Moving On!!

Thank you for keeping up with me and my 40yroldrunningman blog but it turns out that it's just too much to keep up with and it's much easier to simply post to Facebook - so, I've made the change!! From this point until I reach the 40th and final 5K, I'll be posting to Facebook at www.facebook.com/Runfor40 so "Like" my page and I'll keep you updated!! Oh, and I'm also open to sponsorships - jus sayin'! Thank you for joining me on this Quest for 40 5K's this year!!

Diaper Dash 5K (#11)

Another race down! Race #11 has come and gone and my goal to get the next 10 races sub-30 is underway.  I still had some IT Band issues but it wasn't as bad as before nor was the post-race pain as bad. I was a mile and a half into the race before the pain started so I am hopeful that with the continued streching and foam roller I can manage and eventually eliminate the pain.

So this race sort of had timing chips but I haven't been able to find results...I can't trust the RunKeeper app because it keeps giving me 3.2+ miles so for this race I only have my RunKeeper numbers and they aren't terrible - I have an internal Charles Barkley saying, "Turr-able."  This route was along the Campion Trail in Irving and it wasn't a bad route at all, it was especially nice being in some of the shaded areas.  At any rate, here are the results according to RunKeeper:

Ran 3.19 miles at an average pace of 9:18
The race was completed in 29:39

If I happen to locate the other information I'll add and additional post to this entry.  Until then, I'm moving on to race #12 - the Must Dash 5K in Richardson.

So I have to say, "Happy Fathers Day" to all the dads and if you're looking to get a little exercise come on out to Richardson for a jog.

Honor Connor 5K (#10)

Back at it!! This one was tough but so fun.  The Honor Connor 5K was in honor of a 15-year freshman who died tragically in a drowning accident.  The event to honor this kid was fantastic and overwhelmingly positive for the family of Connor.  The expected group of 500+ runners turned out to be over 1300, I think.  It was very easy to see the impact this kid had on his friends and his community and in a day and age where kids are just completely lost about life and relationships it was encouraging to see the family support regarding Connor.  I'm so happy my friend, Melissa, told me about this 5K - it was an honor to do it.

The race itself had a good course but I guess now I can see that my age is going to make the remaining races a bit of a challenge.  About a mile and a half into this race I started feeling pain on the outside of my knee down through the outside of lower leg and it progressively got worse.  So the run was plagued with pain and walking but I still finished.  Not my best run but still respectable in my mind:

Race Chip Time - 30:43
Pace - 9:53/M
Finished 208 out of 424 timed runners
Finished 15th out of 22 in my 40-44 age group

After the race was fun as long as you consider excruxiating pain as fun.  I could barely bend my left knee and couldn't really put any pressure on it once I got home so here's the fun part.  As soon as I crossed the finish line I asked my friend about the pain and she mentioned the IT Band as a possible cause of the pain. As you can see from the image below the ililotibial band is pretty important in running - heck, it's important in walking but all wasn't lost as several runners who have battled the injury advised me to stretch - so that's what I did and it was almost an immediate aid to the pain.  So, "Thank You, Melissa!"

I was planning on running the "Viva La Run" tomorrow but I think I'll just wait until this weekend to continue with the 40 5K Quest.  We'll see how I feel and go from there but I'll be in Irving this weekend participating in the 1st Annual Diaper Dash benefitting CLASP international.  Here is the website and race information - http://claspinternational.org/

Rest assured, I'll be stretching and streching some more in preparation for this week/weekends run...wish me luck!!!

Run to Fund CEF (#9)

Back at it after another short break from the 5K challenge and this turned out to be my best race so far.  The  first mile and a half of this race was pretty easy as far as getting a good pace set and getting the body warmed up. It was an absolutely beautiful day for a run so that just added to the whole experience.  During the run I was fortunate to see my family on the course so that gave me a little added energy boost as I neared the last quarter mile.  

It was really exciting the see how the community of Coppell supported their school community - there were elementary, middle, and high school kids participating in the entire event and it was great to see them actually working and not just sitting around...well, for the most part. At any rate, here are the race results:

• Finished this race at 28:12
• Pace was 8:53
• In my division (40-44) I finished 13 out of 24
• Finished 154th out of 450 total runners
• Finished 93rd out of 193 male runners

So, there you have it - I hope to continue improving and maybe I won't play in a late night softball game the night before a race anymore.  Still a little sore!!

I'm off for another week but will have my running shoes on in 2 weeks when I'm out supporting Liberty Christian.  Until then, stay active America!!

Sprint for Cancer (#7) & Running Moms Rock 5K (#8)

Race day Saturday was much anticipated for me, mainly because I've had a nagging injury during my last few runs and I wanted to see how my body would hold up.  So, this Sunday morning as I type this post, I don't feel too terrible - a little knee soreness but that's about it.

