Just Keep Goofin'

Anastasia

2012-01-07T19:18:00.000-06:00

Marathon Expo

2012-01-05T15:16:00.000-06:00

3 Goofys

2012-01-05T04:01:00.000-06:00

3 Goofy Runners

2011-07-19T09:05:00.003-05:00

Last week my wife posted a picture of our wedding on Facebook. It's one of our favorite pics from that day. It's one I've seen a million times at our house. But for some reason, I noticed something about it that I hadn't before. . .

This picture contains all three Goofy Challenge runners from our family. Krystal, me, and my poor little brother, Jordan, whom I signed up for the 2012 Goofy Challenge a few months ago.

Come January, Jordan will no longer think that making him wear that tux was the meanest thing I've ever made him do.

Still goofin' . . .

13 Years

2011-07-11T08:23:00.002-05:00

It's hard to believe, but 13 years ago today I got married to the most amazing person on the planet. Sometimes it feels like yesterday. Happy Anniversary Krystal!

Donald #13 for 2011

2011-07-02T22:45:00.003-05:00

Well, it's 4th of July Weekend and it's a heavy running weekend. I got up bright and early at 5am to do a half marathon training run. It was early enough that the heat and humidity didn't really play a factor until the last 30 minutes or so. In all, a good run. Late this evening I got in weight training.

It's been kind of a fun family day. This morning I had to get a few things at The Home Depot. I had the boys for the morning while Krystal tended to a shop in town for one of her friends. The Home Depot run was intended to be a quick in and out. But, it didn't go that way.

They had a kids craft workshop that the boys REALLY wanted to do. We had the time, so why not? It turned out to be pretty cool. It was all free and the boys got to make wooden cup coasters and coaster caddies. Then, since it was the 4th of July Weekend, they got to paint everything red, white, and blue (including their father's hands). I'm just glad I didn't get my fingers smashed by a hammer when they were putting together the caddies.

The boys also got certificates, orange Home Depot aprons with their names on them, and pins showing the project they completed. When we got home, the boys kept wearing their orange aprons around the neighborhood. Good advertising for Home Depot. Anyway, they really want to go back and do the next project.

Still goofin' . . .

Self-Imposed Bootcamp

2011-06-27T22:52:00.003-05:00

I am about 12 days into the most intense training routine I've ever subjected myself to. I'm working out every 12 hours. Once in the morning. Once in the evening.

The morning workouts includes a mix of weight training, treadmill, elliptical and cycling. Who would have thought I'd do weight training 5 to 7 times per week? The evening workouts generally include another longer run outside, and ab training.

The first 10 days or so were absolute torture. It was a challenge just to get out of bed. I felt post-marathon every day.

What would cause anyone to subject themselves to such torture? Self loathing? Maybe. Perhaps I'm both running away from something, while at the same time running toward that same thing. Whatever it is, I'm motivate like no other time in the past several years.

I've been on a ramp-up for several weeks. The first week of the bootcamp regimen darn near crippled me. I fell way short of completing any level of the Goofy Training Challenge. However, this last week (ending on Friday) I did get enough mileage in to complete the bronze.

This Saturday I started off the new week with a half-marathon training run. I did it at a new park I found just south of town. I never knew it existed. There is a great 2.5 mile out-and-back running path. About 5 1/2 trips out-and-back, and I had a half marathon. Not a bad way to start of this week. That makes Donald Run #12 for this year. Immediately following the half marathon, I did weight training.

I've kept pressing forward with this 2-workout-per-day insanity for almost two weeks now. I felt completely beat down and miserable.

But this weekend, things changed. . .

I have adjusted to the routine. I am now recovering in 12 hours, instead of 24. It's the strangest thing.

Last week, I ran a 10K on the Wabash Trace with Krystal. It was one of the most excruciating runs I've done in a long time. My legs felt like dead weight. I was short of breath. I was completely shot before the run started.

However, today I had the most fantastic run. I ran the same 10K on the Wabash, this time following an early morning workout and a noon workout. This run was the 3rd workout for the day. For whatever reason, it was one of the easiest runs I've done in ages; and the entire thing was at half-marathon race pace. Completely unexpected.

I plan to keep up this intensity level for as long as I can to see where it takes me. I'll let you know whether my self-imposed bootcamp was a good idea or not in the weeks to come.

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

Tinker Bell Half Marathon Medal Unveiled

2011-06-23T13:37:00.002-05:00

Pretty cool medal. Krystal has already made it clear that she would kill me if I sign up for this one. (As if running a half marathon is the worst thing I've ever done! Ha!)

January 29, 2012 at Disneyland. RunDisney.com already shows this race as 55% full.

T-200 Days: Father's Day

2011-06-19T20:53:00.002-05:00

Expedition Everest Kid's Challenge, Walt Disney World (2009)

Today marks 200 days until the start of the 2012 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. (No, I'm not starting a 200-day countdown.) Has anyone else started training yet? I already feel like I'm already behind the 8-ball.

I suppose, more importantly, today is Father's Day. I've got the two best boys in the world. I've also got a dad who has always been there for me.

If you're wondering why today's entry is so short, it's just that I always seem to have a hard time expressing how I feel to those I care about the most. I just try to show it through actions. Sometimes that's not enough. Maybe I should work on that expressing thing a bit.

Here's to many more years of adventures together. . .

The Cringe Factor

2011-06-16T23:28:00.002-05:00

If your life really flashes before your eyes when you die, I'm pretty sure my last moments are going to be spent cringing.

Do you ever find yourself thinking about something you've done and actually, physically cringe? For some reason I've been doing that a lot lately. I've added a few cringe worthy moments in the past couple months. I'm just glad that my new additions to the list haven't been in front of lots of people.

Smile and move on, I guess. With any luck, those around you will be freaky enough that no one will notice you.

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . . (cringe, did I really say that?)

_____________________

Training Note: Leg and shoulders weight training. 22 minutes cycle. 16 minute run.

Vegas Baby!

2011-06-15T23:15:00.000-05:00

It's easier to get motivated and pull yourself out of a funk when you've got something new and exciting to look forward to.

Several months ago, Savitre (aka Funny Girl) emailed me and told me I needed to sign up for the Las Vegas Marathon, because for the first time ever it was going to be run on the strip AT NIGHT. Very cool!

Once registration opened I signed both me and Krystal up. I'm doing the full. She is doing the half. It'll be the first trip to Vegas for either of us.

Even cooler, for some reason lots of folks from our little town are fired up about running the Vegas strip at night. We know of about a dozen people from here that are going. We're all going through the same travel agent so we hopefully get booked near each other at Mandalay Bay (the location of the race start & finish lines). Krystal and I already have our air and hotel booked. We are set!

Just one little detail though . . . that pesky thing called training.

You see, the Las Vegas Marathon has a 4 hr 30 minute limit on the course. If you fall below that pace, you get swept (or put on the sag wagon to cheat your way forward on the course). I plan on neither. I am shooting for a new marathon PR.

My previous PR is from the Little Rock Marathon this March, with a 4 hr 22 min 8 sec finish. That's just enough of a buffer to make me feel comfortable with the 4 1/2 hr time limit in Vegas. I'd like to do a sub 4 hr 15 minute marathon.

So, with all of this firing me up, I hit it hard with the training tonight. First I spent 45 minutes doing my bicep/back weight routine. That tore me up. After that I went down to the Lake Park to run a 5k.

The first half mile was comical. My arms were so worn out from weight training that they didn't swing quite right when I ran. My upper torso swayed back and forth wildly to keep balance. I must have looked drunk, or goofy.

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

The Wedding & Half Marathon Weekend

2011-06-14T23:57:00.003-05:00

Okay, so we went to Texas for a Wedding this weekend. When my wife broke the news to me several months ago that we would have to go to yet another wedding--and drive a long way to get there--she tried to soften the blow by promising I could run a marathon while we were there. This was a pretty easy promise for her to make, after all who would be crazy enough to schedule an endurance race during the heat of the summer in Texas. Apparently Texans.

When I broke the news to her that I had actually found a half marathon scheduled for the morning after the wedding, she gave me that "oh crap" look. She'd been had.

We both took Friday off to drive down to Dallas. The route took us through Topeka & Wichita, KS, and Oklahoma City, OK. Just north of Oklahoma City we stopped at a station to gas up. When I went inside, I saw this really imposing bald guy with messed up ears walking up and down the convenience store aisles. He was carrying a big gulp and a big bag of cheetos, and looked guilty as hell. He gave me this deer in the headlights look. It was Rulon from the Biggest Loser. Funny as hell! Neither Krystal nor I knew how he would react to us asking for a photo, so we don't have a souvenir from the encounter.

Neither of us had been to OKC before so we decided to get a bite to eat downtown. We were pleasantly surprised by downtown Oklahoma City. They have a redevelopment of a warehouse district called Bricktown. They have lots of restaurants, a canal system with boats, and a baseball field at the edge. It's all pretty touristy, but nice. We found a place called Bourbon Street Cafe and enjoyed a nice lunch canal-side.

We finally got to Dallas about 5 or so, got checked in and met up with the wedding party for a post rehearsal get together. Then we crashed and slept in late on Saturday.

Saturday was spent exploring Dallas, shopping, and eating. The wedding went fine, except for the bride's father biffing it on the wedding dress and hitting the ground pretty hard. Keep an eye out for that one on America's Funniest Home Videos.

It took us a bit to get from the wedding to the reception. Downtown Dallas has road construction and detours everywhere. Nothing really matched Google Maps on the iPad. So we had to improvise. Neither of us recognized anything but we kept going anyway. Suddenly I blurted out "Grassy Knoll!". I recognized where we were, but had no idea where that was exactly. Somehow we ended up driving down the street where JFK was shot. Surreal. Finally we found our destination.

The reception was gorgeous, but it didn't exactly go off without a hitch either. It was a 100+ degree day in Dallas. The air conditioning in the reception hall was busted. Just imagine how hot a room with 200 people in 100+ weather would get. It was hotter. Much. Especially in a wool suit.

Knowing I had a race the next morning, I did everything I could to stay hydrated at the reception. 8 large glasses of water later, I was still thirsty. We both left sweat drenched at about 10:30 p.m. Definitely a memorable event.

The next morning I had the Wounded Warrior Half Marathon. We chose to stay at Aloft, just a few blocks from the start line. Sooo convenient.

I could tell this race was going to be a hot one. I hydrated the best I could before leaving the room. The temperature was in the mid-70's at race start.

This is the 2nd annual running of the Wounded Warrior Half Marathon, benefitting the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. It's still a fairly small race, only a couple thousand runners at the most, but it was well organized.

The course started and ended in a business park in Las Colinas, TX, which is due south of DFW Airport about 8 miles. The course was on a bike/running trail system that ran along the business park and some residential neighborhoods. It was a nice, flat out-and-back course. The course wasn't the challenge for this race. The heat and humidity were. By race end, it was in the mid to upper 80's and the sun was out in full force.

I settled into a comfortable 10 minute per mile pace for the first 5 or so miles. Then things started to get interesting. I noticed that whenever I was in the shade I was comfortable, maybe a little hot. However, when I was exposed to the sun I started to chill. I'm not talking a bit of a chill, I'm talking the shivers.

I was overheating. If I wasn't careful I was going to have heat stroke issues during this race.

So, I slowed down . . . a lot. Many sub-2 hour half marathon runners did as well. I ended up in a group guys doing walk/run intervals who said this was going to be their first half in a long time that was going to be over 2 hrs. I was in good company that day.

Finish time? Approximately 2 hrs 32 minutes. Definitely not a PR. Then again, it's the first race I've run in Texas. Everything is bigger in Texas, right? Maybe the miles are too.

All told, it was a great weekend.

With the Wounded Warrior Half Marathon under the belt, I can turn Texas yellow on the tracker map.

Still goofin' . . .

______________________

Training Note: 4.3 miles tonight at a 10:30 pace. Hill course.

Life is an Astounding Journey

2011-06-13T23:01:00.004-05:00

As the sign says, "Life is an Astounding Journey." When I think back on the last two months of my life, no words could be truer.

Sometimes life takes you off course, and you don't realize just how far into the woods you have wandered until the darkness surrounds you. It's then that you need some time to think, reevaluate, and find your way back into the light.

This weekend I had that chance. 22 hours in the car for a quick trip to Dallas, Texas, for a Wedding & Half Marathon (more on that tomorrow) gave me plenty of time to refocus and find my way back into the light, as it were.

Krystal & Dylan ponder life atop the Sleeping Giant Mountain, Kauai (2008)

As you know, on April 1 (April Fools Day, hmmmm coincidence? I think not.) I became partner in my own firm after years of being an associate at another wonderful firm here in Iowa. After years of working and dreaming about that day, am I satisfied when it arrives? No. I immediately start thinking about what's next, what I still want but don't have. I suppose this is human nature.

I should have remembered the lyrics from Sheryl Crow's Soak up the Sun; namely that "It's not having what you want. It's wanting what you've got."

Me and my siblings conquering the Kalalau Trail, Kauai (2008)

I became fixated on things, like getting a new vehicle. (I really shouldn't watch so much Top Gear.) I settled on new tires.

We both became fixated, to some extent, on getting a newer, bigger home. Gotta fix up the house so we can sell it! So let's redo the bathroom first. (Yet another story for another day. I've once again turned a small repair into a major construction project. On the bright side, it looks awesome.)

