Wii Fat Marathon

STILL ... ALIVE!!!

2010-06-11T10:09:00.001-04:00

Google keeps deleting my blog photos ... I knew when they forced everyone on their servers, they'd screw up the migration. It's really taken the wind out of my blogging sails!

I'm still alive ... still at it. I've been taking it rather easy lately. I'm hoping for a prosperous September/October/November and I want to avoid injuries between now and then.

- Posted From My iPhone

test

2010-05-12T21:15:00.003-04:00

Catching Up ... 67 Weeks

2010-05-02T11:13:00.001-04:00

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Sixty-six weeks!

2010-05-01T08:47:00.001-04:00

Well, I've been angry at Google/Blogger/Blogspot and haven't been keeping up with my blog! If you look through my archives, they lost ALL my photos from April 5th, 2009 and older. I paid extra every month to prevent things like this from happening, but Google's insatiable desire to control everything in the universe forced me to quit using FTP to publish my blog and use their unreliable system!

The actual date is May 1st, 2010 ... the first day Google is not allowing blog postings via FTP. I'll getting my blog up-to-date over the next few weeks.

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APRIL FOOLS!

2010-04-01T22:12:00.001-04:00

Yep!

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THE STREAK COMES TO AN END.

2010-04-01T06:32:00.001-04:00

Oh well. It had to happen sooner or later. I never figured it would take a hospitalization to do it!

- Posted From My iPhone

SIXTY-FOUR WEEKS!

2010-03-25T13:50:00.000-04:00

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NORTH CAROLINA MARATHON: STATE #11

2010-03-21T20:16:00.004-04:00

Well, I completed the North Carolina Marathon yesterday and it nearly killed me. I wasn't well-prepared for the marathon and its heat and its hills. I reached the halfway point in less than 2:30, but then I crashed and burned, taking me around 5:52 to finish.

The temperature at the start was 41 degrees, but rose to 74 before the end. I felt mildly nauseated much of the last several miles. I was very happy to see the finish line, but upon completing, the nausea struck back with a vengeance. I often feel nauseated at the end of a marathon, but this was a little worse. Laying down usually helps, so I sprawled out on the shaded, tiled ground near the medical tent. Nurses there decided to check my blood pressure and my systolic bp was in the 50s and the diastolic wasn't readable. They propped up my feet on a folding chair and kept giving me sports drinks. I chugged them whenever they brought them. As soon as I would try to sit up or stand, I'd grow increasingly nauseated and they said I turned pale. They were going to haul me off to the ER, but some of the local EMS personnel offered the use of their truck and the nurses started an IV on me in the back of their rig. I normally have great veins, but they were having a tough time finding them. After the better part of a liter of fluid, my bp was around 110/70. I was feeling much better and was able to easily walk to my car and drive home. That was scary!

What went wrong? I'm not entirely sure, but I have some ideas. I probably didn't consume enough fluids. Toward the end , the available fluids at the aid stations were getting rather warm and unpalatable, the electrolyte solutions even more so. Ice was only available the few stations with medical personnel. I was able to score a large Zip-loc bag of ice around mile 22 and kept eating ice until it was gone. I was afraid of hyponatremia, so I may have inadvertently restricted my water intake. I had purchased Hammer Endurolytes electrolyte replenishment capsules from Amazon. UPS was supposed to deliver them on Thursday, but they screwed me over and didn't deliver them until Friday after I had left for High Point, a problem that nearly killed me! I had planned on popping several of these during the marathon and drinking lots and lots of water. I searched for electrolyte capsules in Roanoke, VA and High Point/Greensboro, NC, but couldn't find them.

So, I owe a great debt of gratitude to the race's medical personnel, but I'm critical of the race administration for not having cool fluids in the waning hours of the marathon and for not having a better expo, where I could have purchased electrolyte capsules.

SIXTY THREE WEEKS OF WII FIT!

2010-03-18T06:25:00.002-04:00

I made it through another week. I've been a little paranoid about my right foot, so I've been taking it fairly easy.

Marathon #11, the North Carolina Marathon in High Point, NC, is Saturday. I plan to meet up with my "marathon mentor", Bill Whipp, for the first time since the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, OH on May 3rd, 2009. I have low expectations for myself, just hoping to finish in the allotted seven hours. I'm going to stay with Bill as long as possible ... hopefully the whole way. He's doing a double, heading to the marathon in Carey, NC on Sunday. I'm heading home Saturday.

- Posted From My iPhone

This blog has moved

2010-03-14T01:13:00.002-05:00

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I HATE BLOGGER! I JUST REALIZED MY POSTS WERE NOT DISPLAYING AND IT LOOKED LIKE I HAD ABANDONED MY BLOG! GRRRR!!!! CURSE YOU, GOOGLE!

62 WEEKS OF WII FIT!

2010-03-12T09:18:00.001-05:00

- Posted From My iPhone

Sixty Weeks Of Wii Fit!

2010-02-25T06:25:00.001-05:00

I haven't been very active with my blog since Google announced that they're killing off FTP support for Blogger. This is the way I maintain my blog and I'm not pleased by their decision. Apparently, Google just can't afford to support it anymore. Yeah! Right!

They're working on a "migration assistant" to help move you from servers under YOUR control to servers under THEIR control. Google stops FTP support in late March, so I still don't know what's going to happen here. I hope the migration assistant will include an option to migrate away from Google/Blogger/Blogspot, but I estimate the chances of that happening at ZERO percent. Google has gotten too large and too controlling ... I'm trying to avoid Google products now, but it's difficult!

- Posted From My iPhone

FIFTY-SIX WEEKS!

2010-01-28T07:37:00.001-05:00

I've been doing extensive workouts, preparing for the Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham, Alabama on February 14th, 2010.

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NEXT UP: MERCEDES MARATHON

2010-01-20T13:45:00.001-05:00

54 WEEKS

2010-01-14T13:44:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm aiming for the Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham, AL on February 14th to kick off my 2010 season.

I'm not in good enough shape right now, but I still have one month to prepare.

- Posted From My iPhone

53 WEEKS

2010-01-07T09:01:00.000-05:00

I was aiming for my 2010 marathon debut on January 9th (Mississippi Blues Marathon), but this was also the date of my son's first indoor track meet. The weather is predicted to be quite cold that day ... 20 degrees at the start, only 30 by the finish.

- Posted From My iPhone

ONE CONTINUOUS YEAR!

2009-12-31T06:17:00.001-05:00

Well, I'm excited that I made it an entire year, but I'm really disappointed by Wii Fit's lack of special recognition of my acheivement!

Oh well, it's been a great, exciting year anyway! I've lost around fifty pounds. I completed ten marathons, two half marathons, and several 5 and 10K races. I logged over 500 hours on Wii Fit, 234 of which were on my elliptical machine, representing 540 miles (according to it's display, which I think underestimates mileage by at least 50%). I've met lots of great people. Because of my marathon treks, I've visited five states I'd never been to before ... Wisconsin, Utah, Montana, Idaho, and Washington (only ran a marathon in three of them, though). My borderline high cholesterol became solidly normal with a much more favorable LDL/HDL profile.

All told, an outstanding year!

- Posted From My iPhone

500 HOURS OF WII FIT!

2009-12-29T19:54:00.001-05:00

I logged my 500th hour on Wii Fit today ... hurray! I was hoping I'd get to 500 before my 52nd week of continuous daily use arrived!

- Posted From My iPhone

Fifty-One Weeks!

2009-12-25T09:14:00.001-05:00

One more week to go!

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Me & My Favorite Marathoner

2009-12-21T20:41:00.000-05:00

I met my favorite marathoner last month in Roanoke, VA. Sarah Palin ran Humpy's Marathon in Anchorage, AK in 3 hours, 59 minutes. That's awesome! A forty-something year old woman with five kids kicking butt and taking names!

- Posted From My iPhone

FIFTY WEEKS!

2009-12-20T06:21:00.001-05:00

Only two more weeks until it's been one continuous year of Wii Fit! I'm wondering if Nintendo has programmed in a special sequence to mark such a happening or whether it will simply note "52 weeks".

I'm also approaching another landmark ... five hundred hours! I'm currently around twenty-plus hours to go. In Wii Fit, there is a "piggy bank" that stores all the hours you've used it. After twenty hours, your bank turns bronze. Complete twenty hours and it's silver. Reach forty hours and you're rewarded with a gold piggy bank. There are rumors of a platinum piggy bank, but he's yet to show before 475 hours. I think it's just urban legend.