Sprint for Cancer (#7)

2 great events yesterday with 2 completely different races.  The first 5K, the Sprint for Cancer in Irving, was a family event and when I say family - I mean, I did the 5K with my family.  Taylor, Brady, Campbell, and Piper all joined me on the family friendly run.  I'm a little embarrassed to post a time of over an hour but I met some really fantastic people and it turned into a talk and walk-fest.  It was sooo much fun and Piper really enjoyed herself walking and running the entire race - I was impressed with my little 4 yr old. 

I talked with several people who actually see, first-hand, where the money that was raised will go; it benefits the program they are in charge of.  One of them, a young mother diagnosed with cancer at age 15, couldn't run because of a prosthetic but her spirit and passion for her program, a camp for diagnosed and recovering children with cancer, was apparent.  She was pushing a stroller with her nephew and was using the stroller to stabilize herself as she participated in the run. 

That's just one of several stories I was a part of yesterday in Irving.  I was reminded of those friends I have lost and those who are or have battled this killer.

Running Moms Rock (#8)

Another great event yesterday in Highland Village!  An extremely festive event with a winding course going through residential areas, parks, shopping centers, and jogging/walking trails.  I must admit that it was nice to run through residential areas where the residents were out in force encouraging runners with high-fives, signs, cheers, and water.  The route did have a lot of twists and turns but overall it was a fun run and I must admit a difficult run having already participated in a morning 5K.  I felt as if I walked this entire race but my 10 minute mile pace was sufficient enough for me at the time.  My legs were tight and heavy but I kept moving forward. 

I can't seem to locate race results so I'll post my unofficial results from RaceKeeper:

Race completion time 32:06 ( I'm a little disappointed in that considering last Thursday I ran in 30:01.  I was hoping to get under 30)
My pace was a 10:22 per mile

So, I am hoping by my next race that I will have had more sleep since baby boy Brady is starting to sleep a little better through the night, I think?  Funny thing about being sleep deprived is that I think your mind starts to make things seem better than they may actually be.  At any rate, 8 races down - 32 more to go and I'm feeling good about it all!

Off to clean the house and maybe take a nap (fingers crossed).  Have a fabulous Sunday today!  Until next time - Good Day!!

Hollywood Heights 5K (#6)

After a couple of weeks off to settle in with my new baby boy, Brady, it was back to the 40 5K quest yesterday at the Hollywood Heights 5K in Dallas.  I was really impressed with this event - it wasn't too big, it was a good route with a little bit of a climb the first mile and then a little bit downhill towards the end.  After the race there was a live band, Third Shift Amber Beer (my new favorite), pasta salad, and something else I really couldn't identify, but was delicious.  It was a little cool but nothing a good run wouldn't warm up.  This Saturday I have 2 runs coming up so this will no doubt be a challenge considering the fact that it takes me a couple days to recover.  The first run will probably be a walk as I will be doing this one with the whole family, minus Bash.  Taylor, Piper, Campbell, and Brady - 2 strollers and 3 kiddos!!!  The other 5K is the Running Moms Rock 5K in Highland Village where I'll hopefully be able to run that one.

Now, on to the race results:

• Finished this one just over 30 mins (30:01)
• Pace was 9:39 
• I finished 18th out of 27 (40-44 yr olds)
• Overall I finished 181 (450 runners)
• And finally, 120th out of 193 men

For some reason whenever I use RunKeeper I always seem to run 3.24 miles but here are the results from that:  Finish time 30:03 at an avg pace of 9:17.  I don't know???

Well then, until next time which will be Saturday as I try to double up - look for a new post soon.  Until then be safe!!

Champagne Shower Run (#5)

Little Elm's Champagne Shower 5K was the first for Creationsplus and it showed.  Although my race time improved, I may have ruined a pair of shoes - so frustrating!! The Tuesday leading up to this race was the day that my son, Brady Christopher, was born. He was 9lbs even and almost 21 inches long. Needless to say, I wasn't expecting much by way of time for this race, in fact, I thought I might have my worst time on this race due to fatigue.  Brady had good nights and bad nights leading up to the race but it didn't deter my desire to go through with the run. Apparently, there was a storm Friday night that soaked the course for Saturday morning which wasn't bad; in fact, it was easier on the joints but it did turn into a mud run and I feel for anyone who had a fall because it was a tough run. All in all, it was a decent course despite the mud and water puddles and here are the results:

• Finished the race in 30:37
• Pace was a little slower 9:47
• I did finish fourth in my age group (nevermind that there were only 7 runners)
• Overall I finished 43rd (173+ runners)
• I finished 25th out of 54 men

Also, here's a pic of my little boy, Brady, who is a week old today!



