That Time of Year

Wow, it's almost been a month. Guess that speaks to the craziness of life these days. I've definitely been squeezing workouts out of the routine in lieu of work, shopping, social events, and on top of that...I've been sick for a few weeks now. Just don't seem to be able to kick whatever it is that's taken over my immune system.

Hopefully things get back on track soon, as I have a 5K on New Year's Even with the family. Of course, we have my wife's Christmas on Thursday, dinners on Friday, traveling Saturday to Monday, etc. This time of year sure is tough, but exciting at the same time.

On that note, Happy Holidays everyone and I leave you the gift of laughter. Go to YouTube and search for a.) Guy on a Buffalo and Completely Honest OBGYN. Hilarious stuff.

Turkey Day 8k Race Report

So happy I even waved

I know you've all been on pins and needles awaiting a report from the Thanksgiving Day race. Let me you, it was exciting. Victory barely escaped my grasp, and by victory, I mean I almost finished last in my age division. There also wasn't a Clydesdale division which I was very upset about. I mean come on, those of us over 2 bills just can't compete with our feather weight foes. But back to the recap. Nice day, good weather, no wind, about 52 degrees. Everything started out well, Victoria and I running stride for stride trying to pace each other. At some point around mile 1.5, she stopped for a drink and I pushed on. This would turn out to be pivotal later in the race. Shortly after mile 1.5, I was passed by my first stroller division runner. They allegedly started 10 minutes after us, but I'm really hoping that's not true.

Now...the course was described as moderately rolling hills, which to be frank, was a flat out lie. It was hilly. Really hilly. This is a recipe for disaster for those of us with shin problems. Sure enough, at roughly mile 3.5, the pain in my right foot/shin/calf was almost unbearable. This is where the pivotal moment occurred. Shortly before mile 4, I pulled off to walk/stretch. Thankfully, I had not stopped to drink and Victoria caught up to me to offer up some much needed encouragement. For the last mile, she paced me and offered up a perfectly timed, "you better kill it" during the final stretch. At the result? 55:02. I know that's slow, but it felt awfully nice to complete a race further than a 5k. Next up? My good friend Kelley Smith is pushing for a half marathon in Atlanta in March. 4 months to train. I'm going to try my best.

Tonight I'm embarked on my first run since the race. I also ran for the first time with compression sleeves on my legs. I've been hearing good things and considering the pain I've experienced, I am willing to try anything. I purchased these here from my local running store...the same brand used by Matt Reed. I've told they're great to wear for recovery, so I'm sporting them as we speak.

To end, I'm jacked about this weekend. Actually resting and not going out of town. I finally get to watch Clemson from the comfort of my couch. Although, they're not much to look at these days. Hopefully we can get it turned around, but I'm not confident.

Race Time

Wow - quite the break I've taken here recently. Things have been incredibly busy with me being out of town the past couple weekends, and multiple events during the week days. No running time at all lately! Which doesn't bode well for my Turkey Day 8k here in Greenville. I'm honestly just hoping to finish running the whole time and in under an hour. My new friend Victoria will be running it with as well. You can check her adventures by clicking the link to the right over there. VTB Runs Savannah. She's an elite blogger I must say. I will also be joined by some old friends from Clemson, Kelley and Brad Smith. Really excited to catch up with old friends before heading off to Thanksgiving dinner.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, now's definitely a good time to be thankful for the things we have. I may not be the best runner, biker, definitely not the best swimmer, but I'm thankful for the ability to do the things I love each and every day. Growing up with a mother who has been in a wheelchair my entire life, I certainly appreciate the things I've been blessed with growing up. During the next few days, I encourage everyone to take a look around them and be thankful for what you do have, instead of focusing on what you wish you had. Along those same lines, maybe try to do something for others this holiday season. I seriously believe karma has a way of working itself into our lives.

So, with that said, I hope everyone enjoys their time off, their families and friends. Eat your til your stomach's content...but then hit the pavement hard next week. It's that time of the year that I have to start talking myself into workouts, because I hate running when it's cold. Happy Thanksgiving!

Confuscius Say

Been a little busy the past few days. A lot going on at work, home, socially etc. So, with that said, I want to first give a big shout out to my friends Rebecca Ellefson and Victoria Ten Broeck, who just completed the Savannah Rock N Roll Half Marathon and Marathon respectively. Way to go, thanks for the inspiration to those of us still trying!