- Posted From My iPhone

Location:Pottersville Rd,Little Compton,United States

48 WEEKS ...

2009-12-03T06:03:00.001-05:00

Forty-eight weeks of Wii Fit today. Four more weeks until one year!

- Posted From My iPhone

MY FIRST SUB-1 HOUR 10K!

2009-11-29T04:03:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving Day, I visited Cincinnati to participate in the historic 100th Annual Thanksgiving Day 10K Race. The weather was nearly perfect, with temperatures in the upper 30s and lower 40s and only an occasional gust of wind. The course was fairly flat, hills were mainly on the two bridges crossing the Ohio River. With over 17,000 registered runners, this was the second-largest 10K race I've run, eclipsed only by the the 30,000-plus runners at the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K in Richmond, VA early this year.

I was mired in slower traffic at the start of the race, but the Garmin 405 Forerunner GPS watch that I purchased at REI in Missoula, MT kept me apprised of my pace status. I wore the fracture shoe on my right foot just in case, but I think I can discard it now.

It was great to revisit this race thirty years after I'd last competed in it. My son ran the first few miles with me, but my pace was faster than he cared to run, so I had to move on. Normally, I would have just stayed with him, but I really wanted a sub-60 minute finish.

State #10: Richmond Marathon

2009-11-15T23:56:00.001-05:00

I'm back on track! Yesterday, I completed a marathon in the tenth different state ... in my home state of Virginia. The organizers call this one "The Friendliest Marathon In America". I don't. I'll try to write more about why it's definitely NOT the friendliest of marathons. It was a good marathon that was well-run, but it wasn't the friendliest. In fact, if I rank the ten marathons I've completed, I'd rank it dead last. That's not to say it was unfriendly, it wasn't. But when you call yourself "The Friendliest", you better back it up. Talk is cheap, but at $95, this marathon wasn't.

First, you don't force people to spend the night before the race in town. "Absolutely no packet pick-up on race day"? That's friendly? Not in my book! The only two hotels near the start were between $200 and $300+ per night. That's not friendly. That's extortion. For $95, they should have let me pick it up on race day. The organizer, Sportsbackers, pull this same crap with the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K, so that's "the way they roll".

Second, if the marathon starts at 8:00AM, don't block off all the roads that lead to the parking lots before 5AM. I'm sure the locals know their way around, but us out-of-towners can have great difficulties. Following the detour signs doesn't get you around the roadblocks, they just seem to dump you out-of-town. That's not friendly. Once I found my way near the starting line, all parking lots either said they were for monthly renters only or warned that unauthorized parkers were subject to booting or towing. No signs said "Marathon parking here". THAT would have been friendly. After nearly one hour, I finally found an on-street parking spot. THAT'S not friendly, either.

Third, you need to do SOMETHING to get more neighborhood participation. The Flying Pig Marathon had much better involvement, with many neighborhoods having a party-like environment. Most of the areas in Richmond were ghost towns. I appreciate the few who DID show, but where was everybody else???

Finally, after I've just completed 26.2 miles, I'll be sore, tired, and, more than likely, unstable on my feet. Don't fuss with me. If I exit the food tent, don't tell me I can't pass back through it to get to my car. Don't make me walk the extra distance by forcing me to go all the way around the outside of the tent. The tent was practically deserted by this time. What would it have hurt? To the unsympathetic lady who denied my passage, I say "This kind of treatment was NOT friendly!".

In summary, a good, well-run marathon, but "The Friendliest"?DREAM ON!

- Posted From My iPhone

GODADDY IS MESSIN' WITH ME!

2009-11-14T07:31:00.001-05:00

... But I still got 45 straight weeks in!

- Posted From My iPhone

FINALLY! AN HONEST WEEK'S WORKOUT!

2009-10-23T06:02:00.001-04:00

This week, I worked out daily, typically for an hour. Hurray! I'm plotting my comeback ... Indiana may be the state I'll knock off ... Number 10!

- Posted From My iPhone

41 WII FIT WEEKS!

2009-10-15T06:03:00.000-04:00

Didn't do anything strenuous this week. I'm seeing my orthopedic surgeon later today. Maybe I'll get out of this fracture boot soon!

- Posted From My iPhone

40 WEEKS OF WII FIT!

2009-10-08T06:57:00.000-04:00

I'm getting tried of wearing this fracture boot! Another minimal workout week ... just going through the motions.

- Posted From My iPhone

39 WEEKS!

2009-10-01T11:00:00.000-04:00

Another minimalist week, but the streak survives! Thirty-nine weeks of Wii Fit!

Wii Fit Plus comes out on Sunday ... of course, I have it pre-ordered.

- Posted From My iPhone

THE SECOND HALF OF MY FIRST DOUBLE: WHITEFISH, MT

2009-09-30T13:28:00.002-04:00

PHOTO: Steve, Erika, and I. Notice the black finisher's medals! Hurray!

After the Salmon Marathon was over and I'd packed my things, I headed off for the Two Bear Marathon in Whitefish, MT. Once again, it was rough traveling on US-93.

Since I hadn't had much to eat so far, I consulted the Yelp! app on my iPhone and it suggested I eat at Nap's Grill at 220 N. Second St. in Hamilton, MT. I ordered the 12 oz. burger with cheese. On their condiment bar, there was a nice assortment of "fixins", so I loaded up. A sign on the wall proclaimed that all the beef was from Montana and it did taste fresh and un-fastfood-like. I also ordered a huckleberry milkshake, since the huckleberry is a local delicacy. It was excellent!

After this late lunch, I hit the road again, looking to buy a GPS watch in Missoula, MT like Louise's. First, I checked at Trail's End, but they don't normally stock them. Next, I tried the REI. They had Garmin GPS watches, but not the one I was looking for. I ended up paying $350 for the Garmin 450 with heart rate monitor. I also picked up some of the Honey Stingers that Louise turned me on to. They're just like Gummi Bears, but they don't stick to your teeth. Awesome!

Once you get past Missoula heading north on US-93, you're in for a real treat! For many miles, large sections of the roadway were demolished, forcing you to drive on a gravel road. To make it even more fun, I was "escorted" by a water truck that started shooting water profusely whenever we reached a gravel section. The speed limit was 35 mph. The truck driver kept his truck hammered at a blistering 20 mph pace. Crud! Mile after mile ... did he pull over to let anyone pass? N-o-o-o!

Once I got past this turkey, I set my sights on Whitefish, still a few hours' drive away. Upon arriving in town, I headed up Big Mountain Road to Kandahar Lodge. It's a really nice, wide road with a double yellow line down the middle, but don't be fooled ... the speed limit is only 25mph and I heard later on that it is a bit of a speedtrap. Ah, wonderful Montana!

The Kandahar Lodge is actually a fairly large complex of multiple buildings and I was staying in the main lodge. Since I was starving, I ate dinner in the onsite restaurant. I had a buffalo tenderloin and a salad with candied pecans in it. For dessert, I had a dish of ice cream with a berry medley. All for the reasonable price of $70. Ouch!

After dinner, it was off to bed. The room I stayed in was nicely appointed, had two queen-size beds and was probably 50% larger than your typically hotel room.

It was nearly midnight before I finally got to bed. I called the front desk for a 5:00am wake-up call and headed off to sleep. I woke up around 4am and decided to get ready for the race. Since I was off to the airport in Kalispell immediately after the race, I had to be all packed up.

As I was heading for the door, I got my wake-up call ... right on time! I got in my rental car, a Nissan Quest mini-van, and drove to The Wave aquatic center where I'd catch a bus to the starting line.

After riding on the bus for several minutes, we reached the starting line. Since I didn't make it to packet pick-up on Saturday, I needed to get my race packet. I was behind a few guys in the same boat. When it was my turn, the race director couldn't find my packet ... uh-oh! Thankfully, eventually she found it.

Once the race started, I was faced with a mile-long uphill forest service road. It wasn't particularly steep, just long. The next eleven miles were mostly service roads with a few relatively short single-track sections thrown in.

I met two great people early on, Steve and Erika. Steve's a seasoned marathoner and a 50 States finisher, but Erika had just recovered from knee surgery and this was her first marathon! What kinda nut-job chooses this place for their first marathon! She's tough as nails, though.

