America's Largest 10K The 2014 Bolder Boulder

This past Memorial Day I had the oppurtunity to run the 2014 Bolder Boulder. This is America's largest 10K with over 50,000 runners.

If you love running or fitness or just great events make sure to run the Bolder Boulder in Boulder, Colorado at least once in your life. There are runners and walkers of all skill levels. It's a great time. The city of Boulder really gets behind the event along. While running you'll see many bands, belly dancers, guys running in tu tus, keg stands, and tons of neighborhood people with garden hoses there to spray you off as you run by.

This year the weather was great. About 78 degrees and a little humid. My goal was to hit about 1 hour on my time but I came in about 20 minutes behind that. But I had a great time and I urge you to check it out if you have never been to the Bolder Boulder.

Good luck and Happy Running!

Brooks Ghost 4 Review

Good shoes are hard to find. I'm lucky to have found the Brooks Ghost 4's. They make a huge difference.

I guess I have weird feet because it is really tough to find a pair of shoes that fit me right. Especially for running.

A couple of weeks ago I decided to go down to Runners Roost in Lone Tree Colorado and actually get fitted for some good running shoes. I got my mileage up to close to 40 miles per week and I dropped close to 30 lbs so I thought this would be a good time to get some good shoes.

I looked at Asics, Nike, and Mizunos. This is where getting fitted for the proper shoes makes a big difference. I was going to go with a pair of Mizuno Wave Runner shoes because I though they looked the coolest. I found out they were not right for my running style. I needed a medium stability shoe and the Brooks Ghost 4 were the correct pair. Running on the treadmill at Runners Roost proved that.

What are some of the shoes you guys suggest? I'd love to hear your opinions here.

Good luck and Happy Running!

Haven't posted in a long time. Latest update

Just wanted to add a post here in case anybody is still following my blog. It's been two years since my last post.

Just wanted to let everyone know that my weight is finally starting to come off. I'm running and walking about 5 to 7 miles a day right now.

The main thing I want to do is tell you is "Don't give up!" when you are trying to get your weight off. I've weighed as much as 258 lbs and now I'm down to the 220's or low 230's. Still want to get down to about 185 which is good for me.

The one thing I did that really helped me this past month is limit the amount of food I was eating. I'm at about 1,000 calories per day of very healthy and vitamin rich food. Also, no processed food and very light on dairy and meat.

I gave up my once or twice daily Starbucks iced vanilla latte. After a week it wasn't hard, plus I have more money now. $10 per day on Starbucks in stupid. I make my own coffee now.

Also, I keep a food journal every day to track what I eat and I just keep track of the calories. No need to do something stupid like weight watchers points or join some stupid weight loss center for $500.

If you are having trouble losing weight I'd love to help you. I spent 10 years as a pretty large man. It feels much much better to be healthy and not fat.

New Day and New Shoe - Under Armour

Just finished my first week of training by doing 3 miles yesterday.
Picked up some new Under Armour running shoes.

I picked up the men's Revenant running shoes. They are awesome!

Day 3 Marathon is 263 days away - "Be Like Brett"

The Denver Rock 'n' Roll Marathon seems a log ways away right now. Only 263 days. This is my longest run of the week. I need to do 3 miles on the treadmill at the rec center. That will take me about 45 minutes to an hour.

I'm looking for something motivating today but I'm stuck right now. The best I can do is Brett Favre. The Vikings, my favorite team of any sport, signed Brett Favre who turned 40 years old this season. Most people thought he could not make it through an entire NFL season at 40. He proved the critics wrong by leading the Minnesota Vikings to the NFC Championship Game and missed the Super Bowl by one play. The Vikings lost in overtime 31 - 28 to the Saints.

I know the older we get the easier it is to give up on things we used to love to do, like running. But when you give up on the stuff you love a part of you dies. Keep the faith and keep running, playing golf, playing softball, or do whatever you love to do. Life is to short to quit.

Day 2 Running Schedule - Marathon Month's Away

Nice day in Colorado. About 30 degrees at the end of January in Colorado. I have 1.5 miles scheduled at the rec center tonight at 4:40 p.m. Should take me about a half hour.

I know that's extremely slow but I'm still a pretty big guy. Hopefully 6 months from now I'll be able to crank it out in less than 20 minutes.

Steve Prefontaine is still a popular U.S. running figure. I saw a movie about him a few years ago and it was great. I know he ran at Oregon in the early 70's and Nike still sells stuff with his name on it. Here's his rock or maybe it's his headstone.

According to Wikipedia he was born and raised in Coos Bay, Oregon, Prefontaine was primarily a long-distance runner who once held the American record in the seven distance track events from the 2000 meters to the 10,000 meters.[1] Prefontaine died at the age of 24 in a car accident. In the prime of his life.

The Eugene Register-Guard called his death "the end of an era". By the time of his death, Prefontaine was a popular athlete who, along with Frank Shorter and Bill Bowerman, was credited with sparking the running boom of the 1970s. His life story has been detailed in two films, 1997's Prefontaine and 1998's Without Limits, as well as the documentary "Fire on the Track". An annual track event, the Pre Classic, has been held in his honor since 1975.

Over his career, he won 120 of the 153 races he ran (78 percent). Prefontaine liked to say, "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift."

Pre's Rock is a memorial at the site of the roadside boulder where Prefontaine died. Many runners inspired by Prefontaine leave behind memorabilia to honor his memory and continued influence, such as race numbers, medals, and running shoes. Pre's Rock was dedicated in December 1997 and is maintained by Eugene Parks and Recreation as Prefontaine Memorial Park.[4] The rock is just across the Willamette River from the east end of Pre's Trail. The memorial features a plaque with a picture of Prefontaine that reads:

“ For your dedication and loyalty
To your principles and beliefs...
For your love, warmth, and friendship
For your family and friends...
You are missed by so many
And you will never be forgotten... ”

The Prefontaine Memorial, featuring a relief of his face, records, and date of birth, is located at the Coos Bay Visitor Center in Coos Bay. In 2008, ten memorial plaques were laid along the Prefontaine Memorial Race route, the former training grounds of Prefontaine. The plaques bear an image of Prefontaine from his high school year book and various quotes and records from his time in Coos Bay. The plaques were part of a grant from the Oregon Tourism Commission, the Coos Bay-North Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau, and the Prefontaine Memorial Committee.

Each year on the third Saturday of September in Coos Bay, over 1000 runners engage in the Prefontaine Memorial Run, a 10k run honoring his accomplishments.[5]

Week Training for October 2010 Marathon

We're starting this week on January 25th, 2010 as week one. I started the week at 263. This is my running schedule for the week. I'll let you know how it goes.

Week 1
Rest - Monday - January 25th - Cross Train at Rec Center at 9 pm or treadmill at home.
1.5 m run - Tuesday
3.0m run - Wednesday
1.5 m run - Thursday
Rest - Friday
3 m run - Saturday
30 min walk - Sunday