K.I.S.S

Doing a marathon in under 4 hours for me was not what I originally planned to do when I signed up for the Marathon Training Program.  Never doing a marathon before I decided at the beginning of the year that I wanted to qualify for the 2010 Boston Marathon (that was my goal before I even discovered what time I would need to hit even to qualify)... maybe not doing it in San Diego but using this first race to track my progress and get a feel for the longer distance of a marathon distance race.  At my advanced age I would need to break a 3:30:00 time sometime this year so that I would qualify to run the next Patriots Day in 2010... How would I achieve this goal?

I loved the K.I.S.S. principle of the program, the friendship of the other runners and coaches and the blue print on how we, as a group, were going to make it to our goal at the end of May...  I dove right in!  Looking forward to my daily run and getting up early each Saturday so not to be late for our weekly group runs.  I was changing... I was living... I was walking taller, I was easier to work with, to live with... I liked the new "me"!

Week 5 there is a super fun "Super Run 10k"... And the next day I went out and raced another race, a 15k at Mission Gorge and its "1000 steps" Xterra Series trail run... I could not get enough of this sport.

Valentines Day I was met with a cute little card from Nikee and the most thoughful gift I have ever received.... an entry into the 2009 Chicago Marathon!!! Just what I've always wanted... a nice flat course that everyone says is a "great Boston Qualifier..."  and first class airline tickets for the uncomfortable ride back home to San Diego when I was done.  Wow, so supportive of my dream, so wonderful a girlfriend!  My life was falling into place... what else could a guy ask for?

San Diego Track Club

The weekly Tuesday evening track workouts are coached and are preceded by announcements and stretching. Runners will develop proper form and a sense of pace through a variety of exercises, including tempo runs, intervals, fartlek and calisthenics to build core strength. The group atmosphere builds friendships as well as stamina. The group long runs take place at various locations in San Diego County and include some of the area's most scenic routes. You and your running buddies will share runs along the beach, Mission Bay, Coronado, the waterfronts of San Diego Bay, Sunset Cliffs and many areas in the North County. There will be a two-hour marathon pace run held in Mission Bay that will be followed by a family potluck.

SEMINARS

The weekly seminars are held before and/or after the group long run on Saturday mornings. Previous seminar topics have included: nutrition, core training, weight training and cross training for full and half marathoners, injury prevention and treatment, choosing the right shoe, improving breathing patterns and balance, pain relief and sports performance, information on massage and chiropractic, mental preparation for the marathon and motivational speeches by local coaches and athletes. Your family and friends will be invited to join you at a pre-race pasta dinner (a modest fee will be charged for your guests) - a carbo-loading evening that will fill your body and spirit with energy on the eve of the big event. In addition, the track club will have a special meeting place after the full and half marathon for everyone to reunite and rejoice in their victories.

ENROLLMENT

Enrollment opens to the public on October 15th. The program will sell out. Please do not wait until the last minute. By enrolling in the full and half marathon training program you also join the San Diego Track Club for a full year and are entitled to all the benefits of track club membership, including discounts at numerous local running stores and in local races.

ENROLLMENT INCLUDES

* One full year's SDTC Membership and SDTC Newsletters 

* A 22-week training schedule, literature and running seminars 

* Two training locations (San Diego and North County) 

* Saturday Long Run aid station support during the 22-week Full and Half Marathon Training Program 

* Professionally-coached year-round Track Workouts at two locations in the county 

* Rockin' 'n' Runnin' Technical t-shirt and Shoe Tag 

* Pre-Marathon Pasta Dinner 

* Rockin' 'n' Runnin' website for RnR Full and Half Marathon Training Program members only 

* 2 Race Entries: Super Bowl 10K & Sue Krenn 15K

More Information

1st Marathon/ Training Group

The choice for my first marathon was an easy one.  The rock n roll marathon series is such a wonderful idea with music and fun all along the 26 mile course.  You are guaranteed perfect weather in San Diego so that was a no brainer... And it was my home race so plenty of friends and Tri Club members would be running in it as well.  San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon 2009 would be my first 26.2 mile marathon. 

My first triathlon at the Pasadena Sprint two years before was without coaching or guidance.  I was not a fan of that experience.  As soon as I joined the Tri Club San Diego I learned the sport so much quicker and with no injuries or wasted training to slow me down.  I figured I would do the same with running.  The San Diego Track Club is another local historic club in Southern California which is worth so much more than any dues or costs involved in being a member.

