P90X Day 1

I have a few Friends who have done P90X and I have talked with others about it.  There are countless testimonials of it online.  It is an at home workout and also it guides you with proper nutrition.  Both parts will need to be completed to be able to get the best results. 

The first part the work out I did today.  There are a total of 12 discs and you rotate the discs, there is a guide that will let you know what discs to use on what days.  It switches up during the 90 days, because it wants to confuse your muscles and build more muscle. 

Today I did disc 1, this disc is chest and back.  These exercises mainly consist of different types of push-ups, pull-ups and a couple of dumbbell exercises.  There is a total of 12 exercises and your are supposed to do them twice.  You follow the people on the disc as they do the same exercises. 

I knew it was going to be tough, and boy was I right.  I actually did the 12 exercises one, not twice.  This was because most of these exercises I have not done in a long time, and my muscles were exhausted.  I know, continuing with P90X, everyday I am going to get stronger and I will be able to do it twice.  The work out felt great, my muscles got a good work out and I can definitely feel the burn.  I am disappointed that I didn't do the first round twice, but I know in time I will.  I also know, that by documenting my reps in each exercise, I will see my reps improve. 

As well with the work out, another very important component of P90X is nutrition.  You need to eat the right foods and keep hydrated.  This part will be hard as well.  I like all different types of foods, even if they may not be the best for me.  I need to be disaplined, I know there will be times where I will eat some foods that I should not.  However, I will keep those as special treats and work out extra leading up to eating the food. 

You are supposed to eat frequently throughout the day and a lot of food with protien in it.  Day 1 was good, I ate healthy food through out the day and I never really was hungry and I was satisfied.

I am going to stick with P90X for the 90 days and I know by the end of it I will see results.  I expect to lose some weight as well as gain muscle. 

Untitled by marclindblom at Garmin Connect - Details

It is almost the new year, and with the new year are always resolutions.  One of the most common is to exercise more, eat better, etc.  Mine is just like it, however since I currently exercise, mainly run, it isn't really a resolution, except I am going to try some newer things. 

I am going to start P90X on December 30th.  I am going to continue my running on my own, but hopefully start more muscle building and eating a little bit better.  I am not going to lie to myself and say I am only going to eat healthy.  However, I am going to do my best to eat healthier, drink less pop, juices, etc. 

I plan on sticking to the diet, but I will induldge from time to time.  I am excited to start, I figured it would be better to start after the Holiday's just because of all of the temptations.  I have the P90X cds already, some dumbells, push-up bars, and now just have to get a pull up bar.

I plan on posting almost daily, just about the work out as well as how the nutrition is going.  This will start on the 30th and continue till April. 

Below is a quick two mile run I did at the Mundelein Rec Center today. 

Untitled by marclindblom at Garmin Connect - Details

1 mile run

I've woke up early Monday morning and I knew I wasn't feeling good.  It turned out to be the flu.  I finally started feeling better on Tuesday afternoon.  Once I felt better, I decided it would be good to go for a short run at the rec center.  This will allow me to get any other bad toxins out of my system.

So I went up to the Mundelein rec center and did a quick one mile run.  You can click the link at the bottom of the page to see.  I will run at the rec center during the winter because they have a nice track that goes around.  It roughly takes 13 laps for one mile. 

The rec center is different to run at then outside.  It is a track, but it all level and at a controlled temperature.  While you run outside there are more variables when you run.  I prefer to run outside, but during the winter I will run inside. 

I have also ordered P90X and expect to get it in the mail in the next couple of days.  So I will begin to do more postings for both running and the P90X.  I am excited to get started.  I have been taking it easy of late, so it is time to start doing some more exercising.



Untitled by marclindblom at Garmin Connect - Details

Ragnar Relay Tennessee 2012...Before the race

I just finished my third Ragnar Relay!  The first two I did were Madison, WI to Chicago, IL.  The one I completed this past weekend was Chattanooga TN, to Nashville TN.  I loved both courses, but both our completely different races!

