2/15 Through 2/21 The Ninth Week

Day 57 - Monday = nada, nothing, I'm resting today. No P90X, no running, no walking, nothing. I thought I would use Mondays as a P90X day but today, this Monday, I'm not doing anything.

Day 58 - 5:00am - Off to the track. Flying solo today. With things happening in my family I found myself turning this rather simple routine run into a speed session. This is a 11.5 mile run that includes a little tempo work. I spent the entire run a at a 9:30 pace. I should have averaged 10:30 - 10:45 pace. I spent so much time talking to myself that I actually was fighting with somebody. I mean a full on physical fight in my mind. It was unbelievable. I'm yelling, cussing and trying to throw punches while running around the track. Just as I start to get a grip on myself I look up and see my Asian friend coming towards me. Now we don't actually talk or for that matter barely even acknowledge each other but here he was coming towards me as I'm looking spastic trying to fight and run at the same time. Oh shit! He goes by without looking, like I'm not even there. God love him. This was probably a good day not to have Dennis with me. Obviously I was having imaginary issue and Dennis would have spent the entire run laughing at me. In spite of all of this my legs feel pretty good.

Day 59 - P90X, Shoulders and Arms. A really good workout. The weights felt great with just enough stress on the body. No ab ripper today. I'm going to have to get back into the routine of having P90X on a regular basis. I actually miss it. Not that running this much isn't enough but this is a different workout that feels really good. I thought it would be good if I cut back once the 90 days were up but I'm having second thoughts.

Day 60 - 5:00am - 11.5 miles that I break up into 3 parts. I still end up with the 11.5 completed I just take longer to complete. The good news, no fights on the track. I was back to normal. I don't like breaking the runs up. It really makes the run seem longer. They're long enough already. The tempo part of the run goes smooth and at the pace I actually planned to run. Again my legs felt good. The weather this week has been foggy but dry. We're expecting rain Friday night into Saturday. Great!

Day 61 - 7:00am P90X morning! Chest, Shoulders, Triceps and Ab Ripper. I had a GREAT workout! Pushups and sit ups. What's not to like. I really do enjoy these workouts. It's a nice change from the constant beating I'm giving to my legs.

Day 62 - 6:00am - 4 hours of fun!!!! Dennis and I take off for a 9.5 mile loop. He is just recovering from a cold and not really up to a long run. But like he always does, he sucks it up and hangs in for the run. I feel great! Legs feel good and I'm looking forward to a 40+ mile weekend. We go up and over my favorite hill complete with dairy cows, damn dairy cows. We have a lot to talk about and the run goes by quickly. After Dennis heads home I head up over the hill again and add another 3 miles to the loop. No trouble with the cows, thank god. I swear they know they make me nervous. I finish up 23 miles. I feel really good after the run. I've had 18 mile runs before where I was toast at the end. Not today! I feel good and the rain didn't show up.

Day 63 - 7:30am - Today is 3.5 hour run. I'm looking for 20 miles but will settle for 19. I want the 20. There is something psychological about getting 20 today. I have my run mapped out. It's simple! Two laps up and over the hill. No problems, no worries. I take off and I'm not 2 miles out and I have to head home for a bathroom break. Jesus! I get back on the road and start towards the hill. There in front of me off the road are about 10 dairy cows, not on the road but close. They are in a spot that is half way up this part of the hill and I start walking. I was looking down and out of the corner of my eye I see something coming towards me. It's a damn dairy cow. A young one starts charging me. Are you kidding me? I start running up the hill and this one stops chasing me but up ahead is another young one who starts chasing me. What the hell is going on? I just want to run. I haven't even got to the area on this run where the "real" dairy cows hang out. Christ what happens if they're all in the road and won't let me pass and I have to go back. I'm screwed. As I come up over the hill I don't see the cows where they normally hang out and I think, great I'm going to catch a break. Oh shit I didn't see the ones down the hill. Three to the left, three to the right. Alright I'm going to run by them and not walk. Oh good they let me pass with no problems. Got Milk! I take off and finish this part of the run with no more problems. I start out for the second part and decide no more dairy cow hills. I take off for another set of hills. As I go over for what should be just one set of hills I decide to go back and forth over these hills. The race is going to be nothing but hills so why not prepare. I spend the next 4.5 miles running hills. I finish this run not really sure how many miles it will be and hoping to run 20. Final tally, 20.33 miles, YEAH! I've run back to back 20 mile runs. This is a first for me. I've never even tried this before and I feel great, tired but great.

Week Nine Totals - 66 MILES!! I've never run 66 miles in a week and I've never run 20 milers back to back. This was the type of week I was hoping for coming off a rest week. I have 2 more weeks of this type of mileage before I get another rest week. I'm looking forward to the next two weeks. This will be a good test to see how I'm progressing. It just dawned on me. I know why the dairy cows give me such a bad time. They know I don't eat dairy. Crap I hope the other cows don't find out I'm vegetarian. I'll have to leave town. Seven weeks left!

