My favorite race so far in these Olympic games has been the men’s 10,000m with Mo Farah and Galen Rupp taking Gold and Silver. However, tonight’s men’s 4 x 100m relay was fantastic. As much as I wanted the U.S. to win Gold, I was blown away by Usain Bolt’s final leg. Ryan Bailey had no chance at all to hang with him. He is just amazing to watch, and his stride is absolutely stunning. What a great way to close out the track and field events with a new world record anchored by the fastest man on the planet.

Plan to be up at 5am to catch the action live.

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The weather this morning was GLORIOUS, with temps around 64º and a slight break in the humidity. This made a BIG difference today.

My original scheduled called for 16 to 18-miles at easy pace, but yesterday afternoon I got the OK from John to do the marathon workout with our group in Percy Warner Park. The plan was to do 4 x 3-mile repeats around marathon pace. I still wanted to get in 18-miles, so Nathan and I met at the Beech Grove picnic area in Percy Warner around 5:20am for a little extra.

We were able to get in just over 4-miles before beginning the workout with the group. I noticed during the warmup miles that my Garmin 405 was having a lot of trouble keeping up with our pace since we were running under heavy tree cover. My goal for the repeats was to land somewhere between 7:16 (BQ Pace) and 7:05 (Goal Marathon Pace). For repeats 1, 3, and 4 we ran a loop between the 7 & 8-mile markers on the main drive.

This loop starts off with a sharp incline that lasts for about half a mile, so I told Nathan I wanted to start conservative and then pick-up the pace once we crested the hill. The whole way up the hill I had a hard time getting the pace on my watch below 8:00, but it felt like I was killing myself. Once we reached the top, Nathan told me that our average pace for interval was 6:58, and I knew that my watch was going to be worthless today.

From this point forward Nathan kept our pace on his Garmin 305, and we slowed down our pace considerably for the remainder of this interval. We finished the first 3-miles with an average pace of 7:15 per mile, and I felt FANTASTIC. Between each of the repeats we ran easy for just over a quarter mile before beginning the next one.

For interval number two we actually left the park and ran and out-and-back route on Chickering Road. The way out was much easier than coming back due to the inclines, but we still ran a negative split and finished the second 3-miles with an average pace of 7:10 per mile.

We returned to the loop for our third interval, and I told Nathan that I wanted to get a lot closer to 7:05 for this one, but wanted to take the big hill fairly conservative. When we crested the hill our average pace was around 7:35, and over the next 2.5-miles we lowered this average to 7:04. I honestly could not believe how good I felt today. 7:05 pace felt very comfortable, and this was a BIG confidence boost.

For the final interval we were joined by Tyler who was visiting our group. We started on our normal loop, and crested the hill with a 7:19 average pace. I had told Nathan that I wanted to shoot for 7:00 pace on this one, and by the time we reached the end of the first mile we were almost there. Instead of looping back to the cars we turned out of the park again and finished up on Chickering Road with an average pace of 6:58 per mile.

We ran just under a mile back to the cars, as a cool-down, to finish up our 18-miles. I feel like Nathan and I CRUSHED the workout today. I don’t think I’ve felt this good since the Rock n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon in March. This was WAY easier than the 18-miles I ran last Saturday, and our average pace was almost 45-seconds per mile faster today.

In total we finished exactly 18-miles with an average pace of 7:45 per mile with warmup and cool down. Our average pace for the 12-miles of tempo intervals was 7:07 per mile, and our pace progressed almost exactly the way I would want for a marathon. We got a big boost from the weather conditions today, but this was not an easy course with over 1,500’ of cumulative elevation gain.

In addition to getting a big confidence boost out of today’s run, I’m also extremely proud of Nathan. He is killing it this summer, and I’m convinced he is gonna obliterate his marathon PR at the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon this November. Our average pace today with warmup and cool down is 15-seconds per mile faster than his PR. I’m excited to see what he is capable of.

Beast Mode…ON!

