TRIP TO CINCINNATI

Tomorrow, I'll do my 3-hour workout, then begin my journey to Cincinnati, Ohio. Google says it's a nearly 6-hour trip. The Expo where I'll pick up my race packet begins at noon tomorrow.

Next, I'll head over to Bob Roncker's Running Spot. They are a sponsor of the Thanksgiving Day 10K Race. The 2009 race will be the 100th Annual Race. I ran in this race back in the late 1970s, so what better time to run it?

After that, I'll head over to the Apple Store. My iPhone has been acting a little strange, so I'll have an Apple Genius check it out. I also want to look at Macintosh notebooks. I just got a brand-spankin'-new $3000 MacBook Pro 17" delivered by UPS today, but I'm giving it to my son to use, since he's starting college soon. I can't afford another one, so I'll get a cheaper one. The 17" MacBook Pro is an absolutely fabulous machine, but it's rather unwieldy anyway, so a lighter (and cheaper) MacBook or MacBook Air will be a nice change.

Finally, I'll have dinner, probably at either Frisch's Big Boy, Skyline Chili, or White Castle.

-- Posted From My iPhone

17 WEEKS!

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LIVE UPDATES FROM THE FLYING PIG

Weather permitting, I'll be posting photos of each mile mark along the way. If it's raining, I'll probably leave my iPhone in a plastic bag, which might limit me.

I've also signed up to get email updates of my progress sent to this blog during the race. I'm not sure how many times this will occur, though.


-- Posted From My iPhone

WEATHER FORECAST

The weather forecast for The Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, Ohio on May 3rd, 2009:


Keeps getting better!
Updated 04-30-09 2:20 PM


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250 HOURS!

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OBESE NO MORE!

Well, at least not obese until I weigh in tomorrow! I'm definitely kicking in obesity's door.


-- Posted From My iPhone

MY NEW TECHNICAL SHIRT

I recently ordered a technical shirt from RunningBanana.com. It looks great! The t-shirt from CafePress.com I've been wearing in races is getting rust stains and holes from the bib pins. It also retains water.

I plan to use Velcro to attach bibs to it. I hope it'll keep me drier when I'm sweating like a little piggy during The Flying Pig Marathon next Sunday!



-- Posted From My iPhone

OBESITY ALMOST BEATEN!

Only 1.3 lbs until I'm no longer obese!


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16 WEEKS!

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CINCINNATI, HERE I COME!

Online registration for the 2009 Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, Ohio ends tomorrow, so I bit the bullet and registered. It cost a total of $96.30 to register, but I'm officially entered.

HALF-MARATHON? CHECK!

I ran in the Babcock Gristmill Grinder, a half-marathon held in Clifftop, WV. I took a leisurely 3:17:45 to complete 13.1 miles. It was a pretty hard course, but the Explore Your Limits 10K had fewer breaks from the hills and seemed tougher overall. I guess I'll sign for the Flying Pig Marathon soon.

RACE WEIGHT: 248.5 LBS

-- Posted From My iPhone

IMPENDING DOOM?

My first half-marathon in more than twenty-five years begins in about twenty minutes and it's supposed to be a very challenging trail course.. The race organizer described the course as "very hilly", so I just want to survive this and finish in less than four hours.


-- Posted From My iPhone

15 WEEKS!

Fifteen weeks, no misses.






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TRAINING SHIFT

Today, I decided to alter my training regimen. I ran well yesterday, but I felt something was holding me back. I'm wondering whether poor core strength and upper body strength are limiting me. Starting today, I'm going to try to incorporate at least one-half hour a day to strength training on Wii Fit. This will necessitate reducing my aerobic training by the same amount.


-- Posted From My iPhone

NEW 5K RECORD!

I ran in a 5K race this weekend just outside of Ashland, KY, sponsored by the Cannonsburg Fire Department.. The course was mostly flat with a few small uphills on the way out, which became nice little downhills on the way back. The 55 degree temperature was cool enough for pre-race shivers, but comfortable once the race was underway. It rained the night before, but the course was already dry. A single water station provided hydration just past the one mile mark and again at the two mile mark. These perfect conditions led to my smashing my previous 5K record by a few minutes. My unofficial time is about 28:51. I filmed the finish with my iPhone and 28:50 was the last time visible, but I bet a second ticked off before I actually crossed the line. Great race!

RACE WEIGHT: 248.7 LBS

-- Posted From My iPhone

14 WEEKS STRAIGHT!

Well, I've made it 14 weeks without missing any days.


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200 HOURS

I acheived another training landmark today. After 200 hours, my piggy bank is still gold. The illusive "platinum" piggy bank is looking more and more like an urban legend.


-- Posted From My iPhone

WHERE I STAND TODAY

Self-explanatory. I'm down 35.1 lbs. in 78 days. On average, I've lost 0.45 lbs. per day, or just over 3 lbs. per week

THIRD 5K ... NEW PERSONAL RECORD

I ran in my third 5K, the S.W.A.T. Fun Run/Walk at Roanoke College, today. The weather was a little warm for my taste, but still cooler than last week's Young Life 5K. I had emailed the contact person for the run to find out about the course. I was told there were "minor hills". Yeah, right! And Hurricane Katrina caused "minor flooding" in New Orleans. It was quite hilly, but not bad enough to stop me from setting a new personal record. Luckily, I had some "inspiration" for the race (see above)!

RACE WEIGHT: 251.5 LBS

THIRD 10K ... NEW PERSONAL RECORD

I ran in another 10K road race, the 31st Ashland Railroad Run, today in Ashland, VA. It felt like a fairly fast course, but not as fast as the Monument Avenue 10K last weekend. I also didn't feel well, bothered by allergies and sinusitis. This led to a poor night's sleep just before the race. Once the race was over, I had set a new personal 10K record ... 1:03:50. Not a very fast pace, but this was the first of my recent 10Ks where the overall winner's time, 36:23, wasn't less than half my time.

RACE WEIGHT: 252.2 LBS

13 WEEKS!

It's now been 13 weeks without missing a day. My weight is down 34.6 lbs.

THAT'S IT! I QUIT! NO MORE RUNNING FOR ME!

OK, date check. It's April 1st, 2009, the traditional prank-pulling day in the West. Even my Wii Fit got in on the action.