One Year Ago...Merry XMAS

This morning I went for a run. No surprise there I know. I was thinking where I was last Christmas Eve. I wasn't running, I was sitting in the waiting room at Lutheran General Hospital.  It was honestly the scariest Christmas Eve I have ever had. Today marks the one year anniversary of my Dad's Triple Bypass Surgery. There was no running that day. I was running on 2 hours of sleep and doing anything to keep awake and keep my mind busy. 
You know what happed 20 minutes ago? I just got off the phone with my Dad. Telling me he can't wait to meet my girlfriend for the first time tonight. All I can think that there is no gift is greater then still having my Dad in my life. It was the greatest gift in the world when I finished Steelhead70.3 this summer and seeing both of my parents waiting for me. I was so happy I cried in there arms. It wasn't the fact that I finished one of the hardest challenges in my life but the fact that my Dad and mom were there to help me celebrate it. 
I don't care what Santa brings me tomorrow, because I still have my Dad and no gift is greater. 

On a side note I am hoping for some winter running gear or a iPad.

Team in Training needs Volunteers at the Water Stops for our 18 & 20 miler

Team in Training needs people to man Water Stations for the 18 & 20 miler!

We need help one last time this season for our biggest and longest training yet. If you're not training right now come on out and support your fellow TEAM mates. If you are training, wouldn't you love to have your family and friends out there supporting you? Do you know any kids who need community service hours? We need help to support our Team in Training Athletes training for the Chicago and Nike Marathons! Helping them helps to save lives as they are raising funds to find a cure! We are looking for volunteers to man our waterstops for our longest trainings of the fall marathon season, not only to pass out water and gatorade but to cheer our participants on and make these trainings extra fun and special and to show everyone on these paths training that day thatTEAM in TRAINING Rocks! When and Where: Saturday, September 4 & Saturday, September 18 on the Chicago Lakefront Specific waterstops will be assigned when you sign up! Who: Anyone who would like to come out and support the TEAM! *We will sign letters for anyone who uses this opportunity to get community for service hours. *If you are training these days this is a great way for your friends and family to show their support for YOU! Time: Training starts at 7:00 am. Not everyone will have to begin at 7:00 am and no one will have to stay the entire training unless they want to. Shifts will be assigned when you sign up. What do volunteers have to bring and what do they have to do? We will provide coolers with water and gatorade, cups and sports nutrition (power gels and bars). We will also provide directions to water stop locations. Volunteers need to bring their enthusiasm and support and anything else they would like to bring to support our athletes (snacks, fruit, signs, cowbells). They will pass out water and gatorade to our athletes and cheer them on. They can set up whatever kind of fun cheer station they want! Interested? Contact Marie Jarrell at 708-359-1989 ormysunbow@yahoo.com

My Results for 2010 Whirlpool Ironman 70.3 Steelhead

Here are my results for 2010 Steelhead Half Ironman.

My goal was to finish between 6-7 hours. I finished the 70.3 mile triathlon in 5 hours 41 minutes and 5 seconds. I'm really proud of my time. 

The swim:

I got off course a little at the beginning. Once I got in my grove and back on track I felt good. I made sure I was hitting all the buoys.

The bike:

I felt strong. I never went all out. All the people on the fancy bikes passed me. I felt like a pro at the water bottle exchange. Chucking my old water bottles and getting new bottles without stopping was quite a experience. 

The Run:

My garmin crapped out on me. So I used my bike computer to stick with my 5 minute run to 1 minute run intervals. 

I gotta go. My laptop battery is about to die. Below is my results. I'll go into more details laters. 

