I am alive, the doctor tells me so

So the yearly office visits from the doctor came in today and did the 'ole checkup. Had no idea what to expect due to current events but i was wanting one anyways. i got a flu shot. For some reason my are is sore as all get out. thats okay. it will pass. stepped on the scale. 210.2 fully clothed with shoes (keep in mind i wear a size 15, thats like 13 pounds on its own) (and last night Jeff and I split a Barnaby's pizza and pitcher of beer)(man it was good) so at 210.2 i was actually pleased with that. last year i tipped the scale at....wait for it....231!!!! i am an amazing specimine. so most stats are a good improvement.

I will break down the numbers this way

Item / what it should be / 2008 / today


TOTAL CHOLESTEROL /<200 / 161 / 150...good
HDL (GOOD) CHOLESTEROL />40 / 28 / 29..hmmmm, better!
LDL (BAD) CHOLESTEROL / <130 / 117 / 111...nice
TRIGLYCERIDES / <150 / 81 / <50..amazing
RATIO /<4.1 / 5.8 / 5.1..much better
GLUCOSE (SUGAR) / <110 / 102 / 97....wonderful
BLOOD PRESSURE / 120/80 OR LESS / 112/64 / 140/80..current events
BODY MASS INDEX /18.5-24.9 / 28.6 / 26.3..good
BODY FAT / 20% OR LESS / 22% / 19.1%...jackpot!

She told me to excersise more. i let her know that i have run 2 half marathons, and 4 other road races since i saw her last. i asked about Fish Oil because she did say something about that last year. she reminded me what it was..."Take it!" oh yeahhhhh. that will help the good cholesterol and get the ratio back. i told her i did....then stopped. so i walked into my office, pulled the bottle from behind a picture frame and popped a couple. so considering everything...doin' good....in the health dept. see ya next year!

Chicago Rock N Roll Half Marathon

Hey kids. it's been a loooong time but i thought i would get this in writing. Lat weekend (Aug. 1 and 2, 2009) Elizabeth and i got hopped on the South Shore train and headed up to the windy city of Chicago, IL. the intention was to try to run the inaugural Chicago Rock and Roll Half Marathon. A good friend of mine and main running buddy Jon had entered himself into this half marathon and after getting entered found out that he would be out of town that weekend on a family trip / work trip in PA. so offered me the spot to run it. i said "heck yeah" and i would pay the transfer fee and just go in his spot. well as i was browsing the website i find on the homepage NO TRANSFERS / NO REFUNDS. well that doesn't look good now does it?!! the plan was Elizabeth and i would go up Saturday, try to register, if it worked great, if not we still got to hang out in Chicago, kid free for a night. so again, we hopped on the South Shore and made it to the McCormick Place stop and found the expo hall for packet pickup. i had with me his email confirmation that had his bib number and a bunch of other papers including a last ditch effort of ours. He had sent me a photo copy of his drivers license with a hand written portion saying that he was at a family event and that if i could go in his place that would be great. so i walk up to the area to get the packets and see the first 3 tables on my right all the people are showing ID. there is no way this is happening. but i figure i might as well try. i was hoping that the tables would be so busy that they would just be trying to get people out of there but my table that i had to go to, not a soul. so i go up and just as politely as possible start asking this lady how her day is and everything nice i can think of (going for the "kill her with kindness" routine) so i hand her my paper and she turns around to get the packet and then stalls and turns back. she asks "do you have any ID?" and i say so disappointingly, "noooo" and she says "well, i trust you". WHAT!?! YOU DO!?! WHY!?! WHO COMES FROM INDIANA AND DOESN'T HAVE ID!?!? ARE YOU NUTS!?!?! okay, thanks. all i have to do is sign the back of the confirmation page (medical release) i could barely hold the pen i was so nervous. you would have thought i was stealing gold out of Fort Knox. i got the "J" and then forgot his name, my name, my children's names and just wiggled my pen around until i had writers block. i grabbed my packet, got a shirt and headed for the expo quick.

