Author: Mike

And the Award Goes To…

4 Comments

Reflect with me, won’t you? Last Wednesday I had the fastest time in the NI 3 Mile Fun Run. My overall time of 18:54 was the best of all those who signed up and ran. Well, for every great effort there is a prize (or at least that’s what they tell you as a kid). I guess since running is something that children do, I was entitled to a prize.

In a follow-up email to the run, the

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top finishers were announced and a secret raffle was done mentioning some unsuspecting winners of Whataburger gift certificates. And no, the irony was not lost on me that fast food gift certificates were given as a prize to a fitness awareness event. Maybe an indirect strategy to tempt the unfit to exercise so that they could win fast food gift certificates! Genius! Anyway, awards were promised

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to the fastest participants (and as you know, this is Run for the Medal, not Run for the Whataburger) so I was sold.

Today, that award was ceremoniously presented left on a desk for me to pick up. I must say, I like it a lot. Perhaps this blog could be (temporarily) renamed to Run For The Medal and Trophy! Well, ladies and gentlemen person, here it is!


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p style=”text-align:left;”>Pretty cool, if I do say so myself! They even personalized the inscription with my name correct gender and age group. The countdown has started for next year’s 3 Mile Fun Run. Let the training begin!

A First Time for Everything

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In case you haven’t been keeping track of my life, I recently began working at National Instruments* in Austin.  It’s been a crazy whirlwind of information being thrown my way, but it’s starting to piece itself together in my head.  Just one of the adjustments necessary when moving to a company 70x larger than my last.  One of the benefits of a larger company is organized extracurricular activities!  Yesterday, we had a 3 Mile Fun Run.

As far as my (running) career has gone, the only “races” I’ve done have been longer distance (i.e. half and full marathons only).  No 5K or 10K races here.  So this 3 Mile Fun Run (note: not a 5K (3.1 miles)) is uncharted territory for these here legs.  I got some quick pointers from Colin (like “deeeeeeeeeefinitely warm up” and “don’t go out too fast”) and showed up to the sign-in table.

After a few important messages, like course directions, we lined up and were let loose.  The course itself was three 1-mile loops, each loop in the shape of a T.  We started at the bottom of the T, headed “north”, made a right, then a U-turn at the right end, ran til we made a U-turn at the left end, and then a right to head back “south” on the long part of the T. I should mention here that all registrants had to write down their expected finish time.  My estimated time was 20:59.  I diligently scanned the list and figured that if it all played out as expected, I’d come in 6th (out of 57 runners).

I warmed up a little by bouncing up and down.  At the start, I found myself in 3rd place and going much faster than my 7 minute/mile pace.  Sorry, Colin.. 0 for 2 on your tips.  Anyway, after the first lap, I found myself in first place!  All I could think was “when are these other guys gonna fly by me?”  After lap 2 I felt a sense of relief as I told myself “less than a mile to go!”  I kept looking over my shoulder, checking for someone to come up behind me.  During each of the U-turns I was able to gauge how much of a lead I had.  As the finish got closer, step by step, I started to realize that no one was going to pass me.

I crossed the line with a time of 18:54, over two minutes faster than my prediction!  In 1st place!  That’s a lot better than 3649th place that I got at the Chicago Marathon.  No word yet if I actually win a prize, but it was cool just to come in first!  Not gonna lie, when we were getting the instructions before the race about the course, I was thinking that only the person in first needs to know where to go.

P.S. – It’s worth noting, this doesn’t mean I’m the fastest person at NI.  It just means I was the fastest person to sign up and participate in this race fun run.

*No, we don’t make calculators.  That’s Texas Instruments.

Just A Stone’s Throw Away

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Let’s be clear: when we decided on which apartment complex to live in, I did not know that a certain running store was in the parking lot across from our unit. In fact, it’s literally a stone’s throw from our back porch. So lucky!

Anyway, the store itself is

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enormous, with only about enough merchandise to fill a small car. It’s actually a bit unsettling, as if they are in a constant state of moving out or moving in. But who am I to judge… my apartment is in a constant state of moving in.

However, on Mondays and Wednesdays at 5:45 (pm, for those of you wondering), a group meets up to go line dancing for a run. Yay! So I showed up Wednesday, water bottle in hand (a Texas necessity as I’m learning, though I was the only one there with water). I did get some “good idea” comments, but no one opted to bring / buy one. The eight of us headed out down a new route (though admittedly I only have one route thus far) which mainly stuck to sidewalks and bike lanes along not-too-busy roads. As for the pace, the only way to put it is: fast. I was a little surprised, but kept up pretty well.