Robert Dobroski

BIB	AGE	STATE/COUNTRY	PROFESSION
1974	29	Buffalo Grove IL USA

SWIM	BIKE	RUN	OVERALL	RANK	DIV.POS.
34:59	2:50:07	2:08:28	5:41:05	889	93

LEG	DISTANCE	PACE	RANK	DIV.POS.
TOTAL SWIM	1.2 mi. (34:59)	1:50/100m	682	65
TOTAL BIKE	56 mi. (2:50:07)	19.75 mph
TOTAL RUN	13.1 mi. (2:08:28)	9:48/mile	889	93
TRANSITION				TIME
T1: SWIM-TO-BIKE				4:31
T2: BIKE-TO-RUN				3:00

T-minus 24 hours until I race the 2010 Steelhead Ironman 70.3 Challenge

Twenty four hours from now I will be getting into my Team In Training wetsuit that all my campers and staff signed and jumping in Lake Michigan and competing in one of the hardest athletic endeavors I have ever competed in, the 2010 Steelhead 70.3 Half Ironman Triathlon.
Am I ready? Ready as I'll ever be. I've trained. Try to eat right and try to stay hydrated all this week. I've swam 1.2 miles before, I've rode my bike longer then 56 miles, and I've ran more then 13.1 miles more than once. Never have I combined those three distance in one day.
Am I nervous? Not any more. I'f you read my previous post where I had a mini nervous attack not any more. I have my back up wetsuit. My bike is working now. Village Cycle fixed my front derailer cable, I've cleaned it up, and I fixed my cleats. After my Lake Geneva bike ride I had had to get new Speedplay cleats. When I was going on a training ride with the new cleats I could not clip in. After a close inspection, my new cleats were installed backwards! After I figured out what was wrong I was able to clip into my bike. I'm not aching or in pain and feel rested and ready to go. Knock on wood.
I've got PowerBar Gels, Performance Bars, and Harvest Bars for the bike ride and run. After the race I'll be looking for Well Done Steak and Beer.

All my gear is ready. Well 90% ready. I've laid everything out and made a list of things I need to get at the Expo today.

• Body Glide - To help take off my wet suit and prevent cheffing. 
• Bento Box to store my peanut butter pretzels in
• Goggle lens defogger - so I can see the buoys during the swim
• Tri laces - For my running shoes. 

Yeah I'm ready. I'll be making updates via Twitter and Facebook all weekend except during the race. If you want to track me during the race you can chip track me at http://www.IronMan.com. My bib number is 1974, I'm in wave 17, and I start at 7:42 am Chicago time. 

I also wanted to take a moment to thank everyone that has donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by making donations, buying my water bottles and coming to my various fundraiser functions. I've raised $1,500 and hope to raise another $1,100 by the end of August. That money is helping families of victims get to doctor appointments and finding new and better cures for cancer.  

I'm going to finish packing and head up to Benton Harbor. 

Wish me luck, 

ROCK ON \M/, &

GO TEAM!

6 days to go before Steelhead 70.3 Half Ironman Things To Do

Only 6 days to go before my first half Ironman.
Only six days left until race day!! This is what I know about race day:

• Out of 18 waves, I'm in wave 17. I start swimming at 8:42 AM. (7:42 CST). The first wave is the Pro Men and they start at 7:00 AM (6 AM CST). Last year I was the first wave. I wonder what I'll do to kill time before the start of my race? 
• I'll be wearing a white swim camp according to the Steelhead website. For the past several tri's I'm always in a white cap. 
• I'm bib # 1974
• You can follow my progress live at http://ironman.com/
• I'm picking up my race packet this Wednesday Afternoon at Running Away Multi Sport in Chicago before I go to a half mile swim at Ohio Street Beach
• I need to clean my bike.
• I need more Power Bar Harverst Bars for race day. 
• I need to buy some pretzel peanut butter snacks for race day
• At the Expo I want to buy:
• A Bento Box
• Steelhead Tri Jersey
• Steelhead Hat or Visor
• Red Sunglasses
• I'll talk about this stuff later. 

Thats all I can think of for the time being. Any one want a water bottle?

Ten days away from Steelhead Half Ironman and I'm falling apart.

Less then 2 weeks away from Steelhead 70.3 Half Ironman and I’m falling apart. All my equipment and body is going to hell.

It all started last Wednesday at Ohio Street Beach. I had to swim 1.5 miles in Lake Michigan. I’m putting on my wetsuit and I find a hole in the crouch area. So I had to swim 1.5 miles without a wet suit. The air was hot and the water felt nice. I was scarred shitless that I was swimming in Lake Michigan and not wearing any flotation device. Luckily I have my wetsuit from my first triathlon for next week.  

