Wednesday's Why?????

This is meant for all of you in Blogland. Why are all of you such Great people? Please keep your answers to less than 2500 characters. Have a great New Year's everyone.

Post-Partay Depression

Wasn't that a par-tay? Could have been the three or four six-packs, I don't know..........

Why do I do it to myself? I had a great time with my friends and family and paid the price big time.

The lampshades were still attached to the lamps, so I didn't get too crazy (I think).

It takes me two days to recover from a party now. Sunday was a day of rest and it carried over into Monday! Take God for going to work.

Yea, Global Warming

Okay it sucks to be him but I ran in shorts this morning!

That's right shorts in Michigan on December 27, 2008...

So now we have to be concerned with all of this white crap melting and flooding the entire state.

Sandy and I are having our annual Open House for some of our running amigos.

It's a great time to exchange some stories from the past year and make plans for 2009.

Time to put another shrimp on the barbie.

Post Christmas Stuff

A belated Merry Christmas to everyone.

Santa came and went and the bank account is still positive. We didn't do a lot of spending this year, just like a bunch of people.

Sandy got a new Garmin, so now she can trash her flaky old 201.

We took it out for an inaugural run on Christmas and encountered tons of ice. The sun was out so we didn't care about the walk breaks.

I'm enjoying the time away from work and spending it with family and friends.

So needless to say, I'll be partaking in a few adult BEvERages.

Enjoy.............

It's getting Hot in Here........NOT!

Okay it's officially winter, so now I can't complain about this crappy weather.

The temps are just getting into the teens, so the snow isn't going anywhere anytime soon. It's so cold that road salt doesn't even work on the snow and ice.

I'm almost done with all of my shopping, with two days to go......

Extreme class is starting to get a little stale, so I need something to jump start my strength training.

I'll probably add another spinning class and venture outdoors sometimes in April!

Okay, time to watch the Packers kick some Bear butt!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow......

We got slammed with a wintry mix on Friday and it made for a rough commute for the area.

Nine inches of the white stuff, so we're assured of having a white Christmas in the high-five state!

Fortunately our Team in Training group run takes place in a Metropark where they plow the path we run on.

It will probably be an inside weekend for this blogger.

WTF?

This is what I walked into for my morning mentoring session. That's right, I'm sure each of you out there is familiar with congruent angles.

I signed up for literacy and comprehension and the little math wiz of a student needs assistance in this $hit!

I tried to dance my way out of it, '...let's find an example in your textbook'.

That didn't work since he didn't have his textbook. Next it was, 'you try and figure it out and explain to me how you cam e to that conclusion'.... That didn't go over well either, since he was looking to me for guidance.

I couldn't just say, 'let's Google it and see what we get'!

So now I have to be ready for whatever my little mentee has up his sleeve!

Wednesday's Why?????

Why is anybody that drives slower than you is an idiot, and anyone that goes faster than you is a moron?

Snow Days?????

Is it just me or does the media blow the weather out of proportion?

I have co-workers talking about a snow day for tomorrow! When did three plus inches of snow become a snow day?

I've already had a TNT meeting canceled for tonight and it hasn't even started snowing yet.

I remember walking to school uphill without boots in three feet of snow and now I can't drive to work in three inches?

Random Stuff

I need to add more widgets and other crap to my blog. I just looked at it and it is soooooooooooooooo boring and drab.

I'll make an attempt to put more bells and whistles on it to make up for the boring post.

Did you happen to see 'Marathon Love' on the Discovery Health channel? It was really inspiring to see him go through the training and actual races with and for his wife. It made Sandy tear up a little!

The weekend wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I was able to refrain from doing my drunken sailor impression and actually got out and ran a few miles Sunday morning.

We're expecting some wind and colder temps, so the running will really start to be fun!

Holiday Booty Buster Challenge

Like I need something else on my plate, but I'm all in. I accumulated nineteen points in the Booty Buster Challenge.

