Long Runs in the Desert

I've been out of state for Christmas. I thought our trip was going to be warm, sunny, dry and did I mention warm? New Mexico in the winter is hit or miss. Some weeks it might be in the 50-60s and some might be in the 20-30's. The lows are pretty low and remind me of home.

Christmas Day was an 11 mile run. I woke up extra early because I wasn't quite sure how I was going to sneak in an 11 mile run. I was up at 6am and left the house by 6:30. It was a pretty cold and crisp morning. I didn't think anyone would be out?? I saw a few walkers, runners and a few cars. A few more folks than I thought. I had an enjoyable run and was pretty fast.

Two Days later I had my Sunday long run. Why didn't I wake up extra early and run?? I thought I was going to have plenty of time. Time just got away and I didn't get started running until about 4:30pm. Yikes. That means I had about an hour of sunlight. When the sun goes down the desert gets COLD! And pretty scary too because it gets dark. I didn't go exactly where I hoped, but I just ran. I ran along the highway, which was fine until it got dark.

I had about 6-8 miles left out of 17. It was pitch dark. I knew exactly where I was going, but the terrain was rocks, dirt and not level. I was glad to know that I have tons of miles behind my belt and I wasn't going to trip. I've done it before, but not while on vacation. I slowed down just a little, but I think it was because it was dark. Did I also mention I played the Wii fit the night before? My Glutes were pretty sore and I felt it.

My first 2 miles were warm up and I had 8 miles of hard running. 8 miles at marathon pace. I didn't quite run those miles at my expected marathon pace, but I figured it was pretty darn good. I ran 17 miles last week and was 10 minutes slower last week. What a great run, even though it got dark out.

I have one more lactate threshold day of running tomorrow morning and we will head back to Colorado. I ran a little over 65 miles this week. Pretty cool.

Fast Day

Had a tough workout yesterday.  I was scheduled for a lactate threshold day with 9 miles.  4 of those 9 were to be run at 15K to half-marathon pace.  My goal was set to run the 4 miles in 6:30/mile pace.

9 miles = 1:00:11
Miles 1-2 = 7:06, 6:46
Miles 3-6 = 5:42, 5:57, 5:51, 6:19
Miles 7-9 = 7:03, 7:35, 7:48
Avg Pace: 6:41/mile

What happened.  I might have taken those 4 miles too hard? I felt pretty good.  It was starting to get a little cold and I was glad to be finished.

Boston Marathon Training Begins

Let it start.  Today is the first official day of Boston Marathon Training.  I am reading a book called "Advanced Marathoning" by Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas.  This book has a training plan where I plan on following.  The plan I have selected is 70 to 85 miles per week; 18 week schedule. 

I ran 65 miles this past week.  I think I am ready to start at 65 miles.  This program is intense!  I will also be adding core stretches, a flexibility program and strength training.  YIKES...I am giving everything I got into this race.

Bitter Cold

Bitter Cold means treadmill.  I ran 12 miles last week outside in the cold.  The temperature was 12-15 degrees.  Way too cold.

I had a trophy series race at Washington Park on Sunday.  I ran 4.5 miles in crappy weather.  It was snowing while we ran.  The wind was so cold.  I got through it and ran my butt off.  I ended up 2nd in the trophy series race.

The weather has been cold that I've been on the treadmill for 4 days in a row.  5, 9, 12 and 6 miles on the treadmill.  Friday was much better and I ran outside!  All was great until I stepped into a big pothole.  My left foot was soaked.

RMRR 9 Mile

I had a RMRR 9 mile Tropy Series race on Sunday.  It was a little chilly and windy.  Not as bad as the Boulder Half-Marathon, but still pretty windy.  I ran 9 miles this year in 59:21.  This was a 53 second improvement from last year.  I am pretty happy with that!

Boston Marathon Received

Your Boston Marathon entry has been received.

I sent my Boston Marathon Registration last night.  I kept waiting for some extra money to come in...and I am still waiting.  I ended up charging this to the Credit Card because I was getting nervous of Boston Marathon selling out.

I am now committed to the race.

Training has started...Official training plan doesn't start till December 14th.

Pre Boston Marathon Training

I started a Pre-Boston Marathon Training program which started last week.  This program is more about getting in more miles before the hard core training program starts.  I am at about 40-45 miles per week on average.  I will be using a marathon plan from the book "Advanced Marathoning".  The plan starts at 65 miles per week.  The max goes to 85 miles per week.  Not sure what I am going to do when my shoes wear out...

I am on my 4th pair of running shoes this year.  I have run over 1,500 miles so far.  I might even hit the 2,000 mark??  That is scary to think about.

New Look

Check it out.  My blog has a new look. Nicole changed our family blog, so I figured it was time to change mine.  I have changed quite a few things and the "tabs" no longer exist.  Those tabs weren't used too much and I never updated them anyways.  I will try harder to post more stuff...including pictures.

I participated in a 10k last Saturday.  It was the Galloping Goose and I finished 2nd place overall.  My finish time was 40:10.  Not my best 10k, but I felt good and happy with my results.

Strength Training

Been hard at work. Getting stronger everyday and have new battles to overcome.

24 Hours of Triathlon

GU Rocks!!
Two weeks in a row I am running for GU. I did the Boulder Half-Marathon last weekend. My top, socks, hat, cycling shorts, and can't forget the gels.

It took me a long time to pack all my stuff. It felt like I spent hours trying to get everything ready and just right. I had to grab extra socks, clothes, gloves, batteries, and other stuff. I had a duffel bag full of clothes. I thought it was such a waste to be packing 4-5 sets of clothes. It wasn't a waste, I used them all.

I went to bed too late!!! It was after midnight and I was still up. What was I doing?? I needed to get to bed because I had to be out the door by 6am and wouldn't get much sleep the next night.

I woke up with enough time to eat, pack up the rest of my stuff and leave. I was very thankful to have the race only a few miles from my house. Cherry Creek Reservoir is only 2 miles from my house. The start line was about 4-5 total miles. I wanted to ride my bike, but it was going to be impossible with a sleeping bag, cooler and tons of other stuff.