2/8 Through 2/15 The Eighth Week

Day 50 - Monday morning. This is going to be a rest day. Nothing at all! This is a break week. My mileage will go down to the low 40's. I need this week to recover from the previous three. Still 40+ miles doesn't seem like a real break.

Day 51 - 5:00am - 11.5 at the track. Dennis has business plans early and won't make it. The track is in great shape. Soft but not sloppy. It's that part of the beach where the water rolls over when the tide comes in that everybody wants to walk on. Only it's not a beach and I get to go around in circles. I know, shut up and run. My legs feel good. I don't have any soreness.

Day 52 - 6:00am - It's a P90X day. Chest and Back. The workout goes great. It felt good to get back into the program. It is so funny to see this workout revolve around push ups and pull ups. No gimmicks just old school drop and give me as many as you can now exercises. I can still hear the middle school coaches yelling, "Is that all you got?" I bet they get fired if they say that now.

Day 53 - 5:00am - Track workout. I'm suppose to run 11.5 but I cut it short at 5. My legs don't feel sore just a little fatigued. There was another rookie mistake that took place but I'll spare you the details.

Day 54 -7:00am - Yoga!!! An hour and a half. I really enjoy yoga. I broke down and bought a mat, brick and strap. I'm not sure what the straps about but god love ya for the crazy thoughts. Is Yoga really Kamasutra without the sex? Different positions that make breathing difficult yet fulfilling? Does an upward dog and a downward dog make Yoga puppies that know not to pee on the mat?

Day 55 - 7:00am - Off for a 2.5 hour run. I should cover 14 miles. My run goes perfect. Legs felt great, no pain, no fatigue. I wonder around the west side of town going through hilly areas that Dennis and I have gone before but haven't been in awhile. I got enough hill work to make this run productive. Hills are a big deal since the whole damn race seems to be uphill. Here's a Yogi Berraism, the only time it's not uphill is when it's downhill. I've heard the start line is flat. One day it's Yoga and the next day it's Yogi. See what happens when you leave a runner alone on the west side of town? My mind went off the deep end. I finish the run with 14.3 miles.

Day 56 -7:00am - I'm in Stockton watching Elece's son Adam's soccer tournament. I take off for a 2 hour run with no real idea of where I'm going other than I'll head west for an hour and then return to the hotel. I get on this trail that ends at this high end housing area. Is that an oxymoron for Stockton? I have to cut over and I as come up on this main street there are 8 runners heading down the street in the same direction I'm going. WOW! What the heck is going on. I keep heading west and come up on this park. I have no idea where I am but the sign says this is a park. A couple of runners come up to the gate and I ask them for help. The man says "yeah, just head up this path for the time you need and then return the same way." "Make sure you stay on the bike path". I thought great a dirt trail. Why was he emphasizing for me to stay on the bike path? There is this wide dirt road with beautiful big homes to the left and the river to the right. Why would I need to get on the bike path? Because the the sign said "Stay on bike path. Road belongs to home owners." "Here's your sign!" Oh! The homes are beautiful, the boats are nice to look at and the trail is dirt with a lot of people out running. I find out later the gentleman that helped me owns the Fleet Feet in Stockton. An absolute beautiful place to run. Of course I'm talking about now and not in the summer when Stockton has the heat like Palm Springs without the palms or the springs. All in all it was a beautiful run and I wanted to complete 11 miles. I finish 11.3 miles.

Week Eight Totals - 42 miles!! I'm very happy with the results. I needed a down week and this worked out perfectly. I feel ready to pick it back up next week. I'm looking at a 65 mile week ahead. I'm also back on schedule with P90X. Ill do this 3 days a week for maintenance. Eight weeks until race day!

2/1 Through 2/7 The Seventh Week

Day 43 - 7:00pm - P90X, this is week thirteen!!! The last week of the program. I can't believe I've made it through the 90 days. Today it's Yoga. I wait until Monday night to workout. My legs are still very tired. Yoga as hard as it is is still one of my favorite workouts. I actually work through the workout without any major pain other than I can't breath and twist my body at the same time. I'm sure breathing is an option or should be.

I have been asked about my diet. How do I eat, how much do I eat and most importantly WHAT do I eat? A year and a half ago a friend told me about a book called "The China Study". He told me how much he felt it helped him. I bought a copy of the book and couldn't put it down. In short it's the "why" we should eat a plant based diet and it is also the "why we shouldn't" eat animal products. My family history was reason enough to read this book but also I am an endurance athlete, not very good or fast but neither was the Tortoise in the Tortoise and the Hare Race. This book really changed my life. I thought I was eating a healthy diet until I read this book. I wasn't doing everything wrong but I was eating products that weren't in my best interest. I had just had a physical and blood test prior to reading The China Study and so it was a perfect time for me to have another test to see the results after 30 days. Unbelievable!!! Triglycerides had plummeted (this is a good thing) and my cholesterol which was 194, 30 days earlier was now 187. I find it interesting that there have been several articles recently about longevity and what cultures live the longest. Plant based diets seemed to be the common denominator. But I haven't answered the real question. What do I eat? For protein I eat fish, not a lot, unless it's Fish Tacos, Wahoo's Fish Tacos and then I have three. God I love them. Quinoa, pronounced "keen-wa", is a root high in protein. My boys call it "hairy rice"and of course beans and spinach. I've started using a product called "Mila" which is a seed from the plant Salvia Hispanica which is science for "taste great and less filling". Mila is a product that I was recently introduced to by my friend Mandy. Mila is high in protein,omega 3's, antioxidants, fiber and anti-inflammatory properties to name a few of it's benefits. I use this as a post workout drink. The protein and antioxidants are extremely beneficial to the recovery process not to mention the value of the anti-inflammatory benefits. The link is in the upper left side of the blog if you want more information. The rest of my diet consist of fruits, veggies, whole grains and dark chocolate. Oh yeah, don't forget wine. It's high in antioxidants and looks good in the glass. Most of my kids dislike my diet. Not really hard to understand in our fast food world. Don't get me wrong, I have been known to sneak into a Costco and order the polish sausage and drink or take the boys to In and Out and order fries. I'm just conducting quality control.

