Hitting the Wall

I recently ran a marathon...if you count May as being recent. Since I ran this marathon I've actually only ran three times, the latest being this past Wednesday on my day off. I have the mind set of "I was in good shape before the marathon, I did just run a marathon, so I'm still in just as good of shape." Makes sense right? WRONG!!! When I left my house I was feeling really good, hydrated, rested, shoes on tight but not too tight, just really ready for a nice long run. I started at a pace that was way too fast, I think I was doing a 7-8 minute mile pace, which I was usually do 10 min miles when I training for and actually running the marathon, bad idea...but it was down hill, it was natural...but then once I got to the bottom of the hill I realized that I needed to go back up. I think I made it about 100 yards before I "hit the wall." There was no way I could run all the way back where I just came from. This sucked because I was pretty far from my house at this time and had to face the reality of the long walk back. This sucks for me because I had to face the reality that I have lost a lot of what I had gained at the beginning of the year...and that also means I need to run more, but I've gotten pretty lazy and there's so much good stuff on TV right now with the new seasons starting...

yeah...this didn't work

I was gonna post a blog tonight, about how I'm excited to watch all the people come back from burning man convered in the dust that covers everything...but then I lost interest...sorry.

Off to war for the day

So I'm sitting here, in a tent, in a "deployed" location (meaning the parking lot) checking my myspace, and now blogging, as I'm in MOPP (Mission Oriented Protective Posture) level 4, which mean I have my Chemical Protective Overgarment, rubber overboots, gloves, and gas mask on...I love this stuff...Did I mention that it was over 100 down here in Sacramento yesterday and that it was so hot in our tent that the computers started to shut off? If anyone know someone that works for Cisco tell them they have a great product...except when it gets too hot and they don't want to work anymore. But only 2 days left and I'm back to beautiful Reno.

Anyone wanna join the guard?

get the wheel turning a little

I'm gonna throw this up here for us to discuss before I drop (or even start to write) this big one.

I had a conversation with a friend a few months ago about doing this for a purpose. She had asked me why I had done certain things in my life and my only answer was "for fun." Simple as that, I did things just so I could have fun. The friend I was talking to didn't like this answer because my purpose wasn't to give glory to God, or to see people come to know him through the things that I do.

The thing I'm pondering is, Is there anything wrong with in your purpose driven life, to have the purpose of things you do be...just for fun? God likes me to enjoy myself and the things that I do right? And as long as I'm not sinning or causing other to fall its wrong is it?

Let me know your thoughts on this please.

DD

Something new???

Be looking out in the short future for a new blog from the great Double D, it'll contain short stories and lessons learned from a 26.2 mile trek through the beautiful city of Reno, Nevada. Its sure not to dissapoint.

DD

Max vs. The Sneak

My parents are away at a baby shower in Sonora this weekend. Actually my mom went to the baby shower, while my dad went and played with my uncle in his wood shop. But anyways, being the only child in the same city as my parents, and because I was the one that gave them this wonderful Christmas present, I was given the privilege of dog sitting this weekend.
So I like Max a lot, he's probably #1 on my list of coolest dogs ever...maybe #2 behind my sisters old dog, but he's dead so its all about Max.
But instead of driving all the way out to Cold Springs to spend my weekend with Max I had my parents bring him to me. He spent a few days here when I first got him when I was still trying to pretend like I didn't get my parents a dog for Christmas. There where no real problems with him here, all of us grew to love him and got a lot of enjoyment from messing with him. One of the things we laughed at the most was his interaction with David Dwyers cat, The Sneak. I didn't remember this until earlier today, but here what happens.
Max is a wuss, and a lot like me, he doesn't seam to have a care in the world as far as things going on around him. The Sneak owns this house, he know exactly what’s going on here at all times, unless he's asleep. So what happens when Max enters the Sneaks house? The sneak gets unhappy, not with us, but with this stupid animal running around with his cut off tail. So periodically throughout the day Max will be walking around the house doin something and then all of a sudden here comes the Sneak, chasing Max. I believe that Max just thinks its a game, while the Sneak is honestly trying to scare this dog enough to get out of the house. Its great because Max will lose the Sneak, and then the Sneak will wait at a corner and wait till he hears Max coming and when he's not expecting it...here comes the Sneak.
As much as I enjoy seeing a good fight I don't think I want to see this one happen. I think Max would get messed up pretty good by the Sneak with his claws and sharp teeth.
I have one more day with Max before he goes back home...we'll have to see if this fight happens or not. I'll keep you posted.

Run, Forest, Run

I've been running a lot lately. Probably not as much as I should be to best help me when it comes down to race day, but still I'm running a lot more then I had been in the recent past, i.e.: getting off active duty. But when I was on active duty one of the wise purchases I made was a pair of running shoes. The store I went to in Biloxi, Mississippi had a large selection of shoes, but none that suited me. So being me I decided to purchase the ugliest/cheapest running shoes that I could find, because that meant that they where once good. I think I spent like $30 on them...maybe not even that much.
So I ran a little here, and little there. I actually did do about 6 miles one day, never thought too much about the shoes beyond "these shoes aren't too great" but I never thought to do anything about that.
When I began training for this marathon one thing I was told was to make sure I had a good pair of running shoes, they might cost me a little more then I'm used to spending on a pair of shoes but they'll be worth it in the end when you actually have feet at the end of the 26.2 miles. So in my mind, this is telling me, if you have crappy shoes you can get by, but having nice shoes will make it easier.
Then about a month or so later (yesterday) I finally go to the running store and purchase some nice running shoes. I spent like $85 of these bad boys, they're pretty nice, I put my foot in them and I could tell the difference between them and my $30 shoes. So I buy them.
I went for a run today, with my new shoes on, and I was expecting great things out of these shoes, pretty much for them to run for me and I'm just providing the feet to get them to the end, I don't have to do any work...I was wrong. Although my feet definitely where more comfortable I still had to do a lot of work to get me to the end.
I guess the point of this kinda is...how much do I have to pay for shoes that'll run the 26.2 miles for me so that all I have to do is just be there with them on and I can finish the race without having to work hard?