Run Gianni Run

New longest distance run!!

2011-04-10T19:46:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday saw me run my longest distance to date. 19 miles and I was still able to walk and be a relatively nice person for the rest of the day. I celebrated by buying some five fingers

( http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/Five-Fingers-BikilaLS-Mens.htm ). Ok, I wasn't celebrating by buying them. I realized that if I am going to last another 32.5 miles in July I will need to strengthen my feet a lot more than I am.

Good run overall with a huge shout out to my friend DB who showed up for my second lap of White Rock Lake in Dallas. I wouldn't have made it without him. I kept up a good pace that I would like to keep for the ultra marathon and developed a new love for dry socks and Body Glide ( http://www.bodyglide.com/#/products/anti-chafe ).

That's all for now. Up at 5:00 for more running fun and adventure.

14 tomorrow

2011-03-04T19:24:00.000-08:00

Well, given that the first week of March is behind us and the ultra is staring me in the face on July 1, I need to ramp up my distance training and endurance. I will be running the Katy Trail 2x in the morning for a total of 14 miles. This will be my longest run ever as my previous longest run has been a half marathon. Looking forward to this challenge.

T minus 4 months

2011-02-28T19:51:00.000-08:00

The ultra-marathon is on July 1 which means that I have 4 months to train. YIKES!!! I was going to log about 250 miles in January and only logged about 50 due to weather and healing from oral surgery. February was a grand combination of bad weather and lame excuses. It kind of disgusts me when I think about it too much. Water under the bridge at this point I guess. I start fresh tomorrow, March 1.

Has anyone seen my Zen?

2011-02-22T21:30:00.000-08:00

As I prepare for my first ultra-marathon I am working on ways to reduce the fear when I think of running a 51.5 mile race. So far the best thing I've come across is something called Zen running. The way I understand it, you more or less check out mentally while you run so the strides just blend together and you float out of time and space, or some crap like that.

Frankly, I'm not sure there's anything to Zen running and I welcome anyone to knows more about it to educate me. I will admit that I did feel pretty good last week when I imagined myself being comprised of 100% air when I was running up a hill and that seemed to make me a bit lighter on my feet.

Admittedly, I'll be the first to bore a non-runner about the high I feel after I get back from even a short 3 mile run, but I have felt every hard fought step of that run. I didn't find some cosmic peace as I made sure to land on my mid-foot rather than my heels and I'm ok with that.

In fact I'm happy about it. I run to feel something dammit. I'm not going to lace up my awesome shoes, wear my road id (http://www.roadid.com), and dodge cars to come home and feel all light and airy about it. I run because it is hard for me to do. I run because I like the challenge of dodging cars, building my endurance, and striving to not look like a fool when I've saturated my wicking shirt. I love the pain of running. As Dean Karnazes says in his new book when asked if running hurts, "Yeah, it hurts if you're doing it right." I want to hurt after I've run because I'm reminded that I just found a new limit to push next time.

So bring it on 51.5 miles. I'm not afraid of what you can do to me because I can take the pain. Running is just putting one foot in front of the other repeatedly. I can handle that.

So I've found some motivation

2010-11-22T18:53:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been a pretty lame runner for a while now ever since my half marathon almost a year ago. I have only run on and off and not very well at all. I chalk that up to a lack of preparation for my last two races that quite frankly, wiped me out. That said, for the nth time, I am back on the horse, and I have to tell a lot of people about it so I can save face. I have found a race that will be a definite challenge to prepare for.

I will be competing in an ultra-marathon on July 1, 2011. I have started training and am crossing the days remaining off the calendar. I will be in Tulsa over the 4th of July weekend next year and I will run in the Tatur Midnight Madness 50 miler (51.5 miles to be exact). Here is their website: http://www.tatur.org/Midnight50/index.html. More updates to come, but I needed to get that out there so I can have as many people as possible holding me accountable for my training.

Back to school

2010-08-30T19:33:00.000-07:00

Well dear reader. It is back to school time for yours truly. I have not run for the past week, not on purpose mind you, but I have started back to school to get that GPA up a bit so I can think about bigger and better things for my career. That said, I am having a hard time getting my sorry butt out of bed in the morning.