If and when I get out and run on a regular basis, I should be able to increase my point totals.

The Hills are Alive

It was another glorious Saturday morning, with the temperature at 18 degrees and a slight winds that made it feel like 8!!!!

I can't understand why more people aren't out running? Well my core runners made it bright and early at 8:00 AM. So as a surprise for their loyal attendance, I added hills into their long run.

The team is definitely coming together as a group. They're pairing off with each other and finding a pace that is comfortable for them. I love this part of the training when they surprise themselves each week.

Just think, only four more months of this great Michigan weather.....

One more holiday partay tonight. It's the sub-division party, so I'll probably be hurting in the morning.

184!

I was shooting for 200 push-ups but fell a little short. Sixteen little push-ups!

I did raise $135 for our Adopt-a-Family program, so I'm happy for that.

Old & Tired

The title of this post says it all! I had a 6:30 AM spinning class that was really good and got my day started in the right direction.

I love sweating and feeling like I've completed something before my work day starts. I'm trying to keep up with Superwoman Runner Leana.

This is also an EXTREME day, so my lunchtime activities consisted of the following:

20 Squat Jumps
20 One-armed Dumbbell swings
20 Triceps Dips
20 Burpees

We did this for five rounds and finished with some ab work.

Needless to say, by the time I got home and devoured dinner this old body was done!

Stick a fork in me, DONE!

All of this to spend those last extra days in the Nursing Home..............

Wednesday's Why?????

Why is it that when I let my Runner's world subscription expire, they have great articles? Was it just me or was anyone else tired of reading about how to run in the heat of summer or the cold of winter?

But now as I peruse a monthly issue, I intrigued by all of the articles.

So now I'll subscribe once again and get my free complimentary running log.

Am I a sucker or what?

I think I had a Good Time???????

Weekend recap-

Saturday's TNT group training run was in some of the worst weather that we've experience in a few years. My team surprised the heck out of me just by showing up. One participant drove over an hour to get to the park. We had snow, wind and cold.

Even the more experienced runners would have had second thoughts about running outside.

I'm always looking for alumni or mentors to help when the groups break up due to different paces. Well this time I had an alumni that is also an Ultra-marathoner take the lead group. Let's just say that they went a little further than planned.

We didn't lose anyone, so that makes for a good day of training.

We had two holiday parties to attend, which means a lot of BEvERage consumption for me. Needless to say, I've been worthless for the past two days!

Why can't I partay like I used to?

There are no pictures of me dancing on tables and most of Sandy is still talking to me, so I must have been a proper gentleman! HA...............

Okay, our strange weather continues. I'm heading out int eh rain for a quick lunchtime run.

Social Butterfly

December is the only month when our social calendar becomes unmanageable!

You would think we were lepers the other eleven months, with plenty of open weekends.

We'll start our month-long holiday celebration tomorrow with two parties to attend. In my younger days, it wasn't uncommon to leave one party in search of a better, cooler party on the other side of the world. We didn't mind driving and we could always come back to the first party.

Now that I wiser, we plot out courses to ensure that we're optimizing our time and efforts.

So I'll probably have a few more post this month describing hte unbearable pounding in my head from one too many BEvERage.

Let the games begin!

Motivational Stuff

It's this kind of stuff that makes me think I can do anything, except an Ironman.

Me Nervous????

Why am I nervous about meeting the student that I'll be mentoring this semester?

I'm talking about a middle school student...

Why am I worried that I won't have all of the answers to his math?

I loved math when I was in school. I occasionally use it when I running (now what mile follows number three?).

I hope this kid doesn't come with a lot of questions, I don't want to be too stupid on our initial meeting...

How do you teachers do this?

Wednesday's Why?????

Why do we run in this season?

I'm reading a lot about people not being motivated to get out of the door and brave the elements during the dark and cold days/nights of winter.

I can actually remember when I took the months of December and January off from running completely! It just didn't seem like a sane thing to do during those months. I would always regret it when the spring races began and I wasn't in shape.