Miles 13 through 15 featured some steep uphills and downhills. The footing was also unstable ... lots of roots and rocks to trip you up, break your toes, and roll your ankles.

By mile 16, you've reached pavement. Initially it was fairly flat to slightly uphill. The next three miles were scenic, with nice views of Whitefish Lake, but the uphills were relentless. The final five miles were flat to uphill, with the finishing chute in the parking lot of The Wave.

I had hoped to finish in under six hours, but the marking of the course prevented this. I used my GPS watch to keep track of my mileage. We were warned at the start that the forest canopy would prevent accurate readings. As I left the trail portion of the marathon and hit the pavement, my GPS watch was about a mile off. Erika, who had been strong up to this point, began to fade and fell behind Steve and I. My broken foot began to hurt around mile 20. I plotted my pace to bring me in at my time goal. A few miles later and I was still on target, but I could no longer keep up with Steve, so I fell behind. When my GPS approached 24 miles, I was thinking "OK, that's really 25 miles", since my GPS appeared to be one mile off. Unfortunately, the approaching mile marker read "24 Miles". What?!?! No way! That's wrong! It should say "25 Miles"! Some time later, the 25 mile marker showed up. I'm screwed. I realized the mile markers were messed up and I had about 3 minutes to complete the last 1.2 miles. I ended up finishing a disappointing 6:11. At the finish line, my GPS watch read "26.2 mi". At least something worked right!

- Posted From My iPhone

38 WEEKS OF WII FIT!

2009-09-24T12:42:00.000-04:00

I hit 38 weeks today ... of course, these were minimal workouts while I'm trying to get my broken foot healed.

- Posted From My iPhone

THE FIRST HALF OF MY FIRST DOUBLE: SALMON, ID

2009-09-14T17:18:00.003-04:00

On Friday, September 11th, I flew to Kalispell, MT, rented a car, and drove to Salmon, ID. On paper, the drive looked simple. In actuality, it is a difficult trek with construction projects that had me drive on a gravel road in several places. I've never seen a road with so many speed limit changes, some with no warning at all, requiring thirty-five mile per hour reductions in speed. Some towns, you were permitted to drive 70 mph, while still others brought you all the way down to 25 mph. I managed to avoid all the speed traps but one, in Darby, MT. If you're driving in Montana, remember focus on the speed limit signs and the speedometer, not the road ahead of you.

After arriving in Salmon, ID around 11:00pm, I found my motel, Motel Deluxe, and checked it out. The room was very old and in need of renovation, but it was clean and comfortable. It had a full-size refrigerator and a small stove/oven. The front room had two queen-size beds, like a traditional motel room, and the back bedroom held the third queen-size bed. For $58, I thought it was quite a bargain. I'd stay there again and would recommend it.

Saturday morning, the participants converged on the Stagecoach Inn in Salmon. They provided a nice continental breakfast. There were bagels, cereals, DIY waffles, and juices. We were bused to a one-room schoolhouse in Tendoy, ID for the start. Since I had the fractured metatarsal in my right foot and another marathon the next day, I planned for a very slow run, wanting to finish in the 6-to-7 hour range. I "networked", looking for suitable running companions. After a few miles, I settled in with Lynn and Louise (from this point on, they would be known as "Thelma & Louise"). After about nine miles, Thelma was holding a pace faster than Louise and I cared to maintain and she went on head. Louise was a great companion, keeping me sensible. She had a Garmin 205 GPS watch that did an excellent job keeping us apprised of our mileage, time, and speed. I remember saying at the twenty mile marker "If we push the last 10K, we can make it in under six hour . With 5K remaining, I said "If we really hoof it, we can still make it in under six hours.", but she resisted the temptation to shoot for a meaningless goal. My final time was 6:18:03, right in my target range.

At the end of the race, we met up with Louise's husband, who finished more than two hours ahead of us. Louise suggested that we go down to the Salmon River and soak to help us recover. I was very surprised that I did. The water was very cold, but my body didn't resist like it normally would. That cold water felt so good on my legs and thighs! I don't know whether the water deserves the credit or not, but I didn't feel stiff and achy the next morning.

Overall, I'd say this was one of the easier courses I've run. The hills weren't numerous nor terribly steep, the road was mostly gravel (not as smooth as asphalt, but not as treacherous as a trail), and the temperature was quite good until nearly the end. The back of my neck, back of my arms, and back of my legs were sunburned to nice shade of red.

Pluses: beautiful scenery, very doable course, great volunteer support, near-perfect weather, a nicely-equipped medical tent that you passed twice (courtesy of a three-mile loop)

Minuses: NO FINISHER'S MEDAL!, instead you got a "finisher's poster". I didn't even unwrap mine because there was no way I would try to bring it on the plane. I threw mine in the garbage. Someone told me it was just a photo of running shoes and it had the race name and date on it. This was a major disappointment, since most reviewers of the 2008 race really liked the medal.

Neutral: Fan supporter - I wouldn't hold this against the race, as it's impossible to get thousands of screaming fans at ANY rural marathon, but the volunteers were great! There was quite a bit of "washboarding" on the gravel road, making footing a little tricky.

WII FIT IS VERY PERCEPTIVE!

2009-09-11T02:28:00.000-04:00

PHOTO 1: Ummm .... yes, I do have plans!

36 WEEKS OF WII FIT

2009-09-10T13:01:00.001-04:00

Once again, a very light week to: 1) allow the fracture to heal, and 2) prepare for my first double marathon weekend. I had a busy day in the operating room today. The orthopedic surgeons were teasing me, discussing what sort of surgery I'd need on Monday. Thanks a lot, guys!

- Posted From My iPhone

FINAL TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THIS WEEKEND

2009-09-08T16:45:00.006-04:00

PHOTO 1: Motel Deluxe in Salmon, Idaho.

PHOTO 2: Kandahar Lodge in Whitefish, Montana.

Last night, I made the final arrangements for my first double this weekend. I'll be staying the Motel Deluxe in Salmon, Idaho on September 11, 2009. The rate was really low ... $58 for a room with THREE queen-sized beds. There were smaller, cheaper rooms, but they were SMOKING rooms! My airways would be a wreck in the morning, so I opted for the only NON-SMOKING room they had. On September 12th, I'll be at the Kandahar Lodge in Whitefish, Montana. It's a bit more expensive ... around $150. I'll be renting a compact car from Alamo. With mileage charges, the car will cost around $200.

A VIDEO FOR CRAZY STEPH ONLY!

2009-09-05T21:29:00.005-04:00

Well, Crazy Steph, YOU want to see AquaJogger in action! So .... here's a clip from an advertisement! Enjoy!

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE 10K

2009-09-05T09:36:00.002-04:00

Well, I had a nice 10K run today in Portsmouth, Ohio. Thanks for pacing me, Amy! My right foot didn't bother me much and I was able to complete it wearing the fracture shoe the entire race. Several weeks back, I was thinking about trying for a sub-50 minute 10K. With a broken foot and this "viral illness", I knew that was an impossibility today. I did complete the 10K in 1:01:50, a modern-day record (meaning my times as teenager are excluded). It beat my previous best by two minutes.

Addendum: This race had a very nice dark grey technical shirt, which was surprising, given the twenty dollar registration fee. They must have had generous sponsors!

- Posted From My iPhone

MY NEXT TRIAL

2009-09-04T23:58:00.000-04:00

The next trial for my broken foot will be the "Run ForYour Life 10K" in Portsmouth, OH tomorrow. I'll be wearing the fracture shoe on my right foot during the race. Not only do I have to deal with a bad foot, but since Thursday, I've suffered with a viral illness that is hopefully not influenza. Because of these two factors, I've set minimal goals for tomorrow. First, I need to finish. Second, I'd like to finish in under 90 minutes (in order to finish next Sunday's marathon in Whitefish, MT, that's more-or-less the pace I'll need to hold). Finally, I need to have no right foot pain. More than just a twinge of pain will cancel the Idaho/Montana double marathon weekend.

- Posted From My iPhone

AQUAJOGGER - ON THE WAY!

2009-09-04T00:51:00.001-04:00

I purchased an AquaJogger system from a vendor listed on Amazon.com. Unfortunately, the vendor is thousands of miles away in California and their shipping method via UPS is slow as mud. Interestingly,UPS says it will arrive September 8th, but Amazon says it will arrive a day later, on the 9th. Go figure!