There was a time that I would drag myself out of bed at 4:30 every day to go and lift. That man seems to be in a coma right now. It is time to man up!!

I don't have too much more to say right now other than it is time to man up to whatever you are putting off and saying you don't have the time to do. You have the same number of hours in a day as everyone else. Let's get some sleep so we can get up and run 3 miles tomorrow morning! Good night all!

Keep on running!

2010-08-20T10:30:00.001-07:00

Who knew a snuggie was a school supply item?

2010-08-18T21:39:00.000-07:00

So I love technical gear. I admit it. It is a passion of mine. Before taking up a new hobby or interest I am usually sucked right in by the technical gear that one "needs" to be able to perform said activity. One of the things I love about running? All of the cool technical equipment. The shoes, the socks (who knew socks could be technical), the fabrics, I love it all.

I also love the idea of barefoot running. I have learned in my running to be a mid to forefoot striker and I am convinced it is the only thing that allows me to keep running given my weight. I also notice that the best pair of running shoes I have ever had were very minimalist (a pair of Nike Frees if you are curious). That got my interest up about the Vibram FiveFingers, http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/. I bought a pair of these shoes (?) last year and didn't have the guts to wear them for a run. I returned them the next day. I just could not get to the point of running in something so minimal.

I went back to their great website last night and low and behold they make a shoe specifically for runners now. They have added about 2mm more padding under the ball of the foot for the forefoot strikers and have redesigned the sole with a better pattern specifically for running. While I would not rely on them as my sole runner at this point, I definitely can't wait to give them a try when I need running shoes next time.

Don't fartlek so loudly that other people can hear you! Keep on running.

2010-08-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

Week 2 of 18 week marathon training program began tonight with a 3 mile run. Completed in 32m 57s. Not fast by any stretch of the imagination, but not too bad after a 6 week hiatus. I felt strong after tonight's run and am excited for tomorrow's.

So tonight I was wondering just what I must look like when I run. Given that I am 6'1" and weigh approx. 265 I am not the lightest thing on two feet. Combine that with the brightest shirt I could possibly find ( safety first you know ) and an extreme sweating issue and I must look like a small manatee dressed in bright clothes who just climbed out of a pool. That doesn't bother me though because I am running and loving every minute of it.

Nothing profound tonight as I only ran 3 miles, but I want to get into the habit of posting regularly.

Keep on sweating er, running!

It hurt, but at least I finished

2010-08-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

Well, by looking at the date of my last post, it has been almost a year to the day since I have posted on this blog. Doesn't mean I have stopped running, I just haven't taken the time to post an entry. Here is a quick run down of what has happened with my running since I last posted. I completed a 15K, a 10 mile race, and the one that I thought would be the end of me, a half marathon.

Since my last race I have not been quite as fired up to keep running as I was when I first began. I still love to run and still get a rush from it, but it's not the same rush that it was when I started. I guess what they say about addictions is true. Once you get that first taste, it takes more and more to get the same high.

That said, I started marathon training this week and am working with a great beginner's program. Week 1 is as follows:

Mon - rest (that was the easiest day for me)

Tues - 3 miles

Wed - 3 miles

Thu - 3 miles

Fri - rest

Sat - 6 miles

Sun - cross training (for cross training this week, I am going to attempt pull ups. Notice I said attempt and not perform. I am still building the muscle necessary to perform this insane body weight resistance exercise. 12 of those bad boys and I feel it the next day for sure.)

So today was my first "long" run on this program. Let me also add here that it is insanely HOT right now in Dallas. Today's high temp is 103 with a heat index temp of about 115. I went out to the Katy Trail and did my 6 miles. The first 3 went pretty well and then I hit the turnaround. I felt as if my body had never gone that distance before. I clearly had lost the athletic ability with a one month break from running. When I finished I was running 1/4 mile and walking 1/4 mile. That was what I had to give. I finished though and live to run another day.

