What I Do

I have touched on this, but I want to go into what I do during a run. My goal is to run for 8 minutes and walk for 1 minute. I am a big believer in the run/walk method, especially as I get older. I have never been able to run a full race, and am not going to start now. 

I find with the 8 minutes of running, that is just long enough for me to run, and I am wishing to take a break. The walk I do at a fairly brisk pace. My goal is to keep this going for the marathon. There are times as the miles get longer I find I need to shorten the run. In that case, I try to hold on to 7 minutes before I walk. A good test of this will be this Saturday at the Soldier Field 10 Mile Race. We will see how this goes.

Another thing I do is tell myself a saying over and over again. I have come up with "Run within yourself." This is a true test for me. Anytime I am in a race I have to remember I am not racing the people around me, no matter how much I want to beat the 80 year old with the baby stroller and dog. So in saying this I am focusing on me, my form, my breathing and pace. 

As I have shared before, I use the mantra "world peace" to settle my breathing. I inhale on "world" and exhale on "peace. " I find after I do this I really settle into a good breathing pattern.

There was no run today. Today I rode the bike 10 miles in 32:33. It felt good to be pushing the pedal to the metal. 

Tomorrow I coach No Boundaries.

Charlie

A Quick Three

Today I ran a quick 3 mile tempo run. To be honest, the plan called for a 6 mile run, but time was not on my side. I had a Marathon Kids board meeting tonight. So I figured a quick 3 miles was better than not running.

It was pretty good. I cranked up the speed on the treadmill to 5.3. I really didn't tire until about 2.5 miles into the run. I slowed it down a bit. Overall thought I was quite happy with the run. 

I am feeling good about my running. Now I want to feel better about my body. I have not been doing what I need to do to be strong. A lot of that comes from lack of time. I am going to make a stronger effort. I am a little over 4 months until marathon day.

Charlie

What Lies Ahead?

I have never gone for the big job. Now don't get me wrong, I have applied for many jobs which were important to me. Some I have gotten, others I haven't. I have never gone for the big boss job though. That changed this morning.

Four people have written me over the last month or so suggesting I apply for the an executive director position. In this case it is with CARA - the Chicago Area Runners Association. This position would be ideal for me. It allows me to use my nonprofit skills. It also allows me to be active in the running community and really promote running. 

I will be honest, I think I am up to the task. I am not one to pat myself on the back, but in this case, I think I am a darned hard worker, and would be a terrific executive director. Now I wait to see if I get the interview. This is the nerce wracking part.

Charlie

Somewhere Over the Rainbow to 8 Miles

Today's long run was an 8 mile journey from Rogers Park to Edgewater and back. I haven't run 8 miles in over a year. Conditions for the run were ideal. Temperatures were in the 50's and sunny. I headed out with the IPod, listening to one of my running heroes - Dean Karnazes, reading from one of his books. Of course I had some good tunes playing, including a Hawaiian version of Somwhere Over the Rainbow.

I have to say that running in the Spring, espcially a day like today could really get me to enjoy spring. I looked at marvelous gardens full of blooming flowers. I saw people out enjoying the sunshine.

I felt great on this run. My goal was not speed, but finishing the 8 miles in good form. I did. I ran the 8 miles in 1:38:49. When I was done I felt I could have gone another couple miles. This is good and bodes well for the Soldier Field 10 Mile I will do on Saturday. 

A run like today reminds me why I love run. Being outside, running is a joy, and today I felt that joy.

Charlie

Easy, but Fast

Tonight I ran and easy, but fast 3 miles at the gym. I felt very good as I was sweating it out on the treadmill. Am I ready for my 8 mile run this weekend? I guess we will see. I ran 2 miles last night with the No Boundaries group.

I haven't shared as much as I would normally about No Boundaries. I am really enjoying coaching these beginning runners. They are a great group of people. They ask questions. They email me with comments. They are all intent on succeeding this program, and I am very proud of them.

Tomorrow is a work day. I am off on Sunday, so I will run my 8 miles that day. Wish me luck.

Charlie

Facing the Future

Today I had a routine checkup with the doctor. He just wanted to check my progress, and was pleased with everything - flu and another issue aside. So talked a bit about the future. I don't think I would letting out a secret that I really, really, really, really, really want to run the Boston Marathon. The doctor has said I should stick to flat races. As you know Boston is not flat.

The doctor smiled...never a good thing I think.....and suggested we wait until after the marathon to see how incline training would work for me. He commented on how with all of my problems almost any doctor would tell me not to run at all. He did not discourage me, but he was not 100% encouraging.

