tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34369077371051735892011-07-31T02:56:12.075-04:00<center>Lessons learned on my journey from couch potato to my first marathon,<br> the 2009 Philadelphia Marathon</center>billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.comBlogger1041100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-38791049232326001232010-01-27T22:02:00.000-05:002010-01-27T22:02:28.439-05:00

Sadly, I have been absent from running since I finished the marathon in November. This is definitely not by choice, and has been killing me ever since. Pain in the knee during the marathon has forced me to rest, and after a month of no running I still felt pain, so I went to the doctor. The good news is that there is no damage to the knee and the x-rays look healthy. The doctor thinks that some

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-86210928143289711212009-11-24T22:29:00.001-05:002009-11-24T22:48:02.929-05:00

Running for twenty six point two miles gives you a lot of time to think. It gives you time to question things, ponder things, and even have an epiphany or two. I have decided to make this race report a list of things that went through my head, and lessons learned, while running my first marathon. Here goes... Stay near the back of my corral. Don't start too fast, and we're off. Okay... first

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-39602916625570885352009-11-21T20:05:00.000-05:002009-11-21T20:05:23.669-05:00

Tomorrow I am fighting a monster in brutal hand to hand combat. Today I prepared for combat by going to the Health and Fitness Expo. I arrived early so that I could sign my son up for the Kid's Run. This was his first and he was excited to do it. That excitement turned to nervousness and then to fear as the crowd grew larger and we moved down to Arch Street for the run. He wanted to back out and

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-57548162559087047132009-11-15T21:27:00.001-05:002009-11-15T21:29:52.993-05:00

It is marathon week. Time has gone by faster than one thinks that it would. Fifteen weeks of training has passed in the blink of an eye, and now here we are one week away from the Philadelphia Marathon. There is a huge mix of emotions when you are this close to a major race. Especially when you have been thinking about this race for the last year. I have put in a lot of training time for this,

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-62504184417554198092009-11-07T21:31:00.000-05:002009-11-07T21:31:27.515-05:00

I am finally writing a race report for a 10k that I did last week. It was my first 10k, but the significance of being the first time at this distance seemed a little diminished considering I have already done a 10 miler and half marathon. I have not progressed through the distances like many runners do. Run The Bridge 10k is in southern New Jersey. You run across the Ben Franklin Bridge toward

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-72268318485455306222009-10-23T10:00:00.000-04:002009-10-23T10:00:42.088-04:00

I was first exposed to kinesiology therapeutic tape the same way most mortals were. Watching the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh was seen with the tape spread all over her shoulder. I was confused with it at first. I had never seen athletic tape spread out in patterns like this was. All that I learned from the tape was told to me by the announcers during their

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-38931293862683902562009-10-19T11:40:00.000-04:002009-10-19T11:40:04.822-04:00

About a week and a half ago my foot started bothering me. Just a slight pain on the arch, near the ankle. Recently it has been worse. I was resting it for a little while, and decided to try an easy run on Friday. It lasted about 20 minutes before the pain in my foot became constant and I began to feel tightness in my shin. It was not unbearable pain, but it was not the good kind of pain. I knew

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-18733081119374527862009-10-09T21:46:00.010-04:002009-10-15T13:18:27.849-04:00

One thing that frustrates the heck out of my wife is my uncanny ability to take up a hobby with an intense amount of passion, and then quickly lose interest after a few weeks or so. I have supplies and items tucked into closets and storage bins all over my house. I keep them because sometimes I revisit the hobby, but never keep at it for long.Lets see. There is painting. My favorite medium is

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-16994956683067219152009-10-01T21:14:00.005-04:002009-10-01T21:40:43.285-04:00

The word for today is leash. Apparently there are a lot of dog owners that do not understand the concept of a leash, nor do they own one.On the plan today was a 55 minute run with 30 minutes at tempo. During my warm up I noticed a rough looking dog on my side of the street. The look of this dog made me think of some wild mutt running around picking fights with other animals. I decided to cross

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-35940342008434412562009-09-21T22:06:00.011-04:002009-09-27T23:20:18.899-04:00

I am not going to lie to you. I am writing this post a week late. You did not miss it the day after the PDR, I am just predating it in an attempt to hide the fact that I am a major procrastinator. Especially when I have a head cold.One of my favorite things about major races, is the race expo. The atmosphere at the expo can be exhilarating. The large number of runners, all bustling about in a

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-64022785766851573902009-09-15T17:18:00.006-04:002009-09-15T17:52:07.215-04:00

I do not talk about it much here on my blog, but my wife is very sick. Two years ago she was diagnosed with severe lung disease that is a result from radiation treatment years ago. It has progressively been getting worse, and now the doctors are saying it may be due to other factors as well.This past Thursday night I was writing a blog post about your body being stronger than it thinks it is, a

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-67893926473932437922009-09-06T21:39:00.003-04:002009-09-06T22:25:12.550-04:00

When I created my marathon training plan a little over a month ago, I was pretty conservative when it came to speed workouts.Even though I had a specific time goal in mind at the beginning of the year, I have since adjusted that goal due to the fact that I have not seen as much improvement as I thought I would over the summer. My current goal for the Philadelphia Marathon is just to get through

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-86389038450741289882009-09-02T21:51:00.003-04:002009-09-02T22:40:02.029-04:00

There is a little section of road not too far from my house that is secluded from the rest of the neighborhood. There are two streets that form a loop and this loop just so happens to be about a mile long. This is where I first started running because at the time I was only running a mile or two at a time, and as said before it is secluded, so I had less chance of embarrassing myself in front of

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-91129963694438095172009-08-31T08:39:00.001-04:002009-08-31T08:46:24.898-04:00

This is more of a test post than anything else. I just downloaded a blogging app for my iPhone and want to see how well it works. I do just about everything from this great little phone and if this app is worth it then I will be doing yet another thing from here. Blogging on the go.