So what is a Ragnar Relay.  In summary it is a relay race that consist of either 6 or 12 people per team doing 36 legs (a leg is a individual run before you hand off to the next runner).  Generally each leg is of different length and variety of difficulty.  Some may be as little as 2 miles to as long as 11 or 12 miles.  Once you finish your leg you will hand it off to your teammate and they will run the next one.  You do this for the next 24-35 hours.  The whole time you are struggling for sleep, a good meal, feeling clean, and so much more.  It is truly something you may not grasp till you actually do it.  Most teams are split up into two different vans, with 6 people in each van.  Even though you are one team working towards one goal, you feel like you are two separate teams.  The team that you are in the van with, is the team that you will be with the majority of the time and the one you get to know real well. 

Our team had a total of 12 people.  A good majority of the people are part of Cross Fit Windy City.  I knew two people going into the race, but felt like I knew them all.  There is a lot of time in the vans, to talk about each other lives and learn about each other.

I met with 5 other people in Chicago around 1:45 pm and we left on our journey to Chattanooga, Tn.   I met up with Kendra, Dole, Meagles, Peaches, and Matt to drive down.  We listen to great music, good conversation, and joke the way down.  It took about 10 hours to get there.  We stoped a few time a long the way.  We ate at Montana's Mikes, and a few gas stations.  We finally got the Fairfield in around 12:30 at night, checked in and went to bed.

At this time, I met half of my team.  I really only knew two people, however I met them all soon.  By the end of the race, it felt like we were life long friends.   

We woke up the next day, ate some breakfast and went to the start line.  Before, we left, Meagles and Tennessee presented with the shirts that had designed for us.  Look below, they are great.  You could not ask for a better shirt.

Our team name is Southern Discomfort, which does us justice.  We were in the south and the whole race we are pretty much in discomfort.

We went to the race line and took a team photo.  Which is below, it just does not include Peaches and Emily.  They had some work to get done beforehand, and met us just after this picture was taken.

 
From left to right is brock, dole, kenda, dave, brian, same, meagles, blake, me and Tenessee.  So, our start time was at 10:30 am Eastern.  Sam started us off, and got us off to a great start.  I will continue with our runs on the next post.  The Ragnar was great againa and I will get into more detail soon.



Ragnar Relay Tennessee 2012, Leg 1 by marclindblom at Garmin Connect - Details

Ragnar Relay Tennessee

I haven't posted for about two weeks.  That is because I really haven't done much running, since the corn maze run.  There are a couple of reasons for this.  I have been sore, my ankle was hurting for the first 5 days or so after the Marathon.  So, I was taking it easy, and letting it heal.  Also, my knee was giving me some pain.  So I figured, the best way to get better is to rest.  The second reason I haven't run much, is because I trained so much and ran for months and months, I just wanted a break.  It was nice, not worrying about when my next run is.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy running, but every once in a while, I just need a break. 

It is time to start running again.  On November 9th, I will be doing the Tennessee Ragnar, a relay race from Chattanooga to Nashville Tennessee!  I have done two ther Ragnars, both the Chicago ones.  From Madison, Wisconsin to Chicago, Illinois. 

So what is a Ragnar?  Ragnar is a relay race where you and either 11 other people 5 others.  So you have a 12 person team or 6 person team.  You have two vans and you run 200 miles to your destination.  We do the 12 person team.  It is a relay race, so the first person will run, and hand off to the second person, and so forth.  Everyone will run three different times, so a total of 36 legs.  The team is broken up into two vans.  The first van will run the first six legs and then the second van will run the next six and keep switching.  When the van that you are in is not running, this will give you time to get food, relax, and rest.  You keep on going to you reach your final destination. 

The whole experience is great, you bond with some people who you may or may not know.  You run a little and just have a great time.  With this ending in Nashville, we will have a night out on the town and have a great time. 

They do Ragnars all accoss the country, you can find more information at www.ragnarrelays.com and you can also go on you tube and watch peoples video and see what is all about!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6ffPCoR0gQ&feature=player_embedded

Since I haven't run much since the Marathon, I did a quick 2.5 mile run to keep my legs fresh.  Over the next 11 days till Ragnar I will do some more to get ready!  Below is the link to my 2.5 mile run.

