Wednesday's Whys?????????

Happy Hump Day! Yay, we're having summer-like weather here in the high-five state and Friday is looking for a high of 80º!!!!

Is it just me but why would you name your woman's retail store the 'Dress Barn'? Am I missing something here?

The team Spring team will be running their 20/12 mile run this Saturday and it's going to be hot. This should be a great test, since their events will probably be warmer than their training has been.

What is the worst part of your longest run in training? Is it the last few miles? The middle miles when the brain plays tricks on you?

What music or song gets you re-charged?

Who lets the person with the keys to the schools that they're having a 'Snow Day'?

Today is Hill repeat day, Yipee.............

$19.95 per Visit????

How many of you would be willing to pay $19.95 per visit to a gym?

Now I'm not talking about spa like gym but one with weights and guys grunting and looking in mirrors.

Well that's what I've been doing the past few months! I have only been getting to the gym near the house sparingly and it cost me about that much.

Yesterday I went and had a great session. I was sweating and breathing heavy and then I started my workout....

No, there are a few of you bloggers (Marlene and Mel) that are kicking butt and taking names and it got me psyched! Thanks.

Happy Birthday Matthew

Today is the beginning of the end for my son the Marathoner. He turns 30 years of age, no more twenty something.

It's funny how I would look at it just as a change of age groups and he's saying good-bye to his youth!

Yesterday was a rain drenched run from beginning to end and I didn't mind a bit. Where were all those wimpy cyclist and roller bladers???

Capped off the day with some March Madness and watching the Spartans from Michigan State do their normal Final Four appearance.

Since my brackets are blown to hell, I might as well root for the home team!

Happy Monday...............

Simulate the Event????

I always try to pick and choose certain training techniques from various areas.

This week was a small simulated Flying Pig course training for the team. I am so amazed at the advances of all the team in attacking(it sounds better) the hills in preparation for their events.

Most of us shy away from any hills if we have an option but the team is starting to look for them.

I almost sounded like that Drill Sargent fro Celebrity Fit Club.

I was yelling out stuff as we ran and only got laughs back from the team. Guess I can't be mean to them.

We have our big 20/12 miler next week and the team is ready to take on.

I am so proud of these guys.

Time for a nap, since we're attending a TNT Bowling fundraiser that starts at 9:30PM!!!! Don't these kids realize I'm an old guy that needs his beauty rest?

T.G.I.Funny

If you're like and the rest of the March Madness participants, you've thrown your brackets away and are watching just for some good college basketball.

I get in a couple of them from TNT participants and it helps keeping the interest factor for me. I suggested that everyone get their money back and just call it a day but that didn't go over very well.

Why is it that I can use a Porta-Potty but have issues with not so tidy toilet?

I must be getting old. Several of my team is having a bowling fundraiser at a local alley on Saturday. It starts at 9:30 PM!!!!!! Granted I'm not big on bowling anymore but we'll be there until Monday. Oh well, that's part of being a coach.

Why am I thinking of ways to make my lawn greener and plush in March and wish it would die and stop growing in July?

At what age does Velcro instead of laces on your shoes look cool?

Why can't I find anything to watch on my own DVR

Hopefully this will be the last weekend of wearing long pants on our team long runs!

We had a great TNT clinic on stretching and injury prevention. We spent the entire injury portion on all of my prior injuries. Does that tell you something?

Okay, it's not how fast you run but how good you look doing it......

Thursday's Thoughts

Why did I leave the City of Angels?????

We're back to our normal Spring-like weather here in the High-five state. What happened to 75 and sunny?

I started my hill repeats yesterday and today I have an Arse ache! This had better make me faster and stronger........

I'm trying to duplicate a training course for the Flying Pig marathon and half marathon for the team. It's a hell of a course that has a three mile incline beginning at mile five.

The things I do for my team!

Jet lag is a real thing......... nuff said.

It's a Boy!

On Sunday, March 21, 2010 I became the proud father of a bouncing (okay, he wasn't bouncing) marathoner! He arrived in 4 hours and 18 minutes in the city of Los Angles.

We were expecting him in under four hours but he had a mental lapse at mile 12. He started losing his focus but continued to move forward. I met him at mile 22 and attempted to serve as comic relief but he wasn't in the mood.

We ran from fluid station to fluid station and he was really appreciative of my presence. I am so proud of him!

He actually is talking about doing another marathon and improving on that time. I think the gauntlet has been tossed and I had better get my butt in gear.........

It was a great time in the City of Angels with perfect weather, if you like 75º and sunshine........

Now why am I living in Michigan?????

Wednesday's WTF????

This is a tragic story and I'm still can't believe it.

Beach jogger killed by plane:

http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20100316/US.Plane.Kills.Beachgoer/

Oh My Aching Head..

That gut that said with age comes wisdom was wrong!

Who thought of putting the start of Daylight Saving Time on the Saturday before a St. Patrick's Day parade and run????

Next time someone says the word 'shots', I'm going to punch them................

We had a wet and chilly weekend here in the high-five state and it made for some tough running for the team but they came through with flying colors, albeit wet colors......

The only good part about running int he rain is running through the puddles, when you're wet, you're wet.

So this team has run through all of the season except summer, which can't be too far around that proverbial corner.

We're only a couple of weeks from their big 20/12 miler and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some great weather conditions.

Our St. Patty's Day race also had wet conditions but 5,000 brave souls made it out and the food tent was a well oiled machine. I had TNT alumni volunteers and they were the best group I've ever worked with at a race.

We did have one problem when the beer tent ran out of beer! Yikes......... I heard someone yell out security and I headed in the opposite direction. Boy, you runners can get a little testy when the beer runs out.