But what drives us to get out in that dark abyss and risk injury from slipping on ice?

What motivates you to check for wind chill temperatures and risk hypothermia?

Why not just sit on your a$$ and enjoy the warm comforts of home? Most of the creatures that remain in these God forsaken regions hibernate during this period. Why aren't we that smart?

December Already?

Remember that list of things we were going to get done before the end of the year?

How about that 100 push-up challenge so many of you were gung-ho about?

I'm sure that a lot of you accomplished most of the things on your annual to-do list but not this guy.

I haven't read the twelve books that I promised myself to do.
I haven't been keeping up my weekly mileage like I said I would.
I haven't stop procrastinating as much as I told myself I should.
I haven't been getting the proper nutrition that I promised myself in February.
I haven't started my Christmas shopping and it's December!

Okay, I hope that you get the idea that this happens to me each year about this same time, imagine that!

But I have accomplished a great deal this year that I thankful for and I'll continue to chip away at that almighty list of 'I haven't'.

EXTREME class was brutal after an extended time away from work. We performed five rounds of 20 reps of the following:

Squats with shoulder press
Army drag across the gym floor (push-up position just using your arms and dragging your feet)
Plank up/down

I never realized how much you use your core muscles to do this crap, OUCH!

Holiday Hangover

I have a love/hate relationship with the beginning of the holiday season. I love the fact that the holidays are about family and friend. I hate that the year is coming to an end and winter is getting ready to bear down on us.

Thanksgiving was great and I had a blast at our local Turkey Trot. We had over 10,000 participants and I swear I saw every one of them as I stood at the one mile split freezing!

To top it off Sandy and I were able to get ten cases of Clif Shots that were leftover! We crammed the car until we couldn't get any more in. We'll give them out at the TNT trainings as an alternate to the gels.

No shopping or early rising for me this weekend, although my runs were less than desired. Running with a real hangover isn't recommended, so heed my advice.

This weekend will also be the traditional decorating of the house, so bring out the lights and the ladder.

Okay, time to get more of my football fix.

Have a great remainder of the Thanksgiving weekend.....

RAK

Random act of kindness. Typically I try to give everyone I encounter a smile, especially if I don't know them. I'm the guy that will say hello to you as we cross paths.

I think in some small way I might brighten someones day. That's my story and I;m sticking to it.

Well today was packet pickup for our local Thanksgiving day Turkey Trot and one of my co-workers (pregnant) was picking up packets for her husband and a friend. It's probably a 1/2 mile walk from walk and I knew it would be a little tough for her. So I volunteered to pickup her packets. The look of astonishment on her face was as if she had won the lottery.

I was glad to do a small gesture to help out another person.

So get out and perform a RAK!

Happy Thanksgiving.

Push It

Once again I let my ego and competitive juices get me involved in another charitable event.

Four years ago it was a challenge to ride 300 miles in three days for Make-A-Wish and now it's a regular part of my summer.

This time I've been charged with my workplace Push-up Challenge!

I'll be the representative for my department to perform as many push-ups in a ten minute span. For each push-up my co-workers are donating their hard earned money. The proceeds will go to our company Adopt-A-Family program for the holidays.

It appears that the going rate in ten cent per push-up, so I'm hoping to crack the 200 push-up range.

I only have two weeks to train for this so wish me luck.

Another case of foot-in-mouth disease...........

Numbers Game

I had to get out early this morning and paint the mile markers for our local Thanksgiving day Turkey Trot.

Normally I don't have any problems with police or building security, depending on the race route. But this year I was stopped by the police twice and security once. I guess I looked like some teenaged artist tagging the street.

TNT 2009 Spring Team

Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce the 2009 TNT Spring team. Notice the blue sky and sunshine? That made for an enjoyable group run.

The park we run in has a few hills that I love running. The team didn't have the same enthusiasm as I did, I wonder why?

