Race Report REV3 Triathlon

REV3 Triathlon

Anderson SC, October 2012

Two reefers, a van, a tanker, and three bobtails were parked in the corner of a busy parking lot that was not really designed for truck parking. Your local Walmart? A NASCAR race? Would you believe it was the parking area for the racers at the REV3 Triathlon in Anderson SC?

The first annual triathlon started in 1978 in Hawaii. The race incorporated three events, a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike race, and a run of 26.2 miles. Since then, the popularity of the sport, with varying distances, has grown every year, and was included in the Olympics in 2000. Perhaps many recreational runners and cyclists looked at the race as a new challenge to replace the 10K runs or century rides they completed in the past. But truck drivers? Who would have anticipated truckers competing in races that can strain the best of athletes? Pilot/Flying J, in cooperation with US Xpress's Highway to Health thought so. In summer of 2012 they posted on the U.S. Xpress Drivers facebook page that drivers would have a chance to compete in a triathlon in October.

I had tried out a couple of the shorter, sprint-length, triathlons in the past couple of years and I was excited that I could be in a longer event.  Especially a longer event where Pilot/Flying J would pay my entry fee.  I did have a few concerns, though.  I had very little chance to swim while driving over-the-road.  I did not own one of the race-style road bikes used in triathlons.  Most importantly,  I was planning to run a marathon in the month of October. 

Do not get the impression I am some kind of fitness fanatic that happens to drive a truck, though. As a third-generation trucker, I was not surprised that when I first went into driving, I began to put on some weight. Driving is a demanding profession, and at the end of a long, stressful day I only wanted to grab a bite to eat and hit the sleeper berth. When I met my wife in 1989, and we started driving team, the challenges only increased. Driving around 22 hours a day, we did not have the time, nor the energy, to exercise and learn to eat right. My weight went up way past the point that I did not like what I saw looking back at me in the shower-room mirror. I hit a point where my energy was low, my back hurt all the time, and I would get winded just by climbing up a few stairs. We decided to make some changes after a trip to Alaska in 1992.

A short hike will allow visitors to Exit Glacier, on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, to climb up to the ice fields. The hike is considered moderate in difficulty. We wanted to see the ice fields, but knew that “moderate” may have been beyond our limits. We had always planned to get back in shape “someday.” For the first time, a possible adventure had come up, and we were not fit enough to enjoy it. Out of our frustration, we decided to set a goal. We wrote our goal on a piece of paper and posted it where we would see it eveyday. We wanted "To be ready for whatever may be in store for us!" We began a journey that involved learning about nutrition and exercise. The small changes we made became bigger changes and then bigger goals. About thirteen years later, I set a huge goal. I wanted to train for, and run, a marathon.

Most marathon training programs call for building up weekly miles of running. I changed my priorities to suit my goal. If the truck was stopped, I was running. My weekly miles progressed up to twenty miles per week, then thirty, then forty. Although most runners would consider me woefully under-trained, I completed the Rock-N-Roll Marathon in Phoenix in January of 2006. Running turned out to be a great way for me to exercise on the truck. It was efficient, I could get my heart rate up quickly. Running provided a great break from driving. Only minimal gear was required, so not much space in the truck was taken up with exercise equipment. I ended up running another marathon in 2009, and was training for the third when I read about the REV3 triathlon.

We got a kick out of seeing the trucks parked in the racer's area. We wondered if the other racers thought that it took several semi-loads of equipment to put on a race. One of the trucks looked familiar. A distinctive owner-operator's paint-job made it stand out. Cindy remembered that we had met the driver at another race, the “Big Rig 5K” at the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas the year before. We also saw the “fittest trucker” in the America, a triathlete named Siphiwe Baleka, who now works for the health division of Prime Transportation.  We received a warm welcome from the representatives of Pilot/Flying J. Dave Parmly asked me if I wanted some “racing skins.” Sure. What the heck are racing skins? It turns out they are a set of clothes for racing triathlons.

I had somehow I managed to get in a couple of swim workouts since summer. I had also acquired a road bike on Craigslist. I had finished my marathon without hurting myself. As we arrived at the race area I was sore, unprepared, and with a bike I had only ridden two miles. But I had a goal. I was going to finish an Olympic-length triathlon.

The first part of the race is the swim part. The length is 1500 meters, a couple hundred yards short of a mile. I swam in high school, and planned to get out near the front of the group of racers I was starting with, then I would not have too much traffic to deal with.  We were to swim out from shore, around four large buoys, and back to shore. I must have forgotten that I was not in high school anymore, that I had not raced much in the water in 30 years, and (oh yeah) I was a sprinter in high school, not a distance guy.  By the end I was thrilled to have just survived as I moved into the transition area to start the 40k bike part. Cindy cheered me on as I washed down lake water with some Gatorade  got on my used bike and headed out to see if we could survive for 25 miles in hilly South Carolina.