To top it off, I got one of the most distracting gadgets ever, an iPad 2 with Verizon 3G. I love Apple gear, but this thing has got to be the biggest time waster I've ever purchased. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

All that STUFF, and a few other things, made me lose my focus like no other time that I can remember. Somehow I felt like I was putting myself first ahead of those around me.

The Na Pali Coast, Kauai (2008)

At the beginning of April, I remember someone asking me if I was serious when I said it was normal for me to spend several hours at a time running on a Saturday afternoon. At the time it was normal. But soon thereafter I became so fixated and distracted on other things that I lost focus. I haven't gone on a really long training run since that question was posed to me. Things I enjoyed became a chore. Some would call this a sign of depression. Who knows?

This brings me back to the 22 hours in the car this weekend. Krystal and I left all of life's distractions (and kids) behind and just got to ride toward the horizon together. With a drive that long, you eventually run out of things to say and just quietly spend time together. It was then that several things became clear to me.

There are some things you can control and change. There are others you can't. It's important to know the difference. And always, always put the ones you love first. It's not about you, but the positive impact you make on others. That's where you derive the sense of well-being that lets you take the the time out for yourself so you can relax do the things you enjoy without that nagging feeling at the back of your mind that you've neglected something.

My travel mates on my astounding journey, Walt Disney World (2008)

So tonight I went for a run. And for the first time since March, I enjoyed it. It's amazing what a little change in mindset will do.

And so my friends, after several false starts, I'm back. Let's do lunch.

I think, for today, I'll forego my usual farewell and just leave you with the thought that "Life IS an Astounding Journey." The people you meet along the way--all of them--are important and worthwhile. But it's those closest to you that make the journey astounding.

Hump Day Training Update

2011-04-27T23:29:00.005-05:00

It's already Wednesday! Where is this week going???

Just a quick update on my training thus far this week:

Monday: 4.37 miles treadmill + 36 minutes elliptical
Tuesday: 10K treadmill in 60 min 41 sec + 6 minutes elliptical
Wednesday: 1.2 miles running around the lake with Ethan to train for the Disneyland 5k + 5k treadmill in 30 min 12 sec + 18 minutes elliptical

I'd like to hit 39.3 miles running this week. Given my schedule tomorrow, running is out of the question. That means that Friday could be a long run at at least 11.5 miles after work. Ugh.

Still goofin' . . .

Donald #9 for 2011

2011-04-24T10:34:00.002-05:00

I spent the last week ramping my mileage back up. 1.5 miles, 3.12 miles, 4.24 miles, 4.5 miles, and yesteday a 13.24 mile run. I can tell I haven't been running for a few weeks. Each run was all I could muster on that day. Pretty sad, really.

Anyway, yesterday's Donald Run was out on the Wabash Trail. It was great being outside again. I finished in a relatively glacial 2 hrs 22 min 14 seconds, but I felt okay throughout.

The big race on the immediate horizon is the Dam to Dam 20k in Des Moines. It's time to focus on that. In 2010, I beat my 2009 Dam time by 17 seconds. My goal is to blow both of those finish times out of the water this year. I should be able to with about 5 weeks of very focussed training.

Still goofin' . . .

Time to Cowboy Up

2011-04-20T09:11:00.007-05:00

I've had a few weeks off from the blogosphere to tend to the new business and finish up the tax season. Whew! I haven't been able to focus on much beyond work for the last 6 weeks or so.

Needless to say, my training has suffered. Before I disappeared online, I was right on track mileage-wise for my Running to Disneyland and KOTH goals. As of today, I am now 117.8 miles behind where I should be today. That's not an insurmountable deficit, but I'd better get back to the training now so 2011 doesn't become a 2010-style Epic Fail for mileage.

Weight-wise, the month has been kind. I'm down a few pounds since the Little Rock Marathon. The bad news is that I'm sure all of that is muscle loss. My legs were completely hulked-out for Little Rock. No so much anymore.

So, now it's time to cowboy up, get back on that horse and get moving again. However, given my mileage deficit it may be more like climbing on the back of a raging T-Rex, taming it, and trying to wrestle it across the finish line.

For the KOTH runners, keep an eye out behind you. I'm about to catch up.

You have been warned.

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

The Little Worker Ant

2011-03-30T00:15:00.005-05:00

Like the little worker ant, I've been toiling away in preparation for a very important transition. Big things are afoot that have kept me away. I'll soon be back.

...

4.1.11

Until then grasshoppers, keep goofin' . . .

WDW Marathon Weekend Registration is OPEN!

2011-03-15T12:40:00.006-05:00

It's time people! Time to get off your duffs, put on your buffs, and get running. Registration for the 2012 Walt Disney World Weekend has opened up.

Krystal is signed up for the 15th Anniversary Walt Disney World Half Marathon.

I'm signed up to be super Goofy in 2012!

Soon I'll up the ante and make it a Dopey so I can run the Friday 5k with my son, who will be there for his first WDW Marathon Weekend ever.

We are all super excited!

Whether you plan on running 3.1, 13.1, 16.2, 26.2, 29.3, 39.3 or 42.4 miles that weekend you've gotta get signed up.

If you plan on doing the Marathon Relay, you'd better sign up now. They are advertising registration space as being extremely limited on that one.

Get off your seats and on your feets! Run people, run!

Still goofin' . . .

UPDATE: Ha ha, I signed up my poor baby brother for the Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge!

300 DAYS

2011-03-11T17:11:00.006-06:00

As of today, we have 300 days until the 2012 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. I know it sound crazy, but I am completely pumped for it. I can't wait.

Registration opens in just a few days on March 15, 2011.

I don't know about everyone else, but I have been training like mad since I got back from WDW this January. 2010 was a relatively bad year for training. Between being lazy and repeated back injuries, I went into marathon weekend unprepared.

I vowed that 2011 would be different. So far it has.

In January, I started the Goofy's Weekly Training Challenge so I would keep up on my mileage goals. To date it has worked like a charm. In fact, I credit the weekly challenge with my new PR at the Little Rock Marathon.

I was not only working on distance, but I was concentrating on pacing. I worked to get my average pace up to about 6.3 mph so I could comfortably back down to a 5.8 mph pace for the marathon.

The pace training paid off. My average pace for the marathon was 5.9 mph, though I have more to write about my pacing in my post-race report. Check back here in a few days.

This week has been a rest week. After the marathon on Sunday, my legs were pretty shot. I had hoped to run a 5k on Thursday evening, but my quads were still very sore and stiff. I feel like I could run today with no problem, but will wait until tomorrow. The only other training I did this week was 14.3 miles on the stationary bike. That puts me at 40.5 miles for the week, and qualified for a Bronze Goofy Medal.

I think I have bounced back about 80% physically. It's time to start putting on the miles again.

With my next Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge only 300 days away, I am going to keep my training intensity up.

2011 will be different from 2010. My 2012 Goofy will be the best yet. From now until then I plan to train like it is just right around the corner.

Again I'm excited that registration FOR marathon weekend IS right around the corner?

Who is registering? What are you registering for?

How is your training going?

It's been quiet around these here parts for quite a while. Get out there and train. Make some noise. Let everyone know what you're doing.

Get ready because the 2012 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend will be here before you know it. Will you be ready?

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

My Transmission is Out

2011-03-08T15:53:00.004-06:00

The post-marathon recovery period can be extremely frustrating, especially after a really good race. I'm still pumped about my new PR!

For me, two days after the race is the worst. It's the period I'm most sore. So yeah, Tuesdays are traditionally bad for me.

I've had a car analogy going through my head all day. You spend weeks getting the car all tuned up and ready. The race goes great, but just as you cross the finish line you blow the transmission. The driver, engine, and tires are fine. But the transmission ain't gonna let you go anywhere until its fixed.

That's me right now:

Driver: I can't wait to get at another marathon. Let me at 'em!
Engine: I recently had a doc tell me that I've got the heart of an athlete because of a really low resting heart rate. Engine, well tuned.
Tires: My feet and shoes couldn't be better. Tires, good to go.
Transmission: My legs are shot. Major malfunction! Rest required.

I'm hoping to get an easy 5k run in on Thursday. I'll also do some cycling to round out the weekly mileage.

I was thinking about doing some upper body weight lifting this week, but have decided against it. The last thing I need to do is bugger up my arms too. I am using them to lift me in and out of my office chair at work. I'd be totally trapped in whatever chair, couch, or bed I'm on with both my arms and legs are too sore to move me around.

I suppose I'll have to go about a balanced workout routine starting next week. I just can't wait to get past this darn post-race rest week so I can get going. Frustrating! I want to run.

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

Another State Done

2011-03-07T10:14:00.002-06:00

With the Little Rock Marathon now in the bag, Arkansas is now DONE. I've got "just a few" states to go. Decisions, Decisions. Which one should I go after next.

Still goofin' . . .

Now THAT'S a medal!

2011-03-06T14:07:00.001-06:00

Little Rock Marathon done! Maybe it's just the training talking, but (regardless if all the hills) this was my easiest marathon ever.

I now have a new PR: 4 hr 22 min 8 sec. That's almost 14 minutes better than my previous PR from the 2009 Lincoln Marathon. It's also about 50 minutes better than my WDW Marathon this January! (Of course I ran that one with a bad back, but that's a story for another day).

Still goofin' . . .

Running to Disneyland February Report

2011-02-28T22:24:00.005-06:00

The Quest: Complete a virtual run of 1,569.0 miles (the distance from my front doorstep to Disneyland) between Walt Disney World Marathon Weekends. I've posted the challenge rules here.

How did this month go? Pretty well.

I ran 160.2 miles in the month of February. This is still 20+ miles short of my all-time record set back in April 2009. That month came in at 181 miles. But, since February is a short month I'll let it slide.

To achieve my mileage goal, I have to run an average of 4.3 miles each-and-every day this year. (The gray line above.) As of today, I am averaging 5 miles of running per day.

At the January, I was 7.6 miles below the baseline mileage. Knowing that I have a pre-marathon taper this week and a post-marathon recovery next week, I knew I would fall behind on the miles for a while. So, I built up a buffer. I am finishing February with 31.2 miles in the bank. I can slack for a couple weeks and still not fall below the baseline mileage. Pretty cool.

I've got 132.4 miles to the Colorado border on this virtual run. I'm shooting to reach the border before April. Last year I hit the Colorado border on 4/18/10.

We'll see what happens after the Little Rock Marathon. I traditionally have major motivational issues after a marathon. However, I avoided that after the WDW Marathon this year. Let's see if I can do it again in March following Little Rock.

Still goofin' along . . .

T-6: Warm n Fuzzy

2011-02-28T22:10:00.003-06:00

6 days to the Little Rock Marathon.

It's been a good month for training. It gives me all sorts of warm and fuzzy feelings about my progress. I wish I had been this well trained for this year's Goofy Challenge. We'll see if I'm as well trained as I think I am in less than a week.

Still goofin' . . .

T-7: Donald Run #8 for 2011

2011-02-27T23:04:00.004-06:00

7 days to the Little Rock Marathon.

I must be in full-on taper mode for Little Rock. I only ran a half marathon on the treadmill today.

I hadn't planned to run that far, but I was feeling pretty good throughout. I completed today's Donald Run in 2 hrs 5 minutes. I felt pretty good throughout.

I'm curious to see how next week's race goes. My legs haven't felt this good for a year. I plan to see just how far my training takes me in Little Rock.

Still goofin' . . .

T-8: Cheating

2011-02-26T23:58:00.002-06:00

8 Days to the Little Rock Marathon.

Today was a rest day of sorts. Since I'm "tapering" this week in preparation for the marathon I won't be running my normal 39.3 miles this week. I'll be shooting for a bronze goofy this week. I'll be running about 18 miles, with the remainder being elliptical and cycling.

Today I decided to build up some cycling miles. It almost feels like cheating to count cycling miles for anything. They add up extremely quickly. My average cycling speed ranged between 26 mph and 38 mph.

At this pace I hit 15.25 miles in 36 minutes. That's enough for today!

Keep goofin' . . .

T-9: Good Hair Day

2011-02-25T23:46:00.002-06:00

9 days until the Little Rock Marathon.

Today was the end of another week of training for the 2012 Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge. Since I'm tapering for the Little Rock Marathon I ran fewer miles this week than last.

Oh wait, no. No I didn't.

I didn't taper at all!

Today I ran 8 miles in 1 hr 11 minutes to finish my 39.3 miles for the week.

Okay, next week I promise I'll taper my mileage in preparation for the marathon. Really.

Still goofin' . . .

T-10: Declaring war on snow

2011-02-24T23:37:00.003-06:00

10 days to the Little Rock Marathon . . . and guess what. It snowed again. And to think, all the snow had been completely melted for days.

It was a completely freak storm. It seems like we got stuck in a very narrow and intense snow band that dumped on us over the course of a couple hours. If you drive a short distance in any direction, you're in snow-free territory. Very weird. The snow is only here.

It was, again, time to declare war on the snow and scoop the driveway. No run for tonight, just scooping the drive.

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

T-11: A Zen Moment

2011-02-23T23:31:00.002-06:00

11 Days to the Little Rock Marathon.

I'm keeping a pretty routine running schedule. My pace is consistently getting faster. About a month ago, it was taking 10 to 12 minutes longer to run a 10k than it is now. Tonight was a relatively easy 10k in 60 minutes, average speed 6.3 mph.