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-82447650243012683462009-08-29T20:46:00.004-04:002009-08-29T21:36:12.352-04:00

Keeping a food journal is something that has eluded me for some time. One of the number of things I want to get out of running is to lose weight, but my eating habits have proven to be a weakness. I have read in many places that keeping a food journal is the first step to adjusting your eating habits and begin changing your lifestyle so that it improves your health.The next step to the process is

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-5506920219099069402009-08-28T20:56:00.004-04:002009-08-28T21:32:18.575-04:00

It has been so long since I have blogged, and I have so much to talk about... I guess I will load up on posts this weekend rather than talk about everything in one long post.This past Wednesday was my first official week of speed work for my marathon training. I decided to start my speed work with Yasso 800's for a couple of reasons. I am using the 800's more as a measure of improvement

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-81635323823452811762009-08-23T15:40:00.003-04:002009-08-23T15:50:19.679-04:00

I am actually surprised that I am still sticking to my marathon training program. I am only three weeks into it right now, but that is longer than I have stuck with anything before.So that means there is only thirteen weeks until the Philadelphia Marathon. It is still scary and exciting, and the closer it gets, the more scared and excited I am.I printed my marathon program in a calender format

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-47000848113067913542009-08-16T21:59:00.005-04:002009-08-16T22:28:35.216-04:00

Today I finished my second week of training and it is now fourteen weeks to the Philadelphia Marathon. While on my run this morning I was thinking about my training plan, and decided I need to write about how it is going.... because it is going great!Including this current plan, I have started three official training plans. The C25K program, The Broad Street Run training program and of course

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-79920754262184190502009-08-08T21:49:00.002-04:002009-08-08T21:59:58.144-04:00

The first week of marathon training is coming to a close and I am pleased with what I have done so far.The two mid week runs were both done in the morning due to my work schedule. In order to get the runs done with enough time to shower and get ready for work I needed to wake at 5 am to run. Both runs felt great and gave a great start to the day.When I woke Thursday morning and stepped outside I

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-62789807914168069972009-08-03T15:00:00.000-04:002009-08-03T15:00:00.646-04:00

In the beginning of the year, I stated that my goal for the marathon was to run sub 4:00. I knew at the time it was an ambitious goal, but I could work hard toward it.Well, my fitness level is not where I thought it would be at this time, so running sub 4:00 is not very realistic for me at this stage. I am not disappointed though, because the fact that I am even planning a marathon is light years

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-38241822748861086452009-08-03T10:33:00.003-04:002009-08-03T10:53:20.332-04:00

Yesterday marked exactly sixteen weeks to the Philadelphia Marathon, so that means today marks the first day of my training schedule. Mondays are rest days so my first day of running will actually be tomorrow.I am excited and nervous all at the same time. This is the first time I have really committed to a training plan. I had one for the Broad Street Run, but it was really a just a guideline and

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-48752398139235735972009-07-27T22:19:00.003-04:002009-07-27T22:41:19.397-04:00

I have only been running a short time, but ever since I started I have read many times over that it is best for beginners to run by time rather than distance. It is beneficial in different ways to run for thirty minutes rather than run for, say, three miles.It has taken me an entire year to heed that advice.A couple of weeks ago, when coming back from a slight foot injury, I decided to run by

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-56191515645068660262009-07-12T13:22:00.004-04:002009-07-12T13:28:52.446-04:00

The good news is that I am now signed up for the Philadelphia Marathon and the Philadelphia Distance Run. The bad news is that it cost me more money than I originally was going to pay because I procrastinated, as I always do.I was going to sign up as soon as registration was available, but why do it now when I can wait? Of course I waited too long and the prices went up July 1st.What is really

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-11269945815917254392009-07-08T21:43:00.003-04:002009-07-08T22:33:42.514-04:00

When I get passionate about something, I tend to overdo it and either get frustrated and stop or quickly get bored and forget about it. Running is the first thing that I have truly become passionate about and continued to do for any extended period of time. Unfortunately overdoing it in running can lead to injury.Thanks to Runners world Beginner forums and reading other running blogs, I was smart

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-90939123295971278972009-06-21T11:29:00.003-04:002009-06-21T11:36:16.987-04:00

My foot has really been bothering me lately. It is the top part of the foot, on the outside. It is a little tight, but when I move my foot into certain positions the pain is a little more intense. I did some searching on Web MD and think that it might just be a strain.I definitely do not want to injure my foot any more than it is. Right now it feels like it can get better pretty quick, as long as