I met Team GU on race morning. What great teammates: Drew, Leslie, Shelby and myself. We setup up our tent, tables, chairs and the rest of camp. It was fun unpacking everything and getting everything set.

Race time was 9am. We had a pre-race meeting before the start. The start requires the participants to do one full triathlon before consecutive swims, bike or runs. Drew started off the swim with awesome timing. I followed with the bike. What an amazing ride. It was only 11.2 miles, but they were fast. It was a race at this point. Everyone pedaling with great spirits and energy. I almost felt like I was working too hard. I made the fastest split for the day with 30:09. When I finished I handed off our chip to Shelby in the transition area. Quick transition and off she went.

Swim (.24 miles per lap)
After we completed the first swim, bike and run we had a strategy to complete all the swims first. Drew was amazing. His split times were fast and he kept going. This event was my only triathlon of the season so I wanted to do everything. Between the swim and transition area we had to run about .25 miles. That's almost 5 miles of running.
Drew - 5 consecutive swims
Eric - 3 consecutive swims (9:48, 11:42, 11:51)
Drew - 5 consecutive swims
Eric - 2 consecutive swims (11:05, 11:35)
Drew - 5 consecutive swims

Time: 56:01
Distance: 1.2 miles
Avg Pace: 2:54/100m
I am not the strongest swimmer. I should have probably trained more, but I was somewhat satisfied with my performance. Why wasn't I swimming faster??

Bike (11.2 miles per lap)
We were finished swimming around 1:15pm. It was a pretty warm day and I was very thankful. I made sure I put on plenty of sunscreen. We figured we would take turns with the bike. The order was Shelby, Leslie, Eric and Drew. We kept this order for most of the day. We only switched it up once. I figured that we would had about 1:30 of rest before we were out again.

I was impressed with my bike splits! They kept pretty consistent and only slowed down a little during each ride. I slowed down a little more during the dark hours. My 4th ride was the last ride while the sun was still up. I was required to have lights on for safety reasons. I brought two lights just in case. One was a bike light and the other was my head lamp. I was very glad I brought extra batteries because my bike light was extremely dim. I couldn't see anything from my bike light, but the head lamp was going strong. I changed out the batteries during the next transition and I was back in business.

After I changed my batteries I also changed clothes. I changed into warmer clothes and switched out cycling shorts. My triathlon shorts were no longer needed and a thicker cycling shorts were necessary. I felt pretty confident riding at night and it seemed like a smoother ride. I didn't have to dodge any cyclists, motorists and pedestrians. I did see a few deer, but no close calls. We finished the bike portion around 12:25am.
Eric (9:07am) - 30:09 - 22.29mph
Eric (2:23pm) - 31:10 - 21.56mph
Eric (4:38pm) - 32:34 - 20.63mph
Eric (6:56pm) - 33:45 - 19.91mph
Eric (9:22pm) - 34:06 - 19.71mph
Eric (11:14pm) - 35:06 - 19.15mph
Time: 3:16:50
Distance: 67.20 miles
Average Pace: 20.48mph

Run (2.62 miles per lap)
The swim and bike portion were now done. We finished 21 laps of swimming and 20 laps of cycling. Now it was time to run all night long and complete more triathlons! I have been looking forward to the running section for quite some time. I ran a few times at night, but nothing like this. Shelby started the run and I went to bed...at least I tried. It seemed like it took 45-60 minutes before I finally fell asleep.

Guess what happened when I finally fell asleep? A lovely whisper in the tent came and said "Eric, it's time to get up, you're up next". Not quite sure what to think, I slowly got up. I felt like I was dreaming. I got my stuff together since I only had about 20-25 minutes to get ready. I was quite surprised, but I felt refreshed.

My talents were needed and I was running. I started running at 1:42am. I started off with a strong pace. Another runner was behind me by only 50-75 feet. I had to tie my shoe at the turn-around point and the runner passed me. Now I chasing, and it was my first run. I might have run too hard, but I felt great. I did catch that runner and found out later that I passed the team that beat us in the final standings.

Eric (lap1) - 18:46 - 7:09/mile
Eric (lap2) - 20:09 - 7:40/mile
Eric (lap3) - 21:03 - 8:02/mile
Eric (lap4) - 21:15 - 8:06/mile
Eric (lap5) - 22:22 - 8:32/mile

Eric (lap6) - 22:29 - 8:34/mile

Time: 2:06:04
Distance: 15.72
Avg Pace: 8:01/mile

After lap 3 I switched out the batteries to my head lamp. What a difference that made. The first two laps I carried my bike lamp and head lamp. I was getting tired of having both lights, so after I changed out the head lamp batteries I only had one light. The longest transition our team had was during the battery switch. Leslie tried getting the batteries changed out while I was on the run, but the headlamp was tough to open.

Leslie did not run during the event, but made up for it in a huge way. She was the best support crew member by sticking around the transition area every time I passed by. EVERY TIME. I think I might have woke her once because she was shocked to see me back so soon. Leslie had a blanket and looked somewhat comfortable. It was amazing to have her there and made a big difference to ones spirit.

Shelby wasn't feeling well and couldn't run. I am not certain what happened, but she would wake up sweating and felling terrible. Amazing Drew to the rescue. Drew took over and ran 5 laps. Drew used all his energy and was spent. Leslie said his shoulder was bothering him and didn't want to aggravate it more. I was in the tent sleeping before Drew finished asking if I would go out again. I slept pretty hard for 1-2 hours. Enough to get good rest.

I quickly got ready and waited for Drew. This wait seemed like forever. I sat down because I wanted to reserve all my energies. Did I mention I had a blister?? I got a new pair of shoes a week before the race and formed a blister. It never went away before the race. It was getting a little worse, but I kept squeezing out the fluids. Yes, gross. But it felt better and I was able to run without limping. I think my run times might have been faster if it wasn't for the blister?