Still goofin' . . .

T-12: Chewbacca

2011-02-22T23:15:00.001-06:00

12 days to the Little Rock Marathon.

Today went much easier than yesterday. I got one of the good treadmills today. 7.75 miles on the treadmill at 6.5 mph.

Still goofin' . . .

T-13: Fighting

2011-02-21T22:43:00.000-06:00

13 days to the Little Rock Marathon.

Sometimes technology works for you. Sometimes it really gets in your way. Today it did the latter for my training. I had to fight technology every step of the way.

Tonight the boys were over at the grandparents for an overnight. Krystal and I took the opportunity to go down to the gym to work out together.

Some of the treadmills are wildly inaccurate. I try my best to avoid those at all costs. However tonight, there were only two open. These two are notoriously fast. If you set it for 6mph, it'll go over 7 to 8 mph. Crazy! Those will tire you out.

I set one of those for 6.5 mph (though I'm convinced I was doing 8mph) and kept up with it for 2 miles. Then I switched to a treadmill that opened up during my initial run. I got about 1.75 miles into that run and the treadmill seized up. I reset it and started again. In all I got in about 4.5 miles completed. It was an unintentional speed interval run tonight.

To top it off, my headphones broke during the run. The right earphone went dead. Apparently the cable shorted out near the jack. Time for a new pair!

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

T-14: Rest Day

2011-02-20T22:35:00.002-06:00

14 days to the Little Rock Marathon.

Today was kind of a strange day. My brother and father-in-law both got new 55" HDTV's today. I got to go help set up both. Awesome times going from place to place playing with new toys.

I also got to help move some furniture at the in-law's new house, so I guess it wasn't a total rest day. But in my book, a day without a run is a very lazy day.

Still goofin' . . .

T-15: Donald Run #7 for 2011

2011-02-19T21:21:00.004-06:00

Jump in with both feet. Derp!

15 days until the 2011 Little Rock Marathon. Two weeks from now we'll be in Little Rock checking out the expo and the city.

I still know nothing about Little Rock. Unless I start researching the place, it'll be total terra incognita.

I'm starting the taper for the marathon. This weekend instead of running a 30k, I backed it off to a Half Marathon training run (21.1k or 13.1 miles).

I did the first 11k of the run on the treadmill. But at the 1-hour mark I couldn't take it any more. I could see how nice it was outside. With the exception of the WDW Marathon Weekend, I haven't run outside since November 27, 2010.

I was ready to get outside again. I could see the great outdoors from my treadmill. It was gorgeous out there. I was ready to jump in with both feet and get back outside for a run.

There, the decision was made. It was time to get out there and enjoy the beautiful weather. I left the gym to do the last 10k of the run outside.

But, given my luck, the weather changed drastically during the 5-block drive home. It got windy and cold! It suddenly became no fun to run outside. So . . . I went anyway.

I ran my 10k out-and-back route on Highway 275. As always it was exciting, given there is no shoulder and LOTS of traffic careening down the road right at you. It's like playing a game of chicken with Chevys and Dodge Rams.

In all, I racked up enough mileage today for a half marathon.

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

T-16: Titanic

2011-02-18T23:53:00.005-06:00

Only 16 days left until the Little Rock Marathon in Arkansas. Here is, yet another, ridiculous picture in honor of the ridiculous finishers medal that awaits me in Little Rock.

I did it again! Another Gold Goofy Medal.

After work I did 7.5 miles on the treadmill, bring my total mileage run for the week to 39.33 miles. On top of this I also have 10+ miles on the cycle.

Right now I'm feeling good about the Little Rock Marathon. 2 weeks from right now we'll be on your way.

Tonight became movie night at our house. After I got back from my run, Ethan mentioned that he wanted to watch Titanic. He was curious about the movie because of a commercial he saw on TV.

Krystal and I looked at each other and realized he was probably old enough to see it (though we would skip two scenes).

So, we fired up the old home theater and had movie night. I'd almost forgotten how cool our theater is. 104" screen and surround sound. Why do I keep watching our little TV's again? Ever since I started running, I've neglected the theater. I just don't make the time to watch full length movies anymore.

Maybe it's time to rethink my life. Less running. More movies.

Keep goofin' . . .

T-17: Groovy

2011-02-17T23:43:00.004-06:00

17 days to the Little Rock Marathon and I found the car I want to drive to Arkansas. Groovy.

I got up EARLY this morning for a treadmill run at the gym. I arrived at 6am and ran 7 miles in under 68 minutes. It wasn't exactly warp speed, but it felt good.

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

T-18: Rock On!

2011-02-16T23:37:00.000-06:00

18 Days to the Little Rock Marathon!

While it wasn't the original plan, today turned out to be a rest day. We went to dinner in the Old Market instead of me going down to the gym. It's nice to get away to downtown Omaha once in a while.

Still goofin' . . .

T-20 & 19: 2fer Tuesday

2011-02-15T01:22:00.000-06:00

19 Days to the Little Rock Marathon and it's ridiculous finishers medal. For today, two ridiculous pics.

Two pics? Why is that you ask?

I must have been snorting a little too much pixie dust when I started this countdown to Little Rock. I was off by a day. Today's 2fer Tuesday will get us back on track.

Today I got back down to the gym for a little runnin'. 10k (6.25 miles) on the treadmill in 56 min 15 seconds. I'm gradually picking up the pace.

Then I wrapped it up with 24 minutes of cycling, stopping at 10.36 additional miles.

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

T-21 Zombie Valentine

2011-02-14T20:55:00.004-06:00

Brains.

21 days to the Little Rock Marathon. Time for another ridiculous picture.

Not much to tell today. Rest day. Valentines. Brains! Sore from yesterday's weight training, so it's not all bad.

Still goofin' . . .

T-22: Comb-over

2011-02-13T21:01:00.003-06:00

Is that a giraffe comb-over?

22 Days to the Little Rock Marathon. Yet another ridiculous photo in honor of the ridiculous finishers medal awaiting me in Little Rock.

Today seemed like a rest day; no running for me after yesterday's 30k treadmill run.

However, Krystal ventured outside for a 6 mile run. She had the right idea. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. The treadmill has driven her to her wit's end.

I made it down to the gym for a lengthy weight training session. It was a nice change of pace. My legs thanked me. To pass the time, I listened to an old (circa-2006) Meandering Mouse podcast episode. I don't know why, but Jeff from Houston's dopey antics are great for weight training. Terrible for running, but great for weight training.

Still goofin' . . .

T-23: Angry Duck II for 2011

2011-02-12T22:05:00.006-06:00

Sense. This makes none.

23 Days to the Little Rock Marathon.

Yesterday I was going on about how much my right knee hurt. I've been running so much recently that my runner's knee has come back.

I mentioned it to Krystal and she just looked at me and said "You need new shoes." Duh.

I've been training in a pair of white GT-2150's I got last fall. I keep track of how many miles I put on each pair of shoes. I retire them once I've put 350 miles on them. As of this morning, this pair of shoes had 3.81 miles of life left in them.

This is not the pair of shoes I wore for the 2011 Goofy Challenge. Those were a pair of black GT-2150's I got specifically for that weekend. My knees gave me no trouble that entire weekend. So . . . it was time to bring them out for training.

Krystal was right, my knees felt a lot better during today's run. 300 to 350 miles still seems to be the upper mileage limit for my running shoes.

Now I'm training in my Goofy Challenge shoes. At my current pace, these should last me until mid-April, unless I decide to kick up the mileage even more. Not likely, I plan to ease back on the daily mileage after the Little Rock Marathon.

Today was another 30k Angry Duck run. This week I finished in 3 hrs 12 minutes. That's about a 15 minute improvement over last week! The last 10k was still killer.

Still goofin' . . .

T-23: Sharp Edges

2011-02-11T21:51:00.004-06:00

Seriously. Don't touch the edges of this sign.

23 Days to the Little Rock Marathon. Time for another ridiculous picture.

First, I want to wish several friends best of luck at the Mardi Gras Rock n' Roll Marathon in New Orleans this weekend.

For me, it's been a good week of training. With tonight's 10k treadmill run, I got my weekly total up to 39.67 miles. Another Goofy Gold Medal.

I'm trying to decide what kind of training schedule to follow this week. I'm getting runner's knee in my right leg again. Ugh.

For now, my plan is another 30k run this weekend, probably tomorrow. My taper for the Little Rock Marathon will begin about a week from now. Wish me luck with the knee.

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

T-24: Funny Hat Day

2011-02-10T22:42:00.002-06:00

Captain's Log: We've just entered orbit around Jamaica 4 in the Rastafarian System. Our away team has dressed in indigenous clothing to blend with the natives for a covert surveillance mission.

24 days to the Little Rock Marathon and it's ridiculous medal.

Tonight I had planned on running 6.25 miles (a 10k) on the treadmill. Time ran short, so I only got 5.5 miles completed in about 54 minutes.

I was worried that I would have to make up a bunch of mileage on Friday to make my 39.3 mile goal for the week. I thought I'd have to run 7 or 8 miles on Friday to hit the goal. As it turns out, I've only got 5.8 miles left. Woohoo!

Still goofin' . . .

T-25: On Fire!

2011-02-09T22:47:00.004-06:00

Another completely ridiculous pic

25 days to the Little Rock Marathon.

For previous races, I've had countdowns to race day. For the 2009 Disneyland Half, the 54-day countdown reviewed something important from each year of Disneyland's 54-year history. For the 2010 Goofy Challenge, I counted down the 39.3 best places to pig out after a Disney race.

Quite by accident, I happened upon the countdown series theme for the Little Rock Marathon. Remember I said I had no good reason to post the pic yesterday? Well, now that pic has a purpose!

This 26-part countdown will showcase 26 completely ridiculous pictures in honor of the completely ridiculous Little Rock finisher's medal.

Today I completed a 10k treadmill run in 62 minutes.

Until next time, keep goofin' . . .

T-26: Counting Down to Little Rock

2011-02-08T21:17:00.002-06:00

I have yet to find a good reason to post this pic.

I just realized I am 26 days out from the Little Rock Marathon. If I can keep the training level up (with the requisite taper, of course) I should be ready. In fact, I haven't felt this good pre-marathon for a long time.

I'm still pretty sure I won't PR this race. My standing PR is still the 2009 Lincoln Marathon at 4 hr 36 min 1 sec. I'm feeling really well trained at the moment, but the hilly Little Rock course compared to the flat Lincoln course may make the difference. I'm also still about 10 lbs heaver than I was Spring 2009. I'll just push hard and see what happens. Maybe I'll be surprised.

Tonight I was pressed on time so I did a quick sub-28 minute 5k on the treadmill, with another 12 minutes on the cycle (5 miles).

Still goofin' . . .

Angry Duck I for 2011

2011-02-06T21:46:00.005-06:00

It's time for me to reintroduce one of my standard workouts to the mix: THE ANGRY DUCK.

If you look at my list of standard workouts at the bottom of the page, you'll see that the Angry Duck is a 30k (18.75 mile) run. Actually, anything between 30k and a full marathon distance is an Angry Duck. In 2009 I logged 8 30k runs during my training for my first Goofy.

So what's up with the "Angry Duck" moniker?

A half marathon is obviously a Donald. A full marathon is obviously a Mickey. So what about that aggravating middle ground between the two? It's still just a Donald, but without the sense of accomplishment that a full marathon run brings. Plus, right before 30k the run gets darn tough.

30k is a frustrating distance, enough to set Donald off on one of his famous temper tantrums.

So yeah, today I ran 30k on the treadmill in 3.5 hours. I started going mental 2 hours in. All the memories from my 30k treadmill runs in 2009 rushed back. This distance is still the Angry Duck to me.

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

Donald #6 and Goofy Week #4 for 2011

2011-02-04T20:53:00.007-06:00

This was a rough week for training. It started out great with a half marathon on the treadmill on Saturday. Sunday was 2.5 miles on the elliptical. Monday and Tuesday were both 5k's on the treadmill. Wednesday was run-free, but I spent 90 minutes shoveling the driveway.

By Thursday I was panicked. I was going to fall WAY short of my mileage by the end of the week. So, I kicked it into high hear yesterday and today. On Thursday before work, I did a 15k in 90 minutes. Tonight after work I ran a half marathon on the treadmill in 2 hrs 10 minutes (Donald #6 for the year!).

My total running mileage for the week? 41.76 miles! That's a new high-water mark for 2011. That makes it a Gold Goofy Medal week.

A new training week starts tomorrow morning. Let's hope it goes more predictably than this week did.

Before I go, here's another look at the gargantuan Little Rock Marathon medal unveiled earlier today:

This picture doesn't really give the medal a sense of scale. So here are the specs from the press release:

Height: 7 3/4 inches
Width: 5 inches
Weight: 1.5 lbs (weighs as much as an iPad)
Features the 2011 theme: A Medal of Mythic Proportions
Features a "smooch" from the race director

29 days and it is all mine!

Still goofin' . . .

The Medal Mania Continues

2011-02-04T15:57:00.003-06:00

The 2011 Little Rock Marathon medal was unveiled this afternoon on YouTube. The design verdict? Completely ridiculous! Perfect.
This is the best design I've ever seen for this particular marathon. In the past they've all been big AND ugly. This year, it's big WITHOUT the ugly . . . and it spins!
Only 29 days before I put this bad boy around my neck. I'd better keep the training intensity up.
Speaking of . . . my training week comes to a close at midnight tonight. I'm off to the gym after work to finish off the week. Full report to follow.
Until then, keep goofin' . . .

