Game On!

Holy !@#$%! Tomorrow I turn 40!

As nervous as I am about the big 4-0, I am also excited (I have a feeling it is going to be a very exciting year). And what better way to bring in a new decade of age with some marathon training.

Last week marked 12 weeks until the Cincinnati marathon. Training is officially on like Donkey Kong!

This year, I intend to run about 4 days a week and do some sort of cross-training, such as PiYo, yoga, or other P90X routine, at least one day a week.

It will be interesting to see how the numbers for this year's training regiment compare to the previous two year's, especially knowing that they were 18-week programs. Comparing the results from 2016 and 2017 (data from MapMyRun):

Bump on a Log

It's hard not to be a bump on a log during the winter in Wisconsin. This year, in particular, I have had to drastically shift some of my routines in an effort to stay in some semblance of shape.

In November of last year, my wife and I moved into a new house north of Milwaukee.

New house! I accidentally posted this picture on last week's entry (but removed it later)

It's wonderful, peaceful, and quiet but there are a few drawbacks when it comes to running.

First, there are no sidewalks. While running on the road has never bothered me, some of the roads are a bit narrow with little if any shoulder. Also, I'm not sure how many runners there are in the area, therefore, I'm not sure how aware drivers are about runners, especially early morning runners.

Second, the neighborhood lacks street lights. The best lighting comes from smaller lamp posts at the end of driveways that are hardly enough. Back in December, I ran once with a headlamp. Of this experience, I can only say that it was better than nothing but the light was either too low or too high and I eventually ripped it off my head and ran with it in my hand. I have another headlamp that I will try before investing in another one.

Third, the roads in our division are not a high priority when the weather turns, so they they are a bit dodgy when covered with snow and ice. They barely salt the roads and when they do, it is a combination of sand and salt, so it hardly clears the road. Add this to their narrowness and darkness and the risk level is pretty high when conditions are less than ideal.

Fourth, I'm simply not familiar with the area. We moved the week of Thanksgiving and between the holidays, short days, and the weather, there simply has not been a lot of time to familiarize myself with the roads and their turns, and be confident in my routes. As Spring approaches, the days grow longer, and the conditions improve I am sure my confidence in the roads will also improve.

Despite these limitations to running outside, I have not been a complete bump on a log.

There were many appealing features about the house we bought, but one of them was that it had a finished basement. I believe this room may become my man cave (if the wife allows it) but for now it is the workout room.

For the past several weeks, I have used the space to do a few cardio routines, yoga, core and strength training exercises. The goal as been to do something as I start to prepare for Cincinnati. Sure, I'd rather be outside pounding pavement with my feet, but this space suffices and I prefer it to going to the gym. But as I will explain next week, in a way, I did buy a gym membership.

Another Year, Another Marathon

The drive to run another marathon has been percolating under my skin for a few weeks. Even as the cold wind blows and the streets are covered in snow and ice, I could never completely curb the idea of running another 26.2 miles.

This year, I wanted to run something other than the Green Bay Marathon. It's nice and all but after a couple years, a change is scenery is always a good thing. I had initially thought about the Fargo Marathon. It has received great reviews (yes, people review races) and, North Dakota might as well be a foreign country to me. Not exactly sunny skies and warm beaches, but exotic for its own vastness.

North Dakota as seen from I-90.

Alas, after talking with my wife, we decided that this year we want to go on our summer vacation at the end of May, so this ruled out Fargo, Green Bay, and a few others.

Summer marathons have never appealed to me because I am not a fan of training during hot summer days. I was miserable when I prepared for the Chicago marathon several years ago (obviously being woefully clueless about how to train did not help). Besides, if last summer was any indication, I am going to favor my golf shoes over my running shoes from June to August.

So this meant that the marathon had to be run at the beginning of May. Surprisingly, there were a couple options: the Pittsburgh Marathon and the Cincinnati Marathon. Both have received excellent reviews as being exceptionally well organized, strongly supported by the community, and very "scenic" routes in the sense you see a lot of each city. I would love to return to my home state and run across all the bridges, but...

Since the races are on Sunday and school is still in session at UWM, I need to return to work on Monday, even if it is with a limp and a grimace on my face. Cincinnati is about 6.5 hours away while Pittsburgh is about 9.5. The former will make for a much more manageable drive after the race. So, I decided on the Flying Pig Marathon.

I almost did not get in. I dragged my feet registering for the race and only did so at the very end of January, the day before a $10 price increase. Apparently, I was not alone. When I went to register in the evening, I was greeted with this message: 

Sure enough, for the first time EVER, the marathon sold out! The reason being that it is the race's 20th anniversary. I put my name on the wait list and then started to think more about Pittsburgh. Fortunately, I did not have to think about Pittsburgh for too long. The next day, the organizers opened up the registration to those individuals on the wait list. Upon receiving the email, I did not hesitate to sign up for the race on May 6. Let the training begin!