I had a similar experience with my run on Thursday. I ran at about 8:00 PM and the temp was 101 with about 98% humidity because we had just had a very short spitting of rain for about 3 minutes. I got about 2 miles in and had to walk the final mile because I just could not breathe. The air was so humid and thick that I could not breathe. I shortened my stride, I slowed down, and nothing worked, so I called it a day and walked the remaining mile. I am actually proud of that finish though because I didn't quit. I was running a loop course in my neighborhood and it would have been easy to just walk in the front door after 2 miles. Because I went the full 3 miles though, I walked in the door with my head held high because I finished.

Both Thursday evening's and this morning's runs reminded me of the professional triathlete, Rutger Beke. I became familiar with him while watching re-runs of past Ironman Hawaii triathlons. I am not sure which race I was watching, but I believe it was the 2004 race. Rutger had a good bike leg (112 miles if you are not familiar with the Ironman distances) and was ready to go into the run portion of the race (26.2 miles if you are not familiar with the Ironman distances) when he had to stop running and just started walking. He walked the entire run portion of the race and finished in about 800th place. In his post race interview he said that his legs just "wouldn't fire". A tough day and a tough race for sure, but what made Rutger's performance stick in my head was that even though he knew at about mile 2 of the run that he could not run to the finish line, he didn't quit. He walked the rest of the marathon. Normally a professional triathlete would call for a support vehicle to take them back to the staging area and call it a day, but Rutger demonstrated exemplary sportsmanship that day by finishing when it was not comfortable, enjoyable, or fulfilling. Rutger also said in his post race interview that he wanted to finish no matter what because it would not be fair to the age-groupers who would see him take the easy way out.

Hat's off to Rutger Beke. Even though he won't look back on that day as one of the highlights of his career as a triathlete he did so much more for the age-groupers like me by finishing the race no matter how badly it hurt his pride. Thanks for the great example of fortitude and sportsmanship Rutger! It helped get me through the week.

Keep on running!!

http://www.rutgerbeke.com/en/default.asp

If John Lennon was the walrus, what am I?

2009-08-18T19:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I did some research for the remaining races that I want to run this year and I made a disturbing discovery. In a previous post I indicated that I was labeled a Clydesdale in running circles. A nice name for "husky" but still a strong, friendly horse that brings beer. I'm okay with that label.
As it turns out there are two more classes for the full figured male runner. I do not qualify to be called a Rhino. No dear readers, I am officially a Hippo. You read that correctly, a Hippo.
So, instead of being the aforementioned beer-bearing horse, I am an obese water mammal who spends the day submerged and comes ashore each night to consume approximately 150 lbs of vegetation. Not so friendly or endearing. Quite the opposite; essentially mean and off-putting.
Needless to say, after reading that and quelling my rage I went and did push ups and planks to work to my new goal of being considered a Rhino. Never in my wildest imagination did I think I would one day long to be called a Rhino, but here I am.
On the positive side of things, I had a great run last night. Only 2 miles, but I have never felt this good the day after a run. I think I have found a good balance between stride length and pace. I was also able to find a good question to ask myself in the middle of a run when I want to stop and walk. I am to ask myself, "are you tired or weak?" The implication is that if I am tired I can push through and probably find a second wind very quickly, whereas if I am weak at that point, I need to slow down. I find that question motivating as it encourages an honest appraisal of how I am feeling during a run and just how far I can push myself.
I think that's all for tonight. Up at 5:45 for a couple miles before work in the morning. Thanks for reading.
Let me know what you think. If you want to laugh and poke fun, or empathize, or tell me that my writing sucks or that you enjoy what you are reading here, I'd love to hear from you.

Back in the saddle

2009-08-13T13:07:00.000-07:00

Well, as you know it has been quite a while since I've written anything and as you would guess, I have not been consistently running either. I'm going to save you some time and let you choose the excuse you want to hear for my lack of running consistency: blizzard, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, sick baby, rescuing puppies from an oncoming train, etc.
Needless to say, it is time to renew my consistency. Based on the past entries, it looks like I am more consistent when I have goals in front of me that threaten public humiliation if they are not met (see my 5k race on July 4th). In that spirit, here are my goals through the end of 2009 and my mid range goals through 2010. Through the end of 2009, I will be running in 3 more 5k events. I am already signed up for the DRC 5k on November 1st and will be signing up this afternoon for the Route 66 mayor's 5k in Tulsa on November 29th if anyone wants to join me, I would love to meet you there. I am guaranteed to make you feel good about yourself and your mile splits. I am looking at a race in mid-October and that should take care of the rest of this year for races.
For 2010, my goal is to run in a 10k by the end of the first quarter and to compete in a half marathon by the end of the year. Ambitious I know, but I know that having a deadline (and paying for race registration) will make me train better.
More later, thanks for following!

