One month to go...

While I have not been very diligent in updating the blog; I have been training and am on track to be prepared for the race.  The highlights of training since the last blog post are as follows:

• Over 20 miles of short distance runs, with my short distance training partner Scott Berry.
• New running shoes have been purchased
• An awesome 11 mile run on August 4th
• A horrible 17 mile run, turned into a 14.5 mile run on August 31st

Lesson learned: potassium is very important during this whole training process.

Looking ahead at September:

• Two more long runs (19 and 21 miles)
• 7 more short runs
• Posting after every run

Until next week.

Biddy

Training Part 2

Now that the Minnetonka Triathlon is behind me, I turn my attention to the Marathon.  Today was a light three mile run around Lake of the Isles with Scott Berry.  While it wasn't my best run of the season, it felt good to get out there and get those three miles under my belt.  Over the course of the month of July I will log over 40 training miles and have four interval training days.  The hope is that by August I will have a great base established for my mid training half marathon (Minneapolis 13.1) and the first 20 mile run of my life.

Twelve Years Ago Today

John Lennon wrote, ‘Life is what happens to you, while you're busy making other plans.’  While I was packing for college twelve years ago today, life happened to me.  My dad died that night of a heart attack.  The next days blurred into the next year, with only a few milestones sticking out in my mind - moving to college, that first Christmas and moving home for the summer.  I was a shadow of myself, a zombie.  My family noticed it but I didn't.

Fall semester of my sophomore year marked the bottom for me. My grades were subpar, I was struggling with the daily grind of college and I even started lashing out at my family.  They quickly became fed up with my zombie state about the same time I started to notice that I needed help.  In January 2001, I sought grief counseling at Northwest Youth and Family Services (NYFS) in Shoreview, Minn.  Over the course of the next semester, a counselor named Paul worked with me.  I noticed a dramatic improvement in my grades, my temperament and my overall enjoyment of life.  In May, Paul told me that he felt I was ready to graduate from his services, but that he and NYFS would be there for me if I needed them again.

From then on, I started leading the life I knew I could  - and one that would make my Dad proud.  I graduated from the University of Minnesota in the spring of 2003 with a bright future.  But I never forgot Paul and NYFS and the impact they had on my life.

Three years ago, I found the challenge I was ready for in my life; I took up triathlons and distance running after watching a good friend of mine from high school finish IRONMAN Wisconsin.  That day with the inspiration at the IRONMAN finish line, I set a goal to pay homage to my dad with physical fitness. Since 2009, distance sports have become a staple of my life.  This October 2, I am running the Twin Cities Marathon, my first marathon.

As I train for the marathon, my goal is to raise $5000 for NYFS help kids in their hour of need, just as NYFS helped me.

Northwest Youth and Family Services is a community-based non-profit that assists youth and families for healthy lives.  In addition to mental health services, NYFS offers to youth: mentoring, summer camp, employment training programs, and other opportunities.  Many of these programs are offered either as pay-as-you-can or for free.  While I had health insurance to pay for my counseling services, many do not. And I want to help those kids.


Everyone needs help at some point in life.  You can make a difference – here’s how to help:

1.       Donate to NYFS to help this great organization assist children and families in our community.  Click here to contribute.  Click on Donate Online and in the instructions to NYFS tab, please put Tony Burton – Marathon.

2.       Follow my training blog   bnbrunningfactory.blogspot.com

3.       Come cheer me on as I run 26.2 miles on October 2.

Thanks for your support,

Tony

Ok, ok, ok

I'll go running. Sheesh.

Training days are here again

Sunday marked my return to triathlon training, with a half mile swim and 30 minutes on the bike.  For my second time in the pool this season, I was very pleased with my 20 minutes.   I was however, not pleased with the older gentleman who decided he was going to bring his water wings in my lane and do the elementary backstroke.  I figured that it was good practice for the actual triathlon, he did flail a bit.  With him consuming more of my lane, I swam faster and swam sprints for the last three laps.  Afterwards, I felt pretty strong moving into the bike.  The 30 minutes on the bike felt great.  I was especially happy since I just picked my bike up from Gear West Bike for its annual tune-up.

Yesterday was my first run since last year’s TC 10 mile and it wasn’t too bad for it being 35 degrees outside.  I really like my new Asics Kayano 17 from the Running Room.  I know that I have many miles to go until the marathon, but I’m excited with the starting point.

Biddy

Whew...

Ok, so despite beginning this very public, private training diary over two weeks ago, I've actually not started my training for the BIG M in October. So here come the list of excuses: I had 7 (ish) months; my 30th birthday party was happening and there was celebrating to do; it was cold out; and the big one- my wife and I went to sunny Mexico for a week.

Yup, totally went here. Did that. It was amazing. Beach was beautiful, the weather was awesome and it was 85 degrees out. Oh, and all the food and drinks were included in our little getaway, so unsurprisingly, I gorged myself on Pineapple, guacamole, Pollo tacos and Piña Coladas. Though not necessarially in that order... all the time.

I actually thought ahead enough to pack my running shoes, but unsurprisingly they went unused. I blame the Guac.

We got back into town a few days ago, with enough time to unpack, submit to the laundry lord and begin sorting through the 220+ emails waiting for me at the beginning of the work week. The head start paid off as I was able to duck out of work tonight with plenty of sunshine left ahead of me. So I strapped on the shoes, seemed like the prudent thing to do.

35ish didn't feel so bad, though the cold cuts into the lungs. Good pace early, but faded a bit late. I did find my stride eventually, but soon ran out of steam. All not surprising for having not gone for a run in months.

Final numbers for the night:
3.13 miles, 27 min, 58 sec, 8:55 pace

Running for a Reason

As Boomer mentioned, running the marathon was my harebrained idea.  To me, running the marathon is the next logical step in my endurance sport adventure.

Three years ago, I took up triathlons after watching a good friend of mine from high school finish Ironman Wisconsin.  It looked like the challenge I was ready for in my life.  The need for a physical challenge precipitated, because that next year marked the ten year anniversary of my Dad’s death from a heart attack.  That day at Ironman, one part fear, one part homage were combined with the inspiration of that Ironman finish line to give me my new goal.  That summer I competed in two triathlons and ran the TC 10 mile.  Last year, I focused on running, completing my first half marathon and the TC 10 mile again.  This year, I plan on competing in two sprint distance triathlons, two half marathons, culminating in the marathon.  Sprinkled in between these races, I will turn 30 and get married.  Throughout the next 198 days, I will be chronicling my training for these events, hopefully on a daily basis.  My training schedule starts on March 20th.  

Biddy

Looking Ahead to a Summer Spent in Training

Several months back, Biddy approached me with what seemed like a simple enough concept at the time.

"Hey, so we are both turning 30 next year. So we should totally run the Twin Cities Marathon to celebrate."

Kind of a Bucket List thing I suppose, right? Sounds reasonable. I mean, I had already run a half last summer and was amping up for the TC 10 mile. Not to mention the handful of 5 and 10ks that I banged out over the year, in addition to all the running I had been doing for my soccer teams on the weekends. I was finding my stride more easily and my finish times had gotten better, how hard could a Marathon really be?

"Sure man, sounds like a great idea," was my reply.

Fast forward to March 10th, 2011. We are only a third of the way through March and we've already had the second snowiest winter on record in MN. I've recently gotten married and with my birthday tomorrow, I am quite literally staring 30 in the face. I've not been to the gym in longer then I would care to admit and my running shoes have sat in my bag since last October when the snow started to fly.

And just this morning, I've just become Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon registrant #561003. Yikes.

198 sleeps until the starters gun goes off. I best dust off those shoes and get training.

-Boomer