The Beginnings Of A Pace Group

Sunday's Loper schedule called for four miles. It's not much in the grand scheme of things. Before too long that will be just about the midway point in our runs and then it won't even be that.

But Sunday's run really felt like it helped from the semblance of our pace group. I led the group for the whole run and kept a steady pace. Fewer runners ran ahead of me this time than last and the whole group was close, there wasn't too much spacing between the front and any stragglers in the back.

It felt like a pace group, not like a collection of runners.

It was nice being in front and having the runners stay behind me. There were some runners who I know can run faster than the pace I was holding but they stayed back, or level, with me. And when I was going a little too fast, I slowed down and the runners around me also slowed down.

Some runners went ahead, four to be precise, but three of them I know are experienced marathoners so that's fine. They can run on their own and be okay. The rest of the group stayed back.

It was a solid, strong run. Of course, it's only four miles but in a way that's good that we had this kind of run now. The miles will only keep increasing. Next week is five, then six, then seven, eight, nine and 10. Once we hit 10, we won't single digits again.

But that's the good thing about these short miles. While the first-year Lopers are just getting used to running longer miles, us pace leaders are getting the hang of this pace-leading thing. By the time we hit double digits we will all be ready for it.

END OF THE STREAK

So much happening on one day...

On Saturday, for the first time in 19 days, I did not run. I couldn't. I was much too sore to run. It was a bummer because it was the end of my streak.

All told, I ran about 95 miles over those 18 days and I really did get my legs to be stronger, which is what I wanted when I began the streak (although I didn't set out with a streak in mind).

It's not a long stretch of time in the grand scheme of things but it felt great to force myself to get out and find new ways to fit runs in. This boot camp that I just started - which is the culprit for my run streak's demise - forced me to find ways to get my miles in around that. And running two-a-days, which I did twice this week, also helped me get my miles in which forces me to be more disciplined.

Funny thing is, I ran eight times this week, which averages to more than one a day obviously, but still my streak ended. Irony.

Anyway, none of the progress I've made in the last three weeks will regress. In fact, I plan on leaping to the next level. The boot camp classes will help catapult me into becoming a more fit person, not just a better runner, but it will help carry over into my running as well. A strong core is such a benefit for a runner to have and that will be nice to have once more. My core is not strong as I don't usually work it out. Stronger leg muscles and more toned muscles will also help out when I run.

This end of my streak is merely a one-day break. Sunday's four-miler is the start of a new streak. We'll see where I am 18 days from now. That's the most exciting part about all this, just seeing my progress as I gain more and more strength.

Pace Leader Challenges

LB, the Pace Leader.

It's official. I led my first run as a bone fide pace leader on Sunday. Two miles!

And it wasn't great.

Sigh.

Now, the group of runners assembled was fantastic. There seems to be a great mix of first-timers and veterans and we will have other runners join our group here as the weeks go on. My fellow pace leader was also great and offered a lot of info to the runners and was strong in her part during the run.

But the run itself was a bit of a disaster. Pace leaders are supposed to lead (duh) but I had runners get in front of me for a lot of the run. That threw off the pace and the run was way faster than it should have been.

I'm trying not to get too disheartened by it and even though I tried to get over it on Sunday, I suppose some feelings still linger about it. I'm guessing though that the only way to get past that will be to redeem myself next weekend.

After our run, we had more time to get together and talk as a group, so we did introductions and we had the runners all say their names and how many marathons they've run or what kinds of runs/races they've done recently if they hadn't done a marathon. We have runners who have done 0 marathons, 1 marathon, 2 marathons... all the way up to someone with 58 marathons. I didn't count exactly but I think about half of the 20 or so runners there were first-timers.

Of course my goal will be to keep them all there, all engaged, all motivated to run and of course pace them through runs.

Anyway, before we did introductions I told the group that that run was WAY too fast, that it was my fault for that. I also talked to them about staying behind the pace leader. I am going to have to hammer that point until they get it, and keep reeling them back when it happens. It will happen, of course. It's just natural.... one runner gets a head of steam, wants to stretch their legs and gets in front of the pace leader. That only draws the leader forward though and if it happens too much or for too long it will speed up the group.

So, I suppose that if that's my biggest headache at the start, it can't all be too bad.

And I really did enjoy meeting all the new runners and all the potential marathoners in our group. I know how grandiose and glorious it is to run a marathon and I would love nothing more than to help these runners experience that for themselves.

Oh, one more thing. I made it out Monday for a 10-miler. I worked on my pacing. Not bad, huh?

Mile 1 - 10:03
Mile 2 - 9:50
Mile 3- 9:58
Mile 4 - 10:04
Mile 5 - 10:24 (ah! my phone rang!)
Mile 6 - 9:50
Mile 7 - 9:52
Mile 8 - 9:52
Mile 9 - 9:43
Mile 10 - 9:30

Pacing Others

On Sunday, my incredible fitness adventure will take me on yet another once-unimaginable turn as my pace leader duties will begin in earnest.

Along with a fellow marathoner, I will pace the Loma Linda Lopers' 10-minute-per-mile pace group. This new part of my fitness journey will be challenging. Now, I've conquered so much from then until now that this might seem like just another challenge to overcome. However, this will add a new wrinkle - it's not all about fitness anymore.

I have to lead people. That requires being a leader of people. Which requires leadership qualities.

In some ways I think I'm more of a lead-by-example person. But this is an undertaking that will require more than that. I don't necessarily think it's an impossible task but it's one that will take me a bit to get the hang of.

I do after all have some fears about this whole pace-leading thing.

Such as...

* The Right Balance: If this group is anything like the other groups I've been in with the Lopers, we will have veteran marathoners and runners who have not run more than 5-6 miles. Finding a balance between the two groups of runners within the group could pose a challenge.

* Pacing Myself: I fear that I will either take the group out way too fast or way too slow. I'm not a speedburner by any means but sometimes I run in the 8-minute range, and sometimes I run in the low 9s. In fact, my comfortable pace is in the low to mid 9s. So an excited LB means a sped-up LB which could mean running closer to 9 minutes per mile than 10.

* Speaking Up: If you've ever talked to me in person, you know that I don't have a loud booming voice. I wish I did sometimes. I have to consciously project my voice when trying to talk to a group of people. If I just talk loud, it may not be loud enough.

* Guru? Hardly: I want to show the group that I am capable of being a pace leader by sharing things I've learned since I've taken up running. But I don't want to come across as a know-it-all.

* Finishing Strong: When I was training for my last marathon, in April, I struggled with finishing my long runs up strong - by long, I mean my 18- and 20-mile runs. For my 18-miler, I was done at about 15. We've got some time until we hit double digits, let alone 15, so I have time to work on this.