T.G.I.Fourth

Okay, here's the fourth picture from the fourth folder on my PC at work.

Who thinks up these Blogland games?

As you can see, it's a TnT event photo.

This participant wasn't trying to flash me but it definitely looks that way.

It sure looks good to see sunshine and warmer weather!!!

My knee is doing much better but I won't be running today. I don't have a clue what I did but it hurt like hell!!!

Everyone have a great weekend and try to perform one random act of kindness.....

WTF

Okay, I know that I'm not a spring chicken anymore and sometimes things just ache for no apparent reasons.

But how can I injure my knee changing into my running clothes?

That's right, just putting on my socks and pants!!!!

I'm hobbling around on one leg, unable to walk because of the pain.....

Okay, all of you Marcus Welbys out there in Blogland, help a brother out. Wow, I just dated myself with that Dr. Welby comment.

It's funny when injuries like this occur. The first thing that always comes to my mind is will I be able to run on the weekend, not will I be able to go to work!

Okay, I'm off to a TNT shoe clinic......

Tough Times

“Tough times are there so you can have a good time later on-- and really appreciate it!”

Well if this is really true, I'm going to have a blast in the future. I'm getting in my runs but believe me, it ain't fun. Yesterday evening I had to almost bribe myself to get out in the cold, windy, dark streets.

Now for a lot of you coming off a fall marathon, this is a time of the year when you can kick back and enjoy your evenings at home. But I have to endure what my team in going through and get in some invigorating miles.

In order to save my legs, I've been running on the school track a few evenings. If you thought running on a track during the summer is boring, get out there in the dark! It does help knowing that the wind will only be in my face for half a lap....

Oh well, what else would I be doing other than sitting on the couch and indulging in a few BEvERages.....

Wednesday's Why?????

Why wasn't I born rich instead of good-looking?

Weekend Recap

I'm joining the bandwagon of recapping the weekend rather than daily accounts. The weather sucked big time this weekend in Southeast Michigan!

We had rain and wind with temps in the low forties for our first TNT group training run. My team came out in great numbers considering the conditions. It's amazing what a group of people can do when they have the same common cause. We are going to have a great five months of training.

I suffered a minor case of chafing from the rain and lost a little bit of skin.......OUCH!

Sunday was much better without the rain but it snowed instead. I hate this crap! Not really but I in that type of mood.

Okay, on a good note, the Packers crushed the Bears for a three way tie in the NFC North...

TNT Kickoff

I *heart* TNT Kickoffs. The energy in the room is so high that we could have run our events that night!

Okay, maybe not really but it feel like for a while.

I was surprised to see a few individuals that said they were going to sign up later and they actually did.

So now I have five months to get them in marathon and 1/2 marathon shape. Who knows, there may even be a couple of BQ times in the group.

On a side note Running Jaywhawk needs your help, here's a note from her:

If I can get 250 people to email Mike one reason why we should put up our decorations early at RunKUMike@gmail.com by the end of this weekend, he'll let me indulge.

Wednesday's Why?????

Why do I still think that I'm 27?

I went to the 6:30 AM spinning class, knowing that I would attend the EXTREME class at lunch!

In the EXTREME class we did 30 pushups and 30 squats for 10 rounds.

That's 300 of each!!!!

Well just like in the movie, no one survived......

This had to be one of the stupider things that I've done in quite some time.

So this old body will be limping around for the next few days.....

Why do I do this syuff?

Hanging Out with a Fast Crowd

I decided to run with a group of guys at work during lunch.

Some of these guys are fast but I need to get in some running during the daylight.

So if I get dropped by the group, I get dropped.

We have TNT Kickoff tomorrow evening, YAY!!!!!!

Now I am getting motivated...

Winter Wonderland

Whose idea was it to move to this God-forsaken land?

I really miss the sixty degree temps and having that big ball of fire in the sky.

Now it's the days of clouds and blustery winds. We're at that time when you're not sure what to wear for your runs.