I'm the J. Thaddeus Toad of Medals

2011-02-01T20:20:00.005-06:00

I swear, I am becoming the J. Thaddeus Toad of marathon medals. Mr. Toad developed a mania every time he saw a shiny new vehicle, whether it was a motor car or an aeroplane. At the very sight of one, he formed an instant obsession.

For me, it's become medals. When I see a cool one, I've got to have it. The 2011 Goofy medal was a must have, as was the 2010 Route 66 medal and upcoming Little Rock Marathon medal. Speaking of, they unveil the design of this year's Little Rock monster medal this week! Can't wait.

Anyway, I've got the mania once more: The Minneapolis Marathon Medal. The 2010 medal is pictured below.

First off, the medal is fairly hefty looking. The center has a multi-colored stained glass inset, suitable for hanging in a window to color the light in the room. And for 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . the medal will be last year's design, but 24 k gold plated. Gotta get me some of that SHINY!!! Furthermore, all marathon finishers get a finishers jacket.

The major downside is that it's on the same weekend as the Dam-to-Dam 20k in Des Moines. This has become one of our absolute favorite events every year. We absolutely love it. But . . . the Minneapolis medal is sooooo shiny. We always look forward to meeting up with Jeff W. after the Dam run. Minneapolis sooooooooo shiny.

Ugh! Decisions. Decisions. Since we're going toward Des Moines anyway, what's another 4 hours to Minneapolis. Sooooo shiny. Or do we take part in the craziest darned race we've experienced for a 3rd year in a row . . . and hang out with Jeff W.

I need to think this one through a bit more. . .

___________________________________

Training Note: Today is another snowy day with stuff closing early everywhere. To prevent a rerun of last night, I went down a half an hour earlier just in case they closed early again. That way I'd have time for a 10k instead of a mere 5k.

I think Chris is calling in favors all the way from Connecticut to sabotage my mileage. I got there and they were closing a half an hour earlier than last night! At this rate, they'll be closing at noon by mid February.

Once again I only had 30 minutes before closing. So, I ran another 5k. This time finishing in 28 min 4 seconds. This was more of a tempo than a speed interval run.

_____________________________________

Still goofin' . . .

Running to Disneyland January Report

2011-01-31T21:02:00.007-06:00

Alright, let's try this again. . .

My "Running to Disneyland 2010" virtual run didn't go so well. I only ran 1053.8 of the 1569.0 miles. That's 515.2 miles short of my goal. The mileage got away from me around May, and I never caught back up.

I didn't create this challenge for myself because it was easy. Challenges are supposed to be difficult. I'm making another go at it in 2011.

For new readers, here are the ground rules for this challenge. The distance between my front doorstep and the start line of the Disneyland Half Marathon is 1569.0 miles. The challenge is for me to run that distance in the time between WDW Marathon Weekends.

Mileage starts counting the day after WDW Marathon Weekend 2011. I have until the day before WDW Marathon Weekend 2012 to finish up the miles. Mileage from neither marathon weekend counts.

Running mileage only counts. Neither cross training nor cycling miles count.

For the month of January 2011, I ran a total of 128.9 miles. Once I subtract all mileage prior to 1/10/11 (including the Goofy Challenge), I am left with 83.4 miles for the Running to Disneyland Challenge.

On average I have to run 4.3 miles each day this year to make the goal. This is reflected in the gray baseline above. As of today, I am 7.6 miles under the baseline mileage line. I hope to be on target or in positive mileage territory by this weekend.

_________________________

Training Note: Due to snow tonight, the gym closed at 7. I arrived at 6:30 thinking I'd be able to run for a couple hours. The lady at the door told me I only had 30 minutes. Change of plans!

I did a speed interval 5k, total time 26 min 47 seconds. My slow speed was a 9-minute mile (my current half marathon PR pace). The fast quarter-mile intervals were an 8-minute mile (my goal half marathon pace). In all I ran 1.25 miles at an 8-minute pace. I'm improving! At the beginning of January I could only hold that pace for .2 miles.

_________________________

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

Donald #5 for 2011

2011-01-29T11:39:00.002-06:00

I bet from a reader's perspective, this blog is getting pretty boring. Yup, another half marathon run on the treadmill today. This makes #5 for 2011. I had planned to do a 20-miler today, but life intervened (i.e. not enough time in the day for all the training I want to do). A half marathon is better than nothing, I suppose.

On the way home from the gym I heard something on the radio that caught my attention. Some people were talking about a club called "Fezzes Forever". Excited, I turned up the radio to get the details. Unfortunately, it soon became clear they were only talking about Pheasants Forever. Oh well. Fezzes are still cool.

Time to go, because today is race day! No, not that kind of race. No running involved. Today is Pack 432's Pinewood Derby. Can't wait! We weighed in most of the cars last night. There are some awesome cars this year.

Until next time, I'm goofin' at the pinewood derby track . . .

It's been a Goofy Week

2011-01-28T23:13:00.001-06:00

Between laziness, chatting it up at the gym, and nights at home with
the kids, running 39.3 miles this week was out of reach.

Between running and elliptical, my total mileage was at about 28
miles. So, being short on time I finished out the week with 12 miles
on the cycle.

This week I finished with a bronze goofy. With my long training runs
for the Little Rock Marathon coming up, I should be able to hit the
mileage goal strictly by running this week. We shall see.

Still goofin' . . .

Donald #4 for 2011

2011-01-27T23:54:00.002-06:00

It's been a crazy week for training.

On Monday, I got in an 8 1/2 minute workout. I had planned to do a speed interval 5k, but I got sidetracked at the gym talking to another runner who ran Boston this spring. We traded marathon war stories for about half an hour. By the time we were done, I had exactly 10 minutes before the gym closed. So . . . I had just enough time for a 1-mile run.

Tuesday and Wednesday were a total loss. Tuesday I had no time for a workout. Wednesday I got super lazy and napped all evening.

So, tonight I had to make up some mileage. I got to the gym, but all the treadmills were taken. I grabbed an elliptical for 6 minutes and got 0.42 miles done. Then I saw a treadmill open up. Time for a half marathon! I got it done just before the gym closed.

For the week I've run 27.8 miles, I'm well short of the 39.3 miles run required for a Gold Goofy Medal this week. I plan to make up the remaining miles on a cycle tomorrow to make it a Bronze Goofy week. Then my week starts over Saturday morning. With my heavy mileage for the upcoming Little Rock Marathon coming up the next two weeks, I should be able to go for the gold.

Still goofin' . . .

Donald #3 for 2011

2011-01-23T18:43:00.002-06:00

It must be Sunday evening 'cuz I hurt EVERYWHERE.

It's been a busy weekend on the training front. Yesterday I restarted my weight training. I started with 1K warm-up run, followed by an hour of weight training, and another 18 minutes of core work.

Last night we got about 5 or so inches of snow. It took me about 2 and a half hours to dig us out. What a challenge! Following yesterday's weight training, I had no upper body strength left to actually lift the shovel. After that I was beat, so . . . I went down to the gym to run a half marathon on the treadmill. I finished in 2 hrs 12 minutes. Not bad for a training run.

I've gotta keep up the pace. The Little Rock Marathon is a mere 41 days away!

I think for now I'm going to curl up in a corner and whimper myself to sleep.

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

Make Every Week a Goofy Week

2011-01-22T00:05:00.006-06:00

Earlier this evening, I ran 15.1 k on the treadmill to bring my total mileage run for the week up to 39.3 miles. That's the exact mileage covered during Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge.

This makes it Goofy Week #2 for me in 2011, #1 being the actual 2011 Goofy Challenge.

So, what's a Goofy Week?

Tonight, I am announcing a weekly training challenge for everyone. Like Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge, Goofy's Weekly Training Challenge is a distance event. You still have to cover 39.3 miles, but you have a week to do it.

I want everyone to take part in Goofy's Weekly Training Challenge. In an effort to make the challenge accessible to everyone, I have created Bronze, Silver, and Gold Goofy Medals for your blogs.

Get your virtual medals for your sites below. Click on the each of the images for the full-size graphics.

Here's how you qualify for each of the three challenge levels. It's all on the honor system.

To qualify for the Bronze Goofy Medal, you must complete the following in a one-week period:

Complete 39.3 miles of distance training
It can be any combination of cycling, cross training, and/or running
Cross training includes: elliptical, stair master, cross country skiing, swimming, or anything else that can be measured in terms of distance
A maximum of 50% of the total 39.3 miles may be from cycling.

To qualify for the Silver Goofy Medal, you must complete the following in a one-week period:

Complete 39.3 miles of distance training
It can be any combination of cross training and/or running
Cross training includes: elliptical, stair master, cross country skiing, swimming, or anything else that can be measured in terms of distance
Cycling does not count for the Silver Medal

To qualify for the Gold Goofy Medal, you must complete the following in a one-week period:

Complete 39.3 miles of running
Neither cycling nor cross training count toward the Gold Medal

None of the levels are easy, but then again neither is Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge. If you aren't able to earn the Gold right now, don't worry. Earn a few Bronze Goofy Medals, then work your way up to a Silver Goofy, then a Gold Goofy.

Remember to post your daily mileage throughout the week. Good luck!

And, keep on goofin' . . .

I think I'll just run

2011-01-21T09:23:00.004-06:00

Every once in a while I start thinking about training for an Ironman triathalon. I like running. I like biking. I think I remember liking swimming when I was young. A 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run sound like a fun way to spend a day.

I get all excited about the prospect, then I see a picture like this. Wow, really bad things happen in the water!

I think I'll just keep running for now.

Thursday was a dreaded rest day. I really hate those. Today, no rest for the wicked!

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

Short post

2011-01-19T22:03:00.002-06:00

Where did today go? Short post for tonight.

7.5 miles on the treadmill in 1 hr 17 minutes tonight. Slowly but surely I'm picking up the pace again.

Still goofin'...

No Excuses

2011-01-18T22:35:00.006-06:00

Justin, Stan, and Jordan proudly wearing their Donald Medals

In the aftermath of the 2011 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, I am sensing a certain energy and resolve in Team Voice that I have not sensed for quite some time. Maybe its just me, but there even appears to be a new meme spreading throughout the group: No Excuses.

I really hope this takes hold for everyone on the team in 2011. So far I like what I'm seeing. Matt is joining a gym to form new habits. Amanda is fighting post-race illness to train for her next Dopey. Chris is running through extreme snow. Mike is under medical orders not to run, but he is cross training like mad. Rae is ramping her mileage back up again. It seems like everyone is battling adversity and coming out on top, excuses be damned.

Keep it up guys!

Tonight I was running short on time. I had hoped to do another 10K tonight, but by the time I got to the gym I only had 55 minutes before closing. In my current condition, that's not enough time to get in a 10K run. Change of plans!

I did a speed interval 5K on the treadmill, followed by 18 minutes on the elliptical. It felt great and was exactly what I needed to do for the approaching Little Rock Marathon.

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

-----------------

Hey Amanda, the video below is for you. I saw you mention my quest for a fez in Morocco. Yes . . . fezzes ARE cool! Not obnoxious at all.

Keeping at it

2011-01-17T21:11:00.002-06:00

The 2011 Team Voice Goof Troop

Over the past few days I've developed a really bad dry cough. The ladies at the office are openly wondering whether I have pneumonia. I'll let 'em keep guessing. It's just a dry cough, a tickle in the back of the throat that won't go away.

So, what's one to do when he sounds like he's on his death bed? Run a 10k on the treadmill!

That's just what I did. For that hour, there was no coughing. No wheezing. No feeling sorry for myself for getting sick. It was just about the run. Nothing else mattered. The cough returned once I stopped running, but somehow I still felt better.

One more day of training done. Only 47 days until the Little Rock Marathon.

Still goofin' . . .

Donald #2 for 2011

2011-01-16T23:48:00.006-06:00

If there's one thing I've figured out, it's that I no longer have time to post in-depth, rambling, blog posts here on JKG. Posts in 2011 will, for the most part, be short and to the point.

And what's the point? Lead by example. I can talk the training game as well as anybody. But this year I'll be using the blog to document my training for others.

I'm already training hard for the 2012 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. On Wednesday I put in an hour on the elliptical.

Today I completed a 13.1 mile treadmill run (my second Donald for 2011, the first being the WDW Half Marathon), and followed it up with another 36 minutes on the stationary bike. The run was relatively slow, 2.5 hours. I took plenty of walk breaks.

While I feel good physically at rest, whenever I run I still feel zapped from last weekend's Dopey. I've come to expect this after marathons. It usually takes me about 2 weeks to get a good solid long run under the belt. Let the recovery continue.