What a great race by Mo Farah from Great Britain to win Gold in the Olympic 5000m. I LOVED the look on his face as he was crossing the finish line. Was really hoping Lagat or Rupp would have a big kick at the end to make the podium, but it didn’t happen.

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After missing last week’s JSRC track workout because of my business trip to NYC, it was good to be back with the group tonight. We continued to have a slight break in the weather with temperatures around 86º at the start. However, even with the cooler temps the humidity was still pretty intense.

All through the warmup and strides I had a little twinge that ran all the way down my right leg and into my foot. It didn’t feel like a muscle strain or anything like that, but more like a nerve twinge caused by a tight hamstring. Whatever the case, it didn’t affect my stride, but just felt strange. Thankfully, once we got into the meat of the workout I didn’t notice it at all.

Here’s the rundown…

• 2.8-mile warmup
• 6 x 100m stride outs
• 4 x 200m f (100m recovery / 400m recovery)
• 4 x 250m fgfg (150m recovery / 400m recovery)
• 5 x 200m gfgfg (100m revoery / 400m recovery)
• 4 x 250m f (150m recovery)
• .78-mile cool down

All short intervals tonight, but I felt fantastic throughout the repeats. I ended up running the entire workout with Sue Anne, and it was really nice to have someone to run with tonight. Our consistency was a little wobbly during the first two sets, but we got dialed in during the third and fourth. In total with warmup and cool down I finished just over 8-miles with an average pace of 7:59 per mile.

One neat thing tonight was that Olivia, Kate, and Sara came out to meet me near the end of the workout. I got to run one cool down lap with Sara and another with Kate. Pretty Cool!

Beast Mode…ON!

The biggest shock this morning was seeing temps below 70º for the first time in quite a while. The humidity was still really high, but it was nice to get a break in the temperature.

My schedule called for 50-minutes at easy pace with 6 x 100m stride outs at the end. For the first time in a few weeks, Nathan and I decided to run trails, and met at the Deep Well Trailhead in Percy Warner Park…

We spent most of our 50-minutes on the red trail (Mossy Ridge Trail) and kept a very chill, but steady pace throughout. My legs were pretty tight on the steep hill at the start, but started to loosen up fairly quickly. By the end of the first mile I was feeling fairly strong on the steep climbs. Even though this trail is only 4.5-miles, there is over 1,500’ of cumulative elevation gain…

The weird thing today was that I felt pretty timid on the downhills. Being able to run fast on trails like this requires letting go, picking your spots, and trusting your footing. Well today my mind was just a little more hesitant than usual. I’m guessing this has to do with the fact that I fell twice during my last trail run, and that the Milwaukee Marathon is just a little over 8-weeks away.

All-in-all it was a tough, but enjoyable run on the trails with Nathan. The beauty of the park is amazing, and trails are definitely the best way to experience it. After finishing up our 50-minutes, we did the 6 x 100m stride outs on a section of the main drive by the trailhead. We both started off the strides fairly conservative, but picked up the pace considerably with each repeat. In total we finished just under 5.2-miles with an average pace of 10:42 per mile.

Beast Mode…ON!

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Well, today is my 38th birthday, and I was pleased to find that running at 38 feels very similar to running at 37 (so far). The best running present I could have asked for was a nice, chill-paced run with my buddies, and that is exactly what I got.

Today’s schedule called for 60 to 70 minutes at easy pace. Nathan, Josh, and I met at the Percy Warner Park main gates, and ran through the streets of Belle Meade on what was another crazy humid morning. After a first mile of 9:25, we kept the next four miles in the 8:40s and 8:50s.

At the end of mile five I suggested we take the fairly hilly Jackson Blvd all the way back to Belle Meade Blvd before heading to the main gates. After a small protest from Josh, we headed that direction and began to hit the hills. For some reason going up these inclines felt great, and I sub-consciously lowered the pace to an 8:14 sixth mile.

The highlight of a run on Jackson Blvd is passing the infamous “Gateway” mural that is painted onto the side of a house at the corner of Jackson and Harding Place…

For those of you unfamiliar with Nashville, Belle Meade is a very, very affluent area, and the fairly recent unveiling of this mural has caused quite a bit of controversy with their neighbors.