About 3 minutes after all this i had 2 realizations. (1.) i need to get in the mindset that tomorrow i have to run 13.1 miles and (2.) all the excitement is over. i was more nervous about that than anything in a long time

so we strolled through McCormick back and forth for a while with bad directions from a slue of people until we finally ran into the Hyatt regency McCormick Place. Since we were taking Jon's room and this was to be a family vacation, we got up to our room to look at our 2 double beds. hmm. i tried calling but the customer service line was busy and i was kind of glad because to get the room price we had to be in the race so Jon's name was still on the bill and i would have had to request that a room for Jon and I be switched from 2 doubles to a queen..... and i would have had a tough time doing that.

We went down and signed up for the free drive to Watertower place at 3 and went and ate at the hotel restaurant, Shor. it was not bad but the waiter, Arnold, wasn't very good and it was pricey for a cob salad and a English Club Sandwich. we went back to the room and waited. it was 2. it seemed dumb to be in Chicago sitting in a room waiting so we went down, scratched or name off the list and grabbed a cab. once we got downtown we headed for the boat tours. it was 2:15 and the next and only tour open for the rest of the day was 2:30 so we got our tickets and went for a ride.

we might not have gotten the best boat, seats, weather (it had been raining while we were eating but had since just been an overcast) but it was still a good time. it was a 90 minute tour that went out into Lake Michigan and then back into the Chicago river and returned us back. we headed for watertower to find some jeans for Elizabeth. we also went up to the 7th floor to get some pretzels to snack on.

After roaming the city for a good couple hours and picking up some Garrett's popcorn....okay, a lot of Garrett's popcorn, we headed to maggiano's for dinner. we were informed it was a 2 hour wait for the main room or an hour wait for the first available. we took them up on first available and 15 minutes later, we had a table. then it was a HOUR before we got our food. Elizabeth had the pesto and i had the lasagna. the wait knew something wasn't right and appologized and offered free dessert but we were both stuffed so as we were leaving he still brought us some free cookies to take with us home. yeah they were good.

Sunday morning i woke at 5, got on my gear and headed out the door. i managed to catch a cab with another couple down to Grant Park for the start of the 13.1 miler. they paid. i offered to split it but the guy said he didn't have pockets and didn't want any change.

this was 100 more organized and enjoyable than the Indy Mini in May. first off, with Jon's entry i was in the 2:00 coral (#7) rather than the 2:30 corral at Indy (N). at Indy there was construction so when your group finally got to go construction took you down to a land and a half and Chicago you started on 4 lanes that opened to 6.

At Indy i wanted to run a 2:11:00 which would translate into a 10:00 mile. i ended up getting in traffic and comfortable going slow and did a 2:18 (10:30/mile) i ran every step and i think in my head that was my biggest goal. at Chicago i noticed after my first mile i was an 8:48 mile and knew i may be in trouble. i had 12.1 to go. i got in a rhythm and you are busy watching out for other people and the bands (some rather good ones) and pot holes. you really never pay attention to the tall buildings, you are normally watching your step so they are in the wrong direction. the only thing that was odd at one point a guy FLEW buy me and had a bib on his back saying 2:00 PACER. i knew i would never get a good time if 2:00 was already passing me but i never took the time to figure out how that related to me. so i kept running. miles 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10 all showed up. then nothing. no 11, 12, 13 or the count down to the finish. at Indy you had the last mile broken down by 1/4 mile to the finish. so knowing that the race was closing i saw another person with a 2:00 bib on her back and i asked her how we were doing. she said we were 30 seconds under our goal. i passed her and never saw her again. the last (guessing) .7 miles to go i was absolutely dying. at Indy i never pushed myself and had plenty of gas in teh tank to sprint the last mile. i was ready to cry. literally. i wanted to walk so bad. when you can see the line it makes it no better. when you want to push and can't it kinda sucks. i crossed the line and checked my watch. 2:01:51. i NEVER would have guessed. i knew i could beat 2:18 but i figured 2:08 maybe, but never 2:01. needless to say i got a good P.R. now and a new P.R. to beat.