I had paid $400 for my bike. While shopping I had discovered that racing bikes cost anywhere from $800 to $4000, and most used bikes were close to $1500. I clicked pretty well with the cycling part of the race, and started counting the total value of the bikes I passed. Me and my "vintage" Cannondale passed about $40,000 of fancier race and tri-bikes. About two miles from the end of the cycling part, I finally had a mechanical challenge. The front chain came off the gear. Reaching down, I thought I could get it back on while rolling 22 mph. After a few tries, I decided to stop and fix the chain before I hurt someone. Especially me. Then when I stopped, I forgot that I had on toe-clip pedals that keep your feet on the bike. I just barely kept from crashing to the ground before finding out that I could not lift my fatigued leg over the seat of the bike on the first try. So much for dominating the cycle course. I looked more like a Three Stooges routine. Chuckling at myself, I quickly got the chain on and took off again. 

Cindy was waiting for me at the second transition area. She encouraged me while I dismounted the bike, grabbed some more Gatorade, and took off onto the 10K (6.2 miles) running course. Six miles did not sound that tough, after all the marathon training. I started off pretty strong, but then walked through a few of the aid stations and up one of the hills. During the run, some of the racers who were doing the longer Half-length triathlon caught up to me. They had started an hour before me, had just swam, biked, and ran, about 65 miles, and were blowing my doors off. I may have walked more, but a couple of them encouraged me to keep it up. As I rounded the corner and saw the finish line, I regained some energy from somewhere and finished the run a bit faster than I had started.

Swim 43:52, T1 5:27, Bike 1:27:39, T2 1:19, Run 1:02:39
 Finish 3:20:56

I had reached my goal. I finished two races in the month of October. I am always excited to see the programs rolled out by Mary Augustino, Wellness Coordinator with US Xpress, that teach us to set goals and learn to eat right. I have come a long way from being seventy pounds heavier, addicted to tobbaco, and unable to run a single mile. It all goes back to setting small goals, learning consistency, then setting new goals. My wife and I are glad to be working for a company that continues in a leadership role as an advocate for driver health. The Highway to Health brings to drivers an awareness that they can take their fitness goals beyond just losing a few pounds. Maybe I will even get a chance to try that hike up Exit Glacier someday.

St George Marathon 2012

St George Marathon 2012

7400 runners.  Each running their own race.

In January of 2006 I ran across the finish line of a marathon for the first time.  The moment the clock passed over my head with the crowd's cheering in my ears was a moment I could hold onto the rest of my life.

     To have set a difficult goal, planned for the goal, overcome the challenges of preparation, trained the body, trained the mind, and to have accomplished the goal; the entire process changes you.  You cannot go back to thinking that "good enough" is "good enough."

    You know better, now.

     You have reached down inside, looking for something to get you through, something to push back the voices of doubt and discouragement.  You found it.  Just like you found it running 22 miles across that dry lake bed in Arizona when the temperature topped 95 degrees.  Like you found it when a pickup doused you with a slurry of slush and snow while you were running on a slippery road shoulder in Ohio.  Like you found it on countless mornings when you did not want to lace up your running shoes and get out, but you did.

     That "something" does not disappear at the finish line.  When life gets tough, you have what it takes to get tough back.

As I rode my bike from the hotel in St George to the line of buses that would shuttle the runners to the starting line 26.2 miles up Utah Highway 18, I could feel that my third marathon finish line would mean as much to me as the first two.

     Many of the people waiting to board a bus in the pre-dawn darkness would see their first finish line today. Some of them have had many. At least two had crossed a marathon finish over fifty times.

I sat down in the bus next to a runner that gave me a companionable smile, then pulled his hoodie over his head.

     Message received. “I am friendly, but want to focus and not chat for the next 45 minutes.” Suited me, I would rather soak up the general feel of how people prepared to run 26.2 miles as fast as they can.

     Some people talked about strategy for the course, about other races, about victories and missed opportunities. Others stared into the darkness at the road we were about to test ourselves on. A few people even slept.

The Course for the St George marathon has a net loss of almost 2500 feet. In October this creates a challenge in the temperature difference at the starting line, about 42 degrees today, and the finish line, predicted to be 82 degrees. 

      At the beginning of the race a runner can find thermo-blankets, hot chocolate, and bonfires. At the finish a runner will find misters spraying cool water, Gatorade, and free ice cream.