When I left the office, Mark asked my problems and my running would mean I would not be able to walk in the future. For the record, I was told at 16 that because of my foot issues and excessive weight I would not be able to walk at age 70. Is that true? I doubt it, but if it is true, I want to do all I can now, and live the best life I can now. If I worry about what may or may not happen at age 70, I would be a mess. 

Yes....I have to take care these days. I am not being stupid or foolish. I do, though want to figure out how to have an active life, which includes running. It took me too long to get to this point, I am not ready to give up anything.

So now I am facing my future. Boston may or may not happen(if it happens, don't think I won't ask all you nice folks for donations for the charity I will be helping). In the meantime, I just want to run.

Charlie

Lacing the Shoes and Running

I got back to running today. I ran a decent 5 miles. I thought about 6 miles, but was still feeling like I was covering from this flu. So I did an easy going 5 miles. It felt good to be running. Then again, I always like lacing up the shoes and running.

Nothing particular on my mind today, though I did enjoy watching the Travel Channel's program on Denali National Park. My thoughts went back to the wonderful trip my parents took me on many years ago to Alaska. While the people on this program hiked, we chartered a plane and flew around the summit of Mt. McKinley. In hindsight, I wish we had hiked. My folks were never the hiking type.

So this run gave me a chance to go down memory lane.....

Tomorrow I head to the doctor for a check up. Will let you know what he says.

Charlie

Marathon Map

So here is the course map for the 2009 Toronto Waterfront Marathon. I know....not a good copy. Best I could get. I have this on my computer so I can study it everyday.

Charlie

Stricken

As I sit in bed writing this, I can tell you I still feel like crap. I barely have a voice, which may or may not make some folks happy. :-) I am congested in the chest, so now and then I hack something which may or may not have been in Alien. I have a bit of a fever too.

So no running today, again. I am trying not to feel too down about it. I know I can get back on track. This is not the end of the world. Let me say it again....for me - this is not the end of the world. I will be back to training soon.

Charlie

A Wash

So this week's running is a wash. I feel like crap this morning. My throat is sore and raw, and I feel low. I will start fresh tomorrow....I hope, and just go from there. I don't think I will lose anything with the off week. 

I am mapping out the week for my runs/workouts. This week I kick cross training into high gear. 

Charlie

Toronto Breaking News

Hi, my name is Charlie. (Hi Charlie)

I am a running geek. (Applause)

Yes, it is true. I am a running geek. To that end, I have to tell you how excited I am to find out that Joan Benoit Samuelson will be at the expo for the Toronto Waterfront Marathon. 

For those who do not know who she is, Samuelson won the first Olympic Women's Marathon, in 1984 at the Los Angeles games. In the Olympic Trials, Joan was recovering from knee surgery. The pack in the Olympic Marathon knew this, and was counting on her not being at top form. 

In the marathon, Joan took the lead at mile 4, and never looked back. She entered the L.A. Colliseum and was triumphant as she crossed the finish line a minute ahead of the great Grete Weitz. I remember watching her on TV entering the stadium with her white ball cap on. At the time I did not know how historic this was. There can only be one inaugural winner, and Joan Benoit Samuelson was it. That race changed the face of racing, and for women in sports. She is a true legend, and I can't wait to meet her.

Charlie

Thoughts on a Hot Run

Yesterday was out last day on Marco Island in Florida. Running was difficult because it would get hot very quickly in the morning, so I only ran once - yesterday. 

On this run, I had a lot on my mind. Mostly I was thinking of family. My dad and sister live on Marco. Dad will be 92 this year, and it is clear he is in the twilight of his life. A couple nights ago we were to go out to dinner, but my stepmother checked his blood pressure, and it was very high. He complained of dizziness and a bit of numbness. This is a more common occurance these days. Occasionally he has what would be considered mini-strokes. This is going to be a pattern, and I can't all worked about it everytime I hear about it.

My relationship with my dad has not always been positive. Many of may not know I lost my older brother when he was 16. He was my parents only biological child. It devastated my folks, and they changed. It took my a long time to conlude that my dad really found it hard to show love after that. He and my brother were so close, so I think he was afraid to get that close to anyone. In my younger days I took this as he was a mean man a good deal of the time. Hindsight gives you a much clearer picture.

So during this run, I was trying to figure what do I do with the time I have left with him. I like to share my running with him. I think he finds it interesting that I run, and that I run races. His first comment after my first half marathon was, "Did you win?" Dad does not always understand the metaphoric victories in life. 

I told him yesterday I will be running the marathon in Toronto. He looked amused by it, but said nothing. Still I think he is proud of the fact I am out there running, and doing my best to be healthy. I wish he could join me. Of course that might make me hate running. Hehehe....I took up golf because he enjoyed it so much, and I found I loved golf, but I hated playing with dad. He always had to point out what was wrong with my game. I don't think I would want to hear his comments about my running. 