Day 44 - 5:00am - 11.5 at the track. This time I decide to run at Casa High School with the dirt track. Apparently I haven't had enough fun in the mud and was looking for a little more. Unfortunately in communicating with Dennis I wasn't very clear and he went to Petaluma High School with the "non dirt track". This is the track that we spent the last two weeks running due to the rain. This was a tough run. My legs were clearly in control and were not about to let me go fast. It was a bit of a grind but I made it through with the ipod cranking to help take my mind off of the pain. This was my toughest run.

P90X- Core Synergistics!! I make it through without to much trouble. Although I shortened all the leg work. This is one of the programs I'll keep doing. I really like this one. I don't know if you can do enough core work. Core is the one workout we should do the most but actually we probably do the least. It's painful!

Day 45 - 6:30am - P90X, Kenpo! This is a lot of fun. It's a sneaky workout. You get this great workout but it feels more like you're playing than working out. The kicks can be a little tough on my legs but the rest of it is a blast. Legs are still in recovery mode. No pain just tired which I consider remarkable considering the amount of running the past 2 weeks.

Day 46 - 5:00am - 11.5 at the track. People wonder how we can run this many miles on a track. Don't you get bored? When we run it's dark. You can't see anything and therefore you aren't missing anything. Plus when you run with someone you have plenty of time to talk. Dennis and I were talking about our Saturday run. I told him that on Sunday I didn't know how I was going to run 16 miles and that the first quarter mile my legs were wobbly. After that I just locked in and set my sights on completing this run. I needed to make it another 60 mile week. Your brain works wonders when there isn't a satisfactory alternative. You can run fast, you can run slow, hell you can even walk but today you are running 16 miles, period. Turn up the music and get going. Also I spend an inordinate amount of time day dreaming. My mind wonders all over the place. Sometimes I catch myself talking to myself. I'll have a full on conversation. It's the only time I get all the answers right. There are times when Dennis and I will stop talking and let our minds wonder off. It's hilarious in that we won't say a word for awhile and then all of the sudden start talking like we hadn't stopped.

Day 47 - Woo Hoo a day off. I'm not doing anything today. I'm tired and really need some time off. I have another weekend of 37 miles in front of me.

Day 48 - 6:00am - Long run Saturday. 4 hours and I'm hoping to get 23 miles. I have set up a double loop run. Dennis will run the first which will go 13 miles. We take off in the dark. Clouds all around us but no rain. Around mile 1.5 there are these two hills that don't seem so tough when its dark. You can't really tell how steep the climb is when you can't see 30 feet in front of you. Dennis has started doing P90X. He survived the first week with the same types of pain I remember having. It's funny talking to someone about this and hearing their perspective. He loves it including Yoga. Soon we'll start reciting Ohms. We are about 2.5 miles into the run and deep into conversation when down comes the rain. Not to hard at first but then it really came down. We are both soaked and every step seems to land in a puddle. It gets to the point where the puddles actually feel warm on the feet. I didn't know the uphill and downhill parts of the road could flood but today there did. It was like being kids except no one was going to yell at us when we got home for being soaking wet. The run with Dennis goes pretty good. At the end of 13 miles I stop at home to change, get something to eat/drink and head out for another 10. It's like a Nascar pit stop, change tires, get fuel and then get going again. Although instead of 14 seconds I take 14 minutes. The start of this second loop isn't going so well. I'm starting to get tired and I've just started. The rain has stopped but the wind has picked up. I'm feeling the effects of 3 weeks of excessive mileage and last night I didn't eat properly. I'm paying for that mistake. I've been running long enough to know better and I still have a 3 hour run tomorrow. Physically it becomes a grind, mentally it becomes a gut check. Once I got out into the farm area of the west side it became a little easier. I start using walk breaks to help. I should have started doing this earlier in the run. Memo to self....On long runs start out a little slower and go to walk breaks earlier. This was a long run both literally and mentally. At the end of the day, 4.25 hours, 23 miles. No P90X, period!