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-47292687283001005492009-06-07T21:32:00.005-04:002009-06-07T22:10:39.147-04:00

Local races are my new favorite. This 5k was held at a high school that is only two miles from my house. It was an easy decision to run there as warm up and run back as a cool down.After a very easy run there I signed up and then stretched. I then did a couple of laps around the high school track with a few sprints in there to get my fast twitch muscles awake and ready to go. I have been itching

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-38237021866024443902009-06-06T22:47:00.002-04:002009-06-06T23:00:02.811-04:00

So I went out for a bike ride today.I was riding through a neighborhood that is not a bad neighborhood, but isn't exactly high class either. I passed by three kids that could not have been more than ten years old. They were trying to look tough by the way the strutted down the sidewalk.As I went by them, the kid wearing a wife beater yelled out, "I'll jack your bike fool."I was riding too fast to

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-91270156839151002792009-05-31T21:27:00.002-04:002009-05-31T22:09:31.945-04:00

It has been a week since my last run, and I was a little worried that it would have a bad effect on this morning's run. I wanted to do about 7 or 8 miles, my longest since Broad Street, and usually when I am running on stale legs it turns out to be pretty bad.I have also had a problem with early morning motivation lately, but was able to get myself out of bed at six this morning. After slowly

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-89446302252256242582009-05-30T21:39:00.002-04:002009-05-30T21:50:21.937-04:00

I have been sick most of this week. I hate that... every time I get into a groove and start building my mileage up, something happens to cut me down.I am better now and will be doing a great long run tomorrow... and writing about it afterwards.I also have not been blogging as much as I like. I have been writing though, or at least working on my writing. This blog is not exactly Pulitzer prize

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-12513130371373523532009-05-19T22:13:00.003-04:002009-05-19T22:59:55.728-04:00

Today I had a day off work. So the plan was to get up early and go to the track for some speed work. Besides some speed play here and there, I have never really done organized speed work. So today was the day.When the alarm went off, I was cold and tired and achy. So I turned the alarm off and went back to sleep. My kids woke me up about an hour and a half later and after a little moving around I

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-79453487902470863912009-05-13T21:09:00.002-04:002009-05-13T21:31:18.793-04:00

It has been a week and a half since finishing the Broad Street Run. Since the beginning of the year my sights have been set on running that 10 miles through the city of brotherly love, and while I had abandoned the structured training plan, I was still running with a specific purpose.Now it is over.My next big race will be the Philadelphia Distance Run, but I will not be training specifically for

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-87716484249018628292009-05-03T22:30:00.002-04:002009-05-03T22:34:35.512-04:00

Well, today's run did not go exactly as planned. I had trouble keeping my pace where I wanted and went out too fast to start. It is hard to not get caught up in the crowd and just run at their pace.It took me twenty minutes to get across the start line. Once there, people were still packed pretty tight, but they all seemed to be trying to weave in and out to get further ahead. With so many people

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-40645395737858388792009-05-02T20:06:00.005-04:002009-05-02T20:24:13.709-04:00

It has been a while since I last blogged. I am going to have to blame Facebook for that. It is addicting, and I welcome anyone to request me as a friend.It is now less than 12 and a half hours until the Broad Street Run. It seems like yesterday I was signing up and now it is upon us! My first major race and the excitement has been building all day.I went to the expo this morning with my son and

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-49066623330780764082009-04-23T12:35:00.004-04:002009-04-23T13:10:06.855-04:00

So, on Sunday my plan was to do a long slow run of about 9 miles. I wanted to keep the pace around 11:30-12:00 per mile and just get the distance in preperation for Broad Street. I went up to Cooper River to do about two and a half loops.The first mile was okay, but I felt really bad. I could not loosen up and my pace was up and down. Same with the second mile, but now I couldn't keep my pace

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-14962307142536296392009-04-18T20:13:00.002-04:002009-04-18T20:19:22.708-04:00

Well, today was my first DNS, but for good reason.A few posts ago I talked about a 5k that I signed up for with the intent of a new PR and possibly going sub 30 minutes for the first time. A few days after that I realized something was significant about the date.My son's first t-ball game.So it was obvious which I would go to.It was fun watching the kids play t-ball. They all had these great bog

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-41221597379661381282009-04-14T23:12:00.005-04:002009-04-18T20:21:17.674-04:00

I have watched this video three times in the last hour. I love watching Ryan Hall run, and hope he does well in Boston.

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-61149809112882781382009-04-11T21:18:00.002-04:002009-04-11T21:40:19.847-04:00

I get very excited at each improvement I see as I continue my journey into running.This morning I woke early to go for a quick run, but it was down pouring pretty hard. Usually I do not mind running in the rain, but the forecast called for it to clear up so I decided to stay dry this time. Not a waste though.I put on my heart rate monitor and sat in my recliner for about twenty minutes. I wanted

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-84900876582255741772009-04-09T22:09:00.008-04:002009-04-10T19:56:57.520-04:00

Sorry. I can never resist a fart(lek) joke.So today was the first time I ever really did fartleks. I turned the auto lap off on my Garmin and split the laps after each recovery and interval. I am pretty impressed with how fast I was running and I hope that doing this every once in a while will help with my speed.One thing I will do next time is not have so many splits... maybe just sprinkle in a