I tend to purchase a number of things online. I'm currently using the iPhone app called "Deliveries". It can track packages from numerous sources, such as UPS, FedEx, and Amazon.

35 WEEKS OF WII FIT

2009-09-03T13:55:00.001-04:00

I've managed to keep my streak going, in spite of my injury. My current Wii Fit workouts have become minimalist affairs out of necessity. I've also supplemented it with a few brief sessions at the local YMCA, just to try to get a handle on how badly I've screwed up my foot.

- Posted From My iPhone

TRIAL OF STATIONARY BICYCLE

2009-09-02T19:24:00.001-04:00

I signed up for a 45-minute cycling exercise class at the local YMCA. The sadistic instructor had us standing up on the pedals about half the time ... not so comfortable on my foot! I tried standing on my heal to keep as much weight off the metatarsals as possible, but in this position, my foot often came off the pedal. That was the toughest workout I've had in weeks!

- Posted From My iPhone

YMCA INDOOR TRACK .... AGAIN

2009-09-01T20:26:00.000-04:00

I went to the local YMCA and used the indoor elevated track. I ran the first mile (17 laps) at a nearly 9 minute mile pace, which I thought was quite good in a fracture shoe. Next, I rode a stationary recumbent bicycle for 7 minutes, then an mile on the track ... this time a bit slower, just under 10 minutes for a mile.

- Posted From My iPhone

34 WEEKS OF WII FIT FUN!

2009-09-01T03:40:00.001-04:00

I guess with all the "excitement" surrounding my broken foot, I forgot to post this last week. I'm still doing very light daily workouts to keep my streak going.

- Posted From My iPhone

REHAB IS FOR QUITTERS!

2009-08-29T17:36:00.001-04:00

Well, today I put on my fracture shoe (see above), fired up Wii Fit, and did the "Short Run" routine one time. This took me three minutes to complete, which is fairly typical. I had no pain. Good sign.

I went to the local YMCA. They have an elevated indoor track that encircles the basketball court. Seventeen laps to the mile. I ran fifty-three laps, which is about 5K, in about 30 minutes. This is actually fairly quick for me. Once again, it was painless ... at least until the last few laps, when I started to develop a blister on my right heel. I should have worn socks, but the cool air circulating around my foot felt good. Oh well. I put some moleskin on my heel. It's still sore, but getting better. Hopefully, I'll develop a callous there.

- Posted From My iPhone

A BETTER PHOTO OF SCAN

2009-08-28T13:46:00.001-04:00

I took these at the orthopedic surgeon's office. A reverse video shot shows the fractured area better ... now, it's a black ball on the right foot.

- Posted From My iPhone

PRELIMINARY DIAGNOSIS: FRACTURED METATARSAL - RIGHT FOOT

2009-08-28T12:33:00.000-04:00

See the whitish ball on top of the right midfoot? It's hard to see in this photo, but it really stands out in the actual scans. I'm told this is exactly what a stress fracture would look like. So ... I'm going out on a limb and say I have a metatarsal stress fracture in my right foot.

Dang! This may mean six weeks out-of-commission.

Can I use the fact that I had a broken foot as an excuse for missing a personal record at NYC?

- Posted From My iPhone

NEW YORK: STATE #7

2009-08-26T12:42:00.004-04:00

PHOTO: Sri Chinmoy, the person the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence Marathon is named for.

I was hoping for a sub-5 hour marathon, but something happened. My right foot hurt with each and every step. Still, I was well on my way at the 13.1 mile marker, with a time of a few ticks over 2:21. Then, at mile marker 15, both knees began to hurt a lot. I had some Voltaren gel in my Spibelt, so I applied it to both knees. It helped a little bit, but I was basically hobbled. I ran into Larry Macon, the world record holder for the most marathons in one year (105!), and hung with him until the finish at a disappointing 5:35-something. Oh well, I'm glad I got to meet Larry. He's a bit of a hero to me.

I think I'm essentially screwed until I get my foot better. I suspect that favoring my right foot put undo strain on my knees. Also, the extremely flat course gave no relief from the relentless pounding. Uphills and downhills change the way you run and can help with muscle fatigue and joint trauma, provided the hills are not crazy like they were in Fallsburg.

- Posted From My iPhone

OFF TO NYC

2009-08-24T06:10:00.001-04:00

This afternoon, I'm off to New York City for the Self-Transcendence Marathon. I feel TOTALLY wiped out this morning! I'm working a half-day today, then a 400+ mile drive. Hopefully, I'll feel better tomorrow morning.

- Posted From My iPhone

RIGHT FOOT: GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS

2009-08-22T04:08:00.001-04:00

The right foot pain seems to localize to the proximal head of the second metatarsal. The good news: it's not definitely broken. The bad news: it's not definitely NOT broken either. Next Friday, I'm having a bone scan to look to see if I have a stress fracture.

So, I'm taking it very easy until next Friday, excluding the time spent at the Self-Transcendence Marathon. I'm leaving for New York City Monday afternoon.

- Posted From My iPhone

33 WII FIT WEEKS!

2009-08-20T14:24:00.001-04:00

Another light week. I have an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon tomorrow morning. Hopefully, I'll get good news and can get back to full workouts, at least for the weekend (NY is Tuesday), and I'll probably register for a few more marathons tomorrow. If there's bad news, I guess I'll have to "figure something out" for NY, ID, and MT.

- Posted From My iPhone

DWD MEDAL! FINALLY!

2009-08-17T12:47:00.002-04:00

It took a while to get it, but at least it's nice!

- Posted From My iPhone

RACE REPORT: FALLSBURG MARATHON

2009-08-16T04:41:00.002-04:00

Well, I did manage to finish this God-forsaken race. This was easily the most difficult race I've been in. There were four legs to this race. The first leg was pretty much all asphalt road. It was hot and hilly. It made the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon seem flat by comparison. A steep uphill, hiding a steep downhill and another steep uphill. This seemed to go on ad nauseum.

Finally, the second leg began. It was mostly trail and quite a few challenging hills. Since the fourth leg is just a repeat of the second leg, you could see many of the twenty-something mile markers. It was very discouraging to think you'd be hitting this section again to finish the marathon.

The third leg was a mixture of trail and road and it was EASILY the most difficult leg. There was one hill on a trail section that was unshaded and in hot sun that really stood out. It looked like one of those hills extreme motorcyclists try to climb on ESPN ... you know, the one where most, if not everybody, fail to summit. I think it was around mile 19. The hill was extremely long and extremely steep ... the steepest I've ever faced. The ground was thick sand, which cushioned your steps, but allowed you to slide backwards. It seemed as though for every step forward, you slid back half a step, making the hill even longer. I was getting lightheaded and didn't think I could make it. Great! My first DNF simply because I can't get up this stinkin' hill! Somehow, I persevered and made it up. The rest of the leg was easier, but not by much.

Then, the fourth leg. Those hills on leg two come back to haunt you! You've been beaten and battered for twenty miles and you just want some relief. Too bad! You're not gonna get it!

The finish came about 6:45 after the start, easily my slowest, at least my slowest without extenuating circumstances. No one to blame this one on (other than the race director). I wasn't feeling well and I'm a bit injured, but I don't think that slowed me down much.

Thankfully, I had some great companions ... Sarah for the first half and Elizabeth for the second. This was Elizabeth's first marathon. She's young, so hopefully she won't be scarred for life. She's preparing for Chicago in October. That should be a piece of cake by comparison.

CONCLUSION: Far more difficult than Dances With Dirt - Devil's Lake. I'd rather run it twice back-to-back than try Fallsburg again. If you're a trail junkie or if you just love a horrific hill challenge, this is your race! If you're a crybaby like me, AVOID THIS ONE AT ALL COSTS!!! The website warns you. Heed it. They are not kidding! I figured "Hey! I survived Devil's Lake! How hard could this be?". That was stupid thinking.

The swag for this race was phenomenal! The t-shirt was probably my second-favorite (DWD rules in this category!). And if THAT'S not enough, they also give you a REALLY nice hooded sweatshirt. It's not your typical crappy, low-quality deal. This one is substantial and feels nice. Can't wait for cold weather! Finishers also got a full-sized bath towel. It's a beautiful shade of pink and, in black printing, it says "OLD FARTS RUNNING CLUB" on it. It's thick and feels great. No cheap stuff here! The finisher's medal was nice, but somewhat generic. This puts it head-and-shoulders above DWD, since I STILL HAVE NO FINISHER'S MEDAL! For the $50 entry fee, you definitely get your money's worth! The only real criticism I'd offer is the water at the aid stations needs to be cold, or at least cool ... not lukewarm. At least there were a good number of aid stations for a marathon of this type ... one about every three miles.

