In less than two weeks I will be running in the Las Vegas Marathon. This will be my first marathon. I will also be part of the Running Elvises or Elvi. I got my Elvis running suit about a month ago. I have a couple Elvis wigs, but they both suck. I am waiting for the Elvis sunglasses I bought on eBay to show up.
Last night I dressed up in the Elvis running suit. Underneath I wore Nike Dri-Fit shorts and shirt. It was about 52 degrees outside, about 20 degrees warmer than I have hear it is likely to be in Vegas at 6am for the start of the marathon. Anyway, with flashlight in hand, I went out for a 3 mile run. Seeing that I live in Rochester, NY, I would have looked pretty goofy running in an Elvis suit, so I did it at night. The run was on backroads so there was not alot of traffic. The few cars that passed me probably didn’t notice that I was wearing an Elvis suit. They probaby just thought it was a strange running outfit. I didn’t wear the wig.
It was a little chilly to start off with, but once I got going I warmed up. The local temperatures are supposed to drop, and I will probably try to go out again when it is a little colder. I could always wear my Under Armour Cold Gear under the suit, but that might be too much.
I am looking forward to running the Las Vegas Marathon as a Running Elvis. I will be alot of fun. Some of the perks will be an escort to the starting line. A photo-op with the Blue Man Group. We get to witness the weddings at the run through wedding chappel at mile 5.5. There are also other events such as running a glory lap at the Expo. It’s going to be a blast!
I finished my scheduled 20 miles for the day. I ran 17 miles this morning. Then I went to karate class for 2 hours. When I got home, I ran another 3 miles to finished out my 20 miles. My legs are really feeling it. Next Sunday, I only have to run 12 miles, and the following Sunday only 8 miles. Then comes the Las Vegas Marathon! I am pumped! I think I will be well prepared to run the 26.2 miles. I think running on the road with all of the people will be easier than running on the treadmill. I am pumped! 
Once A Runner by John L. Parker, Jr.
SUMMARY: Book is a classic in running fiction. But…I just didn’t get into it.
I had read raving reviews of this book. Many people listed it on the their top 5 or 10 running books. So I had to read it. The book is out of print, and kind of expensive, but if you are patient, a reasonably priced copy will show up on Amazon, or eBay. I had to wait a little bit, but I found a copy for under $20 which is a good price for this book.
When it came, I was in the middle of a few other books, but I finished them, I started Once A Runner.
I really expected to like it, but it was kind of slow. The book just didn’t grab me. I really didn’t care much about the characters. The writing style was ho hum. I am sure Mr Parker did the best he was capable of. It seems like he was trying to write a novel about running, like what Pat Conroy did with basketball in his novel The Lords Of Discipline. But unfortunately Parker just doesn’t have that level of writing skills of Pat Conroy. But just because I didn’t enjoy the book doesn’t mean you wont. As I said, many other people rated it highly. To each their own.
Read more…
I want to try doing a triathlon. I can run, and I can bike. But I am a terrible swimmer. I am currently reading a book titled Swim, Bike, Run, Laugh!: A Lighthearted Look at the Serious Sport of Triathlon and the Ironman Experience by Dan Madson in which the author starts doing triathlons. To learn to swim, some recommended the book Total Immersion by Terry Laughlin. One of my co-workers is a master level swimmer so I asked him for recommendations. He also recommended the Total Immersion system which is what he uses and even teaches. I found that he teaches on Tuesday and Thursday nights, the same nights that I teach karate classes. But he learned from the books and the videos. So I decided to buy the book and the video myself. The author has a book tailored to triathlon titled Triathlon Swimming Made Easy: The Total Immersion Way for Anyone to Master Open-Water Swimming. I also ordered the DVD Freestyle Made Easy. I am looking forward to getting them. Meanwhile, I picked up a copy http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1931009015/ref=nosim/fitnessports0-20 by the same author for the library, so I can start reading and learning. I’ll have to find some time to get the to the local swimming pool to try some of the techniques.
I did a 20 mile run on Sunday, and from the beginning, the calf muscle of my right leg felt tight. I had done calf stretches before the run…mostly for my left leg to help prevent the IT band problems I have been having. But from the start of the run, it felt like my right calf was kind of knotted up a little. I kept expecting it to loosen up. But it never did. In fact it very gradually got worse. It was mostly just a growing discomfort. But a few times in the second 10 miles, I would step it down, and get a sharp pain. It would only last for a step or two, then go back to the strong discomfort.
It has continued to be a little sore. It doesn’t feel like I tore anything, or strained anything. Nothing like that. More like a cramping, or knotting in the muscle. Like a tightness. Yesterday I stopped into a Bed Bath & Beyond, and saw handheld massager gadget. I tried it on my calf muscle. It did help it feel better. It still doesn’t feel like the left calf. There is still a little tightness. But not pain. I think I might buy one of those massage thingys. I don’t know how much I will use it, but it would great to have when I need it.