I’ve Moved!

I’ve moved my blog to http://fitnessgeek.theschulmans.org/. Please update your blog rolls accordingly!

Lil Geek #1

You are so small, yet your impact on us has already been bigger than we could have imagined. I think of you often, imagine you yawning, stretching and doing your best to grow and grow and grow.

I worry too. That I won’t be able to give you everything and I hope you’ll forgive me in any ways that I fail you.

But these are not your concerns now. Yours is to grow and be healthy. My concerns are innumerable. I love you so much, yet we have not met. Although I have seen you. Your little heart beating so fast. That is nothing to how fast mine beats just thinking of you.

I have so much I want to show you, to teach you and to do with you. I can’t wait. Just eight months give or take and you’ll be here. I’m hoping these weekly notes will one day show you just what you meant to us. I doubt it though. There is no word in any language that defines our love for you.

Until then know that our hearts are yours and you are our everything.

Movin’ On Up

It’s been a fun few days. This morning I met some fellow runners at Kennesaw Mountain for an early run. They run a running store in Ohio and were visiting friends in town so we managed to get together and do about 9 miles. It was cool especially since I haven’t run with someone else in probably a year or more.

Maybe I’m anti-social? Or maybe I just don’t shower enough? They didn’t say they detected any unsavory odors, so maybe I just don’t have enough friends crazy enough to go running.

The nine miles was a good warmup for tomorrow’s 16 miler in the morning. I’ve got four long runs before the marathon. I’m feeling confident and If I can get in some quality runs during the week I’ll be ready to go.

News! News! News!
On Sundays I’ll be writing exclusively to Lil’ Geek. I’d like to give something for the little ‘un to read years down the line and see what was going through my head as the pregnancy progressed. This means my long run reports will move to Monday.

Finally, I’m moving. To the east side. Movin’ on up. After Monday I’ll be found at http://fitnessgeek.theschulmans.org. Please update your links accordingly. I’m hoping to update the look of the site, and Mrs. Fitness Geek has convinced me this is the way to go. Hopefully it’ll be a better blog in a few months. Any suggestions are welcome. Monetary donations are more welcome.

Back tomorrow with the first message to Lil’ Geek. Hope you’re having a great weekend.

TIART – Why I Blog

I never thought I’d be blogging. Of course, a year ago I never thought I’d be running either, so there ya go. I started blogging as motivation, but also to chronicle this journey.

But more importantly, I started blogging and reading blogs because if you’re not a runner, you don’t understand. You don’t understand the need to talk about shoes, getting up at 5 am or doing a long run on a weekend.

So I started reading other blogs and began my own. I don’t read as many as I should for sheer lack of time. But I read as many as I can. I have few friends who run outside of bloggers, so this is my way to get my fix when I’m not on the road. I’m addicted to race reports. I love reading about other runners and their trials and difficulties on long runs and then the triumph on the big day. It’s good motivation.

Annnnnnnnnd over to Lost. What an episode last night. The geek in me laughed at the episode’s title, “Some like it Hoth.” And how great is Hurley?

I’ll be going for a run after work today. I’m still battling a sore throat and sinus funk, but hopefully that’ll clear up soon.

The Plague

It’s been a few days and the House of Geek is full of the funk. Coughing, hacking, keeping up at night, plague.

That’s the bad news.

The good news is I ran Pine Mountain yesterday, both the west and east loops. It’s 4.56 miles total with about 900 feet of elevation up each side. I summitted twice, once from each loop. The total time was about 85 minutes. That sounds like a lot, but that’s climbing the mountain twice and descending twice.

Overall, I felt good after the first summit. I stupidly tried to run the whole way up the first time and made it halfway before my body said, “Hey, idiot. Walk some.” So I ran the flats and walked the uphills. I made good time and now have an idea of how I’ll do the next time.
As for the marathon training, in general, I’m doing so-so. It’s Passover so my energy levels are a bit low thanks to no wheat and grain products and no bean or legumes. My 10 miles on Saturday was brutal. I could feel my body telling me that I was tired.

Yesterday’s mountain run went as well as could be expected I think. I had enough energy for the run, and I’m looking forward to some interesting runs this weekend. On Saturday I’m meeting up with a couple of runners at Kennesaw Mountain and on Sunday I’ll go for a 16 miler.

I think I’m getting pretty ready for the marathon. I know it’s a hilly course since it’s a trail run along the side of a mountain. But I’ve been training hard with hills and I think I’ll be set.

I’ve got my hydration and fueling down pretty well, although with the weather starting to heat up, I’ll probably have to adjust it a bit.

As for Mrs. Fitness Geek, she’s hoping to get through the funk. Poor Lil Geek was all shook up last night during mom’s coughing fits. Hopefully the little one will finally got some sleep this morning.

Lost tonight! Woohoo!

Friday I’m in love

I could write a thousand words here. A hundred thousand. And it wouldn’t be enough to describe the love I felt this morning seeing our baby’s heartbeat for the first time. I could tell you how happy I was or that I felt my soul warm. But that wouldn’t explain it. Instead, a photo:

I know, I know. It’s a smudge. But it’s our smudge. And we love it. So much.

TIART – Running Technology Tips

I’ve missed a few Take It And Run Thursdays you know, with Mrs. Fitness Geek being pregnant and all. This week’s theme is a goody: Running Technology Tips. Here we goooooooo…

1. If it looks like it might rain, go low-tech – Can’t stress this enough. Nothing sucks more than losing a cell phone to Mother Nature.

2. If you’re going to run with a cell phone, use a cheap backup – ATT Go Phones are great because you can just drop your SIM card in the back and have a cheap phone that works normally. Go Phones are as low as $18. 

