hunger

What an Amazing Journey so far!

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pete at bostonI really can’t believe all the events of late.  I’ll have to back up a little here.  First thing I wanted to touch on…my brother in law Pete.  I had sent him one of my run zombie run shirts some time back and asked that he wear it to Boston.  (yes…the biggest race in the country Boston!)  I just wanted him to get some cool pictures in the city and such and then post them on Run Zombie Run’s Facebook wall.  Well he really got me!  Not only did he wear the shirt but he ran the race in it!  When I received the text from my sister-in-law showing him both during the run and after with his medal on wearing that shirt…I was brought to tears.  I can’t even describe how much emotion such a run evokes in a runner.  I sat there looking at the pictures in amazement!  Really, thank you to Pete for doing something that may seem so small but meant so much!  He’s a class act!

I was recognized at work for the work that I’ve been doing and nominated for employee of the month.  I’m not much for things like this but was so thrilled that they mentioned the whole 30 races, runzombierun.net and even Mobile Meals of Toledo!  That was huge for me!  I’ve said before and will continue to say it…”It’s not all about me.”  This is about celebration and bringing funds as well as awareness to a great outfit (Mobile Meals!)

The next big thing…contacted by the Toledo Blade to do an article about the run zombie run journey!  Wow!!  I had to step way out of my comfort zone for this one.  I did a phone interview with Taylor Dungjen and it was great!  She had a ton of good questions and shared how she enjoyed running at Pearson Park as well.  She’s currently expecting a child (congrats!) and is having a hard time with the running thing but I just know that she’ll find her way back to it.

So we had the interview and then had to meet with a photographer at Pearson Park for pictures.  I never look right in running photos!  LOL!!  The whole things took just a few minutes of me running back and forth for the shots.  It’s not like I don’t enjoy running!

When the article hit…it hit big!  Right on the day of the Glass City Marathon!  Holy Cow!!  It made the 2nd section of the paper and I was just blown away by the finished product.  I was so inspired by the article that I turned in my fastest time in a Half Marathon ever!!  1:56:00!  The day was sunny, cool and just perfect!  It was such an amazing feeling!  I then received info showing that more people had gone and donated to Mobile Meals that day!  Seriously…how can it get any better?!proceeds to mobile meals

I’m so thrilled to keep this going!  Race #14 will be this Sunday at Pearson Park…the place where I became a runner some 30 years ago!  It holds a special place in my heart and I’ve spent many hours running those trails.  Race #15 will be 5/16 at the Toledo Zoo (The Dart Frog Dash) and then the following morning here in Oregon will be #16 the Oregon Fest 5K!  5/17.  Not much more than going around the block to start that race!  Race #17 will be a little south Bowling Green, Ohio for the Falcon 5 Miler!  We’ll wrap up the month with Race #18 Race to the monument.  If I can keep this pace, I should rock these 30 races out early!  I guess that’ll mean that I have to do more…lol!

Now lets all get out there and enjoy this sunshine!  Take a walk, ride your bike, go for a run…hell…just move a bit!  Summer is just around the corner!  Stay with me and keep pushing me!  I love the enthusiasm!  Keep Mobile Meals in mind as well…we love those people!  Be good to each other and I’ll see you on the road!

Zombie

Build up to the “Big Race”

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(It's true.)

(It’s true.)

Well here we are in the middle of April already and I’m wondering how we got here so quick!  The races have been coming fast and furious!  11 are now completed and number 12 will be this Saturday in Grand Rapids, Ohio.  The Run to the Rapids 5K!  I may schedule one last long run on the day following that race.  Prep and build up for The Glass City Marathon/Half Marathon!!  I’ll be running the Half…because running a full with all the things I have going right now would be…well….just crazy!!  I really enjoyed the Glass City last year.  Beautiful course, hometown and a wonderful party after the races are complete at the University of Toledo!  I urge anyone and everyone in the area to please come out for this event!  I’d love to see “Zombies” out on the course and signs are encouraged!  All runners love having people line the courses with cheering, clapping, noise makers and signs!  It helps to make the miles go easier and is always a mental boost! The following link has all the course maps if you’re interested in coming out! http://glasscitymarathon.org/glass-city-marathon-race-info/glass-city-marathon-course-maps/

As I stated before, my sister Patti will be running the half and my other sister from Florida is coming in to do the Half as well.  My wife Karla will be running as part of a team from her work called the “unfortunate soles!”  lmao!!  My sister Gini might be there doing the 5K with her besty!  So you see…you all need to be there and see just how much fun this event really is!

