Markemmanuel

July was an important month to help me gauge where my training has taken me. I earned a personal best in the 5k and 10k distance.  I learned a number of lessons in travel and racing.

Stampede Run, Arlington Heights, IL

Everything went according to plan. I woke up early enough to eat breakfast, drive to the race, and warm up. The day evolved into a hot and humid affair quickly. The temperature rose as the sun did. Thankfully, the course ran through a shady residential area in Arlington Heights. I spotted a few nice vintage cars. Sprinklers showered runners with cool refreshing water. Beyond the finish line, the race organizers treated participants with wonderful treats like Clif and Luna bars, fresh fruit, Matt’s Chocolate Chip cookies and more. The race t-shirt looked like what a race t-shirt should look like. The name of the race graced the front of the shirt and sponsors listed in the back. A title sponsor didn’t hijack the race’s logo to make it look like a billboard. I have to say, this race is one of the best 5k races I participated in.

Toughest 10k in Texas, Lampasas, TX.

A few days later, my friend DT and I drove down to Texas so she can check out the city the graduate school she wanted to apply at is located in. I agreed to go with her IF I ran a race down there. The only race I found was the Toughest 10k in Texas in Lampasas. Kick ass name I thought. The race became a lesson on what not to do before a race and demonstrates why I’m a bit of a run nerd.

Our trip itinerary had us arriving in Lampasas late Friday evening. Oklahoma’s weather did not disappoint. It rained HARD as we drove through parts of Oklahoma. I considered pulling to the side of the road because all I can see was rain on the windshield. Ultimately, I chose not to stop because I feared getting rear ended by an equally water blinded driver. We also encountered road construction in Tulsa which slowed our progress down. Instead of arriving in Lampasas, we spent the night at a Motel 6 near the Texas Motor Speedway. We were too tired to go further.

We woke up at 4:45a hoping to arrive in Lampasas by 7a. The GPS told us our drive would be two hours the night before. Throughout the drive to the race, it continued to recalculate the time of arrival. The drive became three hours long. I decided that driving through Texas hill country will be an okay consolation prize for missing the race. I sun rose behind me. The colors of the landscape was captivating. I saw antelope prance around in the morning. Zipping down those highways were fun. It gave me another reason to avoid the interstates during the cross country road trip I’m planning for 2012. We entered town and asked a few locals were the race was. No one was quite sure. We finally found the park after translating the thick Texas accent of a nice couple that had a booth for the Spring Ho! Festival.

I arrived late. I saw runners pass by. I ditched D and sprinted to the park pavilion. The race clock read 3:54. I didn’t stretch. I didn’t warm up. I asked for my shirt and packet. I attached my bib and chip. When I arrive to the starting line. The official told me the starting pad is now the finishing pad. Part of me wanted to throw in the towel. The run nerd inside told me to earn that shirt. I lined up where the starting line was, zeroed out my watch, and attacked the course. No official time will be given. I didn’t care. I wanted to earn that shirt.

I ran hard until I left Hanover Park but reminded myself that I didn’t stretch properly so I slowed down. I missed the mile one marker and hit the lap button at lap two. I searched for those markers like a hawk seeking prey. I didn’t want to miss that opportunity again. I slowly picked off runners on the course. Many of them were walking by mile two due to the heat. By mile three I saw two sweaty Army guys walking the course. Walking and repping the Army t-shirt?! Thankfully, here were other military men running the race. Some much faster than me ran back to their comrades. Craig, stationed at Fort Hood, paced with me. We chatted for awhile. His buddy convinced him to run this race and promised to buy rounds later that night. We went our own way after a mile. I picked it up while he pushed on. He looked in great form when I saw him return to Hanover Park. Craig, you earned those drinks.