- Posted From My iPhone

HEADED FOR MY FIRST DNF?

2009-08-15T01:25:00.002-04:00

Several forces are conspiring to make the Fallsburg Marathon my potential Waterloo. First, my right foot has become a bit more painful. Second, the latest weather forecast now has even higher temperatures ... I may be looking at near-90 degrees toward the end ... if I last that long. Third, the National Weather Service has issued an "Air Quality Alert" for raceday. Fourth, I'm apparently getting some sort of viral illness ... I'm "open at both ends", feel very weak, jittery, and feverish. And if that's not enough, I can tell you that the sprinklers at the edge of the Meijer parking lot in Grand Rapids go off at exactly 1:12 a.m. and lasts for who-knows-when. Luckily, the water hasn't penetrated my Element's cabana ... yet!

- Posted From My iPhone

32 WEEKS OF WII FIT

2009-08-14T05:25:00.002-04:00

I finished 32 weeks of Wii Fit yesterday. It was a fairly light week because my right foot has been hurting and I was hoping it would improve by the Fallsburg Marathon. It hasn't. It's not any worse, but it's definitely not better. A friend of mine suggested a metatarsal stress fracture. My pain is on the top of my foot, around where the middle of the second and third metatarsals would be. I've been reading up on metatarsal stress fractures and it sounds like they're fairly painful. My pain is relatively mild, so I'm hopeful that it's just a bruise or a sprain/strain type issue. The race starts in a little over 24 hours and I'm worried that I may be headed for my first DNF.

31 STRAIGHT WEEKS OF WII FIT!

2009-08-06T15:44:00.001-04:00

- Posted From My iPhone

COMING SOON: SELF-TRANSCENDENCE MARATHON

2009-08-04T17:19:00.003-04:00

I sent in my entry form and fee for the Self-Transcendence Marathon at Rockland Lake State Park near New York City. The race is on August 25th. I decided to enter this one for several reasons. First, it's on a Tuesday! A Tuesday? Who holds a race on a Tuesday???? Second, the reviews from past participants sound interesting ... people chanting, singing, playing violas! Odd. Finally, this race has an incredible international flavor. I just looked over the pre-registered runners and there are 303 ... but only one-third ... 101 ... were from the U.S.! Here a list of the countries and number of participants: Austria (26), Australia (4), Brazil (5), Bulgaria (5), Canada (7), Croatia (1) Czech Republic (30), England (3), Finland (2), France (6), Germany (32), Hungary (9), Italy (3), Kazachstan (1), Luxembourg (1), Macedonia (4), Netherlands (7), New Zealand (6), Poland (1), Portugal (1), Romania (1), Russia (8), Scotland (2), Serbia (2), Slovakia (6), South Africa (3), Switzerland (19), Ukraine (1), UK (4), Wales (1), Yugoslavia (1). It'll be like running in an international marathon without leaving the country!

NEXT UP: FALLSBURG MARATHON

2009-08-01T14:17:00.002-04:00

This morning I sent in my registration form for the Fallsburg Marathon in Lowell, MI on August 15, 2009. It sounds like it's a tough course, mostly on trails. This will make State #6 in my 50 States journey.

MY FIRST DOUBLE ... REALLY!

2009-08-01T08:21:00.000-04:00

Well, New Hampshire and Maine marathons on October 3rd and 4th were supposed to be my first double marathon weekend. However, I signed up to do an Idaho/Montana double. On Saturday, September 12th, I'll be in Salmon, Idaho participating in the Salmon Marathon. After the race, I'll drive around 300 miles to Whitefish, Montana to participate in the Two Bear Marathon on Sunday, September 13th. My flight schedule is ~~kind of~~ crazy. On the Friday morning of September 11th, I'll leave Roanoke, fly to Atlanta, change planes, fly to Salt Lake City, change planes, then fly to my final destination of Kalispell, Montana. My return fly is worse ... Sunday evening, I'll fly from Kalispell, MT to Salt Lake City, change planes, fly to SeaTac (Seattle/Tacoma), change planes, fly to Atlanta, change planes, then fly to Roanoke. I should arrive in Roanoke by noon Monday.

30 STRAIGHT WEEKS!

2009-07-30T06:29:00.001-04:00

It was a hard week that required me to pack up the Wii Fit and bring it on vacation ... buy I made it!

- Posted From My iPhone

CRAZY STEPH TEARS UP SAN FRAN!

2009-07-26T19:35:00.006-04:00

Results from San Francisco Marathon held earlier today:

Way to go, Crazy Steph! ...

but weren't you supposed to be pacing??

- Posted From My iPhone

ADDENDUM: There may have been a timing issue. The marathon's website says results will be posted on July 26th (yesterday), but I still don't see them. A great run nonetheless.

AROUND THE LAKE MARATHON

2009-07-25T10:39:00.003-04:00

PHOTO: Instead of getting my name printed on my bib, I decided to have "NOT RYAN HALL" printed on it. On multiple loop courses like this one, people always mistake me for Ryan Hall, America's premiere marathoner. It's probably because every time I approach the finish line, I'm just in front of the leaders. Everyone thinks I'm leading, when, in reality, I'm just about to get lapped!

Well, it's 10AM Saturday morning. I finished my fifth marathon about nine and a half hours ago. I didn't set a blazing pace, but I did manage to set a PR. My left knee and hip bore the brunt of the pounding from the asphalt and concrete. By the end of the fourth (of eight) lap. I wasn't sure I'd be able to finish, let alone finish well. As time wore on, my math grew fuzzy, but it looked like if I could keep my pace, I would probably beat my PR and, possibly, break 5:30.

After five laps, it looked like I was losing significant ground on my time, but by the end of the sixth lap, things looked a little more promising.

Pushing the pain out of my mind, I had a good seventh lap. At that point, I knew, barring a major problem, I'd beat my PR and, if I maintained my pace, I'd probably break 5:30.

On the eighth lap, I had a lot of muscle cramps in my legs. If I pushed hard and stretched out my stride, somehow I felt better. As I approached the start/finish line for the last time, I could barely make out the time ... low 5:17. I bolted on in for a high 5:17 finish. I'm calling it 5:17:59, but it should be a little lower than that.

- Posted From My iPhone

UH-OH! FLOODING IN THE WAKEFIELD AREA!

2009-07-23T18:24:00.001-04:00

Luckily, the race is around a lake, so there's a place for all the water to go!

- Posted From My iPhone

29 WEEKS

2009-07-23T08:34:00.001-04:00

It's been 29 weeks since my Wii Fit journey began. This has been a light workout week for several reasons: 1. I'm on vacation, 2. I'm trying to allow my toes to recover a bit, and 3. my next marathon begins at 8 p.m. tomorrow night.

Oh well. At least I took the effort to buy a new TV, pack up the Nintendo Wii, Wii Fit board, and Wii Fit game, haul everything 700 miles, set everything up, and use it at least a little every day.

I'll probably do a very light workout tomorrow morning (pre-race) and Saturday afternoon (post-race), then do a brief early-morning workout on Sunday before heading back to Virginia.

-- Post From My iPhone

STEROIDS - A MAN'S GOTTA DO WHAT A MAN'S GOTTA DO!

2009-07-21T20:11:00.000-04:00

My most favorite course in both pharmacy school and medical school was biochemistry. I've been channeling this interest into studying why our performance declines with age, especially in males.

As we men hit our forties, several changes begin to occur. Hormonal changes are blamed for many of the maladies affecting middle-aged women. I don't think we hear nearly as much about the changes occurring in males.

Middle-aged males typically experience a decline in free testosterone, the active form of the hormone. Several things can cause this: a primary failure of testes, a pituitary problem, or a hypothalmic problem. Let's discuss how the system should work: the hypothalamus, sensing a fall in testosterone levels, releases a hormone called LHRH (luteinizing hormone releasing hormone). This LHRH stimulates the pituitary gland to release LH (luteinizing hormone). The LH then stimulates the testes to produce testosterone. A disorder anywhere in this pathway could lead to suboptimal testosterone levels.