Drew came in and look exhausted. I took the chip and off I went. More running at night and the sun would be up soon. I started running again at 5:53am

Eric (lap7) - 23:07 - 8:49/mile
Eric (lap8) - 24:15 - 9:15/mile
Eric (lap9) - 22:43 - 8:40/mile

Time: 1:10:05
Distance: 7.86 miles
Pace: 8:54/mile

My miles were slower and I was wearing out. I was happy to notice that my split time sped up towards the end. I walked a little during lap 8 which is why my time was slower. The sun came up and it was light out. I thought this would speed me up, and worked a little. My feet felt raw and they hurt.

Shelby was feeling better in the morning and ran 2 laps. What a trooper! She was able to finish triathlons #19 and #20 for the team

We had 21 swims, 20 bikes, and 20 runs. We had a little over an hour to finish a bike and run. Maybe even another swim? Let's do this. Drew got on his bike and completed a lap. I had 30 minutes to complete 2.62 miles. This was no problem and maybe enough time for another swim lap??
I gave the last lap everything I had. I pushed it hard and felt strong. I can do it!! I ended up running so hard, I almost beat my first lap. I was only 38 seconds off. I came sprinting to the finish. I was a little surprised that no one was ready to swim. We had 12 minutes to spare and completed 21 triathlons. What an amazing finish!!!
Eric (lap10) - 19:19 - 7:22/mile

My Total Stats:
Swim: 1.2 miles - 56:01, 2:54/100m
Bike: 67.2 miles - 3:16:50, 20.48mph
Run: 26.2 miles - 3:35:28, 8:13/mile
94.6 miles - 7:48:19 (nearly 3/4 Ironman)

Team Results:
Swim: 5.04 miles, 3:14:42, 2:24/100m
Bike: 235.2 miles, 12:09:49, 19.34mph
Run: 55.02 miles, 8:02:01, 8:45/mile
Transition Time: 22:23, 23.38sec/transition

What an amazing race. 24 hours of triathlon is such a great event. I volunteered for the event the last 2 previous years and it was neat to participate. I wanted to thank GU for letting me be on the team. I big thanks to Nicole and Ariel for letting me be away from home for so long. Now comes the big question. Do I want to do this event Solo? Sparks my interest...but maybe in the future.

24 Hours of Triathlon

I signed up for a triathlon this year!!! YEAH...

24 Hours of Triathlon.

No need to worry, I am doing it as a team of 4. We are Team GU. ROCK ON!!! Oh yeah, the event is this morning. Yikes.





results coming soon...

Boulder Half Marathon

Was I ready for the Boulder Half-Marathon?? I was doing pretty good on my running. I didn't have any exact workouts. I wasn't training for a half-marathon, but I figure I was putting in good mileage and I could do it. My longest run was about 10 miles.

The week before the race I had a tempo run. The run was 8 miles. It was a great run. I did the run with the Rocky Mountain Road Runners, so it was more like a race. I ran 8 miles in 51:26. With the pace I was running I would have run a 1:26:45 half-marathon.

Pre-Race
I got to the Boulder Reservoir in good timing. It was such a nice morning. They moved the times forward one hour because it doesn't become light until 7am. I heard that it wasn't safe for the volunteers to be in the dark directing cars. Today was going to be a hot day. The temperature was told it was going to be in the mid 80's.

I got a chance to talk with several RMRR members. Deb Cunningham was doing the full marathon and I had the chance to talk with her. This race was more of a training run for her. Same for me I thought. I was in to race, but not to get carried away.

Start
The half-marathon started at 9am. It was pretty hot already and I knew it was going to be pretty tough. The worst part was the wind. The wind was strong and no shade.

My first two miles were rocking!! I tried not to take it too fast. I always seem to take the first mile too fast. I was having a good race and feeling great. It wasn't easy though. I had one runner drafting off me. He did gain a great advantage. I was in about 15th place overall after the first 10k. Miles 7, 8 and 9 were hard. I started getting cramps in the side. I seemed like I was overheating and loosing steam. I lost it after mile 9. My pace slowed, the cramps were still there and I was fatigued. I felt worn out and well...spent.

I struggled for the remaining race. I had 16 people pass be after the first 10k. 16 people. My pace struggled and I almost felt like walking. I knew I was off pace and my goal was to finish.

Finish
The finish seemed like it was forever away. I finally made it and was exhausted. I chugged 2 12.9oz bottles of water. Big mistake. I will try harder not to gulp the water that fast again. I get sick when I gulp water like that.

Mile 1: 6:04, Mile 2: 6:08, Mile 3: 6:28, Mile 4: 6:46, Mile 5: 6:54, Mile 6: 7:08, Mile 7: 7:00, Mile 8: 6:37, Mile 9: 6:52, Mile 10: 7:17, Mile 11: 7:55, Mile 12: 8:21, Mile 13: 7:53, Mile .34: 2:34

Overall Time: 1:32:04
Pace: 7:11/mile
10k Split time: 41:29
Overall Rank (male): 31/699
Division 25-29 male: 10/74

What a learning experience this race has been. I learned to take it easy especially in the wind. Better training and more race specific training. I was very hard on myself about this race. It took me about 3-4 days to get over it.

I had to get over it because a new adventure awaits. One week and I compete in the 24 hours of triathlon race (as a team).

Just before a Bike Ride

I decided I was going to go for a long bike ride. I went 60 miles in a total time of 3hrs 20min. Not to shabby for being the longest ride of the year. I averaged 18.1 mph total. The first 30-45 miles I averaged 19.2 mph. The rest of the way was a little slower because it was more uphill and I was loosing steam. Always happens on that route.

It's so hard leaving when I have such a cute daughter at home. Ariel is so cute and is very forgiving. She told me to go have fun on my bike, but not to crash. Oh, and not be gone too long. One of these days I will take her with me.

Track Workout

I went to a track workout tonight. The Rocky Mountain Road Runners meets at Heritage HS every Wednesday. This is only the second time I've gone. It's hard for me to go more often because I live on the other side of town. I enjoy it because many of my RMRR friends are there.

Track workouts in HS were crappy. I am not sure how much fun I really had. I would get sick after a workout. Feel terrible and worthless.

Track workouts now are easier because I am better trained. I don't get sick after workouts now!! YEAH. I am pretty exhausted after the workouts though...