Injury update.  I’m still nursing this hamstring injury and my guess is I’ll continue to nurse it as I don’t have the time to stop and let it completely rest/heal.  I’m doing my best to keep my strides shorter, using the foam roller and have scheduled massages after each long race.  Once I’ve completed 30 races…I’ll take a little time off and let the body heal completely.  For now…it’s full speed ahead!  My original plan was to lose a couple of pounds (and I have) work on my speed and try to PR at the Glass City.  My best time to date was in Florida where I turned in a 1:57:29!  I was hoping to meet or beat that time here on the home turf!  I still plan on giving it a go even with the hamstring issue.  I feel that if I keep my stride short and keep pushing, I can best that time!  I’ll take most of the week before the race to rest.  Just a couple very short hops in the morning to keep things moving.  Send that positive mojo!!

Coming into the warmer months the races tend to get shorter in distance.  Probably going to do a few 5K races in May!  I’ll post more information on those as I get signed up.

On a sad note, I was just reading an article on my running groups page the other day about a 32 yr. old Mother of 3 that passed away just steps from completing a half marathon.  Every time I read stories like this, it reminds me of how lucky and blessed I’ve been to be able to enjoy this sport for so many years.  I take something from each and every run and hold it in my heart.  My thoughts and prayers go out to this young mother’s family.  I will continue to run and carry those people who can run no longer.

Nice weather is upon us so get outside and enjoy!  April 26th is the date of the “Big Race” here in T-Town! It will be the Lucky #13 race!! Come on out and enjoy the party!  Cheer on these athletes that have trained for months to cross that finish line!

I’ll see you on the road!

Zombie

March wrap up and onward!

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Well, lots of challenges during the month of March as expected!  The races during the month were:

The Run for PI (3.14)

The Great Black Swamp Festival of Races (25K)

The Wearing of the Green (7K)

Gibsonburg Golden Bear (10K)

The Ann Arbor Half Marathon (13.1)

All of these races were fun, challenging and at times…down right tough!  The Run for PI almost finished my hamstring…Thank God for Becky at Massage Works!  The Black Swamp was cold, windy and gray. 😦  The Wearing of the green was chilly too but at least the sun came out to visit!  Gibsonburg…flat course but wide open to the wind…brrrrr!!  Ann Arbor was chilly but had no wind. The start of the race had everyone from the 5K, 10K, 13.1 and 26.2 starting together at the same time!

Me and my sister at the Ann Arbor Half Marathon. Did I mention it was chilly?

Me and my sister at the Ann Arbor Half Marathon. Did I mention it was chilly?

A little cramped for my liking during the first mile…lol!  The roads in Michigan sucked!  Thank goodness the sights were amazing!  I enjoyed them all and I’m excited to keep the streak alive!  My brother-in-law Pete Schwanke ran his 92nd…yep…I said that right…92nd FULL MARATHON at Ann Arbor!  He’s set to break 100 Full marathons this year!  He’s returning this year to Boston where I’m sure he’ll do well.  He was just cruising along in Ann Arbor and clocked a 3:25 for the 26.2 hop!  Always amazed by people who can just crack out miles like that and never look tired.  Amazing!  Congrats to Pete and here’s to many more marathons in your future!

Today, April 1st is the first “Virtual Race” in my series.  A virtual race is one that you at times, pick a distance and a date to complete it by, do your run, save your time on your Garmin and turn into those holding the race.  Kind of an honor system.  My sister and I will be running the RunJunkEes “Mind Your Manners” race.  I’ve chosen to do the 10K distance (6.2 miles).  The money paid goes to kidpower.  Helping to stop bullying and bring more awareness to the problem.  They’ve already sent my completion medal but I refuse to open it up until I’ve finished the run!  I’ll post pictures of it and post on my Facebook wall after the run.  Perfect day for a run today so I’m very excited about getting out there!  I may just have to go past the 6.2 mile mark and do a few extra…just because it’s beautiful!!

