4 Mile Run

Today I went for my first 4 mile run since January 1st! I was only planning on a 3 miles, but I was running on the nice and flat bike path and at the turn around point I decided to keep going since my ankle felt fine. I ran the 4 miles in 41 minutes. I was surprised on the time since I did take 2 walk breaks. After the run I felt great! I do have a long way to go before I am ready for the 10 mile blessing of the Fleet run, but I have have 2 months to get ready. On another note, I am part of the Hornet Juice Challenge so before my run today I drank some of the magic elixir and I really didn't feel any different during or after my run. I have a good 2 week supply of the stuff, so I will continue to use it and hopefully I will notice any sort of difference.

I am on the hunt for Tri shorts for my upcoming races this year and I am wondering if anyone has any recommendations on what shorts are the best? Keep in mind that I am a Clyde and skin tight shorts is not really the thing for me. Is there lose fitting Tri shorts out there? Any help would be great!

HAppy Hump day!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

This weekend is the official start of the summer. I don't know about the rest of the country, but Rhode Island will have some great weather this weekend! Everyone have a fun and safe weekend. And on Monday, please take a moment to remember those who gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy today.

First Race of the Year

Yesterday's A Race to Grow 5k race a... lets just say a beggining of the race season for me. I knew going into the race that I was not going for a PR, just wanted to get back into racing, hangin out with other runners and enjoying the race itself. The day before I didn't know if I could even run the race. While working in the yard I twisted my ankle, yeap the bad one, yeap the same one from last weekend. So I took care of it and it felt fine Sunday morning. I took a few advil before the race just in case. My ankle felt great during my pre-run so I knew it would not be a factor. I normally like to start up front and to the side in the race, but I knew I was going to be slow right out of the gate so I stuck to the back (actually there were only about 75 people running so I wasn't far from the start). The gun went off and I started at a nice slow pace. I had set my Garmin 305 to alert me if I was going over 6.5 MPH and if I was going slower then 5.8 MPH. So for much of the first mile the Garmin was beeping at me to slow down. As you know, for the past few weeks I have been dealing with a wall that creeps up around mile 1.5 and lasts until mile 2, well I must have missed the wall because I didn't hit it at all during the race. I was really excited about that. Run time - 30min 44 secs for a 9:54 mile. I wasn't expecting any better. My next 5k race is Celebrate Summer 5k on July 19th (that's if I am not going to cheer on my peeps at IMUSA!).

A BIG CONGRATS goes out to Michelle who at the last minute decided to run and placed 3rd in her AG!!!!! WTG!!!!!

So what did I learn at this race? There is no wall, Its all in my head, I know I am faster then 30min 44secs, Take a couple advil before the race, Smile for the camera guy, and I have a long way to go before I am ready for the Blessing of the FLeet 10 miler.

Happy Monday!

Quick Upate

This is a quick update. I hit the pool the other day for the first time in close to a month. Yeah I know I have been slacking on that. I completed 1000m and I felt really good. Everything felt really smooth. I did a TT for 50m, which I set a new best time of 51sec. Running has been pretty good too. Over the weekend I rolled my left ankle on a rock while walking on a path through the woods with Brady on my shoulders. Thank goodness I didn't fall. First thing I thought of was, "Oh crap not that ankle...I have a race coming up this weekend." But I walked it off and the ankle felt fine. Thank goodness for that one. I had a nice run through town today. Still really slow, but I know my speed will increase with time. As for the 5K race this weekend, I really don't plan on going for a PR or any time for that matter. I just want to get out there and race again. Nothing like lining up and running 3 miles with a bunch of people. It is so fun.

Ok, thats my quick update!

Finally Coming Together

I had a decent run today. I was kinda excited about it. I started off doing some Nautilus machines and then a quick 10 minutes on the Elliptical before my run. I figured that should be a good warm up before my run. The first mile of the run was great. Then probably around 1.5 miles I hit a wall. I stopped and walked for about 30 secs and then started running again. Then I hit the wall again 4 minutes later. So again I walked for about 30 secs and then started running. From that point on I felt great! Breathing was awesome and my body felt great. I think I will stop trying to understand how fix this "Wall" thing. I am just going to keep running and I think it will work itself out. I plan on running again tomorrow. I normally don't do back to back running days so I will probably keep it under 3 miles, probably 2.

