Up and 'Running'

It's been a long time, but I've been running. . . and fairly consistently too! As I'm pounding away on the treadmill every morning, even though the weather outside makes me want to remain on the couch, I can't help my thoughts from wandering into the possibilities of running another marathon. Maybe it's the endorphins that make me feel like getting out there and busting up the roads. . .

Maybe it's stupidity. . . . I mean, I've only finished 2 of my 3 marathon runs (don't get me started about the Chicago heat wave disaster), and the 2 that I finished were both over 5 hours. . . not exactly working toward those Olympic trials. . .

None-the-less, 'marathon' is in my head.

So, one of the things I've noticed that kept me going in the past was this blog. I don't know if anyone actually reads it, but it makes me feel like I need to keep up with updates, and posting, and running! So here it is. Hopefully this is the start of me running, blogging, and eventually marathoning in 2010. . . only time. . . and I suppose this blog. . . will tell . . . . .

. . . and my Nike+ running account


-Tim

Officially out - but looking forward!

??? Days to go

So, training and fundraising are non-existent recently. I have fallen out of the schedule because of this thing called "life" that sometimes rears its head and changes everything.

But. . . . I miss it.

I am not running the NYC half anymore, but I want to continue to run. I am looking at half marathons in the fall. Hopefully I can get something together for later this year.

I want to maintain. starting over is hard and almost a waste of time. I hope I can continue the Sunday runs to stay in shape. We'll see what's next!!

-Tim

Halfway there: roll the dice!

69 Days to go

Yesterday I ran a second lap around Lake Scranton. Not a fantastic time: 1:14:00, but it is a 10:17 minute mile, and I felt amazing when I finished. My knees started "acting up" a little bit. I say 'acting up' because I don't want to say 'hurt'. It was not pain, but I was well aware that I was feeling some pressure down there. Luckily, it was at the 6.5 mile mark, so I only had a little over 1/2 mile to go. Thru the day yesterday, the feeling went away, so I'm not too worried about it.

I would say that it is the fastest I ran 7.2 miles. Again, not a great time, but advancement is good.

The shape I was in at the end of the run made me instantly think of running in NYC this July. Really, I would only have to run 6 more miles to finish the half, and that does not seem too bad at all. I hate to say it, cause I know it will be a challenge, but it seems like it will be easy.

It also made me think of running another marathon! I'll have to think about where to do it though. Steamtown is a no-brainer and easy to get to (October 12th). But you know what keeps popping into my head? Atlantic City! The 50th Atlantic City marathon is the following week (October 19th). I think it would be cool. Maybe an overnighter on the 18th. I hear you finish on the boardwalk which would be awesome.

Of course it costs money to stay in AC. We'll see what happens!!

I am still raising money for autism. I just passed the 10% mark, but I need your help!!
Please visit www.firstgiving.com/timmclain to help!!!

Thanks!

-Tim

Run, RUn, RUN!!!

Just throwing it out there:

This doesn't mean anything. . . but it amazes me:

Viaduct Trail Ultramarathon

To be considered a "finisher" you have to finish 50 miles in 13 hours or 100 miles in 30. Runners World has an article about Ultramarathons once in a while. I love reading about it. I can't imagine the amount of endurance, persistance, and dedication you need to have to even train for something like this.

. . . . just throwing it out there.

Mixing it up: A breath of fresh air.

80 Days to go!

The clock is ticking - fast. I haven't run more than 3.6 miles in my training for the NYC half yet. I'm not too worried though. I've been getting back to the gym 2 or 3 times a week and running has been going very well.

Last night I ran the lake, but decided to do something a little different this time. I ran the first 5 minutes at a very fast pace - actually at a pace that I know I couldn't maintain for a full mile. I got around the 3/4 mile mark and walked for a minute and drank some Gatorade. I did this around the whole lake: 5 minutes running hard, 2 minutes jogging, 5 minutes running, 2 minutes jogging. When I got toward the end, I ran the rest of the mileage out as hard as I could to finish in 32 minutes (about an 8:50 mile average, but that included 7 minutes of slow recovery jogging mixed in).



The intent? I wanted to be out of breath at the end of every 5 minute interval. I've been noticing that my training this year is surprisingly injury free (no blisters, no shin splints, no cramps). The only thing I've noticed is muscle tightness (see previous post) and loss of breath when I run full out (of course). I've started reading more and more about how to train my breathing. This includes Max VO2 workouts (similar to what I explained above).

As you run, your muscles require more and more oxygen to operate. The harder you train, the more efficient your body uses oxygen. If you max out, the amount of oxygen you intake is being used up by your muscles. If you can train your muscles to be more efficient, there's more oxygen to be used elsewhere. Runner's World article.

Also, two days ago I worked out hard and then ran a treadmill mile at 7:30. Again, the plan was to be out of breath at the end of the run and holy crap. . . I was. I could never run a whole marathon at that pace, but it's fun to think about. That pace would let me finish at 3:16:30. People do it. I'm not close to it, but hey: life's a journey. I might get there someday.