Then on Saturday I was riding my second loop in an 11 mile loop around Lake Geneva. I wanted to do 3 loops then do a 20 minute run. Around mile 9 on the second loop I noticed my left cleat was making clicking noises. After I finish a really tough hill just outside of Fontana my shoe and cleat were not connected. I had to ride 11 miles through the hills to get back to my car on the power of my right leg. The ride totaled 44 miles. So to make up for the last 16 miles I ran for 40 minutes then swam a half a mile in Lake Geneva.

I ended up getting new Speedplay Zero cleats at Village Cycle in Elk Grove after my 12 mile run on Sunday. Today I tried using the new cleats and I could not clip in. I took my bike to Village Cycle in Arlington Heights. They said the cleats are fine I just have to break them in. Then I told them I was having issue changing into by big dear in the front of my bike. The mechanics told me I have to get a new derailer cable. Plus the bike mechanics said I need t clean my bike more or the carbon will explode. So I get my bike back on Wednesday.

See the difference in the new cleat vs. the old cleat? These barely survived 1,000 miles.   

I would go running but my side hips are aching. Instead of risking injury I’m taking a rest day and writing a blog update then doing some Yoga on www.Netflicks.com.

I hope everything works next Saturday. I did get new shoes (Saucony Hurricane 12) and a new helmet (Giro) so I don’t have to worry about my head and feet. 

 

Everyone knows I'm not going to quit. Not after I heard about Bob Percy. Bob Percy is fantastic speaker who I met a few times at Team in Training Functions. He is a great speaker. For the Team in Training Mission Moment last week our staff person told us he hitting a rough patch in his battle with blood cancer. He was with his family and going to see the team of doctors for the next course of treatment. Before the doctors came in Bob's family told him It's OK to stop treatment and take it easy. Bob then quoted a speech from Tiffany Wilson from the 2007 It's My Life conference:

"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, It's about dancing in the rain."

  Suffice to say he is posting everyday on Facebook with all the ups a down of cancer treatment. Hell I wanna dance in the rain too! I wanna keep fighting for him and all the other people battling cancer. I'm still fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Make a donation online at http://www.runningforacure.info or ask me about buying one of my Team in Training Water Bottles.  

Steelhead 2010 Training Update...Less then 3 weeks away!

Training for the Steelhead Half Ironman and trying to fundraise $2,600 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is a lot of work. I don’t remember working this hard when I was training for the Chicago Triathlon Triple Challenge last year.

Right now I’m at the peek of my training. Friday was a 1.5 mile swim. Yesterday I had to do a 50 mile bike ride and 5.5 mile run brick workout. Today I had a 12 mile run I had to hammer out around Busse Woods. I’m a little sore but I’ll survive. Tomorrow is a 2,500 yard swim.

There were plenty of times I wanted to quit. There were plenty of times I could have been sleeping in, playing video games or hang out with my friends late at night at the bar. Then I think about all the people I know who are affected by cancer. They can’t quit, they don’t have that luxury of quitting. Plus I remember that I’m stubborn and I don’t like to quit either.

Looking at how my training is going I’m expecting to finish the half Ironman in 6 to 7 hours. I’m assuming 40 to 50 minutes of swimming, 2.5 to 3 hours or cycling and 2 to 2.1 hours of running. I would be real happy if my end time was around 6 hours. My first and main goal is to finish and finish strong of course.   

I’m still fundraising. I have about $1,600 to go.  The best way you can help me is buy one my Team in Training water bottles. Click here to learn more. My Pump It Up and Noodles and Company Fundraisers did okay. Be on the lookout for another function in the very near future.   Of course you can make a donation at http://www.RunningForACure.info.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is committed to curing leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, and helping patients and their families. The support you provide is invested wisely:

In fiscal year 2008 $71.4 million was invested, including funding for 129 new grants to researchers in academic institutions and $4 million in contracts through the LLS Therapy Acceleration Program. As of June 2008, LLS was supporting 388 research projects and 9 research contracts in the U.S., Canada, and 14 other countries. LLS also provides financial assistance to patients; sponsors scientific conferences around the country; produces educational materials and videos; and runs dozens of Family Support Groups nationwide. (Source http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/all_page?item_id=12358)

