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Location:

Mesa,AZ,

Member Since:

Mar 20, 2006

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Age Division Winner

Running Accomplishments:

  • Mile: 4:37 (HS)
  • 2 Mile: 10:11 (HS)
  • 10K: 35:52 (HS)
  • 5K - 18:15 (ARR Summer Race Series #1 - 2008)
  • 1/2 Marathon: 1:32:00 (St. George 2008 enroute)
  • Marathon: 3:10:56 (St. George 2008)

Short-Term Running Goals:

  1. Get down to 155 lbs 
  2. Run sub 18:00 5K
  3. Run sub 1:30 1/2 marathon
  4. Run sub 3:00 marathon

Long-Term Running Goals:

  1. qualify for Boston Marathon
  2. run Boston Marathon
  3. run sub-2:50 marathon
  4. run sub-1:20 1/2 marathon
  5. run sub-17:00 5K
  6. beat my high school 10K time of 35:52

Personal:

I was married in 1997 to my beautiful wife Lybi (confessions of a piano teacher on the blog), and we have 3 wonderful boys who are just as active as I was when I was little (he he). I grew up in southeastern Michigan, and my family became members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when I was 6. I attended BYU, and served a mission in Berlin, Germany. After graduating from BYU with a degree in Health and Human Performance (pre-physical therapy), I promptly changed careers and started working with computers (although no programming for me). We have moved across the country several times, and currently live in Mesa, AZ.  I work in computer security for a major nationwide homebuilder.

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Saucony Grid C2 Flash Lifetime Miles: 148.66
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTrainer 1 MilesTrainer 2 MilesRacer MilesTotal Distance
8.250.000.000.000.008.250.008.25

AM - 5.5 easy miles.  Legs felt very spunky, I had to concentrate on keeping the pace around 8:30/mile.  The entire run felt easy, I take this as a good sign.  Total time for the run was 36:40, average pace of 8:29/mile.

PM - AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!  I did another easy run, felt out of sync and clunky, but was determined to slog through it.  At the end of the run, my left calf (more lower soleus) started to tighten up, and continued to do so until it was painful, at which point I immediately stopped and walked the last .25 miles back home.  It was hard to control the feelings of disappointment and discouragement last night.  I iced it immediately, did a little bit of stretching, and had my wife rub it last night.  Feels a <little> better this morning, but I will obviously be taking a couple days off to see how it feels.  I may have to either shorten or cancel my long run this weekend.  Right now, the most important thing is St. George.  I know that I have been preparing extensively, and I will still be able to get in a 20-miler, but I may not be able to do the two I was originally planning on - one this week, then one next week. 

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Comments
From Lybi on Wed, Aug 29, 2007 at 17:25:52

Hey, where are you? You forgot to give me the number for the blackberry.

Guess what this stands for: I.E.B.S.W.Y.L.N. Love you!

From Lybi on Thu, Aug 30, 2007 at 17:24:32

You will overcome, James! This is just a little bump in the road. It's probably just a consequence of trying to keep up with me on Friday (har har). Just kidding. Actually, I think you are pushing your limits a little with the amount of sleep that you get (or don't get). You've got another soleus-rub waiting for you when you get home. After piano lessons, and dinner, and missionary correlation, and home teaching, but before I run with Holly tonight. Busy day!

From Brent on Thu, Aug 30, 2007 at 19:21:22

James, does it feel like a knot in the calf? If so, a really deep massage, alot of pain, may loosen it up. Also, how is your sodium level? Are you running dehydrated? I started taking lava salts a few years ago and that really helped with any cramps. Not much of a blogger doctor? Hey?

Good luck,

From James in Sunny AZ on Thu, Aug 30, 2007 at 19:43:24

Brent - I'm having a hard time identifying this one - the area is still pretty tight, as Lybi can attest to, but I don't think it feels exactly like a knot or charley horse. I DO need to get back on the vitamin regime. Probably going to lay low for all of today and tomorrow, maybe go for a short easy run tomorrow evening to test the leg and see if I should do the long run or not. I also have to agree with Lybi that I may still not be getting enough sleep, although we have been pretty good about getting to bed by 10:00.

From Sasha Pachev on Fri, Aug 31, 2007 at 13:53:16

Do not worry about going 20 in the long run. In fact, even if you were healthy, I would not recommend it. This would be like pulling hard on a tender plant to test the strength of its roots. Let the marathon be the test. You will crash, hopefully not too bad, but running 20 any time between now and St. George will make that crash happen sooner.

Double check and triple check your diet. If you run your body out of electrolytes, you will get muscle cramps, and that can happen if you are training hard and start cutting yourself slack in the dietary area.

From James in Sunny AZ on Fri, Aug 31, 2007 at 19:51:13

Sasha,

That advice means a lot to me. I have been really fretting about getting in one or two 20-milers. Regarding the diet, I need to be more careful, and need to take my vitamins. I am still taking today and possibly tomorrow off, as I am also not feeling very well (like Lybi - I think we probably caught a bug from Adam, who was sick a couple days ago), but I will see how I feel tomorrow.

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