Christmas Run and Run/Walk

5.3 miles
51:08 min, 9:38 min/mile pace
+
6.03 miles, 2 running, untimed

Ran on my own this morning, including a mile long run through a valley that, according to the elevation chart, was a hundred foot drop then an immediate hundred foot climb out. Felt pretty phenominal today. 28*, saw wildlife everywhere, got to practice running on ice for future races. All in all a pretty goof start. Then, I got to run and walk around a nature preserve, see geese and ducks, a small river, numerous lakes and ponds while spending time with my wife! We did 6 miles in all. I could do this every day!

Perfect weather!

3.01 miles
30:33 min, 10:09 min/mile
+
2 treadmill miles

We had another nice run this morning. Nothing intense, but we did manage to pick up the pace just a bit. I suspect she did this in order to get out of the 30* weather, but whatever works! Today was supposedly the coldest day here in Columbia with temps not breaking 35* all day, and the Target insulated mock neck worked just fine, even if it does feel like the mock neck is choking me. At half the price of Under Armour Cold Gear I can handle it for now!

10/22 Midwest Run

3.03 miles
31:12 min, 10:17 min/mile

Also ran, but didn't track, 3 miles while we were in Atlanta, but I have to say that the best run so far was today. 31 degrees when we woke up, threw on the warm layers and hit the road. Columbia, Missouri has some beautiful scenery, nice rolling hills with the occasional valley to run through. Before we leave I'll be running through a valley that would make Newell Rd in Gainesville look tiny and I can't wait! I'm not sure DW will want to do that with me, but that just means I'll run half the mileage that day with her and the rest by myself. We're still thinking about the Katy Trail down closer to the Mizzou campus, but a body was just found there by another runner so we might avoid it for now until all the spectators and police get done with whatever they have to do.

Ate way too much Shakespeare's Pizza so the run tomorrow should be miserable. We'll attempt a few miles on the treadmill tonight. Can't let the weight slip over the holidays!

I like my new shoes, I like my new shoes

Because it's all good. - Pete the Cat

3.5 miles
32:00 min, 9:08 min/mile

Ran around campus, down University, 34th and back to Hull and Museum Road until the pain in both arches got too bad to continue. Actually I should have stopped long before, but I was too far away from my car to walk. I ended up getting blisters on both feet, but they're not too severe. Hopefully it won't hurt tomorrow when I drop off DW's car in the morning for an oil change and run home. That would be embarrassing having to walk by all the little middle schoolers!

12/12 Run

3.24 miles
29:51 min, 9:12 min/mile

It was a dark and stormy night and some idiot was out running and dodging cars. Not really dodging because I saw them all coming from a long way off and got far away from the road, but still. Ran after dinner on a full stomach, but even with that it felt like any other run. Nothing tremendously fast or slow, just the Higdon required miles at a good pace.

12/10 Run

3.19 miles
27:40 min, 8.41 min/mile

Yep, last run was on the tenth, skipped one yesterday and it's raining today. Been feeling really sluggish lately, but somehow I have to get out there and put a lot of miles in this week starting today. Writing this while on a corporate conference call at work. Is that bad?

Also, learned of a HCG Diet from a friend of ours, which is basically cutting calories while using a chemical drop to reduce appetite. The 26 day program costs a little over a hundred bucks and it promises a pretty drastic weight loss, so January might be the ideal time if the money is there. Rejoining the gym might be the best option though. I can't wait to get back to Gainesville Health and Fitness!

12/7 on Mt. Newell

6 reps, all under 1 min, final @ 41 seconds

A shorter hill workout on the Higdon plan today, but I made it a little faster and more intense. Really wasn't feeling the hills today, but the fat boy powered through the required 6 hill climbs in pretty decent time. At 53 degrees, the last sprint up the steepest hill on campus took 41 seconds and I honestly thought I was close to passing out, which would have been bad considering I was alone tonight!

Tomorrow is a busy day. With holiday travel coming up, finding someone to cover my spot at work, parties, shopping and whatever else pops up, we're slammed. Lots of errands leaves little time to practice on the driving range and run, but it'll have to get done somehow.

Golf in 2012

Mine, not golf in general.

I have a hard time doing anything for just the fun of it. Baseball involved some pretty intense competition, practices, etc throughout the year off and on from the time I was around 10 until college, and maybe it's some psychological thing because of that, but I learned to always be up for practices and to go into games with a high level of focus, even though it appeared I could be almost too laid back at times. I don't know if it's because I was a part of competition for so long or what, but I need something athletically to work towards or compete in. When the baseball career ended, golf was the next logical step. What started as a way to be closer to Dad evolved into a sport that had a future for me. Despite long layoffs during work in the construction field and the first year or so in Gainesville, I'm back on the range attempting to chase down a dream I had since near the end of college, entry onto a major or minor tour.