Drop By Pump It Up in Glenview, IL on 6/21 to help fight blood cancers

Tomorrow on I'm throwing a fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at Pump It Up Glenview (1857 Elmdale Ave, Glenview, IL) on June 21, 2010 from 6:15 PM to 8:00 PM. The Cost is $15 Kids & $5 Adults (Optional Fee). Pizza and Soda will be included. Profits from the fundraiser will help cancer victims and research to find better cures. 

For more information go to http://www.runningforacure.info. 

Eat At Noodles & Company in Glenview on June 8th to Fight Cancer!

From Bobby on the Run

Don't Forget to Eat at Noodles and Company in Glenview (1851 Tower Drive, Glenview, IL) on June 8th from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM and mention your with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Fundraiser!
25% of the Sales will help Cancer Research! Print out the Flyer to help you remember. 
The need is critical: An estimated 912,938 people in the United States are living with, or are in remission from, leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma or myeloma. Every four minutes, someone new is diagnosed with blood cancer. Every 10 minutes, someone dies.

Research funded by LLS has led or contributed to advances such as chemotherapy, bone marrow and stem cell transplantation and new, targeted oral therapies such as Gleevec®.

Make a direct donation to my fundraising campaign to help the fight with cancer at http://www.runningforacure.info.

All this running around I forgot to share about my latest two Video Blogs

So summer camp is less then 3 weeks away. I have two months until The Steelhead 70.3 Half Ironman and I'm not even close to my fundraising goal of $2,600 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I did manage to make two new You Tube Videos.

The first one is my annoucement to the world that I'm fundrasing as a member of Team In Training for Steelhead.

The second one I made a A video Blog about what I ate when I ran the Rock N' Roll Mardi Gras for my friend's food blog at http://www.imadedinner.net. The link to the story is at http://bit.ly/daplqI. 

Enjoy

Eat at Noodles & Company in Glenview on June 8 to Fight Blood Cancers

On June 8, 2010 if you eat at Noodles and Company in Glenview (‎1851 Tower Drive, Glenview, IL) on June 8th and mention the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society a portion of the sales will go to the Society. 

An estimated 912,938 people in the United States are living with,

or are in remission from, leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma or myeloma.

Every four minutes, someone new is diagnosed with blood cancer. 

Every 10 minutes, someone dies.- 

http://www.lls.org

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) has invested more than $680 million in research, approximately $69 million in fiscal year 2009 alone. Programs like the Specialized Center of Research (SCOR), which brings together teams of scientists from different disciplines and our Translational Research Program, which funds

research with a high probability of producing innovative patient treatments in an accelerated time frame, have directly contributed to many breakthrough cancer treatments.

Research funded by LLS has led or contributed to advances such as chemotherapy, bone marrow and stem cell transplantation and new, targeted oral therapies such as Gleevec®

My 2010 Half Illinois Marathon Experience @ILMarathon

So I ran the Half Illinois Marathon last Sunday in 1:54:23. I was hoping to get close to my personal record of 1:45:29. It was humid and not the most ideal race conditions. I stuck to my plan of 1 mile to 30 second intervals. Like most of my races, I went out too fast. The the first half of the race I was hitting 8 minutes per mile. I ended up with a 8:44 minute per mile average. I finished strong, was under 2 hours, and had fun. I even ran out to the marathon course and ran in my friends to the finish line. To top every thing else, I was quoted in the Daily Illini Newspaper.

From Bobby on the Run

$5 - Team in Training 28 oz bike bottle profits help the fight with Cancer!

$5.00 Team in Training 28 oz bike bottle 

with push pull cap with contour grip neck.

From Bobby on the Run

Team In Training Logo in the front with words of inspiration from Keegan Grant on Back.

"Happiness is a choice. You can be happy or you can miserable. Either way the distance is the same."

