Tuesday, October 27

Running:

Two straight weeks of 50 miles plus some.  This morning, I got up at ran 4 miles and will hit out another 7-9 this afternoon.  I am going to experiment to see how that might work out…we’ll see.

Life: 

My wife got a job back in September for teaching 4th grade at a local school system beginning November 18.  Elementary jobs are hard to come by here, so to get a full-time subbing position at a great school for a maternity leave position was truly God’s blessing. She first applied for one back in June at this school that would last from August til about October, but she didn’t get it.  I didn’t realize and understand why. But then, in August, she got a call about another position, re-interviewed and got the position.  Not surprisingly, God had other plans as this one is from November until April…possibly the end of the year depending on how mother wants to go with the baby.  Of course, God had greater plans, as the other 4th grade teacher has recently found out she has lymphoma, so Lindsey subbed there yesterday.  She is subbing again today, but I don’t know which class, as we got a text message from the teacher last night that said, “My water just broke!”  Who knows where Lindsey is today?  All I know is that whenever it seems like things aren’t working out in my favor, God is in the background laughing at my worry saying, “Listen, I’ve got a better plan.”

Haiti:

I miss it.  I mean, it’s impacted me, and I’ve only been there three times. I see families who live there and minister there daily, and there is a great respect for them to see all that they sacrifice in the name of Christ.  Likewise though, there is some aspect of envy.  It all goes back to the feelings and emotions that I feel while in Haiti – the challenge spiritually, lovingly, emotionally, physically – it’s indescribable.

Run4Haiti:

No real goals set, just a lot of training for an unnamed goal right now.  Think often of the best route to take to raise support for VBS or a trades school.  I talked to dad last week about the run from the airport to the compound. I had actually told him about it before and he just frowned and said, “No…” Well, back in April, dad came to my marathon run.  I had run two times in Nashville, but he had always been out of town on business.  Fortunately, this time he was able to come.  That day did something to him.  He has been running pretty (in)consistently since then – reminder: he had 5 bypasses a little over three years ago.  I think it’s awesome.  He has a different view towards running now.  He has a respect for the running community.  He thinks a lot about running actually.  It’s pretty awesome.  So when I told him this time, he listened closely and then said, “You know that’s like 45 miles up a mountain, don’t you?”  I just laughed and said, “Yeah, but people pay money for people to do stupid stuff…”  Ain’t that the truth.  So, we’ll see where that eventually gets us.  It’s a dream and a goal for the future.  When?  I don’t know.

So, that’s life in a nutshell right now.  Hoping to finish up some freelance writing I’ve been doing in the next seven days.  When that is complete, my attention will be turned to getting a 2010 R4H video put together.  Ya know, cause that’s how I roll.

Irony

I figure mother nature just wanted to mess with me after posting something about Mother Winter coming early.  Saturday morning, it was below 32 degrees when we went to a football game of a little kid in our church.

It is Wednesday now – the high today is 72°. “Take that, Ryan” said Mother Nature.

Mileage has been fun as of late. I enjoy simply running a whole lot more than training for a 5k. 5k’s make you hurt.  You go out twice a week and run laps around a track at a really fast pace.  That’s stupid.

Somehow, I’ve managed to make myself believe that going out and running 9 miles at a comfortable 8:43/mile pace is much smarter and can somehow be seen as a logical decision in my every day life. 

Anyways – Monday I knocked out 8.2 miles at an 8:46 pace and yesterday I kicked 9 miles out at 8:43.  Today, I’ll be going out for a 6 miler at whatever pace my body and legs decide to let me run.  This weekend, I’m going to try to hit out 14 or so, that way, if I can keep increasing and some random chance to run a random marathon shows up, I can be in shape to go out and run it…

I’m struggling with what race to run in the spring. Nashville was great for three years – but Nashville runs the chance of being a billion degrees.  I want a chance to run a race and do well up to my potential.

I’m still tossing around a big idea to raise money.

You see, back in August when we went in and met with the mayor of Saut d’Eau – he mentioned the idea that it would be good for Mountain Faith Mission to start some sort of vocational school. This thought was echoed by others in the mission who, as one claimed, “After they leave secondary school, they don’t have training for a job. We need to train them for jobs so they will stick around with La Mission Emmanuel (Mountain Faith Mission) and not leave.”

This is really what I would love to raise money for this coming year.  It’s a logical explanation by the Haitians in our mission. Likewise, the mayor wants something in Saut d’Eau that makes the lives of those in the village greater. It gives them a chance to learn. They can be educated in a skill that can essentially provide some sort of income for them. But, it doesn’t stop there as it allows our students within the mission to receive training in a number of areas that will keep them around.  It seems like a win-win situation.  So, that’s sort of my goal.

