My First Skydive video....

I posted this here because FB wouldn't work and YouTube claimed some copyright infringement, so they disabled the audio. Let's hope this sticks.

We interrupt our regularly scheduled...

posting to talk about...

SKYDIVING!!!!

I did my first jump yesterday and now when I hear a small plane fly over, I look to the sky, not necessarily expecting jumpers, but still looking nonetheless. And for the rest of my life, whenever I see jumpers, I'm going to be jealous I'm not with them.

Chicago Marathon plans are scrapped...

Hip problems have pulled me up short on all of my runs lately. I am now going to focus on training for Disney. First a visit to a sports physician will be necessary.

Yesterday's easy 3 mile run had my left hip and right hamstring feeling like they were going to snap. That must be related. I can't see how those two issues are coincidental.

The week in review...

Tuesday was supposed to be 15 miles, but ended up being 10.5 - chalk it up to poor diet and lack of rest the days prior. I felt like going fast on Wednesday, so I benchmarked my mile.

6:12!!!!

That's a full twelve seconds off my PR for the mile. I am totally stoked!

Today was 17 miles and I forgot how hard that can be to bounce back. Oy!

Here's my splits (first 5 2.5 mile "laps"):

1 - 22:45 avg 150 bpm
2 - 23:51 avg 148 bpm - 9:32 pace
3 - 23:20 avg 150 bpm - 9:20 pace
4 - 24:35 avg 146 bpm - 9:50 pace - long uphill
5 - 23:44 avg 146 bpm - 9:29 pace

The next 3 splits are 1 mile in length as I hit the end of my route where I had discrete 1 mile lengths I could use. These were done as part of the last 4.5 miles of the course:

1 - 8:33 avg 150 bpm
2 - 8:19 avg 148 bpm
3 - 8:25 avg 153 bpm (that's just weird)

So, I'm pretty pleased. The overall time was 2:40:13 for 17 miles which makes it a 9:25 pace.

Chicago Rock N Roll Half Marathon

My diet sucked the day before and I only had about 4 hours of sleep....

I happy that there's such a thing as Powerbars.

Overall time was 2:00:06. I'm too tired to share thoughts about the run right now. It's time for a nap.

Picked up my race packet today...

And am getting set. No big deal really, I mean, c'mon, it's 13.1 miles....whoop-dee-frickin-doo...

Let's call it practice for setting up for the marathon in October...

Bib# 12085. Corral 12, which is 2:15. I don't think I'll be that slow. I do have a strategy which is to stay in my lower zone for the first 9 or so miles and then pick it up.

I'm going to have an insanely tough time reining it in.

While I'm here and not that I won't be thanking everyone through other means - but a sincere and heartfelt thank-you to everyone that has donated to my cause so far. If you're reading this and haven't done so, please give your consideration to it and use the link in the column to the right of this post.

Now I have something to write about...

I sent a message out via Facebook asking my friends to donate to my cause. One of my friends did something completely unexpected, and posted an article on Associated Content here. In that article, he used the word "inspiring". I was immediately humbled.

While it's my life's goal to become a positive force for change, I at times feel that I am missing the mark. Call it getting bogged down in the pettiness of life. What does this make me other than "human", but I can't help but feel convicted by this word "inspiring".

Before I continue to wax rhapsodic, it's important to note that this effort isn't about me, but if one bleats too often about how they are part of something so much bigger than they are, are they not resorting to puffery. I'll endeavor to stay down-to-earth in my musings going forward.

So, in feeling convicted, I am called on not only to persevere, but to excel. It is in that effort that I give honor to my father's memory and provide an example to my children, which I hope they carry with them for the rest of their lives.