3. Headlamps are great – I love mine. It makes me feel alone in the early mornings, like nothing in the world exists outside of the halo stretching just in front of my feet.

4. Podcasts make me happy – I’m big into podiobooks right now as my music’s gotten a bit stale. I go through stages like this and find podcasts and podiobooks help ease the time on those long runs.

5. No technology is good technology – Sometimes I don’t take any techie bits with me outside of my cell phone. No watch, iPod or other gadgetry. It’s running at the most basic level.

Elsewhere, I don’t want to talk about the Braves. Well, not a lot. They blew it last night but managed to win two of three. I can’t complain. We’re back at the doctor tomorrow morning for an ultrasound. Hopefully we’ll be seeing Lil’ Geek’s heartbeat. Fingers crossed…

Addictions, etc.

It’s a rough two days. We had an ultrasound yesterday due to some worrying symptoms but everything turned out fine. I haven’t worked out in two days for a variety of excuses, none of which are good. Work’s been exhausting but good and the weather is playing tricks with my sinuses.

I woke up this morning feeling miserable, but that’s starting to fade. I’m planning on a decent workout tonight and time on the bike and then just continuing to ramp it up tomorrow. Here’s hoping at least.

Addictions…

1. We saw nothing of Lil Geek on the ultrasound, but that’s supposed to change Friday. All we saw was his living quarters which did look rather clean. Hope that keeps up.

2. 24 – Excellent again. Seven hours left.

3. Baseball – There’s nothing better than Opening Day. Except a 4-1 win on Opening Day.

4. House – One of the best of the year. Of the series.

20 Miles of Hills

This morning I went out for my second of three 20 milers prior to the marathon on May 23. I added on to my hilly 16 miler course from a few weeks ago since the marathon is full of hills. I’m glad I did. It was one heck of a run.

I hit the road just before 6:30 am and kicked on the headlamp as I started down the first hill. I hadn’t thought too much about a time since I knew I was going to be in for a good ol’ fashioned butt-kicking by the steep inclines and declines.

I did a few things differently today: I downed salt before I started and had a decent breakfast. I didn’t eat too much or too little, or at least I hoped. Turns out it was the right amount and the salt really helped me stay hydrated. In fact, I took in less fluid this run than in shorter runs.

The second two miles were easy, but they only lead to the largest hill, one that stretches up more than 100 feet with a severe angle to it. I powered up it and down the back side and was still feeling strong as I passed five miles. My pace was around 10 minutes, not spectacular but time wasn’t my goal today. 

After the eight mile mark I was officially in uncharted territory. Mile 9 led me out of our hometown into the next town over. It’s a cool feeling to say “I ran to…” Miles 8.5 are a steady descent and I welcomed it with a bit of speed and even more caution. I didn’t want to burn out.

I hit the turnaround of 10.3 miles in 1:44. Again, not a great time, but I was feeling solid and that was more my goal.

A note on the terrain: I counted the hills using Gmaps and came up with 19 not counting small hills. Nineteen. That’s each way. Nearly 40 decent-sized or larger hills.

The next 1.5 miles were a constant ascent, and I could feel my legs tire a bit. I kept on, changed podcasts and kept a steady pace until mile 14 where a steep drop dropped me down before bringing me up and down another hill to lead into the back side of the hill from mile four from what seemed like so long ago. The backside here was steeper than the earlier ascent and my quads began burning halfway up. My pace slowed but I pressed on until I crested.

At that point the run was 80% done and I was going to be fine. I swallowed my second and last gel (I normally do three on 18 milers) and tried to pick up the pace, but my feet were starting to ache. A lot. These were new shoes so I’m thinking it’s me not being totally used to these distances yet.

The last two miles came and went with a few more hills including the final quarter mile ascent. When it was over I felt better than I expected: I wasn’t tired or dehydrated or you know, dead. I was ready for another five miles. My final time was 3:38, not great by any means, but given the terrain I’m happy. I’ve got time to get faster.

It’s been a few hours since the run and outside of some knee soreness (the rolling has helped) my only issue is what feels like a mild strain in my left shin. 

So there it is. Twenty miles and I’m feeling great. Oh and I’d like to mention I’m not bragging about the general toughness of the course. It’s specific to me. I know most runners would fly up and down those hills, but it felt good to be challenged. I’m a middle of the packer and proud of it!

I’m hoping to do a recovery run tomorrow and next week will be a lighter week. Less than two months to the marathon…

A Day Late

Yesterday was very busy. I got a run in, but didn’t have time to blog before work. This morning I managed a slow four miles in a light rain. I’ll get another run in tomorrow before Saturday’s big 20-miler. I also need to do weights tonight as I’ve fallen out of favor with that again. It’s a time thing right now mostly. But my main motivation is not looking  terrible at the marathon in May and the beach in July.

Vain? Maybe. But who doesn’t want to look good in public?

Mrs. Fitness Geek is doing well as is Lil’ Geek. Our first ultrasound is a week from Friday. We’re both still nervous and will be until we see that heartbeat. Mrs. Fitness Geek has had only one bout of nausea so far.

A day late, but here come the Tuesday Addictions!

1. Lil’ Geek – I hope she’s (we decided to think of her as a girl until we know for sure) doing well. I’m sure she knows already how much we love her.

2. Marathon training – This is a big week. The 20 miles on Saturday will go a long way in seeing how ready I am for the race. 

3. 24 – Monday’s episode was easily one of the best of the season? Not sure where they’re going, but I’m along for the ride.

4. Lost – Same as 24. I have no idea where the show is headed, but count me in.

5. Lil’ Geek – Because you know, we’re having a baby! Did I mention we’re excited?