Here is what I did:

400 - 1:24 (4:57/mile
600 - 2:01 (5:00/mile)
800 - 2:39 (4:57/mile)
1600 - 5:36 (5:36/mile)
800 - 2:39 (4:53/mile)
600 - 1:58 (4:46/mile)

400 - 1:11 (4:41/mile)

The times are pretty accurate, but the pace may not be exact. I posted them based off my GPS watch. The distances were off just a little. Nicole and Ariel came too!!

Maybe I will try to break under 5:00 for the mile next year after all?????

Commuting to Work

I have been very consistent this summer with commuting to work by bike. The total distance to work is only 6.2 miles, so that's only 12.42 miles total. My total time is usually under 50 min. It only takes me 22 minutes to get to work and longer coming back home. It's either the slight uphill or I'm more tired coming home??

I have still been running during my lunch break. I run anywhere from 4-8 miles. If I run extra I stay extra at work to make for any time.

Swimming is on and off. I swam twice last week at the Aurora Reservoir. I have been enjoying the open water swimming. I look at my numbers last year and amazed on how much I swam. Less than 6x the amount for the year. Oh well. No prizes will be given...

Running in Odd Places

My family and I went to Portland, OR for a wedding last week. I brought along my running shoes. I have found joy in running in new and strange places. Where have I run?


Portland, OR
Kansas
Washington, DC
Coeur d'Alene, ID
Orland, FL
South Carolina
Tucson, AZ
Alamosa, CO



I am sure there are other states and places I have run. I feel very blessed to have such a great opportunity to run in different locations. I also must be dedicated because many of these locations I have set the alarm for 5am. I started bringing my head lamp just in case.

I have a couple events coming up. I am signing up to do the Boulder Half-Marathon. I am also joining a team to finish the 24 hours of triathlon event. These events will be on back to back weekends. Should be very interesting...I have listed my most recent stats. I need to start swimming and cycling more...

(I love this picture of Ariel and I smelling the roses in Portland, OR at the Rose Garden)




Total (As of 8/12/2009)
Swim: 23,000 meters (15.33 miles)
Bike: 332.27 miles
Run: 1,157.88 miles

Long Ride, Open water swim and more

Lots of stuff going on these days. I have been busy, but in very different ways. I have been active and enjoying fatherhood. Fathers day was just like any father's day. We went over to my parents house and cooked my Dad a wonderful meal. Nicole bought Ariel a cute dress that she wore on Father's day.

Ariel and I were in the 4th of July parade at our subdivision party. That was fun. We had a nice family outing. I watched Ariel for a couple hours while Nicole went dress shopping.

I have been riding more. I have made a goal to ride my bike 2 days a week to work. I have made it 3 weeks in a row. I also had my longest ride of the year last weekend. 33 miles. WOW!!

I had a meeting at Aurora Reservoir on Tuesday so I went open water swimming afterwards. I swam 1,200m in the open water. It felt so great!! I wanted to keep swimming, but I had to stop. I have been running during my lunch break. I will run any where from 4-8 miles. What a wonderful lunch break I have!!!!

Back in the Saddle

I started riding again. It's been pretty hard to ride this year. I have been running much more and feel that I want to focus more on running. This being said I have barely rode 100 miles this year. That's it. This time last year I rode over 2,000. That's a big difference.

I have also noticed that I have run almost the same distance as I have cycled.

Ironman training sure beefed up these numbers last year. My schedule was also more flexible last year. What am I going to do in a few years when I want to do another Ironman? I will try to figure something out??

Oh, yesterday was my first day back in the saddle in quite some time. I made it out 50 yards on my way home from work and I went down. Down I went and I was pissed. My goal this year was not to crash. What did I do? Maybe next year?

Moments Like This

I got a chance to watch Ironman CDA live this year online. Ah yes, Ironman. I dream about it, I long for it, I thrive for it. I can't believe it's been over a year. I shed many tears of sweat training for it. Many days I had two workouts and some even had three. I made many sacrifices training for the race and my training was well worth it!

I got a chance to see two friends make their Ironman dreams come true.

• Andy Murtha
• Craig Henry

Both did a fantastic job and I am very proud of them!! Way to go!!

So...will I do another Ironman?? Maybe in a couple of years. I want to wait till Ariel is old enough to have an idea of what Daddy is doing. Maybe even participate in the kids race?

Running and Sleep

Not too many posts lately. I've been pretty busy and occupied with other things. I remember last year I was posting at least once a week and sometimes daily. I really got into blogging, but I think the novelty wore off some.

So what's new?

Being a dad has been fun. It's really neat to see Ariel change. Her eyebrows have changed shape and has gained a few pounds. Her hair has even a little longer.

I have been running. That's it. No swimming, no cycling, no working out at the gym. 2-3 workouts per day are history...for now. It's been extra hard because sleep is an issue. I have been getting sleep...some. Some days are better than others. The quality of sleep is fair. I can't wait till Ariel starts sleeping at night. I will not complain about the sleep though. Nicole has had it rough the last couple of nights. It's been hard for her to sleep during the day when Ariel sleeps the most.

My running club, RMRR, celebrated it's 50th Anniversary. This included a full weeks worth of events. I didn't attend them all, but quite a few. I hosted a Tuesday night fun run at Washington Park in Denver. We went to Bonnie Brae Tavern afterwards and had an enjoyable dinner. There were around 30-45 people who came. That is pretty good considering the weather.
Wednesday was a track workout.

Friday was a 1.4 mile predict run. I guessed 8:10. I ran 1.4 miles in 8:00. That is 5:42 per mile. Incredible.
Saturday was a fun gathering at the track. It was a relay event and the goal was to run 50 miles on the track. Our group ended up running 150 miles instead. Of course several of us crazy runners ran 12.5 miles or 50 laps around the track. Not sure if I'd do it again.

Bolder Boulder for Baby

This Bolder Boulder is going to be very different this year.

I've almost always had a good night sleep before running this 10K Race. I've run the Bolder Boulder for 12-13 years now. The race always take place on Memorial Day. I only took one year off because of my hand surgery.

