One of the guys that started running with us has these great little jokes.  usually they are pretty funny.  This is one he sent me that I find hilarious.  I know, I know.  it is cheesy.  I still like it.

A man walked into a bar and sat down, ordered a beer and sat and drank it and he heard a voice. "Nice tie." Nobody was there except him and the bartender. "Really cool shirt, too." He thought he must be losing his mind. "I like your hair that way." He said to the bartender, "I keep hearing this voice."

"Those are the peanuts, sir. They're complimentary."

I am doing well.  The legs feel great.  No ankle issues.  Knees feel strong and the shins are not sore one little bit.  Everything actually feels better than they have in a long while.  This is very motivating as it would appear I have recovered from the injury.  Now I need to really push my stamina and endurance to get back to where I was last year. 

If it was not raining I would be going out on a trail run today.  I can't wait until the weekend.  Assuming it is dry we are planning on running 6 miles on the trails. 

So, I know a new way to loose weight.  It really is very simple and best of all, you don’t have to do anything but stand there.   Just go to the US national White Water Center and stand in the parking lot at dusk.  You will find that you loose weight by just standing there.  How you ask?  Well, it gets sucked out of you.  Yep.  Sucked right out of your body.  By the billions of mosquitos they have. 

I have been running on the trails again.  I was running on Tuesday evening and again this evening.  The running is going great.  The ankle feels strong and I can feel my cardio improving with leaps and bounds.  Not back to where it was but no where near where I started either.  Just those darn bug bites.  The little buggers are eating me alive.  I bet I have lost a pound of blood already because of those vampires. 

I have to admit.  It feels SOOOOOOOOOOOO good to be back out on the trails running.  Both physically and mentally.  Tuesday evening I was running late.  I did not start until 7pm and it was dark.  Very dark.  Marcus ran ahead so I was alone.  Not to worry.  (1) I am used to that and (2) I was in a mental zone that made everything right with the world.  I was doing what I do.  Out running on the trails.  Anyway, I was enjoying the solitude and was relaxing into a good rhythm.  I crested a hill and was recovering when I saw the moon through the trees.  The air was slightly chilled but extremely clean and clear.  The moon was so bright and looked to be full if not very close to full.  I just thought, how amazing is this?  I am back out on the trails seeing this show that nature is putting on. 

Tonight’s run was nice.  3 miles with two new runners joining me.  I think they both enjoyed it.  At least, they were more than willing to commit to come back and run again.  They like it but I am not sure they love it.  For me, I think it is pretty clear.  I love it.  When I run I release so much stress.  I am in a far better mood and find I am extremely motivated. 

The real trick is to make the time.  I am always happy when I do.  The new job is going to allow me to get on a more set schedule.  Just another pro for the new job.  Which, btw, is going well.  I am working with the team.  Starting to understand some of the technologies they employ to do the job they do.  Fairly specialized stuff but critical in responding to security related situations.  So everything is going very smoothly in life right now.

This weekend is a big race.  The Leadville 100.  It is a grueling endurance race of 100 miles.  My friend Tim is doing this as his first 100 mile ultra.  I know.  I know.  Yes, it is insane to even think about.  he is a great athlete and extremely strong runner.  But 100 miles is an exceptionally tough test of even his endurance.  Sure there is the obvious physical aspect of running for 100 miles.  he is attempting to do it in under 24 hours.  But think about the mental aspect.  Literally running for 24 hours.  Doing something that requires not one but multiple physical exams during the event due to the extreme nature of that event.  What impact does that have on somebody’s mind?  Running in the dark and the cold and the high altitude.  At the high altitude you have oxygen depletion.  Basically there is just not the same amount of oxygen up there.  Couple that with increasingly cold temps.  One has to believe that it will stress him out mentally.  But I know he is up to the challenge. 

I really did not think much about it before this week.   I just thought, yet another crazy endurance event that he is running. It is not like he hasn’t driven 10 hours to a 50k trail run, slept in his truck, ran the race (very fast), attended the awards ceremony and then immediately drove home before.   But knowing that the race is Saturday has me thinking more and more about it.  I am a little bit concerned for him.  People get hurt on these things.  Really hurt.  Not just twisted ankle like on my trail runs but hurt like kidney failure hurt.  I worry about that.  I have not said anything to him about my concerns because, well, he probably wouldn’t care.  He would just let it pass.  And if not, then I wouldn’t want to be the one to discuss getting hurt and have him thinking about that while running.  That does nobody good either.  But still, I am both excited to hear all about the race and nervous.  Funny thing is I am not even the one running it.  Hell, I can’t even stay healthy enough to get to run a marathon.

Hopefully I will wake to a message on Sunday that he did it.  Completed it in under 24 hours and besides being completely exhausted, he is otherwise fine.  When that happens, I will then move my concerns to the local Sushi places in Colorado.  Because my friend can put a real hurting on Sushi joints.  I can only begin to imagine how hungry he is going to be after running 100 miles in under 24 hours.

I finally got back out on the trail.  I went for a trail run in Beatty Park yesterday.  It felt great.  I really miss being out on the trail.  There were a ton of mountain bikers which meant stopping lots to let them pass.  I guess it was the weather.  85 and cloudy.  Never the less, I have a good time.  I felt good and the ankle felt stable after about a 1/2 mile.  I guess it needs “warming up to operating temp”.  Nothing got twisted or turned.  This morning it was stiff when I first got up but that has gone away.  Looking forward to going out on Thursday and giving it another workout. 

So, first off, I want everyone to know, it is NOT that your suggestions are not valuable.  They are.  I got many responses with numerous different paths for me to take.  Many though said don't do it. 