I'm sure there are more areas that I've worried about and pondered over but I can't think of them now. Hopefully I just put them out of my mind for good and that's that. But this list is just some of what I will try and focus on and improve over the course of my life as pace leader.

Now, my co-pace leader is an awesome runner, faster and stronger than me but we're both very dedicated and optimistic. We are on the same page in terms of what we want the group to be like and what we want our focus to be. We want our group members to have smiles on their faces after each and every run, and we want to focus on finishing runs, hopefully strong, instead of focusing on our time. Sure, we want to keep it as close to 10 minutes per mile as possible but we're not going to obsess over it either.

Anyway, with my co-pace leader around I think we'll have a strong group before too long. I just have to sort through my own challenges first and go from there.

Big Pair Of Days

The next two days will be memorable. I hope I can survive to tell you the tales of each respective day.

SATURDAY

I'm heading on my first hike. Well, it will be my first official hike. I've hiked across Disneyland dozens of times but not sure that counts. I'm going with my brothers to hike up the highest peak in Southern California, Mount San Gorgonio, which is 11,530 feet above sea level. Nothing to sneeze at, is it? According to some Web sites I've seen, the trail we're taking - the Vivian Creek Trail - is a demanding trail that features a 5,600-foot elevation gain, which mean's we'll be starting around the 6,000-foot mark.

I've never been on a real hiking excursion like this but my brother Danny has. I'm putting my faith in him. I figure I can run pretty good so my legs should be up for such a difficult hike as this. My only concern right now is what to wear. Being the runner I am, I'm probably going to end up hiking in my running clothes. Well, shorts for certain. We'll see about the shirt. Danny's provided me with a list of provisions to take so I should be good on that end too.

It's supposed to take us 10-12 hours to do the whole hike, from bottom to top to bottom. We're leaving my house at 5 a.m. to get up there so we can start the hike around 6 a.m. or so, hopefully earlier. I'm used to getting up early and going on long runs so this will be a bit of a change of pace, getting up early to go on a hike. However it goes I'll make sure and let you know all about it.

SUNDAY

The Lopers season starts on Sunday! I'm going to assume my official role as pace leader. Okay, well, that will mean that I will help out with the newcomers, so I wont' actually have a group to lead on Sunday, although once everything is said and done on that day we will put people into groups so I could have a list of runners that day. But then, I think I remember last year having the choice to join a group... ah, I don't know what I'm talking about.

I guess the bottom line is that I will be the 10-minute pace leader for real on Sunday, so I'll be able to introduce myself as that come Sunday. It will be interesting once the actual running part of the season starts on the 21st. I actually wanted to explore my thoughts regarding myself and being a pace leader and my hopes, desires, fears, etc. are before taking on this new challenge in my life.

For now, though, I will be content with helping out on Sunday however I can as a bona fide pace leader.

Setting The Pace

It's official - I will be the pace leader for the 10-minute pace group this upcoming season with the Lopers!

I'm quite excited about this. I had put my name in a while back and had heard afterward from someone in the know that I'd likely get to be pace leader but wasn't 100 percent certain until I got the official e-mail with the list of pace leaders, and it included my name.

I am actually one of two pace leaders. The other, an awesome gal by the name of Alex, is a pretty speedy runner, very committed and has a few more marathons under her belt than me.

I really can't quite grasp this pace leader concept yet. It's a chance to tackle running in a whole new way, to take on new challenges, to help newcomers meet and overcome challenges they may have felt weren't attainable before.

I know there will be challenges on my part. I'm kinda quiet sometimes. I'm not necessarily a grab-the-bull-by-the-horns kind of guy. I will have to be more vocal and assertive, and I suppose that leads into one of my biggest fears with this. Not all runners in my group will be newbies. The Lopers club is welcome to one and all, but there are quite a few hardcore marathoners in the club. I have fun four marathons which is freaking fantastic but there are others who have run 10, 20, 40 marathons... and I don't want to act like I know everything there is to know about marathons to someone like that.

Ultimately - and this goes for both new and veteran runners who will be in my group - I'm just going to have to prove my worth. Run strong, run hard, run run run and try and keep close to a 10-minute per mile pace.

I really do want to show others that nothing is impossible, and whether you're a first-timer or a been-there done-that runner, that's a lesson anyone can stand to gain from.

Leading The Pace

It's not official yet but I received some good news earlier this week.

I'm going to be a pace leader when the Lopers clinic starts in August! I had put in my name to be a pace leader with the 10-minute pace group, the 10s, and it looks like that was a successful lobby on my part.

I'm going to be a co-leader with a runner I met just last year and who has been a great running friend, Alex (who is a she). So Alex and I will be in charge of the 10-minute pace group come August.

I'm pumped! I got a taste of being a pace leader last year when both of my group's pace leaders dropped out (one got pregnant, one had foot injuries) but it was sporadic and the group was small and it just never felt like my group to be honest. This time, though, we'll get the group from Day One and we can mold the group the way we think is best for the the runners involved. Our goal, and by "our" I mean the Lopers, is to help runners finish a marathon. There are a lot of first-time marathoners who come out and join the group but sadly many of them do not stick around, so our goal will be to have them all stick around until the very end.

The end will be the 2012 LA Marathon. That part's not official but I can't imagine not training for the LA Marathon. The Lopers trained for LA for years, save for a brief period when Surf City was the target marathon. But LA returned as the group's target in 2011 and it will likely remain as such.

Hopefully when that day rolls around, Alex and I will be leading a group of first-timers across the finish line at LA, and hopefully will be able to do it in about 4 hours 20 minutes.

Whatever the case, I have the chance now to influence others in a way that I've not quite been able to, and that's very appealing. I still hold firm to my beliefs - if I can lose 100-plus pounds and run a marathon (four of them, in fact) anyone can do that. Anyone. You just need a little determination, motivation, time and support. I'll offer my time and support and will try to motivate. Hopefully that's enough to help out the 10s come the fall and winter.

Rain Rain Go Away

In case you haven't noticed, it's been raining in Southern California. Like, a lot of rain. As in, I can't remember the last time it rained for five consecutive days. I don't think it's rained as hard as it has around here in at least a decade.

That, combined with Mrs. LB's vacay, has thrown a wrench in my running this week. As in, I have run zero miles. Sad. The sun's out this morning though - queue Hallelujah music - so I'm going to squeeze in a five-miler.

I was able to run on Sunday, though. I had 18 miles on tap and there was no way I was going to miss that. It was a Loper run but only seven members of our pace group showed up. Actually, three regulars showed up and we had four others run with us. Of those, only four were going to do the whole 18 miles.

I can't blame those who didn't make it. The rain was coming down hard as soon as I woke up. I was getting dressed to the pitter-patter of rain, drove in a downpour and met up with the rest of the group in the rain. I thought to myself "You can just go back home, have some coffee and stay warm" but of course I was only joking... sorta...

