Des Moines Marathon

I finished, and with no major injuries!!! The 2007 Des Moines Marathon was great. The weather was perfect, which is not usual for Iowa - sunny, not too hot, no humidity. The course was beautiful and it was well stocked with water and aid stations. I would definitely recommend this marathon to everyone. It is truly a wonderful feeling knowing that all your hard work has paid off. I didn't always feel the greatest during the race, but one can one except when they are pounding their legs on cement for a couple hours?

My recovery so far has been pretty good. After the run I got back home around 2:30pm. By 5:00 that night I was dead tired. I layed on my futon and watched tv the rest of the night and I hardly ever watch tv. The next morning I was pretty sore around my knee caps and a little in my quads, but the thing i noticed most was how physically tired I was. On Tuesday almost all of my soreness was gone, but I still felt drained. I was expecting the soreness, but not the tiredness. I guess we all recovery in different ways.

What's on your mind?

One of the most frequently asked questions I get about running is, "What do you think about?" "Don't you get bored running that long?" When I was first asked those questions it caught me off guard. "What do I think about?" I thought about this for awhile, but nothing immediately came to me. I know sometimes my runs seem to fly by, especially when I am feeling good, but I can't remember if I was thinking about anything in particular and if my thoughts were helping the time go by.
Today I ran 21 miles so I had about 3 hours to think about what I think about. Here is a list of thoughts that came to me throughout my run:

1. What will I eat when I am finished? I usually like pancakes with yogurt or Ebleskivers with applesauce.

2. I wish I were running in Bidwell Park with my brother and sister.

3. What will I do at soccer practice this week?

4. I brainstormed ideas to for an article to write related to instructional strategies for classroom teachers or classroom behavior management.

5. My water bottle broke at about mile 11 so a couple minutes were spent trying to fix it.

6. I often repeat quotes in my head. Today I was saying, "Whatever the challenge, whatever the test, whatever you're striving for, give it your best."

7. Towards the end I start thinking that this is almost over. I can do 3 miles.

8. Move legs, move.

9. I love the fall. Today's weather is perfect for this run.

10. Back to what I will eat when I am done.

I never did think to myself how bored I am. I think running gives me a chance to work out all of my thoughts and start to focus on which ones are important and which ones I can toss away.

What's on your mind?

Battle of the Birds

If you have a fear of birds or had nightmares after watching Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds", you may not want to read any further.

Yesterday, I went for a run at Jacob Krumm Nature Preserve, which is 10 miles east of Newton, IA. It's one of my favorite places to run in this area. The route is a combination of grass, rocks and dirt trails that weave in and out of wooded areas, meadows, and takes you across bridges and by several miny lakes, or ponds. I think one of the reasons why I like the place so much is because I feel like I am not in Iowa when I am there. Today's goal was not to run a certian time or certain length, but to overcome my slight fear of brids.
In May of 2007 I was out at Jacob Krumm running my usual 6 mile loop. It was a hot, muggy day with lots of bugs flying around. I was feeling good, but was getting annoyed by all the buzzing around me and was ready for my run to end. I only had about 200 yds left when I ran past a small pond and noticed a black bird circling over my head. I didn't pay too much attention to it at first since there are always birds flying around that area. However, the bird started to get closer to me, to the point that I could hear it's wings flapping. I thought to myself, "why is this bird flying so close to me?" By the time I finished that thought, the bird made a quick dip towards me and I felt a peck on the top of my head. "Did the bird just hit my head?" I couldn't believe it! When the bird came back and starting pecking at my head again I went a little nuts. I started screaming, flapping my arms around yelling, "get away" (as if the bird would understand me). Luckily my car was not too far away. I sprinted all the way back, arms flapping and screaming. I jumped into my car and finally felt safe. I think I was more shocked than scared. I examined my head for any holes or blood. Thankfully, I was fine, although I did develop a slight phobia of birds when out running.
Back on the trail yesterday I was a little nervous, but eager to overcome my fear. I am happy to say that I completed the 6 mile route with no birds pecking at me. I was a bit jumpier than usually, flinching at every shadow and buzzing sound, but i made it. I will be back again.

August in Iowa

The weather in Iowa, during the month of August, can be very unpredictable. "Today there is a chance of thundershowers, lightining, hail, sun, wind and humidity, " describes the news channels this morning. That forecast makes it very difficult for me to get motivated to go on a run, especially a long run. But, today I took a chance and ran 15 miles, as part of my training for the Des Moines marathon in late October. I am happy to say that I lucked out with the weather. There were no thundershowers, lightning, or hail, but there was plenty of humidity. Humidity, let me tell you, sucks.
After my run I was completely soaked, sweat dripping everywhere. If you looked at me you would have thought I was caught in a rain storm. Besides the wetness, it's almost impossible to get cooled off unless you have a portable fan blowing in your face at all times. Nonetheless, I would much rather run when it's humid than when I am dodging lightning bolts.
My 15 miler was a successful and the route I took was quite beautiful. There are not a lot of places you can run that take you by corn and soy bean fields, baseball parks, back country rodes, and neighborhoods with hardly any cars or dogs. I also received many waves from truck drivers and other people out for a walk. Iowa is very friendly towards runners, even though I never see anyone else running.

Lower Bidwell Park

Lower Bidwell Park in Chico, CA is one of my favoriate places to run. Of course, I am a little biased since I grew up right next to it. The park has both paved and dirt trails that wind around a creek. Trees line the paths that provide ample shade in the summer months and keep you from getting soaked during a rain storm. One entire loop around the park is about 6 miles.

I used to take the park for granted. It's easy to do when you run the same loop almost everyday. But, since I have moved away and experienced other running venues I have come to appreciate Lower Bidwell Park and look forward to running there whenever I visit Chico.

The beginning of Rave Runs

I started taking "Rave Run" pictures 2 years ago. It was my brother's idea, or i should say it is Runner World's magazine idea. Each edition of Runners World features a Rave Run picture that includes a runner in some awesome setting anywhere in the world. There is a brief description of the place, runner, and photographer. My brother thought it would be fun to start taking picture of me running and I had the brilliant idea of trying to get my picture in Runners World. So, I sent Runners World a CD of about 10 pictures. As of today, none have been found in the magazine, but my hopes are still high. I still imagine one day coming home from work with a new Runners World in the mail. I flip to the Rave Run picture (the very first thing i always look at) and there I am! I'll let you know when that day arrives.