That being said, I am running tomorrow.  I am not doing the half marathon but the 8k.  Let me explain why.  I have been stressing over this all week.  My heart wants me to.  My mind is on the fence post.  My body, well, who knows.  Some days are good and some are not so good.  I worried about could I run that distance after being off so long, would I get hurt, what if I get hurt, what if I don't do as good as I normally would, etc.  What it really comes down to is, I would rather try and fail then not try at all.  I would be far more upset with myself if I did not even try than if I did and got hurt again. Don't think I took this lightly.  I did not.  I talked to my running buddies.  I talked to my wife, of course.  I talked to my physical therapist and my doctor.  I even talked to my dog.  Funny thing though, the only thing she said back was biscuit.  Over and over again.  Biscuit, biscuit, biscuit.  :)

So while warming up on the elliptical this morning I talked about how I could plan and run the 8k with my physical therapist.  he says I push myself to hard.  I don't think I push hard enough.  That being said, he did give me the go ahead to run it.  But, I have to follow plan.  I will warm up.  light stretching.  And the emphasis is on light.  Maybe some fast walking.  That won't be a problem.  The start line is 1.5 miles from the parking lot.  Run slowly.  More slowly than I normally run.  That will be tough.  I am not entirely sure it is physically possible to run slower than me and not be tagged as a walker.  But we will see.  Here is the biggest part, when I come up to a rough section I need to walk it.  That means extremely uneven trail, lots and lots of roots and especially, most importantly, the rock gardens.  Those are walking points without a doubt. 

Now with this plan in mind and the fact that the first 5 miles (8k) is the easier part of the whole course, I think I can do it.  And if I think I can do it, I have to try.  Because when it comes down to it I might not complete the run.  I might not complete the run as solid as I want.  I might even get hurt again.  But, just for a sec think about what if I really could do it and I never tried.  I have never been a fast runner.  I am out of shape and, well, lets go with rotund.  But that has never stopped me from trying.  I still remember my first 5k with my friends Don and Donna.  Donna did good.  Don and I were having a tough go of it. but we finished.  I still remember my first half marathon than I ran by mistake.  I could barely walk back to the car.  But I finished it.  That 14 mile trail run in Burlington, Run at the Rock, it wore me down to the bone.  Tired.  Completely exhausted.  But I finished it.  So if I don't try, I never even have the opportunity to finish it.  I never get the opportunity to challenge myself. 

So I am running it tomorrow. There never was really a choice for me.  I just did not know it until today. 

I don't  know what to do.  Usually I am pretty fast to come up with a direction to take or a decision to be made.  This time, I have no idea what to do.  Saturday is a The Ramble Trail Run.  This is my one big race of the year.  I desperately wanted to do well.  Sure, for my friend Tim but more so for myself.  Then I had to go and get hurt.  Not a typical hurt but a for real hurt.  I did not run for 2 whole months.  My game plan was to work as hard as they would let me to give myself a chance to run the Ramble Half.  A couple weeks ago I realized and concluded that the half was not reasonable.  Even though I am very much ahead of schedule for physical therapy, time is just not on my side.  So I said if I was going to run I would run the 8k.  Roughly 5 miles.  The Ramble is on tough terrain to say the least.  The first half (the 8k) is much easier than the second half.  So logic was on my side to run the 8k.  Two weeks ago I started running outside again.  The first mile is a little hard on my ankle but then it warms up for the second.  I have only run 2.5 mile stints.  My Tuesday run this week was horrible.  I was having my left leg cramp up on me.  I ran through it even though it really started to hurt.  I figured I was over compensating for my ankle without really knowing it.  So today's run I made sure I was trying to run evenly.  Good run.  Legs feel good although a bit tired. 

I know I could complete the run.  Maybe not as good as I might like but I can complete it.  My concern, well, Ok, my fear is when I get tired on the trail the odds of me turning my ankle again are extremely high.  I have not been back out on the trail since I got hurt.  Well, I hiked some but I really don't count that.  hiking in local trails is nothing like running Uwarrie State Forest.  That is like saying I drove my car around the neighborhood so now I can go run the Baja 1000. 

So my big question is, do I run the 8k or not?  If I run it then I run it and give it my all.  Then on Sunday I drive down to Florida to start vacation.  If I don't run it, I leave Saturday to go on vacation.  many want to know what I am doing.  Many NEED to know what i am doing.  I am conflicted.  I have no idea what I am going to do. I would ask my running friends but I know what they would say.  Go out and run it.  if it hurts, rub some dirt on it and keep going.  Normally I like that attitude and am all for it.  But I also need to be smarter than I think I am at the moment.  I need to think long term.  I am really conflicted if running it or not running it is good in the long term.  I have no idea. 

Maybe I should just sit on the porch and throw the tennis ball with Charlotte all Saturday morning.  :)

That is it.  Everyone say it together.  YeeHaw!!!!! It has been almost 2 months since I last ran outside.  Two long freaking stressful months.  I worked hard in physical therapy and at home.  Doing my exercises and stretches and pushing myself especially hard in physical therapy.  I tried not to whine at all although I think some slipped out here and there.  All that culminated into a 2.5 mile run today outside.  I ran in very familiar territory being my neighborhood. Hills and all.  It was pretty sunny outside which I hate.  But I was so happy to be outside running that I really didn't care much.  I ran it in 23 minutes which is approx a 9:20 pace.  Nowhere near where I was before I got hurt but after all this still a sub 10 minute pace.  The funny thing is, I did not feel like I pushed myself all that hard.  I felt like I was cruising around.  Just taking a little stroll.  Chris (my physical therapist) is good.  He pushes me hard but not too hard.  I get little wins and even surprise myself sometimes.  He has been working on a total running rehab and not just targeting the ankle.  This run is all because of him.   I had to trust which I don't do very well.  But I did and it sure paid off.  Thanks Chris!