My first 5K of the year is coming up in 2 weeks. I am kinda excited about running a race again. My last one was back in November. If I didn't have my 3 month layoff from running due to my injury I think I would be setting a new PR in 2 weeks. But I am taking it slow for this race and hopefully I will not be hitting any walls. I have been averaging a little over 10 min miles on my runs lately. Pretty slow compared to where I was back in November. My running will come back and I know I will be better then ever!

Busy Week

This week has been very busy. We are having a party for Reese's 2nd birthday on Saturday so I have been going crazy getting the house ready, doing yard work and shopping. At least I squeezed in a 3 mile run yesterday.

Same thing happened during yesterday's run. I used my Garmin 305 to make sure I wasn't running to fast. I figured keep it at a steady 6.0mph. I still felt like crap until mile 2. Then for the last mile I was running around 7.0mph with no problem. I even sprinted up the death hill leading up to the Y!!! I just can't figure it out. Some one at work thought I might be catching my "2nd Wind". Is there such a thing? I felt like I could have ran another couple of miles. But I am still taking things slow with running. I have felt no pain for the past few weeks so I am good to go and will probably start increasing the mileage.

Happy May everyone!

Running and Other Wonderful stuff

Ok so I went running the other and part of my new pre-run routine includes lots of stretching. On some days I will hit the stationary bike for 10 mins to warm up. Anyways, I started my run and everything felt great. But I could not get into a comfortable pace until mile 1.5 and my breathing didn't settle down until mile 2. Did I not warmup long enough? Should I go longer on the bike? Should I do 2 miles on the elliptical before my run? Or am I just crazy and let my body figure out that I am running again and let everything fall into place. I will probably do the latter. Another thing I noticed is that I seem to be running faster toward the end of my run. I don't feel like I am holding anything back in the beginning of the run, so where is this energy come from? Running is weird, fun but weird.

So for the past week I have been working on a big wooden playset for my kids. We picked up all the parts last weekend and my father-in-law and I spent the past week putting it together. It was not hard at all, just takes allot of time. Here are a few pics.

I still have a few minor things to complete on the playset, but it is pretty much done. The kids enjoy going down the slide and using the swings.

Happy Monday!

New Priorities

I have been holding back some awesome news from all you peeps out there. Today is the day I can tell all of you that my wife is expecting are 3rd child. We are so excited! We have always talked about having 3 and now it is becoming reality. We do want to find out what it is and will keep everyone posted!

There have been other developments that I have been struggling with the past month or so. The company I work for is now downsizing and moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan on or around July 1 (which just happens to be my birthday). I was offered a position there, but I will not leave Rhode Island or the Northeast. Nothing against Michigan, but there is nothing like New England. With that said, I have decided to alter my training and race schedule since my top priority right now is to find a new job. If all goes well my first triathlon will be the 3rd Annual Ocean Community YMCA Triathlon in September. I still plan on a few 5Ks and the Blessing of the Fleet 10 Mile Road Race in July.

So that’s it in a nutshell. Congrats to all of those who completed the Boston Marathon today!

Happy Monday!

Spring Time!

The weather has been awesome lately! Today was in the 60's and with a slight cool breeze made for an awesome run today. I went for a nice 2.66 mile run. Only averaged 10 min miles but I knew if I wanted to go further then 2 miles I would have to keep it slow. It has been a slow process getting back into the swing of running but I have to learn to be patient, which I don't want to! The run went well except for the little pain I felt in my ankles. I think it's because I haven't ran much. I will probably keep the run every other day for now and when I feel better about my running, make it an every day thing. I actually need to get my butt on the bike. I really have been slacking on that.

For the past few days I have been battling some sort of stomach virus. The virus has been winning so far. But I am going to kick it's little butt soon. The only good thing about the past few days is that I was able to drop a few pounds! Talking with my brother last night I told him that this virus was probably a good thing. It has givin me a good chance to cleanse my body of unwanted crap.