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

2010 Events Archive

2011-01-01T16:23:00.000-06:00

Completed Events

1/9/10 WDW Half Marathon

2 hrs 8 min 50 sec

1/10/10 WDW Full Marathon

4 hrs 56 min 41 sec

3/7/10 Disney's Princess Half Marathon

1 hr 57 min 57 sec

5/2/10 Flying Pig marathon

4 hr 55 min 36 sec

5/23/10 Council Bluffs Half Marathon

2 hr 31 min 16 sec

6/5/10 Dam to Dam 20K

1 hr 56 min 31 sec

9/5/10 Disneyland Half Marathon

2 hr 1 min 34 sec

9/19/10 Omaha Corporate Cup 10K

54 min 43 sec

10/2/10 Food & Wine Half Marathon

Relay Division

Team: The Screaming Goofys

4.8 Mile leg: 1 hr 20 min 12 sec

8.3 Mile leg: 1 hr 21 min 37 sec

Transition time: 1 min 39 sec

Total Time: 2 hr 43 min 27 sec

10/16/10 Kansas City Half Marathon

2 hr 10 min 28 sec

11/21/10 Route 66 Marathon

4 hr 57 min 8 sec

D-25.43: Expanding My Curb Crew

2010-12-12T21:57:00.004-06:00

Last year a fellow runner, blogger, and Disney nut introduced me to the concept of the Curb Crew. This is the group of people that encourages you during your training, cheers from the curb during the race, and rejoices in your accomplishments once you cross the finish line. Since introducing me to the concept, Savitre has appointed herself as my Curb Crew in Chief.

My Curb Crew has also included my family, especially my wife, brother, and mom who have all participated in races with me. And who could forget my two boys who have been there during some of my toughest races ringing cowbells from the curb.

Another important part of my Curb Crew has been-without a doubt--Team Voice. This has been a great source of inspiration and camaraderie for the last 18 months.

During this time, my Curb Crew has consisted of these three distinct groups, which have never really had that much interaction with one another, but have meant a lot to me. Now I am adding to that crew.

Tonight I expanded my Curb Crew to include the WDW Radio Running Team. I joined up tonight and committed to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America through the Dream Team Project.

If you know my running story, you know that my "One Little Spark" of inspiration to start running was an episode of the WDW Radio Podcast. Joining the new WDW Radio Running Team seems like a good fit given the origins of my inspiration to run.

So where does this leave me with Team Voice? Hopefully right where I am now, 'cuz I don't plan on going anywhere.

I'm just adding to my Curb Crew, not leaving Team Voice. I'm going to keep cranking out artwork for The Voice, Team Voice, Team Voice Radio, and Club 8. The blog ain't goin' anywhere and neither am I.

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

D-40.43: Cars

2010-11-27T09:17:00.011-06:00

After yesterday's mega Route 66 Marathon report, I'm taking a break from actual words. Today's wrap-up from Oklahoma is nothing but pics of the post-race car show. Enjoy!

Keep goofin' . . .

D-41.43: Route 66 Marathon MEGA Report

2010-11-26T10:15:00.025-06:00

As I stated yesterday, I participated in the Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this past Sunday. What started out as a mere quest for some marathon bling, the trip proved to be so much more. I had no expectations about Tulsa going into the trip, so I had no idea what to expect once we reached our destination. I came home impressed with the city and its people.

This was a whirlwind trip. (Is there any other kind with me?) It was just me and my brother, Jordan. We left bright and early at 5:30 a.m. Saturday morning. We traveled Highway 75 from Nebraska City straight through to Tulsa, arriving just after Noon. The drive was not bad at all.
First stop, EXPO! As far as race expos go this one wasn't huge. Flying Pig and WDW are much bigger. This was about the same size as the Disneyland Half Marathon Expo. There were plenty of vendors and some nice Route 66 Merchandise. Check-in and packet pickup were well organized and fast. After about 45 minutes we headed out for lunch.
Tulsa has several districts. We headed out to the Blue Dome District to find some grub. This area is known for bars and restaurants. We found the Blue Dome Diner and got some awesome burgers. There was Route 66 imagery everywhere that put me in the right frame of mind for the upcoming race.
We also used our trip to Tulsa to finish a school project for my brother, who is taking an art course at Creighton University this fall. He has to visit four art galleries this semester and submit proof of the visits. This lead to one of the most interesting adventures I have been on in some time.
Tusla has put quite a bit of effort into building an art community in the Brady Arts District. With all sorts of new stuff going in, it will be quite a destination in the next few years. Our first stop was a glass shop, where they had all kinds of colorful blown glass. In the back of the shop they had furnaces where artisans and students were blowing new glass sculptures. If I could, I would have bought out the entire store. I loved it all!
Our next stop was a pottery shop next door, at least we thought it was a shop. We saw a guy working on pottery through the windows. Thinking nothing of it, we tried walking in, only to be met with a locked door. Alarmed at the would-be-intruders, he got up, came to the door and asked what we wanted. We asked to look around. To my surprise, he obliged.
He showed us around his studio, which as we found out was not a shop at all. He just makes his wares there and sells them at various art shows around the country. He had both electric and gas kilns to fire his pottery. He had some great pieces, which he sells for between $30 and $1500 each. No touchy!
From there we walked around towntown Tulsa. We happened upon a tourist spot called the Center of the Universe. I had heard about it before coming to Tulsa because the Route 66 Marathon has a detour option where you can run an additional 0.3 miles to get your picture taken at that spot during the race. No, I didn't take the option. 26.2 miles is far enough for me.
The Center of the Universe has some odd acoustic properties. If you stand in a particular spot, sound is amplified and bounced back to you. It took us a while to figure out where to stand, but once we did it was spooky. You can whisper and the sound comes back amplified, like you are talking into a microphone. I also noticed you could hear others whispering in that spot, even if you were 30 yard away. It was very weird.
From there we went to another part of Tulsa, which is also known for its galleries and museums. In particular we wanted to visit the Joseph Gierek Fine Art Gallery. This Gallery had some spectacular paintings. During our visit, we struck up a conversation with the owner, Joseph. We told him we were in town for the Marathon. He got excited because the marathon was going to pass directly in front of the shop in the morning. Sure enough, looking at the map, his gallery is about 1.25 miles into the course. He told me to give him my email address so he could take my picture as I went by, and later email it to me. Before we left he told us about all sorts of things to hit while in town.
I came away from this afternoon impressed with everyone we met in Tulsa. Everyone was friendly, helpful, and seem genuinely excited to welcome visitors to their city. Everyone we met seemed like the perfect ambassador to the city.
After going to one more gallery, we were beat. It was time to find the hotel. I booked a stay at Aloft. Fans of Disney's Contemporary Resort would feel right at home here. When we checked in my brother said "this place is messed up." I took that as a compliment. It was comfortable and very contemporary. We crashed for a couple hours.
We woke up just in time to head over to the Spaghetti Warehouse to carb load. I think every city has one of these places. Omaha and Des Moines have Spaghetti Works. California has the Spaghetti Factory. Tusla has Spaghetti Warehouse. I think all of these places were decorated by the same eclectic madman, right down to the train car you can dine in. I ate like a maniac, leaving quite stuffed.
It was time to get to sleep. Back to Aloft. I pinned on the race bib and set all my stuff out. We laughed ourselves to sleep. Aloft had a DJ pumping out tunes in the lobby until midnight. Being on the second floor, we could feel every thumping bass beat. BOOM BOOM BOOM. Regardless, I was out within minutes.
Click to biggify
I woke up at 4:50 a.m., 5 minutes before my alarm. I suited up and we left for the start line with plenty of time to spare. Outside it was dark, a comfortable 50 degrees, and very breezy. Jordan dropped me off at the race start, and headed back to Aloft to sleep some more.
The race area was typical, with lots of event tents, porta-potties, and a stage with music blaring. I was getting excited for the race to start.
I had studied the course the night before. In my mind, I broke it down into 3 parts. Part 1 was mid-town. Part 2 was downtown, including the aforementioned Blue Dome and Brady Arts Districts. Part 3 was a very long out-and-back along the historic Route 66. Parts 1 and 2 had some hills. Part 3 would be mercifully flat.
I got into my assigned Corral B at 7:00 a.m. Race start was at 7:30 a.m. Just prior to race start they had a Native American blessing. I was not sure what to expect when they announced it, but it was very cool. Some around me described it as a stirring war chant with haunting vocals and strong drum rhythms. I'd say that was pretty accurate. Then they had a male country singer sing the Star Spangled Banner. From my perspective, as a first-time visitor, it all seemed very Oklahoma.

The wheelchair racers left a few minutes before 7:30, with Corral A leaving right at the bottom of the hour. My corral left at 7:35 a.m. The start was awesome. They had confetti cannons shooting off every few seconds at the start line. All the runners were covered in colorful confetti as we began the journey. With all the excitement, I had a hard time remembering to start out slow.

My strategy for the marathon? Besides mere survival? I knew I would not be getting a PR for this race, but I decided to run with the 4 hr 30 minute pacer for as long as I could. I kept up with her for the first 13 or so miles.

Just after mile 1, I kept an eye out for Joe at his gallery. To my disappointment, he was not there. Oh well. I kept running. The marathon course did a great job showcasing some very picturesque areas in Tula. I appreciated this. Some races, like Omaha, take you through every scary drive-by shooting neighborhood imaginable.

Between miles 3 and 4 I saw what looked like Hogwarts School from Harry Potter off in the distance, but only red brick instead of gray stone. To my delight the course went right through this school. Then we went into an absolutely gorgeous residential neighborhood.

Somewhere around mile 7, I recognized one of the spectators in front of one of the houses. It was Joe from the gallery. I stopped in front of him and yelled "JOE!" He saw me, snapped my picture and replied "I HAVE YOUR EMAIL!!!" This was one of the highlights of the marathon. I had run into a new acquaintance from our Saturday art gallery adventures.

True to his word, Joe emailed the promised pictures to me after I arrived home. See the picture to the left, and immediately above.

The course passed the start/finish area and went straight west across the Arkansas River to western Tulsa. Miles 8 through 10 were on the west side of the river. It was flat, but windy, as there was relatively no wind break from buildings.

Once we re-crossed the river, the marathoners went into Downtown Tulsa through the Blue Dome and Brady Arts Districts. The half-marathoners headed south on an out-and-back to their finish.

Towntown Tulsa was a bit hilly, though nothing like Kansas City or Cincinnati. Nothing seems hilly after those two cities. As I suspected, I fell behind the 4:30 pacer around mile 14. This didn't really bother me, as I knew I hadn't trained enough for this race to go for a PR.

At Mile 15, the marathoners met back up with the half-marathoners for a very long out-and back that lasted until mile 26.2. Yowsers! As I turned the corner I saw an emergency vehicle speeding off into the distance. I didn't think much about it at the time, but later found out that a half-marathoner collapsed and died at their Mile 10, just after Mile 15 for us.

I have thought a lot about this runner since finding out. For whatever reason, I've had the phrase "Make every day count" ringing in my ears ever since. I'm not sure where this thought came from, but it may be a recurring theme as we count down to the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend.

If you are familiar with the musical Oklahoma!, you will know the lyric "where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain." This became a major factor between miles 16 and 21. We had to fight a 30 to 40 mph headwind until we turned around for the 5-mile homestretch. At times I felt like I was standing still, but I fought on.

I was worried I would hit the wall, like in Des Moines, at mile 20. Thankfully that did not happen. For those who have not experienced it, hitting the wall and merely going slow are two very different things. Hitting the wall has an element of panic and mental breakdown. I didn't have that, I just went slowly this time.

My calf muscles screamed at me from Mile 19 until the end. I had severe cramps in my calves for the last 7 miles of the race. I had to stop periodically to stretch them out on the curb. This only helped for a few minutes at a time. I finally had to resort to walk/run strategy that didn't tax my calves so much. Little did I know this was only be beginning of several days of intense pain and stiffness resulting from this run.

I finally made it to the finish line. As I crossed I heard Jordan screaming at me. I found him in the crowd pointing the Canon 20D in my direction. He got quite a few shots of me dragging my sorry carcass accross the 26.2 mile-mark. With that, I completed my 5th full marathon.

The finisher's medal is absolutely gorgeous. I may have a new favorite full marathon finisher's medal--yes I like it better than my Mickey Medal. Marathon finishers also get a finisher's tech shirt. Love it!

Once I got my shirt, medal, and some gatorade, I met up with my brother to check out the car show, another Route 66 Marathon tradition. They had about 15 or so show-ready cars lined up for everyone to gawk at. Jordan took plenty of pictures that I hope to post sometime in the future.

Then it was off to the food and refreshment tents. The race bib had a number of tabs at the bottom of it. One was for the finisher's tech shirt. Another was for post-race food. Two more were for free beer.

I took one look at the lines for food and drink and decided to pass. Instead of letting the bib tabs go to waste, I decided to give them away. I was surprised how many people I had to talk to before I found one person willing to take free food and beer coupons. You know, marathoners are a weird lot.

From there, we headed over to the Double Tree Hotel in Downtown Tulsa. I went into one of the lobby restrooms to get changed and cleaned up for the trip home. Then it was back on the road.

We took a different route home. Instead of going through Kansas, we cut over to Missouri so we could stop for dinner in Kansas City on the way home. I let my brother drive. My legs were shot and I was loopy. We stopped in northern Kansas City at a mexican place called Abuelo's. It was a shock when we got out, as it was about 30 degrees cooler this far north. Why did we leave Oklahoma again? Brrrrrrr!

The physical aftermath of this marathon has been like none other. The DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) has been killer. It wasn't too bad on Monday, but Tuesday and Wednesday were miserable.

My calf muscles cramped and tensed so much that my toes naturally wanted to point straight down. This made getting out of bed in the morning interesting. I had to ease my weight down onto my feet to slowly flatten them out. These efforts were met with searing pain.