I think the hardest part of being an adult is watching your parents go. I lost my mom in 1997, so I have been down this road before. It is painful. My goal now is to make it less painful this time.

Charlie

A Breather

Normally I would not take a breather, but here I am in S.W. Florida, not running too much. We are here visiting my family, and the heat kicks in pretty early. We got here yesterday, and slept in this morning. I thought if we got up early, we would go out for a run. We slept in pretty late. The sun is blazing, and it is hot. We may try later this evening, or maybe tomorrow. I am not too stressed. Sometimes a breather is ok.

Charlie

Marathon Kids Final Medal Ceremony

I believe very strongly that we as runners have an obligation to give back the sport which has brought us so much joy. I have written on Marathon Kids before, but let me go over the organization again. Marathon Kids is designed to help K - 5th grade school children develop healthy habits. These habits come in the form of running 26.2 miles over the course of the school year and educating on proper nutirtion. The program specifically targets kids most prone to type 2 Diabetes.

I first became aware of Marathon Kids a few years ago, while reading an article about its founder Kay Morris. I thought this was a pretty cool sounding organization, and Kay seemed like an incredible woman. I went online and donated $10. Ten minutes later I received a thank from Kay. That in itself surprised me. Kay and I exchanged emails about the possibility of a Marathon Kids chapter in Chicago. She asked if I could help. I was happy to do what I could. 

Eventually Kay came to Chicago and met a few interested folks. I introduced her to the Chicago Area Runners Association(CARA) and to Fleet Feet Sports. I also told her about Hanson Stadium, one of a couple outdoor tracks in Chicago. These meetings bore fruit, and Kay was able to get sponsorships from Blue Cross and Blue Shield as well as CVS. Marathon Kids is free to kids through these sponsorships and donations.

In November Chicago Marathon Kids kicked off. Sadly I was not able to be there that day, but I was there today for the Final Mile Medal Celebration. These kids had run their miles during the year, 5,000 kids to be exact, through the Chicago Public Schools. Today they had one more lap to run, and then they would receive a medal and other goodies. 

I was asked to be the Start Line Captain. So what does that mean. I work with volunteers as we lead the children, teachers and parents onto the track, and then let them run their final lap. I will tell you I was honored to be asked to do this.

It was a glorious morning in Chicago. It was sunny and pleasant. I had been at the stadium a short time when Kay came up to me and gave me a huge hug. Our plans had worked, and now this was the reward. You should know Kay is a force of nature. She is a good old Texas gal, who is tenacious and determined. This is her vision, and I am so glad she has allowed me to share in a part of it. 

My volunteers were a group of teens from Team M3, another outstanding organization. 

www.m3.mgrf.org

Team M3 is a mentoring program, training young people to run the Chicago Marathon or Rock n Roll Chicago Half Marathon. The program provides mentorship, builds self esteem, improves health, leadership development and provides a safe alternative to gangs in the city. This group of kids impressed the heck out of me. One young man - Edison is working towards a sub-4 hour marathon. By golly, I bet he can do it. 

Helping me was Tom Hansen, a Marathon Kids Ambassador from Houston. What an incredible guy. He was very kind to show me the ropes. I was a bit nervous, so having him around was terrific.

I did get a bit emotional as Kay very kindly acknowledged my support and work to help make Chicago Marathon Kids a reality. According to her this would not have happened if I hadn't sent that donation. I don't know about that, but I am glad I did. Best $10 I ever spent.

The kids came out of the stands a few groups at a time. My team and I moved each group to the track, and began to walk with them, then jog, and then we would let our human chain of volunteers go, and off ran the kids. They all looked so happy to running. Parents and teachers were beaming with pride. 

The number of kids today was not in the thousands. I believe the Swine Flu issue kept the majority away. What a shame. This was an enthusiastic and energetic group. I would say we had a few hundred kids.

As the kids would round the bend towards the finish the Team M3 kids and I cheered and high fived many of the kids. It was so cool. 

After the event, as I was helping with tear down. I saw families taking pictures of their kids and their medals. Lots of pride going on in that stadium.

As I said at the start of this, I believe we as runners need to give back. Here is my plea. If Marathon Kids is in your community, volunteer. Get to know Kay, and she will make you part of an incredible family. If Marathon Kids is not in your area, see what happens if you send a $10 donation. :-) Or, see what groups do similar work that you could get involved with. I promise that you will love it. The mission at Fleet Feet, and I will paraphrase, is to help people stay fit, and achieve their goals. I do my best to live that mission every day, and this is one more way I strive to achieve this.

