away.

I can say this about the running community. This tragedy will be remembered for many years to come. It will bring runners together. It will bring us closer. The community that I proudly count myself among is a community that is very resilient. Those who pour time into training, into preparing, into racing, they have a skin that is thick, and a heart that is big.

This is a goal race for me. This race is one that has been on my calendar since I started running the marathon. There were many people who sent me messages today saying they were glad I was not there. That this year, of all years, was the one that I didn’t make it to Boston, they’re happy, that I haven’t qualified to run it yet. I know where they are coming from. They want me to be safe. They want to know that I am protected. I understand that they care about me, but I truly wish I was there. I wish I could be in Boston this year of all years. To help where I can, even if all I could do is sit and watch the news as I am doing now.

This act against the marathon doesn’t deter me from wanting to run. This act doesn’t make me want to give up on my dream. This act doesn’t turn me away from training hard.

This act does renew my spirit. This act makes me resolved to make it to Boston. This act pushes me to train hard and run on the hallowed streets of the Boston Marathon.

I will be there in 2015.

The word I have for the future is hope.

Nobaching Down

Boston you are in my thoughts and prayers now, and forever more.

Boston Marathon Weekend

This is my favorite weekend of the year. Hands down. Without ever having run, let alone qualified, for the Boston Marathon.

Since entering the realms of marathoning back in 2010 there has always been one underlying goal to all my training, become a Boston Qualifier. I’ve been encouraged and set out to do it a number of times. Having run 6 marathons though, and none being quite there, I’ve recently taken a different approach to my training.

If I am being honest I’ve only set out to qualify twice. In my first and my sixth marathons. My first I like to classify as a learning mistake. I ran the race perfectly split to accomplish that goal time of 3 hours 10 minutes and 59 seconds leaving myself a little time to spare on the far side of the race. Turning around at the halfway point my world came crashing down around me as my legs grew weary, and I fell flat to my back after trying to scale the marathon wall. I was a broken young man when I walked into an aid station to find my mom, brother, and sister, all waiting for me, already well past my expected finishing time. I wanted to cry, I wanted to give up, I wanted nothing more than to give my legs a rest. I finished the race though. I ran a 4 hour and 12 minute marathon and  a burning desire to come back, to do it better. So I set back to doing my training. I restructured my plan and set about getting my runs in. There were setbacks and other dreams that took the spotlight over the next few years. I had been injured the next year with IT Band Sydrome, and was pushed out of a lead up race (Coeur D’Alene) to what would have been the race I used to qualify, the San Francisco Marathon in 2011. I ran SF and really just survived it. I took my training plan and got myself back into the swing once again and set about running. In the following year I ran 3 marathons and qualified to be a Marathon Maniac. A couple months later given the opportunity to be an Eastern Eagle Athlete I jumped at it, and put my marathoning on hold.

So we make our way to the sixth marathon I ran. The Ghost of Seattle Marathon. I thought I was ready, I wasn’t, hindsight is always 20/20 though. I set about the Ghost Marathon thinking that I had all this new found speed training. I knew I was faster than I had been in years, but speed doesn’t quite crossover to running long distances. I should have kept it going and gotten in a few more long runs before seasons end. I got some in after an 18 and a 20 miler. Enough to know I could make it through 26 miles. Tragedy struck in the form of flat fast pavement. Tearing apart my foot (okay that’s an exaggeration) I walked a good portion of the last few miles (what could have been?) and crossed the line in 3 hours and 17 minutes, just over 12 minutes shy of qualifying and it could have been accomplished. I know that I would have been close that day.

That’s the cruel irony of this sport that I love. Just take a look at America’s best male marathoners. Ryan Hall, Meb Keflezigh, and Abdi Abdirahman all Olympic Qualifiers for the 2012 London Games have all, disappointingly, dropped out of the race. At least it could open the door for a young exciting new male distance runner. I hope it does, we need someone to cheer for! The women are still looking strong with Shalene Flanagan and Kara Goucher taking part, an American could win it all!

I take pride in this weekend. It’s a time of excitement! You can be sure my classes won’t get their full attention Monday morning!

Nobaching Down

Friendly Runnings

Hey everyone!

I am sorry that it has been a few weeks of a hiatus from posting! It’s been a busy few weeks and I cannot wait to detail my running over them!

When I last posted I talked about my running, how I plan to make some changes, how I plan to get to Boston. Those plans remain the same. In my ever changing world, I want running to become my constant! There are many things that I want to do with my running, and those will take some time. They will take some more planning, but I do know that I can get there. I do know that I can survive anything that takes my running apart, and I know I will come through any fire refined on the other side, so bring on the flames.