This is the first time I have ever wished that guys could wear high heals. I would have given anything not to have to flatten my feet out. They didn't want to go in any other position but straight down until Thanksgiving Day.

The right-calf was especially bad. It swelled noticeably and was extremely tender to the touch (actually still is a bit). I had to ace-wrap that calf on Wednesday to even walk.

Like I said before, marathoners are a weird lot. Throughout all the post-race pain, I've been talking non-stop about the next race, and possibly returning to Tulsa for another Route 66 Marathon. It was that much fun.

The race, the city, and its people made for a fantastic experience. Knowing how much pain I was in immediately following the race, you would think that Route 66 got its kicks out of me. But, because of the friendly folks in Tulsa, I truly got my kicks on Route 66. Thank you everyone for a great first visit to Oklahoma.

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

Oh, one more thing. . . below is a video of the finish line. Move the playhead so the race clock reads about 5 hr 4 minutes. You'll see me dragging my sorry behind across the finish line. Boy, I look terrible! How many pounds does the camera add again?

Route 66 Marathon Course

2010-11-26T09:00:00.001-06:00

D-42.43: Time for another Countdown Series

2010-11-25T10:29:00.005-06:00

We are now approximately 42 days away from the 2011 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. I have committed to run the Dopey this year:

1/7/11: Buzz and Woody's Best Friends 5k
1/8/11: Walt Disney World Half Marathon
1/9/11: Walt Disney World Marathon

In total, it will be 42.4349809 miles in 3 days. I know at least one other Team Voice member is doing the Dopey in January. Hi Amanda!

Last year I did a series of 39.3 places to pig out following a Disney race. This year's series will be a little more free-form. Basically, I'm out of the blogging groove and aim to post something every day leading up to the 2011 WDW Marathon Weekend.

So, where am I now?

On Sunday, I completed the Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The medal is awesome! I'll post a full race report tomorrow. But for today, I just want to say that I Tulsa was a great town. The race was great and I had a blast. Unfortunately, it was my slowest marathon ever.

A number of factors contributed to my slow finish time. First, I started a nutrition program in late September that had me eating like a Hobbit. Over the course of a month I gained 12+ lbs of muscle and lost about 8 lbs of fat. I was gaining weight rapidly on the program, not exactly the plan. The results would be good . . . for a bodybuilder. However, my goal was to lose weight to make it easier on my knees. The problem was that I was eating so much bulk that it was uncomfortable to run because my belly was always full. Again, this is not a problem for a body builder, but deadly to a runner.

Second, during this regimen I started lifting weights more than running because it was the easier thing to do given how full I was all the time. My running suffered. Instead of running several times a week, I was only doing the long 19-mile runs on weekends. I did no speed or hill work during the week. This killed my pace on race day in Oklahoma.

I've remedied the food plan situation for now. I am taking a break from the trainer's food plan until mid-January. For now, I'm going back to what works for me. That means I'm drinking a tofu & protein shakes twice a day until race weekend. I'm loving the Goofy's Peanut Butter and Jelly Protein Shakes! I usually have the shakes for breakfast and dinner. For lunch I have salads.

Third, and I'll write more about this more tomorrow, the race was in Oklahoma, where as the song says "the wind comes sweepin' down the plain." We had 30-40 mph headwinds between miles 15 and 21.

But, I had a great time and am thinking about doing the race again in 2011, depending on the design of the finisher's medal. I can't believe I'm saying that. I've been in terrible pain since Sunday. My calf muscle have been so cramped and stiff since returning home, that I can hardly walk. My legs are much better today, however. That's something to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I'll be back to punish you all with another entry tomorrow.

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

gettin' my kicks on route 66

2010-11-20T21:35:00.001-06:00

Tonight I'm in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At 7:30 tomorrow morning I start the
Route 66 Marathon. I think it'll be a fun run. I'm not going for any
PR. This is a training run for Goofy 2011.

I am pleasantly surprised with Tulsa. Very cool town. I may just have
to come back; well worth the 6 1/2 hour drive.

Still goofin' . . .

Mouscellania

2010-11-01T21:46:00.002-05:00

I'm still here, training hard and still eating way too much on my "food plan." I'm not complaining about it, but sometimes a pound and a half of carrots, and another pound and a half of cauliflower every day gets challenging. (And that's only part of what I have to hork down every day).

A few minutes ago I signed up for the Little Rock Marathon, to beat the price increase at midnight tonight. The race itself is set for March 6, 2011, in Little Rock, Arkansas.

You may be asking yourself why I am signing up for this race. The Little Rock Marathon boasts the largest finishers medal in North America (and probably the world). Last year it weighed in at 1.7 lbs. That, folks, is heavier than an iPad. Imagine putting one of those on a ribbon and wearing THAT around your neck!

Who is dumb enough to join me in Arkansas?

So, what's with the video of the Disney Dream cruise ship being built? The Meyer Werft shipyard has had a webcam on its site. I collected each and every weekly photo from the webcam and set them aside. With the float-out of the ship this last Saturday, I compiled them into a timelapse video and sent it off to Lou Mongello for posting on his YouTube channel. He packaged it up with his bumpers and set it to music. It turned out pretty good.

The construction process was fascinating to watch. I can't wait to watch the Disney Fantasy get built in 2011.

Still hangin' in there, still goofin' . . .

Operation Goofmerica Update

2010-10-18T21:01:00.002-05:00

Following the Kansas City Half Marathon I'm now able to update my 50-stater map to reflect the latest race. Missouri is now yellow. I've still got a looooong way to go before I can fill in the entire country.

When I downloaded the data from my Garmin 405, I did an elevation comparison between the Kansas City Half Marathon and Princess Half Marathon. For reference, the Princess Half course is identical to the January WDW Half Marathon course.

The graph above shows the comparison between the two courses. Blue is Kansas City. Red is the Princess Half Marathon. I much prefer the red course.

I'll have to think twice before I sign up for the Kansas City Full Marathon. I need to train harder for hills before I attempt it, probably in 2012.

Still goofin' . . .

Kansas City Half Marathon

2010-10-16T12:15:00.000-05:00

Well, I finished the Kansas City Half Marathon this morning. That was
one filly hucking course! Finish time was about 2 hrs 10 min 28 sec.
It's no PR but I'm happy with it. It is what it is.

Right now we're celebrating at T-Rex Cafe. We ate at Raglin Road last
night. Pretty good weekend so far!

Still goofin' . . .

Hobbit Update

2010-10-13T23:08:00.004-05:00

Tonight I finished my 6th personal training session with Shain. During these six sessions I learned my resistance training routine. Now I'm on my own with the weights and ab excercises.

I'll continue to meet with Shain every Wednesday now through February for measurements and weekly food planning. We'll also discuss how I'm doing with my weights and running. Every Wednesday I get a food shopping list like the one below. I also get a daily breakdown of my five meals, with every ingredient specified down to the ounce. I have to weigh EVERYTHING!

Looking at the list, it's seems pretty daunting to down all this food in one week. Before I started the program I wasn't eating anywhere near this much stuff. It took me a couple weeks to adjust to these quantities.

It's still pretty unbelievable. Tonight I was taken aback by the amount of food I purchased and stuffed in the fridge. I just had to take a picture. The picture above doesn't do justice to the massive pile of food I bring home every Wednesday.

Okay, so what are the results? Is it worth all the hours of cooking, eating, and lifting weights? In a word yes. In the last two and a half weeks I am up 2 lbs, but that is mostly due to lots of food weight in my gut. I am down 8 lbs fat, and up 7 lbs of lean mass. The numerous caliper measurements are changing fast.

This has been a huge change in my routine. My running has suffered. I hope to work that back into my schedule this coming week. Once I do that, the numbers should change even faster.

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

Wine and Dine Video

2010-10-07T21:39:00.001-05:00

Hey, check out this movie! Keep an eye out for some familiar folks about half way through.

Eating like a Hobbit

2010-09-27T22:43:00.005-05:00

Hobbits enjoy at least seven meals a day, when they can get them – breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner and (later in the evening) supper. I have suddenly become a Hobbit.

I met with Shain, the personal trainer on Friday afternoon. First order of business was getting lots of body measurements to see where my problem areas are (uh, like everywhere?). I got pinched with calipers more places than I care to recall.

Then we sat down to figure out the food plan for the upcoming week. We discussed what foods I like (or at least can stand eating large volumes of). He input all my BMI information into a computer and it spit out a grocery list and daily meal plan. I took one look at the list and said holy-screaming-monkeys batman! I am literally eating elephants now. The shear volume of food is mind blowing.

He's starting me out easy with 4 meals per day, but will increase the frequency to speed up my metabolism over the next month or so. For this week, breakfast at 8:00 a.m. is my protein/tofu shake. Elevenses (at 11:40 a.m.) usually consists of 3 oz of chicken or fish, and a heaping bowl of oatmeal.

Afternoon tea (at 3:20 p.m.) doesn't include any tea. Instead it regularly includes 2 to 3 oz of fish or chicken, 9 oz of rice, 14 oz of broccoli or carrots, 14 oz of salad greens (that's an entire bag-o-salad), 2 apples, AND 1 oz of peanut butter.

Dinner at 7:00 p.m. usually includes 7 oz of fish or chicken, 1 banana, 1 orange, 8 oz of salad greens or broccoli, 8 oz carrots, and 1 oz peanut butter.

Then it starts all over again the next day! YIKES!!! On Sunday I spent no less than 2 and a half hours eating all this stuff. Being hungry is no longer a worry for me. Getting stretch marks from all this food is!

He says it'll get easier eat these large volumes of food. Once it does, he'll work me up to 5 meals per day. This whole thing is so bizarre and goofy that I have to see what happens long-term.

I'm really interested to see where this whole thing goes. I've never eaten like this before. I'm stuffed all the time. But, this mad, mad, mad methodology must work. Shain is eating 6 or 7 times per day in a similar manner, in preparation for a body building competition. He has dropped about 25 lbs in the last couple months doing so. So, it must work. I just hope I survive the mountains of food coming my way.

Tonight we did the first personal training session, with an emphasis on back, abs, and biceps. This will become my new Monday routine. I go back in two days for weekly measurements and to learn my Wednesday weights routine. I'm sore.

This "Hobbit in Training" is still goofin' . . .

Eating the Elephant

2010-09-24T11:51:00.005-05:00

Don't let that Elephant get away from you.

Sometimes things come full circle. I've been thinking a lot about something my old Scoutmaster used to say to us many years ago as I worked for my Eagle. In fact, I posted about it in the early days of JKG.

He used to pose a question that was both silly and profound.

"How do you eat an elephant?"

The answer to the question was, "One bite at a time." You can't do it all in one huge bite. It's impossible. But, if you break it down into a series of small manageable bites and take your time, anything is possible. You just have to stay focused on the little bites and keep going.

I think many of us have been focusing too much on the elephant itself lately, and not at the series of individual bites before us. I know I have, and my Goofy training has suffered for it.

For the Goofy, each run is one of those bites. The more runs I do, the less monumental they seem. Big bites become seemingly smaller bites. The trick is to keep your head down and keep going. Before you know it, the elephant is gone.

I'm focusing on the little bites again. I'm making every training run count. Monday and Thursdays are tempo runs. Wednesdays are speed intervals. Saturdays are long runs.

Today I'm going in for the first session with the personal trainer to figure out the rest of the plan (food, resistance training, etc.). Just so you know, I hate resistance/weight training. But, I'll tackle each of those bites as well.

I'm going to focus on each day and each workout. Each small victory will be another bite at the elephant. As you can see from my previous post, I've targeted an entire heard of elephants. If I think about it all at once, I'll be completely overwhelmed.

If others have got you down regarding your long-term goals. Ignore them. Figure out what the small bites are along the road, and focus on those. Good things will happen.

What are your thoughts? How are you doing with your goals? What do you need to do differently? I'd really like to know.

Still goofin' . . .

Operation: Goofmerica

2010-09-22T00:18:00.005-05:00

2008: A Clean Slate

Earlier today, I found myself thinking about the Wine and Dine Half Marathon. (It's only two weeks away!) Specifically, I was thinking about it in terms of how it seems perfectly normal to prepare for--and run--in these events. It's like breathing. It's just something I do. It wasn't always so.

There was a time I had never run a half or full marathon. It seems so long ago, yet it was only last year that I ran my first half. If you read my blog, you probably already know that my obsession with running started on January 25, 2008, while listening to Episode 50 of the WDW Radio Show. That was my "one little spark" of inspiration.

In 2008, other than with my wife, I trained alone to prepare for the 2009 Walt Disney World Half Marathon. In 2009, I was no longer alone. I started the blog and found like-minded Disney runners online to push me further. The Team Voice community has been an ongoing source of fun and inspiration.

But I digress . . .

I realized I've been at hammering away at this running thing for 33 months. 33 months! It's been that long since I decided to change my lifestyle. I've basically been at a stable weight (between 205 and 215) for the past 24 months. I'm beginning to think that this lifestyle change thing might be taking hold.

That said, I still want to get down to about 170 to 185 lbs to improve my marathon times. But, I've been at a plateau for two years. It's time to change things up a bit to get past this plateau. To that end, I'm going to work with a personal trainer for the next four months as we approach the 2011 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend.