Twenty eight ounce bike bottle. BPA free. Reusable and recyclable HDPE. Contour grip neck. Product size: 2-7/8" diameter x 9-3/4" tall. Machine washable - top rack only. Do not microwave. Ships assembled. Made in the USA.

All profits go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!

E-mail Bobby.Doborski@gmail.com for ordering information! Make a Donation at www.runningforacure.info!

Why you should donate $1 to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

As you know I'm fundraising for the The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). I want to reach my goal of $2,600 by June 1st.

Why should you donate $1?

• An estimated 912,938 people in the United States are living with, or are in remission from, leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma or myeloma. 
• Every four minutes, someone new is diagnosed with blood cancer. 
• Every 10 minutes, someone dies from a blood cancer.
• Leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children under the age of 20. 
• Lymphomas are the most common blood cancers and incidence increases with age.
• The survival rate for myeloma is only 37.1 percent. Incidence is nearly twice as high among African Americans as for all other races.

What does the LLS do with your money? What has the LLS done?

• LLS has invested more than $680 million in research, approximately $69 million in fiscal year 2009 alone.
• Programs like the Specialized Center of Research (SCOR), which brings together teams of scientists from different disciplines and the LLS Translational Research Program, which funds research with a high probability of producing innovative patient treatments in an accelerated time frame, have directly contributed to many breakthrough cancer treatments.
• Research funded by LLS has led or contributed to advances such as chemotherapy, bone marrow and stem cell transplantation and new, targeted oral therapies such as Gleevec®.
• The LLS provides critical information and support for patients and their families:
• LLS has made 4.9 million contacts with patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals in fiscal year 2009, through it's Information Resource Center (IRC), it's award winning Web site and community-based patient service programs. 
• The LLS puts people together with experts through Web-casts and teleconferences, and provided professional education through seminars, to extend the latest findings to a broader professional audience.
• Advocating for issues impacting blood cancer patients:
• With more than 20,000 advocacy volunteers throughout the country, our voice is being heard by those responsible for legislation to fund blood cancer research and educational programs.

All of this information can be found on the LLS website at www.lls.org. 

I urge please donate $1 on my fundrasing website  for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and pass the link on to your friends. The change you have lying around in your pocket can save someone's life. 

This July I become a Half Ironman to find a cure for Cancer.

This year I decided to race in the 2010 Whirlpool Ironman 70.3 Steelhead Triathlon this July in Benton Harbor, MI. More importantly I’m doing this to raise money for cancer research.

	In March of 2002 my Dad, Bob Sr., was diagnosed with cancer. Thanks to a combination of radiation and chemotherapy he survived. On Christmas Eve 2009 my Dad had a heart attack. The Doctors told my family that one of the contributing factors of my dad’s damaged heart was his cancer treatment. My Dad survived again and in my mind became Ironman for facing death twice.
Me with my Dad, AKA my hero and mentor

So I’m racing a half Ironman as a member of Team In Training to push myself to my limits, just like my dad and every other cancer patient that had to keep going to cross their own finish line and become healthy again. I’m raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) because it’s believed that once we find a cure for blood cancers other cancer cures won’t be far behind. Besides, I want to find a better cure so every cancer patient doesn’t need to be cured and then face another health challenge.

LLS has invested more than $680 million in research, approximately $69 million in fiscal year 2009 alone. Programs like the Specialized Center of Research (SCOR), which brings together teams of scientists from different disciplines and our Translational Research Program, which funds research with a high probability of producing innovative patient treatments in an accelerated time frame, have directly contributed to many breakthrough cancer treatments.

So PLEASE donate at least $1 on my fundraising webpage. My goal is to raise $2,600 for the LLS by July1st. Look out for other fundraisers through this blog and my twitter page.

For example,  my Party at Pump It Up Glenview on Monday June 21. Kids are $15 and Adults are free but asked for a $5 donation.

I Love you - Wish me Luck – Rock and or Roll \m/ – GO TEAM

Goals for 2010 Illinois Half Marathon

For my upcoming race, the Cristie Clinic Illinois Half Marathon, in May I have high hopes. After I finished Rock N Roll Mardi Gras in February a part of me felt disappointed. I had fun, the proof is on my friends Facebook profiles. A part of me wanted to hit close to my PR. So the voice in my head told me to do a half marathon before I give into to my Steelhead Half IronMan training. This is the competitive side of me. The nut job part of me that says to go longer.  The same voice in my head that is telling me to do Ironman Madison in 2011.


