A couple weeks ago, I ran the Last Chance for Boston marathon in Dublin, Ohio. 26 laps in an office park. Sounds intolerable, but it's really kinda fun. What's bugging me though is my own performance. Still lots of strength. Just no speed.
I came to a couple of realizations while I was out there. First, I'm not enjoying this like I should. I need to lose 10 pounds, do a little more speed work, get my time back down to 4:30 instead of 5+. It's a lot more fun when there's pizza left (and it's a little bit warm still).
Secondly, I need to have an end in sight. So, I'm planning my retirement from marathon running. After 189 marathon or longer races, I'm thinking this will just go on forever. So, I'm going to call it quits. When I get to 300.
Thirdly--I'm going to stay out of microbreweries until I lose 10 pounds. (Talk about incentive!) My knees need less pounding. I'm a long way from having Dunlaps disease, (where your stomach dun lapped over your belt) but I really want to be back on the low side of 190. No, I don't have a drinking problem (in fact, I'm quite good at it) but I do have a calorie intake surplus problem. So, cutting out beer, a bowl of ice cream in the evening 3 or 4 times a week, and misc. cakes and cookies should melt a few pounds off in a hurry. I'm already down 6 in a week. Not stopping until the scale at the Y says 185. It was 197 on Tuesday after the marathon.
So, Only 111 marathons to go. Piece of cake, right?
FIFTH THIRD RIVER BANK RUN MENTOR PROGRAM!!
The cones at the turnaround get farther away every week! Join us tomorrow morning for a 10-mile run (9 for the beginners). It's a blast to run PERSONAL RECORD DISTANCES with runners as they gear up for their first River Bank Run. Nearly every week we're celebrating personal distance records with numerous runners.
Rain or shine (looks like rain!) we'll be there. Come on out and join the fun. Meet us at the zoo, parking lot corner of Park and John Ball. 8:00 Saturday morning.
The Mentor Program is a program of the Grand Rapids Running Club.
SOCKS, HATS, EXTRA SHIRTS
Extra Red Shirts from 2009 are available at the BUYSTUFF link. $20. Socks, $5.00. Hats are $10.00. www.cooladventures.net/buystuff.htm. Still have a bunch of the 2008 shirts for only ten bucks too, if you like. |
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The people who do it, LOVE IT! It's fun. It's challenging. It's 6:00 a.m. and we've already had a kick-butt workout! Whether it's a speedy tempo run, a set of 10-second hill blasts, some killer ab workouts, we're coming out of it with stronger, faster, and happier.
We'll be doing four FREE SESSIONS in April as an intro to our Summer Session.
Want to feel the burn? Our super-secret underground Boot Camp meets every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:00 a.m. Want to try a couple free sessions? Email me with the subject line "Boot Camp"
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Where Do I Redeem My Coupon?
Lots of women have babies. This week however, may have been a first. I got a call from Metro Health yesterday. "There's a woman here who had a baby and she's asking the hospital staff where she can redeem her coupon for her free marathon entry."
Year ONE - 2004, Bill and Amy Elvey met at our event. Now they're happily married and LIFETIME ENTRANTS to the marathon.
Year TWO - Ted Watson came up to me at the expo and asked if it was OK to propose to Colleen at the finish line. They're still running. Together.
2008 - Kellin Good is surprised at the Finish Line with a diamond.
Then last fall, I put a coupon at the end of my newsletter:
Have a baby at Metro Health, and get a free entry in 2010.
We have our first baby! I don't know all the details yet, but I am looking forward to the new mom contacting me soon. (Does this mean I'm an uncle?)
The goal here is to make everyone FEEL LIKE family. It's a lot of fun that some people actually end up BEING family!
Congratulations to the proud Mom and Dad. See you at the FINISH LINE!!
(Any other takers?) |