I’m looking at running the Run to the Rapids in Grand Rapids, Ohio about mid month and the big one…The Glass City will be at the end of April!  I’m not sure that my hamstring will allow me to push for that PR I was hoping for during the Glass city half marathon..but you can bet your bottom dollar, I’ll cross that finish line!!  Cross your fingers and send some good vibes…I’d really like to smoke that one and PR!  My sister Leanna will be coming into town to run the Glass City and my sister Patti will of course be there too!  Patti is turning into a real threat in her age division!  Her times are placing her at the top of the group in most races.  She doesn’t care so much about the times but I’m proud of her none the less!

A lot of people have asked about Karla.  She’s able to get out and run on a more regular basis!  yay!!  She’s been very good and taking it easy.  Her main goal this year is to keep away from the injury bug and run the Smoky Mountain Half Marathon with Patti and I this September.  She was so sad when she became injured last year and couldn’t run it.  I just know she’ll be good and we’ll get to enjoy the 3 musketeers once again!

I want to take this time to really thank all of you that have believed in me.  The wonderful emails and text messages have kept me so fired up!  The outpouring of enthusiasm and support for Mobile Meals of Toledo has been humbling.  I’ve asked people to give of their money for a charity that I believe so much in and you have!  I’m just amazed…Thank you so much!  I’ll keep going and I’ll keep talking about the races and Mobile Meals!  Visit their website http://mobilemeals.org/ and look through the things they do on a regular basis.  If you have extra time, volunteer!  If you want to donate to help, you can do so on their website or at runzombierun.net!  They even have a spot on their website under donate for run zombie run!  Yay!!  That way they know you were touched by something that I may have said or done.  I receive nothing for any of this (as far as compensation).  I do however get the biggest thrill knowing we’re making a difference!  That’s really what it’s all about!

Enjoy the sunshine today and I’ll see you on the road!

Zombie

One busy weekend after another

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Well this last weekend was one hell of a challenge!  The 25K on Saturday proved to be a tough run…physically and mentally.  The cool breeze turned a bit colder and a little sprinkle started right at about 10 miles.  To go with that, the last 5 miles were on a very straight trail, with a headwind and nothing very exciting to look at.  Ugh!!  My sister and I marched on through and finished averaging just under 10 minute miles.  That’s right where we wanted to be.  Especially knowing that we had another 7K race the following day!

The field for this race and the race the following day was just loaded with great runners!  I’m always amazed to watch others that can run with what appears to be little effort and just fly!  Props to them for being Awesome!!  We kept our pace and finished and that’s what was most important!  My hamstring decided to tighten up first and then the calves got ugly just past the 13 mile mark.  I was grateful for the after care people doing the massages!  Rubbed out the worst of it and I relaxed most of the day on Saturday.

Sunday’s Wearing of the Green 7K was chilly but the wind was nowhere near as bad as last year’s run.  The sun was shining and that’s always a bonus!  Started out easy and picked up the pace right after the first mile.  Turned in a 35:51 and grabbed a medal for being one of the first 61 runners to cross the finish.  Nice little bonus!  I looked over the results of my age group and wow!  Placed 8th out of 12 runners!  The competition in the 45-49 group was…well….just WOW!  The first 3 in the group were all below 7 minute miles!  Such speed!  Again, humbled by the talent level.  I never feel bad about myself though.  I know what I’m capable of and I know that there’s room for improvement…and I will.  The main focus this year and pretty much all the time with me is to enjoy running!  No matter where I run in the pack…I’m happy!  I always keep my focus on that.  I don’t want to get caught up in being faster than everyone else…for me, I just lose focus when I do that and it becomes more of a chore than fun!

This weekend coming will be about the same mileage but in a different set up.  We have a 10K (6.2 miles) on Saturday in Gibsonburg, Ohio.  Zip home, grab a shower and pack for Ann Arbor, Michigan!  Packet pick up there before 4 p.m. and then Sunday morning will be the Ann Arbor Half Marathon (13.1 miles).  Another 20 mile weekend!  Thank God for Becky at Massage Works!!  She rescued me this past Monday!  Thanks to her, I’m able to keep this hamstring moving and continue my journey to finishing all 30 races!

