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Wednesday, July 30, 2014
OK- You have my full attention!

OK- You have my full attention!

This year I have discovered a new addiction. I like colorful flowers. I spent some time and cleared up a patch of poison ivy to plant some pretty cool flowers. My wife and my son planted some star gazer Lilly's at the beginning of the year.

In our neighborhood, the rabbits have been spreading like crazy. I don't have anything against rabbits (not too much), until this happened.

The rabbits ate the star gazer's and I was mad. Extremely mad.
I planted some really cool firewheel or "Indian Blankets". I just discovered the rabbit munched them.

Image source:
http://uswildflowers.com/detail.php?SName=Gaillardia%20pulchella

This means war.

I had to sprinkle the rabbit repellent, but if this continues...we will pull out some heavy artillery.


Image source: 
http://entertainment.ca.msn.com/movies/galleries/films-most-ferocious-rivalries?page=3




What a journey!

What a journey!

I am heading toward the second half of my training week and I am excited. Here's a quick set of reasons why I am excited about the second half of this training week:

  • My legs were feeling tired a few times going into runs and I performed better than I felt.
  • I am extremely motivated by improvement.
  • This week I have been consistent and improving.
  • I am getting close to my target weight for the marathon.
  • Long runs can help you solve things, I have a 12 mile run at the end of the week and I plan on a productive physical and mental run. 
  • In 87 days, I will run the marine corps marathon and will PR. Yes you did just read that! 
  • #BOOM
  • In regard to my note about consistency, my favorite athlete of all time is Cal Ripken Jr. He was such a great role model. I loved his consistency. You could set your watch to his dependability. Here is a fun picture of the iron horse.

Image source: 
http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/bal/oriolepark/milestones.jsp
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Personal record 10K run at the Big10K

Personal record 10K run at the Big10K

This weekend I ran in the BIG10K in Chicago. I ran for my beloved Iowa Hawkeyes. My goal was to beat my previous record. I knew it was going to be difficult.

I used my lessons from the past to dictate the outcome. Late in the race, I was starting to get tired. I will share my strategy and thoughts in hopes that it may help you with running or business. The thoughts and strategies apply to both:)
Here is what I changed:
1. I had a vision and goal for the entire race.
2. In the first half, I ran to the exact goal and knew where I was the entire time.
3. The race was extremely crowded. I took my shots to pass people. I would say "don't these people know I want to PR" or "don't get in the way of my PR"
4. I thought about giving the full effort. It was the first time competing with a Hawkeye shirt and I had to live up to the colors. I thought about guys like Matt Roth, Mitch King, Bob Saunders, Norm Parker, Chris Doyle, Chris White or Kirk Ferentz. Would they be proud of my effort?
5. I thought about me being a second half runner. It's a mentality of toughness. Run the second better than the first half. 
6. Self talk. I told myself that I was trained and deserve it. I thought about all of my coaches and mentors. 
7. I managed the traffic. People were jamming me here and there. I had to get tough in the trench. Two runners kept trying to nudge me out and I had to really work on getting through. I put on the jets late and toasted them.
8. I used my ab training to get me through a tough stretch. All of the core work helped me succeed Brit!!!!! Thank you!
9. I visualized a successful race. Every second counted and I made it count. 
10. At the end, I ran very hard through the finish. I knew I had the PR, but I ran like I was behind. I attacked the finish line. The result felt amazing!

This race was a success and I can't thank you all enough. Teri and Nile were troopers with the 6 hour drive in to Chicago. To all of the hawk runners and fans, I am proud of you all. 

I ran like a true hawk on Saturday and that made me feel great.

Go hawks!



Image source:
http://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2010/2/26/1313343/the-aughts-in-review-lets-go-bowlin
Thursday, July 24, 2014
TBT

TBT

You have to love #TBT. It's throw back Thursday. As many of you may or may not know, I love the game of golf. As a high school athlete (picture below), I played golf almost every day I could. What is interesting to me about golf and my high school career boils down to four things:

1. Do the work! I worked a bunch of terrible jobs to pay for my golf clubs and membership. I cleaned ovens for an entire year, yes an entire year. I washed dishes, worked in a freezer. The golf....I enjoyed every minute of it and really worked hard at getting better. Yes- the picture below features the first Taylor Made "Pittsburgh Persimmon". I still have the club too. You can't part with something you worked so hard to get. 
2. Back in the day, golf was not popular. Today it is. Some people would say "golf isn't a sport". Our coach called us great students and athletes. We loved playing for him. 
3. Hard work, self belief and dreams pay off. I missed the tryouts as a freshman, cut as a sophomore, and had to work like crazy to make the varsity team. I made the team against all of the odds. It's a great story about a young man who was determined to prove he deserved a spot on the team. I am eternally grateful to my Mom, Dad, sisters and friends. They all supported me and stuck by me. You all rock! 
4. Caddyshack rocks. Each guy on our team resembled a character from the movie. It made our time together so much fun. I always smile when I watch that movie. 