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-62617500338979275702009-04-04T13:13:00.002-04:002009-04-04T13:41:09.837-04:00

Okay... so I am doing an easy three on Tuesday afternoon and it is going real nice and easy. I feel that I am running a good pace between 10:30 and 11:00. To confirm this I look at my watch...9:45???This can not be right. I keep my pace as steady as possible and the pace only slows by about 5 seconds. I turn my attention back to my run. It felt too easy, there was no way I was running under 10

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-4647135019553198572009-03-29T18:52:00.003-04:002009-03-29T19:48:17.206-04:00

Five weeks. That is how long it has been since my last LSD. The runs in that time have been few, and none more than three miles. I felt really good after my last run and figured yesterday morning was time for a good long run. I decided on 6 miles, which is the longest I have ever done.I woke to find that it was raining outside. Not a down pouring rain, but a slow steady rain, and a dreary

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-21558421488271538462009-03-25T21:14:00.004-04:002009-03-25T21:25:55.375-04:00

So my trip to Nashville was cut short because my wife was sick. The race there would be my last run in over a week, because my wife was getting worse and needed to go to the hospital. She finally got home today, after a week in there. I am not going into the details here, but she is better than she was when she got admitted.I have two sons. One is 5 and the other is 2. That makes it incredibly

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-9963344415636505572009-03-17T17:46:00.003-04:002009-03-17T18:23:17.294-04:00

This weekend we took a road trip to Nashville, TN for my brother in law's wedding. The only part of the trip that actually went as planned was my running in the Tom King 5k. There was actually a 5k and a half marathon that day, but obviously I could not run the half. Although, I may have tried if not for the flu the week before.The race seems cool at first glance. You start at LP Field, where the

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-62345395660556944302009-03-09T17:30:00.002-04:002009-03-09T17:40:08.042-04:00

This has been the nicest weekend of the year, and it just so happens it is the weekend that I get the flu. Well the weekend that the whole family gets the flu.It came on Thursday and lasted all weekend. I still have a touch of it today, but I am hoping that I can get a little bit of a run in tomorrow.It sucks, because I was looking forward to the weekend weather, thinking that I would be able to

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-15309239583321885072009-02-26T19:20:00.004-05:002009-02-26T19:31:31.508-05:00

A few weeks ago I spoke in a post about how wonderful I found the television show, Biggest Loser. While I am not extremely overweight, I still connected with these people and found them very inspiring.I was particularly inspired last night when the latest person eliminated ran a marathon in 3:53, according to the caption on the screen. He was so proud of himself and he said he feels so good that

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-75948934223336767232009-02-21T23:29:00.003-05:002009-02-21T23:41:20.013-05:00

There is something in me that wants more. I do not tell anyone about this... I have just been discovering it myself over the last few months. I want more. I want to push my limits of human endurance and go as far as I can.People would think that I am crazy. I have never ran more than 7 miles at a time... yet. I have only done two 5k's and nothing more... not yet. My first marathon will be in

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-43120357083340995662009-02-18T20:08:00.003-05:002009-02-18T20:15:24.695-05:00

So this week I started doing core exercises. I have always known that I am not as strong as I should be. I decided it is time to get stronger so that I can be a better runner and not be so worn out all the time.I discovered that I am far weaker than I thought. I was doing some planks, side planks, superman, and leg lifts...I could barely hold these positions for 15 seconds. Holy Cow! I was

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-77218842856593083362009-02-16T18:19:00.002-05:002009-02-16T18:25:23.472-05:00

Registration finally opened for the Broad Street Run today! I do not know if it is normal to feel this excited about just signing up for a race, but I never claimed to be normal.I think it will hold true that once you sign up then you have more motivation to stick with your training plan. I am ready to tackle this and excited to train hard for what will be my first major race.Yesterday's run went

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-91711237068357218782009-02-14T20:52:00.002-05:002009-02-14T20:55:33.692-05:00

I started my training for the Broad Street Run this week, and although I have gotten off to a slow start I must say that the suspense is killing me.Not the suspense of race day quickly creeping up on me... but the suspense of signing up for it.The website says that registration begins in mid-February. They have updated the site for this year, but registration is not open yet. I keep checking

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-89570183614268577192009-02-07T11:58:00.003-05:002009-02-07T12:16:47.673-05:00

I have not posted in almost a week. I also have not ran in almost a week.Sunday night, after that incredible run I had in the morning, I started feeling some pain in my legs. I decided to rest for a couple of days and then do a real easy run Wednesday morning to see how they feel. I want to make sure that I am good to start my Broad Street training and stay injury free.Well Wednesday morning

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-34030268409076835322009-02-01T10:28:00.004-05:002009-02-01T10:44:18.672-05:00

Today I ran my long run a little harder than I was supposed to. Despite that it felt really good even though it started pretty bad.I woke early and could not get out the door. The one day I finally have motivation and I am ready to go, and the bowels start talking to me. After a couple trips to the bathroom I finally got outside.My legs felt pretty tight, and I was still a little worried about my

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-2450088443607917732009-01-30T19:44:00.002-05:002009-01-30T20:11:24.611-05:00