The Toughest 10k in Texas was tough indeed. The sun poured light and heat on us. The rolling hills seemed endless. It was a scorcher in Texas hill country. This is the first race I paced myself properly for the conditions presented to me. My watch read 53:30.6 (a personal best) and the clock showed the race just broke the hour mark. II’m very happy with the results. I wanted to stay in Lampasas to check out their Spring Ho! Festival. I was too wasted to enjoy my time there so after buying my recovery Coca-Cola at McDonald’s, DT drove us to Austin while I recovered in the passenger seat. When I arrived in Austin, I hopped onto my computer to see how they would enter my results. Did they DQ me? Is my name even on the results sheet? I found my results listed on the page and it reflected the time on my watch. It put a big smile on my face. I could have just picked up my shirt and drove to Austin. Instead, I decided to earn my shirt and run the best race I could based on my circumstances despite not having an official time. Knowing that I have that commitment to running and the determination to run despite everything against me is a bigger win for me that earning a personal best.

The first four weeks of Chicago Marathon training has come to a close. I learned a lot in the past few weeks. Each piece of knowledge will definitely improve my training.

The new program I am using keeps it interesting and challenges me on different levels. It’s a foreign way of training to me. I logged miles during my first two years of running. The new program incorporates speed workouts of many forms. I’m blessed to have my brother train with me. He guides me through the new running exercises. Having a partner to train with helps me keep the demons at bay. If he weren’t there, I might have cut short a training session or had a cheat day (or three.)

I’m adding another layer to my training, On the hamster wheel, I felt my shoulders rolling in. My core was unable to keep up with the pace my leg and goal set. Other muscle groups attempt to compensate and fatigue from the extra load. Every muscle needs to contribute equally to keep my form. I want to be fast and strong for the Chicago Marathon. I want to run happy. I also want to look good too. The lower half of my body looks like the legs of a training Spartan in the movie 300 while my upper body looks like Olive Oyl gained some weight. Disturbing indeed. Therefore, I’m adding resistance training to my regimen.

I discovered how important sleep is for daily recovery. My mood and performance swings with the amount of sleep I get and how I wind down. I decided to limit my availability at my job to keep my training and sleep schedule regular. It seems that I receive the same amount of hours when I was in school and my almost completely open availability I have now. A limited availability will make me less crazy as it’s one less thing that I have to keep track of.

I eat more when I stay at home. If I attempt to stay awake, all I do is eat easily assessable junk. I eat when I’m bored. I eat when I’m stressed. It’s like an alcoholic at an open bar. So, I decided to spend more time at Borders, Starbucks, or the library to write or read. I’ll spend a few dollars on a Javakula but the calorie hit is much lower than if I were at home.

I closed out the first four weeks of training with the Stampede Run 5k/10k in Arlington Heights. Interval, hill, and tempo workouts paid off. I went out too fast for the first mile, my legs and back had that cramping burning feeling. I ended the race with a personal best despite the warm weather and the stench of lawn fertilizer.

The next four weeks begins with a trip to Austin, TX. My friend Danielle plans on attending a graduate school out of state so I’ll be visiting University of Texas with her. Vacations and trips are a dangerous time. It’s easy to justify the extra calories or the lack of training. I’ve made a commitment to stick to it while I’m on the road. I found a 10k on our way to Austin called the Toughest 10k in Texas. It’s part of Lampasas’s Spring Ho! Festival.

I hope everyone is progressing with their training or injury recovery. I hope to run with all of you soon. Have fun. Live well. Run happy.

Ensuring freedom and independence is a long battle. The sacrifice is high but the rewards are endless. The thirteen colonies fought five year long years before ensuring freedom from England. They faced many ups and downs during until the United States of America was formed to ensure freedoms and rights mentioned in the Declaration of Independence. Personal freedom and independence is no different. During my one year review of my life, I found myself disappointed.

I did not gain as much ground as I wanted. Demons climbed out of the woodwork, rapped against my skull, and attempt to claw inside. There’s much work to be done. I stepped back to reflect on what work and what didn’t. I looked around for inspiration. I sought out reasons why demons start to haunt my thoughts again.

Running has rewarded me in the past year. I gained some of the self-esteem I was lacked. I strengthened my resolve. It provided me physical and mental health benefits. I feel have a better body image and I am happier as a whole. I rely on other people less for my happiness such as a girlfriend or a friend. My mood hasn’t fluctuated since I’ve been consistently training. My body feels better. Many people that haven’t seen me in awhile say I look slimmer. My legs look hot sexy. It’s my only confidence booster in life.