I've been training hard. On my long runs I've been hitting 8:00 to 8:30 minute per miles paces. I've been training with 1 mile to 30 second intervals. I expect to finish between 1:44 and 1:50 May 1st. This race no beads, no head phones, no wig. It's going to me, my Team in Training Jersey, shorts, shoes, socks, sun glasses, Power Bar Gel, Garmin Watch, and hand held water bottle.  I just don't want another long distance event under my belt. I want one that says I gave it my all and pushed my self to my limits.

For $10 I'll Customize your Team In Training Fundraising Page

Want a cool photo collage for your Team In Training fundraising website?

Like this one:

From Bobby on the Run

Want me to design & layout your webpage? For $10 I will customize a fancy photo with your photos, the Team In Training Logo and your race logo. For another $10 I will layout your webpage for you. Fundraising is tough and you need to delegate tasks at times. Let me do the designing for you!

E-mail me for more info: bobby.dobroski@gmail.com
Make a donation at http://bit.ly/9HtprB

I get to Coach the 2010 Indi Mini Half Marathon for Team in Training! @TNTIL

I just got the word today that I get to coach the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon  (AKA The Indi Min)i for Team In Training on May 8th. I'm really excited. I've always wanted to do that race. I'll probably be running more then 13.1 miles that day but I'll be so pumped to help others cross that finish line. This will be my second time officially coaching a race. 


This is how the race is described on the website:
The 34th Running of the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon takes place on Saturday, May 8, 2010.  The Mini has sold-out for the past nine years with 35,000 registrants, and an additional 4,000 participants in the Finish Line 500 Festival 5K. The Mini-Marathon is the largest half-marathon in the U.S., and overall, the fifth largest running event in America. The 2010 event sold out on December 14, 2009.


If your read my Twitter updates you know I'll be running the Half Illinois Marathon the week before. Last year I ran the full. I wanted to run a half to see if I can P.R. or get close to it. My personal best was the 2006 Chicago Distance Classic where I finished in 1:45. 

My Results from 2010 the Rock N' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon

Rock N' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon was my second worse marathon. I finished in 4:41.01 hours. My worst marathon was the 2008 Rock N' Roll Arizona Marathon where I finished in 4:45.00. I wished I could of finished around 4:20:00 but wearing10 billion beads and jester hat all 26.2 miles slows you down. Plus I should of put a little bit more speed workouts in my training. But I did have fun and glad I finished. People along the way told me I made them feel better. If thats my purpose then so be it. I'll talk more about the entire experience later.  I have to unpack my bags.

From 2010 Rock N' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon

Wanna See What I'm seeing today during the Rock N' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon?

The fine people at competitor.com made a video of the Rock N' Roll 1/2 and Full Mardi Gras Marathon. Take a look see what I'm seeing right now as I run!

What I'm waking up too for #RnRNOLA - Foo Fighters - My Hero (Acoustic on Kilborn)

Wake up Time! Nothing better to get me inspired for Rock N' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon. my seventh marathon/ Sixth state. This is one of the songs that get mes pumped to cross the finish line.

My Game Plan Rock n Roll Mardi Gras Marathon

Happy 29th Birthday to me. In less then 12 hours I'm running in the Rock N' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon. This will be my seventh marathon. For this marathon:

• I'm not running with my iPod. I want to hear all sounds and music.
• I'm going to do my darnedest to do a negative split. Start slow then work my way up. I'm going to start some where between a 9:30 a minute per mile to 10:00 minute per mile pace and pick it up. I usually get carried away in the excitement and start too fast. 
• I'm going to stick with my 5 minute run to 1 minute walk interval. Nothing new race day.Well...
• I'm going to run with beads and a jester hat. For a while at least. If the beads don't bother me, as well as the hat, I run the entire way. 
• Cytomax, the official sport drink of the race, doesn't sit well in my stomach. All four of my fuelbelt bottles will be filled with Gatorade. I'm going to rely on water at the water stops when I need it. 
• I'll have my Gus ever 5 miles. Which pans out to every 45 to 50 minutes. 
• Most importantly keep a smile on my face all 26.2 miles. Remember that happiness is a choice. You can be happy or miserable either way the distance is the same. 