Day 49 - 7:30am - Super Bowl Sunday! Off I go for another double loop run. This run is going to be a grind from the get go. My goal is 60 miles for the week. This would make 3 weeks of 60 miles per week. The weather is cool and sunny. It's great to finally have to wear sunglasses on a run. I run almost the same route Dennis and I ran yesterday. As I was getting close to finishing the first part I was really starting to fade. I thought just get home and call it a day. Better to back off now and prevent possible injury. Next week is "lighter" mileage week. Just as I get home I can't quite get around that I'm actually going to stop. This next loop is only 6 miles. I grab something to eat and drink and set back on the road quickly. I don't want my body to start settling down. I got into a run walk routine where I run for 5 to 8 minutes and then walk for 1 minute. The loop goes by pretty quick. I make the mileage needed to get to 60 miles. I am really tired! I shower, eat and start getting ready for the Super Bowl. Dave and Mandy and their kids are coming over to watch the game. Elece and I have to go to the store and get the food prepared. I really want a nap but I know if I lay down I won't want to get up. I'm running on fumes.

Week Seven Totals - 60 miles!!! This was a long week. I'm looking forward to the lighter week ahead. I happy with my progress so far. I had moments of doubt and was able to fight through. I can see going forward I'm going to need to upgrade my eating. The night before long runs I really have to eat right. During runs I'll need to take on fuel sooner. I usually can run 15, 16 miles without taking on fuel but now it's not just 15 or 16 it's 22 today and 16, 17 tomorrow. I'm getting educated in a painful way. 9 weeks to go until race day.

1/25 Through 1/31 The Sixth Week

Day 36 - 7:00am - P90X, Chest, Shoulders, Triceps and An Ripper. I'm coming off my first week of ever running 60 miles in a week. I feel pretty good and look forward to this workout. This is the twelve week of the P90X program. I can't say enough about this program. I can feel and see the difference. It has been difficult doing both this program and running/training. This workout goes great and I'm off to work.

Day 37 - 5:00am - 11.5 miles at the track. No rain!!! The weather is cool and Dennis is there to join me. He runs 7 miles and then leaves to go to work. This run goes really good. Dennis and I maintain a 10 minute pace and that feels great considering the previous weeks efforts. Again we have plenty of conversations that take us through many topics. After Dennis leaves I run the next 3 miles at a sub 9 minute pace. I felt great and my legs went along for the ride. I finish the last 1.5 miles on cruise control. A very good start to the week. No P90X today. It was suppose to be Plyometrics but I'm staying away from additional leg workouts.

Day 38 - 7:00am - Today is suppose to be P90X, Back and Biceps but I switch with the next days program, Yoga. I wanted to do Yoga on a off day. The amount of leg work is tough to do after a long run and all runs are long at this point. Yoga has become my favorite. There is something about watching people in contorted positions with this calm look on their faces.

Day 39 - 5:00am- 11.5 at the track. Again no rain and I'm looking forward to this run. Dennis is there to run 7 miles but stays for 8. Our conversations take off and he can't leave until we finish. I love this! He has been talking about joining me at the halfway point of the race. If not my daughter Amy then Dennis would be a lot of fun to have on the run. Amy would laugh at me if I broke into a James Brown song but Dennis, he would laugh and then start singing. This is week 6 of 16 in the AR/50 training and I'm starting to get anxious and excited about the race. P90X, Legs, Back and Ab Ripper. I do most of this workout but run out of time and decide to put off the remainder until tomorrow.

Day 40 - 7:00am - P90X, Legs, Back, and Ab Ripper. I complete the workout from yesterday and jump into today's workout. I only do one Ab Ripper though. This is a good workout but my legs aren't up to two leg workouts. My Friend Cliff has this Ipod that has this eclectic music selection. I tried to jack some of his music onto my my Ipod but couldn't. He sent me an email telling me he had gotten a new one and was going to send me his old so I could have his music. He said this was his contribution to my training and upcoming race. I have GREAT friends!! As this training unfolds I have the opportunity to see first hand just how lucky I am to have family and friends who are supportive.