This blog post is dedicated to Todd Auskalnis. I played golf with Todd, and he passed away unexpectedly in late 2013. To me, he was a great friend,and teammate. He was a loving father and husband. He was a great son and brother. We will all miss you. Godspeed my man. Rest in peace.  



Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Rebound!

Rebound!

So today I had a 7 mile run and I ran very well! I love this because yesterday was the opposite. Marathon training is like this. It is up, down and sideways. What a fun journey!

Today was a great rebound! 

YES!



Image source:
http://archive.9news.com/news/photo-gallery.aspx?storyid=249908

Monday, July 21, 2014
Tired legs today!

Tired legs today!

Today I had a 4 mile run. Should be easy at this point-right? 

During my run, my legs really struggled. It's not uncommon for that to happen. Maybe it was the weekend catching up with me? 

Last week I had a tough Monday too. The common denominator in both days....I went into each run thinking it would be easy. This violates the golden rule of respecting the distance. The running gods have a way of reinforcing this fact, the hard way:) 

No need to fret, a fresh 7 mile run awaits tomorrow! YAHOOOOOO! BTW- I now respect!



Image source:
www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/why-do-my-legs-fatigue-im-out-breath
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Representing the Iowa Hawkeyes!

Representing the Iowa Hawkeyes!

I am so excited to share with you the news! I signed up to run in the Big Ten K in Chicago. I will be running with my Iowa Hawkeye colors....for me that is SO exciting! This 10K is going to be so special, as I will have my biggest fans with me.....Teri and Nile!

I love the fact that this race is in Chicago. I love this city so much. It is where I was born and raised. Additionally, I have run three full marathons there. The Big Ten K is on July 26th, so I will be posting some more updates on my progress.

I hope you all had a great week and weekend!


Image source:
http://www.hawkeyesports.com/photogallery/gallery_index.html


Saturday, July 12, 2014
A new experience at the end of week 1: marathon training!

A new experience at the end of week 1: marathon training!

Week 1 rocked the house. I ran well and really focused on my strategies, pace and overall time. For the most part, I improved all week. In addition, I maintained my cross training during the week too. Today, I tried biking (officially). I did not know what to expect. It was a HUGE surprise!!!

For all of my friends who bike, please don't get mad or laugh at me. I will tell you my surprise, and it stems from the fact that I thought biking would be easy. Boy was I wrong. I did 5.5 miles with hills. What a killer workout.
I respect biking to the fullest know and am excited to keep working it in my schedule for training. While on my ride this morning, it rained like the dickens. That was fun for me, but it affected my GPS watch. It's a great watch that is waterproof. Something must have happened to the seal, because it had a bit of water inside. YIKES! It is taking a dip in a bowl of rice- keep your fingers crossed. :)

I can't wait for week 2...oh and it's 105 days until the big race. I am so excited! WOO HOO!


Image source:
http://www.southbaybikes.com/brands/diamondback.html

Monday, July 7, 2014
Opening day for training!!!!

Opening day for training!!!!

I know, I know...you think I am crazy. Today was opening day for marathon training. I am so excited! I am going to use the Nike Plus app for training. It is so cool. It reminds you of what is coming next:)

I love the positive language...your road to a PR starts here:) woo hoo!


Zoom zoom
Zoom

Saturday, July 5, 2014
Happy Saturday!

Happy Saturday!

I started the day off with a quick 3.5 mile run. I am feeling great about marathon training kicking off on Monday. As I look at this weekend, one big thing occurred to me. We are all very lucky. We are lucky to have family, friends, work, homes, freedom, etc.

This Saturday, give thanks by having the BEST day you could possibly ever have! Enjoy it- it is such a gift!



Image source:
http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/snoopy/images/29418604/title/happy-doggy-photo

Friday, July 4, 2014
Happy Birthday America!

Happy Birthday America!

Today, my son and I sang happy birthday to America. You should have seen the glow in his eyes. The love for country is amazing! I am so grateful to anyone who served or serves in the military.

We owe you all a ton and can't thank you enough. Happy Birthday America or as we have said all day "MERICA".

Ricky Stanzi was one of my favorite Iowa Hawkeyes of all time. He was a true gamer and would just flat out compete. I loved his attitude about winning, losing, preparing, etc.

After winning the Orange Bowl, he said something I loved...in reference to America.

"love it or leave it".

Go hawks! Go USA! Go run!

Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Accountability

Accountability

Training for a marathon or any endurance race forces accountability. In the past, I used to say announcing for a race is like putting the noose around your neck. Train, you survive. Don't train, well...let's not discuss that.

While chatting with a friend today, he said enjoy your running days. They are special. True. I am revising my language about nooses, etc. 

Let's gently say that endurance races require, teach and measure your accountability. For the record, this is my favorite part about them and I love it. 


Image source: http://www.pinterest.com/smed216/snoopin-snoopy/
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