Several friends and acquaintances play or caddie on the PGA, Nationwide, Sunshine, Hooters and European Tour, so I'm not short on contacts when or if I make it. I've also played enough rounds with these same players to know that when I'm swinging well, or at least consistent, that I can hang with them distance-wise. The only questions are time and money. Money, of course, will come in the form of sponsorships once you enter the qualifying tournaments and make it through at least one section. Major companies typically troll the player lists looking for unknown talent that they can sign to basic deals on spec, providing players with equipment and cash for entry fees until they can be looked at again and either dropped or given a better contract. Space on a shirt, bag, hat and anywhere else imaginable is also for sale, often to other major companies eager to get their brand out there. The problem with money is that you need some to make some, and with a family to start parting with an initial $2500ish is a big gamble. The gamble being that if I go to the PGA Tour qualifying tournament, Q School, and not make it out of the first section I'm done and the PGA Tour is $2500 richer. However, if I pick courses that suit me and make it to the final stage of Q School (next year in Orlando), at the minimum I have guaranteed entry into at least a third of the Nationwide tournaments next year, sponsorship by at least one company (anyone making it to finals without sponsorship is listed in a press kit that goes out to all companies who submit an inquiry, this year 175 companies inquired) and further entries dependent on tournament performance. Not a bad deal at all, and with a chance to see what I can do how can you pass that up? Play decent golf that I'm capable of, get through every stage safely, get picked up by a sponsor and see if I can make a living on the golf course first on the Nationwide Tour then onto the big tour if all goes well.</p>
<p>The other option is the NGA/Hooters Tour, also know affectionately by She Who Must Be Obeyed as the 'I Know Why You Like THAT Tour'. It's less expensive to go through qualifying, their qualifying tournament is one tournament instead of four different tournaments, or Sections, like the PGA Tour, but the downside is that the entry fees are really steep and the spots into the tournaments are often decided a couple days before the beginning of the first round, leaving people new to the tour wondering if they got in and being forced to drive or fly last minute on expensive flights. It's easier to get on this tour, but is it really worth it?

Make it through prequalifying for the PGA Tour with the goal of status on the Nationwide Tour is what I'm shooting for. Of course, more frequent trips to the range, extended practice times... These things aren't free and the time required is intensive. It's a little different than going to the range for a specific time. Parting with that kind of cash? Difficult to do. There are ways to come up with the money. Saving... Family... Selling a kidney... Nothing's a perfect plan, and I'll pretty much have to be my own support system in this, but it's something I love to do, something I'm good at, and if I couldn't pursue this I might as well sell the clubs. The problem is, if I sold the clubs I'd find another sport to become involved in, compete in and ultimately pursue on whatever level I'd be able to do. The way I see it, if the golf option got yanked I'd put the money towards a good carbon framed bike, something in the $2k to $3k range at first, and be on the road training for 100, 200 etc miles a week probably with no hope of monetary reward and bitterness at giving up on a sport I can pursue. Decisions decisions...

A good Tuesday

3.62 miles
33:34 min, 9:16 min/mile

The plan called for 3.5 miles, ran slightly more, but no big deal. Got to run before dinner, so I'm sure that helped the pace a little. Dinner was healthy, and then we ended up at the mall where I got to visit my new favorite store, Banana Republic. Let me clarify though, it's my new favorite Fall/Winter store because the sweaters are light with great colors, the shirts fit perfectly and there are some pretty high quality belts that might eventually make their way into my drawer...

Of course, money doesn't grow on trees, so I'll have to shop sparingly, and their selections during the summer aren't really what I'm into. I need shirts that are functional on the golf course and tight, ultra short sleeves aren't going to fit the bill. Still, for day to day wear during the threeish months I can actually stand to wear long pants and long sleeves, Banana Republic is looking pretty good. 25-35 less pounds and I will too!

Also got word today that I'll be getting a nice little bonus check right in time for Christmas. That'll do a lot of good for the ol bank account, especially considering the Xmas money in the cards (hopefully) still to come.

Saturday Makeup Run

4.86 miles
45 min, 9:18 min/mile pace

Not a bad run on Saturday, but I need to get back on the Higdon schedule. Sunday is suppose to be a 90 min run, but instead I moved that to Monday and Monday's 3 miler got eliminated. Not good. Christmas vacation is fast approaching and we're under enough of a time crunch as it is. Somehow I need to get my Mom's gift either in Orlando or Tampa if I can't pick it up in Atlanta, which will mean 4 or 5 hours out of an off day gone. Squeezing running and practice time on the driving range will be next to impossible, but necessary with the beginning of the year approaching. Even though qualifying is a little under a year away, it's the work you do now that counts. Golf isn't something you can cram for like a test, especially since it's common knowledge that it takes roughly 10,000 repetitions to form muscle memory. I've got a long way to go to make the grip and swing change second nature, but there are already some very positive signs.

Climbing Mt. Newell

Hill work - 7 reps
First time up the hill was in 1:09, the last was in 46 seconds.

Each time sucked, but it's a necessary evil. Of course, neither of us knew exactly why we have to do it other than it's on the training plan, but we still got it done. The funny thing is that I didn't even suggest running hills! She brought it up on her own, but I don't think she will again. Only once or twice more then the hill work turns into speed work until the last few weeks when it's just straight running. Today brings a 45 min tempo run so I better get it done before all the football and golf on TV makes me a vegetable.