Many of the things that trouble me are inter-related. They feed off of each other. School, finances, and my home life tear me down quickly.

Fear, self-doubt, and other demons brought back bad habits and poor decisions. I did poorly in class and dropped others. I couldn’t handle negative self-talk. I spent more time at the library battling negative thinking than discovering new knowledge and ideas. Learning the material in school became a burden. Here’s the funny thing. I love learning new things from books in the public library’s stacks. If I becomes formalized education, I fall apart. This summer is, in a way, my Valley Forge. I need to fine tune existing skills and hone new ones. I plan to register for two classes this Fall to test my skills and adapt them.

Money is a tool we use to barter for things we need or want. W hat we decide to do it dictates if it good or bad.  The credit card companies are collecting interest from me that should be going towards my dreams. Bad decisions haunt me and I kick myself everyday, twice as hard when a bill is coming do. My goal before the summer ends is seeking a full time job to supplement the money I’m already earning. Once I accomplish this, I can start saving for school. Seeking for business opportunities to temper risk of working for someone else. The opportunity needs to flexible enough to travel wherever I live. I do not want to be tied down to one place very long. I want my options.

Living with my parents is a very draining affair. It’s cheaper than renting a studio apartment but is it worth my sanity? There isn’t much I can do with living at my parent’s home except avoiding the place. A six dollar mixed coffee is much cheaper than rent or going insane. I am also looking at colleges outside of the Chicago metropolitan area. I want to be far enough not to be tempted going back to a place that familiar and un-nurturing. After running the Illinois Marathon, I made attending University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as my goal. Everyone I’ve met enjoys the university, it’s far away from my parents domain, and they have what I need, the academics, the atmosphere, and the inspiration. I just need to prove to them that they need me as a future alumnus. There are other schools I am looking at but attending this school is my top priority.

Reaching for my dreams is an ongoing process that I need to continuously work on. Before I get there I need to free myself of demons that inhibit my progress and find ways to overcome roadblocks. Actions today create a brighter tomorrow.

So there are a bunch of numbers floating and zipping around in my head.  I threw them into online calculators.  A few interesting results occurred at the end.

I ran the 2010 Soldier Field 10 in 1:28:51.  The McMillan running calculator projects that my marathon time would have been 4:08:51.   My 2010 Illinois Marathon goal was 4:10:00.  Mission ‘virtually’ accomplished.  I can crush 4:08:51 in real life.  When I mean crush.  I mean CRUSH.

A venti Java Chip Frappuccino from Starbucks with no whip cream is 440 calories.  I love them so much, I’m incorporating them into my marathon diet as a long day treat.  I love my mom’s cooking too.  I’ll make room for that! Yum.

During my food splurge last week, I gained 7 pounds.  I’m just under 200 pounds.

I want to lose 30 pounds before the Chicago Marathon. That is an average weight loss of 2 pounds a week. I want to buy new clothes and not waste money.

To lose one pound of excess fat, I need to reduce or or burn roughly 3500 calories less each week while keeping fueled for my training.  This means reducing my calories by 500 calories a day. I’m keeping a food journal to keep track.

The number of daily calories I need to consume is roughly 2350 (assuming I have an inactive lifestyle) in order to maintain my current weight.

A weight change calculator predicts, I can run a marathon over 4 minutes faster if I lose five pounds.  I wonder how much faster I’d run if I were 30 pounds lighter.

To qualify for the Boston Marathon in my age group is 4:10:59.  The qualifying standard for the 2012 Olympic Trials is a “gun time” of 2:19:00.

At the end of this exercise, I know one thing for sure.  The only person I’m competing against is myself and my last personal best.  I am my harshest critic but also my biggest (and many times only) cheerleader.  Memories haunt me and fear stops me cold when I see these numbers.  It stops me in my tracks.  I gather my self and push through those fears.  I do my best to run my life with courage.  “Run happy.  Run free.  Run with courage,” I tell myself. “Run.”

