Minute By Minute - Day by Day

WEEK 1 - "RE-DEDICATION!!!"

2009-01-11T20:53:00.002-06:00

Week 1 of Training is always the toughest. It is time to buckle up and say, it is time to do the S&%T!! If you slack of in week 1 it sets the tone for the rest of the battle. Therefore, here is what I will accomplish this week (in terms of running).....Remember Mike, you must be a great father and husband during this time too.

Tonight - 3 miles at 7:45/mile and some stretching/strength training
Monday - 5 miles consisting of warm-up, (3) 1/4 mile hills at 8% grade, and cool-down
Tuesday - easy 3 miles and stretching
Wednesday - 30 minute tempo run (middle of run at 6:45/mile)
Thursday - REST!!!
Friday - 5 mile at race pace (7:15/mile)
Saturday - 10 miles at 8:15/mile.

It may seem like a lot, but it is a drop in a bucket compared to the road ahead. But, when you live life minute by minute and day by day it makes the next 126 days a bit easier.

Wish me luck, and I will let you know how it goes.

It's that time of year again!!!

2009-01-05T12:11:00.005-06:00

Boston 2010 here I come!!!!!!!!

One of my heroes!

2008-04-26T07:09:00.004-05:00

For those who do not know Captain Michael T. Hlad, here is a picture

He is serving our country in Afganistan and Kuwait, while we are able to enjoy the benefits our country has to offer. I have had the pleasure of getting to know this man over a period of nearly 10 years. He has always led a good example for what it means to be dedicated and devoted. Whether it was football, finding a way to graduate from Centre, becoming a strong leader in the Marines, or just being a good husband, son, and friend.......He has succeeded.

I strive to be as dedicated as this man (hero to me). It hurts me that he has to be in Afganistan in harms way, but I know it is what he has a passion for.

Luckily for Toby, he had a visitor for awhile during his current tour.

Toby's wife Jen was embedded with Toby's unit as a journalist, which was nice for Toby. However, it was "one too many Hlad away from home" as he put it.

Anyway, this man is an inspiration to me, so as my first marathon creeps up on me....I want to dedicate part of my ability to complete such an achievement to my friend and hero Michael Tobias Hlad.

COME HOME SAFE FRIEND!!

THE END IS IN SIGHT!!!!

2008-04-08T12:29:00.003-05:00

This is the last HARD week of training, and I am actually excited. I have no doubt about what I can accomplish on May 4th. The only question is whether my body will cooperate with me that day. Grogan and I are going to make the Henderson streets our B$%& on Saturday!!!! Wish us luck. Wish you were going to be in town Trey.

I MISS MY MORNING ROUTINE

2008-04-02T12:16:00.002-05:00

REST IN PEACE "Ol' Buddy"
This morning was very difficult because my routine has changed. For the past 2 years, my morning has started with walking to the closet, grabbing a plastic cup full of dogfood and putting it into a bowl with "Jackson" written on it. This morning, I walked to the cup out of habit and then I realized I couldn't do what I had done yesterday. I miss my MOST LOYAL friend.

I love you Susan. I know he was your dog first, but he is a part of our life that will be hard to replace.

Now we have to figure out who is going to do the following:
1) Eat the ice cubes that miss our cups and fall on the floor
2) Lick the water at the bottom of the shower door.
3) Make us get up off of our lazy asses every 15 minutes to open the front door
4) Wake us up when are alarms are not enough to get us going
5) Run away and make us drive around yelling and waking up the neighbors
6) Clean up after MM has made a mess eating
7) Make our furniture and floor dirty on a daily basis (wait, I do that)
8) Bark constantly in the back room when we try to have guests over.
9) Hump our guests
10) Scare the shit out of people walking by with their tiny dogs
11) Play with Lale

I do not think it would be a good idea to let M.M. help with this list. Social Services may come running.

Well, as our new chapter begins I hurt more now than I have in a very long time.

WE LOVE YOU DENZEL (See the video post to come)

One of the good things left behind!!

2008-03-26T12:14:00.002-05:00

When we returned to KY from the D.R. we were glad to be back home and didn't miss a lot from our 2nd home, but time has passed and there are a few things that we miss a lot!!!