Untitled by marclindblom at Garmin Connect - Details

World's Largest Corn Maze Run, Spring Grove 10/13/12

This morning I did a 5k run through corn stalks!  This took place at the Richardson Adventure Farm in Spring Grove, IL.   Above is a video of a previous one.  On the way to the race it was drizzling a little bit, however by the time I got to the farm the rain has stopped. 

There were a lot more people at this race than I expected.  It turned out that 507 raced, however there were many more there to watch.  I got my bib and was ready to run.  This race, a new person would start every three seconds, this allowed for more space, because when we ran there was a decent amount of room between the corn stalks, however not a large amount.  We had a timing device on our bib, since we all did not start at the same time.   

Everyone was separated into different groups, based on when we signed up our predicted average mile pace.  They started out with the faster to the slower.  When I started, I got off pretty good, however it took me a minute to get by a couple of girls, they were a little slower but took up space so it was hard to get by them.  Through the race, I would say I passed around 30 people and I was only passed once! 

The rain from earlier made it a lot more fun and harder to maneuver in the race.  The mud was sticking to my shoes and it was very easy to slip and fall.  Also, this race had over 100 turns through the corn.  You were constantly turning to go in a different direction.  It was really cool and different.  You just had to be careful making the turns because if you didn't you ccould easily fall on your face.  

With the mud and the turns, it felt more than a regular 5k.  I had a lot of fun with this run, and would defiantly do it again.  I ended up with a time of 26 minutes and 38 seconds.  I feel that I could have been a little faster, because a few times I was stuck behind some people, however I am sure I held a person or two up as well.  I ended up 32 place out of 507 people!  In my division (males 30-34 years old)  I got 4th.  One place out of the awards.

This was a great experience and I had a lot of fun.  I look forward to the next one!

You can find the results at the link below.

http://itsracetime.com/Results.aspx?ID=359

Chicago Marathon!

I did it, I finished the Bank of America Chicago Marathon!  Race day finally came and I was able to run a marathon for the first time.  It was a great experience and it was better than I thought it was going to be. 

The night before the race, my mom got me some mostacholi.  It was delicious and just what I needed!  I went to bed early because I knew I had to get up early to get to the race.  I woke up on Sunday morning at 3:30, I took a quick shower and my mom drove me to the train station.  The train left the Libertyville train station and we arrived in downtown Chicago around 6:10am.  The train had a good amount of people on it, with most going to the race.  Once we got to downtown, we all walked to Grant Park to check our gear and do final preperation.

Once there, they only let participants into a certain part of the park.  When there, I checked my bag, and was ready to go.  I did some streching and walked around.  It was getting close, so I got in my assigned corral (H) as time was approching.  From where we were, it was probably around a quarter of a mile from the start. 

Then we are off, we started walking towards the starting line, you could feel the excitement from all the people around.  When we crossed the starting line, we were all in a big group.  I didn't have a lot of room to move around, I just ran with the crowd.  It was a nice pace, not really too fast, but it allowed us to get our legs warm.  The first thing that I noticed, was all of the spectators.  Throughout the whole race, they were everywhere and they were fantastic.  All of the spectators/fans were cheering and giving everyone words of encouragement.  It was unbelievable, I was not expecting it like that. 

While I was running, I was clapping peoples hands, a little interaction, and just enjoying myself.  There were people dressed up, with signs, cheering, and so much more.  The fans made this marathon for me.  I was feeling good.  After a few miles you are able to move a little more and seperate and go at your own pace.  I was actually moving pretty good. 

At about every one and a half miles there were aid stations.  They would have gatorade/water and sometimes banannas and some other snacks.  This was crutial, it helped me stay hydrated, and moving.  I was going at a good pace and actually feeling good.  Again, the fans where at every corner and every stretch of the race.  I kept running and running and running.  I got to the half way point 13.1 and had a good time of 1 hour and 54 minutes.  This was a little faster then I expected and was pleased.  At this time, I started to feel the running catching up to me.  I was still filling good, however I felt more tired and some pain than before.  I kept pushing and pushing.

At around mile 18, I hit the "wall"  that you hear from runners.  The bottom of my feet were hurting as well as my ankle a little bit.  I kept moving, but I saw my stride getting smaller and the pace slower.  Eventually around mile 19, I decided to walk for the first time.  I was hoping not to walk during the race, however I knew I had to.  So I would switch from running to walking.  Back and fourth.  I would run some and then walk, I usually had a goal on how much to run, and did a little bit more than walk for a little bit.  I did this till the last mile and a half, that part I ran the rest of the way home.