My first 5k

2009-07-09T19:29:00.000-07:00

OK, so my first goal was to run a 5k. And on July 4, 2009, I did it.

First, lemme tell you about the start line. I showed up an hour early and still had to walk a couple of miles to the start line due to everyone else beating me there (is this normal? Let me know.). But when it was time to line up, I positioned myself near the front of the pack. This may be bad running etiquette, but hey, it was my first race, and I want to clock the best time I could. (Again, please tell me if I'm being a rude runner.)

So the starting gun goes off, and people start FLYING past me. And I mean, old ladies, fat guys, pregnant women. Elementary school kids. Infants in strollers. They are all passing me like I was tied to a post (that's how we say it here in Texas, y'all). I couldn't believe how slow I felt.

And did I mention that I was in the Clydesdale category? It's kind of like when I was little and asked my mom what "Husky" size jeans were. She said they were for boys who were big and strong. Well, now all those "big and strong" boys are running in the Clydesdale category.

I made pretty good time, for me. My official time was 34:27 and my per-mile average was 11:05. I was 223rd place overall, out of 392 runners. I WAS NOT LAST. Not even close to last, really.

Mrs. Gianni and Little F were waiting at the finish line, where she took these stunning photos:

I'm the guy in the white shirt— no, not the one standing there. I'm the one in the smack-dab middle of the photo, running toward the finish line. Maybe next time Mrs. Gianni will bring a real camera and not take pictures with her phone.

And now I'm cooling down, headed for the people who are handing out the Flavor-Ice.

Um, yeah.

My next goal? To run at least one 5k per month, and to run a 30 minute time in a 5k by November 1. That is, if I don't die first in the freaking hot Texas weather. Here's hoping.

Signed up

2009-07-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

I signed up for my first 5k. It's on Saturday July 4. It is early in the morning, so hopefully we won't have already hit the projected high temperature of 101.

I'm pumped about it. And I have to admit that one of the things I'm pumped about is hanging the race number on my cubicle wall. I want to put it there to remind me that there's more to life than cubicles. That there's a reason I'm not going to go out for a 3pm burger & fries. And that I've successfully run a 5k and I'm really proud of that.

Now, I know that most runners could do a 5k in their sleep. Next to an ultra-marathon, a 5k is a joke. Heck, next to a regular marathon, it's like a warmup. But it's a big deal for me. And I'm looking forward to it.

I'll post pictures of the race. Hopefully my shirt won't be transparent with sweat. Maybe I should wear a non-white option. Also, I have got to find some sort of paste or something to keep my nipples from rubbing against my shirt until they bleed. Because OUCH. The non-white shirt would be helpful with the bleeding nipple problem, too.

Oh, here's the best part: Since I weigh over 210lbs, when I register for races, I get to sign up for the Clydesdale category. Yep, I'm now classified as a giant draft horse. Does that mean a beer sponsorship is next?

Sweatbands & such

2009-06-23T18:23:00.000-07:00

I bought my first piece of sweat-related headgear. It's a "Sweatvac Persperation Management System". I can't believe I require special sweat gear, but there it is. Since I sweat buckets just walking to the mailbox, I needed something strong for my running sweat. Clearly a visor isn't as cool-looking as a hat, but it does let some of the heat escape from the top of my head (unlike a hat) and keeps the sun out of my eyes (unlike a regular sweatband). Tonight, I sweated through it until sweat dripped off the end. I challenge the Sweatvac company to create a product that can keep up with my sweat. I am a sweaty beast.