Anyway, all I wanted to do was to stay as dry as possible. Kinda hard to do when it's coming down as hard as it was, but mostly I wanted to not step in puddles. Of course, it took all of one-tenth of a mile to splash myself. I stepped in a puddle and kicked up water to hit the other shoe. Good times.

We started off slowly and took a strange course. Since it was a bit of the blind leading the blind, we mapped out a route that we thought would get us to 18 miles. Part of the path we took - which was unavoidable - took us up a busy street, so we had to deal with that. And of course the rain had not let up at all.

We got to about 12.5 miles and turned around, figuring it would take us about 5.5 miles to get back if we went the short way back. My legs had felt great and despite my early puddle-splashing problems I had managed to stay relatively dry. The skies had opened up and were relentless but even that wasn't a problem. Once I'm out in the rain, it's not a big deal so long as I can avoid the puddles, and I'd done that.

The only problem I'd had was time. I wasn't worried about time necessarily but I did have to get back home in order to shower and get dressed for church with the in-laws. Luckily, one of the other runners in our quartet was up for a bit of a fast finish. We knocked out the last four miles in about 37 minutes. It was a great way to end the run and gave me some confidence that my legs are going to handle this marathon better than the other ones. Will that equate into a PR? Who knows, but I'm mostly concerned right now about getting in these long runs. I have 20 miles on Jan. 2 and then 20-22 on Jan. 16.

Hopefully the weather will cooperate more then. Still, having run 18 miles in the rain gives me confidence that no matter what the weather is like I'll be able to finish them as well. As long as I don't succumb to the allure of coffee next time.

Motivational Mondays: Me, A Leader?

I've been with my running group, the Loma Linda Lopers, for two years now. This is my second year, and I feel like I've learned a lot and have a lot to offer because of it.

Now, I've been given the chance to influence others a bit more directly.

I have the chance to become a pace leader of my pace group, the 10:30s. I filled in a little bit on Sunday during our 14-mile run, and filled in a little bit the time before that, two weeks ago on a 13-miler.

Our pace group has two leaders already but one is 15 weeks pregnant and probably won't be able to log long runs before too long. We have 15 planned for Sunday and then have 15 and 18 on consecutive Sundays in December. Our other pace leader has had foot problems and recently was forced to take a month off from running. He's slowly working his way back.

So they've turned to me to see if I would be able to fill in. I said I'd do it and am grateful and humbled to be thought of in that way.

To be honest, I thought that it would be interesting and perhaps enjoyable to be a pace leader someday. I thought that it would be rewarding to help first-time marathoners get through the training and then run a full marathon for the first time, run it alongside them and help them get to the finish, but I didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

Now, the thing about our group that might make it more appealing to have me aboard is that this is an experienced group. We've had some members drop off so we have either one or two runners who haven't run a marathon yet but not sure if they are still with our group since I haven't seen them in a few weeks. Nevertheless, had our group had more first-timers maybe the group would have needed someone with more than two marathons to help the first-timers run their first marathon.

Still, I do feel that I have some good qualities that will help me be a good pace leader. The main quality I feel I bring to the table is strength. I can get through runs. I'm determined to get through runs. And group members need a leader who is strong and who can finish runs.

Sunday was a good example of that. I really didn't feel like running 14 miles in the rain but when I was out there on the course I felt good. After two miles, one of the pace leaders asked me if I would be able to lead and I agreed so I jumped to the front and led. My first mile in front, I ran it at 10:35. That's perfect. I kept us in that range for the four miles until our group had whittled down to four. We were pretty much running in pairs at that point but I still wanted to be strong for the other runners' sake. I think it's more encouraging when you have someone who looks like they're strong and have energy remaining, and I don't anticipate that being a problem when I'm in charge.

Next week we have a 15-mile run planned. I may be in front the whole time next week or it may be a mixture as it was this week. Whatever the case, I'll be up for it.

All eyes will be on me so I don't have a choice but to respond with another strong effort.

Lopers And Marathoning

I'm not even at Marathon No. 2 yet and I'm already looking ahead to Nos. 3 and 4, and maybe 5.

Marathon No. 2 is the San Francisco Marathon, of course, which will go down on July 25.

I have not decided on Marathon No. 3 yet but I had considered the Las Vegas Marathon, on Dec. 5. I just kind of figured that once San Francsico came and went that I would want to run another marathon, and that one was good since it was at the end of the year and would give me plenty of time to prepare for, and since it's a popular marathon for Lopers I might have several others to run my long runs with.

Now, I've got more to consider.

The Lopers season will start on Aug. 1 and the Lopers will train for both the 2011 Surf City Marathon (and Half Marathon) and the 2011 Los Angeles Marathon. Surf City next year will be on Feb. 6 and I'm not sure if LA has set their date yet. This year, the two marathons were six weeks apart Feb. 7-March 21.

I'm wondering now about what I should do.

- Run Las Vegas, Surf City Half and LA Marathon

- Skip Las Vegas, run Surf City full and LA Marathon

- Run Las Vegas, Surf City full and LA Marathon

I've got this to chew on now.

What's most appealing about running both Surf City and LA is that it will be part of the training plan, so most Lopers will train for both. That means I experience everything with everyone. While I'd still probably have to run on my own (I have two half-marathons tentatively scheduled for the fall, plus Ragnar) I wouldn't have to run any 18- or 20-milers alone. Those would be on the Loper schedule, and I had some awesome 20- and 22-milers running with my Lopers.

Still, I don't want to pass by the chance to run Vegas. That just seems like a great way to cap the year, to run my third marathon and possibly my 12th race of the year in the process. And there are two full months between Las Vegas and Surf City, plenty of time to recover and prepare for another marathon.

I'm not going to make or force myself to make a decision soon. I want to mull this over and chew it up, but I also wanted to start that process now.

Hangin' It Up

Mission Inn 10K

The colorful and rosy time has come to an end, my friends.

Since I joined the Lopers, I've been wearing pink, worn it during both training runs and races, and have been wearing it proudly (well, as proud as a guy can wear pink I suppose).

But that time has officially passed.

I have decided to retire my pink Lopers shirt.

Loper Classic 15K

It was actually a simple decision to make, really. That shirt set a high bar, and I'm not sure I could have continued to reach that bar.

Here are the races I've worn it in:

Mission Inn 10K (Oct. 09) - 50:24 - PR
Loper Classic 15K (Dec. 09) - 1:21:48 - PR
Surf City Marathon (Feb 10) - 4:42:26 - PR
ARMC 5K (March 10) - 23:03 - PR
Run Through Redlands Half Marathon (April 10) - 1:56:58 - PR

Do you notice a pattern?