The last mile and half, I was excited.  The whole time I was thinking, I am so close to the finish and am going to reach my goal!  You could tell that most of the people running were all thinking the same thing.  So we were getting close and we made the final turn.  When I saw the finish line I had the biggest grin on my face and was so happy.  I could feel tears in my eyes because I work so hard to get to this point.  I crossed the finish line at 4 hours, 52 minutes 52 seconds. 

This was not my goal time, but I am happy that I have finished.  This was a great learning experience for me, I will do another marathon.  I plan on doing the Chicago again next year!  I know better what I have to do to prepare.  I will do a lot more longer runs next year and push myself more on certain runs.   I am really happy with the experience and am thrilled that I did it.  I just know I can do a lot better and that will help me continue my quest.  My goal is to eventually run it under 4 hours, whether it is my next one or another one after that. 

My two sisters and my 3 nieces came to the marathon.  Unforntaley they did not see my finish, but they were there for support!  I meet them after at the charity village and we went to the car and went home.  It was truly an expierence that I will always remember and grateful that I did it.  I can't wait to do the next one.

I will continue to do other 10ks and other distance runs in the future.  I will be doing the Tenesse Ragnar in November.  This is a relay race and I will be running a total of around 17 miles. 

Going into the marathon I didn't know how I would feel after.  If this would be a one time marathon or if I will continue to do them.  I will at least do one more, however I have a feeling I may be hooked.  I am still sore, mainly my quads and my ankle.  However, I am not as sore as I thought I would be.  I am looking forward to my next run outside, which I think I can do in a few days.  I would just like to end this by saying thank you to everyone who made this race possible, all the fans and spectators that came out and cheered us all on, and my sisters and nieces for coming out and supporting me.  We wouldn't be able to do this without all of their support.   

Chicago Marathon by marclindblom at Garmin Connect - Details

2 1/2 mile, last run before the Marathon by marclindblom at Garmin Connect - Details

Less than 36 hours till the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.  Today and tomorrow is the packet/bib pick-up.  Driving in downtown Chicago, you can see that the city is prepared.  I saw signs all over the place, I drove past Grant Park.  Which is the start and finish line of the race, and you can just feel it.  The city is a buzz about the marathon.  There are over 45,000 people running the race from all over the world. 

I made it down to the McCormick place and made it to the expo.  The first thing I did was pick-up my bib and then my t-shirt.  There were just tons of runners there, excited about the race.  The best thing about running, is that runners come in all shape and sizes.  If you push yourself and keep running, you will be able to accomplish more than you ever thought. 

There were booths selling powerbars, gatorade, shoes, running, equipment, and so much more. It was great to see so many people thrilled about running. Below is a picture of my t-shirt and bib that I picked up today!

Lastly, when I got home today, I ran my last run before the marathon.    It was just to keep my legs fresh and be ready for Sunday.  You can check it out below by clicking on the link.

Till Sunday,

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/230303663

5 Days Till the Marathon

Only five more days till the Chicago Marathon!  It is going to be great.  Going into the week of the marathon I do not want to do too much running.  I need to keep my legs nice and fresh.  So today, I ran a nice 2 miles, I am going to run 6 tomorrow, then the last run will be Friday, but that will only be around 2.  This is to keep my legs fresh and make sure I am ready for the run on Sunday.  Click the link below to relive my run with me.  Stay posted as it is only 5 days away and I will be running with my new 45,000 friends!

2 miles, to keep legs fresh by marclindblom at Garmin Connect - Details

10 Days till the Marathon--10 Mile Run

10 more days till the Chicago Marathon!  I can't wait, finally the time that I have been working towards.  I am going to finish and I am going to have a great time.  Lately, I have been thinking about how fast I am going to run the Marathon. 

My main goal is to finish the marathon.  Number two, I would like to run it in a total of 4 hours and 20 minutes.  Why the odd time, well it is just below 10 miles a minute.  Which I think is doable, and I could beat it by a good time.  I just do not know, what to expect on the last 5 miles, on how I will be doing. 