I was on the first bus. As we pulled into the unloading area the volunteers jumped to their duty stations, providing blankets, lighting fires, playing music, and handing out beverages and fruit.

     I answered the call of nature first, then warmed myself by the fire while I arranged my stuff into groups. First was the stuff I would run with: clothes to toss during the first six miles of the race, my phone and headset for taking pictures and listening to music, my assorted energy shots of GU and Cliff and Nutrilite, and my Garmin 205 sports watch. The next pile was to be loaded into a truck and would meet me at the finish line. I would put in my sweatshirt, ear muffs, the light for my bicycle, and a magazine I brought but never got around to reading.

     More buses were arriving, I drank some coffee and watched as people met up with friends, danced to the music, stretched, and tried to keep warm. I answered the call of nature again, this time waiting in line to do so.

The announcer had kept the dialog light, mentioning some of the stats of the race and the diversity of the group of runners. He sounded boisterous when giving accolades to the sponsors. Then he sounded a bit serious as he mentioned that the start would take place in fifteen minutes.

     I stayed by the fire. My time would not start until I crossed the start line with the RFI chip in my bib. As the crowd went by I eased into the line of runners as the pace team with a sign that said 4:00:00 went by. Breaking the four-hour mark was one of my goals today.

     About forty feet from the start line, nature decided to stop calling me, and started demanding my attention. I walked a bit further, thinking it may just be a nervous twitch. No, it was not. I got out of line and dashed for the porta-potties.

     The voice of discouragement gave me a shot across the bow.

     “Stuff is going wrong already,” it said. “Who could blame you if the race went poorly?” I almost chuckled. That was lame. I was thrilled this had happened before I crossed the line and started my time.        When I got out, the 5:30:00 pacer had just gone by. I got in line.

     “Who is running their first marathon today?” She shouted.

     A chorus of cheers rose up. “Me too!” She responded.

     “Just kidding,” She reassured us amid the laughter of the crowd.

The starting line was two rows of colorful rubber mats that crossed the road. The readers for the RFI chips are protected underneath.

     I deliberately took all the regrets about not having enough time to train, about the long runs I missed, about how unprepared I was, and left them behind as I crossed the starting line. I thanked God for new beginnings and began my race.

The first seven miles were moderately downhill. The sun was not up, but the sky gave just enough light to see the other runners. I was passing a lot of people while running at a pace of 9:00 minute per mile, but others were running faster than me.

     Moving through traffic while running reminds me of moving through traffic while driving a truck. Looking ahead for openings, maintaining situational awareness, being courteous. I glanced toward my “blind spot” as I headed toward a narrow opening in the middle of a line of slower runners. The gray-haired gentleman gaining on me nodded for me to go first.

     “Thanks,” I said. “You go. I can barely hear your feet hit the ground. I'll bet you're way faster than me.”

     “Thank you,” He said. “That's what I have been shooting for.” Then he scooted through and disappeared from sight. I assumed he meant he had been shooting for the soft foot-falls, not kicking my butt, but who knows?

     I tossed my gloves alongside the road at mile three, and my outer shirt at mile four. I might be able to claim them later, but they would go to charity if not.

On the way to Veyo hill, at mile seven, I had passed the 5:00:00 pacer and the 4:45 pacer. I was determined to make a solid effort at the uphills between mile seven and mile twelve. No walking, keeping a good pace.

     Just before the hills started, we ran through Veyo, Utah. The whole town seemed to have gotten up early to cheer the runners on. Everyone was smiling as they ran, slapping high-fives and waving back at the crowd.

Less than a mile later, as the grade went to seven percent, I started to see the detrimental effect that pushing yourself can have on runners. People were trying to stretch out cramps, people were walking with a limp, people were already throwing up. However, I also saw friends encouraging each-other, I saw people get determined and press on.

     I felt great. I had trained on hills every chance I got the last twenty weeks, and my pace was right on target. I had learned that the best course planning on the St George Marathon was to shoot for a negative split on the halves. In other words, I could plan on running the second half of the race faster than the first half. Many people run the second half fifteen minutes faster than the first to break the four-hour mark. My pace was on target for breaking 04:00:00 as I reached the half mark at 02:07:22. According to theory, that is.

     I had run my last marathon in Seattle, and had hit the half mark at 01:59:50. The course in Seattle was flat and fast in the first half. I had finished with a time of 04:17:34 in Seattle, and was a little uncomfortable about being behind that pace in St George. I felt like I had a lot left in the tank at the half mark, and even at mile 17, where we topped the last of the uphill grades. My only concern at that point was some calf pain on a downhill about mile 15.

