Fast Forward 9 months

Catch up:

- Went to pace & support Boston-thoners

- Electric Boogaloo defended their MC200 title again against the Cougar-tots.

- Shane-diggity got wedded.

- Bastille Day 5k motivated me to start training for second year in a row.

- Went to Maine with Fam.

- August will be 100 miles per week month.

- Got the Elvis is Alive title breaking 16 minutes for the first time in Chicago.

- 5 week trip (Italy, Greece, Austria, Czech Rep., Germany)

- Berlin Marathon: 2:38:54

- Oktoberfest in Munich

- I'm going to be an Uncle for the first time.

- Thanksgiving in Cleveland

- I think I may be in the worst shape in last two years

- Got tired of hearing about Tiger Woods

- Got motivated to train for a 1/2 thon but have not registered yet.

That's it. Glad I didn't waste all that time blogging that stuff over the past 9 months when I could have just done that.

Just trying to get back in the swing of things.

Reaping rewards

It's 6:30, it's still light out and I'm done running. That doesn't happen too often. So I can now spend the rest of my night blogging and working on the EB calendar (more to come) and then heading to bed early. I know, I know. I'm very popular.

I've been busting my ass lately and really don't feel like I have anything to show for it. I started looking back and see that I've really been training pretty consistently and intensely for the last 3 months. That is less than most of my marathon training cycles. Although, sometimes those are hard to define. But anyway, I turned a "new leaf" at the beginning of the year and decided to get serious. I had a bunch of goals for workouts, mileage and races and really don't feel like I've accomplished too much.

Things that suck:
- I've run two races in stupidly terrible conditions. One had tons of stairs and the other tons of snow.
- And one 5k time trial by myself on the track. Not bad conditions but not a great run.
- I've been sick for 3 weeks. Not violently but it is just nagging.
- I need new shoes but don't want to pay full price for them. I'm cheap, stubborn and about to be unemployed.
- I run tempo runs too hard and feel like garbage for the next two days.
- Unfortunately, I "attempt" track workouts two days after the tempo and have not been successful for at least the month of March.

A few good things:
- I've been running consistently every day. That is key for me to get serious.
- I'm averaging 9.81 miles per day since January 1.
- I actually weighed the lightest I've weighed sense high school. 167 lbs. Granted it was right after a 20 miler, but still. I'm usually in the 171 - 173 range.
- I'm not injured.
- My new haircut is lighter, quicker and with less drag.
- I've actually been lifting and doing core 2-3 days a week. Not much, but more than the last 5 years combined.
- The weather has broken and I can feel spring is in the air.
- I'm at least aware I run my tempos too hard. I can change that.

In the end, I'm not actually as negative as I sound. I do feel ok sometimes and strong others but am a little disappointed that I haven't accomplished what I've wanted to yet. At least at this point in the season. But we trudge forward. I also have nothing else to do. Did you see my first comment of what my free night consists of?

Overdue and not up to par... "Chicago Anniversary"

March 7th was my one year anniversary. I didn't have this blog back then but I did write an email to a couple of co-workers that I thought would be interesting to resurrect. See below:

March 14, 2008 - sent to 5 co-workers
· Subway is only a 2 minute walk from my place and is open late, but the voodoo witchcraft store is right next door from it and one is also across the street. They are ONLY open late and will steal your soul if you look inside. I saw two sets of lesbians making out/cuddling during my run yesterday. I’m going to run past there again today.
· I saw a rat as big as my head
· Everyone has a dog and some of them are smaller than the rats.
· If you don’t run on the right side of the bike path on the lake front, EVERYONE will tell you that “it’s like a road.”
· Everyone sports a pop collar and is metrosexual or gay, it’s hard to tell which.
· National City decides to put the bank up for sale.
· St. Patty’s day has been going on since I moved here on 3/7. I’m not sure when it ends.
· My bedroom is an IKEA advertisement.
· I have an air card, a docking station, and two laptop bags, but NO laptop.
· Girls that rollerblade are attractive Girls with shaved heads are not.

March 17, 2009
· It is illegal for cab drivers to NOT take credit card.
· Can anyone do 9 carbombs in one day? I know someone that can.
· Anyone who says they are a "Chicago" fan when you ask if they are a White Sox or Cubs fan is a liar.
· Obama is the only ethical politician in or from Chicago. At least, we'll stick with that for the next four years.
· I seriously need an iPhone and am jealous of all who have one.
· We don't like people from the burbs and they don't like us either. Especially Sue Cass.
· Actually, we just don't like people that don't do what we do.
· Be agressive, intense and emotional and GET INVOLVED!
· German beer is very agressive. I recommend not getting agressive back.
· Protein...Protein...I need more protein.
· One year later and now I'm trying to convince girls to shave their heads.
· Chicagoans were right, winters are worse here.

Who has two thumbs and is the worst blogger?

I'm doing a terrible job at creating you all's habits and expectations that you can always find an updated blog at Unyielding Crossroads. Needless to say this past week has just been busy and crazy and I've not felt great in health or running on top of that. Where does it end? Actually if it ended, that would just be lame anyway. So I'll do my best to create your instinctual behaviors to click the "Unyielding Crossroads" tab on the top of your browser whenever you are bored. I know it is there.

Quick recap of week 10, 2009:

- Decided I would host my own 5k on the North Park track by myself. Felt like garbage; got mono of the arms; ran 16:44; not sure what I was thinking.

- Decided this week would be a down week and minimized all runs. Just get through w/o ruining myself.

- 6 x 400 on Wednesday just to get moving. felt like garbage; got mono of the arms; ran slow; not sure what I was thinking.