I am breaking down the run in three parts.  Part one is the first 9 miles, the second part is the next 9 miles, and the third part is the last 8.2 miles. 

The first 9 miles I would like to run at a 9 minute mile pace or below.  This is very doable, my 10 mile run (which you can click on below) is at 8:47 pace, which is a nice jog, but during races I usually run a better pace.  The people around me and the crowd gives me the boost.  So it could be closer to 8 minutes.  However, I do not want to go to fast and burn out quickly.  So 9 minutes for the first 9 miles.

The next 9 miles I would like to do at a pace on 10:00 minutes a mile.  This is still very possible and will happen.  The last 8.2 miles I would like to do at a 11:00 minute a mile clip.  This will make my total run right at 10 minutes a mile for the marathon.  I certainly will be able to do this at that time, and hopefully faster than this.  However, if I do it slower, I will still be happy crossing the finish line.

With only 10 more days till the marathon, I will be doing a couple smaller runs to keep my legs fresh!


10 Mile Run by marclindblom at Garmin Connect - Details

easy 5 mile run

I got my confirmation ticket today in the mail for the Bank of America, Chicago Marathon today!  Only 17 days to go till the big run.  I am looking forward to it!  Getting the ticket today, just makes the marathon feel more real and closer than ever.  I briefly read the packet it was attached to.  There was a lot of great information in!

I had a few questions about the race, and the guide answered everyone plus more.  It told me everything from the packet pick-up to the after race gathering.  It let me know about the bag check, water points in the run, parking, and so much more.  I am thankful that it is well organized and knows what "begginer marathoner"  is wondering.

After work today, I just did a nice relaxing 5 mile run.  Most of my runs till the marathon will be brief, relaxing, and a shorter distance.  I plan one more long run, around 16 or 17 miles before the race.  Most likely a week before the race.  Then I will keep my legs in use and run a few small runs 2, 3, or 4 miles. 

I am really excited and can't wait for the whole experience!


Easy 5.50 mile rune by marclindblom at Garmin Connect - Details

3 weeks till the marathon. 11.56 mile run

There is only three more weeks till the Chicago Marathon.  It is going to be here before I know it.  I feel that I will be ready, however I don't think I have run, or have done as many long runs as I have needed to.  Tonight I did a 11.56 mile run.  This is still a little below what I will be running in three weeks.  I have done a couple longer ones than this one, but not many.  It is easy to find excuses of why I haven't done more.  Too hot, raining, no time, etc.  This are just excuses, and I need to find time to run.  Whether it be in the morning, or later at night. 

I have two more weeks of regular training left, then the last week I need to just keep loose and not too push it too hard.  I will finish the Chicago Marathon and complete this goal.  I know the people on the street and other runners will help me finish.  Click the link below to see the run I did tonight.

11.56 mile run by marclindblom at Garmin Connect - Details

4 Weeks till the Marathon

There is only four more weeks till the marathon!  28 days, well 29, but tody is almost over.  Tonight was a perfect night to run, the temperature was great!  I went out on a nice run, it ended being 11.75 miles.  Still a ways to go till the 26.2 but it felt great.  I wanted to do a little more, however it got dark out pretty quick.  I fell that I will be read for the marathon when it comes.  I did have it on te garmen, however when trying to upload it,  I accidetly erased it.  Either way, it was a great run and I can't wait till the next one. 

Run 1 of 3 in 24 hours

 One thing that I have learned about training and running for the marathon is finding time to run.  Some days it is hard for me to squeeze in a run.  There is time here and there, but some days you just don't have the time.  Today was one of those days, I should be running 12+ miles today.  However, I only had time to run a little less than six (see link below).  However, I am going to run another 6 in the morning and then later in the day I will be running somewhere between 10-14. 

I knew I needed to run but only had limited time.  I will post tomorrow later in the night, after my run in the morning and the run in the evening. 

This may not be the most ideal way to train for the marathon, but I have to get in the miles any way that I can.  One thing that this will help me is with the Ragnar Relay Race that I will be doing in November from Chattanoga to Nashville!