Day 41 - 8:00am - 4 hour run along the Bolinas Ridge Trail. My goal is finish 22 miles. At least that was the plan at 8am. The Bolinas Ridge Trail is this run through meadows and deep forest that goes for about 11 miles. I had planned to run all the way out and back. Dennis is there to run 12 miles with me. This is the point where the planning and the reality go in different directions. I told Dennis with all of the rain I thought (mistake number 1) this ridge would be dryer and less muddy. We start out on the trail and it is uphill right out of the shoot. Not only is it uphill but it is muddy. I think the top of the ridge is right there but as soon as we crest the ridge there is another muddy ridge ahead. Alright let's go! But it quickly starts to remind us of being kids and running barefoot. You remember that? No two steps are the same and you're bouncing around with light feet. Yeah, that was 40 years ago. We're trying to run some serious long distance only to have Mother Nature and her good friend mud cause us to adjust our run. We muddle through 6 miles and Dennis has to turn around. He came to run 12 and this was the half way point. Dennis had a clothing faux paus. He wore white socks and white shoes to a mud bath. I continue on to the end of the trail......well maybe not. I start to think (this is the my second mistake) this has been a very hilly run and if I head down the hill I could run on the flat lands below. Wow was this sooo wrong. So I head down off of the ridge, 1.8 miles of "kinda" steep downhill. The old saying, "running downhill will trash your quads" becomes reality. My feet are wet and muddy and running downhill is at least dry and no mud. I make it down the hill and across highway 1 onto the "Olema Trail". You know the flat lands. The sign telling me this was the Olema Trail also said, "Caution, trail conditions worsen ahead". How much worse could they be compared to the ridge? Not 20 steps onto the trail in is 6 inches of water and no relief on either side of the trail. I thought this isn't so bad. But no.....this wasn't the "worse condition". A half mile up the trail I ran into a stream. In the middle of the trail. Who put a stream in the middle of the trail? This was one of those can't jump but will have to walk through kind of streams. So I decide to walk across the stream. My shoes and legs were muddy so why not. Genius move on my part. I should have turned around and ran on Highway 1 but no this was the flat lands and it would get better. Mistake number 3! Remember I told Dennis the ridge would be dryer and less muddy because it's up on the hill. This flat trail is filled with hills, small but hills. I wanted flat! I continue on and encounter three fallen trees and oh yeah another creek. As I cross the creek with clean legs and shoes I immediately land in mud. I'm not really mad I'm thinking this is kind of fun running in the mud like a kid except I've run about 12 miles and a little tired. Finally I thought enough of this, I take a trail out to highway 1 for a dry and even surface. The highway is much easier to run on. Hilly but an easier surface and I could get into a rhythm. Ok I can settle in for the remainder of the run. Mistake number 4! The road is narrow at several points and I have to stop and let cars go by. If that's not enough it starts to rain. I run the next 20 minutes in the rain. Not bad but in light of all that's happened I could use sun. The rain stops for about 15 minutes and then just I as am coming into the town of Olema it starts to rain hard. This run is going to finish with an uphill run back to my car. Sir Francis Drake Blvd from Olema is a steep uphill. No brake at all. there is no flat land not even my car is on flat land. It took me 4.5 hours to run 21.5 miles. I was surprised at the mileage. I didn't think I would cover that much distance with all the fun I had with the water and mud. When I got to my car and took off my shoes I had mud in my toe nails and my shoes had mud stuck in the soles. This was some kind of run! I made this run far more difficult then it needed to be. I went left when I should have gone right and I went down the hill when I should have stayed up. This was more than a run. It was a lesson in mental toughness. Not sure how I did. Tomorrow is a "scheduled" 3 hour run. Absolutely no trails tomorrow!!!!!

Day 42 - 10am- Ok, lets see how this goes. 3 hours or about 16 miles. I head out on a familiar course with hills but on the road. Ipod is locked and loaded. The first 50 yards are a bit of a wake up but I settle in and start to relax. I run the first 10 miles with ease. I stop to take on some fluid and food for the last 6 miles. The first 4 miles go by quickly but the last 2 miles I start to slow down. Still all in all I cover 16.5 in 2 hours and 56 minutes. I spent several moments contemplating my upcoming race. How would I do, how would I feel crossing the finish line. These thoughts take my mind off my sore quads and make it easier to complete the run. Thats 38 miles in 2 days!

Sixth Week Totals - Another 60+ week!!!! My legs are sore and tired. Not horribly but tired. Another 60 mile ahead and I begin the last week of the P90X 90 day program. Not that I'll stop doing P90X but it will be in a maintenance mode. 10 weeks until race day. I need to get, a fuel belt and shorts that don't chap or chafe my butt. To quote my grandson Matthew, "Yeah Baby".

1/18 Through 1/24 The Fifth Week

Day 29- 6:00am - It's P90X, Chest, Shoulders, Triceps and Ab Ripper. Break is over. Time to get back after it. I really push the workout. I feel beat at the end but good about the effort. This is the 11th week and I have 2 weeks left. This has been a great workout program and I will continue to use it on a maintenance basis. Tomorrow is the start of a 61 mile week. I've never run that many miles in a week. I'm looking forward to seeing how I feel at the end. If I can make it through I think I'll be fine the rest of the way. No school today!! Let the boys sleep.

Day 30 - 5:00am - 11.5 miles in the rain and wind. I head to the track and before I even get onto the track I step into a deep puddle of water soaking both of my shoes. Nice start! Usually Dennis and I ride together but with the weather I don't think he is going to show plus I'm running 11.5 miles. I start my run trying to get my rain jacket closed up and the ear pieces of my mp3 in properly. The first lap takes about 3 and half minutes. Had to tie my soaking shoes twice, the jacket is blowing all over the place and the ear pieces are falling out. I finally get all of this fixed and settle in for what should take a couple of hours. As I come around for the end of the first mile there on the track is Dennis. I thought holy shit he's going to run. There are running partners and then there are friends like Dennis. He isn't even training for an event right now and could easily put this run off until another time this week. That's a good friend! No wait that's a great friend. What other goof ball would crawl out of bed that early to run in the rain. He ran 7 of the 11.5 miles. After this run I feel good that I worked through all the weather related issues. P90X was suppose to be Plyometrics. "Supposed", I didn't have enough juice to complete this after the run. I'll put it off until Wednesday. Time to get the boys up and ready for school.