Figure 1: notice the "A" ring (lower leftmost ring). A single double bond within the ring and a double-bonded oxygen attached to it.

So, do most middle-aged men have a hypothalmic, pituitary, or testicular problem leading to low testosterone? Probably not. I suspect most men are producing enough testosterone. Then what's happening? Estrogens.

Figure 2: Estradiol has been formed by "aromatizing" the A-ring. Note the hydroxy groups in red. Two -OH groups in the molecule make it a "di-ol", in this case, Estradiol.

Estradiol, a potent estrogen produced by our bodies, is a metabolite of testosterone. An enzyme called "aromatase" is necessary for this conversion and it becomes more active in older males.

Women can have mood changes and other problems with hormonal changes ... why don't men? Well, probably because they do experience these things ... changes in mood, such as depression, changes in sexual performance (ever hear of Viagra?), and changes in our bodies, such as muscle atrophy and fat deposition.

So, the answer is testosterone supplementation, right? Well, my experience has been that things are rarely that simple in biochemistry. Adding more testosterone to the mix may actually worsen the problem. How? Read on!

My high school chemistry teacher, Mr. Brandt, would be so proud of me! I actually paid attention in his class and remember something he taught me about thirty years ago. A French chemist, Henry Louis Le Chatelier, described a principle that bears his name. Le Chatelier's Principle, simply stated, says "If you place a stress on a chemical system at equilibrium, the system will shift to try to minimize the effect of that stress". So, if you add more testosterone to the system, the aromatase enzyme will work to convert even more testosterone to estradiol. Bummer.

Hold on ... it gets worse. It turns out that estradiol stimulates the production of SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin), a protein that binds free testosterone, making it unable to bind to testosterone receptor sites. If testosterone can't bind to its receptors, it's inactive. The net effect of testosterone supplementation may be increased estradiol (bad), increased SHBG (bad), and no significant increase (and possibly a decrease) in free testosterone (bad).

Is there any hope? Are we men destined to become hormonal cripples? The answers are "yes" and "no", respectively. A drug already exists that may be the answer. Breast cancer research has led to the development of a drug called "anastrozole" (brand name: Arimidex). It turns out that anastrozole is a potent inhibitor of the aromatase enzyme. It blocks the production of estrogen. Certain forms of breast cancer are responsive to estrogen and their growth can be inhibited by lower estrogen levels.

Oh, I almost forgot! Good luck finding a doctor who will prescribe a breast cancer drug to middle-aged man that he, incorrectly, views as "normal". I'll throw you a bone, though ... google the word "chrysin" and see what you can find. Anastrozole has a more rapid onset and is more powerful, but chrysin is more readily available. Since chrysin by itself is poorly absorbed, you'll have to wade through the reports that it is ineffective. By itself, it very well may be ineffective. Look into novel formulations that claim to improve absorption and document in vivo efficacy.

MY VACATION STARTS ... TOMORROW!

2009-07-18T19:03:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow, I'll drive to Rhode island to visit inlaws and to prepare for next Friday's Around The Lake Marathon in Wakefield, MA.

I'll probably slack off on my training a bit and enjoy the beach. I might even bring my surfboard and catch a few waves. Don't worry! I'll be bringing my Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit along to keep my streak alive ...

Since I don't want to monopolize the in-laws' TVs, I bought a cheapo portable TV to use while I'm there. It has jacks for my wireless Sennheiser headphones to plug into so I won't disturb anyone.

LOOK WHAT I GOT IN THE MAIL!

2009-07-17T02:09:00.005-04:00

NOTE: Both videos are the same. The top one was loaded directly into Blogger, the bottom is embedded through YouTube. Which looks better?

28 WIIKS!

2009-07-16T06:12:00.001-04:00

28 weeks of Wii Fit without missing a day! I'd be impressed too if it didn't seem so easy. I'll be visiting the in-laws for a few days next week. Does that mean my streak will finally come to an end? Nope. My Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit will take a roadtrip!

-- Posted From My iPhone

PRODUCT REVIEW: FUEL BELT HELIUM

2009-07-15T05:03:00.000-04:00

I won't be using my new Fuel Belt on any more trail marathons. In hindsight, the Fuel Belt worked as well as could be expected. Four 4-ounce bottles may sound like a lot, but in reality, it wasn't nearly enough for the Dances With Dirt trail marathon.

For a trail 10K or half marathon, the 16-ounce capacity is probably enough. A marathon? I'll never try THAT again. Rick from MI had a large backpack-style hydration pack made by Nathan. The capacity was 70-80 ounces, if I recall correctly. THAT'S the way to go! I might have to refill it once and still supplement my intake at the aid stations, but I know I would have consumed a lot more water with it.

As far as comfort goes, the Fuel Belt performed well. I hardly knew it was there and only had to tighten once, in the waning miles of the marathon.

The tops of the water bottles had two detents on them, allowing them to permit partial or full flow through the cap. I found I would forget this feature and struggle to get fluid through the partially-opened cap or I wouldn't get the cap completely closed and I'd be reminded by water splashing everywhere.

The bottleholders on the belt held the bottles snuggly ... If you placed them in properly, which is nearly impossible to do one-handed. The bottles could easily fall through holders if not placed properly. Also, when I tripped over a large tree root and fell late in the race, the bottles went everywhere.

So, for trail 10Ks and half-marathons held on days without a lot of heat, the Fuel Belt 4x4-oz. Helium model will likely perform well. On a trail marathon, there's just not enough water for me to recommend it.

-- Posted From My iPhone

ANOTHER BLAST FROM THE PAST

2009-07-14T01:47:00.001-04:00

I found this photo a few minutes ago. I think it was taken during my junior year at Forest Park High School, which would mean it was probably taken late summer/early fall 1979 ... thirty years ago! YIKES!

-- Posted From My iPhone

I'M COMMITTED (OR "I SHOULD BE COMMITTED!")

2009-07-13T03:11:00.001-04:00

"Committed" ... one little word, multiple meanings.

I signed up for the New Hampshire Marathon on October 3rd. I've paid my money. I'm committed.

I signed up for the Maine Marathon on October 4th ... the very next day. I've paid my money. I'm committed.

My first double. I probably SHOULD be committed.

-- Posted From My iPhone

PREPARING FOR MY FIRST DOUBLE

2009-07-12T22:34:00.002-04:00

PHOTO: Me and my workout buddy.
I'm planning on running the New Hampshire Marathon on October 3rd and the Maine Marathon on October 4th. So, instead of taking it easy the day after a marathon, I worked out for three hours, my usual daily maximum (that's the most Wii Fit will give you credit for). I'm mild-to-moderately stiif and sore, but the workout went well. In fact, once I got moving, the stiffness and soreness abated.

HURRAY! I'M LOSING MY FIRST TOENAILS!

2009-07-12T11:29:00.002-04:00

Some people think you're not a real trail runner until you lose your first toenail ... looks like I'll be a real trail runner real soon!

MISCELLANEOUS WHININGS OF A TRAIL MARATHON CRYBABY

2009-07-12T07:34:00.003-04:00

First, I believe in the "trickle down" theory. If there are not enough medals, they should go to the longer-distance runners first. The 50 milers first, then the 50Kers, then the marathoners, then the half-marathoners. At Dances With Dirt, the 50 milers and 50Kers had their own medal. Us marathoners shared medals with half-marathoners. From what I heard, there were many half-marathoners who registered the morning of. If the marathoners only get an hour head start on the half-marathoners, guess who's gonna finish first, gobbling up all the medals? So, the half-marathoners walked away with all the medals (there weren't even enough for them!). They said they'll mail us one, but that's kinda anticlimactic. Another way to do it: "Did you pre-register? No? Oh, then we'll mail you your medal.".

Second, the course needed better signage. The trail ribbons were well-done, but some of the turns were confusing, leading people to run further than they intended. A few numbered signs could have cut down on the confusion.

On the plus side, there were ample ribbons, if you could decipher the turns properly. And the race shirt was FABULOUS!

CRAZY STEPH: THE MAD CHICK OF WISCONSIN

2009-07-11T20:52:00.001-04:00

Well, she did it. She won the Dances With Dirt Marathon in Baraboo, WI. just so she didn't make everyone look bad, she ran about 29 miles before finishing in 5 hours. She still beat me by 54 minutes and I only ran 26.2 miles.

