I have found that this time of year encourages one to reflect. The Thanksgiving holiday is a great opportunity to get together with family and share one another’s company while also talking about events of the past year. ..............
So, first of all, I am thankful to have a loving and supportive family to spend the holiday with. My brother recently arrived home from Iraq and was able to visit with us in Dunlap. I also was able to visit many cousins, aunts and uncles, and my grandparents while in town. My kids got play with their cousins, Lillian and Neil, who are very close to their ages and I got an extended amount of time to spend with my wife.
I am thankful for my job. I really have one of the best jobs out there. I teach high school math and coach running sports at Ames High School. My workday is long sometimes, but the kids I work with are fantastic, my co-workers are fun and intelligent, and my bosses are supportive leaders.
Certainly, I am thankful for my running ability as well as the opportunity to compete in races. This year, I ran 9 track races, several of which were as an unattached runner competing with college athletes. I was able to set a personal record (PR) by running 4:13.30 for 1500 meters at Central College in Pella, IA where I won my heat by 7 seconds. The time qualified as All-American status for USATF. I ran twelve 5k races, winning ten in a row and taking 2nd place in the other two. I lowered my 5k PR on three occasions and set course records five times. I also ran three long races. I took second in a spring break half-marathon and set a 2-minute PR. I won a marathon at a small event in Ames, while also setting the course record, and I had a great run at the 50-mile race. I ran as a half-marathon pacer too at the Des Moines Marathon, which is a form of thanksgiving in itself.
I am thankful for having a mostly injury-free year. There was a one-month stretch in March/April in which I could not tie my shoe because my foot hurt so badly. I never got a diagnosis and it still hurts from time-to-time today, but I missed very little workouts from it. This fall, I have had some on again/off again knee trouble, but that too has not kept me from missing workouts. I'm hoping this can hold out for the next 20 weeks when I bring my mileage up over 80 mpw for several weeks while training for Boston.
Finally, I am thankful for my wife that makes this all possible. I would not be teaching in Ames if my wife had not grown up there and wanted to return. I would not have two amazing kids without my wife. My kids would not be nearly as much fun, happy, and smart if she was not the one raising them. I would not be able to train as regularly as I do without her love and support. And, I would have a much harder time getting through the hard days without her to lean on.
Yes, I have much to be thankful this year. 2011 has been very good to me!
Here is my training for the past week.
First off, I have started back to doing my general strength (GS) exercises. While my knee was hurting in October, I found myself unable to do ab exercises because I could not life my legs off the ground without excruciating pain behind the knee. So, I let all of my GS slide, not just the abs but the hips, back, and arms too. Even upon getting healthier in November, I still had a tough time putting in the efforts. Then, LHF happened and I feel like my stomach cramps had to do with a week core, so I renewed my efforts to consistently do GS exercises.
On Sunday, following the Living History Farms Race, my body was SORE. My ankles hurt, my hips hurt, and my nagging knee hurt. Most of all, though, my feet hurt from wearing 15-year old track spikes that were at least a size too small. Those shoes are officially retired. So, I opted out of my long run but still wanted to do a run. I finally managed to slip out the door around 4:00PM for a recovery run. I ran to west Ames via Stange and Ontario. It ended up feeling pretty good, probably because the pace was purposefully turtle-like. So, I extended my six-mile goal into eight miles. Total: 8 miles – 59:15 (7:24 pace).
Monday, I was feeling better except for my feet. Also, I got to run with some member of the cross country team, so it made for a nice run. It had been a week for them, so they only went four miles. We went from the high school to the Cy-Ride station, which I may use as a new route for easy days during next year’s practices. Afterward, I ran another four miles. Total: 8 miles – 57:29 (7:11 pace).
By Tuesday, I had decided that I would not run at Cyclone Holiday Preview indoor track meet, which would have been in two and a half weeks. Physically I was worn out and mentally I was not excited for it. So, this meant I did not need to do speed work to prepare for a 3000-meter track race. Also, this meant I could focus on building my base mileage leading into my marathon training for Boston. So, I ran through Nutty Woods and out to Stagecoach Road for another easy run. Total: 7 miles – 52:02 (7:26 pace).
Wednesday was the start of Thanksgiving break. After a day of teaching, a two-hour drive, and writing a letter of recommendation, I was in Ida Grove to see Daphne’s grandparents and extended family. The plan for the day was a very hard progressive run beginning at 6:30 pace and ending at 5:30 pace. For the most part, I nailed it. The wind was a big factor, however, and the last two miles on IA-175 were not as strong as I had hoped. I did, however, build a small cushion on the previous five miles to keep my average under the goal. Total: 7 miles – 41:58 (5:59+ pace).
Thursday, I was at the farm in Dunlap to celebrate Thanksgiving with my mom, brother, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew. I made a very conscious decision to get out on roads before eating. There was a 20mph south wind that brought very unseasonably warm air to the area, so I was able to run in shorts and a shirt, but I also had to battle the wind. My route took me north, west, north at each intersection (the no dog route) on the hilly gravel roads. The hills felt like they had grown, but I think the fatigue from the fast workout yesterday and the wind were factors. In all, I ran 18 hills on the run. Total: 8 miles – 56:12 (7:01 pace)
Friday, I was still in Dunlap, but my hamstrings were feeling the climb from the day before, so I ran south instead towards my preschool. There are only five hills that direction. The run went well. Total: 7 miles – 48:22 (6:55 pace).
Saturday brought me back to Ames for a lunch with some AHS grads now running track in college. It was good to see my former sprinters and see how their first semester was going as well as get some ideas on what they are doing now to take the next step as college runners. Afterwards, I ran a loop out to the middle school to test my route for Sunday’s workout with Courtney. The wind was rough. It hard turned to the north and brought a drop in temperature with it. Total: 10 miles – 1:08:05 (6:49 pace).
For the week (Sun-Sat), I hit 55 miles in 6:23:23 or 6:58/mile.
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