#1 on that list is Haris. This young boy brightened our day every morning. He lived near the plant and he shined shoes to make some money for his family. However, he was more than that to me. To be honest, I think I only let him clean my shoes one time. Instead, he was my friend.

It started out when I gave him $1 and told him to save it for something special. The next morning, he brought me a bundle of bananas (which from that point on became my morning breakfast). I gave him a dollar to replace the cost of the bananas, and he didn't want to take it from me. He said, (in spanish) "no money, these are for my friend". I made a deal with him shortly after that. I would continue to give him $1 everyday or so, if he promised to save it for something very special and not to spend it everyday. I didn't think he would hold his promise.

Day after day, he would be there at the plant when we pulled up. We talked baseball (our favorite sport) and on days that he didn't see me when I got to work, you could count on looking out the glass door in the "garage" to see Haris with the bananas and saying "Limpia tus zapatos (I clean your shoes)".

One time, my brother-in-law bought Haris some new baseball equipment (bat, glove, cleats, etc), and he did the last thing we would do with them....HE painted them with spray paint. His reasoning was to make them look old and crappy so someone would not steal them from him. It is amazing how cultures are different. He loved telling my how he did in his baseball games...."dos dobles y un triple"

Then my wife and daughter started driving me to work, and Haris became MM's and Sus's buddy. He was almost like MM's big brother...always checking on her.

The thing that blew me away the most was.....a few days before I left Santiago for good Haris came to me with a big smile on his face. I gave him the usual $1 and he gave me 3-4 bananas. Then he pulled a paper bag out of his pocket with probably 80-100 dollar bills in it. I was so proud, and waited until I got inside to cry. I hope he got something special with that money.

I wish I could find Haris and bring him to KY. I hope he is okay and well. I wish I had come up with a way to keep in touch with him before I left.

They are going to take me to the promised land!!

2008-02-27T19:30:00.007-06:00

"MOMMA SAID THESE ARE MY MAGIC SHOES!

Well, my new pair of shoes came in today and unless they do not hold up over the next 10 weeks they will take me to the finish line for the Flying Pig.

I used to never get the same shoe twice, but my first pair have been so great that I got the same ones a second time. I guess that is a sign that I am getting old. I do not really care about having the newest and the best anymore. I just do not see the point if spending 2 to 3 times more for things just to have them before anyone else. I wait to let others work out the kinks, then I know what the good buys are while saving a buck along the way.

So, my Asics Cumulus runnin' shoes are a bargain because I know they are good for my feet. In this case, life is not like a box of chocolates because I know what I am getting (a good shoe). If these shoes were a piece of chocalate, they would definately be a Reese's Peanut Butter Egg. Pretty ironic that the Peanut Butter Egg is my favorite chocolate and my daughter has life threatening allergies to PEANUTS and EGGS.

PEACE OUT!!!

Where did the weekend go?

2008-02-24T23:24:00.004-06:00

The last time I checked, the weekend was meant to include some relaxation.......I guess I get it now at 11:30pm on Sunday. Actually, it was an awesome weekend even without the much needed "lay on the couch and chill" time.

Here is the rundown of the past few days. Friday night was double the fun for me. We got to hang out with our church friends (without kids) for a night of bowling. Being with friends was the first treat. Breaking out my bowling ball for the first time in 3 years and bowling a 197 the first game was the second treat. We really had a good time. Sorry you missed it Kelle. I think the next church gathering will involve Texas Hold 'Em for the guys and a ladies night out. Good times.

So, then it was off to bed to prepare for the Saturday from hell. I awoke to a dusting of snow on the streets, which still was spotted with ice from the night before. Due to the snow, the normal 7:00am jog with Grogan was delayed to the afternoon. Unfortunately, Grogan had to get his run out of the way, so he opted for the "dread-mill" and would result in a solo run for me later in the day. I needed to put a few hours of work in on the upcoming technical proposal for the first 2 miles of I-69 north of I-64, so I headed to work at 6:30am. Well, a few hours turned into 6!!!!