The program is going to include 4 months of weekly measurements, detailed nutrition planning for marathon training, and grocery lists. The personalized and detailed workout program will focus on improving strength and running times.

The most intimidating part of this program will be the 6 personal training sessions to learn the workout regimen. I know the trainer, and I'm scared. We're both leaders in our sons' Cub Scout pack, so we see each other all the time. I'd better keep focused on the training program because there is no hiding from him! Every time I see him at a Den or Pack meeting, I'd better move like I'm banged up from all the training or he'll up the workouts.

The program is a gift from my mom who has watched me struggle with this plateau for two years. I think she has sensed my frustration, even if I didn't fully see it myself. Thanks Mom!

Okay, so where am I going with all of this? One day I would like to qualify for the Boston Marathon with a sub-3 hr 15 min 59 sec finish. That's 1 hour 16 minutes faster than my current marathon PR! I need to get down to those target weights to have any hope of getting a qualifying marathon finish.

But, I digress . . .

So what's the deal with all the graphics in this post? Now that I've completed 4 marathons, I've noticed a sub-set of maniac runners in marathons that are not present in half-marathons. These are the 50-Staters, as in runners who strive to run a marathon in each of the 50 United States before they die.

This used to sound like the bucket-list item from hell, but not so anymore. I'd like to become a 50-Stater one day. It may take me years, but I've already made a start. I am calling my quest Operation: United States of Goofmerica.

As part of Operation: Goofmerica, I plan to mark each state yellow, red, or orange on the map. Yellow indicates states, in which, I've run a half marathon. Red states stand for full marathons. Orange denotes states in which I've run both half and full marathons, at some point in time (not necessarily back-to-back). The colors correspond with the recent lanyard colors for the Donald, Mickey, and Goofy medals.

2009: A good start

In 2009, after 50-weeks of training, I finally entered the world of half and full marathoning in January with the WDW Half Marathon. That race was an unbelievable experience. I was hooked:

2009 Walt Disney World Half Marathon (FL)
2009 Lincoln Marathon (NE)
2009 Disneyland Half Marathon (CA)
2009 Des Moines Marathon (IA)

By the end of the year I marked two states yellow, and two red.

Completed to Date

2010 brought a number of changes to the event map. The year started off with a bang as I completed my first Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge in January.

2010 Walt Disney World Half Marathon (FL)
2010 Walt Disney World Marathon (FL)
2010 Princess Half Marathon (FL)
2010 Flying Pig Marathon (Mostly Ohio, with some Kentucky)
2010 Council Bluffs Half Marathon (IA)
2010 Disneyland Half Marathon (CA)

Not bad, I started turning states orange during my second year of racing.

2010 ain't over yet

If I'm going to become a 50-stater before I kick the bucket, I'd better have a plan and keep moving forward to conquer state after state. All of the goal maps are aspirational in nature and represent that plan on a year-by-year basis.

2010 isn't over yet. As my post last week indicated, I've ruled out the Kansas City Full Marathon due to my current training level. However, I would love an excuse to go to KC for the weekend. For that reason, I've put the Kansas City Half Marathon back on my race list. Before the new year, I want to compete in:

2010 Kansas City Half Marathon (MO)
2010 Route 66 Marathon (OK)

I suppose I'd better register for these races soon. I've already been locked out of races due to capacity issues this year. I don't want that to happen again.

2011

Next year could prove interesting. October will either present a challenge, or a choice. Both the Kansas City and Chicago marathons are in the month of October. For now, my race plan includes both for 2011.

2011 Walt Disney World Half Marathon (FL)
2011 Walt Disney World Marathon (FL)
2011 Little Rock Marathon (AR)
2011 Papillion Half Marathon (NE)
2011 Disneyland Half Marathon (CA)
2011 Chicago Marathon (IL)
2011 Kansas City Marathon (MO)

This race list and map will change multiple times as we approach, and get through, 2011.

2012

Right now, 2012 seems like it's eons away. Then, again, we're only 108 days away from being able to register for the 2012 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. It's time to start planning. Besides the usual runDisney events, I hope 2012 includes the following:

2012 Denver Marathon (CO)
2012 Las Vegas Marathon (NV)

Who knows what the future holds, but one day I hope the Boston Marathon becomes part of my event list. I don't know if it'll ever happen, but I'm going to try. The personal training this fall and winter may provide the focus and knowledge to help me get there.

And the 50-State thing? Well that's just goofy. Perfectly goofy.

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

Disturbing the Peace

2010-09-17T10:37:00.003-05:00

Today I write in response to Jonathan's post from today. Given the sentimental tone at the end of his post, I didn't think it would be appropriate for me to post my immediate thoughts right there on his page.

Jonathan talks about how its been spooky quiet here on the Team Voice blogs; quiet like the Grand Floridian pool. That reminded me of a particular stay at the Grand Floridian in 1989 . . .

Jonathan's right, the Grand Floridian pool can be very quiet and relaxing. Sometimes it's too quiet. But, one fateful afternoon in 1989, that changed for one brief moment. You see, given that the pool is at Walt Disney World, there are lots of children playing in the water. One of those children left a present.

One unlucky resort guest happened upon this little piece of brown floating magic and freaked out.

TU-U-U-U-U-URD!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!

There were suddenly screams of panic throughout the formerly quiet resort pool. Children and parents swam to safety on the pool deck, wrapped themselves in terry cloth towels & bathrobes, and tried to comfort one another. I'm sure some of those people are in counseling to this day.

So, what's the moral of this story?

When things get too quiet, yell TURD in a crowded pool and see what happens. So, who's going to yell TURD on the Team Voice blogs and get the excitement level up again?

We're only 13 days away from the Wine and Dine Half Marathon. There is a definite lack of terror and panic on the blogs? Let's change that. Come on guys!

Alright, I'll do it . . . TURD!!!!!!!!!!

Still goofin' . . .

The Journey

2010-09-17T10:30:00.000-05:00

My wife forwarded this YouTube video of someone else's journey and triumph. I'm not one really for sappy videos, but this one is pretty cool. Check it out.

Goofy. Not Stupid.

2010-09-15T21:39:00.012-05:00

You know, I may be Goofy but I'm not Stupid. I think, for once, I proved that tonight.

After several days of attempting to get in a long 19-mile run, I finally got my chance tonight after work. Tornado watches and severe thunderstorm warnings scuttled my long run plans on Monday. Last night I was in the office until about 10:30 p.m. Tonight the planets aligned, so I hit the Wabash.

This was my first run with my new 2-liter Camelbak. I have to say, I like it a lot. It took a bit of getting used to carrying 5 lbs of water on my back at the beginning, but as I regularly sipped water along the run it got lighter. Another bonus, the backpack has a pocket for keys and cell phone.

Tonight was a test run for the Kansas City Marathon, which is one month away. During the run it became clear that I am not ready for that race. Furthermore, there is no way I'll be ready for the race in a month. Sure, I could still run it, but my pace and finish time would be awful.

If I sign up for a race I want to do well, not merely survive the event. It would be stupid for me to attempt the Kansas City Marathon given my current level of training. Remember, Goofy not stupid.

At mile 12 of my planned 19 miles, I became acutely aware of a strong ozone smell in the air. I looked behind me and saw a nasty thunderstorm rolling in. Within seconds I was surrounded by lightning. Curiously, there was no thunder. I knew my run would become a swim within minutes. I was 20 miles from home and 7 miles from my truck. Time to call in a rescue. So, I reached into my handy dandy new Camelbak and got my cell phone. Help me Krystal, help me! Again, Goofy not stupid.

Being a fantastic wife, Krystal drove out to get me and drive me to my truck. I think I'll keep her another week.

Alright, so what did today's realization do for my upcoming race schedule? The Kansas City Marathon is out. There is just not enough time to train properly. Good thing I didn't plunk down money on the race registration.

Sooooo . . . . now what?

I am focusing on the Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This marathon is held the Sunday immediately before Thanksgiving. That gives me a little over two months to focus and get ready. That, I can do.

This weekend I'm going to design my training schedule for the Route 66 Marathon. Then I'm going to execute on that plan and focus on this race like no other.

This event has had some great medals over the years. Last year it looked like a 1950's hood ornament. I still lament that I didn't do this race last year. That would have been an awesome medal for my collection.

This year's medal, pictured above, is also cool. (Though maybe not as iconic as last year's.) The 2010 medal has a spinner feature that mimics a wheel in motion. See here. This makes the medal very unique and worth pursuing.

Time to train and get my kicks on Route 66!

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

History of the Mickey Medal

2010-09-15T00:23:00.013-05:00

The Walt Disney World Full Marathon Mickey Medal has been one of the most coveted medals in Disney running circles since the first WDW Marathon in 1994. Like the mouse himself, the medal has gone through many changes throughout the years.

About the time they unveiled the new 2011 Mickey Medal design, I became curious about its various designs through the years. So, I took a look online to check them all out. To my chagrin, there was no photo collection of all these medals together online . . . until now. And even now, the photo collection is incomplete.

Without further delay, let's take a look at how the Mickey Medal has evolved since 1994.

1994

The Mickey Medal had its humble beginnings at the inaugural Walt Disney World Marathon in January 1994. By today's marathon medal standards, it is extremely basic. But, I'm sure it was quite elaborate in its day.

1995

The second running of the Walt Disney Marathon introduced the classic tri-circle Mickey Mouse shape to the medal. This medal bears a striking resemblance to the one-and-only Disneyland full marathon medal that same year. It make you wonder how Disney medal design would have evolved had there been more Disneyland full marathons after 1995.

If both WDW and Disneyland used similar Mickey Medals for their full marathons, what would the different coasts have used for their half marathons? Would both WDW and Disneyland use Donald as the mascot for half marathon? Or would Disneyland still have used the castle instead of Donald as the design inspiration? These are the kinds of "what if" design questions that drive me crazy.

1996

In all my hours of online searching, I could find no trace of the 1996 Mickey Medal design. If I were to guess, I'd say they reused the 1995 design. If you look at the 5th Anniversary 1998 Mickey Medal below, you'll see that the overall design did not change much between 1995 and 1998. The shape and dull brass patina was a common design choice for all the medals I've found pre-1999.

Pictures WANTED. Please, if you find a photo of the 1996 medal, forward it to me.

1997

Like the 1996 medal, I could find no visual record online regarding the 1997 Mickey Medal design. Again, I believe it was derivative of the 1995 design. If you can find a verified picture of the 1997 medal, I WANT IT.

1998

I love this medal. It has a great classic design. You can't beat the dark patina of these early medals. They look dignified and important.

It's fun to look at this 5th Anniversary design as compared to the 5th Anniversary Goofy and Disneyland Half Medals awarded this year. Medal design has become much more whimsical over the last 12 years!

1999

In 1999, the Mickey Medal continued with its tri-circle shape, but the patina changed from a dark brassy look to a shiny gold. The shiny gold finish has continued to this day.

2000

The Mickey Medal carried over its design from last year to 2000. It is differentiated only by the lanyard which stated the year and date. This photo is from the Disney Deads running club website.

2001

Like the year prior, the 2001 medal was identical to the 1999 design. It was differentiated only by the lanyard. Again, I found this photo on the Disney Deads website.

2002

This year, the Mickey Medal design introduced the dangly year plate. No longer were the medals identical from year to year. The dangly plate differentiated them on sight.

2003

The 10th Anniversary Walt Disney World Marathon medal is absolutely beautiful. It retained the classic tri-circle design. However, instead of the basic texturing, the medal had design elements from all four theme parks embossed within the circles.

2004

The 2004 Mickey Medal brought back the 2002 design, complete with the dangly year plate. As you can see below, this basic design was used every year until 2007.

2005

2006

2007

2008

The 15th Anniversary Walt Disney World medal is one-of-a-kind in the series. For one year only, the medal did away with the shiny brass and introduced a full color design to commemorate this milestone.

2009

2009 introduced a new Mickey Medal design. This medal was introduced alongside a new Donald Medal. Together, with the Goofy medal design introduced in 2008, the Walt Disney World Marathon medals now had a unified style across the board.

Seen together, there was no mistaking that these three medals were from the same event. To date, 2009 is the only year that this style of Mickey, Donald, and Goofy medals were all awarded together.

2010

The 2009 Mickey Medal carried over to the next year, with a 2010 year plate below. Finally, a Mickey Medal I earned!

2011

Last, but not least, we arrive at the 2011 Mickey Medal. In early June, Disney put three designs up for vote. On July 29, 2010, they announced the winner. The winning design was on display at the Disneyland Half Marathon Expo. I'm sure it will be on display at the Wine and Dine Half Marathon Expo as well.

It'll be interesting to see how the Mickey Medal continues to change in the years to come. I plan to snag a few more.

Still goofin' . . .

Fun and Frivolity

2010-09-13T11:05:00.005-05:00

I ran across this pic from the finish area of the 2009 Disneyland Half Marathon and realized I have never posted it on the blog. I've got some fun ones from 2010 as well and will be posting them here soon.

To tide you over, here is a pic from the 2010 Disneyland Half. These four guys ran the entire race in formation so their shirts spelled B E E R the entire way. The back of their shirts had funny phrases such as "Longest Beer Run Ever!" I think I saw these guys in 2009 too, but didn't see the front of their shirts.