There will be two major difference for me this year.

1) Won't be staying at my parents house

2) Not sure how the sleep thing will be?? Baby has changed some things things.

With this being said, I still hope to have my personal best. I hope to run under 37min. Setting tough goals makes me extra nervous come race day.

New GU Athlete

Serious Athletes Need Serious Fuel

(fyi, baby only consuming breast milk, please don't feed the baby daddy's exercise nutrition)

Ariel Madison Greene

Our new baby has arrived. Her name is Ariel Madison Greene. She is so precious. We love her so much!!!

Ariel Madison Greene

Born 5/6/09 at 10:03am

5lbs 14oz, 19 inches long

Wolverine

Went go see the movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine tonight. Nicole, my younger brother, David, and his friend Patrick came along. Guess What??

I dressed up and shave my beard a little...

My hair looked better tonight!!!

Salt Lake City Marathon Race Report

Pre-Race Meal
The pasta party was held at the Cannella's Italian Restaurant. I wanted to make sure I had lots of carbs the night before the big race. I bought the ticket a few weeks in advance to guarantee a plate. I am glad I did because the tickets sold out. Dinner time was at 5:30pm and I was hungry. I had two full servings of pasta, salad and rolls. I thought I would never get full...until I couldn't eat the last roll.

Night Before
I stayed at the Howard Johnson's Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City. It was a pretty clean room and I was able to change rooms; one with a microwave and fridge. I wanted to make sure I had my oatmeal before the big race. I went to bed at 9:30pm.

Pre-Race
Before I left Denver I thought I was going to have problems getting to the starting line. No problem at all once I got to Salt Lake. I took the light rail system to the starting line. I even got a seat! The train was full, including all the cyclists for the bike tour. I used the restroom twice and felt that would be good. The lines grew longer and longer and I am glad I was done. About 15 minutes before the start I dropped off my clothes at the "gear check-in". I headed to the start line because I wanted to make sure I got in the front pack.

Start (Miles 1-8)
The start was amazing with the gospel choir singing and a brisk cool morning. I was positioned almost perfectly. I didn't get too close, but almost too far back. I was dodging people left and right at the start. I didn't want my first mile to be 5:45 or under. Race smart Eric, race smart.
Mile 1: 6:08, Mile 2: 6:25, Mile 3: 6:30, Mile 4: 6:32
Mile 5: 6:41, Mile 6: 6:33, Mile 7: 6:41, Mile 8: 6:33
Avg: 6:30/mile

Miles 9-16
I met several runners along the way. I was amazed at how my pace was going and was wondering if I was going to bonk towards the end. I asked a few runners what their goal pace was. Some said 3:10, some under 3. I ran with an awesome runner, Dane Rauschenberg, who is quite well known. He runs marathons quite often. He even wrote a book about his marathon experience when he accomplished 52 marathon in 52 weeks. I kept up with him for the first 9 miles. He started to push the pace and I decided to let him take off. I kept the same pace and he sped up. He was quite shocked that I was pushing my own pace when I told him my best marathon and what my goals were.
Mile 9: 6:41, Mile 10: 6:33, Mile 11: 6:37, Mile 12: 6:51
Mile 13: 7:05, Mile 14: 6:27, Mile 15: 6:37, Mile 16: 6:51
Avg: 6:43/mile
Half-Marathon Split: 1:26:57

Miles 17-24
I started to slow down just a little. Mile 24 was off a little because my GPS watch lost connection during the run. This happened several other times, but not for long. These miles were more challenging and required more mental power. I was holding up pretty good and realized about Mile 20 that I would break 3 hours. I passed mile 20 at
Mile 17: 6:50, Mile 18: 6:38, Mile 19: 6:51, Mile 20: 7:01
Mile 21: 7:02, Mile 22: 6:59, Mile 23: 6:37, Mile 24: 7:09
Avg: 6:53/mile

Mile 25-26.2

The last miles were pretty tough. Mile 24 was through a nice park, Mile 25 was up State Street. I say up because it was a nice hill to climb. There were lots of half-marathon runners I was passing too. After the long hill, the last mile was at a gradual downhill. Still lots of people to dodge. No marathon runners too close to me so I felt no need to sprint to the end.
Mile 25: 7:13, Mile 26: 7:09, Mile .2: 2:38ish

Post Race

The finish area was pretty cool. I was worn out. I almost felt like I could have run a little faster? I got a neat medal, water, energy drinks, yogurt and a banana. I didn't eat much right away, but I was feeling pretty hungry a little while later. I waited in line to get my gear check bag. That took about 30 minutes. Next I waited in line to get a message. I love getting messages after a big race. Well deserved.

I waited for a long time for the results. I got a chance to talk with other racers who waited for their times too. After waiting at least 2 hours I gave up. The race director said there were some scoring issues and they wouldn't be posted. I wasted to much time and even got sun burned.

Overall time: 2:58:14

Overall Place: 22/1086

Gender Place: 19/697

Age Div Place: 7/107

Overall Pace: 6:48/mile

I am extremely happy with my performance. I feel I have more work to do and a little more to improve. More pics to come...

SLC Marathon Update

The Salt Lake City Marathon has come and gone. It amazes how much you train for a race. You train, train, train. Lots of sweat, lots of stories. The anticipation drives you crazy. You can't wait till race day.

Race day comes, you complete the course. Get lots of satisfaction, and the race is over. Lots of stories to tell. Then what? Train for another race is usually the next best thing.

My SLC Marathon experience has been a success. I accomplished my goals and I am now going to Boston in 2010. YEAH. The official time on was 2:58:14. I placed 22nd overall and 7th in my age division. Will I ever place in my age group?? May for a smaller race :)

More stories to come when I arrive back in Denver.

Thanks for all the encouragement. I feel like a superstar!!

Night before...

Boy am I nervous. The race is almost here. I am looking at getting a good night sleep. My fear of getting to the race is gone. The light rail system is pretty cool and very easy to use. It's free too.

Ate a good dinner at Cannella's. I had to go back for seconds. I was so hungry. The earliest I have had dinner in a long time. Since college??

