Saturday Long Run, Soccer, T Ball and Date Night

Was going to meet up with the group at Crow Creek for the weekly long run except for one minor detail, I over slept. Yeah apparently not only must you set the alarm for the desired time to awake but you actually have to turn it on as well. I woke up at 5:50 and there was no way I was making it all the way to Bettendorf in 10 minutes. Dang I was really looking forward to running with the group this week, missed everyone last week because of the thunderstorms and next 2 weeks I'm going to be racing but alas I had a solo long run to do.

I headed out the door to make my way to the bike path, plan was just to do one big loop of about 10 miles. It's been awhile since I've run any kind of distance in my own neck of the woods so I made sure to let Deanna know my route before leaving. *Sidebar as I was leaving I am very proud to say that my wife was lacing up her shoes and heading down to put a few miles in on the treadmill before the boys got up, very, very proud of her.

Nothing terribly spectacular about the run, I was surprised to look at my watch during the first mile and see I was cruising along at just over 9 min mile pace. It wasn't to long ago that my average pace for a long run was in the 9:30-10:30 per minute range. I have really made improvements in my speed and it is showing up in my long runs as well. Once I got down to the bike path I made a pit stop at the restrooms, topped off the water bottle and headed out again. I was afraid I might get rained on this morning but nothing came, it actually was a pretty decent morning for a run, cool but humid, worked up a good sweat but never felt really hot.

After making my way off the bike path I headed back up the hill towards Crosstown Road to take me back home, this was the hillier section of the course but it is much better hitting a couple of small hills in the middle of the run than trying to run up 9th Street Hill in the last mile. I was pretty suprised to be picking up speed at this point and I was able to finish the run really strong with a mile 10 @ 8:15 and the last .67 @ 7:44 pace. Mile splits for the whole run where 9:11, 9:06, 9:18, 8:57, 8:50, 8:55, 9:04, 9:03 (hills), 8:44, 8:15, 5:10 for .67. All in all really great run, feeling very good about setting a pr for the half marathon next week.

Afterwards it was a rush to get showered and changed before heading out to the soccer fields, both boys had the early game today so mommy and me split halves taking turns watching each boys game and texting the other to keep them informed. After the game we had to deliver fundraising food items to family members before heading home scarfing down lunch and then heading to the ball field for Caden's T Ball game.

We are finally home enjoying a little down time before we take the boys to my brother in laws for the evening so me and Deanna can have a date night with some friends. It's been a crazy fun, busy day and still more to come, these are the days that I truly love my life!

Until next time...Do today what others won't, so tomorrow you can do what others can't.

Saturday Long Run

Headed out to Crow Creek to meet up with the LU group for a long run, when I turned in to the parking lot I was a bit surprised to only see Phil there, apparently the Silvis crew either a) didn't get the memo, b) not bright enough to realize the weather conditions, or c) brave enough to weather the elements like hearty manly men, lol! I'm going to go for the latter, although in my case it probably is more like (b).

Phil was only running 6 this morning so I ran with him for the first 3 before he turned around. Even though Phil is still working his way back from an injury we started off at a good pace, and I needed a good long warm up this morning, my hamstrings were still tight from squats earlier in the week and deadlifts yesterday. It's still funny to me how an 18 mile run can leave me feeling fresh the next day but 5 sets of squats at a  third of the weight I used to hit can leave me walking funny for a week. I suppose its all about conditioning and adaptation, my legs will adjust to the new workload eventually.

After Phil turned around I picked up my pace a little, with the wind at my back it was actually not bad conditions to run in. That changed when I turned around and headed back into the wind. It wasn't bad in most spots, the path along Duck Creek is pretty well sheltered by the houses and trees but there where a couple spots where it opens up and the wind would smack me in the face and slow my pace a little. I picked up my pace where I could and made the second half of the run a kind of fartlek workout. On the way back I ran into Jay, he had spotted me as he was leaving the Y, he was on his way to join the Corn Belt Crew at Happy Joes and invited me to join but I was 11 miles in and almost done and wanted to get home for pancakes that I knew where waiting for me thanks to my lovely wife.

Even though the group didn't make it out today it was actually just what I needed, I haven't run a solo long run in awhile and it was good to know that I could cover some distance at a faster pace by my self. I tend to run faster with the group so being able to pick up alone gives me the confidence going into the QC Distance Classic in a couple weeks, I'm hoping to beat my pr from last year of 1:51.

Now its off to soccer games for the boys...

Until next time...Do today what others won't, so tomorrow you can do what others can't.