My main message today…focus on the happiness that you get from running!  Don’t worry about times so much or where you are in the pack.  If you start a race, you’re already ahead of those sitting.  If you finish…you’re a star!  Never let go of that!  We all have our own goals and I’m not knocking those that enjoy the speed.  It’s just not what drives me to run.  If I turn in a great time…yep…I’m thrilled!  It just doesn’t make or break me.  I run against myself…always!

Thanks again to my Aunt and Uncle for coming out to cheer for Patti and I this past weekend!  It’s always great to see a smile at the finish line!  Thank you to my wonderful wife for being the best supporter ever!  She keeps me grounded and I always feel loved!

I hope to see more of you Zombies out this Spring!  Be it running, walking or standing at the finish line with a big smile and a Zombie shirt on!

I’ll see you on the road!

Zombie

Moving past the setbacks

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The idea of running these 30 races continues to amaze me at times.  Believe me, I’ve questioned my sanity a few times!  My main goal is to FINISH each and every race!  Spoiler alert…I may just run more than 30!  I have the mind-set and a great cause.  Mobile Meals of Toledo!  I remember the first meeting with them and saying “I just hope that I can raise some kind of money to make a difference.”  I was told then and there…anything you do will be appreciated!  They won me over with that statement!  They believed in me more than I believed in me!  How is that possible??  I can never express in words how much I appreciate people like the ones that run Mobile Meals of Toledo and all of the wonderful volunteers that help get people the food they need on a daily basis!  This includes my wonderful wife.  Always thinking of others…just amazing!  I will continue this journey through the entire year of 2015!  I will continue to do local races and even venture to a few other states!  You’ll see my bright RunZombieRun shirt in each and every run!  I’m on a mission to make a difference!  “Running with a purpose!”

The race this last weekend (Run for Super PI) was an awesome event!  Props to Tom Silva and Dianna Ashton…along with many others for organizing a top-notch event!  Without your passion for this sport…what kind of races would we have to run?!  Keep up the fine work and I’ll keep showing up!

The race was wonderful but my hamstring decided that I finished the last 1/4 mile a bit too fast.  I’ve been fighting off a couple different small injuries and the hamstring really sent a message after the PI run.  I’m here to tell you…message was received!  I have too much riding on these races and I need to keep the focus on finishing…put my pride and desire to fly in a little box for now and just keep from blowing something apart!  I keep thinking that I’m still young…lol!  The body reminds me that I’m not “that” young anymore.  The sore tendons in the foot have settled down and I’ve managed to get the hamstring loose.  Daily rolling on a foam roller and stretching have helped a bunch.  Advil and some rest are doing their part too.  I did a light 3 mile run at the park yesterday and felt pretty good.  I’m taking today off and will do another short run tomorrow.  With a full weekend of races, I need to keep it calm.  No worrying about PR’s!  Thinking of my PR could land me in the ER!  hee hee!!

So to any that want to follow this weekend.  http://www.davesraces.com/ Here is the link to Saturday’s run The Great Black Swamp Festival of races!  Patti and I will be running the 25K and expect to be on the road for about 2 1/2 hours…give or take.  A map along with the start and finish are all listed on this site.  Sunday will be the Wearin of the Green!  This will be held at Maumee Bay State Park in Oregon, Ohio!  (My backyard)  Looks to be a cold start but lots of sunshine! http://www.imathlete.com/events/EventOverview.aspx?fEID=19995  There is the link for that race.

Spring is trying to get here!  Whatever you decide to do…make sure you keep moving!  Don’t let any setbacks stop your vision or passion!  Get out and be inspired!  You never know who’s watching…you just may inspire someone else and how cool would that be?!  See you on the road!

Zombie

As always…you can donate on my website runzombierun.net.  It is a direct link to Mobile Meals of Toledo!  They even placed a runzombierun spot on the Mobile Meals of Toledo webpage!  Anything and everything are always appreciated!