Now, I'll be taking at least a week off leading up to my big week when I'll be doing 3 runs and 2 runs in one day.  If I can make it through that - I'll be feeling much better about completing this challenge.

Well, I wish you all a very prosperous week and enjoy your rest as I'll be searching for it high and low.

Firefly Run (#4)

The Firefly Run was so much fun.  Such a great atmosphere with all the lights, music, and people. It was a bit cold but nothing too terrible. This run was easier despite the pain shooting down the outside of left calf.  I'm still sore but recovery could be from my age...can't believe I'm 40!! At any rate, back to the race.  So, this was by far one of the more creative events and it really had a party feel to it.  Everyone running with glow sticks and lights just added to the entire experience and belive me, none of my pictures gave the event the due it deserves. I'm hoping that there will be another event like this so my family can participate.  Speaking of my family, tomorrow my wife will be induced and we are really looking forward to finding out what this baby will be...this not finding out stuff is ridiculous but I've managed to wait 9 long months - what's a few hours more?  I'll post pics as soon as we find out.

Now to the race:

• Despite the large crowd, I was still able to finish just over 30 minutes (30:51)
• Pace was 9:39

One more race coming up for this month (Champagne Shower 5K in Little Elm), then I'll be taking a week or so off for the new baby!!

Until then, happy running!!

Dash Down Greenville (#3)

Wow!  This was my first Dash Down Greenville and I don't think I was prepared for all the craziness of the race so, if I do this race next year here are a couple of things to remember:

1. Run as fast as you can past any man wearing a tutu - especially if you can't see shorts!
2. Don't take drinks from people on the sidelines unless it is at a designated drink station.
3. Get as close as you can to the front unless you want to try and navigate through craziness.

With all that said, my running partner, my son, Sebashtian and I had a great time running together and taking the whole experience in. It turned out to be a great morning and this is by far the biggest run I've completed so far.

Results:

• Division place 136th out of 209 (40-44)
• Overall 2004 out of 4253
• Gender place I finished 1235 out of 1904
• Pace 10:21/M
• 32:05 race time (Bash was 32:04 - I guess, technically he beat me)

Overall, this was a good race - a ton of people to manuever through and around so I'm not too concerned with the time.  I did really relish the time spent with Sebashtian and I'm looking forward to doing more runs with him this summer. 

Oh, on another note, Taylor is 38 weeks pregnant and that baby could come any day now and I bet it will decide to show up on Saturday March 23, which is the next run. (The Firefly Run in Plano) We shall see!!!

Frisco Paddy Dash (#2)

I'm a little late posting, actually a week late posting...apologies to all!  So, the Frisco Paddy Dash was a fun race and I had a running partner strapped in to my jogging stroller all bundled up and ready to go. It was a bit windy and that wasn't necessarily fun as I had to run into the wind with the stroller catching all that wind - I'm sure Campbell loved it!! So, here are the results:

• Overall I finished 105th
• My total time was 30:54
• Pace - 9:58/M
• I finished 16th out of 34 in my age division

Allen Eagle Run (#1)

I have been cold in my life and those times have been very memorable...no feeling in my fingers - well, I guess there was feeling but it wasn't pleasant. Anyway, at the start of the race is was 28 degrees and let me tell you that it was breathtaking - not necessarily in a good way, but it was so cold that it was hard to breath. My goal for this first race was to finish and to run at a 10 min mile pace.

So, here are the results:

• I finished the race, according to the timing chip, in 31:45
• I placed 46th in my division of 40-44 out of 91
• I was 450th out of 1147 racers
• Lastly, I was the 280th male from 562 male participants
• My pace came out to be 10:15/mile (Yay!!!)

I didn't necessarily have a goal, as far as, not stopping but at the 2 mile mark my earbuds kept popping out and with the unfortunate feeling of atrophy in my fingers, I had to stop to get those darned little things back into my ears. So, the last mile was spent trying to keep my musical motivation in tact. 

Race 1 - done!!!

Race 2 is this Saturday in Frisco the Rotary Club Paddy Dash: 

http://www.friscosunrise.org/PaddyDash

At least the weather will be more cooperative and my first running buddy will be with me, albeit in a stroller.  Nonetheless, I'm still excited. 

Race #1 - Allen ISD Eagle Run

This Saturday will be my 1st official run and I can't wait! On Tuesday I will become a 40 year old man - WOW!! At any rate, this entire 40 race challenge will be a test to my discipline and I'm anxious to get started. 

The Allen Eagle Run benefits the Allen Council of PTAs, individual campus PTAs and school programs.  The money raised funds teacher and student scholarships, PTA and campus programs. As a former teacher, I'm always willing to support my fellow teachers so I'm excited about this race doing some good somewhere.