I had a very humbling run yesterday. It was only two miles, but one of the worst I have had in a long time.I went after work, and although it had been a while since I ate, I did have a couple of my wife's onion rings before heading out. I did not think that would be a big deal. During the run I was cramping in my side, could that be from only a couple of onion rings? I could not run properly and

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-15905731326102248622009-01-28T20:54:00.003-05:002009-01-28T21:04:45.115-05:00

Last night I was excited to see snow in the forecast. I was hoping to wake early and run in the peaceful setting of the moonlight reflecting off the fresh powder.I woke up and it was raining. There was snow everywhere, as expected, but it was now turning into a slushy mess. It still looked nice outside so I suited up and went out. The conditions were not good for running.Obviously the sidewalks

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-13251600022930660652009-01-26T15:15:00.003-05:002009-01-26T15:30:27.531-05:00

I usually do my long runs during the weekend. This past couple of days has been crazy so I decided to get my long run in this morning, but count it for the weekend. So I did not really cheat on my long run, I just cheated on when to include the miles, since I am a stat whore and wanted the six miles to be on last weeks total.My main goal for this run was to keep a very slow and steady pace. I was

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-51086532229532489772009-01-26T13:01:00.002-05:002009-01-26T13:27:02.202-05:00

Well, I did not actually run the Disney Marathon, or any race associated with it. And I was in Disney the week after the marathon, but I was still able to run in Disney! Sort of.We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge, which is an incredibly nice resort. It is a very short distance from Magic Kingdom and Epcot. The lodge had a nice path that winded its way through the woods and to a campsite known as

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-46590602300745613342009-01-25T22:58:00.003-05:002009-01-25T23:08:48.923-05:00

I got back from Florida very late last night. It was a very nice vacation. So relaxing and enjoyable. It actually got pretty cold in Orlando, but still fun. And I managed to get in two runs, one of which was my first time on a treadmill. More about them later.I slept in today and had intentions to run a long run today. I started the day unpacking and cleaning up, but as the day grew older I found

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-57815620312794737782009-01-17T21:11:00.005-05:002009-01-17T21:22:23.121-05:00

It was very cold outside this morning, so when the alarm went off at 6:30 I turned it off and went back to sleep. I hate it when I do that.When I finally did wake I was quickly ready to run. It felt like I had too many layers on, but come to find out they were just enough. I don't mind running in the cold, but I hate all of the clothes I have to put on to do it.I did five miles today and it was

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-40782149489525179202009-01-15T18:21:00.003-05:002009-01-15T20:02:35.021-05:00

Today was my first run that I tried to stay within a target heart rate zone. It was an easy two miles so I wanted to stay within the aerobic zone, which for me is 134-153 beats per minute.I set my Forerunner 305 to alert me if I went outside of the zone. I reached the proper range pretty quick, but soon found it hard to stay under 153 bpm. My heart rate would get too high and I would have to walk

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-13159085549003534252009-01-14T18:37:00.003-05:002009-01-14T18:58:09.031-05:00

I do not watch a lot of television. There are only a few shows that I like anymore, and even some of the shows that I used to watch all the time are getting boring to me. There just seems to be better stuff to do than watch TV.Biggest Loser is a show that I think is worth watching. I have never seen a full season, but I have seen episodes in the past. This year I have decided to watch the entire

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-36611244266821114832009-01-11T20:28:00.003-05:002009-01-11T20:40:37.651-05:00

Today on my run I was coming up behind this guy who was walking on the same side of the street as me. He started looking back as I approached and I could tell he wanted to ask me for something. I slowed down and stopped my watch as he said hello.He gave me some sob story about fighting with his girlfriend and not having enough money to get the bus back to Philly. I did not have any money so I

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-9053237968629058442009-01-11T19:59:00.002-05:002009-01-11T20:27:28.805-05:00

I have developed a head cold over the weekend. I am glad that I have it now so I can knock it out before I go on vacation next week.Head colds never hinder my running. In fact, running helps me clear up the sinuses and gets my head together for the day. So I decided to do an easy 3 miles as planned.I did the first two miles very easy and something went off in my head that I should try to push the

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-12998367266195042942009-01-09T08:43:00.004-05:002009-01-09T21:46:20.993-05:00

When I saw that Runners World had an article last month about how to tie shoes, I thought it was pretty funny. I glanced over the article, but did not read the whole thing... yet.I think that I will go back and read the whole thing now. I went for a run this morning and for the first time ever did not use a double knot in my shoe. I just reversed the way I tied it and used a reef knot, as

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-49285428980847763812009-01-08T19:50:00.003-05:002009-01-08T19:54:48.470-05:00

I have only ran once in the past two weeks because of the soreness in my leg. It has been feeling good lately so I am going to go for an easy run tomorrow morning before work and see how it does.I really need a run. I have been having more than a few bad days at work. People are getting on my nerves. My head has been hurting. I am getting fidgety.I really need a good run to let some aggressions

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-31149637924878037412009-01-05T20:39:00.006-05:002009-01-05T22:40:10.747-05:00

I have recently developed an obsession for human endurance and a fascination for endurance sports, starting with running. In an attempt to feed this obsession I have been reading books and doing a lot of YouTube searching.Luckily, I received a gift card from my mother in law for Barnes and Noble this Christmas. I walked into the store and went directly to the sports section. I found about two

