run Jeff run......

To begin, I was told that I would be docked a letter grade if I failed to update this blog.  The good news I am no longer in school and even if I were I could survive on getting a B instead of A as B is still getting a degree.  

So where to begin with the updates? This year has been quite the year for myself and our family.  I started running again, Tiffany and I bought a house and Zackary is just getting bigger, faster and funnier to listen to.

I have been trying for years to take up running again with the intent of losing weight.  This apparently is not enough motivation to begin running again.  A friend of decided that I needed to run a 5k with him, but of course it wasn’t just any 5k it was the Mud Dog run.  Now I must preface this a little, I haven’t run a 5k in over 16 yrs so I was thinking this was going to be a daunting task.  I know what some of you are saying “Its only 3.1 miles”, but at that moment to me I might as well be running a marathon.  

Now the Mud Dog run is not an ordinary 5k, it has 12-13 obstacles that each runner must navigate in order to complete the race.  The obstacles range from fording streams and rivers to climbing over the organizers Toyota Trecel (It reminded me of the red Toyota Corolla).   

I think the most interesting obstacle was the bed of flour that you had to crawling on my hands and knees.  This wouldn’t have been so bad except that it was raining and what does water and flour make.  

Needless to say as I jumped over the fire to cross the finish line I was very happy to be finished and felt a great sense of accomplishment.  This race was early in the spring season and I have not stopped running since.   

I have been running 10-12 miles through the week and then Saturday I usually run 8-10 miles.

The long mileage on the weekends was preparation for the Baltimore half marathon I just finished running. Here are some of the pictures of the race 

http://www.marathonfoto.com/index.cfm?action=site.login&RaceOID=17472011F1&LastName=HOELLEIN&BibNumber=41644&spMAILINGID=36549661&spUserID=MTA4NjE5MjA5OTQS1&spJOBID=116342407&spREPORTID=MTE2MzQyNDA3S0

It was very grueling but very exciting when I finished the 13.1 miles.  Before the race began I was thinking that I would try running the full Baltimore marathon next year and I was feeling totally confident that I could, however while I was running and somewhere around mile 9 I was thinking the full marathon was the stupidest idea I have ever had.  I still might think about it as the year goes on, but right now I am even close to being ready.