I am pretty happy right now.  Sweaty and happy.  Sweat is good.  I love sweat.  Anything worth enjoying involves sweat.  :)  I ran 2.5 miles and outside on the streets none the less.  Wait until Tim reads this.  I am sure he will be ecstatic.  All my friends will be happy.  But none more than me.  Because I can finally run again.

Should be an easy one. Where in the world, specifically, is Jim when he took this photo?

The weather sure has been nice.  I hope everyone else is seeing great weather also.  The only unfortunate thing is that I cannot take advantage of the weather.  I have been doing, for the most part, what I was told.  Meaning staying put and keeping the ankle still.  I did drive to work one day and to a coffee shop last night.  But other than that, I have had the leg propped up.

Before I forget. For everyone asking, no, I have not been riding my motorcycle.  As much as I want to and as hard as it is to stay off, I have been good.  No riding.  I do think I will give it a bath this weekend but I probably won't ride.  I might but I will try not too.  Just not entirely sure my will power will hold through the weekend of the weather keeps up like it has.

So work is typical for this time of year.  I started having some meetings that are pretty different than I normally hold.  I have been getting good feedback so here's to an old dog learning something new.  Hopefully the team continues to like the new meetings.  I have to go to Florida shortly but did cancel my trip to Seattle.  With the ankle in a massive boot and me not so mobile, I did not think it would be wise to spend 5 hours on a plane. So one trip canceled.  The Florida trip has me on a plane for around 30 min so I think I will be OK for that one.  Not entirely sure what security will say at the airport.  I will just get there extra early to give them plenty of time to inspect. 

I met up with Tim, my Ultra Marathon running friend, last night for a coffee.  Although short, it was nice meeting with him.  I'll need to lean on him pretty hard while I am recovering.  He is always willing to help out with advice and guidance with my running.  He thinks, along with Marcus, that if I focus I might have a chance to complete my running goal for the Ramble.  It is a tough goal.  2:30 for that particular half marathon sounds slow but consider this, I ran it in 2:45 last year.  Lots of things went into that 2:45 that I have corrected since. 

To achieve my goal I need to recover faster that what the doc thinks is going to happen.  How can I do that you ask?  By listening, being focused and using all my resources.  This means actually listening to the PT person.  I hope we get along.  I either like you or I don't.  I really don't have middle ground.  So I hope I like them.  That will make it easier.  Their job is to get my ankles strong. 

Another thing I need to do is to keep up my fitness as best as I can.  I have a personal trainer.  Yes, she is one of those I like.  Her name is Debbie but I typically refer to her as the Princess of Pain.  We spoke for a while about what I can do to keep up my fitness and maybe even continue moving forward some.  She knows my goal for the Ramble.  She has been changing my workouts and I have been more focused in doing them.  Even Marcus has seen a change in how I am climbing hills rather than just pushing myself up hills.  This is good and a direct result of all the freaking core work I was doing.  Anyway, the Princess of Pain come over tonight and worked with me in developing a workout I can still do.  Even while still wearing the Pity Boot.  So 288 crunches later I have a workout I can do.  I am tired so I know I was doing work.  Still did not get it all done in an hour but in two weeks I will be able to.  That is always the case with her.  The first couple weeks with a new workout it takes longer than an hour but I get stronger and eventually can get it all done in an hour.  So, new workout, check.

The last thing is once I get back to running I need to capitalize on my friends Marcus and Tim.  They are almost always up for a run which I will need.  They will keep me motivated and on target and will be more than happy to get out on the trails or the road with me. 

Other than that it is up to me to work hard. It is my decision how hard I work.  I am pretty motivated right now but then again it is 10:30pm and all I really have to do right now is brush my teeth and go to bed.   But I somehow think I will wake up more motivated than I am right now.  Hard work is the key.  I can do hard work.  It is something in which I have pride.

So instead of the 2 or 3 months of no running, I plan to run at least a mile in 3 weeks.  That would be April 3rd.  At least 1 mile.  Could me more but 1 mile is the goal.  Don't care if it is on a trail or on the road.  Just one mile of running.  Stay focused.

So I get home this evening.  I was patient but still excited as Zappos raised the priority of my shipping (at no cost to me) to have them arrive today.  They arrived around 2pm this afternoon! 

The trail shoes, the bright red ones, fit great.  I really think they are going to do well on the trail.  I plan on going on a trail run with Marcus and Tim Sunday morning so we will see if they work.  The road shoes, well not so good.  Evidently the brilliant idiots at brooks decided to change the toe box with the Glycerin 6 model.  The Glycerin 3 and the glycerin 4 had the same.  Plenty of room for my toes.  it took me literally years to find the Brooks Glycerin model.  They are perfect.  I can put on a new pair and go out and run a half marathon without so much as even a sore area.  Let alone an actual blister.  I know this because I have done it before with a pair of Glycerin 4s. I would not care if they changed the pattern, etc.  But they should have left the geometry alone.  Well, I hope they are inflicted with blisters on their toes for the next ten years or until they change the toe box geometry back the way it was.  I put on the Glycerin 6 right shoe, walked three steps and knew immediately that they were not going to work.  I could feel this one piece of material rubbing against my toe.  Sure, in a 5k that would be no big deal.  I could probably get by in a 10k with a thick pair of socks.  But in a half I would be miserable.  Why, oh why did they feel the need to change them?!?!?!  Have they never heard the phrase, "If it ain't broke don't fix it!"?  What gives with this nonsense?  Uggghhhhh.  This is bad.  Very bad.  Finding a new brand and/or model of shoes will be extremely frustrating.