Anyways, having fun in Salt Lake City. Getting a little board though. Oh well. Maybe I will go watch some TV.

SLC Marathon...Here we go...

3 days left until Salt Lake City Marathon.

I received tons of information via email from the race organizers. This email has been very helpful. My hotel is less than a mile from the "Host Hotel". I staying downtown Salt Lake City in a Howard Johnson. The price seems right, so I hope for at least a good night sleep.

The biggest trick is to get acquainted with the city just enough to take the public transportation system come race day. This is one of the only things making me nervous.

What are my goals??? I have several goals that I would like to reach for this epic run.
1) Qualify for Boston. This is my main goal and I must run under 3:10. This equals 7:15 per mile. The whole reason I have been running like crazy. I have run nearly 500 miles in 2009. Time for a new pair of shoes...
2) 2.5x?? Do I dare try to break under 3 hours? My friends tell me that I can pull it off...???
3) No baby before marathon. Wife in labor while I'm playing in another state = BAD NEWS. Bad news for the wallet too if any issues arrive.

I leave Friday morning in plenty of time to make the expo. I am not taking much. One bag and it will be a carry-on. I come back on Sunday afternoon. Should be lots of fun. Too bad I won't know anyone? Oh well, I will make due.

Oh yeah...I might go clubbing later that evening if my body isn't too achy.

Holy Week

This weeks marks holy week. What a busy week it will be too.

Tuesday - My birthday

Wednesday - Birthing class
Thursday - Holy Thursday (church activities)

Friday - Good Friday (church activities)

Saturday - Easter Vigil (church activities)

Easter - (lots of activities)

Can we get any busier 28 days before baby Greene??

Praise the Lord for all that he has done. Let us rejoice and be glad. I am not one to be extremely preachy, but this Easter season is extra special. I thank God everyday for all the blessings. Friends, Family and all the good things in our lives.

Running is going great. I am in my taper phase and I only have about 10 days left till Salt Lake City Marathon. Almost there.

Lots of Stuff

Life just carries on whether you blog or not. I've had so many activities in the recent weeks that I want to talk about. Not enough time or energy to talk about them all.

Growing a Beard

Many are so shocked to see my woolly face. "You're growing a beard" is what most people say. Gets old sometimes?? I started growing a beard near the beginning of the year. Partly because I am lazy, partly because I feel like I am in a hibernation phase. The beard gets out of control from time to time. I have had it trimmed once before Nicole and I took pictures.

When to remove the beard?

1) Before Easter

2) Before Salt Lake City marathon

3) Before baby is born

4) After spring?

5) Should I even shave it off?

Only time will tell. I guess I will be ready when it goes. Maybe I should make a bet? If I loose I will shave??

24 Hours of Triathlon
My next big race after the marathon will be the crazy 24 hours of triathlon event. I am not doing this alone. YEAH. I will be teaming up with Team GU. This will consist of a team of 4 members and our goal is to survive and have fun. The event is held at Cherry Creek Reservoir which is only 2 miles away from my house. I should have enough time to train since the event is mid September.

GU, GU, GU

I love GU. I am a GU ambassador this year and trying my best to promote the product. Check their website at http://www.gusports.com/ Their latest product is called GU Chomps. These are tasty energy bites. Their hard to consume on the run, but good for cycling, recovery and after long swims.

Countdown to Salt Lake City Marathon
Nearing 10 days left until the marathon. I have trained pretty hard and feel pretty good. No injuries so I am pretty thrilled. My goal is to break 3:10 to qualify for the Boston Marathon. If I am feeling great, I am tempted to try to break 3:00. My friends tell me its possible, I just have to run smart and listen to my body. I don't want to go crazy and run too fast too soon.

Training has been pretty good. My longest run has been 24 miles. 20 miles were hard, 4 miles were easy. I have put in big mileage. I got up to 10 Mile Repeats, 10 800's. Lots of sweat, lots of GU, lots of layers, lots of wind, lots of AWESOME MEMORIES!!

Countdown to Baby

Can't wait till our baby girl is born. We have about 30 days or 5 weeks left. Our emotions have been up and down, but pretty good overall. The nursery is all set. The baby showers have come and gone. All gift cards are used. Shopping is mostly done. Birthing classes are mostly done. I attended a "Daddy Boot Camp" so daddy is mostly ready for this new adventure. Looking forward till our All-Star rookie is born.

Grandma Turns 90

My Grandmother turned 90 in late February. Yeah for Grandma. She even came to the baby shower a few weeks ago. My Grandma is great and I love her.

Drive to Tucson for Baseball

Friday morning I ran 22.8 miles in the morning. I woke up extremely early and was out the door before 6am. I was still asleep for the first 13 miles and picked up the pace towards the end. I went over my time by about 20min. I ran just over 3 hours. I took the day off at work because I had a feeling it would help my day.

Next stop that morning was the Dentist. Nicole and I both had an appointment so we drove together. We went to Arby's and had Fish Sandwiches afterwards. As we headed home we decided to stop at Target. We might have spent too long in the store?

Came home and took a nap. I was hoping to get a 1-3 hour nap, but only got 30min. Darn. My best friend Joe came and picked me up about 4:15pm. We left Denver just before 6pm. Where did we go???

Tucson, AZ for a Rockies Spring Training Baseball Game

Yes, we drove. The drive is about 13-14 hours and we drove all night. Each of us only got about 1-2 hours of sleep along the way. I held up pretty darn good considering I ran nearly 23 miles in the morning.

The trip was pretty neat. We had tons of fun and lots of wild stories.

My long run was originally scheduled for Saturday, so I changed it and ran Friday instead. I took Saturday off. We were very sleep deprived and didn't sleep until 10pm Saturday night.

I woke up about 5:15am to run in Tucson. Talk about a fantastic experience. I love running in other places. I enjoyed the mountains in the backdrop, cactus, birds, other misc plants, rabbits, and boar. BOAR. About a mile into my run I nearly ran into 6 wild boar. One was on the sidewalk headed towards me. I tell the story much better in person, but it was shocking to see the boar walking around like foxes or deer. I am glad none of them charged at me.