Basically, I'm at a crossroads of confusion right now. This past weekend, I relaxed at my parents house. Early bed times, good nights' rest, good food, nothing crazy. So I came home on Sunday afternoon and took off on a run...which was TERRIBLE. I felt sluggish, tired, and my legs were unresponsive. This completely blew my mind, mainly because just a week earlier I had one of the best runs of the training season, right after a beverage infused weekend in Atlanta complete with 3 am bedtimes, early rises, tons of food, etc. Blows my mind...literally. Guess it's one of those things you can't explain, but I'd rather there be an explanation out there that I just haven't figured out yet. Please, chime in if you have ideas.

So yeah, spent the weekend in Rock Hill with my parents. My dad and I took a concealed weapon permit class on Saturday, passing of course. I look forward to receiving my permit in the next 90 days. Also, I'm starting to change some things around in my diet and my weight loss has resumed. I'm down to 221, putting the weight lost number at 18 through 2 1/2 months. Being in the meat of football season right now, I'm happy with that.

Training continues...4 miles yesterday, most likely a trainer bike session tomorrow evening, and another run on Thursday or Friday. I'm aiming at next Monday for my first 10k run. Hopefully I'll be on fire that day.

Etiquette

Today we're going to talk about good old southern behavior that should be instilled in all of us. Behavior that proves why south of the Mason Dixon line is superior. Behavior that leaves teenage to middle age women wilting. I'm talking about that good ole boy, nice to meet ya, never met a stranger kind of attitude. Unfortunately, that seems to be nonexistent in the running/cycling community.

And I'll give runners a slight break, they don't have as much of an elitist attitude compared to cyclist and even worse, triathletes (Remind me again, why I'm wanting to label myself as one of these?). Why is it so hard to give a head nod, wave a hand, offer a word of encouragement, or if you're feeling generous...shoot me a hand pistol. We're all out there pounding the pavement, struggling, sweating...why would you want to do anything other than pat your fellow athletes on the back? Maybe it's part of how I grew up, in a rural "neighborhood". I use that term loosely, as Laura thinks I grew up in the country because my parents own more than a 1/4 acre. Regardless, we wave. At everyone. Even if I have no idea who you are, or if I ran over your cat last week. We waved. Think about it.

On to training! Today marked another milestone as I passed the 5 mile mark. And truth be told, I could've kept going. But I had already looped around back home and could smell the chicken parm coming from our kitchen. Still not really losing weight, but the runs are getting better by the week. IMPROVEMENT.

And as always, GO TIGERS.

#Training

So I snagged a huge deal on a trainer for my bike today at Academy Sports. I've been interested in one of these for some time now, especially given the weather during the winter. Today was the perfect date to give it a test run, as a front is moving through and the wind is gusting at 35 mph tonight. I wanted no part of that. So I saddled up to break in the trainer for a hard 30 minutes before dinner. It's a different feeling, but I enjoyed it much more than running on a treadmill. Weather has really affected my training in the past as I refuse to run on a treadmill. It's terrible..........so it's nice to have an indoor option for the bike that isn't awful. TV, music, and killing it on the trainer...love it.

That's about it tonight...big shout out to my Dad for his 58th birthday. Still looking 48 though, and killing some miles (on a treadmill oddly enough). Looking  forward to the December Sharp Family Fun Run with him and the rest of the family.

Weather is looking terrible for a run tomorrow with more high winds, but I'll most likely suck it up and get it done. Cheers!

The Deuce is Loose

The boys over at Ironmannaise wrote a piece a few weeks back regarding bowel movements during exercising. A must say, a bold and absolutely spot on article. Personally, this issue can completely derail a good workout without the least bit of warning. Literally, you can take off feeling great and by mile 2, you're tip-toeing in some awkward gait. I typically try to keep myself on a predictable schedule as far as eating, drinking, visiting the john, and when I run. Yet, it seems like the slightest variation can impact your run/ride in a matter of moments. I would be interested in suggestions on ways to avoid the ill tempered bowel movement, but it may be a matter of our body's composition that cannot be shaken.

Moving on...Sammy Watkins, The Deuce, once again reminded the country why he's the best freshman in the country. This weekend, he stole the #1 spot for all purpose yards in a game in Clemson history with 345 against Maryland. Thankfully I was at a wedding reception and unable to watch the game, otherwise I probably would be doing drywall work this week to repair my walls. This season has been unreal, and I obviously hope the success continues. Obviously, the D must play better down the stretch as we are the team "everyone guns for." On a sad note, I honestly wish the best to South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore in his recovery. He is a stand up kid and a hell of an athlete who deserves success in the future. There's no room for rivalry hate in a matter like this.

Tonight's run was awesome! 4.5 miles in under 40 minutes is a good night for me. I was a little sore during the run but seemed to have much more energy than I normally do. I'm not really dropping much weight right now, but the progress in the run is encouraging. We have some seriously awesome weather coming up this week, so I'm looking forward to more training. Hope everyone is keeping it real.