So back to Zappos.  I called them back and told them about the toe box.  No worries Mr. Payne.  In your email you already have a return label.  Just print it out, pack the shoes up and UPS will ship them back to us.  No cost to you.  Cool!  Then they asked if I saw anything else I might want to get.  I told them that it would appear the toe box on the Glycerin 5 model looks to be like what I am more used to with the Glycerin 4.  They said, "We have your size and can have them there no later than Tuesday. Maybe even by Monday."  So I said ship them.  The new, new shoes are cheaper so they already processed a refund of the difference.  All this occurred in less than 5 min.  No questions other than the ones necessary to make things right.  Pretty cool.  So hopefully some new cool marine blue road running shoes will be here Monday or Tuesday.  I might get lucky.  I am hoping I get lucky and the toe box is the same as with the Glycerin 4 model.  If not, then the long and frustrating task of finding a new brand / model will begin.  Now, lets all cross our fingers and hope that the shoes are good.  because otherwise, nobody will be reading any blogs from me on topics other than running shoes for some time.  And nobody wants that!  :)

Sure is funny how runners are so serious about their shoes. 

So I finally broke down and bought two new pair of running shoes.  I needed new road running shoes and new trail running shoes. 

I have only ran on the road three or four times in the past year so I never replaced my road shoes. They were worn down and generally not acceptable to run in.  So new Brooks Glycerin 6s are on the way to my casa as I write this.  They only come in two colors.  Brooks does this all the time.  Green or Yellow.  I got the green because I just don't wear yellow.   To give you an idea how long it has been since I last purchased new road running shoes, my current ones are Brooks Glycerin 4s.  :)

I also needed a new pair of trail running shoes.  My North Face just did not hold up like I would have liked.  Even though I have had four pair, I went with Brooks to try out something new.  I got the Brooks Cascadia 3s.  They are much more *bright* than I would have liked.  But oh well.  I am hopeful they stand up to the test of numerous miles on the trails.  At least better than my North Face trail shoes. The color is called Magma inferno Red.  They look it too.  Nothing a little red Carolina clay won't cover up fairly effectively.  Just run through a couple creeks, 10 to 20 miles of single track and they will start to look how a real trail shoe should look.

The interesting thing was the customer service from the company I purchased them from.  Zappos.com is great.  When I purchased my first pair of shoes from them I had a great experience.  They made sure they had them in stock, they made sure that the shoes arrived sooner than they told me and when the shoes did not fit they made sure they THEY paid for the shipping back.  All very professional.  I have ordered all four of my North Face shoes from them.  SO I called to order these two pair from them.  The problem was that the Brooks site had them exactly $4 cheaper.  Each pair.  Well, not a problem for Zappos.  They just took the $8 off the price.  Then they upgraded my shipping to next day air.  And no, they were not charging for any shipping.  None.  Everything nice, no arguing, nothing.  I only asked for the price match.  Not the shipping.  They just did it because I was a, and I quote, "A Good Customer".  Really.  I was amazed.  So yes, good customer service can drive customer loyalty.  These will be pairs number 5 and number 6 that I have purchased from them.  All running shoes.  Not the cheapest shoes in the world.  Now to top it all off, I just got another email from Zappos telling me they upgraded my shipping again.  To make sure I get the shoes as soon as possible. Even though I ordered them today at 5pm, they are working hard to get them out today.  Meaning they are trying to get me the shoes tomorrow.  I did not ask for this.  I like it.  I really like it.  But I did not ask for it.  See, that is good customer service.  Set the bar high and then jump right over it.  That is how you EARN customers.

Just for those inquiring minds, here is a picture of the old worn out busted broken down trail shoes. Yes, that is the same front that got caught on a tree root and got ripped off two trail runs ago.   It is hard to see but they are missing some knobbies off the bottom.  That is because either I am just so powerful running up the hills or so clumsy running down.  Only few really know.  :)

Yesterday was the third and final race of the Frosty 5k race series.  The first race was held at Mallard Creek Greenway and the second race was held at McAlpine Creek Park.  This race was held in Freedom Park close to Uptown Charlotte.  This is a nice urban park.  It has a neat little outdoor stage located on an island in the middle of a pond.  There was ample parking for everyone running in the race and watching the 5k race.  I had run on the outside of the park numerous times as one of Sharksbite's group runs used to run right past the backside of the park. 

I have been fighting a cold for the past couple of days and considered not showing up.  But I did not want to hear the ribbing I would have received from my friends Tim and Marcus if I stayed home.  So I left my house shortly after 7:45am and showed up right at 8am.  Of course Marcus pulled into the parking lot right as I turned my car off.  We walked together to get our packets, bibs and chips.  They had the tables setup on the island in the middle of the pond.  While walking to the registration tables we were trying to figure out the course.  We could see the start/finish being setup but really could not tell the rest of the course.  As with the previous races, the registration was setup perfectly.  Easy access and no wait.  The turn out was great with many people showing up at the race.  Many families with dogs and strollers and lots of kids.  This is the exact reason why I feel CHF should sponsor a race every month and not just these three.  For me, running is about getting outside and exercising.  With the Nation average for weight on a significant rise, it is great that CHF can get so many outside and exercising. Being a magazine centered on health and fitness, this seems to be right in alighment with their charter.