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-79471049035958984082009-01-04T11:12:00.005-05:002009-01-04T11:26:44.241-05:00

I am not one to spend a lot of money on things. I can do with the minimum, and I usually go for off brand stuff since it is cheaper. Life is not all about the most expensive things for me.However, when it comes to running gear, you get what you pay for. This is true in other sports and areas of life, but obviously I focus on running.When I first started running, it was strictly Wal-Mart and

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-81722291688760691702009-01-01T19:46:00.002-05:002009-01-01T20:28:17.167-05:00

I have not gone for a serious bike ride since July. I like riding my bike, but it has taken a back seat to running.Today I needed to do something. I need to be active and since I can not go running I went for a ride. It was cold outside. And my bike sucks.I still have a no name mountain bike that I got from Target a long time ago. It has definitely given me my money's worth, but it still sucks. I

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-67774628962269984532009-01-01T18:01:00.002-05:002009-01-01T19:07:50.682-05:00

Well, here we are. Another new year and a load of possibilities in front of us. Running has done a lot of things to me in 2008 and one of them is give me focus. Even if the focus is only in running and endurance sports, at least I have focus somewhere. This will be the first time, ever in my life, that I am setting measurable goals and laying out an overall plan for the year to come.First, my

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-43711749373637954442008-12-31T21:45:00.002-05:002008-12-31T22:33:46.639-05:00

Well, 2008 has been a great year for me. It is the year that I finally fell in love with running. This may be a long post, but here it goes.I started the year cycling. I had been doing it on a regular basis for a bit over a year. I was doing it to get back into shape, but was pretty "business casual" about it. I was still using the no name mountain bike that I had bought at Target over 7 years

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-81863297274980552162008-12-29T21:51:00.002-05:002008-12-29T21:54:45.270-05:00

Monday's are usually rest days, and when I am resting I am thinking about running, but it feels okay since I know running is so close.Today is only the first day of a long rest in order to make sure that my leg is okay and it is killing me, because running is so far away. I feel bad for saying it, because there are other bloggers who are currently sidelined for a long time, but I miss running

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-74777820747539938052008-12-28T21:37:00.003-05:002008-12-28T21:51:53.343-05:00

For the past few weeks my left leg has been bothering me. It does not hurt while running, nor does it hurt all the time, but after running on the weekends it hurts the most.I do my long run on Sundays and it has been fine during the run, but hurts later that night and hurts the next couple of days. The pain never fully goes away, but it feels better by Thursday and I run again.I want it to heal

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-11315677790515283722008-12-28T20:45:00.005-05:002008-12-28T21:36:37.036-05:00

I am warning you now... this post is going to be long.I have had a lot of firsts during 2008, and I will talk about them in a later post. Today was my last day of running for 2008 (more on that in the next post), and I find it fitting that it was full of firsts.The first time that I drove somewhere in order to run.I wanted a little bit of fresh scenery, and I have been tossing around the idea of

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-80172835574198906152008-12-25T13:26:00.004-05:002008-12-25T13:45:22.289-05:00

I planned on doing three miles today, but after unwrapping gifts with the kids, my parents came over. I was getting ready for the run when they got here, so I still went out, but I cut the run down to a little over two miles.I have not run since Sunday, and since my leg was bothering me early in the week I wanted to take the run nice and easy. My decision to slow the pace was also made easier by

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-50402383235763740042008-12-25T13:14:00.002-05:002008-12-25T13:24:45.998-05:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday all year, but Christmas is is also special to me. First because what we truly celebrate with this day is the birth of Jesus Christ! Secondly it is growing more special because of having a family, with two awesome sons. One is 5 and the other is 2.There are three stages to a man's life. He believes in Santa, He doesn't believe in Santa, and finally he is Santa.

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-57071468206531096802008-12-21T16:00:00.002-05:002008-12-21T16:26:16.836-05:00

Last night, when I checked this morning's weather report, I was excited to see that it called for snow early in the morning. It was supposed to turn to a wintry mix around the time I was scheduled to run, but the snow would accumulate to about an inch.I was excited because it meant that first thing in the morning everything would be snowy, the sky would be overcast, and there would be a natural

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-14950515500014325632008-12-20T22:43:00.003-05:002008-12-20T22:59:06.057-05:00

My favorite times during a run are when I drift off into a daydream state and it seems as if I am having an out of body experience. It does not happen every time I run, and it can be simple or complex.Today was one of those days.It was an easy two mile run. I actually turned my alarm off and slept in. I sort of regretted doing that, but as soon as I woke up two hours later I went out and ran.It

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-91456732887836479132008-12-18T21:48:00.007-05:002008-12-18T22:07:29.420-05:00

I have been tossing around the idea of buying the Road ID for some time, and I finally broke down and did it last week. I usually ran with nothing, but sometimes would put my drivers license in my pocket and hope that it did not fall out.With this it is much easier. I strap it on my wrist and have nothing to worry about. I got the yellow one, because I like to be noticed. It straps pretty snug

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-71426284517994781202008-12-18T21:37:00.002-05:002008-12-18T21:46:04.719-05:00