Trying to keep it all together

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March is looking to be my craziest month thus far and I continue to challenge myself!  Tomorrow will be the run for PI!  3.14 is the official race distance but we all know the story there…it could actually keep going!  (Math nerd moment)

Next weekend will be back to back runs.  A 25K on Saturday and a 7K Sunday morning.  Hoping to get together with family on Sunday and just relax after all the running.  I’ve scheduled a massage for Monday!  I know it’s the smart thing to do after such extremes.  I’ve been out on the road pretty much everyday and hitting the gym 3 times a week!  The weather has forced me to run more than I had planned.  No complaints…I’ve enjoyed the temps and the sunshine, just need to keep the body going for the long haul.  The foot has been behaving and the hamstring is a little tight, but still moving!

I’ve signed up for the Ann Arbor Half marathon on the 29th of the month and now…I’m thinking of going ahead and signing up for a 5K on the 28th before we leave for Ann Arbor!  If I do, I’ll have knocked 5 races in 1 month…Woo Hoo!!  Another massage has been schedule for the day after the Ann Arbor Half as well! 🙂

The first two weeks of the gym weight loss challenge did not go well for me.  My eating was still a bit sloppy and I had a small melt down over it.  (Ask my wife and sister…lol!)  I’m on track now and have been doing much better with my eating.  Finding the balance to be able to maintain some muscle, lose weight and still be able to perform at the level I want during races is an interesting task.  I’ll keep on that!

Looking ahead to other races and dates!  So many races I’d like to do and so little time!  I think my sister and I have agreed on a big challenge in October.  We’re talking about doing the Sleeping Bear Half marathon on Oct 3 and then traveling south a little bit to Frankenmuth and doing a Half Marathon there on Oct 4th!  Back to back big runs!  I think we can kill it…no problem!

September will bring the Smoky Mountain Half Marathon and it looks as though Karla will be up for the task this year!  Going to the mountains is a must…each and every year!  Might as well run a fun race while there…right??

Still toying with a few ideas in November.  Might head back to Bowling Green, KY.  I really enjoyed the Half Marathon there last year.  The Churchill’s Half is in November as well.  I think my head is starting to spin again…lmao!!

I appreciate the support as always!  I love hearing from each and every one of you!  Helping me with Mobile Meals of Toledo has been awesome!!  As always…feel free to lace up and come to a race!  There are many that you can join in and just walk if you wish.  “A body in motion stays in motion!”  I usually list what race I’m running on my Facebook page…you can always come to one of those and yell at me to move my ass too!  I dig that!

Take care and I’ll see you out on the road!

Zombie

March Madness!!

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Well, another month done and wow what a month!  February…I officially don’t care for you at all!  Thank goodness for the Florida break!  Two more races in the books while in Florida.  The Fort Lauderdale 5K and the A1A Half Marathon both completed on the same weekend!  I’m grateful to have knocked out at least two races during the month, keeps me on schedule to complete the task of 30 races this year.

March will be a full month on the racing calendar.  March 14th will be the Run for Super PI!  Math nerds are welcome to come out and walk, run or just spectate the madness!  This race will take place at Second Sole at Levis Commons in Perrysburg.  http://www.roadracerunner.com/re_165794/RunforSuperPi.html

The next race will be a big one.  The Black Swamp Festival of Races http://greatblackswampruns.org/.  This will be a 25K run on March 21st!  I’ll be running with my sister Patti and my sister Leanna is coming in from Florida to run as well.  Not planning on setting any records for this one as it’s 15.5 miles long.  The plan is to just enjoy the company and finish the race with no injuries!

To follow the Black Swamp up, I’ll be running The Wearin of the Green 7K run on March 22nd (the following day!)http://www.imathlete.com/events/EventOverview.aspx?fEID=19995  This was one hell of a race last year!  It’s held at Maumee Bay State Park out here in Oregon, Ohio and being March in NW Ohio…you never know what kind of ugly Mother Nature is going to throw at you!  I’ll be tired from the long run the day before and if the winds were anything like they were last year…I just want to see the finish line!

