R.I.C.E.

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 I take care of it. I do not want to make it worse and then have it require weeks and weeks to get better... or worse.

It still has not really dawned on me that it is the middle of June. The year is almost half over and in less than two months I will start my marathon training. I want to make sure that I am healthy going into that so that I can complete my first marathon in November.

So it will be plenty of RICE for me over the next week and see how my foot feels. I will not run on it until it feels 100%, but I may walk and cycle very lightly as it feels better, just so I can keep a certain level of fitness.

One of my problems is lack of exercise other than running and cycling. I need to do more core exercises and stretching throughout the week in order to keep my body stronger and run better.

Things to focus on.

Something Inside Me

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 November, if the Lord is willing, but I already want more than that.

I want to cycle further, run further, swim further. I want to push the limits every day.

Many people look at a marathoner, ultra marathoner, or triathlete and they are amazed, or confused, or inspired. I see these athletes testing the entire idea of human endurance and I want it too. I want that and more.

Am I crazy? Will I ever be able to do it? How bad do I want it?

I want it... I want it more than an expensive new car or loads of jewelery. I do not watch the "pretty" people on TV and long to have their celebrity lifestyle. I look at the athletes and I want to share their journey and their pain and their success.

I want it... something inside me wants it more than anything else.

Back In The Saddle

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 needed to switch the tires to road ones for a smooth ride, and that helped a little.

I wanted to do 10 miles, but really had no planned route. When looking at the satellite maps of my neighborhood I noticed a park around a small lake and figured I would finally go looking for it. I ended up not finding it, but after looking at the map again realized I was only blocks from it at times and did not realize it.

I wore my Forerunner 305 while riding today and it caused me to fall in love with this thing even more. Before, I had a cheap computer from K-Mart that was affixed to the handle bars and a wire ran down to the wheel and read a magnet as it went around. It did not always work and was very frustrating. With Garmin GPS, I have all the info I need, and never have to worry about a thing.

So this year I will be adding a lot of cycling to my routine. I would like to do at least 20 miles a week right now and bump that up as the year goes on. We shall see. Right now I am just glad I was able to get out and keep my fitness up.

2008: A Year In Review

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 ago, but I changed out the knobby off road tires for slick road ones.

Over the last few years I have tried to take up running a few times. It was not until April of this year that I found the C25K program, and thought that it would be perfect for me. I was basically a couch potato and would love to be able to run 5k on a regular basis.

I did the first week in these crappy shoes that I got from PayLess. My feet were killing me and I knew that I had to get real running shoes. I could not afford the local running store, so I went to a department store and got a pair of New Balance. Immediately I could feel the difference and I fell in love with running shoes. I still to this day have some sort of weird thing for them, and actually check them out on other runners.

By this time I had started to abandon cycling and really wanted to get into running. I followed the C25k program for only the first three weeks. To be honest I do not even remember why I stopped, but I regret stopping. The first week in May would be the last time I would run until August. On top of that I would not ride my bike, except while doing it with my, now 5 year old, son.

Something clicked inside of me near the beginning of August. I wanted to run and I knew that I just had to do it. I would go out and run for 15 minutes and then turn around and run back. I never really got far, and there were a lot of walk breaks involved, but I was doing it. It was easier for me to do because I was not really tracking my runs, just running.

My first breakthrough came a couple weeks later when I ran two miles without stopping. It felt really good, and I realized that I could have done it all along, but I was not letting myself do it.

I kept better track of my runs and worried more about building mileage and endurance rather than speed and pace. I noted improvements in time, and celebrated milestones in speed, but my main focus was distance. I increased mileage gradually, I think sometimes too slow, but focused on running longer and farther.

My first race was a pumpkin run 5k in October. I signed up less than a week before it and got my brother to do the same. We got there and were immediately intimidated. Everyone looked faster and more experienced at running than us and I was sure that I would finish dead last. Three point one miles was the farthest I had ever run, and I only did it once.

I got caught up in the excitement of running with so many other people and went out too fast. I walked quite a few times and thought I was going to die on one of the hills, but the race was a good one. I finished near the back of the pack, but there were plenty of people behind me!

The following week was the Run The Bridge 10k that crosses the Ben Franklin Bridge into Philadelphia and back, then goes through Camden and ends in the Riversharks minor league baseball stadium. I did NOT run this race, but I was pissed off at myself because if I had continued with the C25K program and ran through the summer I know I could have done it. There is always next year.

Late November was the Philadelphia Marathon. I had no intention of running this at all during the year, but as I fell in love with running I knew that I was going to go over and watch it. I have already decided that this will be my first marathon, hopefully in 2009.

It was a fun day watching the marathon. I got over there early with my brother who was attempting the full marathon for the first time. His training was interrupted by injury, but preferred to try it than have a DNS.

I had a great time watching the marathon. I never thought I would like watching strangers run, but it was fun. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the festivities of such an event and was glad that I went. I am excited to be a runner next time rather than a spectator.

My brother ended up stopping at the half, because his injury was acting up again, but he has vowed to run it all the way through next year. I will also be doing it.

My second race was a 5k that came in December. I was by myself, but much more confident since I knew a little more of what to expect at an organized race. I just got a Garmin Forerunner 305 a couple days before and was excited to try it out.

This race was even better than my first. The route was nicer, the weather was better, and I ran the whole thing without stopping. On top of that I PR'd with a 32:14, breaking my goal finish of 33 minutes.

My mileage gradually increased each week and each month. The last few weeks of the year I have developed some serious shin splints, so I am resting up. 2008 has been a great year, and I am excited to run through 2009.

Here are some numbers:

Total Distance in 2008: 114.9 miles
Longest Month: 30.9 miles
Longest Week: 8.6 miles
Longest Single Run: 5 miles

Races Run: 2 5k's
PR's Set: 2
Fastest 5k: 32:14

I will be tracking all my runs in 2009 and setting bigger and better goals... but more on that in the first post of 2009.

This Is Killing Me

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 already.

I hope to go for a couple of bike rides this week, but even though cycling was originally my first love, it will never replace running.

My Story.

I can probably go on for hours about "my story" but I will make it short.

I have never ran in any organized sports and I never thought I would ever consider myself a runner. A couple of years ago I would cycle a lot in order to try to get myself in shape. I was doing well, but cold weather hit and I got lazy when it came to the bike.

I figured one day that I would go for a run. My logic was that every thing I heard about running (from runners anyway) was that it was the best kind of exercise. I also figured that it would be easier in the cold weather since I am not moving at 20 mph.

As most people do, I started too hard and too fast on my first run. I clocked a half mile from my house in the car and figured there and back would be an easy mile to run. I ran as hard as I could and did not even make it to the half mile mark. I walked and turned around and walked some more before trying to run again. I think out of the entire mile I might have ran about a third of it.

My lungs burned the rest of the day and my legs hurt for days after. I gave up.

Since then I have tried to run off and on for a while. It was not until early this year that I finally fell in love with the sport. My brother mentioned that he was going to run in the Philadelphia Marathon. I thought he was crazy because in my mind running a marathon was something that only Kenyans and elite athletes do. I did not realize that the marathon has a spirit all it's own.

After research and a re-ignited interest in running I found the C25K program and started that. I was doing good for a couple of weeks, but again I started procrastinating and slowing and gave up for a couple of months.

I got back to it in the middle of August and have been running since, with only one short break due to a small injury. Through the course of it I have fallen in love with running and would rather do that than any other sport. I look forward to running longer distances and faster times, and I am excited about collecting bibs and finisher medals.

I am improving slowly, but surely and keep getting more and more motivated.