Great Month and A Sad Month

Once again I am behind on my blog but hope to be writing this thing once a week.  Last month a very close person to me passed away.  My Great Uncle E. K. Crosby (Uncle Sonny) passed away on February 19th.  I went to see him on the 18th to see how he was doing in the nursing home.  He recently took ill and had to be moved to the nursing home so he could go through re-hab.  However he never made it out of the nursing home and went to see the lord and the rest of his family.  My Uncle Sonny left behind a wonderful wife, Aunt Joyce, and two children, Ken Crosby and Kim Crosby.  He will be missed but we know that he is in heaven in good hands now.  I will miss you Uncle Sonny, thanks for all of the fishing trips and hunting trips.

February also was the month that I set a new PR in the marathon.  I raced in the Cowtown Marathon and set a PR with a time of 4:23:38.  I broke my origianl PR by 8 minutes.  Race morning was great, we had a temperature of 34 degrees and no wind.  By the time I had finished the marathon the temp's had reached into the 50's.  Due to my injuries in December when I lost 3 weeks of running I wasn't really expecting a PR.  I do know that the time missed was evident when I hit the 22 mile marker.  I was able to struggle back but really wished I had not been injured during my training.  The long runs are really important and that was evident during the marathon.  I kept a pretty even consistent pace up until the 20 mile marker when I realized that my body was getting tired.  I will continue to keep up with my base miles and weekly long runs.  I am planning on running the Rock and Roll Marathon in San Antonio in November.  This training will start the second week in July.  My schedule for this year will also include the German Fest Bike Ride in Muenster (April)  45 miles, the Firemans 5K in May, Hotter n Hell 100 in Wichita Falls, Texas (August) and the marathon in November.

I will be back next week with another training update, going to get a run in.  Take care and have fun.  Chris thanks for your service in the Marine's, you are an inspiration to all.  God Bless and Take Care.

Learning from my Training

Well it is less than two weeks until my second marathon, Cowtown 2/27/2010. I feel confident that I can finish the marathon and hopefully have a PR when finished. My first marathon, Rock and Roll San Antonio 2008, was ran in 4 hours and 31 minutes. I was training to run a sub 4 hour marathon but was injured during the Christmas break and wasn't able to continue running until the second week in January. I missed three crucial weeks of training and three long runs. I was also not able to do any exercising during this time.

Lessons learned is that the experts that write the books and training logs are just that experts. I have to admit that I am pretty hard headed and very competitive. I hate to lose, and nobody remembers who finishes second. But during the time I was injured I had a chance to reflect on my running and why I run 6 to 7 days a week. First of all I run to keep in shape and help keep the weight off that I have lost over the last two years. It also helps with my job as a firefighter/paramedic. But the most important item was that I enjoy running and it makes me happy. I know that I will probally never win a marathon on paper, but every marathon I finish is a victory for me. I feel good about myself when I accomplish something that most people will never attempt in their lifetime. I also think about people that will never be able to run do to health problems and think about how they feel. Yes running 26.2 miles (26 miles and 385 yards) is challenging but when you cross the finish line it is rewarding. The training is worth all the time that is committed and you start thinking of what can I do next.

What will I do next: well I want to complete the Hotter - N - Hell 100 mile bike ride in August (Wichita Falls, TX), a triathlon this summer, and the Rock and Roll Marathon (San Antonio or Las Vegas). Next year I would like to train for and complete a 50K Ultramarathon (31 miles).

Yes running is addicting but I enjoy the outdoors and adrenaline that I feel when running. Some people think I am crazy or have some negative comments, knees will go bad, hip injuries, and soo on, but that comes from people who don't understand. I have battled a weight problem my entire life, but now I have confidence in myself and I am happy. I would like to think my wife Kristi and my two daughters Jessica and Katelin, for the support and understanding of my training and my addiction to something that I truelly love. I Love Yall more than anything though.

God Bless and Take Care

P.S. - If some one from Team in Training ask you for a donation please help out and support the ATHLETE. This is a great organizaion and the money goes to a great cause. Look it up on the web if you are not sure.

Well it has been a long time since I last made an update. I would like to use this blog as a journal of my training for 2010. I am still training for Cowtown but only to finish now. Right before Christmas I hurt my sciatic nerve some how and was down on my back for three long weeks. My training suffered and now I am trying to just get my cardio back to finish the marathon.

Training is back and going well so far. I am back to 14 miles on my long runs and hope to do 14-16 miles this weekend. I am also cross training on my rest day and seems to be helping. My legs feel good and I am confident that I can finish my second marathon. Plans for this year include the Fireman's 5K in May, the Hotter N Hell 100 in Wichita Falls, TX, and I would like to run the Las Vegas Rock N Roll Marathon in December. I am also planning on doing a triathlon sometime this summer as well.

I hope to post another blog soon and hope the best for everyone out there training for their next event. Just remember to keep one foot in front of the other and get off the couch.

Training for Cowtown

I am currently training for the Cowtown Marathon in Ft. Worth, Texas. The race is February 27, 2010. I am working on the 3rd week of my 18 week training program. My goal for this marathon is 4 hours, and too keep working towards my goal of qualifying for Boston when I turn 45. My training plan consist of easy days, speed work, hill work, and long runs. Right now I am running between 35 and 45 miles a week. I have been fortunate to not have many nagging injuries during my training. This week the weather has been a little warm but still nice, who can complain of 70 degree days and lows in the 50's. Yes we are spoiled right now in Texas but we had to live through the hot summer. I hope everyone enjoys this blog and please give some input on what you would like to see or read. Thanks again and everyone have a great week. I will have another post this weekend after my long run. Boomer Sooner.

PS: Yes I am an Oklahoma Sooner fan.