Updating the ole P.R.'s

Saturday was my 10k at the Sunburst Races in South Bend. you race from the College Football Hall of Fame to the 50 yard line in Notre Dame Stadium. this was the 3rd year that i have done this run, but it was the first time i have done the 10k. the first 2 years i just did the 5k. i kind of think of this as my running anniversary so you could say that i have been running 3 years now. when i started i was an 11:34 minute miler. now i officially qualify as a 8 minute miler. now mind you that is high 8's, but 8's non the less.

i ran a 55:32, which is a 8:57 mile for 6.2 miles. a new 10k PR.

2 races done so far this year.

Geist went well. a little crazy but not to bad. Elizabeth and i did switch our timing chips so she logged my time and i logged hers but thats okay. i still got my time. i am fairly impressed with how i have improved.

5k (3.1 miles)
34.52 Sunburst 6/2/07
31.56 Sunburst 5/31/08
27.21 Geist Res. 5/16/09 - PR 8:49/mile


10k (6.2)
1:10:45 Steve's Run 7/26/08
1:06:59 Nike Human Race 8/31/08
1:02:16 River City Rat Race 6/26/08
55:32 Sunburst 6/6/09 -PR 8:57/mile


Half Marathon (13.1)
2:18:51 Indy Mini 5/2/09 - 10:35/mile
2:01:51 Chicago Rock and Roll 8/2/09 - PR 9:18/mile

I finished!!!!

well this last weekend i got to do a couple great things. Friday Elizabeth and i ditched the girls at Grandma Peg's and headed down to Indianapolis. we got downtown and went straight to the packet pickup. flawless. we walked around the expo for a bit. it was good. nothing you had never seen before, yet good. we left there and decided to go eat at the Ram. as we were walking and for a lot for the drive, there was definite concerns about rain on Saturday. Not that i had any control over so i tried to not worry about it. we got done eating and headed straight to the hospital to go see Lexy. It was great. very nice place, super nice nurses and obviously this little girl has an insanely larger rooting section. i couldn't believe how many nurses stopped in to say bye for the weekend or just dropped by to see her or just thought they would come in to see if she needed anything. Elizabeth and i played fair and shared the baby, but she did seem happier when with me, just an observation. eventually we had to pack up and head to aunt Paula's for the carbfest of '09. Rob and Stacy joined us also which was great to see them. We all loaded up and pizza and pasta and cheesecake. yeah yeah yeah. but cheesecake is so gooood. so we got our plan together for the next morning and around 10:30 i hit the hey.

4:30 i was up, not showering, but getting all ready. at 5:15 Uncle Ron, Aunt Paula, Elizabeth and I piled into the Infinity FX35 and headed to go get my cousin Heather. Heather works for IUPUI so we had sweet parking. so we got to where we needed to be. did a little stretching, found my running buddy, Jon. took a couple pictures. and waited. got in the corral (S by the way) and waited. and waited. GUN WENT OFF.....and we waited. a little more. around 45 minutes after the gun went off, Corral S finally launched. Now it's not that it matters, since your own time doesn't start until you cross the start line, but it sucked either way. any stretching was worthless. then you pass all these walkers that lock arms and stretch all the way across the road. you hear "walkers to the right" but they don't. so that was really frustrating. first mile was in the 11 minute range which i was fine with i didn't want to go out and have nothing left at mile 4 so i just kept where i felt comfortable. every mile was almost exactly 10:30. 10:32, 10:31, 10:29. i did have a 12:45 (bathroom break) but i kept thinking that at some point i would step it up and push the high 9's. nope. 10:30's kept on rolling along. Mile 11 was the first time i rally thought, "boy, this could be over now and i wouldn't be to upset." when mile 12 came up i thought, alright, strong finish, lets go out big. i stepped it up. REALLY WENT AFTER IT! i think that i was at a 9:09 pace. they start counting down your distance left. 3/4 mile...whew!.... 1/2 mile.....wow, this is close...... 1/4 mile, CRAP I THINK I STARTED PUSHING TO SOON!!!! AND THE FINISH! my official time was 2:18:51. the splits...