So. . . I'm trying that. I plan to try this workout about once a week. Hopefully it will help my breathing. On the other running days, I'll keep working on endurance and distance. Maybe this Sunday is the first 7.2 miles.

I NEED MONEY!!!! I still only have $70 on my quest for $1000. Visit http://www.firstgiving.com/timmclain to help out OAR!!

Run, RUn, RUN!!

-Tim

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

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

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

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

Half Marathon Company

142 Days to go

The NYC Half Marathon is on July 27th. I've been (fairly consistently) "hitting the gym" Tuesdays and Thursdays after work, and I'm kind of beginning to feel the difference - not necessarily in the appearance of myself, but in the fact that I have been adding weight or amount of reps to my workout. Good sign.

I'm planning on integrating some running more and more frequently into my schedule. And just in time for that, I have a few people joining me on my quest for the NYC half!!

My wife, Jayne and my father in law, John are running as well!! It should be a great time training together and working toward a common goal. We've all committed (each) to raise $1000.00 for The Organization for Autism Awareness! This is great, and I am excited about getting going.

Thinking about a half marathon, in the wake of the 06 Steamtown marathon, the attempted 07 Chicago, and my recently completed 07 Philadelphia marathon seems like a very easily attainable run. I know 13.1 miles is still a lot, and it takes a lot to get there, but I've run 13 miles or more on multiple training runs, and twice a day during the marathons!! I think the excitement for the run comes from the fact that it is in NYC and that I will be running (once again) with my father in law, and for the first time with my wife!!

So, wish US luck as we train for July. And stay tuned for upcoming HUNT events (we're going to a HUNT for a Cure event in the city this weekend, in fact).

Run, RUn, RUN

-Tim

NYC 2008 HALF MARATHON!

So I've been tinkering with the idea of running a marathon this year. . . but I am hesitant. Then I got an email from OAR saying that the NYC half marathon is now part of the RUN for Autism program. Sounds like a no-brainer.

Even if I do end up running a marathon in the fall, training for a half marathon in July will only help.

My goal: 2 hours.

My other goal: $1000.00 more for OAR.

AWAAAAYYYYY we go!

-Tim
http://www.firstgiving.com/timmclain

Back on Track?

So, within 13 hours, I worked out for an hour and ran 1.5 miles.

I FINALLY joined a gym - right across the street from where I work - AND - I actually went last night. Basically, I just screwed around for an hour - trying out the equipment and getting comfortable with the whole thing.

This morning, I woke up and ran an easy 1.5 miles. I'm hoping I'm starting a trend. My current plan is to run Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings (treadmill or weather permitting). Tuesday and Thursday night, I'll head to the gym.

Every other week, I'll switch it up. Work out Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, and run at night on Tuesday and Thursday.

Hopefully I can maintain some sort of schedule. If I miss a day here or there - no big deal. Overall, I'd like to get healthier and we'll see if any of this leads to another marathon. If anything's in the cards, it'll be a local affair (Steamtown or Lehigh Valley maybe).

So, let's see what happens! The current goal is to build up my core and start running more. If that's as far as it goes. . . . well, so be it. I'll be better off than I am now!!

-Tim

ran, ran, ran

. . . and going, and going, and. . . .

I ran 5 miles today and it was so good.

I've had a week of HORRAH after the marathon with highlights like smoking a celebratory cigar, buying a new bottle of Hendricks Gin, eating fast food & candy, and feasting on dinner pilgrim/indian style! I might just be 12 years old.

Last year, after the Steamtown Marathon, I slacked off. It felt good. I stopped running, put on a few pounds, fell out of shape, and started all over again in the spring. I've been eating leftover stuffing for 4 days. Eating lots of stuffing = not wanting to do much physical activity. I'm done (especially since the gravy has run dry). I've decided to maintain.

I'm not talking about running every day before work, or stopping off after work for a quick lap around the lake (although maybe once a week wouldn't be bad). I'm talking maybe 4 or 5 miles a week, and an extra run here or there. We'll see what happens. Running 5 today though felt really good.

I can't provide a direct link, but if you go to http://orders.islandphoto.com/apps/RaceEvents.aspx and select "Philadelphia Marathon/Half Marathon" and type in bib # "6916", you can see a few photos from the Philly Marathon.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Well, I think that running a marathon next year is going to be difficult if we end up building a house. The amount of time it takes might prove to be too much. Maybe I'll keep running and try to run a half marathon somewhere close.

Long term, though, I'd like to run a few specific marathons around the country. Among them are Vegas, Walt Disney World, New York, Marine Corps, and Cincinnati.

So, away I go. Hopefully this winter I'll get into a little more strength training as well. I'm still going to take it easy for a while (because of the foot and because they say it truly takes a month for your body to repair itself post-marathon). Keep on running!!

-Tim

run, run, run.