The announcement was made to get to the start line and get ready to race.  Marcus as usual went to the front.  He is very fast and today was in the perfect mood to have a good run.  Me, well, I am pretty slow.  I have ran these events around a 9 min pace.  I expected to be a bit slower today as I was not feeling very well. Still, I lined up where I thought I would place.  About 3/4 of the way back from the start.   Although this start turned out to be much different from the last.  The race director did not line everyone up and this proved to be a big issue.  The last race start went so smoothly for everyone.  I have no idea why it was not done this time.  But, I also understand how crazy things can get for race directors at the start.  I am sure he was putting out numerous "fires" such as "I lost my chip..." and "We switched bibs...".  At least, this is what I hope.  So the race started and of course there was a big bottle neck right at the start.  We started the race from the chute that would be at the finish.  This caused everyone to bunch up.  Especially with the baby joggers and dogs.  Once we got past the start area we were running on a paved path.  With so many runners this proved to be a continual bottleneck.  About a quarter of the mile into the run we actually had to run on a city sidewalk.  This was a bad decision.  With so many walkers, baby joggers and dogs that started up front this proved to be an even bigger bottle neck than the start.  I actually stopped running for a bit and then had to walk for a bit just to stay on course.   I NEVER cheat so I just sucked it up and put this down to bad course planning.  After the side walk we were still running on pavement but through a little side section of trees in the park.  This was a nice area that I enjoyed running through.  But just as we were getting into a groove we were out of that area and onto a parking lot.  Yep, I said parking lot.  I thought the sidewalk was bad but this was just plain boring. After the parking lot there was a little section of sidewalk again and then the turn around point.  The course was an out and back so I knew this was the halfway point. 

At the halfway point was a water stop manned by a group of cub scouts.  They were all very nice and eager to get us our water.  I made sure I told them thanks and took my water.  Not feeling well I needed it.  I also took a sec to look at my watch.  I was way off my normal pace.  Even being sick I was off the pace I thought I would run.  In fact, I was running a slower pace than I have ever ran.  I just chalked this up to me maybe being a little more sick that I thought.  Still, it was a nice sunny day and I was outside running. This is still better than not running.  I have always said, "A bad running day always beats a day without running." I had pasted numerous people and things were pretty spread out at this point in the race.  I was able to stretch out my legs and get into a good rhythm.  I still had to run through the parking lot and traverse the sidewalk again but with little people around me this was not an issue.  Still completely boring but no longer a roadblock to a decent time.

I crossed the finish line around 31:49.  This was not happening.  Sick or not, Tim would lay down the guilt trip on me.  He knows my running goals and he knows my ability.  There had to be something other than me wrong.  I immediately began thinking the course had to have been marked incorrectly.  I guess I should say configured incorrectly as there were no mile markers on the course.  At least, none that I saw.  Maybe the course layout was not followed prior to the start of the race.  Maybe we should have turned around before the parking lot instead of running through it and turning around afterwards.  Anyway I sat down in the stands of the little theater with Marcus to await the awards.    The first thing he said to me was, "Do you think the race course was long?"  Yep.  It had to be.  That course distance and the layout was the big topic of conversation amongst the participants.  Everyone was comparing their GPS running devices.  I heard everything from 3.5 miles to 3.75 miles.  But not a single GPS device had anything close to 3.1 miles.  A 3.5 mile run makes sense for me to finish at a time of 31:49 with a average pace around 9 min.  This is how I felt I ran so this is what I am going with. 

The awards ceremony afterwards was great.  The race director had some clever things to say for the award winners.  Everyone was sitting on a hill and on the benches for the theater.  It was a good setting to hand out the awards.  Marcus came in first in his age group so he completed his set of three CHF mugs.  I did find it slightly funny that they gave the winning kids coffee mugs as well.  Because of the big give-aways pretty much all the race participants stayed for the awards.  I did not win either the treadmill nor the Elliptical Trainer.  Oh well, that is not why I signed up for these events. It was nice to see how large the bin was for the people who had signed up for all three races.

This race was just OK. My advice (and they have not asked for it) would be to not have another event at Freedom Park.  It is just not conducive to a decent 5k race.  Of the three races I would rank them as McAlpine Creek Park first, Mallard Creek Greenway second and Freedom Park a very distant third.  I would also set the participants at the race start exactly as was done at the McAlpine Creek. This allowed for a very smooth race start.  And lastly, I would get different awards for the kids.  They don't need coffee cups. 

These three races were a great idea and overall, were put on well.  Sure, there are things that can be learned from all the races.  Some more than others (say Freedom Park race).  But the overall idea was well worth it.  Enough people showed up to make them viable from a economic standpoint.  Lots of families got outside and exercised.  This is the most important point.  Getting outside and improving health and fitness for the Charlotte community.  I enjoyed the series and hope they do more.          

So let me start this post by saying, I love rain.  Normally, if it is raining I am out running.  Almost nothing is better than going for a run in the rain.  But for the past year, I have been running primarily on the trails.  So here is my dilemma. 

Running in Rain = Good

Running on Trails = Good

Running on Trails in Rain = Bruised Hip and broken ego

Yep, the last time I went running in the rain I went with Tim and Marcus to Anne Springs Greenway. It is not really a Greenway.  They are mountain biking trails.  Well, it was raining at a pretty good clip.  I ran across a wooden bridge that was spanning a creek.  I distinctly remember thinking, this is going to be slippery.  Well, on my way down off the bridge I slipped and hit the ground hard.  Real hard.  Hard enough that both Tim and Marcus heard me hit the ground about 200 yards up the trail.  Yes, they both are much more fast than I am.  (Actually, they are significantly more fast than I am)  I am an extremely slow runner.  Being a Sharksbite runner, I got back up and kept going.  You see, Sharksbite Runners only really stop if you loose a limb or think you might run out of blood.  :)  Even Tim and Marcus waited for me to catch up and asked if I was OK.  There never do this so I must have made one heck of a thud when I hit.  That evening I had a large bruise on my hip.  Oh well, I got 7 miles of trail running completed that day.