5 mile, 53:12, which is 10:38 mile
10 mile, 1:48:16, which is 10:49 mile
13.1, 2:18:51, 10 10:36 mile
15,252 place of 35,000 half marathoners

very happy. i really wanted to be at or under 10 minute miles but really my best 10k (6.2 miles) was a 10:02 last year so this is very much on pace. if nothing else, now i have a half under my belt and i can work on it. i have a feeling that i will do at least 3 more this year, along with 5k and 10k's. i have a 5k in two weeks and i am getting excited about that already.

so my PR's are..
5k (Sunburst 2008, 31:56, 10:18 mile)
10k (River City Rat Race 2008, 1:02:16, 10:02 mile)
Half Marathon (Indy Mini 2009, 2:18:51, 10:36 mile)

what i've observed running....

Good day all. well it was a good April. i logged 53 miles and that was with a week off in the middle. i really wanted to hit 60 but I'm sure that will happen this month. we are now at a 1 month countdown to the Indy Mini today. i went out yesterday in the crazy wind and had a couple observations.

-the more people in the car, the less they move over. one person in a car, and they fly to the other side of the road. 6 people in a car, you better move.

-way to many people talk on cell phones. i bet at least 65% of the people that go past are talking on cell phones.

-Men wave more than women. now let it be said, i am 6' 3", 210 lbs (down from 237 by the way...thank you very much) with a buzzed head and full goatee so i guess that i am a little spooky to make eye contact with.

-when a car pulls up to you and someone talks, it scares the crap out of you....Rob and Stacy

-wind is NOT cool

-Commercial trucks and Heavy Duty trucks almost always move over. The drivers almost always wave.

-Old people (sorry to group them, I'll say 70+) do NOT move over. i presume they don't see me.

-Kids frequently slide to the side. the high school girls rarely wave but the thug gangsta guys normally do.

-15 passenger vans want to kill all runners. in the land of the Amish, and living down the road from Target, Kohl's, Meier and Walmart, this is NOT GOOD

-when a passenger waves, it is a motherly looking figure in her late 40's in an SUV with her husband driving. he normally waves too.

-if 10 people drive by and i wave big first, 4 will wave back (single hand lifted off the steering wheel) 2 will give me the "suuup" nod (think "two guys in the mall walking past each other during the holidays" nod) and the others won't make eye contact

-the bigger the guy and the smaller the car, the less likely they are to move over.

i think that's all i have for now. i may add some later when i come up with them and can test them. later

Layla in the paper...

http://www.etruth.com/Know/News/Story.aspx?ID=478478

sometimes the Elkhart Truth won't open so here is the picture. Layla's preschool was collecting food for the needy. this was the picture.

catching up.

Well it has been a while since i have posted. honestly not much to add. Kendra has more exciting info than me now that we have a date for her to be induced (April 14).

as far as running, things are going well. i picked the 16 week program on Runners World thinking that with 2 kids and a wife, add sickness, work and anything else, i might want a longer program in case i miss some time i can make it up and not be behind compared to a short schedule. well the last week or so i got kind of bored with it. Weather took a turn for the worse and so i hopped off the running wagon and took a little time off. in February i only logged 42 miles (down from 49 in Jan, although a few less days to do it in. 16 weeks is is good for making up and bad for getting bored. i got back into it late last week and now i will try to push til the end. the Indy Mini is 51 days from today, then 2 weeks after i am doing a 5 k with Elizabeth and Grant and then 2 weeks after that Elizabeth does her walk and i am trying to get into the Sunburst Race in south bend. maybe do the 10k or so. so between the 2 of us we have 5 races in 6 weeks.

This Monday i did my 2 mile run (which i did 2.25) and ran a 8:34 mile. i wasn't really pushing but i was staying up on my tempo. i know i can't keep it, but i was glad i did it. tonight i am to do 7, 2 Thursday and 9 Sunday. We'll see about that.

Later!

Just a note....

Jeff Kamp made me a new header (thanks Jeff). He used a picture that i found on www.flickr.com from a photographer going by Jem G. I don't know how this legal stuff works real well so i thought that i would post this and a link to the pic that she took.

http://flickr.com/photos/11359082@N05/2189877107/

Thank you Jem!