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p style=”text-align:left;”>Overall we ran about 6 miles, at under 7:30 minutes per mile. (My Garmin hadn’t been reset since last time, so it was a bit of a combination of two runs…) I’ll definitely be going back for more pain, as I was introduced to the 3 H’s: Heat, Humidity, Hills. Until next time, have a good life.

A Texas Beginning

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I’ve been a bit out of touch for the last month recently, so I’ll try

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to get you up to speed quickly and painlessly. Firstly (beware, there may be no “secondly”), I haven’t been running much, hence the lack of enthralling blog posts to get you through your day. I’ve started four different posts and gotten sidetracked, but I plan to get back to at least a few of them. Some small life events have gotten in the way, like driving cross-country with everything we own from DC to Texas, moving into a new apartment, buying a car, and learning a new city. And what better way to explore a city than run it? (Admit it, that’s a great segue.)

Well not that great, because like I said, I haven’t been running much, so there hasn’t been much in the way of bipedal exploration. I got out Wednesday morning to check out a nearby trail in my new shoes. The key is to get out early, because the temps were going from 60s in the morning to 90s by early afternoon. And a warm run does not a happy Mike make. Friday was more of the same. Both times I got home around 10am feeling like it was the middle of the rain forest, without the excitement of wildlife. Except some “people” like these local characters do pop up every once in awhile.

Anyway, it’s going to take some getting used to, but I’m excited for the prospects! Keep an eye out for a future post about, well, the future!

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Moving On Up

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This here blog has been getting cozy at its current address for nearly a year now and is thinking of upgrading to someplace a little less on the west side* running-only.  Why you ask?  Well that will all be answered in more detail in an upcoming post.  The long and the short of it is that I’m hoping to break into the triathlon scene, and so I’d like to have a more balanced blog presence.

I’m also thinking of dropping the “.wordpress.com” and buying the website address.  I know what you’re thinking.. “But Mike! Don’t bother! Your blog is already my homepage, so it doesn’t matter!”

Believe it or not, there are still a few people on the Internet who do not check my blog before anything else.  Anyway, I’d like to get your feedback on what my new website should be.  Some of the facts to consider are:

  1. It should relate to a broader activity base, rather than focusing solely on, say, running;
      (For example, facerunner.com and pikerunner.com are out)
  2. It should be somewhat witty, but still stand on its own if someone has no sense of humor doesn’t get it;
  3. I’m fairly good at running, so-so at biking, and terrible at swimming.

Here are a few options to vote on, or feel free to add your suggestions in the comments!  (Please add suggestions in the comments, I’m stumped for other ideas!)

*We’re movin’ on up, To the East Side, To a deluxe apartment, In the sky, etc etc.

Slow Down!

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Still no race on the calendar, but that hasn’t stopped me from hitting the pavement.  I’ve been getting out there 3 – 4 2-3 times a week, bright- dark-and-early (stupid Spring Forward).  I’ve been heading out on my regular 7.68 mile (yes, exactly 7.68, so says my GPS) route most mornings and take on the rest of the day per usual.  However, something comes over me on the weekends that is both awesome and unrecommended.  “What can be both awesome and unrecommended?” you ask.  Drugs! Grand Theft! Unprotected Chess! Country Music!* Teletubbies! I’ll give you a moment to get all the inappropriate comments out of your system.

Anyway,  the awesome / unrecommended item I am referring to is, on the weekends, I seem to run like people are chasing me.  What I mean is, I run nearly as fast as I can for as long as I can.  Case in point, this last weekend, for no reason, I started off a little too quick (8:00 min/mile) and only got faster.  Why?  Because it is awesome.  I even sought revenge upon my archetypal (GRE word) nemesis whom you may remember from my Power Suit post, and flew by a girl in a 2009 Boston Marathon shirt.  (Ev pointed out she was probably 2/3 of the way through a 22-mile run, but I still passed her!)  Makes me feel like I’m racing every week, in which case I am the winner!  (and loser, I suppose).  “It’s not recommended to run so hard too often.  You should slow down”.  Yea, that’s what you say if you’re a Teletubby you hate fun.

Perhaps it’s because I’m awake for a few hours instead of a few minutes before running, or just the change to warmer weather (thank you again, Global Warming, for raising Earth’s temperature so quickly**).  So for now, I’ll take pleasure in these long, fast runs, and continue to challenge myself as if I’m racing each weekend.  Rationality be damned!  I will not slow down!

Last Saturday’s Run

Distance: 12.34 miles
Time: 1:36:57
Pace: 7:51 min/mile
Average HR: 161 bpm

*Country music is neither awesome nor recommended.

**Some uninformed types might call this “the seasons changing from Winter to Spring”.  Ahh, ignorance, such a beautiful thing.  Suck it, Al Gore***.