Today I ran my 100th mile. It really is not a lot when you look at the big picture, but I just started running this year, and have only been doing it seriously for about four and a half months now.It is ironic, however, that such a milestone mile would turn out to be a bad run.I was overdressed for the weather. I am still getting the feel for what to wear for each temperature and this morning I

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-41157926297199992922008-12-14T23:06:00.005-05:002008-12-14T23:24:25.939-05:00

I have two sons. The youngest will be two next month and the oldest is five years old. They frustrate the hell out of me sometimes, but they are everything to me, and truly a blessing from God.When I finally got my Forerunner 305 a couple of weeks ago, there was only one person as excited as me. My five year old son. The reason he was so excited was because I told him that when I got my Garmin,

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-75695767481279696682008-12-14T19:45:00.004-05:002008-12-14T23:23:36.920-05:00

Today was a long run. In the past my long run pace was about the same as my easy run pace, which I do not think is a good thing to do. All week my plan was to do this long run at a much slower pace and to make it my longest distance yet. A couple of steps that I hope will build my endurance.Four miles was the planned length. I was afraid that I would need to cut it short because my left leg has

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-69575548500335021002008-12-13T19:10:00.004-05:002008-12-13T19:19:52.944-05:00

My left leg has been bothering me just a bit for a couple days. I iced it down real well tonight and it feels good right now. I am going to see how it is later tonight and pray about whether I should run tomorrow or not.I am planning on a LSD run tomorrow and will be doing my longest distance so far of 4 miles. Tomorrow I am focusing on the distance rather than the time, so I will be keeping a

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-67879417257488313832008-12-09T21:16:00.004-05:002008-12-09T21:46:33.294-05:00

I believe that it is very important to note milestones and achievements, whenever you are striving to improve yourself at something. No need for big celebrations, but you should at least note them in writing so that you can come back to them and see that your hard work is paying off. After all, the big achievements are nothing more than a set of small milestones put together to form a larger

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-10609573694987838532008-12-07T09:24:00.005-05:002008-12-07T09:46:34.471-05:00

The website for the 5k For The Holiday run did not post official results yet, but I went directly to the Compuscore site and looked up the results.Here are mine:Time 32:14Pace 10:22.4Place 109/179Gender 62/77Age Group 7/7I finished last in my age group. I think it is funny, but at least I did not finish last overall. And I can always say I finished 7th in my age group... that sounds better.Oh

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-66078105069489310822008-12-06T14:43:00.006-05:002008-12-07T09:15:54.792-05:00

Today was my second 5k since I started running. It was the Run 5k For The Holiday, and benefited the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. It is run on a very nice course that starts at a park in Burlington and loops around back to the park. Pretty flat with some hill, but not much.I was very nervous when I arrived, for a few reasons. First, I had gotten sick around 3 in the morning and was hoping that it

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-85748776995050110942008-12-03T21:10:00.002-05:002008-12-03T21:15:52.384-05:00

I can not wait to go running.I ordered the Forerunner 305 from amazon.com a few days ago and it arrived today! I got home, charged it up and now have been playing with it for a few minutes. It is 9pm and dark out, but I am seriously considering going for a run.It is so cool. It does so much. I will be running Friday morning and I have a 5k Saturday morning... the runs will be so much better with

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-41888950992615533632008-11-29T13:35:00.003-05:002008-11-29T13:38:41.633-05:00

I finally uploaded my pictures of the Philadelphia Marathon. There are a couple of good shots, but as you can tell I am not a great photographer, and I am blaming that on my crappy camera.http://www.flickr.com/photos/32852578@N05/sets/72157610386614739/Be sure to check out the pic of the joggler.... both feet off of the ground and all the balls in the air.

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-1556657699804564032008-11-29T12:54:00.003-05:002008-11-29T13:05:21.066-05:00

This week has been a little rough.After getting home from the marathon on Sunday I started feeling sick. It came on pretty strong Sunday night and when I woke Monday morning I felt like I was about to die. I had to call out of work, not something I usually do, and I slept most of the day.Tuesday, a day I normally run, I felt good enough to go to work, but not good enough to run. My body ached and

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-2912571687862942432008-11-23T19:45:00.002-05:002008-11-23T20:08:53.543-05:00

Today, in a sense, was my first marathon. I did not run today, but I arrived early with my brother, who was running, so that I could watch the marathon and immerse myself in the atmosphere of the marathon. In a way it was good for me because when I do run the marathon next year I will know what to expect when I get there.It was surreal walking toward the art museum while it was still dark out. We

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-68768331441898247562008-11-22T15:42:00.003-05:002008-11-22T15:50:48.163-05:00

Well you probably already know that I am not running the Philadelphia marathon tomorrow. My brother is running it, and I was more than happy to go to the health and fitness expo with him to pick up his packet.This was my first time going to one of these and it was fun. Free samples, great deals, and a running atmosphere that could make anyone feel motivated. I happened to pass by Bart Yasso just

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-72336695610292741272008-11-17T20:40:00.003-05:002008-11-17T20:49:48.169-05:00