Surf City Marathon

That shirt is five-for-five in races in terms of PRs. I can't possibly PR at every race I run, and in fact I ran the Lefty's 5K two weeks after the other one, didn't wear pink and didn't PR.

To be fair, though, two of those races were "instant PRs" in that I'd never run the distance in a race before, the 15K and the marathon. But the other races, I felt like I ran my best race possible... and really I feel the same way about all those races.

And I feel like I have to add that I WILL wear pink in races (sorry for the confusion but had a typo here earlier). Next Loper season I'm sure I'll get a new pink shirt, and I can't not wear it when that happens. But that might not be for a while.

When I look back to my non-pink races, some of the performances I know were not very strong, and while that was more of a reflection of my training (or lack thereof) I still feel like I could have done better with some parts of each race.

Run Through Redlands

The training I've had since before the first pink race was great. Mission Inn was my first Loper race... well, technically I ran the Ragnar Relay after joining the Lopers, but that's a bit of a different animal. But from that first race I felt great, and shaved off more than two minutes from my previous 10K PR. And every subsequent race I felt fantastic in because my training had gone so well.

ARMC 5K

So now, I'm quitting while I'm ahead. That shirt holds some great memories. It's been bled through, tears have fallen on it, buckets of sweat have dripped through, on or have been wiped on that shirt, holes have been poked in it time and time again. It's taken a beating but has continued to offer support.

Now, it will hang up in my closet and perhaps someday I'll display it somewhere a bit more prominently. After all, that shirt took me from novice runner to marathoner.

Motivational Mondays (March 29)

Since joining the Loma Linda Lopers, I've become accustomed to running with others. It may be as little as two others, but two others is not alone, and I don't often run my long runs alone.

Over the weekend, I was faced with a bit of a quandary. I could go to Loma Linda and meet up with my running friends, or I could run alone. It was only this way because most of the Lopers who have been going to run on Sundays since the end of the season ran the LA Marathon. They were going to run probably 6-8 miles, and I wanted to run 13-15. I didn't want to get thrown off so I figured a solo run was in order.

I think the last time I ran double-digit miles alone was on New Year's Day when I ran 10 miles. It wasn't that I was doubting my ability to get out there and run but it certainly was different preparing for a solo run. I remembered last year, before my half marathon, when I would just scrap runs before I ever got out there. It's different for me when I'm accountable to others. Maybe the Lopers wouldn't necessarily track me down if I stopped showing up but I'd feel like I'd be letting a lot of people down if I didn't go. And when it's just me, so what if I let myself down? At least, that's how I used to think.

Sunday morning was tough. On Saturday, I got home from work about 1:20 a.m.so that actually makes it Sunday morning, and I didn't go to be right away. I slept until 6:22. I had the Oh-you-don't-really-need-to-run feeling I got a last year, but shook it off immediately. I didn't shoot out of bed but rather took my time in getting up and getting my stuff together.

But I got up and got dressed and went out for a run. The toughest part is getting out the door, and I did that. I showed to myself that, if need be, I could train for a marathon alone. I'd rather not, would rather run with my Loper friends, but if it came down to it I could. Yeah, it might be tough, but I could do it. The solo runs I did before Surf City were one-off runs mostly, and I always felt like I needed their support, and I was grateful for it.

When stripped of my support group, though, I went on what was probably my toughest run since Surf City. It was 14 miles, but tougher than the other 14-miler I did because I went this one alone. But also, I tried to run at a bit of a faster pace than normal. The first two miles were more than 10-minute miles but since I ran over The Hill, I wasn't surprised or upset or anything. Once I got my legs underneath me, I felt good. Of the final 12 miles, all were in the 9-minute range save until Mile 10, which was back up the other side of The Hill. Mile 10 was 10:36, then I threw in an 8:26 mile since it was downhill and I felt like not slowing down.

But I got to Mile 12 and got that done in 10:29. At this point I wasn't sure if I could get to 14 as strong as I wanted to but I just reached down and made myself run hard and didn't let myself slow down. Mile 13 was 9:18 and Mile 14 was 9:27.

I certainly felt the run later in the day - sore legs mostly - but it was a good feeling. I finished with a 9:51 overall pace, and while that won't help me break get my sub-2 hour half marathon (Run Through Redlands is now less than three weeks away!) it will help me PR, and I'm still confident I can give 2:00:00 a good run for its money there.

After all, good runs provide such confidence and motivation.

Shoe-in For Comfort

On Monday, I made a trip to a local running store and I was quite happy while I went there.

I was even happier when I left. And today, I will finally get the chance to let my feet in on some of that joy.

What's making my downright giddy?

makin' me drool

My new pair of shoes!

My old pair was hanging on for dear life, and I'm still going to use them a little bit actually. I've relegated that pair as my treadmill shoes, for now anyway. Eventually, probably soon, they'll be worn anywhere but on runs - although they will be my Mud Run shoes, so not quite dead yet.

Anyway, the trip to the store, the Running Center, was great. First, the staff are all knowledgeable and experienced runners themselves. It's just running stuff, so their shirts and shorts are all for runners, they've got fuel belts and Gu, socks of all sizes and a lot of other awesome gadgets.

I went there for shoes, though. And it went very well as it did the last time I went. The staff has you try on several pairs of shoes and you run lightly from one end of the store to the other and back. It's not a long run at all but enough for the staff to see how you run, how your foot strikes the ground and they will determine the kind of shoes you need because of that.

Since I wore the now-old shoes there, the guy helping me grabbed the newer version of the shoe, the Asics GT-2150, plus two comparable pairs. I tried the first two on and ran, then the third. I felt something strange on the third, like it was too rigid on the outside of the shoe. Immediately, I was told that shoe was no good for me before I had the chance to tell him what I felt.

I felt nothing but comfort with the other two. I was really tempted to buy both, and alternate one and the other on runs. I've heard that you could buy two shoes and do that, and that would last longer than buying three pairs of shoes, one after the other.

But I guess I'll have to save that such purchase for next time.

I went with the Asics over the other brand, Saucony, because I've only had Asics and they've worked wonders for me. I'm loyal, as my Polar experience shows, and I like to stick around with brands that I have faith in. The best thing is that us Lopers get 10 percent off, so that pair cost me 90 bucks instead of 100. Another benefit of being a Loper.

So now I'm drooling over these shoes. I remember feeling like that the last time I bought new shoes. I had a great run with those shoes the first time out, and I hope to have a run like that with these todays.

But what's making me most excited is to think where those shoes will take me. Redlands (half) for sure. Rancho Cucamonga (10K) for sure. San Francisco (marathon) might be there some where. Hopefully some other places that I do not have planned right now.

