Training: Gulp!

First of all, yes, I am still amongst the living. I know it's been way too long since the last time I posted and honestly, I feel horrible about it. I had intended on journaling via my blog throughout my training, but have been lax about it. I won't make any excuses, not because I don't have them, but rather because I don't want to bore you.

To catch up with training, the last few weeks have been a bit rough. The shorter runs are fantastic, but the long run of the week has proven to be a challenge. I have been continually frustrated by the longer distances, and while I would like to blame it on the weather, if I'm being honest with myself, it's probably more of a lack of mental toughness. And now, fast-forward to yesterday.

Yesterday was my long run of the week, which was 18 miles. That is the longest distance I will run before the marathon itself, I and I'm scheduled to run that distance three times before tapering off and beginning final preparations. After the last few weeks, yesterday's 18 miles intimidated the heck out of me. But I spent some extra moments of silence and quiet reflection before beginning the run. I talked to God, prayed, and really dug down deep in terms of why I had begun this adventure in the first place. In terms of weather yesterday, it was incredibly windy and cold. 30-35 mph gusts of wind greeted me as I began. Nevertheless, as I set out on the run, it was shaping up to be one of the best runs I've had. I felt strong, my legs were churning right along, and my entire body felt more in sync and physically able than ever before. I had a smile on my face as I completed mile after mile with little problem.

And then the unthinkable happened. With about six miles left, I felt an unfamiliar, and undesirable pull in my left Achilles tendon, and then the pain set in. It crippled me enough that I could no longer run, and could walk only with a limp. I cannot describe the discouragement I felt as I was forced to walk the remaining six miles. All the weeks and days of training, and all of the effort I've put into preparing for the marathon ran through my head. The possibility of having to miss the crowning achievement brought me to tears.

So today, I wait. I am scheduled to see the doctor this afternoon and will know more after that appointment. In the meantime, I am praying and hoping for the best, but admittedly fearing the worst.

Training: Half-Way There!

Today marked the end of my eighth week of marathon training, which means I am halfway through the program. I ran a tough 14 miles today to cap the week, and am really feeling it right now. Sore knees, sore ankles, sore feet. Fortunately, my wife blessed me with a massage gift certificate for my birthday. Think I'll be using that this week!

At any rate, the best part of today's run was when I achieved what the book refers to as "flow." The authors go pretty in-depth in explaining flow, but suffice it to say that it's a state of the mind when nearly everything seems effortless. Athletes often experience flow, and according to the book, many have mastered the ability to create it on demand, as opposed to waiting for it to appear by chance. I worked pretty hard on achieving flow today, and for about three miles I believe I found it. It takes some effort, and lots of mental mastery as a person really needs to be able to shut out everything else going on around him/her. Not the easiest thing to accomplish, but when I did get there, those three miles went very fast and were easily the best part of my run.

I will work dutifully this week in achieving flow quicker and using it more as the runs continue to get longer and longer. And as always, at the end of another training week, I am thankful for the aches and pains as they signify that my body is repairing, recovering, and that I have my physical health.

Training: Catching Up

It's been a whirlwind of a couple weeks and I have lagged severely in keeping up-to-date on my marathon training efforts. In fact, I was actually surprised to learn that I hadn't mentioned anything since after week #4 of the training, and here I am beginning week #8 already. I won't bore you too much with all the details, but suffice it to say that I am still in the game, and feeling better about my efforts now than I have since I began. Last week was particularly rough, as the long run was 11 miles and it was very grueling. I felt like I walked more than I ran, and ended up very discouraged. The book I'm using talks a lot about the mental aspect, and includes testimonials from folks who have been through the training in the past. Several of those testimonials seemed to coincide with exactly what I was experiencing after last Sunday. Several mentioned their bodies being worn down, and their inability to finish a run without walking. In so much as I was discouraged after my tough run, I was encouraged to learn I wasn't alone, if that makes any sense.

That was all week #6. Week #7 was much kinder, and I found myself really pushing my pace on the shorter runs of the week, and having some success with it. Finally, this last Sunday was a twelve mile run to end the week. Was I nervous? Absolutely. In fact, I was flat scared. But I'll be darned if I didn't finish that twelve miles feeling the best yet. Sure, my legs were dog tired and felt like rubber, but I still had the mental and physical stamina to finish the run. So, I'm pretty much feeling on top of the world at this point, and as I begin the eighth week of the program. I've racked up a total of 138 miles since I began the training, and will be half-way home at the end of this week with a total of 166 miles.