I'm sorry that I haven't been blogging as much as I should be, but I will try to do better in keeping it up to date.  I will also try to put more thought into my blog, where I am running, what I see, etc.  If there is something that you would like me to expand on, please let me know.  I would love to know what you would like to see on my blog.

Marc

10 k run by marclindblom at Garmin Connect - Details

How Bad Do You Want It? (Success) HD

Got this from my buddy Dan, great video

10 mile run

Today I turned 30, Yikes!  Time is running out till the marathon.  Today I did a 10 mile run after work.  It allowed me to burn off some of the calories from all the goodies I ate at work today.  It was a good run, I actually ran one way and did a loop around so I ran it back the opposite way.  I usually run the same way, this way actually allowed me to see the run in a different light.  I saw more of the land that I normally don't see because of what I am able to see in front of me.  I felt good, and will continue on my quest to the marathon.  Click the link below to see more details of my run.

10 Mile Run by marclindblom at Garmin Connect - Details

Night Run before the morning run

Less than 6 weeks to the Chicago Marathon!  With only 6 weeks left, I am going to have to put in some serious time running.  Tonight, I did not have a lot of time after work so I ran a little bit over 6 miles.  On normal days, that is good.  However training for the Marathon, the miles have to be a lot more than that.  However, when you don't have time on a particular day, you just have to do as much as you can do in the time frame that you have. 

With only running the six miles, I will be getting up early, around 5am to log some more miles.  I will atleast do 10.  I used to be able to get up early and work out/run without a problem.  Nowadays, it is a totally different story.  I will usually hit the alarm and decide on the sleep instead.  But I need to be motivated and get up. 

Running less than 12 hours apart, I will be a little sore when I wake up in the morning.  However, doing a couple of Ragnar Relay Races, has help me prepare for this.  Ragnar Relays are a great time, and I will get into what these are at a different time.  I actually have one coming up shortly after the Marathon in Tenesse in November.  If you would like to check out what the Ragnar is all about, please click on this www.ragnarrelay.com  I will post a quick post in the morning after my run.

Wauconda 10k by marclindblom at Garmin Connect - Details

Finding time to run and Tonights Run

One of the most difficult things I find about training for a marathon, is finding the time to run. Everyone has their own things going on with work, family, social life, and so on.

Running the marathon requires running almost every day for months leading up to the competition. Most of these runs will be 8,9,10 and more miles. Which can take and hour to two hours or more. So it is a good part out of your day. You can wake up early and get it done with, do it after work, late at night, or whenever you find the time. You just have to stay committed to the run. I usually try to do it after work once I get home. I usually get home around 6pm, so I change my clothes and run. Usually when I am done it will be anywhere from 7:15 to a little bit after 8.

Today, I had to come back and babysit my niece, so I only had a short time to run. So today I ran 7 miles, not a whole lot considering that everyday the marathon is fast approaching.

My plan for the rest of the week is as follows. Tomorrow (Tuesday) 10 miles, Wednesday 11 miles, Thursday 10 miles, Friday my running is in my soccer league, Saturday 15-16 miles, then rest on Sunday. I will update the blog after the runs. Below is my run from earlier tonight.

Untitled by marclindblom at Garmin Connect - Details

Athlinks a great site for runners and to keep track of races

There are 5ks, 10ks, half-marathons, full marathons, going on all the time all over the country.  You just need to know where to look for them to find them.  You will hear about local ones in your town, or the one next to yours every so often.  Typically, a town or city will have a couple a year.  However, what if you want to do them a little more often or for a specific date.  I suggest you go to the website Athlinks. 

Athlinks is a great site I stumbled across when searching for races.  Once you go to the website, if you click on the event portion you are able to find some races that you might be able to run in.  You can put in the month and the type of race you are looking for.  It can be Triathlon, running, swimming, cycling, or you can search them all.  Then you can put in the state that you are looking for.  This will display races that are happening, when, and where.  It is great, it allows you to search for different courses, or for a race on a day you have free.  I have found a few races that I have participated in.  For most of the races they have the official website, so you are able to go there and find more information and register.

