Out and Back Lake Thunderbird Run

My Running is really coming along. With nice mild and cool temperatures, I can finally be able to run fast again and be able to run 80-120 minutes a run.  Today, I ran out to the big Lake, Lake Thunderbird and was able to keep up a solid pace. I set a record of reaching the park in 40 minutes and 33 seconds besting my 42:10 effort last spring.  With calm winds, I felt like I could handle anything today.

Let me get this straight though....Running in Oklahoma is tough. Not only do you have the worst weather conditions with heat, bitter cold and then WIND, but the roads and people are not runner-friendly.  Alameda street is the road I live off of and as you leave it to go out "into the country", you leave sidewalks and wide streets into narrow rolling farm-roads that pit you against angry drivers and no shoulder.  The run becomes a game of cat and mouse more or less.  With all things considered, I love running out on Alameda. The hills and the views of rolling plains are breath-taking and once you ascend a nice steep incline you are greeted with Lake Thunderbird which is an oasis of nature nestled in Oklahoma.

The duration of my run was 1 hour and 30 minutes 32 seconds.  All in all, I can feel that real base strength kick in and a spring marathon plus numerous trail races this spring seem like I will be ready for some great results!

Rose Rock State!!!!

Today, I ran out towards Noble and almost out to Slaughterville.  The run was nice as I began with a nice tailwind which made the outside temps feel like 45 degrees. I ran really fast today as I hauled it down 77 to Noble. Downtown Noble is growing as more stores are popping up and that makes me feel good that such a quaint little town is getting growth in the right places.  I even ran all the way out to Bell Creek and up the hills and then down the hills.  Oklahoma is a plains state in many ways and central Oklahoma is for sure a big plain.  The peace and tranquility of seeing an open stretch of land is calming but for me at this point is getting too plain. I love Oklahoma but it is really a hard place to be good at distance running.  The summers are brutal with 115 degree days at worst and a solid average of 100 degrees. Then the wintertime, you must factor in the wind chill that just cuts through all of your layers.  It is just a tough place but nonetheless it makes you stronger and able to be adaptable.  I was able to run 18 miles and 1 hour and 49 minutes and 26 seconds of a hard effort.  Thursday will be another nice hard day and I look forward to building on the base for the spring.

By the way...back to my headline.  Noble is in fact the Rose Rock capital and I ended up running by the museum that I really want to take Ashlee to!

Monday Employee Golf Day

The day was fun as I ran 18 holes out on the golf course while playing some golf and I am certain I had run about 6 miles of running.  At times I was sprinting, other times I was jogging but all in all it was a fun time.  I never knew how hard golf can be and that real practice is needed to play well at a course.  That was my exercise for that day and I was very tired come the end of the day.  The weather in Oklahoma is finally cold and some mornings is very chilly and windy and I smirk and smile to hear all of the Native Oklahomans complain about cold weather.  I find they complain about all the weather that this state has as it helps them cope.  Overall, great day and I wish that Ashlee gets better soon as she is recovering from a sinus infection.

RUNNING KICKS TUSH!

So on Friday, I was able to run along Cedar Lane and complete a nice loop of 82 minutes and 14 miles maybe 15.  I felt really good and the pace was nice and relaxed but strong.  Getting some hills in was nice too and I really need to keep the pressure on my training to ensure that I am up there with my mileage before I prepare for long endurance trail races and the OKC marathon.  I love the winter time and being able to wear tights and high socks and everything associated with it is awesome! I love cool and adverse weather that is not on the hot end of the spectrum. I used my 80 gift card at Backwoods which may be a potential sponsor and bought a sweet Arc Teryx Top that with a can food drive saved me 100 bucks!  Sweet Sweet Sweet deal!

Anyway time to run in the cold wind and rain!----Run out towards Norman North High school. The weather was insane!!!! Oklahoma is by far the windiest place in the World!  50 mph gusts and sustained 25-35mph winds are you kidding me.  I ran in the neighborhoods to dodge some of the wind and rain but there was no dodging it!  I was buffeted around like a pig in a blanket squealing all the way home.  It was tough but 75 minutes later and I was a changed man with 11.65 miles in the books not bad!



Sunday---70 minute run to the Bank at night!!!!  Nice pace as the temps dropped significantly from 40 to 28 degrees!   So tights and gloves were a must. I got lost in one of the neighborhoods out by Norman High School but kept a nice pace!

Seeing Clearer Now!!! The Man Behind the Mask!

The Other day at Belmar, I had a moment. I realized that I had been wasting my time there ever since I started there.

As a college graduate, I have been over-qualified for the job title they want me to complete and I still am paid minimum wage there even after 11 months on the job.  I have gone beyond what has been asked of me and the truth is...I deserve much better.

