Endorphin Dude

I completed my third marathon this weekend. That in itself is a win! I didn't quite reach my goal of improving on my 6:12 time, but I did improve by a whopping hour from my previous race! The Santa Rosa Marathon beat me up. I seriously thought I was going to earn a PR at this race, but the unpaved gravel paths wore me out. I need to figure out what's happening to me at miles 19 thorough 23. I know it's all mental. I had a colossal meltdown, but at least I was able to recover at mile 25. Live and learn. All in all, I have happy with my August 28-Day Challenge. I went out there and completed two full marathons and one half. Overall, this weekend was a huge win for me. Even though I did not hit the time that I wanted, I still finished the race. The Santa Rosa Marathon qualified for Marathon Maniacs. I received my credentials after completing my third marathon within a 90 day time frame. I am very happy to enter the the InSane AsyLum as Marathon Maniac #2810! This race also put me in the quarter of the century mark. As of October 2009, I have run 22 half marathons and 3 full ones. I chalk that up as a WIN!

8/22 - Extraterrestrial Highway Midnight Marathon Goal: Improve on my 6:12 finish at the San Francisco Marathon. Full marathon #2 completed. I have to say, though, E.T. kicked my ass, and as a result, I didn't quite hit my goal. Who am I kidding, I fell far short of my goal! Damn E.T.! I wish that alien would just phone home and go away! It took me 7:46:48 to finish this grueling race. I learned something valuable this weekend: don't expect a PR on the Extraterrestrial Highway. The high altitude, the gradual incline of 1000 feet over the first 13 miles, and sleep deprivation, don't really make for ideal marathon conditions. In spite of all this, I still crossed that finish line and earned my second 26.2 miler medal. Hey, I finished, and I have the medal to prove it!

8/7 - Salinas Valley Half Marathon Goal: Complete this race in 2:35:00. Gun Time: 2:38:26 I am chalking this one up as a win. My gun time for the Salinas Valley Half Marathon was 2:38:26, but it did take about 4 minutes to get out of the gate! WIN.

I accomplished something pretty extraordinary last weekend: I ran my first full marathon. That's 26.2 miles. This was the single most difficult thing I've ever set out to do, but it is, hands down, the most rewarding. I worked so hard to achieve this goal, and when I crossed that finish line, I saw the past year of blood, sweat, and tears flash before my eyes. What an incredibly surreal moment, one that felt like a euphoric out of body experience. I have never ever felt runner's high to that degree. I will be replaying that moment in my head, over and over again, for the rest of my life. I am proud to say that The Nerd Fitness Rebellion played a huge part in me crossing that finish line. This army made kept me accountable every step of the way. This army also provided me with the support I needed when things weren't looking so good. I am so looking forward to round three of this 28-Day Challenge. My goals for August: 8/7 - Salinas Valley Half Marathon Goal: Complete this race in 2:35:00. 8/22 - Extraterrestrial Highway Midnight Marathon Goal: Improve on my 6:12 finish at the San Francisco Marathon. 8/29 - Santa Rosa Marathon Goal: Improve on my 6:12 finish at the San Francisco Marathon, or whatever my finish time at the E.T. Highway race is.

Half Marathon #20 done! I came into this trail race completely skeptical, but after running it, I have decided not to give up on trails just yet. Yes, I felt like an American at Roland Garros, but with a little more practice and some trail shoes, I'll be able to get it. The Pacifica Trail Race is a big win for me. I finished in 3:45:39, which is 6 minutes better than my Horseshoe Lake Trail race. I am 39 seconds off my projected 28 Day Challenge goal, but the important thing here is that this race renewed my faith in the trails and gives me a huge confidence boost after last weekend's Double Dipsea beating. With the San Francisco Marathon three weeks away, my confidence is riding high. Just as a side note, I did get lost at about mile 9, but I learned from my mistake the previous week but I got back on track pretty quickly. I only lost about 5 minutes this time rather than 2.8 miles! With that said, had I not made that left turn, I would have shattered my goal!

Half Marathon #19 completed. However, I'm not going to sugar coat it. The Double Dipsea nearly killed me. This is a handicap race, and because I am a 36 year old male, I did not get a head start. I was already way back in the back of the pack, so it slowed me down even further when I took the wrong turn and ended up going 2.8 miles in the opposite direction. I finished this grueling race in 5:05:00. 5 hours! I did not meet my 28 Day Challenge goal, but given that this race was not your typical half marathon, I am glad I was able to finish. I have to rethink this trail race thing though. I think I'm better off running in the city! Below is a map of the course. Check out some of the names: "Insult Hill," "Cardiac Hill," and "Suicide Hill." Yes, I was insulted, I almost had a heart attack, and I contemplated suicide. This was the most grueling half marathon of the 19 I have run to date. Seriously, I may have been a dumb ass for getting lost, but I'm a bad ass for getting back on track and finishing the damn race! So even though I was a whole hour off my projected time, I'm chalking this one up as a WIN!