ROCK ON \m/

My Goals for Rock N' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon this Sunday

This Sunday I want to run a good  consistent race for the Rock N' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon. For the past sixth marathons I've wanted a consistent strong marathon. That meaning stay a steady pace and finish strong. It would be great if I hit my Personal Record. My best marathon was the 2006 Chicago Marathon just under 4 hours. I don't know if I will hit that again. My 20 miler training wasn't my best time, but I did do it in Barrington with little hill training under my belt.If the force is with me you never know.

Really, I just want this race to be crazy fun. This was a birthday present to my self since my 29th birthday is this Saturday. If I fell bold enough I'll run with a jester hat and beads, my Co-Coach Monique from Team In Training gave me, for the entire race. I want to have a smile throughout the entire race and have alot of photos to share with everyone. After the race I want to bite into a over cooked piece of dead cow while with salty fries then chug down a ice cold beer. MMMM I can already taste it.

Get text updates as I run Rock N' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon

 If you want to follow my progress as I run the Rock n' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon  this Sunday sign up at https://www.competitorwireless.com/.

It's $2 to follow me. For those $2 you get updates on my time as run on Sunday. I don't get a dime from this endorsement nor do I expect to P.R. (Personal Record), but I thought it was cool to share with everyone.

What to do in New Orleans before the Rock N' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon?

I arrive this Friday in New Orleans approximately around 4:00 pm. I have all of Saturday to explore New Orleans then on Sunday I'll run it during the Rock n' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon. My Team in Training rriends have some  things planned out for a pre race dinner but I don't know the plan.

Other friends told me try Hurricane drinks after the race and have breakfast at Cafe Du Monde. I have to hit up the expo Saturday some time as well. I promised my Dad told that I would have lunch at Mr B.'s Bristro. Can anyone tell me what else to look at or travel too? Is there anything else to do besides eating and drinking?  I'll be staying at the Holiday Inn French Quarter. I want to come back with a lot of pictures.

View Mardi GrasTrip - 2010 in a larger map

Working on my RnR Mardi Gras Marathon Expo Wish List

This Saturday is my 29th birthday. When I'm visiting New Orleans I'll be at the Rock n' Roll Mardi Gras Race Expo picking up my bib & chip. At the expo there will be all sorts of vendors with good deals on running gear. Since it's my birthday I want to pick up some birthday presents. I have a wish list I'm going to hit.

New Sunglasses
I lost my sunglasses I bought at Illinois Marathon last year. I need a new pair.

Compression Socks
Something to help with recovery. I want them for the long plane ride home on Monday.

T-Shirt for Grandma
I love my Granny and she get's a kick when I get her a shirt from one of my races.

Nice technical shirt from the race for me
If the race gives me a cotton shirt I want a running type shirt to wear.

Gus or Power Bar Gels for Race Day
That extra boost of energy during the race.

Patch from Race
I collect patches from races that sell them.

Water bottle for fuel belt
One of my caps and bottles were destroyed on my 20 mile run. I need to replace it.

Rock n Roll Mardi Gras 2 weeks away...Oh crud I have to get ready

The Rock n' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon, My seventh marathon, is less then 2 weeks away. The one thing I'm not worried about is the race. I finished my twenty miler run last week, I'm in cutback mode now. Today I run for two hours. I feel pretty confident I'll have a good race.

I'm not ready for the vacation side of things. I have to save up a little bit more money for fun in the Big Easy. Have to pay for food, gifts at the expoo, travel to and from the airport, and the party after the race. It all adds up. If any fellow marathon runner is coming into New Orleans International Expo around 12:30pm Friday February 26 and is going to the French Quarter Area and need transportation too, please contact me. We can set something up.