Anyway, after leaving Jackson, we finished up our run by taking Belle Mead Blvd back to the main gates at Percy Warner. All-in-all this was exactly the type of run I needed after the hard effort yesterday. I continued to feel better throughout, and my legs felt much better at the end than when we started. In total we ran for just over 65-minutes and finished 7.43-miles with an average pace of 8:48 per mile. Very enjoyable birthday run!

Beast Mode…ON!

On Wednesday evening I will be preaching at Bellevue Church of Christ in Nashville, TN. This will be part of our “Summer Series” where different preachers from around the area are invited to speak each week. Since this is our family’s home congregation, it will be particularly exciting to be able to participate. Our theme this summer is “King Jesus:  Glimpses of His Majesty,” and my assigned topic is…

• King of Generosity (Matthew 26:2-13) – We will be looking at the details of this unusual story and three things it can teach us about our own generosity as we work in the Kingdom of God.

If you are in the Middle Tennessee area, we would love to have you join us on Wednesday evening at 7pm for our mid-week study!

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Despite the controversy surrounding his “blade” prosthetics, I have found the efforts of double-amputee Oscar Pistorius (“Blade Runner”) in the Men’s 400m during the 2012 London Olympics to be nothing short of inspiring. It’s hard to think about making excuses after watching him compete…

Yesterday, during the 400m semifinal in which Pistorius did not qualify for the finals tonight, I was blown away by the act of sportsmanship exhibited by eventually 400m gold medalist Kirani James. After completing the semifinal, James walked over to Pistorius and asked if they could exchange bibs. He took Pistorius’ bib, embraced him, and then held it high in the air as he walked around the track…

James offered the following when asked about the exchange…

“Just spur of the moment,” James said. “Oscar should be a huge inspiration for everybody, whether you’re a track athlete or a normal person. You can be somebody no matter what kind of disability you have.

“Being out there and competing against Oscar is a huge honor for me. He’s a great guy, very down to earth. I’m happy to be here and compete against Oscar.”

Tonight Kirani won the first ever gold medal for his home country of Grenada, which seems fitting after such a classy move and show of sportsmanship.

These are some of the reasons why I LOVE the Olympics! Congrats to Kirani and Oscar!

Turns out this news is well over a year old, but I just found out about it today. Here’s a little backstory…

Back in February 2008 I was fortunate to be able to get an appointment with Dr. John Griffin with The Peripheral Nerve Center at Johns Hopkins Medicine. This came after experiencing bizarre neurological symptoms since August of the previous year, visiting several local doctors, and enduring numerous tests. My symptoms included numbness and intense burning over 95% of my body.

My experience at Hopkins was absolutely amazing, and I had never met a physician like Dr. Griffin. He spent a LONG time with me, was incredibly kind and reassuring, and ultimately diagnosed my previously unexplained condition. He told me that I had a very rare peripheral nerve disorder called Small Fiber Sensory Neuropathy. In addition to this, he also told me the following things about my condition:

• It is an auto-immune disorder that was most likely caused by a common virus like a cold or stomach bug. The immune system literally attacks/destroys the small fiber nerves in the skin causing the intense burning and numbness.

• The reason for this defective response by the immune system currently cannot be explained.

• Continued damage should cease within the first 5 years of the disorder.

• It should never affect my large fiber nerves, which means that it would never impair my muscles or my movement.

• The symptoms could be largely controlled/suppressed by taking daily medication.

These last two things ultimately gave me back my life. Several months before my first symptoms I had fallen in love with running, but was unable to run after the symptoms began. As a matter of fact, I didn’t want to do much of anything after the symptoms began, and fell into a deep depression.

After a couple of weeks on the medication I was largely symptom free. Also, other than an occasional flare-up, I  have remained symptom free until now, and obviously was able to run again.