When we hit the first of the long downhills, I was still soaking in the experience of the race. My focus was there, but I was enjoying the comradeship of the runners, getting blown away by the high desert scenery, and reading tee-shirts. The “I am running from...” series seems to have been popular at the expo the day before the race. I saw “I am running from my family,” “I am running from my past,” “I am running from YOU,” and even “I am running from the cops.” 
      I bumped my speed down below 8:00 per mile pace and held it for a while. Then I got a deep twinge in my right calf that threatened to turn into a cramp.

     I thought about my stride. Lean toward the hill. Mid-foot strike. Shorter steps than on the flat. Arms back a little. Everything seemed to be in order. I always run through cramps. They usually get even with me later while I am driving or sleeping, but they slowly go away if I keep moving. I have no idea if that is recommended, or even wise, but it has worked for me.

     My right calf was feeling better when my left calf started cramping hard. I tried slowing to an 8:15 pace and the pain eased a bit. I tried 8:30 and had even better results. The hill leveled off and the pain went away. As I climbed the hill at mile 17, everything was back to normal.

     I had some concern, though. I needed several 8:15 to 8:30 miles to make up for the slower first half.

     During training I had encountered some calf pain on downhill grades. The internet told me I was experiencing a form of eccentric muscle usage by “catching” myself as I moved downhill. Although pain and DOMS, delayed onset muscle soreness, could result, training on hills would solve the problem. I trained as much as I could on hills, but when you work in a vehicle that is moving 20 to 22 hours a day, your training time could be anywhere. I had sought out hills, but could not always find them, especially on a day that my training schedule called for fast miles.

     I reminded myself that I had left training regrets at the starting line. I would do what I could do.

At the next descent I could feel the twitching kicking in after a few hundred yards. I slowed to where I could continue. I felt like I was taking mincing steps, and certainly not using the stride I had spent hundreds of miles working on.

     A banner told me I had reached mile 21. I did the math, and realized a sub-four hour marathon was not going to happen today. The voices of discouragement and doubt gleefully began their barrage. If anyone told me that distance running is not a mental sport, I would assume they had never tried running at all.

All around me were people who had started out too fast. Some were being attended to by medical aids. Many were walking.

     “Nice day for a walk,” said the voice in my head. “You could still finish, but it would be easier.”

     I will never have this day back. I'm going to keep running. I shot back.

     “That sun is intense at this altitude, maybe walk in the shade and you could go faster in town. You want to run fast when Cindy sees you, right?”

     I want Cindy to know I do not give up when the going gets tough. I growled mentally. I could feel the negativity affecting my energy level, though.

     A gal running next to me moved into a walking pace with such a sigh of relief that it almost brought tears to my eyes. NO! That relief is for the finish line, DANIEL!

     “You really wanted that four-hour marathon, didn't you? Maybe next time...”

     Lord, please give me something. I want to finish well. A clear, strong, thought occurred to me.

     I have never raced without getting a personal record.

     I thought about that. Could it be true? My first 5K was in 2001. Let's see, I've had four of them. And yes, each was a PR! Two marathons, and the second was faster. Two sprint triathlons, and the second was faster. Amazingly enough, I had always raced to a PR!

     “Something like that can't last forever,” the voice tried, but it was too late. My energy and my focus were back.

     Thank you, Lord! I did the math. To set a personal record, I could not walk at all. I needed to maintain a 9:00 per mile pace. Some faster miles would give me a buffer zone.

I came into town running a race against myself. I knew the crowds were there. On a different day I could have enjoyed them. A couple of bands were playing music. I kept my eyes forward. I hurt, but I would not let myself think about it. Every muscle ached. The sun beat down. Dizziness came and went as I willed it away.

      A runner went down hard ahead of me, and people came out to help him. He had a runner's build and looked in way better shape than me. I looked away and stopped thinking about him.

     I allowed myself to greet Cindy. She held up a sign she had made for me the day before. She even ran a few steps with me, encouraging me on. Later she told me I looked focused, but fast.

I took the outside of every turn. I was not racing these people. I wanted to see the road ahead of me. One foot in front of the other. Later, on the race's website, I found that in the last 7.5 miles I had passed 353 finishers, and only 11 had passed me. I never would have guessed those numbers, I only knew the road and the sound of my feet hitting it.

     The miles ticked off at an agonizingly slow rate.

     The last corner was less than a half-mile from the finish. I turned and finally allowed myself to think of stopping. After that clock and those red balloons went over my head. I had skipped the last two aid stations because I did not want to think of anything like comfort or water. Now I goaded myself with thoughts of juice and water and free ice cream.

     I crossed the line and pushed stop on my Garmin watch. 04:13:18. A new PR by over four minutes.

     I took a moment and looked around. I knew this moment would stay with me.