Essentially, my super-far-fetched-long-term goal, knowing how things can go very very slow in Haiti, is that upon the completion of the school if it were to be built, as a final push for support, I have a run up my sleeve.

Since my first trip in to Haiti, I’ve had this idea that I’ve been working on.  My goal: run from the Port-au-Prince airport to our compound in one day.  That covers about 50 miles or so and it goes from the bay – thus 0 ft. above sea level – to 1250 ft. above sea level at our compound.  This of course does not take into account that you go over all the mountains to get there.  This is obviously a long term goal, but I’ve been dreaming about it for two years, and it’s just really been on my mind lately.  It probably wouldn’t take place for a couple of years, but I’d love to run all day, get to the compound, collapse in front of this school while eating diri ak pwa, and watch a building dedication take place.

Of course, that’s how it all works out in my head.  So over the next couple of weeks, these are my goals to work towards.  I want to see what would be able to be done about a vocational school and begin working toward that goal.  Meanwhile, I will run.  A lot.  Because you never know when you fly into PAP early in the morning, only to put on your Mizunos and make a 50 mile journey on foot.  Of course, when you say it like that, I recognize that my 50 mile jog would seem nothing to some of the people in Haiti who have walked numerous miles.  

That kind of puts things in perspective…

Welcome to Indiana, Mother Winter!

In Tennessee, I never remember waking up and scraping off frost every day.  In Tennessee, I don’t remember wearing long sleeves for long runs because it’s stinkin’ cold.  I don’t remember it dipping below freezing before Halloween.  But oh Toto, we ain’t in Tennessee anymore.

Nonetheless, it’s been beautiful.  Besides the skin chilling wind, the skies have been clear with limited clouds and lots of sun. Yesterday, I finally hit a long run that I am proud of.  I ran 13 miles in 1:51.  Was planning on stopping at 12, but was feeling good.  Good to know all the miles I ran back in the spring have done a little bit more for me in the long run (no pun intended).  

My weight is a different problem.  Last week was my birthday.  And, the month of October is pastor appreciation month.  Who thinks I might have had a lot of sweets this month?  This guy thinks that.  The scale shows that.  It’s pretty rough.  So, it’s time to hit back at it and try to dip way down again.  I lost 15 lbs last year during marathon training with no effort.  Some of you might remember me keeping Kroger in business as I had cinnamon rolls almost every Monday night.  But, with a little effort, I’m hoping to shed down to about 170 lbs.  Who knows?

The training last week was great.  52.4 miles for the week.  Can’t complain about that for sure.  

I’ve had a weird thought in my head lately about what to raise money for and how to go about it.  Just some different thoughts that will probably be expressed within the next week or so.  

I also have a super crazy idea to carry out in the next couple of years.  That, my friends, is totally stupid, so I’m kind of excited about it.

Until next time!

Black Cat 5k Photos

 

My first place in my age group trophy

Post-finish

Circled back to finish with dad

The face of pain

 

I led for .25 miles of the race...

Black Cat Classic 5k

It was a great day in New Castle.

About 100 registrants according to the YMCA worker.

Last year, 20:18 for 9th overall and 1st in age group.  Goals: beat last year.

Mile 1 – I started out quick.  In fact, for the first .25 miles, I was leading.  But, I knew others were just being uber conservative.  Winner passed me at the .25 mile mark.  By the end of mile one, I had dropped back to around 7th, but hadn’t lost pace – just everyone else had jumped on theirs.  .5 miles flat, and then about .35 miles up a 50 foot incline.  Mile 1 in 6:22 and feeling good.  

Mile 2 – Continued on, but this is the tough part of the 5k.  It immediately begins with a .11 mile hill that climbs about 70 feet.  Up one side and then back down the other. Then, it climbs up about another 40 feet over the next quarter of a mile before it begins the second half of the 5k.  Mile 2 in 6:30 and feeling decent.

Mile 3 – Pushed it harder.  It’s a slow, long hill that’s very subtle.  Probably doesn’t climb more than 20 feet but it drags it out.  Pace slowed on the watch to about 6:50, but I pushed hard after a familiar face from the Kris Kringle 4 Miler passed me, putting me in 8th.  I pushed and went downhill to start pushing my final kick.  I began kicking at about 2.9.  Mile 3 in 6:26.

Last .1 – Pushed as hard as possible.  Pace dropped to 5:40ish.  

Crossed the finish line in 8th at 19:52 – a 26 second pr.  Felt good.  1st in AG.

Turned back around to go find my dad who finished his first 5k – after 5 bypasses – in 31:44.  Super awesome.

Good day.  Monday starts marathon training, so we’ll have some fun getting back into the swing of things.