The San Diego Track Club  conducts a marathon training program, the Rockin' 'N' Runnin' Full Training Program, which prepares runners of all abilities for San Diego's Rock and Roll Full and Half Marathon the first Sunday in June. SDTC Coach Paul Greer is the director of the training program.

2008-2009

Funny, after you do something enough it becomes easy... and maybe a little boring.  I am the type that always needs a new challenge.  That's how I discovered Triathlon.  I loved to swim but never did it in a lane or in a race... and a proper bike was foreign to me (big pizza/little pizza???) but it seemed like the natural progression of the strides (ha) I had been making on the road in my running races. 

I started with the sprint triathlons and if I did not come in the bottom 1/3 of my age group I would be shocked... but I found my new challenge.  I joined the local Triathlon Club (Tri Club San Diego) and dove right in (ha) to anything and everything Tri related.  Club Races, workouts, social events... anything and everything... good times!  My races increased in distance as my endurance and confidence was built. 

My times were still below average... that might not be true but I was never on the podium and I would look for ways to improve.  I would sit in my office the monday after a race and dissect my age group, my splits, my weaknesses. 

If you hate getting old... start racing triathlons or running races.  Nothing feels better than your "Aging Up" birthday party.  You are now the youngin' racing against father time and your elder peers.  Like a jockey getting to race with all other horses in the starting gate carrying that extra weight.

I noticed the longer the races, the better I did vs others.  Could be all the training I was doing, or the "mental toughness" I would like to think I had... It could be the longer the race the more important the run becomes.  I was starting to really enjoy running, I bet it was the later. 

I joked that my swim and bike was so shit that I gave everyone their needed head start once we started the run.  What I think it really was is the ability to set a task and get it done.  I would see the age of a competitor on his calf during the run and I would set my mind to picking him off (or any woman in the field that was ahead of me... something about "getting chicked").  One at a time.  This is the point of this post.  Set your mind to something and do it.  Running up hill is sometimes very difficult on your body... you will see people walking around you... but if you set your goals very short term you can mentally get it done.  "Just one foot in front of the other"  "Just get to that tree and then you can slow your pace"  "Do not let that 12 year old kid beat you to the top"... whatever works for you.

I got to the point of racing Half Ironmans which in the middle of a race it hit me... I am running a half marathon after all of that pain fest of a swim and long ass bike race... I bet I can do a marathon!

How did I choose to run Boston?

2003-2008

I started running at 40 years old... I was an average athlete as a teenager but running was something I despised and avoided by "fake injury" more than a handful of times at the end of football practices in high school.  I guess you can say, I'm lazy!  I still am... It takes everything I'm made of just to walk up a moving escalator.

My first race was a half marathon that was billed, "fastest half marathon course" (it was down a mountain)... I liked the thought of gravity helping me along.  I trained with my boss at the time and a few other work mates... My knees hurt after every run it would have been easy just to quit!  I needed wraps to ease the pain of every step (please note: 10 years later with ten times the mileage I have zero pain in my joints).  No one in our group came from a running background so training was just getting together on the weekends and running.  I finished the race and felt like I had really accomplished something.  I did a few more halves over the next year or so and one thing about each race that was just like the last was my thought as I crossed the finish line, "I cannot image turning around and doing that again".  I had a real appreciation for marathon runners.

Introduction

this is the start of my (blog/website/page) and i am sure, if you have stumbled upon this, you are asking, "do we really need another motivational spot?"  The answer to that very good question is, this is not for you as much as it is for me.

i need to post this site... if i "put it out there" i will be better.  if i give advice, share stories of my successes, assist friends, family and strangers that have a need... i will be better.  i will lead by example and be a better person.  so if not for you, do it for me!

my journey began 10 years ago... as i approached my 40th birthday.  you will come to find out that my start/stop dates always have a ring to it.  40th birthday, january 1st, september 14th (my birthday), a certain race day... whatever it may be.  i need to have something easy for me to say this is the start of a new challenge.  i had a friend say once, "why do you need a date to start?  start today!".  i hope you can do that and i encourage that... but if you are like me, pick a date take the time to get motivated for that date and work your way up to it and then start like a horse out of a starting gate!

in my next entry i will describe my story, so that you can possibly relate to things in your own life that have always gotten into your way... and seemed like a good excuse at the time.  i have had a million of them and i am sure we have a few that are exactly the same.  there are no excuses... we will tear each of them down... and with my help i look forward to hearing how you achieved your goals.