Anyways, you peeps up here in the Northeast....Winter is over!!!!!!!

Bike Path Run

Went out for a 20 min run today on the South County Bike Path. It was such a nice day I couldn't pass up the chance. There were a few bikers on the path which made me want to break out the bike from the basement and hit the road, which I might do tomorrow. I ran a little under 2 miles in the 20 mins. Still really slow from where I was at before, but I guess I can't just jump back into running 8:30 miles after not running for 3 months.

So for tomorrow I might ride the bike to the Y, jump in the pool for 1500 meters and then decided if I want to take the Spin class tomorrow or on Friday. Guess we will see.

First Outdoor Run!

I went outside for my first run since recovering from my ankle injury. I ran a little over 1.5 miles. It just felt so good running outside and not on the treadmill. The whole time I was running I was concentrating on my left ankle. Every time my left foot hit the ground I was evaluating if it hurt or not. It was almost to the point were I was concentrating on my foot then where I was going. I am sure that will go away when I get more confident with my ankle. Anyways It was awesome to get out and run!

I signed up for my first 5K of the season, A Race to Grow 5k in May. I can't wait. There is another race at the end of April that I might run, but I will have to see how my running is progressing before I make my decision.

Have a great weekend!

Group Cycle

Today was my first taste of Group cycle or what everyone calls it, Spinning. The instructor told us for the next month the classes will be beginner classes that last 30 minutes long. I liked it alot. I will be attending a class every week now. There were only 3 other people in the class, so I think Wednesdays at 1:00 is a good time. The instructor really didn't work us hard, but she said in the coming weeks she will push us a little more.

Tomorrow I am planning on taking a 1 mile run outside. I really want to start running outside again. I just feel so slow on the treadmill and that feeling of not going anywhere really bugs me. I like running around town and seeing differant things. So I am only planning on 1 mile. All goes well I will do it again on Friday.

Weekend Fun

This past weekend the family and some friends headed into Connecticut for the 2008 Mystic Connecticut's Saint Patrick's Day Parade. We all had a great time and the kids just loved seeing the fire trucks. The highlight of the parade this year were the budweiser clydesdales! Those are some big horses!

And you got to love those Shriner's on their little cars!

Happy Monday!

Spinning Class Will Kick My Butt

Today I went to the Y's orientation class for spinning. Before anyone can take a class they must go through the orientation. So today during class I was fitted for the bike and we went through a couple of different drills and techniques. The whole time I was there I was peddling away trying to get a little work out in. Once everyone was set with their bikes, the instructor gave us a 20 min lesson. Wow! This will be difficult. By the end of the session, I was sweating up a storm and dying for some water. I can't wait to complete an actual class.

Nothing much else is going on. I ran another mile on the treadmill yesterday. It was so nice outside and I just wanted to run on the road, but I don't think I am ready for that yet. I think by the end of next week I will take a crack at running outside. Until then I will suffer on the treadmill.

I am really excited that the weather is getting warmer. I can deal with 40's and 50's. I just hope that we are all done with snow.

Workout Today

Today's WO:

Elliptical: 3.5 miles, 25 mins
Spinning: 6 miles, 20 mins

Ankle still feeling good! I am still a little cautious with my left ankle, who wouldn't be?

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone had a great Easter weekend. Ours was filled with candy, easter egg hunts, family and tons of food! The kids enjoyed the easter egg hunts loved their special easter baskets from the easter bunny. Now Kim and I just need to survive sugar rushes!

Today was the first day of a training schedule that I have developed for the next month. It is just a general schedule filled with running, spinning, swimming and weight training. For the past few months I have really battled with working out and weight control and today I am taking control and going to bust my butt to get back to where I was in December. My mile run on the treadmill felt great! Again no pain. But my ankle was a little sore after I got home. Today's swim was a killer. Has anyone else had those days in the pool were you just felt like a brick and no matter how hard you tried you just couldn't stay afloat or even move forward? I had one of those days. The lifeguard asked how my swim was and I told her I felt like I was carrying a load of bricks while swimming against a rip current. Hopefully that will change on Wednesday. Tomorrow I will be spinning for 20 mins and then jumping on the Elliptical for 20 mins along with some weight training. Oh yeah, I signed up for my spin class orientation on Thursday. I can't wait to try that out!