We drove back to Denver on Sunday morning about 8am. We passed through New Mexico and back to Colorado. What a trip. We needed more time and may fly next time. Road trip with the guys before baby's born. PERFECT Timing!!

Next stop is Salt Lake City in mid April.

Am I ready?

There are only 41 days left until Salt Lake City Marathon. I ran 20 miles today. I ran with the Runners Roost Running Club Group. There were a couple fast guys who planned on running at 7-7:15 pace. They actually ended up running at 6:45-7:00 pace.

The first mile was at a slower pace. I didn't want to be crazy and go all out on the first mile. The first mile was a 8:15 pace. The only problem was that miles 2-3 were extremely fast because I wanted to catch the fast guys. They were running pretty fast to, so I had to work extra hard to catch them.

We stopped at Mile 4 or 5 for a water/gel break. We stopped again at Mile 8.

Miles 11-13 the other guys started to pick up the pace. Most miles prior were at 7min miles. They started running 6:40 mile pace. They inched their way past me as the next few miles passed. They kept getting further away, but still in sight. Further, further and eventually gone. I kept a pretty good pace on my own, but I was slowing down.

Total Time: 2:24:34
Pace: 7:14/mile
Distance: 20 miles

Miles 1-5: 7:07/mile
Miles 6-10: 7:00/mile
Miles 11-15: 7:10/mile
Miles 16-20: 7:36/mile

Mile 18 was slower because the uphill was pretty steep. Mile 20 was slower too because I was finishing up and tried to relax. All other miles were under 7:30 and most were under 7:10.

What a fast day. Am I ready for SLC Marathon. I sure hope so. I will try to not run super fast miles at the start. The first mile will be a little faster and I should feel stronger because of the taper. Lots more training to still do and I will keep at it. I have another long for the next few weeks.

My 2009 Totals

My 2009 Totals (Swim, Bike, Run)

January
Swim: 0 meters (0 miles)
Bike: 65.68 miles
Run: 133.51 miles

February
Swim: 4,600 meters (3.07 miles)
Bike: 24.28 miles
Run: 210.62 miles
March
Swim: 6,000 meters (4.0 miles)
Bike: 0 miles
Run: 229.31 miles

April
Swim: 4,700 meters (3.13 miles)
Bike: 0 miles
Run: 126.93 miles

May
Swim: 0 meters (0 miles)
Bike: 0 miles
Run: 116.18 miles

June
Swim: 3,300 meters (2.2 miles)
Bike: 59.17 miles
Run: 150.78 miles

July
Swim: 4,400 meters (1.73 miles)
Bike: 145.88 miles
Run: 123.17 miles

August
Swim: 5,100 meters (3.4 miles)
Bike: 173.32 miles
Run: 138.60 miles

September
Swim: 3,075 meters (2.05 miles)
Bike: 187.18 miles
Run: 156.10 miles

October
Swim: 0 meters (0 miles)
Bike: 0 miles
Run: 160.23 miles

November
Swim: 0 meters (0 miles)
Bike: 0 miles
Run: 234.12 miles

December (As of 12/30/2009)
Swim: 0 meters (0 miles)
Bike: 0 miles
Run: 277.18 miles

Total (As of 12/30/2009)
Swim: 31,175 meters (20.78 miles)
Bike: 655.51 miles
Run: 2,056.73 miles

Windy Mile Repeats and Racing

Windy Repeats

This is now 3-4 weeks in a row that Mile repeats have been super windy. The winds have been 20-25mph with wind gusts at 30+ mph. STOP!!!! These mile repeats are not fun and I they are getting tougher each week. The wind isn't helping!!

My body has been feel good!! The hips are great, legs fine and hanging in there.

Chilly Cheeks Duathlon #3 (Saturday)

What a cold start on the bike. My fingers and toes were so numb. It started to warm up a little, but still too cold. I haven't been riding but a few times a month, so I knew my ride wasn't going to be the fastest. I was only 1 minute slower than last year. Not too bad.

I got off the bike and my feet were frozen solid. They didn't start un-thawing until mile 2-3. I felt very strong and in control. I was there to race and I was picked each person off one at a time. I had one runner in mind to catch. I was determined to catch him and at the very end...sprint to the finish, I passed him. He put up a big fight at the end, but I beat him out.

Bike 10.8 mikes: 31:07

Transition: 2:04

Run 4 miles: 25:04

Total time: 58:14

Afterwards I ended up running another 12.5 miles. 3.5 hours I ran another 2.5 miles. My planned called for the short run 4 hours after the long run...

RMRR Trophy Series at Crown Hill (Sunday)

I thought my run time was fast yesterday after the bike. Today was even faster. There was a speed limit sign posted at 10mph. I broke that barrier and was breaking the law!! I ran 3 miles in 17:38. Actually I clocked 3.09 miles... This is the fastest 5k time I have ever ran and this training is coming along great. I thought I was going to fall apart today, but I kept going. I had to catch my friend Dave...and I never did. We had about the same time today.

Mile 1: 5:36

Mile 2: 5:49

Mile 3: 5:39

Mile .09: 0:32

AWESOME!!! Now I will take tomorrow easy and not a tempo run. I deserve an easy day.

Recent Happenings

Lots of stuff going on these days. I ran 50+ miles last 2-3 weeks so I kept pretty busy.

Lots of Running
I have been running 6 days a week. I have been logging in some good miles. It has been tough. I've run lots of miles before...but only 3-4 days a week worth. My body aches, my legs are screaming, blisters on my feet are getting better. I have developed new aches and pains. YUCK.

Shoe Battle
I bought a new pair of shoes recently. Two mistakes I made. First I wore my new shoes (Saucony Stabil CS) with cotton socks...for an hour run on the treadmill. This started the blisters. I ran 2 more times with better socks, and the blisters got worse. I wore them 3 times and gave up. I took them back to the running store. I switched back to the Mizuno Alchemy's. I got the updated version and the blister issue has got better.

I tried everything to help these blisters. I've tried Foot Glide, Vaseline, Duck Tape, Foot Powder, and Aquaphor. Aquaphor has helped the best so far.