New day, new shoes and a little AVON

Suuuuup! well after taking a couple days off to recover after too much running and too many days including 2 speed runs, i am feeling ready to get back out. body feels good. legs still work. and now i have happy feet with the addition of my new shoes. Layla stayed at the Nana's last night so Elizabeth, Marley and i ran over to Mishawaka and swapped out my Nimbus 10's for my new GT-2140's. Metro slid them on my feet and i instantly felt better about them. Again i think Metro but i think they are behind the curve that the Running Company has created. Of course i ended up with a small $10 credit that i chose to hang on to rather then spend it and use it later. i hopped on the treadmill at Metro and ran a short distance in the new kicks and felt very roomy in the toe box. heel was nice and snug. i wish that a size 15 was a lighter shoe but like i said....it's a 15. it's like asking for hot ice. not happening.

we then went over to the new Macri's and had dinner. We got there and we were a little concerned because we were the only people there but then we realized that it was 5:00 so that made a little more sense. by the time we left, there was 6 or 7 tables full. the best part was we were going to get bread sticks and cheese ($4) but instead decided to go with the recommendation of our waitress and had the pretzels ans cheese. that was good. Marley however gave quite the face and did not return to the pretzel and stuck with gold fish or "go feesh" as she calls them. It was nice just the three of us. it reminded me of starting our family with Layla. it's nice to be able to give a kid 100% of your attention when you are normally splitting it and trying to do something all at the same time. Food came out quickly and we settled in to eat. Elizabeth got her favorite, the Gyro and i got my Chicken Cordon Blue. it appeared the Gyro ($8) stayed the same but my CCB ($8) had been put on a crusty bun rather than in the bread form that was at the old location, i just don't remember what it was. it seemed larger than what i remember it being before. So we ate and then headed off to Target to get some essentials and headed home. We talked about Cold Stone Creamery but held strong and went home and had water. good stuff.

I did hop on the treadmill at home and logged a quick 2.2 miles which was a mix of running and walking in the new shoes. it wasn't my finest run but i just wanted to get a little into them and see if i discovered any trouble spot. with no trouble spots i tacked that run/walk more to a crosstrain than a run but i intend on getting out a couple times this weekend. this was a low training week and i have kind of goofed it up anyways so i might as well keep goofing it up. in my head i would like to do 3.25 Saturday, 4 Sunday and then 2 Monday would get me back on my schedule. Last month i logged 49.83 miles running, another 4 walking and 2 more cycling. i am kind of impressed with my mileage considering the weather we have had. i think that i am still sitting at that 20 lbs. weight drop which is again, fine. Elizabeth on the other hand is looking amazing. Everyday i feel very lucky to have her with me

Elizabeth is training for a 2 day, 39.3 mile walk with her sister in Chicago. the first day is a 26.2 (thats a full marathon) on the first day, then they get shoved into a tent to sleep that night and then another 13.1 (thats a half marathon) the second day. i am really proud of her. This is a charity fof Breat Cancer research through Avon. Everyone in the walk has to raise $1800 or more. I will give a link and feel free to sponser her with whatever you can.

http://www.avonwalk.org

or to make a donation and go right to her page.....

http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR/Walk2009/Chicago?px=4471666&pg=personal&fr_id=1780

thanks again.

2140-113-4.96-216-21-157= Cold Stone Creamery

Hello all. i called Metro and placed my order for my Asics GT-2140. the guy on the phone remembered me quickly and that was nice because i didn't get his name last time so i was worried that i was going to have to try to convince a second person about swapping out shoes. he asked me questions and seemed a little ashamed for misdiagnosing my running style. i should hear from them next week and then i will run over there and hopefully be done with this round of shoe buying. Last night was a training night. I took off out of work a bit early and started off through the subdivision. the first 60 yards was plowed very well, then the fluffy snow came closer and then i was running on it. well, call it running. it really takes it out of you. every push off is twice as hard and when you land, you have a make sure you don't slide away. once i got through the neighborhood and on to 113 it was clear. i ran up and down that and then did a half run and back through the nasty stuff one last time. i was to do 5 but all in all i did 4.96. i hopped on the scale after my shower and clothed was 217.5 lbs which is where i was before the holidays. this morning, in the buck, i was 216 lbs. at my heaviest, i think that i was 237, which at the time didn't seem bad but now i think about that being almost 240 and it amazes me. so i am considering myself at a 21 lbs. weight loss. i kind of remember liking being at 200 best, but i really have no intention of getting there. i am not so much looking at this running thing as a weight loss, but i will not say never. if i get there, i am fine with it. i just remember high school graduating at 157 lbs and looking sick so i still worry about being undersized. i miss Cold Stone Creamery. i think i just needed to hear myself say that.