My last post was just before finals week for Winter Quarter here at Eastern. A busy busy time for any student, let alone student athlete! Luckily I had one final project and only one exam to take care of as I finished up on Tuesday that week! I booked my bus ticket home and said “See ya” to Cheney, and headed home! Talking with my coach we set up a plan moving forward for my running for break.

Week One: Three 35 minute runs (M,W,F) and two 40 minute runs (T,R)

Week Two: All 40 minute runs

When I returned to school I would slide into the lower level C Group (5k,10k workout group) and cut mileage appropriately to continue advancing my mileage as we went along.

That still being a couple weeks out, I was looking forward to running on the West Side, a welcome invitation to splash through, normally, the much missed torrential downpours, to blaze a trail with sopping shoes and socks, I wasn’t disappointed on my first day. Arriving and arranging a pick up from my good friend Stevie, we made our way to the water front of Everett where less than 5 minutes into the run the skies opened up! We were caught in a true Western Washington rainstorm. I was beyond excited, we were drenched within our 35 minute run.

I enjoyed it, and catching up with Stevie is one of my favorite things to do. I enjoy the return to home and the many running partners I have on the West side, it leaves a lot open for some wonderful running opportunities.

After my run with Stevie the rain would leave me, never to return on my break.

The next day I ran my 40 minutes alone, on the beautiful Burke Gilman Trail in Lake Forest Park while visiting some close friends of mine, and followed up with Friday’s run back in Marysville  with the Marysville Pilchuck Distance team! The latter actually ended up being a touch over 40 minutes, but my foot was fine, and it was something that I knew would be a possibility walking into running back home and running on the teams schedule on days I joined them.

From here the weekend was officially upon us, normally I plan runs with everyone on weekends. It’s a great time to get together and enjoy  the days that are upon us. As I’ve only been running 5 days a week though I had to make myself keep plans to a minimum.

The next week I had an array of running partners. I was super excited to meet one of my once in a while training partners babies! Yes, Angie and her husband had recently adopted their gorgeous baby girl Aria. When Monday rolled around though I was disappointed to find no baby Aria with my partner for the day, but that didn’t stop us from having a wonderful 40 minute run together, and of course the assurance that I would get to meet her the next time I was in town! Angie is always an awesome person to run with too. She always tells me before hand that we have to run slow and that she’s “out of shape” but I think she always surprises herself in keeping up with me, and I truly just enjoy the company. Makes a run a better experience. Most people that run,  and are friends with me, don’t enjoy my offering to run with them, for the very reasons that Angie always points out, but if you ask her, I bet she’d gladly tell you that I do indeed know how to run slow, and am pretty good company to keep! So next time I ask, you should run with me. It’s my favorite way to pass the time, and I promise it will make for a great run!

Next up on my list I hit up both of Marysville’s Track teams. The Getchell Chargers and returned to the Pilchuck Tomahawks, their runs suited me on Wednesday and Tuesday respectively. Although I did run for nearly an hour on Tuesday with the Tomahawks, Coach Conley and the Chargers made for a great time to catch up with them, and I was saddened not to be able to return to their practice on Friday and catch up some more, I will be around more this summer and look forward to getting those runs in with you!

Thursday I ran with my friend Marissa who is always one of the best troopers out there! She’s always up for any distance I want to go (well under 10 miles or so) and never complains! She’s the best running partner anyone could ask for!

Friday I actually took off. Not because I didn’t need to get out, but because I just didn’t get out the door. So my fifth run of the week moved to Saturday and I ran by myself, in the middle of the day in some unusual heat, I guess it prepared me for the return to Cheney, and afternoon practice with the team here.

These people all helped to cap an amazing week and a half at home. It was a very enjoyable time at home. Something that I always enjoy!

My time back at school has also been off to a wonderful start! I have run 6 miles each of the last three days, and one day was a workout day, back at the track, working on speed. I will get to 33 miles this week, adding onto the roughly calculated 184.5 miles this year! Which oddly enough is actually higher than my total from a year ago. I will update and add again my yearly mileage tab so you can all help me keep track of my mileage!

Before sending you on your way this evening I wanted to highlight my friend Tom Lilly. He is a friend from my church back home and one of the greatest guys you will ever meet. He’s funny, and just a blast to hang out with and talk to. He is the latest person to come to me and tell me they were running, and that I was an inspiration. I don’t always think of myself in this light. I run because I truly enjoy this sport. I run because I love the feeling I get after a good run, and a tough workout. Tom right now is slowly making his way into the running community, taking it slow and getting going. We talked a little about his training plan and I cannot wait to hear how things go for him. I told him we would run this summer together, and I definitely plan to keep him honest for it! I’ll slow down Tom, I promise I will. It will be as long a run as you need. I look forward to it.

Until then,

Nobaching Down