After running my first official 5k on October 25th I slacked off for a week. Partly from laziness and soreness, but mostly from lack of time. The last two weeks, however I have gotten back on track. I did 5.5 and 5.9 miles each week, and will hopefully bump it up to 7 miles this week.Three miles is now my long run. I am getting overtaken by running and can not wait until my long runs are double

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-8852263412162738102008-11-11T20:10:00.003-05:002008-11-11T20:22:23.152-05:00

Even though I do not do it as much as I did when I was a child, I still love to daydream.The best time to daydream is while running. You can turn your legs on auto pilot and let your mind drift into another world. It can also help you get through the tough parts of your run.Today I ran in the bitter cold, and throughout the run I was imagining myself running a marathon... and winning it! When I

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-17033541966596086512008-11-11T19:59:00.003-05:002008-11-11T20:09:24.745-05:00

This morning was cold. The coldest it has been all season. It was about 34 degrees.I woke this morning and slowly moved around and got ready. I knew it would be cold, but was surprised to see that my phone reported 34 degrees.I still wore shorts, with compression shorts underneath. I wore a long sleeve compression shirt with a long sleeve shirt over top of that. I also wore gloves and headband to

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-31688684453165353282008-11-06T21:24:00.003-05:002008-11-06T21:41:57.814-05:00

I seem to have a lot of trouble with motivation. When I wake up early for a morning run, it takes me forever to get moving and convince myself to run. All the while I know that once I start running I feel great.This morning was raining... and I mean really coming down. I have run in overcast and slight drizzles, but never in rain this hard. My mind was telling me to stay in bed, but I knew I

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-8324346048645712062008-11-02T14:41:00.001-05:002008-11-02T14:50:38.389-05:00

This last week I have run a measly 3 miles.I have tried to fit runs in before or after work and it just did not happen. It gets too dark on my street, and while I actually look forward to running in the dark, I have no safety gear to do it with. I have looked in a few different stores for lights that I can clip to my shirt or shorts, but nothing. I would wear a reflective "sash" or strap on my

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-52457419096646286292008-10-25T19:53:00.002-04:002008-10-25T19:56:27.885-04:00

I have not posted in a few days, but I am going to make up for that. I have a few things I want to blog about and I will be doing that tonight and tomorrow morning.I ran my first ever road race today! Check out the race report below this post and comment on it. I have also listed a few races that I want to do in the next few months. Of course I am hooked now. I just need to find a couple in

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-45694959026776110792008-10-25T18:08:00.006-04:002008-10-27T20:04:16.603-04:00

Today was my first ever road race. It was the Great Pumpkin Run 5k, held by Lockheed Martin to benefit the Burlington County Food Pantry. The route was a lap through the pretty big parking lot, then out onto the road for about a kilometer and back, then the same route through the parking lot in reverse.I woke up this morning very excited and nervous at the same time. Rain was in the forecast and

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-91817207514431916152008-10-19T08:48:00.003-04:002008-10-19T09:06:18.290-04:00

A lot of things to talk about regarding today's run. It was definitely a weird one.As I am getting ready I look outside to see what the weather looks like. It looks amazingly cold outside, but the thing I notice most is the police officer pulled over to the side of the road across the street. He is getting out of his car and looking along the ground for something. He gets back in his car and

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-8216622959997254432008-10-14T21:38:00.005-04:002008-10-14T21:49:19.705-04:00

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." -Steve PrefontaineSteve Prefontaine was arguably the greatest runner of all time. He gave a lot of thought and insight into running, and at the same time life.I will never run the times that Pre ran, nor will I ever set any records. No offense, but I also think the demographic of this blog will most likely not do that either. That

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-27425359550796868802008-10-08T08:37:00.003-04:002008-10-08T08:45:12.536-04:00

I have not run since Saturday, and it has been killing me. My schedule has been so tight with work and all that I now have to squeeze in runs whenever I can.I woke early this morning to get a run in before work, but I laid in bed thinking about how comfortable I was. I actually tried to talk myself into not running and just sleeping in.Reality hit me and I realized that if I did not get up and go

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-23408083827717480852008-10-05T19:48:00.003-04:002008-10-05T20:32:24.037-04:00

I love running in the mornings, but when I wake up early in the morning my body aches and I never feel like getting up. When I finally do get up it usually takes me half an hour to get moving and another fifteen minutes to get dressed and ready to run. I know that part of this problem would be solved with a new mattress, but that is not the point of the story.All week I have planned on running

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-81669851620978202342008-10-04T22:36:00.002-04:002008-10-04T22:43:21.172-04:00

It has been one hell of a week. Work has been so busy and I have been working such weird hours that I could barely run.I like to run on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. This week I missed Tuesday but was able to run Wednesday morning. Thursday was a no go for me and Friday did not work out either. I did get in 3.1 miles this morning which felt great!

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436907737105173589.post-9189430062216412922008-09-29T19:47:00.002-04:002008-09-29T19:50:34.113-04:00

I hate rest days, because I really want to run. I must remember patience.The worse part is looking at my mileage chart on the left over there. Since Monday is the first day of the week, and also a rest day, it tells me my weekly mileage is 0. It is rubbing it in my face that I have not run yet this week.It is almost tomorrow... Soon I can run.

billdowishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645774426602284532noreply@blogger.com0