Monday, April 21, 2008

A new Landspeed Record

88 Days to go
I haven't written in a while, but I've been running! This week I ran Sunday with Jayne's dad (she was out of town) and last night - both times around the Great Lake Scranton.
Last night I ran it the fastest I ever have. I know it's not that big of a deal for SOME runners, but I ran the lake in 32 minutes and 1 second (that damn one second has been making me angry today!!). That amounts to an 8:54 pace for the full 3.6 miles. Again, no big deal for some runners, but for ME, that is awesome (and honestly, I really don't care how other runners run!).



So, great. That's awesome. As a benchmark, if I ran that pace for an entire marathon, I'd finish in 3:53:01 (again, that damn one second!). Here's the thing: When I finished 3.6 miles (which by the way, I would have to do more than 6 additional times to complete a marathon), I was definitely out of breath. I pushed hard til the end and gave it everything I had (something you would NOT do 3.6 miles into a marathon).
BUT, I have to be positive about it. It is indeed the best I've ever run the lap. That's improvement. Sure, I couldn't do that for another lap, but I didn't NEED to do another lap last night. Maybe as the weeks progress, I will be able to do more and more. . . who knows.
I've also committed to stretching more. Even if it's just 10 minutes a night, I need to start spending more time stretching. I was telling Jayne that I remember being able to touch my forehead to my knees. I can't even come CLOSE to that now. Staying fir and remaining flexible will only help avoid injury in the future. . . and what's 10 minutes anyway??!!


ANYWAY, things are going good. I don't know if we're on schedule for the NYC half. We really need to start stepping it up.
Also, we are WAY behind on the fundraising!! Jayne, her dad, and I have all committed to raising $1000 (each). I think between the three of us, we have $70 total. Hmmmmm. Please visit the link on the right to help us out!!!!
Thanks for your support! We'll continue to. . .
Run, RUn, RUN!!!
Tim

Friday, April 18, 2008

An open letter to every bug in the entire world.

(100 Days to go)
Dear every bug in the entire world:

I'm writing this letter to adress the fact that I saw you ALL last night at Lake Scranton. It was "good" to see that the nice weather was enjoyed by more than just myself. It seems that you (collectively) took advantage of warmer temperatures and came out to enjoy the pleasentness of Lake Scranton. More power to you. I hope you enjoyed your stay.

I would like to make one request for the future. As is customary with large gatherings such as Republican National Conventions, citywide Olympic events, and other large scale occurances, I recommend that you inform the general public of your intentions before you impose your masses apon unsuspecting bystanders.

It's not that I mind that you need to get together once in a while. I understand that there are global issues that need to be addressed, and can only be done so at a venue that accommodates the majority of your kind. Discussions of global warmning, increasing winds, repellant/fogger technology, and the evolution of frogs' tounges are very important to your existance. I understand this. My problem is that I had no idea what I was getting into when I ran around Lake Scranton last night.

First off, I'd like to apologize. I may have inadvertantly eaten some of you. Please believe that this was not my primary intention for the date in question. Although I do need supplimental energy and protein during some of my longer runs, my body did not require any additional nutritional input during the 3.6 miler last night. Also, I used a "swatting motion" (you know this as the open hand of breazy doom) as I ran around the lake. Please understand that this was to prevent you from accidentally entering my mouth, nose, eyes, ears, and from sticking to my sweat. It should in no way be interpreted as an act of agression.

As an avid runner, I encounter many obsticles during my activities; tame squirrels that run toward me, unmaintained running surfaces, people who think they "own the road", and the always impending weather in many, many forms. After some time, I've accepted these as unavoidable hurdles and have learned to deal with them effectively. My encounter with your convention however, is unacceptable and can not be tolerated in future running events.

I cannot run in fear. I will not. I have issues. You want to hear about some of my issues? If I get a hair in my mouth, I freak out. Whenever I get out of the shower, it is chaos because I fear that soap/shampoo has somehow accidentally gotten past my lips. I hate it. I have trouble taking medication because I don't like the way it feels in my mouth. Having one million of you fly in my face is a horrible, horrible thing. That's why, for 36 minutes yesterday, I only breathed out - never took one breath in. This needs to be addressed.

I'm bigger than you. Don't piss me off. You know that if I have to take actions to defend myself, they will not be small actions. I'll fog all your asses. I'll spray shit on you that you've never even heard of! Ever hear of a bug bomb? Bring it. I'll be ready.