As I celebrate my 37th birthday today, I am so glad to have made the decision to follow through with this training. I have already said I probably won't do another marathon, as the training takes a lot of time. But, I have definitely found a new appreciation for running and what it has done for my body both mentally and physically. And, I've learned that despite my age, I'm really not too old to continue to challenge myself. Us silly humans really can do anything we decide to put our minds to, of that I am convinced. Heck, I'm proving it!

Post-Plunge Pontification

The marquee on the way to the lake this morning read a balmy 19 degrees outside, but that wasn't so much what I was worried about. I can handle 19 degrees. In fact, for winter in Nebraska, 19 degrees is a pretty decent temp. What concerned me, though, was the 25-30 m.p.h. wind gusting out of the North. I never saw an official reading, but my best guess would have put the wind chill at just above zero, and that's away from the lake. Standing in the wind coming right off of Holmes Lake, the stage for today's Polar Plunge, I would have guessed the wind chill to have dipped below zero. Oh yeah, it was cold. Definitely a perfect stage for a "Polar" Plunge.

Despite the temps, though, Plungers turned out in great numbers this morning to help raise money for Special Olympics. The event seems to be growing every year, with more and more people "taking the plunge." I have no clue as to just how much money was raised overall, but I would have to say several thousands of dollars. It was an incredible sight! In fact, I would venture to say the organizers of the event will have to do some serious planning for next year, as things moved pretty slow and un-methodical this morning due to the unexpected numbers. As much as I complained about the entire process, from registration to the actual plunge itself, in hindsight, it's a good problem to have.

And yes, the plunge itself this morning was everything it promised to be - very, very cold. It's funny how the body reacts when hit with extreme temperatures such as this morning. My brain was moving at breakneck speed to get in and out of the water, but my body just wasn't having it. I felt like I was in a big vat of icy cold, thick mud. I....just....couldn't........move! And then there's the task of trying to change after getting out of said vat of proverbial mud. Fingers are numb, toes are numb. Okay, so, the whole body is pretty much numb. My teeth even hurt.

But hey, it's for a fantastic cause, and it's all over again until next year. My team had another blast pulling this off, and I once again want to give a huge shout out to all the folks who so graciously donated, both monetarily and with words and expressions of encouragement and support. All of you people rock! Until next year.....

Polar Plunge!

It just dawned on me...I don't think I've ever posted anything on my blog about this years' Polar Plunge. Doh! I know I put a note on my Facebook page, but I don't know how many folks read that and I'm sure there are those who read this blog but don't read Facebook. Anyway....

Hey - I am just 7 days away from participating in the Polar Plunge again this year to raise money for Special Olympics. I love this organization and what they stand for, and what they do for those who use their services. It's a wonderful cause, and one in which I am proud to support. I know times are tough right now, and I know not everyone is able to give. I totally understand - my family is pinching serious pennies right now, too. But, if you happen to have an extra dollar or two laying around that needs a home, would you consider throwing it towards Special Olympics, Nebraska? Your efforts help fund the Special Olympics, giving special needs folks wonderful opportunities to compete in athletic events, and more importantly, help raise their self-worth. It is truly fantastic!

Please visit my fund-raising page at http://www.firstgiving.com/bigkev. This site is completely safe, and totally secure. That said, if you would feel better about a personal check, feel free to mail one to my address, made out to Special Olympics, Nebraska. You can mail it to the following:

Kevin Campbell
131 Sante Fe Trail
Lincoln, NE. 68521

Thanks so much for your consideration - I am nearing the halfway point of my $1000 goal, so any help you can provide would be most-appreciated. And a big thanks to those who have already donated - THANK YOU!!

Training: Week #4 Recap

So, I'm a month into my training now. Four weeks have gone by since I began, which means I'm exactly 1/4 of the way through the program. By the way, I don't remember if I've mentioned what book I'm using. It's titled The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer, by David Whitsett and Forest Dolgener. It's an easy read, and an easy-to-follow program for getting in shape to run a marathon. And it doesn't matter how much running experience you have, which makes it perfect for someone like me who used to despise running. Also, I'm using several tips from The Complete Idiot's Guide To Running, 2nd Edition. This book was given to me by my dear friend Alex after I first began expressing the idea of running a marathon.