The final run for March will be the Ann Arbor, MI Half Marathon!  March 29th and will be starting…you guessed it…right there at the Big House!  Not a fan of Michigan Football but it’ll be my first time in the area and hey…It’s another race to mark off my calendar! http://theannarbormarathon.com/

So there you have it!  4 Races in one month!  Right around the corner in April will be the Glass City Marathon/Half Marathon!  I’m working on dropping weight and scoring a PR at that one!  Cross your fingers!  I’ll do an entire blog entry dedicated to the Glass City at a later date.

As a small teaser…I’ve joined a group of people from a running group and have committed to running Ragnar (Chicago 2016) http://ragnarrelay.com/race/Chicago I’ve posted the website for the 2015 relay so that you all can look through and see how much fun this is going to be.  12 runners, 2 vans, 200 miles of running from Madison, WI to the windy city!  Chi town!  This has been on my bucket list for years and I still can’t believe I’m finally going to have the opportunity to do it!  More on that later too!

Keeping up with my running and hitting the gym on schedule.  Cleaned up my eating and will continue to tune it as time passes.  Still have plans of dropping the extra pounds for my challenge at the gym.

As always, thank you to everyone for following along!  Extra thanks to all for donating to Mobile Meals of Toledo!!  They keep me focused to keep the legs moving!  Running with a purpose!  Take care and …I’ll see you on the Road!

Zombie

The Challenge within the Challenge!

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The idea of running 30 races to celebrate the 30 years of running seemed a bit crazy when I first started toying with the idea.  Then, well, I just got used to it!  It seems I’m always searching for something.  Something to help relax my still slightly restless soul.

I’ve decided to take on a challenge at my local gym.  Between February 23 and April 23rd…the person to lose the highest percentage of weight could win some fun prizes!  First place is a $250.00 visa card, Second place gets $100.00 visa card and Third gets gym credit.  My hope is to take First or Second and then turn the winnings over to Mobile Meals Of Toledo!  So this means it’s time to start writing down all my foods and keeping close track of my intake.  It’ll be a little more complicated on long run days but I think I can master a plan to get through.

Weigh in was today!  I went in to do my leg workout and hopped on the scale.  218 lbs at just shy of 6’2″.  My ideal weight…that I’d like to reach would be just under 200 lbs.  I’d like to maintain as much muscle as possible and lose the extra layer of winter fat.  This too will improve my joint pains and hopefully my times for my races!  It’s a win…win!  What’s the worst that could happen…I could see my abs?!  lol!!  So now you’ll all have to deal with my crazy running rants along with my calorie intake, workouts and just plain craziness!  It’s for a great cause and again…I’ll be laser focused!

The plan is to get 3 workouts with weights in during a weeks time.  Cardio on 5 days of the week.  I’ll bump to 6 after a month or so.  Feel free to jump in and challenge yourself!  Get on a scale or just put on a pair of pants that might feel a bit tight and make a pledge that you’ll be wearing them in 8 weeks!  “Summer bodies are made in the Winter!”  True to form…this won’t be an easy fight!  Getting up at 3:30 a.m. and going out into the freezing cold to run or head to the gym will be tough.  I will make it happen though…you can count on me!

The big wrap up for this will be fun!  The week that I do the final weigh in at the gym is the same week leading up to the Glass City Marathon!  I will be running the Half Marathon but would love to post a new PR during that race!  It’s my home town and I have a number in my head that I want to reach.  So coming in lighter and more  fit…I should be able to put the hammer down!

Alright all…Let’s do this!  8 weeks to a leaner, faster, crazier self!  I’ll see you on the road!

Zombie

Not all pretty runs!

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Today was long run Sunday with my sister Patti.  As some of you may know, Patti just returned to the running game last year and might I  add…has rocked it!  From not running at all to running her third half marathon last weekend is truly amazing!  She puts in the time and the run in return…brings her peace.  Keep running Sis!