It was 2:00pm as I pulled up to our door, knowing that I still needed to put in my 17 miles for the day. I was trying to come up with an excuse to not run. I almost convinced myself I could do it Sunday before church, but I didn't and I am glad because there was snow again this morning.

So, after the pre-run ritual ("taking the Browns to the Superbowl") I got my gear and ran the longest distance that I have ever run at one time, and I had to do it "all by myself". For those of you that do not run I will fill you in on a little secret...."IT SUCKS RUNNING FOR 2 1/2 HOURS ALL BY YOURSELF!!" Anyways, I ran 17 in just under 2 1/2 hours. Let's just say I was tired after that. Luckily, Dear and Papa treated us to a wonderful dinner, which included a specially made banana split from Papa. All I can say is, "WOW...that Sally Bird hot fudge is good!!" We stayed and watched the Tennessee/Memphis game until 10pm or so, and when I got home I fell asleep before having the opportunity to see the VOLS become the #1 team in the country. Those of you follow UK sports, it appears Kentucky will have the opportunity to possibly become the first school to ever defeat the #1 team in the country in Football and Basketball in the same year.

Today, we actually slept in to 6:30am. We watched the snow until it was time to go to Sunday school. We decided to skip the worship service so we could get our NEW blinds and go to the grocery. Turns out, our pastor announced he was being relocated to a new church in Elizabethtown, KY. What a bummer!!! After eating 3 hot-dogs because MM wouldn't eat anything for lunch, I proceeded to install the blinds in MM's new big girl room. We are going to present her with the new room on her 3rd birthday, which is 3 weeks away. Still a long way to go. I painted until 10:00pm, and then I realized I hadn't done my 4 mile run for the day. Finished the run up, paid some bills, set-up the coffee maker for the morning, and then I came to type about my weekend.

Well, I guess it is time to put this tired body to bed so I can get up at 5am and do 6...yes 6... 1/2 mile sprints for my marathon training in the morning.

I know it will be worth it when I accomplish this personal challenge, but the training is a pain in the ASS. Sometimes I wish I were not driven to set such high personal goals. Why do I have to tell myself that I need to run this marathon in 3:45:00? I cannot change the way that I am programmed, so I am going to keep on chuggin' along and come May I will be ready for one of the biggest challenges of my life. I just wish my dad could be here to see it. THE UPSIDE IS THAT I HAVE ALL OF YOU!!! THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE SUPPORTED ME (especially my pregnant wife and my momma)!!!!! Love to all.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

You think you have it bad????

2008-02-08T17:00:00.000-06:00

What do you think this guy says when he tries to eat corn on the cobb?

Hope you had a good Friday. PEACE OUT!!!!!

Another week of training in the books

2008-01-28T12:20:00.000-06:00

Training for this marathon has been difficult to keep up with lately. I have started to get burned out and I have starting to feel guilty about the time it takes week in and week out because of Susan being pregnant and how it will only become more of a burden as the training gets more time consuming. I don't want her to feel overwhelmed in the mornings to get MM up and going. She has been so supportive of this...THANK YOU MY LOVE!!!!

By the way she turns 30 in just over a week!!!!!

However, it was pretty amazing that God gave me a sign to keep on trucking with this challenge over the weekend. It wasn't clear to me at first, but this morning I didn't feel burnt out or pressure to not train in the mornings. Then it clicked.....I am getting better at this running thing and I am seeing progress. Grogan and I ran an easy 13.1 on Saturday, and the easy run yielded a half-marathon time of 1hour&48minutes, which is about 3 minutes faster than my personal best.....AND IT WAS IN 20 DEGREE WEATHER!!
I have hope that my goal will be met!!!

Thanks Grogan for the help over the past year or so in helping me progress. I hope we can continue to push each other (Well, I hope I can get to the point to push you someday). I also would like to thank Trey and Pete if they are reading, because they have been motivators for me as well.

So, I am no longer burned out......but I still struggle with the pressure early morning training is going to put on us to get out the door on time. If it would just warm up, then I would run outside at 5am instead of at the YMCA at 5:30.....or I could run on our treadmill inside, but then I interfere with Susan's time on it in the AM.

Answers will come in time. Thanks for reading

Nothing like a good lunch.....MEOW!!!!