Day 31 - 6:00am - No running but I've have two different P90X programs to complete. I start with Plyometrics. Not to bad. My legs feel beat but I make it through. Damn glad to have that done. My legs really hate this workout. It's like going to the dentist. You know it's going to hurt and you'll probably bleed but you feel better after. Next I do shoulders, arms and Ab Ripper. I'm not sure what I was thinking doing both of these back to back. I like this workout, I'm just tired from the plyo. All in all I'm done.......No More!!!! My sons have been watching for the last 30 minutes and try not to laugh. Actually they're not sure what to think. Dad looks like a goofball but at least he's not asking us to do anything.

Day 32 - 4:45am - Oh great! It's raining again! 11.5 miles in the rain.....again. What the hell is going on with all of this rain? Again I start out sorting my jacket and ear plugs. But this time I'm much better prepared and the first lap goes by quick. I'm trying to see how many miles I can run before Dennis shows up. I know he is going to show up I'm just not sure when. I get 3 miles in before he shows and we run the next 7 miles together. Our conversation is a book in waiting. Again my friend shows up in crappy weather and grinds it out with me. It's difficult to explain how valuable his friendship is to me. P90X is suppose to be yoga. I'll pass this off to Friday. This is starting to be a pattern. Get out bed, it's 7:15!!!! Guess who?

Day 33 - 6:00am- Friday, yoga, legs, back and ab ripper. After yoga I wake up the boys and then start in with the legs and back with an ab ripper to follow. I make it through with some modifications during the legs. My legs are tired and I have a long weekend ahead. This is the week I'm running 60+ miles. I've never run this far during a week and yet I'm looking forward to the challenge. My daughter Amy and granddaughter, Katelyn are coming to spend the weekend with me. Amy has been running for a little more than a year and has already completed a half marathon. She is training to run a marathon. The marathon she is training for is to join me at the half way point of the 50 mile race. Not sure she will actually do this but she is going through all the work and I'm sure she'll complete a marathon.

Day 34 - 6:00am - Today is a 21- 22 mile day. I start on the street for the first hour and of course I get heavy rain for the first 25 minutes. I move from the road to Shollenberger Park aka "crappy vanilla" for the remainder of the run. I wanted to run out at the coast but with all the rain the trails would be muddy. This is a close to home alternative. At 7:45 I see Dennis running towards me. Is this guy nuts or what? He not only shows up but he brought food. We proceed to run the next 13 miles together starting to plan out the race, developing strategy. We finish the run, 13 miles for Dennis and 21.37 miles for me. Not that I'm keeping track. My boys, Bobby and Garrett, Morgan (my daughter), Amy , Katelyn and Elece head out to the beach for some fun. We have fun looking for shells and the weather out there is beautiful. Amy made a dinner tonight that was a combination of two family recipes that were perfect for carbo loading. And the wine wasn't bad either. Tomorrow Amy and I are going for a run. No P90X! I'll put this off until Monday.

Day 35 - 8:00am - Morgan comes over to help watch Katelyn. Amy and I take off for a 13 mile run through the east side hills. These are hills that are tough on runners. There are hills to get to the hills. Amy lives in Sacramento and the area she lives has no hills. This will be a challenge for her. We start the big climb and Amy is hanging in there. We make it up the hill and start to head down towards the "cows". I have already warned her about the cows and she is prepared to head back up and over the hill to avoid the cows. When we come up on the cows they are off the road eating and pay little attention to us. The road is covered with cow manure and Amy is running in new shoes. Oh Oh! We make it through all the shit and head off to finish the run. This is suppose to be a long slow run for Amy but it ends up a long fast run. She trims 25 minutes off of her Half Marathon time. I attribute this to bad coaching. For me this run is slow but feels really good on my legs. After running 21 miles the day before I feel really good. After Amy completes her run I head out for a few miles more to complete the 60 mile week. Again I have trouble with my shorts. I can't believe I'm still having trouble. The trouble? Once I get in the shower my butt hurts. I can't believe I made it through the week. I feel good at the end of this day and sit down to watch football. I'm looking forward to the up coming week. I'm going to move P90X to off running days for the next two weeks.

Fifth Week Totals - 60+ miles!!!! I have never run in this much rain. Maybe once in a week but not four times! My legs still feel pretty good. Not good enough to do extra P90X workouts but good enough to take on the the sixth week workout. Another 60+ mile week and the twelfth week of P90x. CHARGE!!!!

1/11 Through 1/17- The Fourth Week

Day 22 - 6:00am - This is a P90X day. No running. The running schedule is Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. This is the same schedule it has been and will be throughout the training with the exception of the last week.

Today the workout is Chest, Shoulder, Triceps and Ab Ripper. It's a good workout but my mind is on my trip to Houston. This is going to be a reduced mileage week which is perfect considering I'll be visiting my daughter, Michele, Son in Law, Ridge and grandkids (Cameron, Hana, Hayley, Matthew and Michael).