Either way, my feet are itching to get out and break those shoes in.

Loper Pics

Among the fantastic benefits of being a Loper is our resident photographer.

At certain races where lots of Lopers will be on the course, a Loper/photographer snaps pictures of us. He sells them to us - the actual picture, not a digital image - afterward. He could probably charge a lot more but a 5-by-7 print costs us a whopping five dollars.

I bought these from him. This first one was an 8-by-10 and it's probably one of my favorite pictures of all the ones I got, either from the pictures I ordered or the Loper shots.

11-minute pace group in action

From left to right, there are seven Lopers. Five are wearing their pink the gentleman in the white hat in the middle is Art our pace leader (this was his 56th marathon) and the girl in the white tank top to his right is also a Loper. Aside from Art and the third Loper from the right, the rest of us were running Marathon No. 1.

I'm not sure what mile this is. The gloves were off so it was probably after Mile 10, but Marilu and I were still with the group so I'm guessing that this is between Mile 11-14.

This next one is of me somewhere around Mile 21 or 22.

chugging along the course

You can tell I'm having a rough time at this moment because of how my thumb is. I do that sometimes. I'll put my thumb in my palm and close my other fingers around it. It's not very comfortable or anything, doesn't make me run any faster or help me exert more energy. It's just like a nervous tic or something I guess, something to take my mind off of things if you will.

This next picture isn't from Surf City, but it's a great picture nonetheless.

haulin' ass down the stretch

That was during my sprint to the finish after the Loper Holiday Classic 15K in December. I remember reaching deep down and sprinting to the finish, sprinting from way back. It wasn't like it was just the last couple of feet or whatever. That probably means I could have been running faster the previous miles before then, but I just had a hard time wrapping around the race distance and when I should push myself or how I should handle the distances.

I remember seeing the photographer but I was too focused on the course (I was just about to turn the corner and head into the finish) to give it much thought.

Those three pictures - two 5-by-7s and one 8-by-10 - cost me 15 dollars. Can't beat that.

Lest I Forget

Some moments from the Banquet and the marathon that I wanted to get out here before I forget them.

First, here's a picture of yours truly during the speech.

I had to lean forward for the microphone to pick up what I was saying

I wore a suit but once I got there I just took the jacket off and never put it back on until I left. I chose to wear my red shirt because it's supposedly the color of power and confidence, or something.

This is another shot of me, from my awesome blog buddy Angie.

my bib in lights, if you will

* At one point, all the multi-marathoners were asked to stand. Of the Lopers in attendance, one had run 56 marathons (Art, one of my pace leaders); another had done 90 and another had done 145. And many had done more than 20. When I lovingly called the Lopers "crazy multi-marathoners" during my speech, that's what I was referring to. Seriously, with so much experience in the group, how can you not do well?

* On the back of the program or agenda or whatever, there was something that talked about Marathon Ambassadors. It was a great list of things that happen once you cross the finish line of a marathon. I will post it in full length later this week (it's kinda long) so keep an eye out for that. One of my Marathon Ambassador duties, for instance, is to help a first-time marathoner cross the finish line at least once. Not sure when or where that will be, but that will be a great moment when it does happen.

* When I mentioned that the first race I ever signed up for was the Camp Pendleton Mud Run, I got a little bit of a reaction from the crowd. A few oohs and some murmurs. Yeah, even Lopers know that race is no joke.

* Mrs. LB told the people at our table about how I needed help sitting down after Surf City. I'd forgotten about that. I did need help to sit down. She was with the girls about a block away from the finish line, but I didnt' realize that until long after I crossed the finish line. Since I had no coverage I couldn't communicate with her so I walked and stood for awhile until I finally got in touch with her. I walked over to where she was, well, walking is too strong a word. With the grace and speed of a three-toed sloth, I lumbered my way over towards her. I wanted to sit down but I tried a few times before realizing that my legs didn't want to. They just wanted to remain in the same position they'd been in for nearly six hours. I hadn't sat down, after all, since I'd left the hotel room at 5:30, and it was now about 11:30 or so, and sitting down was a chore. So I asked Mrs. LB to help me sit down. It was painful but once I was sitting I felt okay.

* Back to the speech: I must have practiced the speech about 145 times the week before. I just kind of started talking about the things I wanted to talk about until I formed the basis of an outline, then I wrote that down. I broke it up into three parts: my weight loss, becoming a runner and my experiences with the Lopers. It just seemed logical. When I practiced my speech, it kept coming out to about 18 minutes but I cut it down kind of on the spur of the moment. I don't know how long the speech was -I'm guessing around 12 minutes. It didn't really feel like an eternity, and I think I did okay not to stammer my way through.

* When I was practicing my speech, I would tear up and start to get all emotional. Grrr.... I'd kind of wanted to get all that out of my system so I wouldn't break down in front of everyone. There were a few times I got choked up but overall I did well to just give the speech.

* I still can't believe I ran an effing marathon.

* I suppose the tradition with the Loper Banquet is to wear all the medals you've accumulated from one banquet to the other. Dammit! I didn't know. I just wore my Surf City medal because that's what I was told, to bring the Surf City medal. I would have loved to have sported my Ragner Relay medal too. Oh well. I guess I'll just have to wait until next year to wear the Ragnar medal and hopefully a pair of new marathon medals.

Motivational Mondays (Jan. 18)

Another Motivational Mondays that doubles as a run recap.

I wanted everything to go for Sunday's 22-mile run - my longest run ever - as it would at Surf City, from my attire to how I felt before the run to the run itself. This was as close as I would get to a marathon without actually running one so it was my chance to fine-tune things before Surf City. I took five packets of Gu, my phone, the headphones/hands-free kit, my pocketless shorts, my sunglasses and I resurrected an old friend, which I'll get to in a bit.

For breakfast I ate a bagel, an energy bar and drank half a bottle of Gatorade. It's the most I've eaten before a run but I wanted to simulate what I'd planned to eat before Surf City as well. I wanted to load up on carbs this morning but didn't want to overdo it.

I was nervous, yeah, but I was also anxious to get this done and over with. We've got 12 and 10 miles on the dockett the next two weeks respectively, so this was basically it as far as training goes.

The first part of the run flew by. Before I knew it, it was Mile 4 and I was eating my first Gu. Then, I felt my arm buzzing. It was actually the third or fourth time I felt my phone as I was apparently getting e-mails, but this time it kept buzzing. It was Mrs. LB! I'd asked her to call me and she did, and it worked great. I was able to talk to her just fine on the headphones/hands-free kit, and we might have to repeat that for Surf City.