Update 2

Stopped at The Running Company with my uncle Ron. I am much more impressed with this company. its not that i don't like Metro, but i don't think they are set up for big feet and now that i have been to another store, i feel like i got better attention. RunCo. had me put on a 15 Pegasus (very neutral) and run on a treadmill and videotaped me. then after a minute of running, i got to watch my steps in slow motion. i got a very different analysis rather than looking at the bottom of my old shoes. so he brought out 2 more pairs of shoes and i ran in those and i really like the Asics GT-2140. didn't like the color but there are options. so i really knew that i wasn't buying but told the guy helping me that i was just starting to look and he got it that i wasn't buying but i still asked him a couple questions and he still brought out 2 more pairs for me to try. i wished that i didn't have this in store credit to use at Metro because i am much happier with how in depth they were at the Running Company, but it is what it is. Maybe the next time i will buy from them. Sometime next week i will call and ask them to order my new shoes and when they are in, i will go swap shoes. that's all for now.

Update............

i called Metro and i can come back in and they will get me what i want. i will be headed south this weekend so i hope maybe my uncle can take me to some running stores and i will see if i can find something i like better and then go back to Metro and they can order it for me.

hmmmmmm............

Well i ran (on the treadmill) for the first time in my new shoes. Didn't like them. the spot of concern above the pinky toe is still my spot of concern. i don't feel like this is something that is going to "break in". i did 2.5 miles on the treadmill and it doesn't rub, it just feels like with all that extra stitching right there it holds my toes and won't let me move around like i prefer. the rest of the shoe i really like. a lot. but i think that i will be making a phone call to see what my options are. Today is 100 days from the Indy mini. still very excited. i will need to do a little research to figure out a running course for the week after next when i am at Rob's. last time i was there i just ran around the circle that is like .9 miles 3 times. i was bored out of my mind. i felt like Clark W. Griswold stuck in Europe. Look kids, Big Ben, Parliament! But i have time. The run last night felt fairly good for being on the treadmill. maybe i am getting used to it. Who knows. Maybe it was because i was so focused on my toes. i know the ugly pair of Brooks will still be at the store. i am wondering if i wouldn't be better going to Indy one of the next 2 weekends and trying on stuff down there and then when i come back up, have Metro bring something in for me. First i will call. then i will figure something wonderful out. nice thing is, that worst case scenario, i still like my Nimbus 8's and could always use them should i not find something in time to get them broken in. i will spellcheck real quick and be on my way. Later.

first long run in training....

Hello all, Elizabeth was out of town this weekend but i managed to ditch the kids for a bit and run over to Metro to try out the new shoes and buy something. the lady that was helping me last week was not there but a young girl helped me out and i tried on the Asics. not to shabby. i have the Nimbus 8 and these were the Nimbus 10. it was different. not in a bad way, just different. it's hard to not compare to an already broken in shoe especially when it has the same name. the other shoe was the Brooks Dyad 5. my only problem with the shoe, and i know I'm not supposed to say it, was how ugly it was. seriously ugly. i guess it is built up for heavier runners and yes, that would be me but for today, i just couldn't do it so i bought the Asics. i figure that i will do a little walking in them but i guess my only complaint is that i wish i could have tried more pairs out. i know that if i didn't wear a 15, there would be more options but i know that they know what they are doing so i have to trust them.