Plus stupid me is leaving the day after the marathon. Don't remember what I was thinking when I booked my trip. I hope I'll be able to extend my day vacation by one day.

Rascal Flatts - Unstoppable (Olympics Mix) A.K.A My new theme for 2010

I already had Unstoppable in my playlist when I run. This mix just topped it. I love songs that get's my butt in to gear then makes me keep going when I want to quit. I'm buying this version off iTunes as we speak. Those of you on Team In Training who live in the Chicagoland area, you'll be hearing this song blasting from car when I'm coaching you.

Running My 20 miler at Fisher Nut Company in Barrington today

Time for my 20 miler. Only a few more weeks until Rock N' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon. 

The weather is not as nice as my 18 miler. If you call rainy and 40 degrees F nice, but I digress. A clerk at Runner's High 'n Tri Arlington Heights told me about a 11 mile loop in Barrington, IL near the Fisher Nut Company. Alot people run there at 7:00 am apparently. So I'm putting on the Under Armomr, putting on my tights and heading out. I hope the trails aren't frozen over and I'm not the only one there. 

This is where I'm going:

View Larger Map

Twitter is adding up my running miles

I was on Twitter and wanted to see if any one tagged me (a tweet that says @sideshowbobby71). Some how Twrun Log is following me and adds up the miles I run when I tweet the milage. That is so cool. I'll have to experewment with this to see if this really works. Take a look at it at http://twunlog.com/sideshowbobby71.

Today was my 18 miler getting ready for Rock and Roll Mardi Gras Marathon. I ran throughout Glenview. It was tough run for me. I stayed up too late the past few nights and I don't think I prepared enough. But I finished in 3 hours.  

I'm thinkging about trading my Sauconys for Stelletos. How will will I look in high heels in my next race.

Some reseach says high heels are better for you to walk in then running shoes. 

Read the LA Times report at http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2010/01/ow-enough-of-these-running-shoes-anyone-have-some-high-heels.html.  The jist of study says running shoes are harder on the knees then high heels. The full long study can be found at the PM& R Journal Website. 

Some of my running friends are trying the Nike Frees cause the shoe mimics barefoot running. I'm about to move into my next pair of Saucony Hurricane X Shoes. Should I stay or go to Nike Frees, or move into a nice pair of stelletos? Since I'm moving into my longer distances for the Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon I'll probably stick with My Hurricanes for the marathon then move into Nike Frees for the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle. 

My Internet running friends any thoughts? 

Why I'm tempted to train for Rock and Roll Mardi Gras Marathon all on a Treadmill

Here in the northern Chicago suburbs it's freaking cold. According to to the Weather Channel's website it's about 15° F. Too cold for my tastes to run outdoors to train for Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras. I gathered a couple of clean water bottles filled two with water and two with diluted Powerade, grabbed 2 Power Gels, my iPod, and all my gear and ran 14 miles on a treadmill.  It took me a little over 2 hours to finish but I did it. I kept my self sane with my interval training, changing the setting on the treadmill, and messing around with the songs on my iPod. People running the indoor track said I was crazy. I can't will defend my self on that on can I?

I would totally prefer to run outdoors. If it's was nicer I would be running the trails at Busse Woods in Schaumburg. Unfortunately the trails are frozen and don't fully thaw until March. I would love to run the along the Chicago Lakefront but there would be no place to refill my fluids when I need to. I've tried running indoor tracks at my local Ballys Heath Club but I loose track of how much I run.  According to my running logic the treadmill is the most logical place.

Why I think the tredmill is the best place to train for my race:
1) Train me for the heat. From what people tell me it's hot in New Orleans. At least I'll be used to hot conditions.
2) I avoid the cold. I hate the cold. I think spring & summer can't come soon enough.
3) Because I want to see if I'm that crazy. I think that goes without saying. But why not just go all the way and see If I can keep my sanity for 16, 18, & 20 miles.

Some websites I've been reading said I should do 60% of my training outdoors. If I could, I would, but I can't.
I think that "completive, don't say I can't cause I can" part of me wants to see this endeavor come through. So in a few weeks I'll tell you how my 16 mile run goes.