The weather looked to be the best we’re going to get for another week or so.  That being said, we decided to hit the roads and see how things shook out today.  My initial hope was to run 13 miles or better.  (I may have forgotten to share that with my sister…lol!)  We headed out and started chatting about the week in Florida and how we wish we were running there right now instead of here!  The temperature was around 21 degrees when we left but there was really no wind to speak of. (YAY!!)  Walked out to the front of my sub-division and hit it!  Down the road we went!  Everything was going well…hit our usual pee stop at a local gas station out here in Oregon and popped open a pack of delicious GU!  Salted Caramel!  Patti’s new favorite!  This was at about mile 5.5..ventured further out into Oregon and my back started giving me fits.  I worked out at the gym the day before yesterday and was getting what is known as “the 2 day effect!”  the second day after a big work out usually brings a certain tightness to the muscles.  I decided to keep plugging away and at about mile 8.2…it was getting a bit rough.  We stopped and walked for a little and then pushed on.  I made it another 1.1 miles and knew I was just toast.  All total with our running and walking we managed 10.3 miles.  They weren’t the prettiest…but we got it done!

I’ll make the proper adjustments and make sure to keep back work outs away from my long run days in the future.  The back has already settled down…so all is well.  The idea that we can always go out there and have perfect runs is frankly…just silly!  Some days I feel like I could run for days!  Then you have days when you feel like a mile is all you can go.  I just chalk it all up as movement!  Anything beats nothing every damn day!

It looks like there’ll be another arctic blast coming for the week so time outdoors running will be kept at a premium.  I think the Stairmaster will be my “friend” for the better part of this week.  Blah!!  Training must continue!  Busy March schedule of racing coming just around the corner!  March 14th…The run for PI!  March 21st…The Great Black Swamp Festival of races!  Then on March 22nd…Wearin of the Green!  I’ll be scheduling a massage soon (Becky at MassageWorks keeps me moving!).  It looks as though my sister will be coming in from Florida for the Black Swamp and Wearing of the green!  So again, I’ll have family to keep me motivated and happy!

Hang tough everyone!  The runs aren’t always pretty, the weather isn’t always good, but the heart will carry you through it all!  Happy Running and…I’ll see you out on the road!

Zombie

Inspire!

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Along with getting out there and running all these races.  I’m always hoping to pick up a few “new to running” people!  I think while I’m working on this blog…who is reading this, how does it make them feel, will it inspire them?!  For those who might be thinking of taking up running, don’t be scared.  There’s a great program out there on the web called couch to 5K!  (C25K)  I highly recommend using this to start out your adventure and believe me, it will be an adventure!  (I say that in a positive voice!)  I said it before and will continue to say it…running has changed my life, made me stronger, given me hope and confidence!  The running bug is the best bug to have…in my humble opinion!

A young lady I know is currently taking up this C25K and has stated that she’d like to run a 5K before the end of my 30 races this year.  Can I just say…that is one of the most amazing things anyone could ever say to me!  I welcome anyone and everyone to climb on board this crazy train at anytime.  I keep my races listed on my Facebook page at Run Zombie Run and also on the website runzombierun.net.  I have plans of doing the vast majority of the races here locally in the Toledo, Ohio area…so by all means…come on out!  If you need a boost, maybe an occasional text to help motivate you, I can do that!  Don’t worry about what pace I might be running, if you ask me to run with you, I’ll stay right by your side and run your pace.  I feel it’s only right that if someone is new to running that I help promote running first before my own personal desires.  This whole idea of running the 30 races was set up to celebrate the 30 years of running but to make it about others.  It’s bigger than me!

I have 3 races currently schedule for March.  Run for PI will be on…you guessed it 3/14/15!  This run will take place at Second Sole running shop in Perrysburg (Levis Commons).  I have a big run (25K) The Black Swamp Festival of races March 21, 2015 and the following day I’m running a 7K race at Maumee Bay State Park in Oregon!  More will be scheduled for April and I’ll be doing quite a few 5K runs (3.1 miles) during the summer months.

I’m currently nursing a very sore left foot.  It decided to be angry with me after the Dave’s 10 Miler.  Doc says the tendons are inflamed and to take it easy for a little bit.  I’ve cut down on the training mileage but have no plans to stop the races!  Florida is only 2 weeks away and I have both a 5K on 2/14/15 and then a Half Marathon on 2/15/15 scheduled!  I will finish what I’ve started…you can mark those words down now!

So stay tuned for more on all of this exciting stuff coming!  Do your part to inspire others to be happy and healthy!  Remember that I’m never more than an email or text away and will help in any way I can to promote your fitness goals!  You can do it!  Keep moving and stay healthy!  I’ll see you out on the road!

Zombie