Anyway, back to the training. Week #4 seemed to be a turning point, of sorts. I came through week #3 pretty sore and somewhat discouraged, wondering if my body could handle this intense training. I had begun to question myself, and whether I could really make a go of this thing. I was laying in bed at nights unable to sleep because my feet hurt, my knees hurt, my legs were sore, etc. I tried to stay as positive as possible, and tell myself it was all a part of adjusting to a kind of physical activity the likes of which my body has never been close to attempting. A friend of mine who has some marathon experience, sympathized with me. He made a comment something to the effect of, "Your body is telling you have absolutely no business putting it through this kind of intensity, that you are way too out of shape to even consider something like this. It's rebelling, big time. But your brain is forcing the issue, and your body can't compete with the brain." Thanks, Mr. Tate. You're exactly correct.

So I began week #4 with everything I had left, and things went much better. It seems my body is beginning to accept the fact that it is going to run, and it is going to run a lot. I added another 18 miles to the 49 I had amassed, bringing my total to 67 as of last Sunday. Sunday's eight-mile run wasn't necessarily an easy one, but it did go much better than expected. I have found a curious problem in all of this training, though. The short runs, which are between 3 and 5 miles, seem to be tougher than the long runs of the week. I don't quite get that, other than the possibility that it's a mental thing. I wonder if I'm thinking the short runs will be pieces of cakes compared to the long runs, and am kind of psyching myself out? Not sure, but that will be the next hurdle to overcome. I'd really like ALL the runs to be enjoyable, but right now, I'm having trouble enjoying the shorter ones.

So here I am, already into week #5. Two 3-mile runs, a 5-mile run, and a 10-mile run will be the order of the week, and I've already done one of the 3's and the 5. I have the other 3 on Friday, sandwiched between a couple of off-days, and then the 10-mile trek on Sunday. My brother, who is also training, predicted it would be quite a feeling to have run 10 miles. I fully concur, and look forward to accomplishing the feat. Thanks for all the support, prayers, and ongoing advice!!

Training: Week #3 Recap

My third week of training was, in a word, ugly. And in two words, it was real ugly. After so much success in the second week, I was quite frustrated at the end of last week. It all began shortly after the six-mile run to cap the second week, which went so well. I was preparing to feed the dogs and had to bend kind of awkwardly in order to reach more dog food, and as I did so my back tweaked just right and about dropped me to my knees. Yeah, it hurt. Unfortunately, said tweak left its mark and caused me lots of annoying pain through the week, which in turn made running much more of a chore than it should have been. I tried to press through, and did, but it was sloppy and I never quite felt in sync while running. To say the three and four mile runs on Tuesday and Wednesday were a struggle would be an understatement. It just seemed as though my body was rebelling, as the aches and pains were quite prevalent.

Friday's three mile run was much better, though, and one of the fastest runs I've had since beginning the training. That was encouraging and I felt as though the seven-mile run on Sunday would be just fine. And it probably would have been, except that Mother Nature decided to drop a very nice little mixture of snow and ice on the ground. Just to spite me, I'm sure of it. At any rate, the run was another ugly one, as I spent most of it trying to avoid injury and slipping and sliding my way through the route. Bless my dear wife, who is ever the positive one, as she looked me in the eye when I got home and said, "But you made it, right?" Yes, yes I did make it. Still, I couldn't help but think about how tough the third week was, and I even began to wonder if this marathon idea was really a smart one.

But, I've said it before and I'll say it again: this training is every bit mental as it is physical. Period. I could simply give up, or I could rise to the extra challenge and press forward. Remember the Shield of Faith I spoke about in my last blog? I picked it up, read the verse, and vowed to myself never to give up. First, I've already come to far to stop now. Second, God and my family are with me. And third, I've already paid the registration fee and I'll be damned if I let that go to waste!

After Sunday's run, I had 48 miles of training logged. I ran my three mile route today and am already feeling much better about this week. A bit of a change this week, too, as the four-mile run changes to five miles, and the long run of the week is eight miles. At weeks' end, I'll have 67 miles of training logged. Woah. Crazy. I love it! I'm a marathoner, and here I come!