The cape is back from the cleaners, and I am ready to fly! This edition of the 28 day challenge is huge for me, as it leads up to my first full marathon on July 25th. I have three half marathons leading up to the full. These are my goals: 6/26 - Double Dipsea Race This is going to be a killer race. Although this is a handicap race, I get no head start because I am a 37 year old male. Um, last I checked, I'm not an elite runner, so it would not surprise me if I score another DFL (dead freakin' last) on my record. Nonetheless, I WILL finish. Finish time goal: 3:55:00. 7/3 - Pacific Trail Run Half Marathon This is a trail run, so I am expecting to do a lot of walking. I finished my first trail run in 3:52, so I'm hoping to improve this number by at least 10 minutes. Finish time goal: 3:45:00. 7/11 - Jungle Run Half Marathon This is will be my final long run before my inaugural marathon. This half marathon will be on concrete, my surface of choice. I'm shooting for a 2:30:00 finish. 7/25 - San Francisco Marathon AH! The San Francisco Marathon, my first 26.2 miler! I am shooting for a 5:15:00-5:30:00 finish. If I can achieve this, I will be invincible! 6/21 Weight: 175 Goal Weight: 170 Let's Fly!

ok, I'm so ready for this challenge. I gained 6 pounds in one week! Last week's gluttonous regression led to this horrid wieght gain, mental degradation, and extreme fatigue. Time to get back on track!

I started out strong and then I fizzled. Along the way, I learned some valuable lessons. I was unable to reach my two big goals, but I tried my best, and that's all I can do. I gained a pound and did not meet my half marathon goals. I finish this term with a C. Next term, I will readjust my goals. April 5th weight: 172 pounds. April 12th weight: 170.6 pounds. April 19th weight: 169.8 pounds. April 26th weight: 172 pounds May 3rd weight: 173 pounds Weight gain for the week: 1 pound. Total weight gain: 1 pound. Half Marathon Time Goal: 2:22:30 US Half Marathon Time: 2:22:55 Nashville Rock & Roll Half Marathon: 2:48:45

I started out strong and then I fizzled. Along the way, I learned some valuable lessons. I was unable to reach my two big goals, but I tried my best, and that's all I can do. I gained a pound and did not meet my half marathon goals. I finish this term with a C. Next term, I will readjust my goals. April 5th weight: 172 pounds. April 12th weight: 170.6 pounds. April 19th weight: 169.8 pounds. April 26th weight: 172 pounds May 3rd weight: 173 pounds Weight gain for the week: 1 pound. Total weight gain: 1 pound. Half Marathon Time Goal: 2:22:30 US Half Marathon Time: 2:22:55 Nashville Rock & Roll Half Marathon: 2:48:45 End Of The Trail Half Marathon: 2:30:50 Missed it by over about 8 minutes, but a huge improvement over the previous half.

Not a good week :-( I gained back the 2.2 pounds that I lost and I missed my half marathon goal by over 25 minutes. The Nashville course was pretty intense. I managed to score my WORST time. Not happy. I give myself a D+ for the week. April 5th weight: 172 pounds. April 12th weight: 170.6 pounds. April 19th weight: 169.8 pounds. April 26th weight: 172 pounds Weight gain for the week: 2.2 pounds. Total weight loss: 0 pounds. Half Marathon Time Goal: 2:22:30 US Half Marathon Time: 2:22:55 Nashville Rock & Roll Half Marathon: 2:48:45 Missed it by over 25 minutes!!!

Not a good week :-( I gained back the 2.2 pounds that I lost and I missed my half marathon goal by over 25 minutes. The Nashville course was pretty intense. I managed to score my WORST time. Not happy. I give myself a D+ for the week. April 5th weight: 172 pounds. April 12th weight: 170.6 pounds. April 19th weight: 169.8 pounds. April 26th weight: 172 pounds Weight gain for the week: 2.2 pounds. Total weight loss: 0 pounds. Half Marathon Time Goal: 2:22:30 US Half Marathon Time: 2:22:55 Nashville Rock & Roll Half Marathon: 2:48:45 Missed it by over 25 minutes!!!

I'm going to give myself a B+ for the first week. The good news is that I lost 1.4 pounds, so I am on track to getting down to 165 by the end of this challenge. There were two days in this first week that I over indulged on comfort foods, so I lose points for that. But the important thing is that I got back on track. I ran my 10th half marathon on Sunday and kicked ass, considering the hills and harsh weather. I finished the 13.1 miler in 2:22:55. I missed my goal time by 25 seconds, but I did improve my time from the previous half marathon by about 12 minutes. That's a huge accomplishment! So overall, in order to achieve a perfect 4.0 on my next report card, I will need hit that goal. I have two chances to hit it on 4/24 and 5/1. I'll keep you all posted. April 5th weight: 172 pounds. April 12th weight: 170.6 pounds. Weight Lost: 1.4 pounds. Half Marathon Time Goal: 2:22:30 US Half Marathon Time: 2:22:55 Missed it by 25 seconds!

Welcome Christine. Steve, I'm recruiting people to the Nerd Fitness Rebellion!

My idea of cooking is buying pre-made stuff at the grocery store. Only problem with this is that you don't really know what they put in the food and it gets quite costly. If anyone has any quick and easy cooking tips, throw them my way! Jes, I love your entry. Tornado, not complaining when going to gym, biking to work...entertaining stuff. I try to read everybody's posts so that I could find get inspired :-)

The burning question is.....what's the costume going to be for the Warrior Dash?! Evan The Muai Thai Guy and I are doing the Warrior Dash in October when it comes to Northern CA.