2008-01-24T17:05:00.000-06:00

Well, if there was every a work related event that I enjoyed more than anything else, it is definately lunch trips. Some of my boys from work and I made a journey to the Chinese buffet.

It was good then, but it isn't feeling good right now. I always love dog and cat for lunch.

Oh, and my fortune cookie said, "It is alway better to do something late than never.......IN BED!!!" Ha Ha

Work Life Adjustments

2008-01-23T12:41:00.000-06:00

Today I have come to the realization that I am in the miniority, when it comes to working and not worrying about when lunch time and quiting time are going to roll around.

I am used to working at my pace (focused for the most part), usually not paying attention that it is 11:57am or 4:55pm. Usually, I take enough time to relax and get a bite to eat before getting back to work, unless I have something to do outside of the office (get the oil changed in my sister-in-law's car). It seems like everyone here drops what they are doing no matter what it is at 11:59am for lunch. Also, I tend to look at the clock and it is 5:07pm and I am the only one left in the office (or at least in our section of the building).

What really surprised me over everything else was, my boss got an e-mail the other day requesting something I was working on to be turned in by 8:00 the next morning, so I brought what I needed home with me and finished it up. I could have said, I would have it as soon as I could in the morning, but I took it home and got it done (I would have rather done something else that night).

Everyone here said, "What were you thinking?" and under my breath I thought, "I got what needed to be done to satisfy our clients' wishes." I also thought, "surely you don't move up in a company with the "What were you thinking mentality?" It helps explain why so many people are okay with having the same responsibilities for 30 years.

Anyway, just some of the work environment stuff that I am getting accustomed to.

NOW, GET BACK TO WORK UNTIL 4:59PM!!!!!

I used to not have problems trusting people

2008-01-22T12:16:00.001-06:00

Today as I was running, I thought about our car being repaired and whether or not I trusted the mechanic to do the work in an efficient manner and that he would charge us accordingly and not rip us off.

Then I thought into it a little further. The more I thought, the more I realized that I trust people less now than I ever have. I wondered why?????????

I guess it is the result of our tramatic and life changing experiences over the past 2 years. I hate to think I am blaming my dad for things, but I feel it is obviously the cause of why I do not trust people much anymore. My father lived a life that made each and every person have a different view of him. He did whatever he had to in order for him to get what he wanted. I hope he didn't want to die. He told people what they wanted to hear to the point that no matter how far fetched the story, they "TRUSTED" him. I guess that is why?

I hope to outgrow this detrimental attribute of my personality, and with the strength of my wife and our love for each other through thick and thin I WILL.

Guess who's back, back again........

2008-01-20T20:39:00.000-06:00

The time has come for me to start sharing my thoughts and experiences again. Today has been a day of recovery for me. Turns out, I am not the social drinker that I once was. My body put my A$$ in check this morning. After putting in a brisk 8 miles with my boys Trey and Adam (aka The Goggled Groganator), I did not refuel my body to prepare it for the gallons of Blue Moon I would later consume.

Basically, I spent 12 hours on the couch today trying to get back in gear. At least I got to watch Joe Dirt and some good football. "Does this look gay, does this look gay to you?" What a quote.

Time to start another week of love filled moments with my wonderful wife and daughter. I love you all. Thanks for letting me recover today. Without the two of you, I would not have the perspective on life that I have. Sorry if I was crabby today.

For those of you who don't know. I am training for the "Flying Pig" Marathon in Cincinnati in May. This week is an action packed week consisting of 35 miles of running. It is going to be a long road getting ready for this race, but it is the best therapy I can imagine.

Finally, a note to my dad. "I miss you Pop, thanks for teaching me what I needed to know in life. Whether it was directly from you or through the things that I have found out about you in the past 20 plus months. The only thing I regret is not confronting you when I had the chance, for MM's sake. I couldn't imagine not having a memory of my grandfather."

It gives me pain when I think about having to answer MM's question: "Daddy, why did someone shoot Granddad?" Currently, I have in my mind how I will handle that situation, but I also wonder if I will be answering her correctly. This is just one example why I would like to know what really happened that night and the days leading up to his death. I may never know, but it is something I pray for.