This Weekend

This weekend is the big 5k.  I’ve been logging around 40 miles for the last three weeks.  I haven’t been as “strict” and by the book for this 5k as I was last year, but I’ve managed more miles.  Who knows what could happen?

The goal is to go sub-20.  My present pr is 20:18.  Do I think I can do it?  I think so, but the training will tell.

After the 5k, it’s back to 50 mile weeks and trying to figure out how to raise money for Haiti.  Consistent posts seem to be a good thing.  Another thing is actually asking people for money, I suppose.  Who knows?  We’ll soon find out.

Week 2

5k training is going okay.  My legs are tender.  Slacking off my mileage over the summer has really shown me where I am physically.  It’s not pretty.  Although, last night’s 7 miler was one of the best runs I’ve had during a higher mileage week of the summer.  Today, back to the park for some intervals.  I believe it will look something like this:

2.5 mile warm up/easy

.25 miles worth of 100m sprints

2×1200m at 5k pace (6:25ish) with 400m jogging recoveries

2×800m at 5k pace with 300m jogging recoveries

2×400m at 5k pace with 200m jogging recoveries

2×200m at 5k pace with 100m jogging recoveries

.25 miles worth of 100m sprints

2.5 miles cooldown back to my house

This does not excited me in the least bit.  Basically, because I like to be lazy and got into the habit over the summer.  Nonetheless, training is doing well for me.  If I can just avoid the sweets and other things that make me fat, I’d be doing awesome.

In Haitian news:  I simply miss the country.  I think about my kiddos quite often and still find myself praying for them at meal times.  Just praying that somehow God would open doors for me to be able to minister more effectively there.

T-7 days

Leaving soon. 

Prepping hard.

Had a donation of 36 teddy bears from Family Christian Bookstore today.  Was checking out, and with the new Casting Crown’s CD they donate $xx.xx to Haiti.  I explained my upcoming trip and the dude offered some free bears.  Sweet!  Got three dozen to give to some of our kids in the orphanage.

Then, a new reader and I are meeting up on Tuesday.  Hopefully some more exciting news to come for that.

Just  back from a run – 7 miles – longest since June.  Feeling great now – we’ll see how that feels tomorrow.

Back in the swing of things

Last week, I knocked out 40 miles.  I was going for 50, but yesterday afternoon, I just couldn’t do a long run.  I am completely beat from this past week.  The yard sale for our missions trip went phenomenal.  We raised around $600, which is about three times more than I had ever expected.  The long hours of this past week caught up to me, so I napped and just ran a 3 miler on Sunday afternoon.

This morning, I got up at 6:00 am and headed out to run.  It was actually awesome.  There was little humidity.  It was cool at the start – around 60°.  I actually ran with my pastor’s son-in-law who is in town, and we clipped off 8.2 miles in 1:06:10 which actually comes out to a 8:05 pace.  It felt sooooo good.  I don’t know if it’s just the getting back into it or the morning or the weeks that were down a little…but it felt amazing.  

Anyways, runs will begin at 6:00 am regularly from here on out.  Lindsey doesn’t like me being in the office all day then going out for a run in the afternoons.  I’ll sacrifice early in the morning in order to spend quality time with my wife.  Plus, it beats the heat and humidity.

So, that’s about all the excitement that is going on in the world of Ryan + Running lately.  It’s pretty simply and straight forward over the summer.  

For those who read, I ask that you pray for Lindsey and I.  She has an elementary ed degree and is applying for jobs around here.  Unfortunately, elementary ed jobs in the county are few and far between.  In fact, there is only one opening in the county and surrounding areas – which means out of like 20 something schools, there is only one contract position open.  We are praying hard for God’s hand to guide and supply, and I’d like to ask you to join.

Getting back

Well, I’ve run every day.  I officially have a 152 day streak going I believe.  In that, the shortest I’ve run is 2 miles.  One day it was 0 degrees with like 30 mph gusts.  I ran 2 miles in about 12 minutes and 45 seconds.  The other one was the day before the marathon.  

Sunday I hit out 3.5 miles at a 10:20 pace.  It hurt.  But, when I was done, I felt better.

Monday, I did 3 miles at a 9:45 pace.  A little bit of pain, but it was less than Sunday.

Tuesday, the pain was still there, but much less.  Downhills (or stairs) really hurt the quads.  Still got in 4 miles at around 9:10 pace.

Today, I finally felt like I was sort of back.  I did 5.25 miles at 8:46 pace.  To this, I say hooray because I felt like I was training again.  

I’m still taking it easy though.  I don’t plan on running any faster than 8:46 pace over the next week or so.  Once that is up, I will jump into some speedwork to fine tune my running for a 10k on June 13.  

I’m sure you care.