One last piece of Running news. I am heading to Los Angles for the L.A. marathon to watch my son lose his marathon virginity!!!! It's bringing a tear to my eyes just posting that news.

His expectations are to just finish but I'll try to convince him to win the race........

Okay, it's almost time for my nap, so I can get that damn hour of sleep back from the weekend...

How????

Okay, I've read some of the people in Blogland post about running and just freshening up as opposed to a shower. How?????

My senility is starting to set in because I forgot my towel in my gym bag. Once again the old guy is forgetting stuff.

Now it would be bad if I had realized this prior to going for my lunchtime run, even though I knew my gym bag was lighter in weight and there was room for everything in it.

I thought about showering and using my running clothes to dry with but that just didn't seem like something my mother would have approved of.

Isn't it funny how things our mothers yelled at us about, we now do on a regular basis?

So I went back to work smelling like Irish Spring, minus the Irish Spring......

The weekend is all about St. Patty. We have our local race before the parade and I am in charge of the Food Distribution area for the race. We have over 4,000 participants pre-registered, somebody isn't getting their banana and bagel............

Hey did you notice the Irish theme?????

Okay, have a great weekend and I hope my liver survives.........

A Real Coach..............

Just to show the extremes that we coaches go through, I came across this website for sports bras.

http://www.herroom.com/sports-bra-videos,301,30.html/

That's right, I have to be up on all of the apparel technology for my team, since the majority are women.

It took some doing but I finally finished viewing every one of the videos.

Wednesday's Why

Why do I care that you have $1 million dollars in prize money, Mr. or Mrs. Race Director?

Is that suppose to entice me? Have you seen me run lately?

Enticement for me would be a discount on my registration fee if I swear not to win the race!

Okay, if they're looking for a leading man in the sequel to 'Run Fatboy Run', I'm the man!

I stepped on the scale at the gym and it read '206', damn those heavy shoes........

I went to the track for a few laps and took up the first two lanes....

So, this Clydesdale is going on a diet. No more Potato Chips for a while. I starting my food journal again and counting calories.

I'm going to get lean and mean, I hope..........

Conversation with a Good Friend....

Well the weather here in the high-five state has been fantastic! There are people walking , running, cycling everywhere. Even the old people are coming outside.

We had a great TNT group training run and now the participants are looking forward to running in shorts and T-shirts. I just found out that over half my team are females.......

Sandy and I also had the opportunity to celebrate a birthday with one of my alumni at a local establishment near his house. It still amazes me the number friendships that have began and grown from the TNT experience. This particular alumni turned a whopping '26'! What the hell am I doing out with them???? Fortunately I didn't succumb to the peer pressure of shots and left at a reasonable time.

Needless to say, I had a craptastic run on Sunday and didn't even care. I was glad to be keeping my breakfast inside. Note to self, send a birthday card next time........

Today I had the opportunity to look up some old race times and it was eye-opening. I mean to the point of who was that guy with my name?

So I had to sit down and have that long awaited conversation with myself about what we need to do.

• Lose a couple of pounds to ease the pounding on the knees.
• Make running fun again and whatever happens, happens.
• Lose a few more pounds.....
• It's going to hurt a little, get over it!
  
• Lose one more pound
• Eat better than a teenager with twenty dollars int heir pocket
• Realize you're a runner and don't need tons of muscle

Okay, this goes on the fridge to keep me focused

Liar, Liar pants on fire..............

Hi, my name is Ken and I'm a Liar!

That's right a liar. I had to lie to my legs to get through today's run.....

Okay they were little white lies but they were still lies. You know the ones that you tell to get to the next traffic light and keep running through the yellow light?

Or we'll slow down when we get to the next incline?

Let's face it, legs are pretty gullible and will fall for almost anything.

We had another day of sunshine and blue skies which meant getting outside at lunchtime.

Remind me never to go weeks without doing walking lunges and expect to be able to sit comfortably!

I still looking at the race calendar for that 'A' race and nothing is umping out at me (thank God).

I was wondering this morning, what did I run in before I accumulated all of my race tees and all of the high-tech stuff was for the astronauts along with Tang?

What did you start off running in? Were you the runner with the knee-high socks or did you really wear those 'jogging suits'?

Okay, have a great Thursday and run lke someone is chasing you!

Wednesday's Why???????

Okay after reading about Coach Liz and her knee problems that disappeared and years of not wanting to listen to reality, I'm trying to take Glucosamine for my knee problems.

So this brings about my why!

Why the Hell does these pills have to be as big as my head? These are the actual size........................

I went to purchase some and every bottle I picked up had a picture of the actual size of the tablet. Now when I say tablet, I mean the tablets that Moses carried with the Ten Commandments!

These things are huge and that's why I've always fallen off of the wagon to take them on a regular basis. After one tablet, I'm full for the day!

So I'll try to continue taking them to keep the pain away, but why the F$#K are they so big?????

Should I panic????????

I just read the 12 heart symptoms Never to ignore and if sounds like me after a training run:

1. Anxiety - Why am I running so crappy, I never get back.
2. Chest Discomfort - That last mile really took it out of me, why did I try and speed up?
3. Cough - That running too fast cough that we get when we're done.
4. Dizziness - Wow, I'd better sit down real slow.
5. Fatigue - Boy, I am wasted. Why did I park so far from the start?
6. Nausea or lack of appetite - Forget the food line, let's go to the beer tent!
7. Pain in other body parts - Boy my quad are killing me and the knee is right behind on the pain list.
8. .....
9..
10..
11..
12..

Okay, you get the picture, it's tough to tell when any of us might be having the symptoms. So be careful out there.