For the next several miles, I got into a conversation with Angie of Angie Eats Peace about Harry Potter. She polished off the series over Christmas break and I'd listened to six of the seven books in the first stage of my weight-loss journey. At about mile 8, Angie split off to complete her own mileage. She was going for 12-15 she'd said and she wound up running about 13. She's training for the LA Marathon in March and is running the half at Surf City.

After that, I spent time talking with a couple of other Lopers, but since it was a dress rehearsal I figured I might as well try taking a few pictures. It took me a few tries but I managed to take a (bad) picture of yours truly.

I actually took a few more but they were not that great. The quality is fine but I kept moving the phone too soon and the pictures are of scenery and not much else.

We came across a gate as I was fumbling with the phone, trying to put it back on my arm sling or whatever that thing is called that holds iPods and MP3 players. So I took one last picture before tucking it away.

I also did something I don't usually do and started listening to music. I listened to two songs before getting back into a conversation with a fellow Loper.

Before we knew it, we were at Mile 14, then mile 15 and Mile 16. I felt great. The carbo-loading helped and my breakfast helped. At least, that's what I gave the credit to. I felt better at Mile 15 this week than I'd felt at the end of last week's 15-miler.

I did have one minor setback, which I eventually corrected. Since I took my pocket-less running shorts, I needed to find a place for my extra Gu. So I pinned two packets on my fuel belt. I barely felt them, and I'm definitely doing that again for Surf City. But when I went for the first one, I tried to undo the pin, got it undone and then tried to tear it off but it wouldn't budge. I fastened it back up and had no further issues, but that took some time.

When I went for the other Gu a few miles later, I simply tore it off and left the top still fastened to the safety pin. That worked much better.

Around Mile 17 we had a tough stretch. The route was mostly at an incline for about an entire mile, and when we finally came out to a straightaway and took a walk break, the whole lot of us seemed spent. There were about nine of us at this point, a solid group, and I can't speak for the rest of them but my heart was definitely working overtime at this point.

I called my body back into action and off we went. Before we knew it, we were at Mile 20, then 20.5. I'd been listening to music for the last few miles and it was working great, taking my mind off of the pounding my body was taking. I think it was around this point, I started to get a little emotional. This has been happening a lot lately, to be honest. I had to choke back tears, and it wasn't because I was in pain because I really wasn't, no more than usual anyway. I guess because the marathon is so close, I can feel it and everything, and I just keep thinking to how I was my whole life before, how big I was (300-plus pounds for eff's sake) and the journey that I've taken to get healthy and take on running and all that, and here I am about to tackle the biggest physical challenge for us lay people, something that I never could have foreseen myself doing, and I got choked up. I tried to keep from really getting overly emotional and kept clearing my throat, so I think nobody noticed, but it was hard.

Eventually, that subsided and soon we were closing in on Mile 21. I felt it at that point of course. This wasn't a stroll in the park after all. My feet felt hammered and my legs were two slabs of concrete attached to my increasingly-aching torso. But I pushed forward, got to 21.50, 21.58, 21.66, 21.75, 21.88, 21.95, 21.98, 21.99 and finally 22.0... but who was keeping track anyway?

I gave a fellow Loper a celebratary high-five as I slowed to a stop. Several of us were heaving, trying to collect ourselves before going in for a stretch.

I had to take another picture. Remember when I said I resurrected something? Check out my hat.

If I'm going to wear a hat for Surf City, I might as well sport my initials.

Surf City is near, and I for one can't wait for it.

My name is LB, and I'm ready for a marathon.

For The Dogs

At Sunday's Loper meeting, our speaker discussed a topic that frankly wasn't of much interest to me, but got me thinking nonetheless.

Usually, our meeting revolves around things like running safety, motivation, hydration and other tips for running. Sunday, the meeting was for the dogs. Literally.

Our speaker talked about running with dogs.

It's not that I don't like dogs - I have two dogs myself. And I don't really mind runners who run with their dogs. It's actually kind of cool to see. But the thought of taking one my dogs out for a run is, well, laughable.

Usually, when you see people running with their dogs, it's a big dog. Maybe a German shepherd. A Dalmation. Perhaps a Rottweiler. But a Chihuahua? I think it would be impossible to see me running out on the street with my tiny Chihuahua and not laugh.

Maybe others run with Chihuahuas and look fine. Maybe if I see that - because I can't recall seeing that - I won't think it's necessarily funny. But for me, running with my dog would make me uncomfortable. Aside from the fact that I'd be more worried about the dog staying in front of me or keeping up, I'd feel strange with such a tiny dog in front of me.

But the speaker did say one thing about smaller dogs. When he began to talk about what kinds of dogs are not meant for running long distances, I was certain he would say a Chihuahua. But he did not mention them at all, instead saying that dogs with short snouts like bulldogs aren't really runner dogs. And when he began to say what breeds of dogs make for good running companions, he said toy dogs will surprise you with how much they can run.

That piqued my interest.

Not enough to want to take my dogs out for a run, but enough to at least possibly someday maybe over the summer or when I don't have a race to train for and I want to experience something new... maybe then.

Tevez: Can you pleeeeeeease take me for a run?
LB: No. I'll trip over you. Just run around in the backyard
and dig everywhere like you usually do.

Maybe I'm sounding a bit too harsh on my dogs. I'm actually thinking that if I were to take one of them out for a run (because the thought of both of them in front of me as I try and run is unsettling) they probably would respond well. When we take them on walks, which we don't do enough of, I've actually taken off running with one of them, Rooney, not Tevez. Rooney's got longer legs and looks like he could be a decent runner. And I did at one point consider running with one of them but quickly dismissed it.

Actually, the more I write and the more I think about it, I probably owe it to my dogs to go run with them.

(long pause, re-reads post)

Damn, I think I just talked myself into running with my dogs.

Looking Ahead

Well, it's on my mind so I may as well blog about it. Sunday's 20-mile run is looming large this weekend.

Gulp.

I'm actually looking forward to it. I really am. It's not often you get to run the longest run of your life. In fact, I'll have this run, then the 22-mile run on Jan. 17, and then the Marathon itself, as longest runs ever. I am not sure if I will ever run an ultramarathon, which is essentially any race longer than 26.2 miles, but that would be the only other run that would qualify as the longest run ever.

Basically I have three of these left. And I need to make them all count.

Some random thoughts about the 20-miler...

* I'd been feeling some lingering discomfort ever since the Cedar River Run. My right hamstring was tight and it was threatening to give me fits. I felt it pretty good last week and I'd say over the weekend it seemed it was at its worst, and "its worst" wasn't that bad. I just felt it and it felt tight and I was worried that it could lead to something worse.

My pace leader, though, said that it takes the body one day per each mile of a really long run to recover from nicks and bruises and minor issues; really long runs, like 18-plus. Still, I wasn't quite sure about this. I'd read that before but I'd assumed it only really worked with total rest. I wondered about all the other runs I'd done since, which included three 10-milers, a 15K race and Sunday's 12-miler. Those would have seemed to have slowed any sort of recovery process.