Sunday I did not run but today, Monday on my first day off from work in a whole month, I have run tons of errands and run them literally while logging 10 miles of work.  It was a nice run and I can see that deception is vain and cruel and I feel better knowing that I deserve more. I ran to the bank, to the post office twice and to RJH realty and then back home.

I deserve more from my running, and work and just to give myself and my family the best life possible.  I know my father and Ashlee would want that more than anything and so begins my running journey to a new beginning.

I love working at golf/country clubs and I would like to continue that system at another club. I deserve some respect and pay that suits the amount of work I put forth into a job. The fact that raises don't exist is a federal crime to me.  So, I must look elsewhere.....


(Pics from Trails Golf CLub and Belmar Golf Club)


Tuesday---Nice hill run in my new Lunarswift 3. They felt great and I ran like a he-man today and amassed about 76 minutes and 12-13 miles of work all at a blazing sub 6 pace. Feeling pretty strong even after a month of ok training.

Wednesday--Busy day at work with tons of running around at the golf course. Approx 3.5 miles of running.

Thurrssssday--Thanksgiving---AM--Run in Arkansas...Beautiful quiet country road where I was able to log 65 minutes and about 10.5 miles!  Nice cool morning!  PM---Run to drop off Netflix movie then out to East Lindsey and then a quick loop through Summit Lakes. My new Nike Swift 3 feel amazing and light and I was able to get a nice post-turkey run in without much avail.  The weather is getting cooler here with a pick-up in the winds and a drop from the 60's down into the 30's. I was able to log 7 miles and 45 minutes and a total of 17 miles for the day!

Getting Back Into The Routine!

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am so very excited to feel like my running and fitness is coming back to me again. I am getting the sleep, the nutrition, and the volume of training I have missed in the past few weeks.  Today, the weather was in the 20's and 30's as I was blessed with wearing my first pair of long tights on a run for this year. I love winter running!  When everyone is inside fretting about the cold, I am out on the roads and trails bettering myself.  I love the challenge winter poses and I love the real tranquility of running as the sun goes down and all that seems alive are the very breaths coming from my lungs.  77 Minutes of running!

I really am interested in snow-shoe racing and I have a feeling I could be insane at the sport. Last winter, I averaged 5:35 miles for a 5k at my GMC high school course where  I ran through 6 inches of snow and for a mile and a half I ran through 3 feet of snow and still managed a fast pace. If I could do that without snowshoes, just imagine what will happen once I get those bad boys on.

I really do hope to live somewhere that I can run up ski slopes in the summer to build ascent endurance and in the winter take Ashlee out onto the trails with snow shoes where we can frolic in the woods and enjoy being alive.  I have learned that Oklahoma is a great place to live but it does not provide enough opportunities for work and for a recreation base of activity that Ashlee and myself really deep down desire.  We are both working hard and I am excited for the future.

AND THANKSGIVING!


Friday---63 min run in Sutton Wilderness

Saturday---Night Run of 82 minutes out along OU campus and into Trails Golf Course!  Nice serene run and felt good considering all the work hours I have put in!

To Begin A New Week!!!

Monday---Run TO Bank and then  Westheimer Airport off towards Rock Creek Road and then back home!---83 minutes of action and 13 miles


Tues--Run TO the The Post Office and back--42 minutes 7 miles in AM

PM---35 minutes of running and 5.7 miles in which equates to about 12.7 miles of running.

Wednesday---Long 2 hour and 20 miles of running out on hills off of CEdar Lane!!!!!! It was cold and windy and I ran like a really champion and now must recover with a chocolate chip muffin!!!

PineCone Classic Backwoods 5k!!!!!!

Today was race day and it was super exciting to have Steven Pyle with me at the race. That man ran like a champion today running a nice 17:13 effort which is awesome!  The race a cold with temps thanks to a nice 25-30 mph windchill in the 40's so I debuted my arm coolers from Pearl Izumi that I bought for the Mount Washington Road Race.  Those arm coolers/warmers are awesome. They keep you warm but also can help ventilate so for those brisk mornings help to regulate your body temp.  The 5k is a very fun low-key race with no bibs or time chips but has a lead bike and a very great traffic-controlled course.  I just went out for a 5k run and my pace was nice and easy. I felt like I was running a decent clip but then began picking it up after 9 minutes in to ensure I was running my best.  I love this race because they give out an awesome goody bag with running gels, key rings, an 80 dollar gift certificate and a 3 month personal training pass for the winner which is AMAZING for a nice low-key 5k... I hope this race in Norman continues to grow in popularity and can help this store out!