Also, at Athlinks, they have another great tool.  This tool will let you keep track of you races.  You actually "claim" your races.  So you can keep track of the time you ran, place, and pace.    So if I ran the Wauconda, Illinois 10k race, I can go and claim it.  What I need to do is first do the simple sign-up process.  This will allow you to claim races under your name.  Also, it will automatically claim the races and times for you that they see under your name in your home state.  If it is in a different state, you may need to manually claim it.

I like to look at a page, this will show you your progress over the months/years.  Click here to see my race results. 

There are more uses for this website that I will explore in the future, but in the meantime please go check Athlinks for your self.

Run around the Lake by marclindblom at Garmin Connect - Details

When I got home from work today, I knew the run wasn't going to be enjoyable.  I felt the soreness from the run the day before.  However, I knew that I had to go out there and get it done.  There are going to be plenty of times during the marathon where I am going to want to quit and give up.  However, I just need to push through it and do the work.  The run today was at a slower pace, but I was able to do 7 miles.  7 miles is still far away from the 26.2 that I will run in October, but I will be building up.  I plan to add a mile or so a week on my daily runs.  All days can't be the same mileage, and I have to let my body heal. 

The run that is linked below is a run around Wauconda.  In Wauconda, there is Bang's Lake.  It is a great lake and a nice area.  Earlier in the year, I ran a 4 mile run around the lake called the Bunny Hop.  This race had a great crowd.  This time around however, I went a longer way around. 

Run around the Lake by marclindblom at Garmin Connect - Details

8.39 mile run by marclindblom at Garmin Connect - Details

8.39 mile run by marclindblom at Garmin Connect - Details

For the past two years, I have done the Wauconda 10k race.  I love the course and actually part of the course is on the street that I live on.  It is very hilly and scenic.  I have run it many times on my own, now that I am running for the marathon I have modified it and just made it longer for me to run.  The run I did today was 8.39 miles.  There are a lot of back roads and a couple of main roads.  If you click on the link it brings you to show you the run, it will give you more information.

Marc

Introduction

I have never thought that I would have a blog, I never really wanted one.  Either way, I am going to give this a shot and see how it goes.  I am mainly going to be posting about my runs and if there was anything out of the ordinary about them.  Within the last year, I bought a garmin watch.  It is fantastic, it will track my time, my pace, distance, and so much more.  It helps me keep track of my runs and how I am doing.  I will be posting these here on my wall.

So a little bit about me.  I'm Marc and I am 29 years old and I am currently in training for the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 7th, 2012.  So I have 54 more days to train and prepare for the marathon.  I am doing this blog so it will help me keep track of my training and for motivation.  I figure I can write about my runs and hopefully get some encouragement from doing so.

I have never ran a marathon and it has always been on my list of things to do.  Every year I wanted to sign up but I have never committed.  I finally signed up this year, and am going to complete it in October. 

My goals for the Chicago Marathon are pretty simple.  First and foremost I want to be able to complete it.  I also want to be able to run the whole time, however if I do need to stop and take a break and walk I will.  Third I would like a time under 5 hours.  Doing it under five hours is just around a 11:30 mile.  Which I should be able to do, however never running a marathon, I do not know how the last 10 miles will go.  How I will be pacing.  So I have the potential to beat it by a decent amount of time, however if I don't it will be ok.  Lastly, I just want to have fun doing it.  I know there is going to be a large crowd out there cheering us all on and they will help push me and keep me going. 

My history of running, is lately I have been running pretty much 5 days a week.  I run by myself and most of the time right now is where I live, which is in Wauconda.  When I run by myself I usually do it at a leisurely pace, somewhere around 9 minute a mile.  However, when I have done some 10ks this summer, I usually push it more and do it around 8.  When I was in high school, I used to run miles under the 6 minute mark, or multiple miles around 7.  But that was 12 years.  I am happy with my pace that I am currently running at. 


Thank you for taking time out and checking out my blog.  Eventually I'll get better at this and add pictures and make this page more attractive.  My blog is going to focus right now on getting ready for the marathon, it will outline my running activities and other activities as well.  Then I will be doing a relay race in November in Tennessee, so I will blog about getting ready for that.  Once I am done with these two events, I am thinking of doing P90X and I will blog about that.  If you have any suggestions on how I can make this blog better, please let me know.  Because I have no idea on what I am doing.

Marc