I took four days off this weekend. Four days in a row. I went on a special weekend anniversary getaway with Mrs. Gianni, and we had ourselves a good ol' time. But I didn't run. And that's OK. I actually think it was a good thing, since all the little aches I had last week seem to have cured themselves. The lesson is: take a couple of days off now and then.

Tonight was my first run after four days off. I ran a mile and a half and then cramped up and had to walk back. Nothing makes you look cool like limping back to your house, dripping wet, with sweat leaking out of your persperation management system. So what happened? I wasn't hydrated enough, and I started too fast. Lesson: after you take a couple of days off, start back slow.

Some good things are happening, though. I can run three miles and am signing up for a 5k for the July 4th weekend (I'll let you know which run I'm doing later this week). I feel more agile & less slug-like. Someone at work today said "You look thinner." I'll take that any day of the week. I haven't weighed yet. But I'll let you know how it goes.

Let's get uncomfortable.

2009-06-08T17:39:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of the back of my car.

When I am frustrated or tired or stressed, I head for the drive-thru. Fast food is my "comfort" food. Unfortunately, being 80 lb overweight isn't comfortable.

It hurts when I run. My shins are killing me. I'm winded before I get to the end of the driveway. I have to always be concentrating on my stride so that I don't run on the inside of my feet, because 270lb coming down hard on your arches is no good. My back hurts because I'm tensing it as I run, trying to offset the gravitational force of my gut. Running isn't very comfortable right now.

My pants don't fit well. I'm at the point now where if I gain any more weight, the big and tall store will be my only option. My last clothing purchase was a pair of pants with hidden elastic in the waist. And I was excited about them, because they were comfortable. There's that word again. Comfortable.

Let me tell you, the pants in my size (that would be size 41 waist) aren't nearly as cool as the ones in a 31 waist. And I don't look cool waddling down the sidewalk on my nightly runs. I am uncool, and uncomfortable. And that's exactly where I need to be.

Tonight I ran almost three miles without stopping. I was soaking wet with sweat. I hurt like hell. But I feel AWESOME inside.

Why I'm running

2009-06-04T18:07:00.000-07:00

If you're reading this blog, it's because you want to see what happens when an out-of-shape cube dweller like me decides to become a runner and lose 80 lbs.

Bring it on.
Root for me, mock me, encourage me, or get your butt outside and do a little running yourself. I'm here because I want you to keep me honest. I'm here because I'm serious as a heart attack about not having a heart attack by the time I'm 50. I'm here because the road and I have some business to attend to.

I'm becoming a runner.
I've decided to become a runner not by reading about it, or thinking about it, or even hiring a trainer, as nice as that would be. I've decided to become a runner by running. Every night I will run as far as I can, doing run/walk intervals. That's my plan.

Why running?
Because it's cheap, for one thing. No special equipment besides some great shoes. But also because when I run, I can forget about my cubicle and my responsibilities and just be.

Another reason - maybe the most important- is because running is something I'll be able to do with my son. Other sports are great, but they require a team and an opponent and a field and a ball. If we run together, it's just him and me. And I want to do something we can do together.

I don't want to be a sedentary parent who tell my kid to move because he's standing in front of the tv. I want to be healthy and strong, and not to have to buy big-and-tall pants. I want to be out there running and playing and swimming and cheering my son on every step of the way, and I don't want him to worry about my health. I don't want to be fat and slow. And I sure as hell don't want to get winded from just walking up the bleachers.

Goal #1
I'm trying to be in the momet and focus on my pace, my stride length, my breathing, and my intervals. When I run, I'm just thinking about running.

My first big goal is to run a 5k (about 3 miles) without stopping to walk. Right now, I can run one mile without stopping. I'm not sure how long it will take me to get up to speed for the 5k, but there is one almost every weekend where I live, so I'm not too worried about finding one to join.

The Starting Pistol
Today, June 4, 2009, I weigh 270 lbs. Since I'm not anywhere close to seven feet tall, that's a bit much. My goal is to weigh 190 when all this is over. That's 80 lbs. I don't have a set time goal for the weight loss, since for me it's more about the running. Think I can do it?