Day 23 - 5:00am - Dennis picked me up and we go to the track for our workout. I had to cut it short which was good for Dennis since he had to leave for a long driving trip. I complete the workout later that evening, completing the 8.5 miles I was suppose to run in the morning. After having run 30 miles in the two days over the weekend my legs felt fantastic. I was expecting a little fatigue but to my surprise there was none.

P90X today is plyometrics. Everybody should have to do plyometrics. This is a tough workout that is hard to complete. Even though my legs were strong on the run this workout feels like too much.

Day 24 - 5:00am - This is Wednesday and I'm leaving for Houston. I had intended to finish my scheduled P90X workout but decided I would be cutting it close in getting to the airport on time. I packed the next three days workouts for P90X thinking or not thinking I would get them done at Michele's.

Day 25 - 6:30am - Ridge and I go for a run in an area around the YMCA that they belong to. This "track" is more trail and woods than track. It's a nice area and a great place to run. I'm suppose to do 6 miles but we cut it off at 5.5. He needed to get ready for work. It was our first time running together. We are both looking forward to the Aramco Houston Half Marathon. Ridge has that all to familiar look of anxiety and excitement. This will be a training run for me but for Ridge it will be his first half marathon. No P90X today but my 6 year old granddaughter Hana asked me to go for a run with her. I thought this will be fun, probably won't last long. We ran close to 2 miles and did some speedwork throughout. The speedwork was her idea. "Hey Papa, lets race to the end of the street". The kid is fast and loves to run. I knew something wasn't right when she spent most of the run laughing, "ringer". I'm not sure who had more fun. She has signed up to run for a track club this spring and summer.

Day 26 - 10:30am - I asked Michele if we can go to the Y for a workout. They provide day care and I thought this could be a way for me to get in a workout. Plus it would give Michele a little break/workout. I use the time to try and simulate a P90X workout. It wasn't the same but it was close enough. Michele had a chance to workout, the kids had fun in daycare. That qualifies as a great workout.

Day 27 - 9:30am - We all go to the Y for a workout. Having had success the day before with day care we decide to push our luck. Ridge and Cameron go into the cardio room, I go off to the weight room and Michele is trying to get onto the the computer to buy concert tickets. That's a new form of cardio. She left somthing she needed in the day care and had to go get it. Oh oh! When she tried to sneak in she was greeted with an unhappy 3 year old Matthew. Yesterday it was ok to be in the day care, today no such luck. So while Michele tries to calm Matty I finish up my workout to give her a chance to get done what she was trying to do. Not exactly the workout we had the day before but better than nothing. I was scheduled to run for an hour and a half but didn't get out of bed early enough. Pre race dinner is my favorite, fish tacos. We are all Wahoo's Fish Tacos fans. We went through a lot of fish. We try to prepare them the same and usually settle for something close but just as good.

Tomorrow is race day!!!

Day 28 4:00am - Race Day! We get up and start getting ready. The race starts at 7. We have to eat, get dressed and then get kids out of bed and into the car not to mention pack them food and drinks. We get towntown in plenty of time and get a parking space right by the start line. This allows Ridge and I the chance to wear our warmups without having to carry them throughout the race. There are 22,000 people running the Marathon and Half. We start the races one street apart and in two waves merging up ahead. The sea of humanity. We start out slow by intent but also because there are a lot of people around us. At mile two Ridge needs to use the restroom. I told him I'll wait but as soon as he went in one I went in another without telling him. He came out ahead of me and thought I took off. I come out after and I don't see him. I thought, oh christ this is only the second mile and already we're screwed up. I started to run and stop to look back at the restrooms. When I was sure he wasn't in there I took off after him. I stop and call Michele. She answers the phone, "whats wrong". I said nothing, although in hindsight something like, "Ridge fell into the port-a-potty and you need to come get him out" would have been much better. I tell her about the mix up and ask her to call me when either of us crosses the 10k mark. The race had set up email alerts and so she would know when we crossed. I continue on not really sure if he is in front or some how behind me. At about mile four I finally see him up ahead and quickly catch up. We continue up to the half way point at a pretty good pace. The race started downtown and heads out to the nearby neighborhoods before returning to the downtown area for the finish. As the race continues it has been an easy pace for me but a little bit of a struggle for Ridge. He is amazed at the number of people who are out cheering the runners on. As we come back into the downtown to the finish, Ridge is all the things most first timers feel, tired, sore and very proud to have completed his first half marathon. Nicely done!!!

Week Four Totals - 29 miles and only a few hours of P90X. Thats not what I had planned but I had a great time with my kids and grandkids. I got to run with Hana and Ridge. I think Hana's faster. No doubt Ridge will find out soon enough. The half was run at a pace that felt easy throughout. I'm looking forward to getting back at it. This break was needed. The week ahead calls for 61 miles and a full week of P90X.

1/4 Through 1/10 -The Third Week

Day 15 -6:00am - P90X, Chest and Back with a side order of Ab Ripper. I'm in the last 4 weeks of the 90 day program. I can feel myself getting stronger. Ab work is still painful but it has it's benefits.