     I had reached the finish line of another marathon.

Tempo Run Ontario OR by TruckerDanny at Garmin Connect - Details

Tempo Run Ontario OR by TruckerDanny at Garmin Connect - Details

Weekly Update to August 19

Got over 30 miles this week, with 32.

We found a great trail for the tandem bike near Cinncinati. The Miami Whitewater Trail was a fun 13.5 miles. (converted to 4.5 for crosstraining.)

Weekly Update to August 12

I ran and cycled (conversion in miles) 22.5 miles this week.  Had a nice 11 mile run in Cedar City UT while our truck was in the shop.

Weekly Update to August 5

I ran 35 miles this week, including doing the MARSOC Camp Pendelton Sprint Triathlon with Gunnery Sargent Jim.

Weekly Update to July 29

Got in 14.5 miles this week.  Need to get to building up miles!

Weekly Update to July 22

A conference and getting back to work kept this week down to 8.75 miles.

Weekly Update to July 15

Made 17.25 miles this week.  Six of them on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail in Anchorage AK

Weekly Update to July 8

Managed 20 miles while on an Alaska cruise aboard the MS Statedam.

Great runs in Skagway and on the treadmill.

Weekly Update to July 1

Only had 13 miles this week, ten of them on one run at home.

Weekly Update to June 24

26 miles total this week.

My fastest 14 mile training run at Bay Farms Island, CA.  Even with jogging in the last mile, 2:18:50.

Great tandem biking trail in Cape Girardeau, MO.

Weekly Update to June 17

I ran a little over 24 miles this week, including when I found the Calico Multi-use trail in Effingham IL. Seven of the miles were the hottest this summer, high 90's in Texarkana AR with high humidity.

Weekly Update to June 10

I ran 17 and a third miles this week.  Cindy and I had a great tandem bike ride in Fon du Lac WI during a fair that they billed as a fishing tournament.

Weekly Update to May 27

I ran fifteen miles this week, including some speedwork in Brooklyn IA (half-mile repeats: made my hamstrings and calves sore!) and a long run of ten miles in Henderson CO.

Flipping the Switch

Habits

Never permit failure to become a habit. --William Frederick Book


Or even better:

Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit. --Vincent Lombardi

We run into struggles daily, whether we are in our running shoes or not.  How we address those struggles will determine our success. 

I left the Flying J Truckstop in Sayre OK and headed north on US 283 into town.  I had never been to "downtown" Sayre before, the dusty truckstop was all I knew of the small town.  I hoped to enjoy some exploring along with my six-mile run.

People were having garage sales, kids were riding their bikes, the Sonic restaurant was doing a booming business.  Not many people were out to exercise, the locals who run were probably out hours ago, long before the temperatures soared into the mid-80's.

When I reached the place where the I-40 business loop turned off, I glanced at my Garmin training watch.  Three miles in 29:58.  Right on track for my ten-minute-per-mile tempo run.  I drank some water out of the bottle I was carrying, crossed the street, and started back.  I felt good.

Then the conversation started.  The one in my head.

"Man, it is HOT.  Maybe I should walk a little in this shade.  Heat can be dangerous, after all."

I shrugged it off.  My legs did feel a little heavy, but I had a goal for this run, five miles in fifty minutes, and another easy mile.   Then I wouldn't be sweating too much to take a shower at the truckstop.

"I've already seen all the interesting stuff on the way out.  No motivation in looking around."

My legs felt heavier. The sun really did seem hotter.

"Just walk it on in, no one will know."

My breathing was a bit more labored as I started up a hill.  I began talking back.  

"Hey," I said, "This is an easy pace, and I'm only doing fifteen miles this week.  Another three is a piece of cake."

"How much further is it?" I glanced at my watch before I could stop myself.  I had only come another half-mile.

"It doesn't matter," I said as my legs seemed to lose more power, "I don't care if I want to finish this run, I am going to finish this run!"  I picked up the pace a little to show who was in charge.

"Sore legs last week, don't want to over-train."

"Grrrr," I said.  I imagined a switch in my head.  A switch that was labeled "Something you do not want to do". I flipped the switch to "yes".

"Six miles is six miles.  Running or walking."

Flip

"You would still meet your weekly goal of fifteen miles."

Flip

"Walk a little, then you will feel better for the rest of the run, and do a better job."

FLIP

The voice went away and my energy was back.  Well, I guess the voice did not go away, it just got quiet.  I could expect it to come back anytime.

As I finished the run, the thought occurred to me that many people do not really argue with the voice in their head that wants them to take it easy.  The voice pushes them into bad decisions in their relationships, their jobs, their finances.