This was a very brutal course. I think what helped me the most were these things: 1. There were places on the course where it was impossible to run, like a very long, irregular "staircase" of rocks (this favored the slower runners like me), 2. The course could have been marked more clearly (many runners I beat probably got lost), and 3. I ran with the guy who placed the markers for much of the course, so I KNEW we were going the right way. The trouble is he's a much better runner than me ... I felt like I had a tiger by the tail and I didn't dare let go!

By the way, I finished third in my age group.

-- Posted From My iPhone

DANCES WITH DIRT PRE-RACE UPDATE

2009-07-11T02:39:00.002-04:00

I made it to Baraboo around 7:30 pm. The flight into Madison, WI was delayed around an hour or so. I rented a Dodge Dakota pickup truck from Enterprise. Upon arriving in Baraboo, I checked into the Thunderbird Motor Inn. I was concerned about what I'd find when I opened the room door, but it was actually quite nice inside. I drove out to the start/finish line and picked up my race packet. The race shirt is beautiful ... the nicest I've ever recieved! I had dinner at the Log Cabin Restaurant in Baraboo. I had a fabulous meal there ... chicken/mushroom entree, bread basket, wonderful garlic pasta side dish, mashed potatoes, and, for dessert, banana cream pie. I was starving! I even got a side of the pasta to go and ate it in my room! Five star!

You can see a map of where I am by following this link:

http://scribular.com/journey/dnqck2gd328

-- Posted From My iPhone

TRIP TO BARABOO, WI

2009-07-10T11:19:00.004-04:00

You can check out the progress of my trip to Baraboo, WI for the Dances With Dirt Marathon on JourneyCast.

WEATHER FORECAST: BARABOO, WI

2009-07-09T19:06:00.001-04:00

-- Posted From My iPhone

MY RACE TAT

2009-07-09T17:28:00.001-04:00

Featuring "The Dances With Dirt Dude".

-- Posted From My iPhone

27 WEEKS OF WII FIT/WII FAT

2009-07-09T06:06:00.001-04:00

I took it very easy this week. My left knee tendinitis (Nintendonitis) is doing better. With the Dances With Dirt Trail Marathon in Baraboo, Wisconsin starting in 48 hours from now, I'm not inclined to do anything to inflame it.

Thankful, the toughest leg of the race is first, so if I make it through the first, the rest should be easier. I suspect I'll walk a lot that first leg to protect my knee.

-- Posted From My iPhone

TODAY'S WORKOUT

2009-07-07T10:44:00.002-04:00

Walking all over Busch Gardens Williamsburg!

MOBILE RACE COMMAND CENTER

2009-07-06T10:46:00.007-04:00

If a race isn't too far away, I'll often take my Element, my home-away-from-home. This weekend's race in Wisconsin is too far, over 1600 miles roundtrip according to Google Maps. I've installed a Mac Mini in my car to keep me entertained on the road. I can play tunes while driving and watch movies and TV shows when parked. If I looked tired at Hatfield-McCoy, part of the reason was I stayed up too late watching the season premiere of Weeds!

To install the Mac Mini, the first problem I needed to solve was "Where will all mount all this stuff?". The Honda Element doesn't really have a good hiding space for all the hardware I needed. The Element SC, however, has a HUGE center console and it looked big enough for my purposes. There's a company in Michigan that modifies Element SCs to make them suitable for handicapped drivers. They rip out the consoles and sell them on eBay. I think I had to pay around $500 for mine (that's including the handbrake, as the standard one won't work).

PHOTO 1: How the console looked when it arrived

PHOTO 2: Holy cow! It fits!

PHOTO 3: Carnetix P1900V/P5V PSU ... puts the Mini to sleep when ignition is off, wakes it up when it's on.

PHOTO 4: Carnetix Mac Kit requires you to wire it to the Mini's on/off switch internally. It replaces the Mini's cord and power supply brick.

PHOTO 5: Carnetix PSU installed under passenger's seat. I don't like things like this installed on the floor, but I didn't have much choice and it's been no problem ... yet.

PHOTO 6: Installing the new handbrake. I had to remove the driver's seat. Bummer.

PHOTO 7: Handbrake installed, head unit out, and console dry-fitted.

PHOTO 8: Apple Dock painted and installed. Griffin PowerMate installed.

PHOTO 9: Touchscreen installed. OSX Combined Update being installed.

PHOTO 10: The head unit and Mac Mini in place. There's a pocket beside the Mac Mini with a 4-port USB hub in it. I had a local car stereo installer fabricate some of the special parts. He did a nice job.

PHOTO 11: I have an Apple Bluetooth Keyboard and Mighty Mouse for use when I'm not in motion.

PHOTO 12: I fabricated a platform that can be installed when I remove the rear seats. I place a Cabelas camp mattress on it, making it shockingly comfortable to sleep on.

PHOTO 13: A view of the platform from the side door looking back. The black fabric is a cabana specifically made for the Element that I purchased from Honda.

PRODUCT REVIEW: JOURNEYCAST FOR THE IPHONE 3G & 3G-S

2009-07-05T17:45:00.007-04:00

The patellar tendinitis, AKA Nintendonitis, in my left knee has flared up once again, so I did a light workout yesterday. Today, I wanted to calibrate my iPhone 3G-S's Nike+iPod app at the local high school track, but I couldn't get it to recognize the new sensor I purchased. It turns out, you have to go to the iPhone's main settings app to sync a new sensor ... I forgot about this, I guess, until later.

Since I couldn't get it to work, I decided to try out an app I purchased today called "JourneyCast". It will automatically upload your GPS coordinates to special servers. Or, if you choose, you can upload your location manually with a touch of a button. You can add a note to the waypoint if you add it manually. If you don't have an internet connection, the app with log your points and upload them when you do get a connection. The program gives you a secret weblink where you can view your journey on a map, satellite image, or a hybrid. You can email the link to your friends and they can follow along. Cool!

After trying it out on the quarter-mile track, I'm impressed with it's accuracy. All the data points were on or abutting the track. According to the waypoints, it took me 15 minutes to complete a mile ... not bad considering I stopped three times each lap to stretch my left knee for 20 seconds. I also tracked my journey from the track to my home (about a 10 mile trek) and all those data points were on the roads I traveled. When I zoomed in on the satellite view, my final waypoint was in my driveway, right where I parked ... awesome!

TRAIL SHOPPING, PART IV

2009-07-04T19:11:00.002-04:00

When I was in Cincinnati, OH two weeks ago, I stopped by the Apple Store in Kenwood Towne Centre. You can tell it's a swanky mall because "Town" and "Center" don't typically end with the letter "e" ... at least not in the U.S.! I decided to retire my old first generation iPhone and get a new iPhone 3G-S. It has Nike+iPod capability built-in. So ... I "had" to purchase a sensor for my new Nike Air Pegasus. Oops! I meant to ay my new Salomon XT Wings! I guess I'll glue it into the lace pocket with rubber cement or something.

Now, I'll have a clue how far I've travelled on Saturday! I don't have one of them high-falutin' Garmin GPS/HR watches ... at least not yet!

TRAIL SHOPPING, PART III

2009-07-04T18:59:00.003-04:00

A friend of mine told me to get some shoes specific for a trail race. Since he's completed over 250 marathons (and 50 States twice!), I gave his advice the attention it was due. I purchased the Salomon XT Wings in size 12. Normally, I wear size 11, but this shoe seems to run a little small and the 11s were tight on my toes.

The Kevlar lacing system is awesome! One quick pull and it's laced tight. There's even a pocket to tuck the excess lacing into. The uppers are a breathable mesh and I think it'll wick well.

TRAIL SHOPPING, PART II

2009-07-04T18:44:00.003-04:00

Since watering holes will likely be scarce as well, I purchased a Fuel Belt ... the Helium model in Hibiscus Pink, or, as I prefer, Flying Pig Pink! It has four four-ounces bottles and a zip-up pouch just small enough to ensure an iPhone won't fit in it.

To fill the bottles, I'll use nuun tablets. I'll probably dissolve them in water.

TRAIL SHOPPING, PART I

2009-07-04T18:07:00.003-04:00

Trail races typically have a much smaller support network when compared with their road brethren. In my only trail half-marathon, the aid stations were few and far between. While there's a men's restroom practically behind every tree, women's facilities are nearly impossible to find. Thanks for that Y-chromosome, Dad!