No Blog Entries
Shame on me for not posting anything for nearly a month. I am not sure what happened, but I never seemed to find the time to sit down and write...?

Injury Report
Everything seems to be fine. My right hip has improved tremendously. I have a few aches and pains in the legs and other areas, but nothing too serious. I try not to worry too much about this stuff right now.

more to come...

Mile Repeats

I woke up early this morning to help move my grandmothers stuff out of her apartment. I spent 3-4 hours moving, but not all was hardcore labor. There was quite a bit of lifting involved, but we had 10-12 people helping out.

I came back home and I was off to the track. What on earth am I doing at the track?? Mile Repeats. Yuck. I did 5 mile repeats last week and they were all on the trail. I ran about 3 miles to the track. I did a little stretching before and off I went. In between repeats I ran about 1:00-1:30 at a much slower pace.

Mile Repeat #1: 6:08
Mile Repeat #2: 5:54
Mile Repeat #3: 5:53
Mile Repeat #4: 5:59
Mile Repeat #5: 6:07
Mile Repeat #6: 6:18
Average Repeat: 6:03

My goal for each repeat was 6:25-6:30. I did just that. The track seemed to be much faster. I wasn't too impressed with the gusty wind. I feel like I am going to be sick now. I hope that the rest of the day I won't be too worthless.

Am I ready to qaulify for Boston Marathon?? Not sure yet, but I hope to be ready in 75 days.

Awards Banquet

My running club, Rocky Mountain Road Runners, held it's annual awards banquet. Our club is a volunteered based club and is really starting to gain energy. We are hosting a 50th Anniversary week this year and I am helping out with planning.


The banquet was held at the Fox Hollow Golf Course and the food was great.


Here are the awards I received:
9th Place - 2008 Trophy Series
4th Place - 2008 Male Scratch (fast male)
Co-Race Director Blanket
Moving on up. I received 16th place for the 2007 trophy series and 5th place for the 2007 male scratch. RMRR has great members and I love the races every month!!

Hard Workout

Mile Repeats. Yikes.
WarmUp:15 min
5x1 mile:
6:25
6:16
6:25
6:29
6:37
Cool Down: 22 min

Total: 9.75 miles
Avg. repeat 6:26.4

Hard day...but good day. My hip/leg issue still exists :0( But I try to run despite having issues. Should I take time off. YUCK...??...?? Salt Lake City Marathon is only 88 days away. Can't stop now.??

Week Totals (1/12-1/18)
Swim: 0 meters
Bike: 23.69 miles
Run: 39.60 miles
Walk the Dog: 1.28

Am I Crazy?

What in the world? I went on a long run this morning. This is the same as last week?? I have two races this weekend. I have a duathlon on Saturday and a 5Mile race on Sunday. Am I crazy for getting in my long run the day before a race AGAIN???????

Well...the long run is done for the week. Now I don't have to worry about running twice on Sunday.

RMRR Trophy Series 10K

Today was the RMRR Trophy Series 10k race held at Twin Lakes Park. It was a pretty good run. It was very cold to start, but I nearly overheated. I will prepare better next time??

Overall Time: 39:38

Distance 6.19 / 10k

Pace: 6:24/mile

Calories burned: 741

Mile 1: 5:55, Mile 2: 6:14, Mile 3: 6:19, Mile 4: 6:32, Mile 5:6:43, Mile 6: 6:42, Mile .2: 1:11

I think I might have been worn out from yesterday's long run? I felt pretty good, but I just wasn't ready to go so fast. My handicap time was said to be 38:50. I knew this might be close, but that is 6:15/mile. There were several other fast runners in the group, and I might have been 5th fastest??

Afterwards, I went to visit my grandmother and we had lunch together. I came home watched a little football, then took a nap. What a day.

Week Totals (1/5-1/11)
Swim: 0 meters
Bike: 19.32 miles
Run: 39.53 miles

Weekend Long Run

I woke up early today to get in my long run. I bought a marathon plan (advanced) from TrainingPeaks.com. This plan was created by Mike Ricci and I have used a triathlon plan from him. Here is the workout:
Run 1.5 hours on a flat to rolling course. Keep HR in Zone 1-2 for 1:00. The last 30' are at race pace. Think about form and running pretty. Stay hydrated and eat! Stretch when done and add in Core 1, 2 or 3.

HR Zone 1-2 is around 145-156 bpm...or so. I started using a Heart Rate Monitor in 2009 so I can learn how to pace myself better. I am using the Polar F6. It's ok. No extreme bells or whistles.

Cherry Creek State Park Loop
Time: 1:42:28
Distance: 13.1 miles
Avg Pace: 7:49/mile
Best Pace: 5:55/mile
Calories burned: 1648
HR Avg: 181
HR Max: 158

1hr mark - 7.45 miles - 8:03/mile
30 min race pace - 4.16 miles - 7:13/mile
cool down (12:24) - 1.49 miles - 8:19/mile

Good training day for my quest to qualify for Boston. I took a nap after lunch for about 2 hours. I have to be well rest for a 10k tomorrow with my running club. Yuck. Next week will be back to back races too. My body seem pretty warn out.

New Year - 2009

New Year, New Baby, New Adventures, New goals, same Triathlete.

Lots of news to share, and always not enough time to share.

Baby News

Nicole is 22 weeks along today. Oh yeah...did I tell you...we are going to have a baby girl!!! This news took me by surprise. I was leaning towards boy...but Nicole and I are happy.

2009 Goals

No crashing!!!

Qualify for the Boston Marathon - Run under 3:10 marathon.

10K PR at Boulder Bolder

Distance Goals - Same as 2008

Compete in 1-2 triathlons

Be a great dad

Stay healthy and injury free

Read/Listen to more books

and more to come??

New Adventures

Every year brings new adventures. Lots of bigs things will happen in 2009.

-Grandmother turns 90

-5th Year Wedding Anniversery

-New Baby in May

-Baby's baptism?

-Other family hitting big birthday #'s

-Road Trip for early spring marathon?