Doing the easy thing would not work in trucking.  The bed is warm, but Cindy needs a trailer light repaired.  The cab is nice and dry, but the chain law is in effect.  I'm not in the mood to talk to people, but the load needs to be delivered and receivers are people. (Well, most of them are, anyways.)  I guess I flip that switch all the time.

People I know of that have not learned the habit of flipping the switch have experienced grave consequences.  Playing video games instead of working will hurt your income.  Messing around with someone that tantalizes you will hurt your marriage.  Being sarcastic and selfish with your time will end your friendships.  Spending frivolously and without a plan will consign you to poverty.  Focusing on taking that next drink instead of keeping a clear head during work could end your employment.

Flipping the switch might be harder, especially at first.  But keep flipping to "yes" and a habit will form.  

A good habit.

Weekly Update to May 20

Got in the 15 miles that I had set as a goal this week.  I need to pick out a training plan that will work on the truck.  I still have the schedules I used for the previous two marathons, but my goal is faster this time.  A marathon under nine-minute miles would be 3:55:48.  Since I want to break four hours, this would be an excellent time to shoot for!

5/15 Fremont IN
Six miles around Lake George.  Nice day for a run. People were getting their boats and lake houses ready for summer.  Wow, no shoulders or sidewalks at all in the whole run.  A lady doing yard work told me that there was a way to make it all the way around the lake, cutting through the woods on the north side.  She also mentioned that the route may not be passable if the ground was too wet.  After a bit of tramping through the woods in running shorts (trying to remember what poison ivy and poison oak look like) I found a reedy marsh.  May is not the dry month here, I guess. 65 minutes, "barefoot" style stride.

5/17 Salt Lake City UT
From the Flying J Truckstop on I-80 and UT-201, there is a great trail just west down W 2100 South.  The trail is listed on Google Maps under bicycling.  Got in three miles in 28:20.

5/19 Sayre OK
Another hot run, in the mid 80-degree range.  Made six miles in 64:15 and had a chance to see town.  It was three miles from the Flying J Truckstop up US 283 to where business 40 turns off.

Won the lottery!

I received an email that I was one of the people drawn to run in the 2012 St George Marathon!!  Some people win a lottery and get $80 million, I get to run 26.2 miles.

Weekly Update to May 13

Got in 20 miles, and met my at-least-every-other-day goal.

5/8 Home, Henderson CO
Stairs, landscaping jogging, running into Lowes for parts.

5/9 Mountain Home ID
3.5 miles in 38 minutes.  Ran along Main Street this time, saw some other runners.

5/10 Canyonville OR
4.1 miles from the Seven Feathers truckstop, around town and up to the new rest area.  Trying to get in as much hill work as I can in case I get to run in St George Marathon.

5/11 Ripon CA
85 degrees and sunny!  Whew.  Only put in 2.9 easy miles, but I sweat enough for ten miles.

5/13 York NE
Cindy did our shopping for the next few days in Walmart while I took off for six miles in 60:40.

Weekly Update to May 6

Set a new goal to not let more than a day pass without running.  Missed the goal.  Oh well, there is always next week.  If goals are not high enough, you can always hit them.

5/1 Markham IL
Dock running

5/2 Sioux City IA
80 degrees and HUMID!  Got in 5 miles in 47:20 to stay under 9:30 pace.

Weekly Update to April 29

Made another 20 mile week!

4/24 Norwich CT
4 miles in 38:28, plus warm-down.  Ran down to the marina and along the river.  Lots of stuff to look at while running.

4/26 Pacific MO
4 miles in 38:20 and another mile warm-down.  Went from the Pilot truckstop down to the business loop and ran both directions.

4/28 St George UT
I love the scenery here,  Hopefully I will get to run a marathon here someday!  10 miles in 1:41:24, and a warm-down mile.

Weekly Update to April 22

It was a crosstraining sort of a week.  Only ran on the 21st in Laramie WY for 5K.

Weekly Update to April 15

Got in nine miles this week.

4/9 and 4/10 Walked/jogged with Cindy while our truck was in the shop.  2.2 miles and 4 miles, respectively.

4/13 Springfield MO
Tempo run, nailed 10-minute miles for 4 miles, then eased in with another mile to get five total.

Weekly Update to April 8

15 miles this week!

4/2 Sacramento CA
I watched a video of Meb running an 8-mile tempo run.  His form was so amazing, it brought tears to my eyes. I did the same workout as last week, but ended up much faster.  2 miles at 18:15, 2 miles at 19:40, and a mile warm down.

4/5 Ogallala NE
Ran 2 miles in 18:55, and warmed down with a half-mile.

4/7 Fernley NV
Turned right out of the Pilot Truckstop and ran through town for six miles, in 58:55.