To my friends, I have made a pledge to bring on 20 volunteers next fall. Lace up your shoes....we got work to do.

For more information on Marathon Kids go to  - www.marathonkids.org.

Charlie

A Fun 1.5

Last night was a No Boundaries night. The group got to run 1.5 miles. This group of new runners is having fun. I watched friendships being made, runners improving and a good time by all. As the group assembled at the store, a couple of folks made a point of telling me that the email I sent them really made their week. WOW! How cool is that?

Each week I send an email reviewing the week, giving a heads up on the week coming up, and some basic tips. I am so glad that some folks really get something out of it. 

After the run New Balance was there for food, and give aways. The groups really appreciated it.

As I mingled with the group, I listened as they talked about joining the fun runs. The only thing that bothers me is they feel the fun runs are for the more advanced runners. They aren't, but I see where they get that. Our store regular group of fun runners are a dedicated, serious group of folks. I hope that doesn't keep them from joining.

What makes me happiest is the fact these folks are enjoying running, and it looks like many may stick with it.

Charlie

A Solid 6

I really felt I got back on track today with a 6 mile run. I was feeling down about the short run the other day, so I put the nose to the grindstone and ran 6 miles. I felt good for the most part.

I headed up to Evanston and did the along the lake route. Overcast and in the 40s - perfect running weather, but to be fair I would like some sun with my run. I was pleased with my time, though I realized I went out a bit too fast, I slowed it down a bit heading back.

The only thing which bothered me was my hips were feeling it about 2 miles to go. Maybe more stretching is needed? Not sure. Something to be mindful of.

Also .... today I registered for the Soldier Field 10 Mile Race. My last 10 mile run was the same race last year. While I may not PR, I sure as heck hope I do well.

Charlie

Re-Evaluate and Good News

Last night I was supposed to run 6 miles. I found I could run 3.25. The problem? Working all day. I was on my feet all day, so my legs were tired and sore, with no energy to do 6 miles. So I need to look at my schedule, and run on days when I am not opening at the store.

Closing means I work at 1 p.m., so I have the morning to run. This is fine, as I like running in the morning better anyway. Still I am disappointed with last night. I have not done 6 miles in a couple weeks. I don't think there is need to panic, but I am aware that I need to be consistant with the miles and running.

The good news is Mark has joined my gym. So now he can do his training in earnest. He was so happy to be able to afford a gym membership. He worked on his 1.5 miles last night on the treadmill, and he really had a good time at the gym.

So there was good with the not so good yesterday.

Charlie

So How Will I Run 26.2?

The above question was in my head on this very warm day in Chicago. Temperatures were in the low 70's as I started my run. The goal was to run 6 miles today. I will cut to the end....I didn't quite do that.

So what happened today? The warm weather. To the non runner, this would seem an ideal day to run. To the more seasoned runner, higher temps means a more difficult run. Maybe we are skipping spring and going right to summer. This means I will really have to work on staying hydrated.

I was doomed because I did not take any water with me. The fountains in the parks are not on. Neither are the bathrooms....and at mile 2, I really needed to go. I weaved a new route, and found a Starbucks. I was so glad I did.

After the bathroom break, I thought I would begin to head home. I was feeling a bit dehydrated. I tried more walk breaks, and running slower, but I could not get the fact I was not running well.

Now the warmer weather is here. I have to acclimate to it. This is always an awlward time. The thought in my head was, how will I run the marathon, if I can't run 6 miles today. The good news is between now and marathon day, I will have many warm weather runs, and will get used to it...I hope.

Charlie

Fascinating

Tonight was another No Boundaries run. No Boundaries is the beginning 5K program I am coaching. There are 20 people in the group, and they range from all out runners to walkers. I enjoy the coaching, and am glad to pass on my love of running to another group of people.

We ran 1 mile again tonight. One woman was just glad to be able to keep up and "see the group." Another woman is not getting it....she came to the group in sandals tonight. I had told her last week she needs a good pair of shoes, but evidently she did not get that. When I left the store she was being fitted for shoes.

So how did they do tonight? They did great. I was very proud of them. We went over stretching, some nutrition and form while running. Eveyone looked good out there. It was a good mile.

Charlie

Sick Day

Yesterday I battled a cold, and felt miserable, so no running for me. I thought about it as I felt better during the day, then I thought again. Why chance it?

Tonight is a No Boundaries training run. Looking forward to seeing how the group is doing/feeling. We now have 20 people in the group. WOW! Exciting to see 20 people take to the streets and run.

More later.

Charlie