The Krispy Kreme Challenge

Today I participated in a most unusual event. It is known as the Krispy Kreme Challenge. We started at the Bell Tower on the campus of N.C. State University, raced two miles to a local Krispy Kreme, ate one dozen doughnuts and then raced back the two miles to the Bell Tower. I can honestly say that I will probably never eat another doughnut in my life. I was able to eat all 12 of them and finish the race. My time was somewhere around 35 minutes, but we are still waiting for the official times to be posted.

I was talked into this whole thing by none other than my friends Sam and Bryan who I run on the RRO team with. Sam made a good showing and finished in around 32 minutes. Bryan, on the other hand, embarrassed his homeland of Ohio and was only able to to swallow down three doughnuts. As Sam said this afternoon, this is one of those events in which you participate once so as to be able to tell people you did it, but I don't think I will do it again.
I hope to have more pictures of the race soon. Keep checking back.

My legs hurt

So, getting back into a heavy running routine is not the easiest thing on your body. This past weekend I did 15 miles with Bryan and Sam and it felt horrible. I think I might have increased my long runs to fast. But I did finish and I am still alive. I guess having crap runs is par for the course when you are training for a marathon. My legs felt pretty good on Monday when I did 8 miles. I have a good speed workout coming this evening and my legs feel like they have shaken off any remnants of irritation from Sunday.

I wanted to mention a long time reader of the site Jeff. Jeff, as he likes to say, is invested in me now, after reading all my ramblings on the site. I am trying to get him to run a marathon with me, but have thus far been unsuccessful.

A thought.

Have you ever really payed atention to the lyrics of a song. Or even taken the time to find the lyrics and read them. Well today I did. I was listening to the song "What ever it is" by Ben Lee. The lyrics contain some pretty profound advice if you ask me.

Are you changing?
Do you know it?
Do you feel it?
Do you know?
But you're waiting
While your waiting
Why are you waiting?
Just do it - whatever it is

You never know what might be coming your way tomarow, so why not answer the call today. What's really the worst that could happen?

Its so quiet
and youre dreaming
I turn to you and say
"awake is the new sleep"
So wake up
and do it - whatever it is
just do it - whatever it is

Quit dreaming about what you can do with your life and do it. Besides, no one likes the guy who is all talk and no game. What's really the worst that could happen?

Cranking the millage back up

This weekend saw the return of a little cool weather to the Raleigh area. It also made for some good running. I took friday of and did an eight mile run out at Umsted on Saturday and did another eight miles from the RRO store on Sunday. It feels really good to be getting back into my running. Another couple of weeks and I will be back into the high millage days. I should have a good week of running coming up as well. The weather looks like it should be pretty nice.

Good Week of Running

This week is proving to be a great week for getting back into my regular running reutine. The temp's have been a little above normal and the rain hasn't been that bad. I am getting my milage back up and the workouts are going great. Another week and I will be back into the full swing of things. No time goals as of yet for Boston. Have to wait and see how the trainging goes, but I would like to finish down around 2:40. We'll have to wait and see.

Welcome 2006

Well it's a new year and it is time to look to the future. A year full of fun, excitement and unmeasurable change is coming my way and I am ready to take it on. I was talking with a Zack, a guy I work with, and we were talking about what I had coming up in the next few months. He pointed out that in April I will be doing the Boston Marathon and not two months later I will be moving to another continent. I had not looked at that way. In a span of seven weeks I will be achieving two of my goals in life. Wow. The next five months of my life are gearing up to be quite and exciting time. I feel very fortunate that I am able to do the things a have done and will be doing in the future.

I was reading an article today from the BBC about the increasing problems with the drought and food shortages in Zambia. The World Food Programme, which is in charge of supplying food to the thousands of Angolan and Congolese refugees in Zambia, reported today that due to decreasing aid from around the world they will have to half the amount of food being supplied. The Zambian people, who have been helping the refugees in what ever way they can, are now being hit hard by the ensuing problems and are not able to help as much as before. These people have nothing by Western standards and yet they are willing to go out of their way to help people they don't even know. That is what inspires me to go out and try and make a difference in the world. I am humbled by the task that awaits me and I look forward to everything it brings with it.