4/8 Pine Bluffs WY
Trail running near the rest area.  1.6 miles in 19 minutes.

Weekly Update to April 1

Got in fifteen miles this week, including my first ten-miler of the year.

3/26 Lake Buena Vista FL
I thought I was looking good, until these two turkey vultures followed me for the last of my ten miles.

3/29  Upstate New York
Why is New York the only state to mislabel their bridge heights?  I guess so that truckers can get in a couple of miles running to see if a bridge really is 12' 4" tall.  (It was not, our 13' 6" trailer cleared it by about a foot!)

3/31 Cheyenne WY
Tempo run.  2 miles in 18:43, then 2 miles in 21:00, then a half-mile warm down.

Weekly Update to March 25

Put in 12 miles this week, including some crosstraining conversions.

3/21 Irving TX
Doing laps around a truckstop or a company terminal gives the other truckers entertainment, consternation, and something to talk about.  6 miles in 63 minutes.

3/23 Orlando FL
Walking about 6 miles or so.

3/24 Orlando FL
First Zumba class.  Me gusta Zumba.  Makes me want to change my latitude!

Weekly Update to March 18

Whoo-Hoo, got in 20 miles this week!

3/12 Markham IL
Wow, it takes our company's shops a long time to change the oil on our truck.  We had time to do laundry, do our taxes, do our budget, and I ran 6 miles in 60:32.

3/13 Altoona IA
I enjoyed running 3 miles in 31 minutes around the casino's racetrack.  Nice weather to be outside.

3/17 Phoenix AZ
Multitasking.  Running and getting a tan.  I ran 7.12 miles of the ten I had planned before we got a call that changed our plan for getting our next load.  I had to dash back to the truckstop to meet Cindy and head out.  78 minutes.

3/18 Albuquerque NM
Jogged a mile to make sure in my own mind that I was over the 20 mile goal for the week.

Weekly Update to March 11

Beat my ten-mile goal this week. I ran 13.4 miles.

3/7 Springdale AR
Tempo run at 10:00/mile pace, 4 miles at 39:50, plus a warm-down of a half-mile.

3/9 Mountain Home ID
I went searching for the path that can be seen from I-84.  By the time I found the path, I was at my turnaround point to get in five miles.  HAD to run some on the path, didn't I? Ended up with 6.89 miles in 80 minutes.

Weekly Update to March 4

Got in over ten miles this week.

3/1 St George UT, 7 miles in 68:23

3/4 Henderson CO, 3.5 miles in 31 minutes

Met my goal for the week!

Weekly Update to February 26

I ran just over fifteen miles this week.  Spring-type weather has helped bump up the miles.

2/20 North Las Vegas NV covered in it/s own post.

2/22, Wichita Falls TX
Cindy and I walk/ran to a trail I found on Google Maps/bicycle.  Then I ran a couple of miles while she stretched .  Then we ran/walked back to the Flying J truckstop.

2/24 Boise ID
After warming up, I did a little "speed work" (can you use the term "easy speed work"?) by running two miles at 8:45 minutes/mile pace.  I did not want to court another overuse injury, so I picked a fairly easy pace.  Still, I was breathing through my mouth halfway through the second mile, and struggled a bit to finish.  I guess I have a ways to go before I run 26.2 miles at that pace!  After warm-down, I had 3.2 miles.

St George UT Trails

Runners and cyclists are more likely to spot a trail when they are just driving by.  Just north of the Pilot, (The truckstop used to be a Flying J.  I cannot figure out their branding strategy, but it is a Pilot now.) I have noticed a pedestrian bridge for a few years, and have wanted to check out the trails.

As you leave the Pilot, run north up the frontage road.  A good sidewalk runs along the street on one side.  Look for a sign that says "Bike path to trails" where the road makes a right turn.

The trails break off from one-another, giving a great chance to explore.  The city's website has a PDF of all the trails, and how they connect.  All the ones I ran on were six to eight feet wide, asphalt, and great for cycling or running.  One trail looks like it goes to the top of the bluff overlooking St George.

Click here for St George trails maps  

 I got in seven miles in 68:23 while the sun was coming up.

Upper Las Vegas Wash Regional Trail

Started the week off with an easy run, 6.5 miles, and found a nice trail near the Pilot in North Las Vegas, NV.

The trail is asphalt, about six feet wide, and runs mostly along the wash, except where there is a detour along sidewalks to get to pedestrian crossings.  I did not go to the end of the trail, so I don't know if it is long enough for serious biking.
From the Pilot Truckstop, I-15 exit 48, go northward over the interstate and look for the trailhead on the right, just after the concrete wash.

http://www.cityofnorthlasvegas.com/departments/parksandrecreation/TrailInformation.shtm

Weekly Update to February 19

Another poor week for miles.  Other than a nice run of three miles in White Haven PA, I did dumbbell weights, yoga, and wall sits for exercise.

