Summer Recap...

Wow, time sure flies!!... I was just thinking I should get back on and check in but can’t believe it’s been a few months since my last post!  Well as you can see from my race list below I’ve been a little busy haha… not to mention I am selling my house and my mother in law stayed with us for the summer so that added to the craziness!... things are starting to get back to the normal routine so I’m doing my best to catch up on things… let’s get started!

Since I left you last I have ran a total of 15 races (listed below), those included three 5K races, five half marathons, two triathlons and a 25K among others….  Of those 13 running specific events 5 were on roads and 7 on trails (and crushed gravel).  I’ve really gravitated back to the trails this summer both in my training and racing, there is just something about the varied technical terrain of the trails that makes running both challenging and very rewarding.  I’m looking forward to hitting even more trail races for longer distances next year as my fall / spring marathon training rolls into ultra-distances late next spring.

The next major race ahead is the 2015 Chicago Marathon!!  I have never done Chicago before and am very excited to give it a go!  For my training plan this round is an 18 week Hal Higdon Advanced 1 marathon plan that was specifically designed for the 2015 Chicago Marathon.  So far the plan is going great, I’m on a 6 day per week running schedule with Friday’s off and a nice variety of workouts through the week.  Bill is also on the Advanced 1 plan training for Madison so we are able to do a lot of the workouts together which is awesome, so much better having someone there with you on those tougher runs.   As I’m typing this I’m about 11 weeks into the plan and hitting my first of a series of 20 mile runs this weekend which I’m looking forward to. 

Speaking of long runs I have to mention quick how happy I am to be healthy enough to be knocking them out again!  There is just something indescribable about the awesome feeling of accomplishment after a long run and especially when I’m not limping to the finish! J   As I’ve stated before running is very therapeutic for me… with how crazy things get in my head at times, running is the one thing that can quiet and focus my mind for a while; in that way the effect of a long run can be compared to a great night sleep(which I rarely get), I finish feeling relaxed, energized and better equipped to handle life’s challenges!

…well I’ll keep this post short as I know I’ll be back within the next few weeks with a lot to say once I am accepted and registered for the 2016 Boston Marathon!!! J   Registration opens mid-September!!!

4/4/2015	5K	Hempstead Bunny Hop 5K	Dubuque, IA
4/11/2015	50K	Hawkeye 50K & 25K	Cedar Rapids, IA
4/25/2015	5K	Steve's Old Time Chaser 5K	Quad Cities, IA
5/9/2015	5K/10K	MVRA Trail Run	Dubuque, IA
5/24/2015	1/2 M	Madison - 1/2 Marathon	Madison, WI
5/30/2015	1/2 M	Tromp and Chomp 1/2 Marathon	Kickapoo Reserve
6/6/2015	5K & 1K kids fun run	Rhubarb 5K/10K	Manchester, IA
6/7/2015	Sprint Triathlon	PigMan Sprint Tri	Palo, IA
6/13/2015	4 mile	Grandview Gallop	Dubuque, IA
6/14/2015	1/2 Marathon	Marion Rotary Marathon for Shoes	Marion, IA
6/20/2015	9.1 Mile	Blockhouse	Platteville, WI
6/27/2015	Marathon or M Relay	Run 4 Troops	Dyersville, IA
7/11/2015	1/2 M	Dances with Dirt	Baraboo, WI
8/2/2015	Sprint Triathlon	Camp Courageous Sprint Tri	Monticello, IA
8/8/2015	1/2 M	Mine of Spain 1/2	Dubuque, IA

MARCH 2015 - SPRING STRAINING!

I know it’s been a while and I apologize for my absence… I had a pretty busy spring and got away from my routine of checking in but I’ll get back on track from here…

My appropriately titled entry for today “March 2015 - Spring Straining” really of sums the challenging and very educational month of March I had this year, let me explain…

… so the first week of March we had our hardwood floors refinished and as I don’t particularly like asking for help, I attempted to move three full bedroom sets down and then back up 2 flights of stairs by myself.  Upon lifting and carrying the heaviest six foot long antique dresser on my back I slipped on the stairs and cracked a disc in my  lumbar vertebrae.  It has been healing (slowly) ever since but has had a noticeable effect on my left hip and knee and causing some stride issues to date.

The second week of March I was still recovering from the back issue when I caught a nasty flu virus which knocked me out of the 2015 Gaelic Gallop and sidelined my training for another few days... unfortunately I had to travel to NY for work during this time but I was determined to get back on track after missing time because of my back.  I struggled through the week in NY sick as hell running 20 miserable miles while feeling horribly run down and throwing up a few times per run and much more after… my body was screaming for rest but I ignored...

The third week in March I got back to Dubuque and while I had finally stopped throwing up from the flu but I was extremely dehydrated and overall very worn down from pushing my training instead of appropriately resting my body.  I continued to train on piling on the miles to get back on track while adding in more hills and speedwork, this combined with my still injured back and altered stride inevitably lead to me straining my right hamstring… lucky for me it is fairly minor and I’ve been able to continue to run (smart) while it heals.

I’m feeling much better now as I type this in April but I certainly learned (and relearned) some important lessons last month and definitely had a great humbling experience..

Running 101 Lessons Learned – March 2015

1.)    Listen to your body - everyone is different and reacts differently to injury and stress -   I always have had a higher tolerance for pain and heal fairly quickly so I tend to ignore advice to rest and put that rest talk in the “Wuss” category.  I’ll be doing a better job of self-evaluation and treatment in the future and looking at the “W” word in a different light.

2.)    Don’t chase numbers –  I fell victim to this in March, when I started to fall behind because of missed days, I wanted to lump the miles on instead of correctly recognizing the issue, adjusting and moving forward… remember numbers and totals don’t define you as a runner.

3.)    Adjust your goals – Probably the hardest pill to swallow this spring was identifying and accepting I was not at where I should be in my training.  I had to make some important scheduling changes to my training and races to keep myself healthy and ready to rock in the fall.  

4.)    You Can’t Do it Alone – You would think I’d know this by now with how involved I am with group runs but there was a point this spring when I hopped on that bandwagon of thinking “I have to train alone to hit my correct paces for race training”.  Now it is true that some pace work you may have to do by yourself but don’t forget how important others are in your training, not only for comradely and a good push but also for sound advice.   I specifically remember the run I had with Bill when I got back from NY where in 12 miles he talked some much needed sense into me and completely changed my outlook from negative to positive; it was a real turning point which got me back on track and refocused on my goals.

In conclusion, if there was one take away you could get from this entry it is the following…   in running, training and life everyone makes poor decisions, fails and falls short of their expectations at times; believe me that has been much of my life in a nutshell... but know that those falls do not define you, it is what you do next that does…

…so dust yourself off, get your ass back up, and keep moving forward… you’ve got a lot more running to do! 

-Cory