Today I was going to meet Tim at Renny Trails for a 6 mile run.  Of course now I am "gun shy". Or, I guess I should say I am "rain shy".  I was looking forward to this run.  My left ankle feels like it will be fine and I was looking forward to testing it a bit.  When it started to rain on my way to Renny I turned around and went back home.  I sent Tim a txt message saying it was raining and I was going home.  I lifted weights and did my workout instead.

So, no trail run today.  I am ordering new road shoes as it appears I will be running on the road more often this year.  I am thinking of going back to the regular Thursday course that I started on.  Lots of hills and I know the course very well.  I think I could run it with my eyes closed the whole way.  I am also traveling more than normal at work.  So it is much easier and safer to just run on the roads instead of finding a trail to run. 

I plan on getting the Brooks Glycerin 6 running shoes.  I have gone through 4 or 5 pairs of Brooks Glycerin 5s so I think it is a fairly safe bet.  I am also thinking of switching from the North Face Arnuva Boa 50 trails shoes to the Brooks Cascadia 3s.They are $40 cheaper and look to have the same stability platform and mesh upper.  But, they are $40 cheaper.  I think I may be getting cheap.  Not entirely sure but it is very possible.  At least, that is what my teenager tells me.  :)  Then again, she sometimes thinks money falls from the sky.

I hope everyone is getting a break in the snow and ice and rain.  Well, I got caught up on the blogshpere today so I know that is not really the case.  So, how about, I hope everyone is warm and dry.

PS.  Steve - We can't get enough of the "Northern Lights".  Really amazing shots.

I was very much looking forward to a trail run this weekend.  I spent the week in Phoenix at a work offsite and only ran once.  I almost froze to death during that run.  The weather was nice and warm at 65 degrees and the air was very clear.  A perfect day for a trail run.  I went out and ran at Francis Beatty park.  I like running on the mountain bike trails.  Yes, I run counter bike direction so I can easily and quickly get out of the way. 

About a mile into the run I fell.  No biggie.  It happens much more frequently than I would like.  I was having a good run although there were lots of stops for bikers.  There was also an unusually high number of walkers with dogs on leashes.  These are especially dangerous since they let the leashes go all the way out and they do not pull them back in when someone comes up.  Talk about an opportunity to trip and fall.  At one point a guy and his dog and his two kids were taking up the whole trail and would not get out of the way.  They just kept walking along.  I said the universal, "On Your Left" a couple of times but no go.  Finally I said, "Are you guys ever going to let me pass?"  and only then did they move out of the way.  This is the exact reason why I should NEVER be allowed to carry a taser when I run.  I bet they would have let me pass if I had one of those little buggers. 

On the last black diamond loop I twisted my ankle.  It was in a particularly rocky section.  I was moving at a pretty good clip and was going around a right hand corner and my foot caught a rock at just the right angle to "roll over" my left ankle.  It hurt.  Yep.  It hurt bad.  For a minute I actually thought I might have broken my ankle.  I had white hot pain shooting up my leg.  That is never a good sign.  I did manage to walk it off though.  I also finished the run although it was just a mile or so to the end.  I run tomorrow and hopefully it will be pretty much back to normal. 

So, 6.75 miles on the trails was a good way to spend the afternoon.  Afterwards Z and I went to JoJo's China Bistro and had Schewan Delight.  That is one of my favorite places to eat and I ALWAYS have Schewan Delight when I go there. And, yes, I know I cannot spell Schewan.  But you guys get the point.  :)

Today was the second race in the Frosty 5k series.  It was held in scenic McAlpine Creek Park.  The park is very robust with soccer fields, a dog park, plenty of walking trails and an excellent cross country 5k course.  This is the same place that the Wendy's Invitational Cross Country race is held.  The first 5k race was at Mallard Creek and the third and final 5k race is going to be held at Freedom Park. 

Showing up at 8am, the temperature was around 30 to 35 degrees.  A very cool start was on the docket.  Charlotte Health and Fitness organized the start of the race just as they did before.  This is good as once you have something that works and works well, no need to change it.  They had a very organized and orderly pre-registration and day of registration tables.  Also was the every present chip pickup table.  Surprisingly enough there were no long lines, even though there were many people running. This was a testament to the many volunteers present.  Just as before, the race packet was put together with good info and trinkets.  They included another box of raisins and a long sleeve shirt.  My daughter "confiscated" my first race shirt and I am sure this one will find the same fate.

With the cool weather I struggled with deciding what to wear.  Long sleeve tech shirt or short sleeve?  Shorts or long pants?  Hat?  It really is funny, looking back, how much you can worry about something like long sleeves or short.  I ended up wearing a long sleeve tech, long pants and of course, my Sharksbite singlet. I met up with Marcus and Alba (Marcus' wife)and we walked over to the start line together.  The sun was out but it was cold.  I was resigned to the fact that this was just going to be a cold run.  But a cold run is so much better than no run. 

This time, the race director organized everyone at the start line.  He made the usually announcement.  Follow this arrow, look for this sign, don't get hurt, have fun, etc... Then he organized everyone.  Very informal but yet, very effective.  If you run sub 7 minute miles, get up front.  If you run 8 and 9 minutes miles, start here.  If you have a baby jogger, please start here.  In my previous race report I talked about the family environment.  Well, that held true with this event.  Everyone lined up where they should.  Honesty was certainly winning out which made me smile.  We all have seen the up front runners having to dodge someone, someone like me, who is not in the same league.  Hence why I always start in the back.  Everybody took a minute and reorganized the start line.  Then the race director counted down from 10 and we were off!