Today at work the topic of my experience came up when a coworker was talking about some neourological issues his father is having. During the discussion I tried to look up Dr. Griffin and found the following article in the Baltimore Sun…

Dr. John W. Griffin, Hopkins neurology expert, dies

April 19, 2011 | By Frederick N. Rasmussen, The Baltimore Sun

He was a prolific researcher and writer who was highly regarded for his study of axons, the nerve fibers that conduct electrical impulses

Dr. John W. “Jack” Griffin, an internationally acclaimed expert on diseases of the peripheral nervous system and founding director of the Johns Hopkins Brain Science Institute who had also headed the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s department of neurology, died Saturday of bladder cancer at Gilchrist Hospice Care.

The Cockeysville resident was 69.

This news made me sad, but also caused me to think about the incredible blessing that Dr. Griffin has been for our family. R.I.P. Dr. Griffin….And Thank You!

Congratulations to Tiki Gelana, Priscah Jeptoo, and Tatyana Petrova Arkhipova on finishing 1-2-3 at yesterday’s Olympic Women’s Marathon in London. It was pretty impressive to watch them pull away during final miles. I was especially impressed by Arkhipova who seemed to be losing contact with the leaders, and then had a surge to catch back up. You don’t see that very often.

However, I’ll admit I was pretty disappointed after the race from an American perspective. It was tough to watch Desi with such a noticeable limp in her running gate, and then have to pull out after only 5k. I also thought that Shalane had a legitimate chance at a medal, but this obviously didn’t come to fruition. However, I know Shalane and Kara poured their guts out during the race, and I’m proud of them for finishing strong. It was also cool to see Kara helping Shalane as they walked off the course together arm in arm. Hoping to see all three of them bounce back quickly, and can’t wait to cheer for them in their next race.

After a very solid running week last week, I felt terrible on my rest day yesterday. I think part of it was coming down with a cold, and the bigger part of it was allowing myself to become dehydrated. I ended up staying in bed for most of the time from 1pm yesterday to 5am this morning, drinking as much fluid as I could. By this morning I was feeling a LOT better, but still not at 100%. However, I was feeling good enough to give our run a try.

The scheduled workout today included….

• 15-minute warmup (easy pace)
• 20-minute tempo (6:30 to 6:45 pace)
• 10-minute active recovery
• 20-minute tempo (6:30 to 6:45 pace)
• 15 to 20-minute cool down (easy pace)

The conditions this morning were nasty. As I was walking through our house I noticed that our windows were covered with condensation, and knew we were in trouble. When I checked the weather it showed a temp of 74º with 95% humidity and a dew point of 73º.

Nathan and I started out from the Edwin Warner Park Nature Center and ran our 15-minute warmup on the Harpeth River Greenway and back into Edwin Warner. For the first tempo segment, we did 10-minutes out-and-back on the greenway behind Ensworth High School. I told Nathan as we started that I wanted to hang toward the upper end of the range since I had felt poorly the day before, and because we had 40 total minutes of tempo work.

During the first tempo segment I felt OK, but not great. The humidity was almost overwhelming, and I started having stomach issues about 5-minutes in that didn’t let up. However, we did keep the pace under 6:45 and finished the first segment with a 6:44 average. Because of the stomach issues I had to take a bio-break during the 10-minute recovery run, which was less than ideal.

I was pretty nervous about the second tempo segment because of how hard the first one had been. Nathan suggested that we try to run a negative split on the out-and-back since both of us were pretty tired. To that end we finished the first 10 minutes with our average around 6:50. Up to that point it was a struggle, though my stomach was feeling a bit better.

On the way back Nathan started to pull away and I thought I was toast. I just tried to maintain contact with him. All of a sudden with about 6-minutes to go I started to get a second wind, and caught back up just behind Nathan. We finished out pretty strong and dropped our segment average pace to 6:43. Just before we reached the finish Nathan yelled out “Beast Mode On,” which made me smile. That 20-minutes was really, really hard, but I’m proud that Nathan and I finished both of the tempo segments within the prescribed pace range.

Today was one of those days where I don’t think I would have been able to maintain pace without having Nathan to run with. It has been huge having someone to train with this summer.