This week of running will consist of the usual track work on Tuesday and Thursday. On Saturday I'm going to run Mt. Tam with Dennis. Dennis is friend that lives here in Petaluma. We met about 5 years ago when our daughters played together on a softball team. We talked about running but Dennis preferred to run in the morning, 5am kind of morning. I was more of a lunch time or evening runner. The thought of getting out of bed to go running just wasn't what I wanted to do. About 3 years ago we crossed paths on a Saturday run. Not a 5am run but a 9am run. I decided to give the morning runs a chance. I can't imagine going back to any other time to run. Dennis has converted me. The best part of these runs are the conversations we have. We have covered almost ever topic possible and including singing. We were struggling to finish up this 18 mile run and I started singing James Brown, "I Feel Good" and Dennis joined in followed closely by laughter. Thank god no one was nearby. During some of our conversations we literally lose track of where we are in relation to the number of miles we have covered. Other times we have an unofficial no talking zone. Not one word is spoken allowing each of us to zone out. A good running partner is invaluable.

Day 16 -5:00am - 9 miles at the track. This is a tempo run with 2 miles at half marathon pace, 8:30 per mile. The run goes by quickly as Dennis and I have a couple of lengthy conversations. My legs feel good and I head home for my P90X workout. I take a little break and have something to eat. I get my boys off to school and get prepared to do Plyometrics! This is an hour long abuse of your legs. Between the 9 miles and the Plyometrics workout, the 9 miles is easier.

Day 17 -8:00am - P90X, Shoulders, Arms and Ab Ripper. An hour and fifteen minutes. I really enjoy this workout including the Ab Ripper. This gives my legs a break in preparation for an 11 mile tomorrow. Body parts are still intact and I haven't had to resort to using duct tape.

Day 18 -5:00am - 11 miles at the track. It's a fairly easy run with a couple of miles at race pace. Dennis is there for 7 of the 11. I use 3 of the last 4 to run at pace. My legs felt really good. The dirt track is very beneficial in reducing the pounding. After this I head home to eat and get my boys off to school. P90X workout is suppose to be Yoga. I'm going to move it to Friday. Not enough time to do it this morning.

Day 19 -5:30am - P90X workouts, Yoga followed by Legs and Back. These both went good. My legs are a little tired and I had to modify some of the moves. All things considered I feel good. I'm really looking forward to running Mt Tam tomorrow morning.

Day 20 - 6:00am - Dennis and I head out to Mt Tam for a 2 hour run. Dennis used to run here all the time and knows his way around the mountain. It's a beautiful place to run. Plenty of hills and lakes to run around. The run goes great. Legs feel good. We cover 10 miles. I haven't done much trail running but I get why people prefer it to the road. Running through forest and around lakes helps take your mind off the hills and it is very peaceful. P90X not today.

Day 21 - 7:30am - I head out for a 3.5 hour run around the east side. I take off for the Sonoma Mountains for a little hill work. This started out as a run I've done before with Dennis. Slow start, a couple of hills to get us warmed up and then we start the climb. Except instead of Dennis I'm running with my iPhone. Music blaring in my ear I feel pretty good considering I ran 10 hilly miles the day before and now I'm targeting 20 miles. The Sonoma Mountains are a beautiful place to run. Usually you end up above the fog and it's warmer. Today it's cold, foggy and wet. The other part of these mountains is the wildlife including cows, lots of cows. Climbing this mountain is a little difficult but coming down the other side has it's own challenges. There is an area about a half mile from the end where there is a dairy farm, with lots of damn cows. Today there was the entire herd standing in the road with a bull up front. I know you don't usually see a bull on a dairy farm. I saw his sack and they were not udders. I tried clapping, whistling and yelling. Nothing worked. The bull just looked at me like, "are you kidding"? The law of physics was clearly in his favor. I had two choices, try to run through them or go back up over the hill. So I went back up over the hill. I'm not proud but I am officially boycotting dairy. As I started back up over the hill I thought about the times I ran this course with Dennis. He would never turn back. He would just continue on and they would separate like he was Moses and they were the Red Sea. Of course I don't believe that for one moment. I am convinced though he is a Dairy Cow Whisperer. I needed the "extra" hill work. In spite of all the fun I had a very productive run. I haven't run 30 miles in two days before so this was uncharted water. I feel really good after this week.

Week Three Totals - 50 miles!!! Several hours of P90X. I'm still very excited about this training program. Although I have to find a new route to avoid cows. I should have just gone out to the coast. They only have Coyotes. I was also re-introduced to two well known facts of the Running Gods. 1) if you wear running shorts and have historically had chafing problems, use glide to solve the problem. Saturday I didn't do this, I have problems. 2) what you wear under your running shorts will determine how much of a pain in the butt your post run shower will be. OUCH!!! Week 4 will be an easier week. The mileage/time required has been cut by 20%. I am flying to Houston to run the Houston Half Marathon with my son in law. It's his first half and he ask if I would come out and run with him. I'm looking forward to the reduced mileage and seeing my family.