This is who I really am.

Yesterday was a great day for running. And by great I mean terrible. Yesterday was windy, rainy and cold. The exact opposite of my ideal weather. The temperature when I was running was 36 but the wind and rain made it seem much colder. My ideal temperature for running is more like 96 and humid. Days like yesterday make a lot of people opt for the treadmill. But yesterday's weather was perfect because as a runner I need to face different weather conditions. If I stayed inside and ran on the treadmill I would miss a chance to get my body used to windy, cold and rainy weather. Sure I've run in it before but I'm preparing for a race and I want my body to be ready for that kind of weather right now. One thing that a lot of people forget is that not only do they have to get their legs ready but they also need to get their body and lungs ready for the weather they will meet on race day. I absolutely hate cold weather. I hate even being cold for a second. Hell, I hate i

This week's Music Monday is "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)" by the Deftones. This is a song by my favorite band. It is a song that I use to kinda get away from things that are bothering me. The song is about just getting away.....far away. A lot of times I find something to kinda get me away from those things that bother me. Usually it's a nice drive by myself where I can just be left alone and listen to music that gets those feelings out that I am afraid to express to the person or situation I am trying to get away from. Running is a great way to get away because it's just me. A long run can do wonders for my soul. I really like to use those longer runs as a way of getting away from everything. No one can bother me and I can just "be" by myself. The way Chino takes the yelling of "I don't care where just far!" and follows it with a calm "Awaaaaaaaayyy" kinda takes me where I need to go. I love it because it is screaming t

This past Sunday was the final race of the MRTC Road Race Series. And since I finished all ten races I am officially a Road Warrior! This last race was a half marathon. Usually I would have tried to get a PR because it is a relatively flat course. But my goal this time was to not get injured two weeks before my marathon. Two weeks before this race was when I got shot in the hamstring. I didn't want something like that to happen again. I just needed to finish. My time was the slowest I have ever run (1:56:31) but I kept it slow and steady. During the week when I was out running I ran by a turtle that was crossing the road. I thought it was hilarious. I thought "I must be the rabbit". The more I thought about it the more I realized that right now I need to slow down a bit. My body is obviously trying to tell me something. I have gone injury free for these last four years since I have been running. No matter how much I put my legs, knees, hamstrings, quads, ankles and fe

Today's Music Monday is "Metalingus" by Alter Bridge. I first came across this song because it was the "entrance" music to one of my son's favorite WWE wrestlers, Edge. This song probably makes it onto every playlist I make. It is a song that I love to workout to, especially when I am doing speed workouts. The lyrics are so perfect for me. They represent the attitude that I had when I was trying to lose weight. They also represent my attitude of me wanting to get better everyday. I got the idea to use this song for today on one of my runs last week. It was an easy 10 miler. In other words I was supposed to run 10 miles at an easy pace. The first 9 miles were nice and easy as they should have been. But like so many training runs before the last mile became about finishing strong. I felt great so I decided to push it just a little. I had a little more than a half mile left when this song came on. As soon as I heard the opening drums my adrenaline kicked in

This week's Music Monday is "Under and Over It" by Five Finger Death Punch. I apologize for picking such a negative song this week. I have a really good post that I wrote earlier in the week that I was going to use today. However, I decided to play something that would show my mood right now. The first time I heard this song I thought "DAMN! This song kicks ass!" When I listened to the words I thought "Great, another rock star complaining about being famous." It hit me while I was listening to this song Saturday morning that it's more about people not being able to handle the changes in his life. I put it on repeat that morning while I was lifting weights and it just reminded me of a situation I am facing. So, if you're not into Heavy Metal or curse words you may want to skip this. If you want a great song for a kickass workout or a song about people who are making you feel bad about yourself....... Enjoy!

I am selfish. Yes I know that sounds bad. But selfishness is an important part of self-improvement. You cannot improve yourself without being selfish. If you want to improve yourself you have to make time for yourself. Maybe that time cuts into your time with friends or family. Maybe you sacrifice down time by doing extra work towards your self-improvement goals. Sometimes there are things that need to be done that you end up putting off because it gets in the way of your "ME" time. All of these things can be heavy on you but you have to understand that if you want to get better you have to sacrifice. Now, I am not saying you should neglect those around you. Not at all. The ones around you need to be on board with your goals or there can be friction. That is really the hardest part. If you have a goal and a plan to achieve that goal and the will to actually do the work necessary, you still need support. However, a lot of times it is hard for others to understand what yo

This week's Music Monday is "Fight Like This" by Decyfer Down. This song was playing at the end of my race this past Sunday when my hamstring was shot and I was fighting like hell to finish the race . It really came on at the right time for me. I needed a new mantra to really get me going and this might be it. Lately I have been having trouble with my marathon training. It seems like every week something happens that derails my training plans. Either it is a new physical problem or a schedule change or a sick kid that's not actually sick or just about anything else. Every time I try to increase my intensity something happens that knocks me back a couple steps. With only a month left until my race I feel a little under prepared. I keep reminding myself that it's not supposed to be easy but I can make it through. I just gotta fight! Physically and mentally. I need to make sure I am doing everything I need physically to succeed. That means I need to get my

Sunday's half marathon was the next to last race in the MRTC Road Race Series. That means I am a month away from the St. Jude Marathon. And what an experience..... This was my first time running in a week and a half. The last time I tried to run I had a terrible pain on the very first step I took. It was odd because I had been up and walking around all night at work and never had even the slightest hint of pain. Not even as I was walking out the door to go run. In hindsight it was probably a case of overuse. The night before I had done some fartleks. I had not done any speed work in a while so I pushed it a little. I felt great afterwards and the next morning. The reason I ran like that was because I had to change my schedule to get my workouts in. I probably should have rested instead. After talking to my old running partner/coach and two other trainers I was convinced it would be best not to run the half marathon on Sunday. That was a terrible feeling because I really want to