We finished up with a 17-minute cool down back to the Nature Center. As we were running back toward the cars, we heard a loud BANG coming from Ensworth High School. This gave me quite a scare, and ultimately I have no idea what it was. It sounded like a gun, though I’m guessing it has something to do with all of the construction that is going on around campus. Because of our encounter with Ensworth Security a few months ago, Nathan and I joked that it must have been a runner cutting through their campus and this time they just shot him!

Overall we completed just over 10.5-miles with an average pace of 7:46 per mile. This was definitely not my best day, but I’m thrilled to have completed the workout without my best stuff. Not only do I want to give Nathan a big shout out for helping get me through today’s workout, but also for completing 51 total miles last week, which is his biggest mileage week ever. He’s getting really strong.

Beast Mode…ON!

“Lessons From the Prayer of Hannah” (I Samuel 1:1-20) – Audio recording of my Wednesday evening sermon at Bellevue Church of Christ in Nashville, TN on July 27, 2007.

Three characteristics of Hannah’s prayer that anyone can apply to their own prayer life.

Copy of the Handout referenced in the sermon

Women’s Olympic Marathon…Go Shalane! Go Kara! I feel really bad for Desi. She started the race, but is obviously in significant pain.

I’m just now catching up on my DVR, and was blown away by the finish. So cool that they are training partners and both coached by Alberto Salazar. What a race!

One week ago I bonked at mile-12 of a planned 16-mile long run, because I didn’t take in enough fluid and carbs on a hot and humid morning. This morning I made sure that didn’t happen again. Before the run I had a Honey Stinger Waffle, 16 ounces of water, 10 ounces of coffee, and 8 ounces of Gatorade. During the run I drank approximately 40 ounces of Gatorade, 32+ ounces of water, and had a gel at the 10-mile mark. The difference turned out to be significant.

Today my schedule called for 18-miles at easy pace, and it just so happened that our planned group run, organized by Ed, was exactly 18-miles. We started at Percy Priest Dam on the east side of town and took the Stones River Greenway all the way out to Wave Country before heading back to the dam. The conditions this morning were tough with temps at 6am around 78º, and humidity well over 90%.

Our first few miles were pretty chill with regard to pace, and then we settled into a nice rhythm in the mid 8:00s for much of the remaining distance. On the way out we stopped briefly at Kohl’s parking lot to grab some fluids, and then Nathan and I slowly pulled away from the rest of the group on our way to Wave Country, and even stayed fairly steady up the monster hill at mile-8, just before Two Rivers Middle School. I’ve run this route many, many times, but I always seem to forget just how hilly it is. In 18-miles, we had over 2,300 ft of cumulative elevation gain…

We stopped briefly at Wave Country to grab some fluid and catch up with the rest of the group before turning back for our return trip. We all stayed together for a couple of miles, and then Nathan and I broke away from the rest of the group all the way back to Kohl’s parking lot. I was actually surprised at how good I felt throughout the run today. It was hot, humid, and nasty, but everything just seemed to be clicking this morning.

After grabbing some more fluid at Kohl’s we started the final 3-miles back to the dam. I hung with the group briefly, and then broke away as we began a steady climb along Stones River. I dropped my pace down a bit for the final 3-miles with splits of 7:57, 7:41, and 7:54. Even at the slightly quicker pace I still felt very comfortable. When I reached the dam I was .4-miles short of 18, so I ran back to meet up with Nathan who was only a short bit behind. We finished off the 18 in the greenway parking lot.

Overall I’m ecstatic with how I felt today. I was honestly a little nervous about the run because of my fail last week, but it ended up being really, really good. In total I finished 18-miles at an average pace of 8:27 per mile.

Since we were so far away from our normal breakfast spot, Bread & Company, we decided to hit the local Waffle House on Stewart’s Ferry Pike. Being on a training diet I don’t spend much time eating at Waffle House, but I really enjoyed the change of pace this morning, even if it is like “A gas station bathroom that sells waffles,” as comedian Jim Gaffigan would say…

Beast Mode…ON!