Once I got going I warmed up significantly.  The first mile and a half was flat.  Everyone spread out and fell into a running groove.  It was cool outside, the sun was shinning bright and the air was clear.  We were out running in a park and enjoying ourselves.  I knew then this was going to be a good morning.  I passed the first mile marker and looked at my watch.  8:16 and I thought, no wonder I was starting to get warm.  I was running much faster than normal.  There was only one hill to speak of and it was around 1.5 miles into the run.  The last mile and a half was spent running around the lake and a soccer field.  At one point I came up behind a guy who was walking.  We had been passing one another back and forth for the last mile or so.  I just said, "Come on.  Let's go go go."  He started running again and never stopped all the way to the end.    Since someone helped me in the same way in the last race, this was my chance to "Pay it Forward".  I came around the lake for the last time and crossed the finish line at just under 28 minutes. 

Of course, Marcus was already cooled down by that time but we ran an extra lap around the lake anyway.  Then we waited around for the awards ceremony.  Wingate University cleaned town.  They had their cross country team out and they were, well, fast sort of falls short of describing them.  Still, Marcus placed second in his age group.  Another coffee cup for his Frosty 5k collection.

This was another good race by Charlotte Health and Fitness.  They had good food at the finish line and plenty of water.  Lots of volunteers and excellent race management.  I hope they continue to structure more race series after the final Frosty 5k.  They are good at directing the races and the races are good for the community.  No reason not to have a 5k each and every month.  Hint Hint CHF.

I have a 5k run in an hour and a half.  I am not motivated.  Not really been very motivated to do much of anything.  I just wanted to sleep this morning and not get up.  But, if I skipped this run both Marcus and Tim would have my head on a plate.  I know I will be in a better mood afterwards, I always am.  But, it is cold outside.  OK, cold for us outside.  For some of you reading my blog you will hear that it is 35 outside and think, "Cold?!?!  That is balmy weather"  But for me it is cold.  I will go for my run.  First, I pad to run in the 5k.  Second, I do know I will feel better and be in a better mood afterwards.  I am sure Marcus and his wife, Alba, will go out for something to eat afterwards.  We always do.  I enjoy hanging out with them so that is something to look forward too as well. 

Tim is running in a 40 mile trail run at Uwarrie.  That is an extremely tough course.  We have had a significant amount of rain in the last two days so I have a feeling the course will be simply treacherous.  I know he will have a good run.  He is worried about getting hurt but he runs to fast for that to happen.  :)

I will have a race report written up later today on my 5k.  I will also post other updates as well.

This past weekend I participated in and completed the Frosty 5k Race.  The race is 1 of 3 that are being held in Jan., Feb. and March by Charlotte Health and Fitness (CHF) Magazine. I signed up primarily because my friend Tim is now an Editor at CHF and he suggested that I run in the 5ks.  They sounded like fun races so I signed up for all three. 

I picked up my race packet the day before.  The packets were good with actually useful information and a really good, long sleeve race shirt. I smiled when I pulled out the flyer for the Ramble Trail Half Marathon.  An extremely tough Half Marathon trail run that I completed for the first time this past summer. 

The Frosty 5k was starting at 9am so I planned on showing up around 8am.  Well, as usual, I was running late and did not show up until 8:40am.  Everything was organized very well so this was not going to be a problem.  The race was starting next to an Elementary School so parking was not an issue.  There was even a play ground for the kids.  The race organizers had the typical tables for pre-registrants, chip pick up day of registering, etc.  There was also coffee and water abound.  I picked up my chip and then went to get ready for the run. 

It was a bit cool outside but I still planned on wearing shorts and a t-shirt.  Being 47 outside the start would be cool but once we got running everyone would warm up and be very comfortable.  Of course, I had my Sharksbite singlet on over my t-shirt. Once ready I decided to run the last little bit of the course to check it out.  The start was on a down hill which turns out will be a decent uphill to the finish.  The course was a very fast out and back through Mallard Creek Greenway.  I ran for 5 min or so just getting the feel for the Greenway and warming up.  All but 30 yards of the course was paved and winding through the Greenway.  I kept thinking, this was going to be a very fun run.  Much different from the typical street based 5k through Charlotte.  Once back to the start everyone lined up. I assumed my typical place at the back of the pack.  I am not very fast and want to respect those that are by not being in the way. The race director went over the typical announcements.  Plenty of water, turn here, turn there, have fun and be safe.  I looked around and noticed the vast diversity of the people participating.  Fast runners, slow runners (myself included in this group), baby joggers, walkers and especially kids.  Lots and lots of kids.  This is great.  Far too many kids are sitting on the couch playing video games or watching TV.  It was nice to see so many kids out and off the couch.

The race started.  It took 15 to 20 secs for me to get to the start line.  Lots of people showed up this cool morning.  According to the results site, 250 people ran the 5k.  Once we got down the hill the runners started to spread out a bit and I got into a decent pace.  The flat course really helped.  I saw the 1 mile marker and looked at my watch.  8:41 was on the dial.  Amazing.  This was pretty fast for me.  Granted, not long after that I saw the lead runner on his way back to the finish.  He was taking long strides and looked like he was not exerting much energy.  He was moving very fast.  Not very long after that I saw my friend Marcus on his way back.  I got to the turn around point and started thinking that I had the opportunity to complete the course in very good time.  This motivated me to continue my fast pace.  At the end I started up the hill to the finish line.  That hill really got your attention.  I pushed and started running to catch up with a guy just in front of me.  Once I caught up to him he started to run faster as well.  He was about to pass me back but then he tapped me on the back and said, "Come on.  You got it.  Go Go Go!"  Some how I started running even faster.  Once we crossed the finish line I could hardly breathe but I felt great.  Afterwards he came over and said good run.  I could barely get out the same back to him. A race I just came out to run, not thinking of a specific time but rather just run it to have fun turned out to be a personal record breaking run for me.