Weekly Update to February 12

Did more crosstraining this week than running.  Lots of walking in Rio de Janeiro.

   I swam about a thousand yards of laps in the pool at the Copacabana Palace, and got a compliment from a retired swim coach.  She said my freestyle and my backstroke technique were "absolutely perfect."  And that she could not think of a thing to make them more "beautiful."
  Wow.
   So I showed her my fly stroke.
   "Well,  not everyone can do fly," she said.

On the Azamara Journey, Off the East Coast of South America

1/31
Three miles on the treadmill in the gym.

From my Facebook post about running on 2/5

My Garmin 205 DID work in South America, but the numbers were upside-down. Actually, it took a while to connect, but worked great after I said "yes" to "have you traveled hundreds of miles since last use?" 

A funny note. We were under way for our two days at sea. I had just woken up, put on my running gear, and planned to run a quick three-miler before breakfast on the jogging deck. I turned my watch on while I walked down the hall, pitying the poor runners who had to count laps on the track. Thirteen laps to the mile, that is a lot of counting! 

While in the elevator to the top it dawned on me. The ship was cruising at sixteen knots. Ooops.

I counted laps

Running Tourist

  When I decided to take up running at age 40, I realized that if I wanted to run, I would.  If I saw running as another task to check off, I did not run.  I needed to find ways to enjoy running.
   With all the "NO TRUCKS ALLOWED" signage around the country, I found that in my running shoes, I was never over 13 feet tall, or 70 feet long, or even over 10 tons.  I could go where I wanted, and see things I could not see through my windshield.

A running tourist was born.

   Since then I have run as a way to see the sights.  I have run through Manhattan, NYC, along the coast in St Thomas, USVI, around Cook Inlet in Moorea, French Polynesia, even through the Vincymas Parade in St Vincent in the Grenadines.
   Our city tour in Montevideo, Uruguay, was fun and informative, but the urge to run through the streets of this city was almost overwhelming.
   I took off from the cruise ship,while my Garmin struggled to find a satellite it recognized.  I trotted down some narrow, none-too-savory streets in the docks district, then came out onto a pedestrian boulevard with shops and the tantalizing smell of restaurants every few hundred yards. 
My Garmin finally beeped and asked if I was inside. "NO."
   "Have you traveled hundreds of miles since your last use?"
   "YES."
   The watch went back to searching as I continued running across the peninsula and back to a path that runs along the water.  Finally I heard a beep, and found that the Garmin was tracking me again.
  A few other people were running in the 90 degree heat, but most were bicycling along the path, or fishing in the waters.  The miles flew by as I figured out the people with the nets, scoops, and even plastic grocery-store bags were fishing for jellyfish.  I have no idea why anyone wants a jellyfish, but I guess that they do.
   I saw a beach in the distance, and decided to run that far, and turn around.
   I ended up with seven miles (or so), a sunburn, and great memories.

Weekly Update to January 29

Not a great week for running.  We were getting together what we needed to do for a last-minute trip to South America.  Packing, planning parking for the truck, getting our Brazilian visas, and a number of other details took up all our free time.  Running team means that most of my off-duty time is spent moving down the road.  Opportunities to run vary from week to week, but are generally limited.

Weekly Update to January 22

Got over ten miles this week.  Chest cold is gone, the weather is cooperating.  Now I just need to get back the fitness I have lost during the process.

1/19  Irving TX
Run, bike, swim.  Three miles, two miles, 500 yards.  At the Ballys Fitness.

1/22  Wendover NV & UT
5.5 miles in 53:48.  Still a bit chilly, but kept up my 9:30/mile pace up pretty well.

Weekly Update to January 15

Only 7 miles this week.  Five of the miles, in 48:36, were a quality run in Boise ID on the path across the street from the Flying J truckstop on exit 54.  It was 20 degrees and calm, but the chest cold that had been keeping me from running seemed clear, and my heel did not hurt at all!

Weekly Update to January 8

Starting to build miles with the new stride.  No increase in heel pain since I started the mid-foot strike.  Whoo-Hoo!

1/4 Altoona IA
Two miles and some yoga while the sun was going down.  Great sunset!

1/5 Little America WY
Another amazing sunset.  Another two miles with some yoga postitions thown in.

1/7 Irving TX
Tempo run, 3.2 miles in 30 minutes.

1/8 Henderson CO
Tempo run, 3 miles in 30:28.  Got off pace a bit.