gokennergo.com

Hey hey, welcome back.

This morning's 6-mile run went fairly well. My friend Rachelle is in the same program as I am so I am picking her up for our Saturday runs. I picked her up at about 6:55 a.m. and we got over to the lake at about 7:10 a.m. It was a bit chilly, and I noticed that my left knee was hurting a little bit, right at my knee cap. When I was running it sort of loosened up, so it wasn't too bad. The run itself was hard but manageable. Once I got running and in the sun it no longer felt too cold. After finishing I noticed that my knee started to hurt just a little bit, the same sort of way as before. Today Leanne and I went by Fleet Feet on North Ave. in Chicago and I picked up a couple of pairs of socks, some wrist sweatbands, and one of those knee bands that goes just under your kneecap and should supposably help my knee pain. We'll see.

I'm heading to Atlanta for business tomorrow and will return to Chicago on Tuesday night. I will keep my log updated while I'm on the road, so keep checking in! -K
posted by Kenner Estes at 6:10 PM

Well, today didn't go as planned, really. But everything worked out all right, I guess. I decided to check out a gym near our apartment because the YMCA that I usually go to is just too far away. I made an appointment for 7 a.m. but then my tour and everything took too long for me to do my cross-training and strength training before I had to go to work. I ended up joining and then I just decided that I would go after work instead. I ended up having to work late so I didn't make it home until about 7:15 p.m. We have a 6-miler tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m. so I ultimately decided that it would do me more harm than good to go and do my cross training that late and so soon before running. I hate skipping but it just didn't work today. Not going to make a habit of that, though.

Did I mention 6 miles tomorrow? Bed calls. Take care all. -K
posted by Kenner Estes at 11:10 PM

Hey all. I'll keep it brief today.

I decided to get up and do my running in the morning today. It really works better that way because then my evenings are still free, but sometimes I have problems running in the mornings. If the air is too cool I end up feeling like I have fluid in my lungs for the rest of the day, coughing and such. Today was cool but I don't have that feeling too badly so perhaps I will continue to do it this way. Plus, the marathon will start early in the morning, and it's in October, so I had better try to prepare my body for running in that kind of weather, anyway.

There is a gym near our apartment, so I am going to see about joining there because it's just too inconvenient to get to the YMCA that I've been with for the last 5 years. I only need the gym for the cross-training but it would probably be worth it to switch, anyway, even after all of this marathon business. I'm going to try to keep in whatever shape I achieve (I will, I will, I will.... trying to influence my future self, here). I'm going to call them this afternoon if I get some time to find out how much their membership costs.

That's all for today! Thanks for stopping by. -K
posted by Kenner Estes at 1:54 PM

Today is a rest day. Which is good, because the cross-training yesterday almost killed me. This was my first time to use a Stairmaster, and MAN was it tough. We are supposed to use a cross-training machine for 30 minutes and then do strength training after that. Sometimes I use a stationary bicycle or one of those (not sure what you call it) where you stand on the two pedals and sort of step/glide while working your arms with the upright bars. My description of it makes it sound like a Nordic Track, but that's not what it is. Anyway, yesterday I decided to give the Stairmaster (hereafter dubbed "STAIRMASTER", just to convey its terrible power) a try. Have you ever done this? I mean, it's basically just you climbing a short, down escalator. For thirty minutes. At 1:15 I knew I was in trouble. I decided to chuck my ego and just try to keep going, so I backed the speed down to something like 5 or 6 (on an intensity scale from 1-20) and kept climbing.

You know how, when you are working on a cross-training machine, you eventually get into a kind of a zone where everything sort of levels out and you are not in so much pain, you've found your stride, and you're breathing rhythmically and comfortably? Yeah, well that crap doesn't happen on the STAIRMASTER. As each second oozed by and the steady rain of my perspiration rendered the handrails slick and virtually useless, I found myself cursing the inventor of this machine, coming up with unflattering names for him or her (I finally settled on "Stairbastard"), in general just wishing the person ill.

When, sweet release, my 30 minutes had passed, the STAIRMASTER laid out for me what I had accomplished. According to its figures, I had climbed 134 stories and burned almost 400 calories. It also indicated that I had somehow climbed something like two and a half miles, but I find that hard to believe. For one, if I only (ONLY??) climbed 134 stories, that would make each story just short of a hundred feel tall. I don't think that's the height of an average floor. Another problem with this was that I only climbed for 30 minutes, and I doubt that I was climbing at a rate of even a 15-minute mile, which would still only put me at 2 miles when I was finished. Regardless, it was tough.

I'm a little bit sore today, but not as sore as I expected to be.

Anyway, thanks for checking in, and I'll talk to you next time! -K
posted by Kenner Estes at 11:38 AM

So I guess technically this is two posts in a day, but I slept in between them, so I figure that makes it all right.

All right, to give you an idea of what's been going on with training for this thing.... I came into the TNT program a little bit late, so I've been playing some catch-up with my training. Right now, throughout the week, we do interval training as described below, usually for 40-45 minutes, or cross training (low-impact, like a stair-stepping machine or bicycle) with strength training (weight-lifting). Then, on Saturdays, we get together for a big run. Last Saturday was 5 miles, this Saturday will be 6. The mileage goes up but then also comes back down throughout the training program.

The 5-miler was tough last Saturday, and I couldn't help thinking "I have to run over 5 times that far??" That's pretty self-defeating, but I couldn't help it. I am just not a gifted runner. Anyway, they said that everyone pretty much goes through the same thing, usually hitting a big wall around 13 miles when they realize that they've only completed HALF of what they will eventually be running. That's what my TNT mentor, Lou, told me, anyway. Lou is in training for an ultra marathon. For those of you keeping score at home, an ultra marathon varies in distance -- Lou is training for a 50-miler. FIFTY miles. I trust his advice.

For anyone wondering about someone of my dubious physical condition tackling a marathon, I did go to my doctor for a complete physical before starting - blood workup, turn your head and cough, the whole bit. I actually just had an ultrasound on my liver this morning. I'm telling you these people are thorough. Anyway, I haven't gotten all of the results back yet but thus far none of the doctors have given me any reason not to go for it.

I guess that's it for now. Stay tuned for more updates as training progresses.... -K
posted by Kenner Estes at 10:52 AM

Okay, hi everyone. I just finished putting the finishing touches on this website. Not my most awe-inspiring work when it comes to web design, but I hope that it is easy to read and understand what to do to send sponsorship $$. Right now I'm bushed. Today was just 40 minutes at 3/2 intervals (meaning 3 minutes running, 2 minutes walking), but it's been a long day and now I just really need to get some sleep. I will do a better post tomorrow that outlines a bit about what I've been doing up to this point. Goodnight all. -K
posted by Kenner Estes at 1:47 AM