But today, my hamstring felt different. It feels like it is healing, as weird as that sounds. It feels as if the worst is behind. Now, I won't be able to confirm that until I go running again (I have a soccer game to officiate on Tuesday, joy). Wednesday will be my next day of actual running, so we'll see how it holds up to both Tuesday's game and Wednesday's run. But I feel better about it today than I did on Saturday and Sunday.

* A playlist for my 20-miler, RG was wondering. Well, since it's a Loper run, I won't actually take my iPod. I don't take it out to the Lopers. I've only taken it once, during an 11-miler, and I felt like I was betraying my group members. I spend the time talking, trying to talk anyway.

* How long will it take us to run the 20 miles? If we stick to 11-minutes-per-mile, 20 miles would take us 3 hours 40 minutes. Wow. That's 3 hours 40 minutes of running, with some walk breaks thrown in the midst as well, but still, most of the time will be running. That's a lot of pounding for my feet. I can't really wrap my head around that to be honest. I hope it doesn't take us that long but I may as well get used to it. I won't get anywhere near 3:40 come Surf City.

* My plan is take four Gu packets and use them at miles 5, 10, 15 and then keep the other just in case. There are water stations along our route so there will be other things like pretzels and maybe candy as well, M&Ms or other chocolates if we're lucky. Also water and Gatorade, in addition to my own fuel belt. I should be set when it comes to that.

* My blog buddy Christy also has a 20-mile run scheduled for Sunday. How awesome is that? She'll be running 20 miles somewhere in Florida while I'll be running it here in Southern California. Now that's blogger solidarity for you.

Motivational Mondays (Dec. 7)

We've still got a few weeks left before we close out 2009 and move into 2010, but my 2009 race calendar is in the books. Sunday's Holiday Classic 15K was the last race I will have run in during 2009. In all, I ran in six races this year.

Now, I realize that six races is not a lot to many runners. That's an average of one every two months, and other runners out there run races more frequently than that.

But consider this: before 2008, I'd run in exactly zero races, so I ran six more races in 2009 than I'd ran in my entire life up until 2008. In '08 I ran in three races, so I doubled my races from last year to this year.

What does 2010 hold in store? Beyond Surf City, not sure. But what I am sure is that I need only look back at my races in 2009 to draw motivation and strength from, and to prove to myself that I have the ability to meet challenges head on, and have fun while doing so.

A look back at my races in 2009:

April 4: Seal Beach 10K

My first race of 2009 was an unexpected, last-minute 10K that I ran with my brother Danny. I don't think we had planned it but a few days before, or even a week before the race itself.

At the time, I was training for my half-marathon and figured this would have been a good tune-up race. It was very discombobulated from the beginning, and my time reflected it. I ran in 56:00 and while that is a respectable time, I wasn't quite happy with it.

Still, knowing what I now know, I realize that my time was more of a reflection of my overall training than the morning's events.

I was happy that I participated in a race again, as I'd considered and scrapped other races before this one, including a 5K in January.

Race report here.

Will I run this again in 2010: No. There are other 10Ks closer to my house that I'd prefer over this race.

April 19: Run Through Redlands Half Marathon

My shining race moment of 2009. Even though I'd go on to run other races, enjoyable races, races in which I didn't feel like my heart was going to beat out of my chest after I finished, I think this was the monster race obstacle I conquered in 2009.

After running my first Mud Run and the 2008 Mission Inn 10K, I decided the next logical step in my running was to shoot for a half. I hadn't joined the Lopers and was only doing things by myself, which is to say I did a lot of things improperly (no Gu, no fuel belt, no real training schedule). And again my time reflected that.

But that's not to say that I didn't conquer the beast, that I didn't meet the 13.1-mile challenge head-on and lived to tell about it.

Race report here.

Will I run this again in 2010? Maybe. I really want to run another half in 2010, and this might be one of the half-marathons I run next year, if I can squeeze in more than one during the calendar.

June 13: Camp Pendleton Mud Run

What fun! Another Mud Run came and went, and I enjoyed it as much as I did the first one.

The Mud Run was the reason I got into running, and the inspiration for the name of this blog. I signed up for a Mud Run scheduled for October 2008 and thus had to train for it. Along the way I realized that I loved to run, and it became a bit of an obsession.

This year, my goal wasn't just to finish the Mud Run but to do well in it. I wanted to beat my time of 1:07:44 from the first year, and secretly wanted to get close to an hour. I set a new PR (1:06:52) but was not too close to an hour.

Still, one of my goals for 2010 will be to beat my brother Danny's Mud Run time from 2009. I'm pretty confident I can get close since we were even at one point late in the race.

Race report here.

Will I run this again in 2010? You bet your ass I will.

Oct 9-10: Ragnar Relay Las Vegas

I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I signed up for the Ragnar Relay. I was worried, anxious, excited and nervous... and pretty much any other adjective you could describe, before the race. But mostly I was just unaware. Totally unaware of what was in store for me.

To say it went well would not even begin to describe it. I completely, utterly and totally enjoyed myself. I fell in love with the Ragnar Relay. When I want to think of something uplifting, all I need to do is to pick some random moments during the race and I instantly feel good, whether it was laying down on a patch of rocks at midnight and trying to sleep or gearing up for my first leg while wearing a reflective vest and headlamp, or the fantastic breakfast we had at an empty restaurant in a casino somewhere outside of Vegas.

It was a monster challenge that required a great deal of determination, motivation and - most of all- teamwork, and our team, the awesome Desert Tortoises, rose to the challenge.

Race reports for Leg 1, Leg 2 and Leg 3.

Will I run this again in 2010? Oh how wonderful it would be to run this again. I'd love to run this race once more, and I'd really really love to run another one of these as they are all over the country. The Wasatch Back one is in June and might be interesting to participate in. Since going to Seattle, though, I've really been intrigued by the Ragnar Relay Northwest Passage, which is in July and goes from Blaine to Langley. That's probably just a fantasy though, but I'd love to make the Ragner Relay Las Vegas a reality in 2010.

Nov. 8: Mission Inn Run 10K

After setting a time of just over 52 minutes in this 10K race in 2008, I wondered if I would be able to beat that time this year and worried that I was somehow not as strong of a runner in 2009, late 2009 that is, than I was in 2008 even though I was more knowledgeable, stronger, better prepared, etc., now than before.

So I was excited then that I not only set a new PR but smashed the old one in the process.

The race was fantastic all the way through as I felt great from the moment I crossed the start line to my sprint into the finish. I set a new bar for future 10Ks but it is one I feel I can scale.

Race report here.