So, I'll be trying some different products during these races so that's going to be fun. The first one and probably the most important one is shoes. I haven't shopped for shoes yet and I'll be using my Adidas cross-trainers; I'm curious to see how they hold up.  I'll be shopping for new Adidas shoes later this week and I'll use the Adidas running shoes for most races unless they just really tear up my feet. I'll also be trying a group of different products from Advocare - the first being Slam, which is an amino acid, vitamin shot designed to give me a high-powered energy source. Here's a bit more info from the advocare site: 

http://bit.ly/ig5LbI

Key Ingredients: 

B-vitamins (B-6, B-12, niacin, pantothenic acid and folic acid) – B-vitamins are water-soluble vitamins that help us produce and sustain our own energy. As we age, we gradually begin to lose the ability to absorb vitamin B-12. Research has shown that high levels of vitamin B-12 encourage the body to increase its absorption. Vitamin B-12 also helps maintain mental performance and aid in energy production.

Taurine – Taurine is an amino acid that provides quick energy without over stimulating the body.

Betaine – Betaine plays a role in metabolic processes through donation of a methyl group (one carbon metabolism).

L-Carnitine – L-Carnitine is essential for the transport of fatty acids into the cellular organelle, mitochondrion, for conversion into energy by oxidation.

Glycine – Glycine is one of the 20 amino acids commonly found in proteins. One role it plays is in neurotransmission.

Glucuronolactone – Glucuronolactone is a normal human metabolite formed from glucose. Its precursor, glucuronic acid, is an important constituent in fibrous and connective tissues of all animals.

Caffeine – Slam has about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee.

L-Tyrosine – L-Tyrosine is an amino acid that plays a role in the production of neurotransmitters.

Btw, if you're interested in joining me for any runs or trying any of the products I'll be using just message me ;-) So, with that said, I'll bid you all a fond farewell and look for another post either Saturday or Sunday regarding the race. Until then, in the immortal words of Paul Harvey, "Good Day!"

Gearing Up

I've started registering for races and I guess the reality and magnitude of my decision is starting to set in. I've registered for 7 races at this point.

1. Allen Eagle Run - March 2 (Allen)
2. St. Paddy's Day Dash Down Greenville - March 16 (Dallas)
3. Firefly Run - March 23 (Plano)
4. Hollywood Heights - April 18 (Dallas)
5. Melon Dash - August 3
6. Run Proud - September 28
7. Santa Fe 5K - October 10

I know there will be hurdles and I'll face one the first month of my planned races. Taylor is due to have baby #3 sometime in March - the due date is April 1st but it'll be sometime in March ;-) At any rate, who knows when baby will decide to make an interruption to the plan. I think I'm ready now, but what do I know? I'm also going to do the Advocare 24 day challenge leading up to the first race so that should be fun and if anyone is interested in the challenge - let me know. I don't feel like I necessarily need to lose the weight but I am interested in the energy boost I'll get from it. Anywho, I bid you all, "Good Day!" 

BTW, if anyone is interested in the 1st of these 40 races I'll be doing here's the link to the Allen Run:

http://www.alleneaglerun.org/

Firefly 5K in Plano

My first race registration has been made! March 23, 2013 at the Shops at Legacy in Plano. This one takes place on Saturday night so it should be fun and I have to admit that at this time Taylor is 30 weeks pregnant and this race falls in what I consider the "birth window" - the due date is April 1st but I think that baby will come anytime within 2 weeks of the due date. So, I guess we'll see what happens. By the way, if anyone wants to participate in this run - here's the link to the Groupon I used.

http://tinyurl.com/a5l5z2e

The Pledge

This whole thing began with my wandering mind as I was searching, thinking of a memorable experience for my 40th birthday. My thought was to do a marathon - the Cowtown Marathon, which happens to fall on the weekend before my 40th birthday. I went back and forth in my mind and with my wife, who believes that I'm not completely capable of getting my body in shape to tackle 26.2 miles of running.  I am convinced that my body could hold up - my attention span - that's a whole other thing. I might be a little ADD but, who isn't? Anyway, I then thought about a race I could do and came up with a 5K, at that point I thought about the possibility of doing 40 of them during the 40th year of my life. I searched the internet for info on others doing the same thing but haven't found a ton except for thegirlinthepinktutu.wordpress.com, who has also committed to doing 40 5K's in a year but she's trying to meet that goal before turning 40. At any rate, I'm trying to test my resolve and discipline to accomplish this personal goal so let it begin. My 40th birthday is February 26, 2013 so, by February 26, 2014 I will participate in 40 5K's.  I'll use this blog to keep a log of each race and I'll post photos and whatever else I can think of. I hope you'll join me on the journey! Oh yeah, I’m open to company so if you want to join me for any runs I welcome it! Cheers!