Carlsbad Marathon

There are many firsts in your life that are memorable. Whether they are happy moments or sad moments, the fact is you will never forget them. Last weekend I completed my first marathon in Carlsbad, and it was full of both happy and sad moments - with a lot of pain to make things interesting.

Race time was 6am, so the morning started early. The alarm went off at 4am, followed by a quick breakfast, and a 45 min drive from Temecula to Carlsbad. It was still dark when the race started, and the weather was a brisk 50ish. Fortunately the moon was a couple days past full, which made for some beautiful early morning running next to the ocean.

My plan for the race was to start slow, and walk every 3 miles to conserve the legs. The plan was going well for the first half of the race. There were a few additional walking breaks between miles 6-9 because of the 3 mile hill up Palomar Airport Rd away from the ocean. As I passed the half point, and reconnected with the ocean, my legs were starting to really hurt. From mile 13-18 we continued south along the ocean, turned around at mile 18 and ran the last 8 miles north up PCH back into Carlsbad. My mind and body went through a lot of battles those last 8 miles after the turn around point.

My goal was to finish the race in 4 hrs 30 minutes. After about mile 13, the time goal changed to 4:45. At mile 18 the time goal changed to 5 hrs. And at mile 22 the goal changed to just finishing. Well at 5 hrs and 15 min I crossed the finish line. It was certainly bittersweet; happy I finished and completed one of my life long goals, sad that I performed so badly.

It was a first I will always remember, and am grateful I had the strength to finish. I now have some memories that will drive me to improve my time for the next marathon. I got a colossal ass kicking in Carlsbad, and I know the next marathon will kick my ass as well - although next time I'm gonna do a little ass kicking myself.

Strength Training

Training this week was slightly reduced due to the fact I was running the Carlsbad Marathon on the weekend.

The first training session started with the typical warm up routine and then started off with a challenge - The 100 Burpee Challenge. How fast can you do 100 burpees, a full body workout with a blast of cardio. I had completed this challenge 2x previously and my best time was 7min 35sec. Unfortunatly I wasn't at my best and finished in 8min 30sec. After the challenge we went through a light circuit of front Squats, dead lifts, wheel rollouts, and bench presses.

The second session of the week consisted of 5 rounds of the following:
15 dumbell swings - started and 35lbs and ended with 40lbs
200m run
20 sit ups
15 dumbell rows with 20lb weights each hand
10 Bar Thrusts - Thrust the bar overhead from the shoulder positon

The workout finished with a 40 meter run holding a 45lbs weight overyour head - a definite burner.

Get Up!

The following paragraph was written by an unknown author and is quite fitting in times of adversity. "Get Up!"

It has been said that your success is insured when you're willing to get up at least one more time than you get knocked down. Hey, we all get knocked around. Like it or not, it's just a part of everyday life. No one, not the most or least talented among us, are exempt from the trials and tribulations of day to day living. But it's how we respond to these temporary setbacks that will in large measure determine how far we go and how high we fly in life.

When life deals you a crushing blow, you must condition yourself to quickly pick yourself up off the canvas and get back into the game. Winners always do. They realize that it's OK to get knocked down and that it's perfectly normal to feel saddened hurt or disappointed about being knocked down. Let’s face it, nobody likes to lose or encounter difficulty. But the winners also recognize that the getting up part is ninety percent of overcoming any adversity placed in their paths.

Don't worry about getting knocked down. Since it's going to happen regardless of whether we like it or not, especially when we're passionately and enthusiastically chasing our dreams, we should vow to keep getting up each and every time. Laying there, moping and feeling sorry for ourselves, isn't going to get us to the winners circle.

Never lose sight of the fact that you were placed here for a reason. There is a song in you that desperately needs to be sung. There are just too many good times, good things, and great people out there to enjoy to ever allow a temporary setback to hold you down or hold you back. When you vow to get up every time you get knocked down, you're well on your way to living the life others only dream about.

“Do not fear the winds of adversity. Remember: A kite rises against the wind rather than with it.”

Weekly Strength Training

Every week I work out 2 times with a friend who is a very knowledgeable fitness expert. He has put me through some rediculous workouts, and I though it might be cool to share. Some of the names of his challenges are "Lots of 50's" "Work Capacity 101" "Griff" "Core 500".... just to name a few. Probably one of the hardest ones I completed was the Burpee-Broad Jump half mile: a burpee finished with a braod jump two times around a track. The crazy part is that he did a Burpee-Broad Jump MILE, four times around a track.

Every workout starts with 10 minutes of jump rope, followed by 10 minutes of various bodyweight exercises, which may or may not include the following: squats, push ups, dips, pull ups, sit ups, hand stand push ups, and tires hops.

MONDAY WORKOUT 
Jog 3 miles - 30 minutes
Main workout consisted of a challenge where we ran through a deck of cards. Exercises and reps were based on the cards.
Clubs = Burpees
Diamonds = Push ups
Hearts = Turkish Get Ups
Spades = Mountain Climbers

2-10 on the cards was equal to the number of reps and
Jack = 8 reps
Queen = 9 reps
King = 10 reps
Ace = 11 reps
Joker = 20 reps of a core exercise

After 52 cards and about 30 minutes later, I was spent. Not sure what the final numbers were, but I guesstimated a hundred of each: 100 Burpees, 100 Push Ups, 100 Moutain Climbers, and 100 Turkish Get Ups w/ 10lb weight.

WEDNESDAY WORKOUT
Jog 3 miles - 30 minutes
Mostly a lower body workout: 4 rounds of the following.
12 Deadlifts with 100lbs (speed and explosive)
400m run
15 Med Ball Slams (15lb ball)
20 Mason Twists w/ 10lb weight
10 Tire Hops (36")

Finished with a round heavy deadlifts - I maxed at 231lbs = 150% my body weight.

2010 Last Run

I went for my last run of the year Friday Dec 31, and used it as a time to reflect and give thanks over the past 12 months. I was grateful to have sunshine and blue sky; since this has been a long, cold wet month here in So Cal.

There were many things to be grateful for as 2010 came to a close. As I let my mind wander during the run, here are a few things that came to mind:

- My IPod, exercise and music are pretty dang good to flush the brain

- My job, which helps me support my exercise addiction

- Coffee, the natural eye opener

- Foam Rollers, because I can't afford regular massages (or any messages.........)

- Blogs, it's nice to read about other ordinary people doing the same thing

- Triathlon Transition Areas, where I have met the nicest and most positive people I know

- Free Tech Shirts at races, great workout appareal

- Wetsuits, the added bouyancy has greatly helped my confidence in the swim

- Porta Potties with hand sanitizer

- Races that you can pick up your race packet the moring of the race

- My Mountain Bike, nice to ride on trails rather than asphalt a few times a month

- Grocery Stores that let you grind your own Almond Butter

- Self Serve Frozen Yogurt

- Curtious drivers during bike rides

- And I am grateful for my health, being able to race and enjoy exercise at 40+ is an amazing experince.  Hope it continues for 40 more years.