***Thank you for inventing the Internet.

It’s a No-Go

12 Comments

Well, I’d first like to say thanks to my only reader, who voted 17 times all 17 of you who voted in my poll about running the National Half Marathon. It really means a lot that you would find 17 different computers to vote from. That’s dedication. Thanks for taking a moment to cast your single vote in something so unimportant.

Anyway, through laziness, procrastination, and downright vigorous disinterest, it appears that the registration deadline has come and gone. Yes, it is true. As of 11:59pm on Pi Day (3/14 for the mathematically impaired), my participation in the race had evaporated into thin air like perspiration during a half marathon.

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p style=”text-align:left;”>So, for the 18% of you who voted for me to “Save My Money”, today is your day to shine. You win by default, but a win is a win. (Kind of like

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this story from October where first place was disqualified for using a water bottle handed to her by a friend in the crowd, and 2nd place also being disqualified for listening to an iPod. So for those 18%, you are like third place!) As it were, I’ll continue my disorganized running schedule until a race presents itself. Hasta la pasta.

The Power Suit

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I’ve had a wonky sleep schedule this week. Actually, the schedule has been fine, but my body hasn’t really been sticking to it. The past 3 nights I was lucky enough to see the clock at 3:31am, 3:15am, and 1:52am. Not ideal, and it left me more tired than usual. Well this morning I got my rear in gear, despite sleeping lightly, and trekked out for a gloomy 7 miles.

I threw on my power suit: Chicago Marathon finisher’s shirt and Marine Corps Marathon hat for that extra “I’m better than you” feeling and headed out the door. The legs felt surprisingly strong considering some nagging tightness in both calves throughout the week. Cruising along and exuding awesomeness through my attire, I felt pretty high and mighty. Until…

POP! My bubble was burst.

Heading

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towards me was a girl wearing an unmistakable yellow Boston Marathon shirt. For the uninitiated, the Boston Marathon is the only race you need to qualify for by running another race within their qualifying times. Fast qualifying times. Like times that I don’t think I’ll be hitting… ever.

And just like that, my “power suit” was nothing but any old shirt and hat.

Distance: 7.00 miles
Time: 57:54
Pace: 8:16 min/mile
Average HR: 158 bpm

An (Un)Important Decision

8 Comments

This will be brief. As I’ve mentioned (and mentioned (and mentioned)), I’m considering running the National Half Marathon on March 20th. Currently, the one factor holding me back is cost. Here’s the breakdown:

PRO CON
No Travel $93 Registration
Finisher’s Medal $93 Registration
Great Sense of Accomplishment $93 Registration
Meet Up with Old Friend Wake Up Early on a Saturday

And there you have it. A pretty unimportant decision to be made, and

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an over-the-top analysis of something that you couldn’t care less about.

So please vote! And leave comments if you’re feeling generous 🙂

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Spring Has Sprung!

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Ah, the wash of sunshine pouring over you after 3+ months of layers and confinement. Few things are as underrated as sunshine to those who bask in its warmth year-round. Granted, as a transplant from South Florida, I, too, took sunshine as an undeniable constant for a time. As my northward migration has taken me through Nashville, and now DC, I have undone that expectation to wake up to the warmth of that lovable ball of burning gas.

Well, this past weekend, not two days after my last rambling about the cold weather, did we get a taste of a heatwave! I know, I know, particularly as a native Floridian, 55* and sunny is no heatwave. But when the temperature nearly doubles from the days prior, it is no less an event

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than an unseasonably snowy seasonal snowstorm. It was glorious, and it really made me appreciate the beautiful weather after having been without for several months.

Now, don’t get me wrong, if I had a choice, it would be 55* and sunny every time I laced up my shoes. Screw “appreciating it more”. That’s just what you say when you’re a have-not. Give me the warmth and leave the cold to the Canadians. There are other bloggers out there that I follow who fall on each end of the spectrum, specifically in Michigan and Hawaii. I’d guess that Frayed Laces wouldn’t give up Hawaii for anything, while Nitmos could live without the Michigan winter (with respect to training). In fact, I imagine if you asked 100 endurance runners / triathletes, 99 of them would take the amazing year-round weather (and that 1 leftover guy is a liar).

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p style=”text-align:left;”>Anyway, this past Sunday featured an outstanding long run that was to be a kind of pre-test for the National Half Marathon coming up. It went really well, and actually made my decision to sign up for the race harder. I was hoping I’d fall apart and use that as an excuse not to do National. Instead, I hit a 7:31 pace for 11.5 miles, not far from the goal race pace. Ugh, jerk. So now I’m left wondering if I can take the results of that awesome run and shift them 2 weeks onto race day, or if I should just forget it anyway. I’ll put up a poll in my next post for you, my lone reader, and see what you think.