Butt Muscle...

I have chiropractors dream going on in my lower back/butt. I hurt my lower back doing concrete last summer. It wasn't a big issue until I started logging more miles in preparation for the TC Marathon. Now It spread down to my Butt. It doesn't bother when I am running. Its after that it really hurts, and especially when I am in the process of sitting down. During my last long run this AM it sent tightness up to my upper back and rib cage.

There are a few things I am going to try. I need to taper a lot more for this race, and especially to help the injury mend a bit. I need to see a chiropractor. I never have... and this feels like a perfect situation for a professional to do some work.

I want to do some really fast shorter runs in the next 2 weeks, and then take the last 5 days off with a few jogs. I NEED TO NAIL 2:50!

Twin Cities round 2

Thanks to World Vision in Minneapolis I was able to sign up for the TCM 2011. Registration closed but they still had some left,,, so here we go again. I told myself that I wouldn't do this one again because my last experience was a grueling sweat fest.

There were 2 things that changed my mind.... The 1st was that I ran the first 10 miles of the race last year with no bib, just biked up to the beginning locked my bike up and hoped in with all the runners. Obviously this is not legit, but had I not done that I wouldn't have given them $100 bucks this year. It was one of the most enjoyable ten milers I've done and I averaged a 6 minute mile. The 2nd thing is training has just been going so well. I've been doing a 20 miler once a week and probably putting in close to 50 miles a week... SOLIDLY!

With those 2 things and the hunger for the redemption of my local race, I think I can pound out this course in 2:50. GOD willing!!!!!

Fargo Marathon 2011

I have mixed feelings on the results of this years marathon. First off during the packet pick-up I was supposed to see some Pictures of me and some of the other guys in the "add campaign", but they failed to use us at all in there "add campaign". The only picture I kept seeing were the same one they use for absolutely everything, which is a group of people running by the theater in downtown Fargo. I mean its a good picture for the front page of the Fargo Forum the day after it's taken but putting the picture in every piece of advertisement for the entire year is a bit extreme. But maybe I am just vain and wanted to see a picture of myself on a poster. Or maybe the pictures were total crap and they didn't have the heart to tell me.

Secondly... I thought this marathon has been so so organized in the past. Why take what is working so well and completely change it? What I mean is the course structure, and timing elements were so flipped around and changed this year that it was the first year that I'll think twice before doing the Fargo again. All that I want to say is if one more half-marathoner lazily jogs up in front of me to get there ice cold beverage at the aid station, AND THEN comes to a complete stop to take a long slow drink of the refreshing liquid, then I may just start sacking some people.

BUT for all the failures at the race I got a PR, so nothing even matters after that. That is the only thing that I will remember. Life moves forward when you PR. Thanks Fargo!

Hard Labor is for youngsters!! And the birds!

I finally realized last summer that I wasn't invincible. I mean as a young runner I definitely have had a few good doses of shin splints, but outside of that I've had no issues with my body failing. Last summer I did a lot of extra concrete work on the side and I really tore up my lower back. It still aches 1 year later. My wife says that something is out of alignment, so maybe Ill go see a chiropractor?? I wish the new owners of my Jamba had given me some descent options for health insurance, but I basically have nothing. Maybe It'll get better, I hoped it would be good for the marathon, but I did some concrete work for my dad a week ago that wreaked havoc all over again.

We'll have to settle for the strength that the good Lord will give me!!

I want to keep this blog going, cause it really does help organize my thoughts on running. But stay tuned because my next blog is an interesting story about my new boss and our plans on a Jamba 5k near the lakes next summer!

New Jobs......etc

A month ago I started work at another Jamba Juice in Minneapolis. It's actually a perfect store. Its in a whole foods, and most my clients are real focused on health. I sell a ton of carrot juice and Wheatgrass. Its fun to be in that area... the lakes and minneapolis trails are all right there. If I didn't have to go pick up the kids at daycare after work I would be running there a few times a week. Its about 7 mile run from my house and its all on the parkway trails and around Lake Harriet and Calhoun. Occasionally though I'll run after work around Lake Calhoun which is around 3 miles. I have had some issues transitioning to this new store, and that coupled with a not so good month of March I have not gotten out on my long runs as much. By now with a month and a half before the race I should have been out on at least 3 or 4 runs of 15 miles or more. The longest runs I have gotten in this winter are 10-12 miles.

This years Fargo I am not going to shoot for a PR, but I am planning on using it as a good training run for the Medtronic TCM in the fall. I got super pumped up for the the Twin Cities Marathon last year, because I jumped in a with the pack about a block from the start and ran to my house on Chicago which I think is about the 11 mile mark. It was the best I felt on run since. I wanted to run the entire race, but I got worried that someone would tackle me off the course!! Obviously running a race you do not have entry for isn't very appropriate, but it did inspire me to run the TCM again. These new jobs and distractions in my running schedule have been tough, but I really am shooting for a PR and it would be great to do it in a hometown race. Especially since that 07 marathon's heat killed my enthusiasm shooting for a 2:50 Marathon.

No matter what though I am sure the Fargo will be a fun race, and I am really excited about it!