Sunday was my long training day. on Wednesday i did manage to get 3 miles in on the treadmill. it was long and miserable but i got it in the log book. fun or no fun, it's entered either way. Sunday i went out and got 6.4 miles in. OUTSIDE!!! it was a little brisk but you warm up and get in a groove and forget about everything. i left myself an out in my route so if i felt crappy or cold after 3 i could head home and just do 4 total but i felt really good so i got a full 6 running and the .4 was from the walking warm up and cool down. Tonight i have to get 2 miles in and i think that i might do that on the treadmill in the new shoes. as much as i don't like it, at least i can run in squeaky new shoes.

i am looking forward to the next couple weekends. this weekend the my household is heading south to Nobletucky for my nephews birthday party. Layla loves those cousins. Marley loves destroying any kind of railroad track or anything that you took 6.7 hours setting up. it will be fun to talk with my uncle too, because he is running the mini marathon also and plus they have a treadmill with.......HEADROOM!!!!!!! then the next weekend i am heading down again for a solo weekend with the boys. Rob and hopefully Grant too. not sure of the details yet but I'm working on cooking up something fun.

I keep thinking that soon i will be saying, "hey good news! i am in a band again" but at this point not much is cooking. Jeff has put up a Craigslist ad and we have gotten responses. i wish it was from closer people. Valpo to Michigan and down to Plymouth. some good sounding prospects. i guess the drive is on them, it just makes it that much harder though. oh well. maybe soon. we'll see.

Well, that should be it for now. Ta ta

i am so Metro!

On Saturday since my parents watched Marley for a while, i rode along with Elizabeth and Layla and dropped them off at the Fancy Nancy party at Barnes and Noble and drove over to Metro Run Walk south of U.P. mall. this is one on those places that breathes running and walking. i walked in and a lady rushed right over to me. i wore my running shoes that i wear when it snows and took my good running shoes along. i normally take care of my shoe needs by my self, after all, i worked at FOOT LOCKER. i know what i am doing here people! any ways the lady flipped over my shoes and said "okay, you have about 400 miles on these" what size and went to the bat cave. the 400 miles was right on. i have logged 350 running and i don't know when i have worn them to Vegas and just around. it's funny. they don't ask you what shoe are you looking at, they just bring you what you need. well being a size 15, choices are limited to say the least, but she brought out 2 14's and would just order what i was going to get. i was happy with one of them, a Brooks Dyad 5 but definatley needed the 15 so they ordered that and the newer version of what i already have, the Asics Nimbus 10. Now i must wait for Aciscs to ship the shoes. i guess Brooks is pretty quick to ship so i should see them in a week or so to compare.

today i start my training officially for the Indy Mini that i am very excited about. i got the e-mail saying that all 35,000 spots are sold out now, 4 months prior to the May 2 run. 13.1 miles will be the longest run i have done so far. i am trying to get through this before i pick a full marathon to do. as i pound my morning coffee i am thinking about all the food things i will be changing. try to eliminate all the bad foods, or at least cut down. i am going to try to log this training not only in my calander like i always do but by blogging my progress. it starts today. 16 weeks of training brought to you by me from runnersworld.com. they have ways to get started and free training programs for any stage of running. i really got into running after Elizabeth had Marley. having a second kid was the first time i felt kind of ..... OLD!!!! 2 KIDS!!!!! MY DAD HAS 2 KIDS!!!!! i was weighing in at a hefty 235 and one of the guys i work with has done 4 full marathons so i knew i had a guy to bounce thoughts/feelings/faith/concerns off of. i also have an uncle that has done big marathons including Boston and i always thought that seemed so cool. so after 2 5k's (3.1 miles) and 3 10 k's (6.2 miles) i am on a mission to start racking up the real miles and now down to 217 lbs and soon to have a new pair of shoes, off we go.........................

BUMMER!!!!!

Georgia's quarterback AND RB are both leaving early for the NFL. we all guessed they would be hoped they would stay. Joe Cox is still a great QB and there is always talent coming in. Trevor and i saw Joe save the day at the Colorado game. HE CAN DOOO IT!

http://bkattau.blogspot.com/2006/10/my-life-past-few-weeksfor.html