I will not take these actions if you respond positively to this letter. I fully expect you to decrease your numbers immediately in the vicinity of Lake Scranton. I know you have to do your thing. Just do it off the trail! Do it 10 feet off the path. Nobody even goes there! Why must you hover around in crazy circles on the running path?! If I even find out that you are breeding, so help me god. . . . . . I'm getting itchy just thinking about it (I'm not kidding).

I do not want to fight, but I will do what is necessary to protect myself. Should you continue your actions, please be prepared for the imminent demise of your species.

Thank you for your time. Please understand that it is my intention to live harmoniously. You don't see humans getting in your face and bothering you; getting all up in your homes, recklessy destroying you out of personal convenience. . . . . . . . er. Um. Just stop.


Thank you,


Tim

Monday, April 14, 2008

Punch it, Margret!

104 Days to go

There's just over 3 months to go now. I've been slacking off a bit, but still feel pretty good when I run (nothing over 4 miles yet this year).

Jayne and I ran the lake yesterday and it felt pretty good. We ran slow and steady - more working on breathing and form than anything else. Time is not important at this point. I ran 2.6 with her and took off for the last mile to get the heart pumping and lungs inflating. I turned around to walk back and meet her - expecting to walk a few minutes to her and a few minutes back, and she was right there! I think she finished only 3 minutes after me. Not too shabby!

It's approaching that time when we need to start setting goals, trying to hit mile marks, and start building up some sort of endurance. There are 14 Sunday runs left before the Half marathon.

Counting back from there, it looks like we'll be in good shape. I look at the training in number of laps around Lake Scranton now:


1 lap: 3.6 mi.
2 lap: 7.2 mi.
3 lap: 10.8 mi.
4 lap: 14.4 mi.

If the "final" goal is to run 13.1 in NYC, then really there's no reason to run more than 10.8 in the coming weeks. It might benefit us mentally to run 14.4 because then running 13.1 is no big deal!

We'll see what happens. My original goal was to finish in 2:00:00, but that was when I was running alone. Now that Jayne and her dad are planning on running, I have modified expectations. I really want to finish with Jayne. I think that would be awesome! I know when Jayne's sister ran Steamtown in 2006, her husband ran with her and they finished together. I must admit that I'm a bit jealous of that! What a feeling it is to work hard at something together and reap the rewards! I'm excited about it, AND it's in our old stomping grounds of NYC - bonus!


We're BOTH raising money for OAR! You can visit my fundraising page at http://www.firstgiving.com/timmclain. As ALWAYS, no amount is too small!

Run, RUn, RUN!!

-Tim

Thursday, April 10, 2008

On the Run

108 Days to go

Things have been pretty hectic lately, and I've been reintroduced to the benefits of running to relieve stress. I know it's not supposed to be a solution, but it's at least a good distraction for a while.

I think a lot of it stems from the fact that I literally can't really do anything else when I am running. It's impossible to turn your mind off, but when you're 2 miles into a 3.5 mile run, there's a slight shift in focus, or at least a temporary goal that you start to strive toward.

I ran Lake Scranton yesterday - quite fast for the "easy run" that I had planned. I noticed early on that I was running faster than planned, but kept it up anyway. I passed a 'walker' who decided that he should start running when he saw me pass him. He took off, probably now 30 seconds into his running (myself at about 25 minutes). Eventually, he was up ahead, out of sight.



Can I catch him? Can I get to him before he gets to his car? This was my new goal. This kid's got nothing on me. Steady. No sprinting to the finish. He's got to get tired. There's no way he can keep that pace. I catch a glimpse around a corner far ahead. Constant and steady; that's the only way I can get him. My feet don't listen. They speed up. My lungs prepare for what is coming. They know they're up next. "Constant and steady" becomes "increasingly faster". He's about 60 yards ahead of me now, and he has no idea what I have for him in response to his actions. It's futile now. There's nothing he can do. There's less than half a mile left now, and I know I can't keep increasing my speed. I need to maintain now. My body neglects to agree with my mind. Arms are pumping, lungs are burning, feet are churning. He knows I'm here now. His slowed jog turns into an increased labored run. He makes his last mistake when he glances back at me to see how close I am. Obviously he is taunting me.

Instantly, he's gone. 20 seconds later, I reach my finish line and stop to breathe. I don't remember breathing within the past few minutes. I walk a bit and turn around. He's walking again like nothing happened. Like we weren't in a race for our very lives. Like he is just here to walk the lake. Bitter rivals meet each other with a "hey", a head nod, and some hard breathing. I win.

And then, on the walk back to the car, the realities of life come back.

Run
RUn
RUN!

-Tim