Afterwards I stuck around to watch the awards being handed out.  My friend Marcus was getting one of those coffee cups.  The race director handed out the awards with a little bit of comedy sprinkled in.  One thing he did that I thought was great was he pulled out everyone who completed this as their very first 5k.  Everyone gave them a round of applause.  This showed the sense of running community and really builds a sense of achievement by those first time runners.  I still remember my very first 5k and this type of acknowledgement is priceless.  These 5ks are not the normal 5k road races.  They are very family oriented.  You can tell they are structured for the community.  My hats off to Charlotte Health and Fitness for putting on the races. They did a great job with the first one.   

This morning I went out for a trail run at Anne Springs.  It rained all night last night and really has not stopped raining.  We need the water so this is good.  I was not sure we were going to run as it is a little complicated running on the trails when it is wet.  But when I woke up, I had txt messages from both Marcus and Tim.  The run was still on.  So I headed out.  It takes me about 45 minutes to get there from my house.  the trail system is down in South Carolina.  So we start out on the trail and it is very wet.  Very slippery.  Slickery to be exact.  About a mile or so into the run we had to cross a wooden bridge.  Ramps on both sides.  A very wet and slickery bridge.  Going down the ramp to get off the bridge I slipped.  Fell.  Landed square on my big behind.  I am pretty sure I bruised my butt bone.  But I got right up and continued to run.  Oh well.  Nothing your going to do about it out in the middle of the forest but just get up and keep going.  Not like the Wambulance is coming or anything.  :) 

About half way through the run it started raining. I LOVE running in the rain.  I mean I REALLY LOVE running in the rain.  I have been known to take a day off of work just to go running in the rain.  It was very cool out in the middle of the forest running in the rain.  Rain drops hitting the leaves and the trees.  Very very relaxing.   

Afterwards Marcus and I went to Five Guys and had some lunch.  Ummmmm.  Cheeseburgers.  What a great way to start the day. 

I went out on a trail run today.  By myself but that is not bad.  Sometimes I like to go out and just run and listen to my music.  The weather was perfect for a run.  I got a new pair of shoes and this run was the second time running in them.  The run was good. I powered up the hills and did not stop for the whole 6.75 miles.  I felt really good with the run.  Then I got home.  Getting out of the car I knew immediately something was wrong. The bottom of my feet was hurting. Both of them.  That is just not good.  They never hurt.  Other things do but not the bottom of my feet.  I get inside and take off my Solar Sockguy socks (Thanks Marcus) and find two massive blisters.  I am talking like the size of your head blisters.  This never happens.  Over 500 miles in my last shoes and not a single blister.  Even at the 14 miles trail run I did not get a blister.  This is bad. 

Good thing I got the shoes at REI.  They take back anything for any reason.  I just wipe them off and take them back this evening.  It is a shame.  The toe area is heavily protected which is what I need.  My current North Face shoes feel great but do not have very much, if any, protection in the toe area.  That is sort of important when running the trail.  Oh well.  It is what it is.   At least I tried something new.   That is forward progress for someone as OCD as me.  :)

So first I must tell you.  I am not normally a very emotional type of person.  Sure I get inspired by some people and some things make me sad or happy.  But they are pretty far apart and not at all very usual.  Yesterday was one of those special times when I hear of something and cannot stop from being very inspired by it. 

It all started with a text message.  Mind you, I was sitting in the office signing all the paperwork to buy a new car.  But the message was from Tim.  A good friend and running mentor.  He was running in a 50k Ultra Marathon.  I figured that is he was send me a text it was important.  Well, it was to say the least.  The text was "Marcus just ran the Ultra and came in 5th overall".  Marcus is another good friend and a running buddy.  There I was signing paperwork when I blurt out, Holy S**t.  Of course the car dealer guy was a little freaked thinking something was wrong.  So I told him the news I just got and then he said Holy S**t.  :)  The surprising note was Marcus was not going to run at all Saturday morning.  Let alone even think about running in an Ultra.  Tim and I traded text messages numerous times over the next 30 minutes or so.  Mainly because of my insistent questions trying to verify if I understood him correctly as well as make a determination if he was pulling my leg. Well, it was true.  Marcus ran it.  A 32 mile run with the previous longest run he had ever completed being 14 miles.  Amazing.  Inspiring.

Today I went and got a cup of coffee with Marcus to hear all the details.  Those that know Marcus understand, he is a planner.  Big time.  I'm talking planner with a capital P.  For this run, an Ultra no less, he really didn't plan.  He just decided the night before, got up that morning and ran it. When he met me at the coffee shop he was even walking normally.  Not doing that all too recognizable Frankenstein Shuffle when someone has ran an extremely long distance. We spent over an hour talking about the run.  After all, it took him just under 5 hours to run it!  Yet another amazing fact in Marcus' weekend.    

Yes, I am very inspired by what Marcus accomplished this week.  It was a truly remarkable achievement.  I am sure he will write a race report on his blog.  Tim already wrote one on his. Both are well worth a read. 

A very sincere congratulations to Marcus on completing his first Ultra Marathon!