Summer launched on a great note.  Beautiful weather. Beautiful place. Beautiful. Simply beautiful.  The Soldier Field 10 was my almost perfect.  Bike the Drive. The Chicago Blackhawks won the first two games of the the Stanley Cup finals. 

Soldier Field 10

It all started Saturday morning.  The birds sang.  While the sun struggled to wake up, I popped out of bed.  I didn’t get the sleep I wanted but I felt good.  After Matthew, Patrick, and Lou got their things together, we headed off to Soldier Field 10. Getting to the Chicago lake front was quick and parking was a breeze.  We had plenty of time to warm up, stretch, chat, and stretch some more.  I didn’t see my supervisor and her husband.  I didn’t have her cell phone number also.  Did they over sleep?  Will we ever see them on this busy day?

I loved how Fleet Feet Chicago set up the starting line.  The starting line was split down the middle.  To the runner’s right was corral A and to the left was open corral.  It was different.  It was better.  It was a good use of a traffic barrier on the road.  It allowed the crowd to leave the starting line in a smaller grouping as the road narrowed as it went under McCormick Place.  

Where I stood in the corral was a jaw dropping view of the Soldier Field’s colonnades framed by trees standing guard along the road, blue skies above, and anxious runners waiting to be unleashed on the course.  I felt unusually good.  As we neared the starting line, I found my supervisor and her beau.  They jumped in with us.  My supervisor as my brother and I our pace.  She told us to go on ahead so her beau (J), my brother, and I left her behind.  We ran as a group for the couple of miles.  Traffic broke us up.  I felt REALLY good and decided to abandon the plan.  When the group broke us up again, I sped a bit up.  Matthew caught up and told us our pace has been increasing.  We lost J in the crowd.   I swore I heard his laugh at around mile four but I couldn’t find him.  Ultimately, he finished over two minutes before me. 

It just felt good that day.  My brother helped me manage my run.  I ran happy.  I ran free.  The race didn’t feel crowded like other races I’ve entered.  Yes, I cramped up after drinking a strong Gatorade but I ran through it. Matthew told me he’ll be leaving my side after mile seven.  I told him to run sexy.  He pulled away from me.  “I’m so close!” I thought to myself. I kept Matthew within my line of sight and slowly caught back up to him.  I pushed it harder hoping he would follow.  I looked back and saw he didn’t follow suit.  It was just me.  Soldier Field continued to grow larger in the horizon. 

I returned to the place we started.  An awful lot of people were huffing and puffing.  The crowd was tired.  The fifty yard line was within reach.  I started hooting, hollering and clapping my hands to get myself and everyone excited to get on the field.  I has extra to throw it into another gear as I entered the field.  I crossed the finished line and someone patted me on the shoulder.  I turned around expecting my brother and saw bib number 900 extend his hand for a hand shake and said something positive.  That quick moment was the highlight of my race. 

I found Matthew at the finish line, Lou floating around outside, and Patrick searching for us.  We relaxed and took a photo to celebrate our finish.  Later that night, the Chicago Blackhawks won game 1 and I discovered that I ran the event in 1:28:51, just enough to qualify for corral A.

Bike the Drive

For a second straight day, I woke up before the sun.  Patrick was kind enough to drive Matthew and me to Grant Park for Bike the Drive.  We rode south to the Museum of Science and Industry.  I must say, the volunteers on the southside seemed much more excited and into it than volunteers on the northside.  I might consider living down south.  I took a few great photo perspectives while riding.  I just wish I had one with me and my brother.  It was a blast riding a carless Lake Shore Drive.  It’s something I definitely want to do again. 

After the ride, a co-worker told me she leaves us at the end of June.  It made me think a lot since then.  A Blackhawks win prevented me from getting all ‘emo’ about my life.  I’m glad she’s leaving.  She’s following her heart.  I need to do the same.  The theme for this summer will be building a foundation and create the path towards what I want. It’s been in the back of my mind for a while.  Thanks Tiff for bring it to the forefront of my life again.