Mental Therapy Run

Today's run is what I like to call a "Mental Therapy Run" and I needed it after the crazy week I had. I won't go into all the details but if you care I have a separate post explaining it all, be warned it's a rambling mess of me whining and crying.

Met up with the group at 6am @ Crow Creek and figured we would do our normal 90 minute loop, meet back up and those of us who had more miles to cover would go out again, but that wasn't in the plans. We headed out down Devils Glen to State Street and then made our way down to the Isle of Capri and got on the bike path there. As normal we broke off into different paced groups and I found myself running with Anne today, she had 18 on her plan and I was shooting for 16 but really didn't care. By the time we made the turn on to State Street we had all but lost the main groups ahead of us, we could see a couple of people off in the distance but we were otherwise alone. After a pit stop at Mc Donald's for a bio download and quick sip of water from the faucet I was back on my way.

We made our way to the Isle of Capri and onto the bike path and I kept expecting to see a return group thinking they were going 45 minutes out and then head back but it didn't see anyone as 45 minutes on my watch came and went. I figured I would go 8 out and turn around, at this point I hadn't really considered the fact that I didn't have any water with me as I originally had planned on being back to my car after 90 minutes and with the weather as cool as it is I can go 10 miles with out water. Which brings me to lesson #1 I learned today, even though you think you know the plan, make sure to double check and then still go ahead and have a back up just in case. I should have had at least a small water bottle with me, I know better than that but really hadn't thought to much of it before heading out. Lesson # 2 - always have some water. Lesson learned.

We eventually did see a couple groups make their way back but we kept on trucking down the bike path and eventually turned around just after passing JOD and Centennial Bridge. Just before the ball field after numerous unsuccessful attempts to locate water Anne did share some of hers and it was delicious.

The trip back seemed like it lasted for ever, probably a combination of fatigue and nerves over not having any water on hand but we eventually made it back to the boat landing in Bettendorf where the rest rooms where open so I was able to get drink from the faucet. Not 1 minute after walking away did I realize I had a sudden and urgent need for a restroom, apparently my faucet hydration had awoken my plumbing and I needed to have a sit down conversation with the toilet. I know TMI but if you are reading this blog you are either a runner yourself and know exactly what I'm talking about and been there yourself a time or two or a really close friend of mine and have heard me say much worse things.

Making our way back up Devils Glen I was starting to feel the mileage but I was determined to finish strong and once we hit the nice flat section after Hy-Vee I started to pick up my pace. I felt bad cause I knew I was pulling away from Anne (Sorry Anne) but I think she has run enough times with me now to know that's how I like to finish.

All in all even though I didn't have enough water or nutrition with me (I had one gel with me that I took at the turn around Lesson #3 maybe I don't need as many calories as I thought for a long run) it was a great run, Anne and I talked a majority of the way, okay I mindlessly rambled on, and we covered the entire gambit of topics from running shoes to kids soccer. And I reconfirmed something I thought I knew but, Lesson #4 No problem seems as bad after a 3 hour run. After the week I've had I really needed that run and I really needed it to be a good run as well. Had I not run with the group today I know with out a doubt I wouldn't have done 18 miles, I wouldn't have done it that fast and I wouldn't have felt that good afterwards. Big thanks to Anne for running with me and to everyone that shows up for these group runs, even though I don't run with everybody, we are all out there running together and it's just the fact that we are all committed to the same goal of being healthy and active.

Until next time...Do today what others won't, so tomorrow you can do what others can't.

Saturday group long run

So my schedule called for 9 miles today, but the LU group was running 15, I debated on whether I was going to join them this week or not. The plan was to meet at the Isle of Capri parking lot and run an out and back to Credit Island, so if I wanted to turn around after 5 miles I could. Besides doing a long run with others is so much more enjoyable and the miles always go by quicker. This run felt easy, which is weird to say considering I averaged nearly a minute per mile faster than my normal long run pace, and it was easily the longest run I've done in some time but the miles ticked off and I felt like I had a lot left in me even after we finished.

It is so awesome to get to run with a great group of people and it certainly helps having much faster and capable runners to help push me past my comfort zone.

After the run I called to let my wife know I was on my way home and she told me she had a surprise for me when I got home. I knew exactly what she was talking about and I enthusiastically proclaimed "PANCAKES!" over the phone. To any of you non-runners married to or in a relationship with a runner, trust me when I tell you nothing says I love you quite like a stack of warm pancakes after a long run.

After devouring a stack of cakes it was off to our first soccer practice of the year. Now a little downtime before an early dinner and then the family is going to a hockey game tonight, Living Uncommon at its finest today.

Until next time...do today what others won't, so tomorrow you can do what others can't.