Anyway, I'm getting focussed on my upcoming events. Sure I've got the Wine and Dine Half Marathon in a few weeks, but the biggest thing on the horizon is the Kansas City Marathon in October. I haven't registered yet, but will soon. In preparation, I plan on running an 18-miler tonight after work. Wish me luck.

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

2010 Disneyland Half Marathon Race Report

2010-09-08T23:34:00.010-05:00

Before I get too far removed from the 2010 Disneyland Half Marathon I thought I'd better get a race report posted. It's now or never . . .

This trip we stayed with my sister and her new husband in Santa Ana, about 15 to 20 minutes down the I-5 from Disneyland. The night before we ate at the Old Spaghetti Factory at Newport Beach. This was a great place to carb load the night before a race. Despite our best efforts to turn in early, I didn't finish setting out all my gear and pinning on my race bib until about midnight.

We got up bright and early at 3:30 am to head out to Disneyland. We arrived at the Mickey and Friends Parking Garage at about 4:15 am, only to be greeted by an insane traffic jam inside the garage. For some reason, cars were not getting through the booths quickly. Just imagine thousands of Type-A personality runners biting at the bit to get to the starting line. It was madness. People were getting out and standing up on their cars to see what the holdup was. It was a very tense situation for a while. Finally we parked in the Mickey section and walked to the pre-race area.

We met up with Savitre and Kobfa by the DJ stage and wished each other good luck in the race. I was off to Corral B. Savitre to Corral F. My brother, Jordan, was off to Corral D. The corral configuration was different this year. Instead of being a T-shape, all the corrals were laid out in a straight line from A to G. This proved to be much easer to navigate.

As I made my way to Corral B I happened to see Amanda in Corral C. Both of us were apprehensive about the race due to relative lack of training for both of us. We wished each other luck and I took my spot in Corral B.

As the start time approached, I recognized a familiar runner take her place in the corral. It was Starshine, the 2 hr pacer I followed to victory in 2009. She was again the 2 hr pacer for this year.

At 5:58 am the wheelchair division took off. At 6 am Corral A was released. At 6:05 a.m. Corral B was released. As before, we were at a flat-out run long before we reached the start line. I crossed the start line at exactly the same time as Starshine.

The 2-hr gaggle immediately formed up around Starshine. I decided to stay out ahead of the group this time to avoid the sharp elbows and overcrowding inside Disneyland I experienced last year. This was a good call. As long as I stayed ahead of the 2-hr pacer, I had an open field around me in the parks. It was a much more relaxing run.

The route through the parks was much better this year. At DCA, we ran around Paradise Pier. In the lagoon they had the World of Color fountains dancing. The route then went through the Golden State area of the park right past Grizzly River Rapids. It was a much more picturesque route through the park.

At Disneyland the route was quite different from last year. This year we went down Main Street U.S.A., into Frontierland around Big Thunder Mountain, into Fantasyland and through Sleeping Beauty Castle, then through Tommorrowland past the Submarines, around the west side of the Matterhorn, then exited the park along the parade route at Small World.

Backstage, the route took us past the train and monorail roundhouse (they had a train completely torn down to the boiler--COOL!). Then west along the back of Toon Town and the Rivers of America. The horse stables are much bigger in person than they seem on Google Earth.

Once we left Disneyland, the route was almost exactly like 2009. The one exception was a parking lot next to the Honda Center. Last year we ran around the perimeter of the lot. This year we cut directly across the lot, felt like cheating.

Last year, I felt that the highlight of the course was Angels Stadium. It was no different this year. There were about 3,000 Scouts in and around the stadium cheering runners on. I got a huge boost from the crowd here.

I was ranging between a 9 min and 9:15 min pace until about Mile 11. At that point I started to lose steam. This was about the time that I heard what sounded like Squirt from Finding Nemo barking orders just as Marlin and Dory were to exit the EAC. It was a high pitched and bubbly voice that broke through the noise of my iPod. This seemed all-too familiar.

I took a look. It was Starshine, the 2-hour pacer. I had forgotten that she didn't stop talking the entire race in 2009. She was doing the same thing this year.

Okay, Mile 11. Lost steam. My pace slowed to 9:30, and finally 10:00 minutes/mile at the last mile. My mind was ready, my body just didn't want to keep the pace up. This was where my lack of training in August came to bite me. I watched the 2-hour pace group pass me at Mile 11 and eventually disappear completely into the distance at about 12.6 miles.

Even though my body started to give out at this point, I finished strong. I was not going to put in an insanely strong finish like last year. This time I was just going to maintain my pace and cruise across the finish line.

My finish time was 2 hours 1 minute and 34 seconds. Not quite the sub 2-hour finish I wanted, but good enough. I had feared I would finish closer to 2 and a half hours prior to race start, so not bad at all. I'll just have to save that PR for next time. As always, Disney puts on the best races. This one was no exception.

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .

small tradition time

2010-09-05T00:20:00.003-05:00

Time for my pre-race tradition of laying out my gear and taking a picture of it. I'm breaking one of my unofficial race rules by wearing the tech shirt from the race itself. I usually wear shirts from previous races, but I like this one so much I'm ditching my other shirts for tomorrow.

I LOVE this tech shirt!

What about Bob?

2010-09-04T23:57:00.005-05:00

Hanging out with Bob Iger, CEO of the Walt Disney Company

Tomorrow we run the 2010 Disneyland Half Marathon. What did we do today? Well, we hung out with some friends at Disney California Adventure.

First, we ran into Savitre (aka Funny Girl) at Grizzly River Run. We went from ride to ride for a couple hours, also taking in Mickey's Fun Wheel, California Screamin', and the Tower of Terror. At California Screamin' we met up with Bob.

At the California Screamin' launch, we were ready to rocket down the track and up the first incline. Our train paused for about 20 to 30 seconds before launch. I noticed a gentleman in a black polo shirt with a digital camera waiting to take a picture of somebody on the coaster as they were about to take off. I immediately recognized him and gave him a thumbs up just as we took off.

After the ride we went over to the coaster launch viewing area. Bob was still there with a Disney Ambassador and another cast member. He was in the park with his son enjoying a Saturday afternoon.

I was hesitant to bother him, to say the least. But, Savitre being Savitre went right up and introduced herself to him, then pointed back to me and said I wanted my picture taken with him. Group picture time.

He was very nice and approachable; and took the time to make us feel like we were important guests in the park. It was a very nice magical moment from none other than the Disney CEO himself.

Now its time to get some sleep. I've got some running to do in the morning.

Still goofin' . . .

Disneyland Half Marathon Medal

2010-08-30T14:13:00.003-05:00

Maybe the newly released photo of the 5th Anniversary Disneyland Half Marathon medal will help me focus before the race . . .

August: The Lost Month

2010-08-30T08:40:00.005-05:00

The phrase "Main Street Awaits" echos in my mind right now. A nightmarish version of the Fortuosity slowly plays from an off-key calliope somewhere in the distance. This is the state of my mind just before the 2010 Disneyland Half Marathon.

Obviously, this is not where I want to be just 3 days, 15 hours before the start of the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend.

August has been a great month, but a disaster on the training front. The month started out with Ethan's 8th Birthday party, which went quite well. Then it was a week of working around the clock so I could go on vacation for a week. No time for training.

Then we had one of the best vacations ever. My sister, who lives in California, got married. Now, because of her prenup dinner, I have a new all-time favorite Disney restaurant: Napa Rose. Absolutely amazing.

We stayed in California for about 8 days, 5 of which were spent in the parks. It was awesome, but no energy left for training. (But lots of time for eating.)

When we got back, it was another week of working extremely long hours trying to get caught up from being on vacation. In my line of work, you never get a day off. You just get to make up every minute of it when you get back. No time for training immediately after returning.

When I was ready to hit the trail and run . . . roadblock. I screwed up my back again. Out for another week.

It's only been in the last week that I've been able to start training again. I have Mike Scopa's words ringing in the back of my mind "Training for a marathon is a marathon in itself, not a sprint."

I got a half marathon training run in this Saturday and a few shorter 10K runs in before that. Boy, is my pace off. I may have to settle for just having fun at the Disneyland Half Marathon and not worry about setting any personal land speed records this time.

The calliope is still playing in my mind, taunting me with the lost month of training.

I'm a wreck, but still trying to eek out a Goof or two . . .

A better look . . .

2010-08-04T19:44:00.003-05:00

Want a better look at the Wine and Dine Half Marathon and Half Marathon Relay Medals? These pics were released on the Disney Parks blog today. The medals are pretty cool!

Goofy Clip of the Day: Virtual Finish Line

2010-07-31T07:00:00.000-05:00

Wine and Dine Half Medals Unveiled

2010-07-31T00:03:00.002-05:00

Disney unveiled the Wine and Dine Half Marathon and Half Marathon Relay medals tonight. Pretty cool! I like the whole Spaceship Earth motif.

I'll be getting the relay version. Looks like a great addition to the medals collection.

Still goofin' . . .

And the winner is . . .

2010-07-29T10:42:00.003-05:00

Voting for the 2011 Walt Disney World Marathon Medal ended last night. The medal design above has been announced the winner.

Goofy Clip of the Day: Don't Do This!

2010-07-22T07:00:00.001-05:00

Goofy Clip of the Day: Darth Oops

2010-07-21T07:00:00.001-05:00

Wine and Dine Half Marathon FULL

2010-07-20T14:50:00.003-05:00

The Inaugural Wine & Dine Half Marathon reached capacity on July 16, 2010. Uhh, I guess I really don't have anything else to add . . .

Keep goofin' . . .

Goofy Clip of the Day: 101

2010-07-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

Goofy Clip of the Day: REALLY Off Kilter

2010-07-19T07:00:00.001-05:00

Gotta be careful when you drink around the world at Epcot. You could end up being "that guy" by the time you reach Canada.

Goofy Clip of the Day: Hong Kong Summer

2010-07-18T07:00:00.001-05:00

Happy 55th Disneyland!

2010-07-17T11:47:00.002-05:00

It's that day of the year again, July 17. That means Disneyland officially turns one year older today.

If I haven't said it before, I LOVE Disneyland. As a total resort, Walt Disney World is the better vacation destination, but Disneyland as a theme park is something really special. Of all the Disney theme parks, the original Disneyland is my favorite. I can't wait to get back there again.

Happy 55th Disneyland!

Goofy Clip of the Day: Gymnastics

2010-07-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

Goofy Clip of the Day: Blond Pregnancy Test

2010-07-16T07:00:00.001-05:00

Is this going to result in a product defect press conference too?

8 Mile

2010-07-15T23:42:00.004-05:00

This has absolutely nothing to do with tonight's post.

Just a quick run report for tonight. The wife and kids were out of the house all evening. I had a long day and it was hot outside, so I took a nap when I got home, of course. Before I knew it, it was an hour and a half later and I was going to lose daylight.

So, off to the Wabash for an 8-mile run. The 8 miles included a 2.5K penalty distance for my run getting cut short yesterday. As suggested by Mike, I ran as fast as I could in the middle of the run. Over the course of a mile I maintained an 8:30 pace. The rest of the run was at about 9:45 pace.

It was taco night out on the Wabash tonight. Hundreds of cyclists bike from Council Bluffs to Mineola for taco night every Thursday. Lots of tacos and beer. It's wise for runners to stay clear of that portion of the trail once they get all drunked up. So, I headed south toward Silver City to do an out-and-back. There were a few bikers down that direction, but all the morons usually stop at Mineola. Only the courteous bikers venture beyond the tacos and beer.

In all, it was a pleasant run. I didn't feel like a drowned cat once I got done like last night.

Still goofin' . . .

Goofy Clip of the Day: Skipper Dan

2010-07-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

Runnin' in the Rain

2010-07-14T20:44:00.005-05:00

Day one of the Team Voice buddy system here has gone well. Matt texted me about an hour ago to verify that he finished his promised 4-mile run today. Way to go!

I threatened to introduce him to the "penalty run" if he missed today's run. I'll have to save that threat for another day.

So, how did I do on my promised training run for today? First off, I told Matt I'd do a 10K today. I gave it my best, but monsoon-like conditions cut me off at 7.5K (4.68 miles).

When I started out, there were some ominous clouds off in the west. Any sane person would have stayed inside. So, of course, out I went for a little run.

However, 2.38 miles up the road, I ran smack-dab into the oncoming storm. Up to that point, it was muggy with no wind and a heat index of 109 degrees. Then suddenly, the winds kicked up and blew all sorts of dust in my eyes. The temperature dropped sharply. It finally cooled off today, in a hurry. Time to turn around.

The trip back was interesting. At first the wind was at my back, then the rain began. The rain started out light, then not so much. It rained . . . and rained . . . and rained . . . and when the rains stopped the seas were born. Goofy karma to the first person to correctly identify the origin of the previous line.

I had two people stop their vehicles to see if I wanted a ride back into town. Is it weird to run along a highway in the pouring rain? I appreciate the concern guys! Thanks.

By the time I got home, it was full-on monsoon. I haven't run in rain that heavy since the beginning of the Flying Pig Marathon. The last half mile had some pretty spectacular lightning and thunder. I'm glad I got in when I did.

On the bright side, I don't think I need to wash my running clothes for tomorrow. They were thoroughly rinsed on tonight's run.

Conditions permitting, I'm going for another 10K tomorrow, plus a 2.5K penalty for tonight's mileage shortfall.

Until next time, just keep goofin' . . .