Will I run this race again in 2010? I will run the Mission Inn Run in 2010 but not the 10K. I will run the half-marathon. It's not until November but I will be excited for it when it arrives.

Dec. 6: Holiday Classic 15K

A great way to close out my race calendar.

The 15K was a strange distance and I did not know whether to push myself all the way through like I'd done in the 10K or if I should approach it like a half marathon. In the end, I think my approach was a cautious one but I still had a respectable time, and one that I'm proud of.

It was great to have run a race like this to close out the calendar as I got a lot of support from fellow Lopers and random people because I wore pink, because others identified me as a Loper.

That just made it a fitting end since I've become a much better runner because I joined the Lopers.

Race report here.

Will I race this again in 2010? Not sure. December of 2010 seems like such a long time from now, it's tough to say.

*****

One interesting note about all these races was that I had the support of all my blog buddies to help me along the way, and that alone makes these races and experiences special, and I can't wait to continue that into next year.

Overall, I feel like even though I may not have had the quantity, I more than made up for it with the quality of races. The Mud Run is not just another 10K, and the Ragnar Relay is not just another race. And when my shortest race was a 10k, I think I did well to conquer longer distances.

I know that I will start my 2010 race calendar off with a gigantic challenge (Surf City Marathon on Feb. 7) and a race that could easily move into my number one slot of best race memories, but I do know that even then it will be tough for the 2010 race calendar to be as enjoyable and rewarding as this year's was.

Holiday Classic

As I've been going through my training for Surf City, I've been able to mostly focus on the next week's long-distance run. So now that we have the Thanksgiving weekend behind us and my series of 10-milers out of the way, I can focus on my next run.

It just so happens that my next run is a race, the Loper's Holiday Classic. It's a 15K race, which is a bit of an odd distance. It's 9.3 miles, or the equivalent of three 5Ks... or a 10K and then a 5K... you get the point.

I'm not sure about what a good time in a 15K constitutes. I used this pace calculator from Runner's World to figure out what a good pace would be for a 15K and it turns out that finishing in 1 hour, 20 minutes would be around an 8:30-per-minute pace. I think that's attainable. Maybe. That seems like a good pace. I ran the Mission Inn 10K in an 8:06-per-minute pace and while stretching that particular pace for another three miles might be tough, I should be able to keep my pace in the 8-minute range.

At least, I thought that was attainable until Wednesday. I hit the gym because I wanted to do a tempo run. I had wanted to run a total of about 45 minutes or so, the first 20 at my goal pace of 8:30 and then minutes 20-40 faster than that. I figured it would be a test of my race strategy, which was to run the first few miles at goal pace and then speed it up in the middle portion while trying to finish strong.

That strategy is out the window. I ran a little more than two miles by the 20-minute mark when I jacked the treadmill from a 7.0 to an 8.0. I wore my heart-rate monitor strap as I'm trying to fix my replacement Polar (battery is dead). About five minutes into my 8.0 pace, I started to really feel it. My heart rate shot up to the high 180s. Keep in mind, my max HR is 186 (220 minus 34, my age, yikes!, is 186) and it was scraping the 190s. I figured it would be best to slow it down to a 7.6, which lowered my pace from a 7:30 to about a 7:55 or so. I was okay. I wanted to lower it some more but made myself stay on. At the 40-minute mark, I slowed it down considerably and wound up running about 5.5 miles in a little more than 45 minutes.

But I was spent. Physically spent. As I stretched, sweat poured off my forehead and dripped down my face and onto my shorts. It was an extraordinary amount of sweat, and a sign that I may have pushed myself too hard. I got Kennedy from the kid's club, went to the nearby grocery store and had a pear to help me recover. For lunch, I had a veggie grinder - I sauteed a bunch of veggies and toasted it on a sourdough sandwich roll in the oven for six minutes - and some plain yogurt over strawberries, so that helped me recover even more.

My strategy now is to finish in under 1 hour 23 minutes. Why 1 hour, 23 minutes? It's under a 9:00 pace and, projected over 13.1 miles, it's about 1 hour 57 minutes. That pace then would help me reach one of my Pie in the Sky goals of finishing a half in under two hours. I still don't really think it's possible for me to run a sub-2 hour half (hence the Pie in the Sky reference) but I'd like to give myself some sort of reason to dream.

While I've spent most of this post rambling about time, I'm going to try and *not* obsess over time, although that is easier said than done. Once I get out there on Sunday, I'm just going to try and run my race, stay true to my training and not do anything stupid. If I finish in 1 hour 23 minutes or better, great. If not, that's fine too.

This is my last race until the big one, Surf City in February. It's not really a dress rehearsal to that one since there is almost two months between the two races. But it's a chance to get my adrenaline flowing in a race setting and tackle a longer distance than the 10K in a race. Since reading so many race reports on the Seattle Half Marathon, I've been wanting to run a race of similar distance soon, so this one will sort of fit the bill. No, it's not the 13.1 beast the half-marathon is, but it's not a 10K either.

It's going to be interesting, that's certain. And then after this, the next biggie will be in two weeks' time: 20 miles on Dec. 20.

Motivational Mondays (Nov. 30)

Sometime around mile seven of Saturday's 10-mile run, one of the ladies I was running with had something to ask me. She's the Loper director, pretty much the top dog, and is also the 11-minute-per-mile pace leader. She's just one of many fantastic people who are in the running group, but one I've been lucky to have had around me as I train for my first marathon.

"Every year we have a banquet," she began, "and we have first-time marathoners go up and give a speech about how they've overcome some challenges to run their first marathon and I wanted to know if you'd represent the Elevens and give a speech. Just think about it and let me know."

She went on to say how running 18 miles in Seattle was a big challenge I'd taken on and met, and how I'd done things the healthy way in terms of my weight loss and the training I've been doing with the Lopers.

I was flattered, really. I thought that maybe next year it would be nice to talk to people during one of our weekly meetings to try and encourage and motivate first-timers to see the marathon training plan through and to encourage and motivate everyone on losing weight. If someone can go from a sedentary, eat-whatever-I-want 300-pounder to running a stinking marathon (!) in four years, then surely it can be done... and probably sooner. I just didn't realize there was a runner trapped underneath the mounds of blubber I carried around.

Anyway, while I thought it would be nice to talk to people in a less formal setting sometime in late 2010, I did not expect for this honor, to speak at a banquet in front of the entire Loper group.

I haven't yet told her but of course I'm going to say yes. I'm honored and would do myself a disservice to pass it up.

Now I have something else to motivate myself during my long runs (and my shorter runs I suppose). I have a speech to write, and I have to create memories that I will use during said speech. And I want those memories to be long-lasting and perhaps motivating for others.

If that can't get me through a run, I don't know what will.