With all the working and lacking in distance training, I have been doubtful of what I could do. Today, I pieced together a nice 14:56 winning effort which was 5 seconds shy of last year's time but was solid.  This race gives me tons of confidence for the winter and spring racing season as I hope to string together some hard efforts of winter running (my favorite) before the big OKC marathon.  I feel like I am back to normal again and my spirits for running have been lifted. The sky's are the limit and only time will tell where my running can take me.

Photos courtesy of Backwoods.com

Fall Dirty Bird Run!

1 Hour and 21 minutes of a nice hilly Lake Thunderbird Run. It felt sooooo nice to run in the peace and quiet of the park. Hit the beach front and ran along the shoreline for a solid 2 miles before heading back through single-track trails and the hilly park road! I am ready to run a fast 5k.  Right now I am working every single day of the week for the most part and have not much free time. It can be hard to run and even shave my face anymore. I have been wanting to take Ashlee out to eat and maybe a movie or something like laser tag but since my work schedule is booked, I cannot do so.  It really sucks having to work an insane amount just to be able to put back a couple 100 dollars for graduate school. I find life a challenge just to progress. SO many people stay stagnant in their lives that it angers me when I feel like I am not continually improving my condition. It is just like with running,  I always would like to see improvements and it has been tough but I know that all this hard work will pay off at one time or another.


Friday---Simple taper run of 70 minutes out towards highway 9. Ran real easy as the sun was going down already at 5pm. Time to recover and gear up for the PINECONE 5k.  Thank you Backwoods for sponsoring the race and for providing awesome gear for entering!

Run To Belmar...Run Back Home!!!

Yesterday I ran to work at Belmar.  It was a nice cool morning and I felt like an ultra runner who decided to load up all of their belongings and to run wild out in the world.  I woke up at 6am and then shot out the door at an early 6:15.  I carried a gym sack on my back with my work clothes inside and ran.  It was soooo much fun. I jumped on Sooner Road and just began to roll with the steep uphills and downhills.  It was a roller-coaster run and before I knew it, I was 36 minutes in and I had one more mile to go.  I felt so smooth as all the cars heading to work must have thought  I was a looney.  I arrived at Belmar at 6:54 where my watch read 42 minutes. I had averaged mid to high 6 minute pace with a bag flopping around. Not too bad. Then I worked at the golf course which was a great cold day where the sunshine brought golfers out to play. It was grrrreeeeaaaattt! Then when work was over with, I packed up my belongings again like I did in the morning and ran back home. I made the crucial mistake of packing only cold gear so running in tights and a jacket in 60 degree weather made me pretty darn sweaty. I was so sweaty that all I could think of is running in a desert on the verge of passing out. I made it home in 41 minutes and never felt so relieved to have run 14 plus miles!  A great day. I then was blessed with time with Ashlee running errands and just having fun.  It was a much needed great day and I am so  happy to have such a wonderful and supportive family.

36 hours awake!!!!---No RUnning!!!

Running as of late has taken the back-seat in my life and it does anger me. I have started a new job and I have been working numerous 14 hour days where my running is broken up or I skip running all together!

It was crazy. I stayed up all night long and then worked from 5:30am-3pm. I just got back from running at Cedar Lane in the dark for a nice 71 minute run. The lungs and chest feel heavy so I took it easy. I am needing some sleep and hopefully I can regroup for Saturday's Pinecone Classic 5k where I look to beat 14:51.  I love running and all this working has compromised what I love most.  I am never home and I miss out on working out and with spending time with Ashlee. Graduate school emails have suffered too and I really need to gather myself.  This month is the final leg of the journey before I can work and save up and focus on the next chapter in my busy life.

I hope that wherever Ashlee and myself end up, we will be in a place with mountains and plenty of outdoor fun. And most importantly, we can be happy and really enjoy our lives together and not become mechanisms of society.


Sunday run of 70 minutes in the dark as I ran by Ingels Vineyard. I am just trying to get back into feeling well-rested and in shape to run fast!

Monday---Long Day at the coffee shop and then a run to the bank!  Total time out...1 hour and 13 minutes and run time of 65  minutes for a nice 10 miles. I have run 21 miles as of this week of training and will look to add some more mileage at the end with a nice 5k.  I have been so busy lately that my running blog has suffered immensely but I am optimistic that I will be able to get back on track with running and refueling! The weather looks like there might be huge rainstorms or tornadoes! First earthquakes now Tornadoes...Lovely!

Lets the Games Begin!

Tuesday--No Run except at work....3 miles of running around plus more walking~~~~maybe 5 miles of effort!  I have begun my other job at Embassy Suites and I will find that running will be very structured on some days.


Wednesday-----1 hour and 30 mins on Alameda with a car accident! Witnessed a car accident and tons of wind. A nice run with the hills!

Thursday---66 minute run at 6 min pace through wind all in Moore at Belmar. It was a nice fun run! Cold and Windy....Whooosh!