Friday!!

Not much to report. Had a great time in Florida. I didn't get much sleep, but who does on vacation. I will write more about it next week. I got one work out in this week. It took me a few days to get my butt in gear. So I ran for 10 minutes on the treadmill and rode 20 mins on the stationary bike. I have spent the last few days tweaking my training schedule for the next month. I am very optimistic that I will be ready for my first race of the season, a 5K on April 27th. After yesterday's workout my ankle was a little sore, but my achilles felt fine. I guess I need to work on that ankle a little more. Hope everyone has a wonderful Easter!

Off to Florida

I am off to Florida for a few days. My brother and I are driving my parent's car down for them. On the way down we are stopping off at my dad's house and going to the NHRA Drag race in Gainesville, FL. It is just awesome watching these cars do over 300 MPH!

On the training side, this week I ran 1 mile twice with no pain!! YES!!! I will continue to the take it slow next week and just run a mile and then slowy build after that. Swimming has been great! And I am just starting to get some miles on the stationary bike at the Y. I figure something is better then nothing.

Have a great weekend!

Tagged, Update and Aero-bars!

To start off I complete my 7 random things since I was tagged by IronMin the other day.

1. I served in the U.S. Navy for 4 years. It was a great experience and I am glad I did it.

2. My favorite ice cream is Chocolate and just love the Chocolate Chip ice cream from a little restaurant called Shady Glen’s in Manchester, CT.

3. I was born and raised in Rhode Island. A lot of tourists come to RI for vacations and whatever. So when I was a teenager I would wear a shirt that said “I am not a tourist. I live here and I don’t answer questions.” I didn’t like tourists back then.

4. I have 2 cats, Oreo and Fluffy. Oreo of course is black and white and my other cat Fluffy is an orange tabby. When Fluffy was a little kitten he was really fluffy, hence the name.

5. While stationed in Florida for the Navy I started inline skating and joined an aggressive inline skate team. We would do demo’s and host a clinic every Tuesday night for those who wanted to learn how to rollerblade. I miss those days, but I don’t miss the injuries.

6. For my first job I was a bagger at Stop and Shop.

7. Also while living in Florida a couple of friends and I auditioned for a Techno/Rave dance show at a club in Jacksonville called Club 5. We made the cut, but they only filmed one show that never aired.

So I will pass the Tag to the following peeps:
Moonpie
Chad in the desert
Jennifer – Runnergirl
Michelle
Chris

Onto other things. My ankle is coming along nicely. I hope to begin light jogging by the end of this week or beginning of next week. My physical therapist has been awesome! He also is a runner so he knows I want to get back out there and run ASAP! But he also knows that I need to take my time and start off slowly. I have had no pain for the past 2 weeks which is an awesome sign! I actually hit the Elliptical last week for 10 mins at a really slow pace and felt no discomfort. I will jump on that again a few times this week and start riding the stationary bike as well.

And to finish off I would like to say thank you to Tri-John for picking me to receive a set of Airstryke Aero-bars. Tri-John won these bars from Tri-Geeks Dream website. They wanted to give the bars to a newbie Triathlete. So Tri-John left a comment on why he should get the bars and WON! So this year Tri-John decided to offer the same bars to another Tri-newbie. So I left a comment and over the weekend Tri-John’s wife picked my name out of a hat to win the bars (there was only 2 of us who left comments so pulling a name out of the hat was the best way to decided)! So thank you very much John for the bars. I will definitely put them to good use and after this season I will pass them to another Tri-Newbie.

Tuesday

This will be a short post. Nothing much has been going on. I have gone to PT a few times and I can definitely feel a difference. I think it is a combination of PT and the new sneakers. I have felt little to no pain for the past week which is very encouraging. I can't wait to start running again. I really miss it.

On Monday I went to the Y to hit the weights and pool. It was my first real workout in a few weeks and it felt really good. Tomorrow I plan on trying out the stationary bike. My PT guy said I should use little to no resistance and I should be ok.

Anyone else in the Northeast ready for Spring and Summer?