- Continued to be sick and run like trash the rest of the week

- Different note: Thursday was a great day with St. Baldrick's. Got some tv time. separate entry coming soon.

- We are in the midst of St. Patrick's day as it is already March 17th. Good times with the Irish folk over the weekend. Guinness, green beers and rivers, bar hopping, parades and hangovers.

- Our little Michael's birthday celebration was on Sunday, and I celebrated that more than I did on Saturday. whoops. Yes, he is a badass.


- I'm now going to the Boston marathon weekend to repeat Austin. 5k on Sunday, pace on Monday. To actually race a marathon scares me. I really hope this doesn't become a habit. Also get to go to a Red Sox game in between.

- We finally got some clue of what is going on with my job. sort of. Anyone looking for a cool, hip, new marketing guy? Just kidding. or am I?

- Tempo run last night (Monday): 6 miles - average 5:31s. Those are Chicago miles of course so who knows how far it actually was. But thats fine, I'll take it. They are the same Chicago miles that I was running last year so I do have a reference.

16:46

If you've been running with me the last couple of weeks you know that I am eagerly waiting the opportunity to run a 5k. I really just want to test my fitness and see where I'm out and then figure out what I need to be doing. So after the joke of a 5k down in Austin, next on the calendar was the Wacky 5k up in the west loop of Chicago.

I had actually probably been taking it more seriously than I should have but I wanted to run fast and this was a course that after gmapping it several times, I trusted. There were to be 800 to 1,000 runners so there should be a good group of local talent that would maybe keep the race interesting and we could all run fast.

Mile 1: I didn't know any of the guys on the front line except for Brent and after the gun went off I quickly realized he was not racing this but rather pacing someone. So in the first mile there were about 10 or so guys that all kind of showed their faces up front but nobody was really being that aggressive. Two guys did gap a small pack (with me in it) towards the end of the first mile. I was still feeling pretty conservative and wasn't ready to commit to running with those guys quite yet. About a 10 - 15 meter gapped opened up. 5:22

Mile 2: Slowly my small pack broke up and I was left alone in third. About 1/4 mile into the second mile some guy came rolling up on me like there was no tomorrow. I know these types of guys. He is the guy that in his head was saying "ok, I went out smart and these 3 guys are idiots for going out hard, now they're dead and I'm going to ruin them." I love these types of runners because they think they are the only ones that run smart, they are overconfident and they have EVERYTHING to loose. I jumped on his tail and we rallied back up to the two leaders. Us four bounced around quite a bit trying to get everyone else to take the lead and break the wind. I conveniently never found myself in that situation. 5:25

Mile 3: Overconfident Guy is the first to drop off. Farewell and better luck next time. Leader Guy, who I think is clueless to the whole concept of drafting as he pushed the pace from the front most of this mile, is quickly gapped when Surger Guy starts randomly throwing in sprinting sessions. I kept covering everything he was doing and just kept thinking that we will just have to wait and see on the final stretch. The suddenness and how drastic his surges were really made me think this guy was still pretty fresh. He zigged and zagged his way through the last 1/2 mile. We came to the final stretch and I was ready to roll. I turned it on and he was out the back in the first 20 meters of our final 150 meter showdown. Not quite the dramatic finish I was thinking would happen. 5:58 (1.1 miles)

This was not the race I was looking for but I did get the W and it was a good time (experience that is). These were the conditions that we were greeted with on Sunday morning. It was also 15 degrees, 20 mph winds and windchills down to 8 degrees. Not ideal so I guess I will take it.

Props to post race activities at Michaels.

Also props to fotojack.com for not stamping "PROOF" across this photo.

Be Brave - Go Bald!!

Ok, ok, ok... I got sucked in, but at least it was for all the right reasons.

CLICK HERE if you would like to donate to St. Baldrick's.
Watch Fox Chicago on March 12 from 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. or go to FoxJox.com for more information.

Together we can make a difference.

Elevator etiquette, rules and conceptions

It has been much longer than planned from my last blog but this couldn't wait.

Anyone that rides in an elevator daily should probably know a couple things about elevator etiquette and just some other things that their co-passengers think about them.

Etiquette
- ladies first at all times (on, off, whatever...) Even though logically if you let the women on first in a crowded elevator she will likely be behind you when you go to get off. Doesn't matter. You find a way. Ladies first.
- When you enter a crowded elevator, you walk in and turn around and face the door. We don't want to look at you and definitley don't want you breathing on us.
- When someone exits the elevator on an in between floor, the remaining people should rotate and use the additional space that was opened up. That is more personal space for everyone.
- If there is a tv on the elevator, look at it. Even if you don't care or can't read.
- It is ok to laugh and just shake your head about whatever you just read, but don't try to start a conversation about it.
- If you are in the middle of a conversation with someone when you get on the elevator you should reduce the volumn of your voice or pause the conversation all together.

Other:
- People on the higher up floors don't like people on the lower floors. The ride is already long enough and you should just use the stairs anyway.
- We don't like you even more if you are a frequenter of getting on at an in between floor to only go up/down one floor. You've just interrupted what we thought was a stop free ride.
- Just once I want someone to say to me "The weather outside is pretty average, huh?" Its always either too hot or too cold. I want average.
- If you sneeze, cough or sniffle....yes, the other passengers will be holding their breath for the remainder of the ride.
- At 4:30 p.m. everyone on the elevator is looking at each other thinking "Yeah, I'm leaving at 4:30...why are you leaving so early?" or justifying in their own mind why they should be allowed to leave and you shouldn't.
- If you accidentally hit the wrong floor, nobody thinks thats funny. Don't laugh.

Thank you for reading.