It’s going to be an epic weekend in Chicago consisting of running and cycling.  Here’s the lowdown…

Epic Run. The Soldier Field 10 is a run along the lake front Saturday morning from Chicago’s museum campus south along the Southside portion of the Lakefront Path (one of my all time favorite routes) and back up to Soldier Field where we cross the finish line at the 50 yard line.  If you anyone has ran the Illinois Marathon, it’ll be a similar experience except in Chicago.

Epic Ride. The City of Chicago shuts down Lake Shore Drive between Bryn Mawr and 57th street to cars and allows bikes to ride it Sunday morning for Bike the Drive.  It’s a cyclist’s dream.  Like all dreams, it must end.  They open up LSD back up to car traffic at 10:30.  Imagine having dedicated lanes on roadways dedicated to bike traffic only.  All I really want is sharing the road and mutual respect between drivers and cyclists.  It’ll be fun and exciting.

Bike the Drive Matthew wants to haul ass to do one complete loop on Lake Shore Drive before taking it easy.  My legs are gonna scream at me after the weekend’s done.  Sorry legs!  I’ll make it up to you.  I promise!  I originally planned on not riding so I can recover from the Soldier Field 10 but how can I pass up free?  I won a raffle at work to win a free entry.  I’ve always wanted to ride this but I either forget, my budget tells me I’m poor, or have other plans.  I’m so glad I won an opportunity to ride on Sunday.

Now something is missing in this mix.  I think I’ll ride over to North Avenue beach for a quick swim after Bike the Drive or on Monday morning.  Why not?  I did two of the three events of a triathlon.  I might as well do the swim portion.

I hope everyone has a great Memorial Day Weekend.  Say a prayer for or thank someone in the armed forces.  There’s a lot to do around Chicago.   Not only is Bike the Drive and the Soldier Field 1o this weekend, the Memorial Day is parade in downtown Chicago on State Street.  Meet and greet Chicago’s Instagreeters and partake on a tour of the city.  Most people are firing up the grille (so have fun and crash a party or something).

I learned a lot of things on Wednesday.  Here are five of them.

1. Meeting people I follow, listed, or occasionally view on Twitter is a bit awkward but rewarding. I know a lot about them and I know they’re awesome.  However, it’s such an awkward moment to make time to introduce yourself while their busy since you know so much about them.

2. Justine B can hunt me down. She has all my vital information to stalk, hunt, or do something nefarious to me.  With her cunning, wit, and good looks, I don’t think my body guards can stop her IF she tried.

I finally meet the person behind the keyboard.  She’s pretty awesome which is why I follow her on Twitter.  And no, no photos.  I don’t rock a camera phone nor did I pull out my travel camera.  When I see other tweeters or bloggers do this, it reminds me of Pokemon.  Gotta collect them all! If someone wanted to take a photo of me, I’d feel awkward and act like Squirtle.

3. Riding the CTA is much better than it was before. It was faster, smoother, cleaner, spacious, and cooler.  Are there more trains on the Evanston Express?  Maybe there are less people since they raised fares and the United States continues to remain in a secular bear market. Maybe it’s more acceptible to me after Standard Parking forced me to pay $12.00 on parking a few weeks ago that should have been complimentary IF I left one minute sooner.

It’s been a long time since I enjoyed riding on a CTA train.  The train arrived and left on time.  I found a seat on the Skokie Swift.  The only thing that smelled bad on the train was my dirty old self.  It left me impressed.

4. There’s something beautiful about waking up and watch the day blossom. I woke up at 3:30a to drive my uncle and his family to the airport.  The airport seemed unusually beautiful.  The birds sang the sun awake.  To fill time, I went on a nice easy run.  The world seemed peaceful and calm.  Life felt gentle instead of its usual angry and crazy self during the angry rush through life.

Despite being tired and beat up, I had a pretty good time volunteering.  I thank the morning experience for that.  I stayed longer than I should have because I would have passed out at home and screwed up my sleep schedule.  Besides, it’s fun seeing people excited to pick up their packet and shirt for a race.

5. I need a shower. It’s horrible when you can smell yourself.  I could smell myself.  I hate that.  I hope I didn’t offend any one you. :p