So... I decided to stock up on some treats for the race. I purchased some packets of GU Energy Gel in various flavors... Vanilla Bean, Chocolate Outrage, and Orange Burst. I picked Orange Burst because the packaging coordinates with my car. Good call!

I also picked up a pack of Carb Boom because I know Crazy Steph won't use anything else! I had to drive all over Roanoke to find it! OK, the truth is she HATES Carb Boom and the one in the photo was a leftover from the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon.

SIX MONTHS!

2009-07-02T06:48:00.001-04:00

Twenty-six weeks! That's almost half a year!

-- Posted From My iPhone

THIS IS GONNA HURT!

2009-07-01T20:31:00.002-04:00

Well, I'm off to my biggest challenge yet, the Dances With Dirt Marathon, thanks to the coaxing of Steph, who will, from this point on, be known as "Crazy Steph". This trail marathon looks like a scary roller coaster ... high peaks and steep inclines.

Baraboo, WI ... here I come!

FIRST FULL DAY BACK

2009-06-30T22:49:00.002-04:00

I had my first full workout day since the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon. The Nintendonitis in my left knee seems to be abating.

MY NEW LONGER DISTANCE SHOES

2009-06-28T22:37:00.001-04:00

Parts of western West Virginia have received a lot of rain in the past few months, leading to problems with flooding. Many people lost driveways, homes, and personal belongings ... I lost my beloved Nike Air Pegasus.

During the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon, there were parts, mostly between miles 14-17 I think, where the course became a trail and, at times, a swamp. There was one place where I thought there was rock that might provide good footing. It turned out to be quicksand-like and I rapidly sank up to my ankles ... both feet!

Dang! My shoes were waterlogged AND filled with a fine gritty material. Shoot! Still about ten miles to go. Now my shoes feel like lead weights. I was certain the fine gravel in my shoes would become unbearable ... but it didn't!

My two-year old Air Pegasus' are now nasty. My new shoes, Nike Air Pegasus+ 26, are seen in the photo above on the right, while my old shoes are on the left. At the beginning of the race, my old shoes were as white as my new shoes.

I've decided to use my old Air Pegasus for trail races and nasty weather road races.

-- Posted From My iPhone

BACK ON TRACK?

2009-06-27T08:44:00.001-04:00

I was able to put in an hour's worth of training yesterday ... two ten minute intervals, one thirty minute interval, then finishing with a final ten minute interval. This was all virtually discomfort-free.

-- Post From My iPhone

DIAGNOSIS: NINTENDONITIS

2009-06-26T11:33:00.003-04:00

Well, I saw an orthopedic surgeon today. The tentative diagnosis is tendinitis, so that's a relief. I'm going to start ramping up my workouts slowly and keep popping Motrin for now.

25 WII FIT WEEKS!

2009-06-25T11:35:00.001-04:00

This past week last been a light one. Since Tuesday of last week, I've had some discomfort in my left knee. I was hoping a light workout week would resolve the situation, but I don't feel I'm much better yet. More tomorrow ... I have an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon in the morning.

-- Post From My iPhone

400 DAY ANNIVERSARY!

2009-06-24T07:31:00.000-04:00

What a touching occasion! I wish I'd been USING Wii Fit all that time, instead of letting it gather dust most of the first 200 days!

-- Posted From My iPhone

SANTA'S SUMMER RUN 5K

2009-06-20T23:55:00.001-04:00

It was a beautiful, cool, slightly breezy morning in Piketon, Ohio, perfect for a little 5K run ... then the race started. The cool breeze died and the sun came out. My daughter and I ran together. We scouted out her competition and saw only one girl who appeared to be in her age group. As soon as the race started, this girl took off like she was shot from a cannon. Oh well, second in her age group wouldn't be bad. After we finished in a pokey time of around 34 minutes, I asked the girl how old she was and she replied "16". I couldn't believe it! She looked like she was 11! So, my daughter ended up winning her division ... in fact, she was the only runner 14 & under, male or female. She received a ribbon for her efforts. Even I got a medal ... third in my age group (I think there were only three in my age group)!

For an inaugural race, it ran fairly smoothly. A few more volunteers at the turns to ensure that no one got off course would have been great.

-- Posted From My iPhone

24 WEEKS OF WII FIT

2009-06-18T09:49:00.001-04:00

-- Posted From My iPhone

100th ANNUAL THANKSGIVING DAY RACE

2009-06-16T15:31:00.001-04:00

I signed up to run the 100th Annual Thanksgiving Day Race in Cincinnati, OH this year. I ran the race back in 1979 (the 70th edition). Yes, the photo is me running that race.

-- Posted From My iPhone

WEST VIRGINIA DOWN; 47 STATES TO GO!

2009-06-14T07:44:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I completed the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon. The heat, the high humidity, and the hills conspired together to ensure this would be no personal record day.

I had checked weather forecasts for Goody, KY & Williamson, WV on my iPhone using the WeatherBug Elite application. It predicted temperatures in the mid-60s for the start of the race, climbing to the low-70s by race's end (at least the end for me). When the starting gun sounded, the temperature was already at 71 degrees. By the time I finished, five hours and fifty-six minutes later, the temperature had climbed to over 79 degrees and humidity was at 100% in nearby Pikeville, KY, according to wunderground.com.

The course's major hill occurs from about the six and eight mile marker and is known as "Blackberry Hill". Blackberry? Sounds painful for an iPhone advocate! I can unequivocally say "The Blackberry experience is a miserable one". There were also other, smaller hills along the way. The last one, occurred around mile 22 or 23, was, in some ways, worse than Blackberry Hill. It wasn't as long and it wasn't as steep, but the temperature was higher and the fatigue factor was much greater.

I ran with my buddy Carol, whom I'd met at the R.U.T.S. in Paducah, KY. We started out doing a Jeff Galloway-style interval technique, consisting of running two minutes and walking one minute. As the mile markers rose into the upper teens, it became obvious that, at our current rate, a sub-six hour finishing time wouldn't happen. At the twenty-mile marker, there was 10km left and only an hour and fifteen minutes remaining before the six-hour hour. I decided to use up what I had left. I'd either make it sub-six or crash 'n' burn along the way. Since my best 10km time is only about one hour and three minutes, it seemed like a Herculean task twenty miles into the race. I remained doing the 2 minute run/1 minute walk until mile marker 25, where I ignored my interval timer and just ran. I was hoping for better than 5:56:05 when I crossed the finish line, but I was relieved when it wasn't higher.

The race director, David Hatfield, did a fantastic job. At Friday night's pasta dinner, his monologuing, with his folksy humor, were my favorite part of the race. With the exception of one area, the race organization was top-notch. After the finish, you get your medal (a nice one) and, after your finishing position is posted, you can go to a table to pick up a finisher's award. It consisted of a metal plaque with the race logo and your finishing position engraved on it, attached to a block of wood, stuck down in a Mason jar. It was beautiful, clever, and creative ... quite the conversation piece. The problem? When I went to the table to retrieve mine, it had apparently been given to someone else. The ladies working the table seemed unsympathetic to my plight. After several minutes had passed, it became obvious that no quick-fix was to be forthcoming. I realize they can't pull one out of thin air, but there should have been an offer to make it right. I would have settled for an uncustomized one, without my finishing position (nothing to brag about anyway) or an offer to mail me one. An inauspicious ending to an otherwise great race.

CRAZY LADY I MET AT HATFIELD-McCOY MARATHON

2009-06-12T19:23:00.002-04:00

Linda used to be race coordinator for the marathon, but she's been hampered a bit by breast cancer. She's recovering from a double mastectomy. You go, girl!

-- Posted From My iPhone

WHY IT TOOK ME 7 HOURS FOR R.U.T.S. MARATHON

2009-06-11T22:35:00.002-04:00

Here is why it took me nearly seven hours to complete the Run Under The Stars Marathon ... And why I'm quite proud of it!

My 12 year-old daughter ran with me! She was able to complete 17 miles before her little legs gave out. Her longest run up to this point was one mile. This was a great event for her since it was on a half-mile horse track. She was never further than a quarter-mile from a place to sit down and rest.

She's eager to try for more in July at the 24 Hours Around The Lake event in Wakefield, MA. This will be great, since she'll have 24 hours to complete the marathon if she feels up to it. And, since it's on a three-mile loop course, she's only 1.5 miles at the most from the start/finish line.