Should I wear shorts and look really cool or don my tights and be warm?

Is it a running cap or skull cap day?

Is it a one-layer or two-layer run?

Okay, I feel much better now. It's out of my system and I'm ready to get out the door.

Weekend recap ran both days but nothing to write home about. I'm getting psyched for the upcoming days of frolicking through the cold and snow.

Whose idea was this again?

T.G.I.Funny

This was the quote of the Day after the elections.

"It's a great day for Democrats and Republicans alike. For Democrats, Barack Obama was elected President. For Republicans, there was finally dancing in the streets and Americans greeted as liberators."

Wednesday's Why on Thursday

Why have I been MIA? They are kicking my A$$ at work.

I leave work mentally exhausted....... I don't want to see a keyboard of monitor.

I've been running and spinning and recruiting for Team in training.

As Arnold would say, 'I'll be back'...................

Halloween Time

Here's the lovely couple before we put on our costumes to head out last week.

Just handed out candy to the neighbor kids and drank a few BEvERages afterward with a fire and the neighborhood adults.

Decided to take Saturday off and run errands..... Oh my aching head....

The Week from Hell

When the nation catches a cold, Michigan gets Pneumonia. There are talks of automakers merging and the possibility of more jobs being lost. This week could have ended on Wednesday and it still would have been too long.

There is no joy in Mudville this week!

We definitely need a change!

Sorry for not giving details but it just sucks!

Where are my endorphins?????

Have a great weekend......

Going in Circles....

Today's run was against gusting winds and cooler temps. Every time the wind got to be too much I turned a corner.

My Garmin never picked up a signal and I didn't care.

It was just great to get away from work, so I needed the run.

Ugly Ken

My exercise routine really fell off this weekend. It started with a Friday night Halloween party.

Boy, I must have had a great time, (I think)....

Saturday morning's run was cancelled because my head wouldn't stay on my neck. I was finally feeling normal enough to walk by 4:00 PM.

This morning's run was windy and grey. It's always tough for me to get out on days when the weather sucks.

I start my TNT informational meetings tomorrow, so I get to convince more people to join in on the fun....

It Hurts so Good

Even though I haven’t been reporting it, I’m still going to EXTREME class and getting my a$$ kicked! Monday was leg torture day with the following:

Barbell Cleans w/20lbs dumbbells
Walking lunges w/weights the length of basketball court
30 Pushups
Walking lunges w/weights the length of basketball court

I’m just getting to the point where I don’t feel any aches in my legs.

Yesterday was Spinning class in the morning and then EXTREME class at lunch with the following:

10 burpees
20 High Plank into low plank
40 Reverse dips
20 Up and overs w/12 lbs dumbbells

Even though this is considered the off-season, it still hurts!

Who is Joe Sixpack?

Is Sarah Palin referring to him




















or him?

Wednesday's Why?????

Since this past weekend was the running of our local full and half Mary, today's question is rhetorical. Why do I love coaching Team in Training? Here's are the results from Detroit of TNT alumni that I've coached. The first six are full marathon times.

Mario Granata – 3:18:48

Angela Lipanski – 3:36:56

Al Durham – 3:59:19

Cassandra Sharkley – 3:43:20

Nicole Lucio – 3:54:15

Debbie Angel – 4:53:09

Lisa Lewis - 2:21:53

Dana Kott - 1:37:16

Sue Warner – 2:07:45

Lucy Sternburgh – 2:11:11

Michelle Hachigian – 2:29:17

Todd Hachigian – 1:42:57

Jamie Legato – 1:56:04

Lou Domin – 1:53:31

Sheri Koeppen – 2:33:13

Dorene Stuart – 2:22:35

Christine Breuckman – 3:19:25

Greg Breuckman – 2:50:45

Jamie Palmer – 3:12:21

Chris Hardenbrook – 1:48:09

Lori Stauffer – 3:24:39

Ann Bennett – 2:30:40