5Ks and Videos

At the request of a new reader to the blog, who stumbled upon this blog from the Interweb search machine, Google, I'm going to create some new buzz by saying that I'm running in the Grand Woods Trail 5K on August 16, or the Ithaca Fun Fest 5K on August 23. So, if you are looking for a 5K, I might be at those. Happy, Blake?

Anyway, in order to create more buzz, here is a music video that The Burning Bushes made for their upcoming album, Apocalypse of an Angel. I'm out.

Great Lakes Relay

This last weekend, I took part in the Great Lakes Relay. For three days, my team ran from Rogers City, MI to Empire, MI on a 270 mile course. Through trails, dirt roads, hills, and 2 rivers, the route was some of the hardest running I've ever been a part of. After 35 miles of running in these three days, I am extremely sore and extremely tired from lack of sleep from it. At the end of the day though, it was a lot of fun and I'm glad I was able to take part in it. Hopefully, I will continue to keep running hard, and will be able to run in this competition next year.

My Recent 5K

Much like my Hetero-Web-Life Partner, I am using my blog to document my recent endeavours into exercise. I recently set a goal to break 20:00 in the 5K again, and to do it by the end of July at the Run the Mountain 5K here in beautiful, flat Mount Pleasant. But, this Saturday I ran a 19:58.7 in the Coach K 5K. I was pretty proud of my efforts because I didn't figure I was ready to run that fast yet. I haven't really worked any speed into my workouts, so to be there now was a bit of a surprise. I now have a new goal of running a 19:30 on July 30. It is 10 days after the Great Lakes Relay, so I should have enough time to recover for this attempt.

Also, good luck to Johnny in your quest to 100 push-ups. Your progress is motivating me to continue to stay in shape. I won't want to arm wrestle you any time soon, though. Until next time, America. I'm out.

300 Miles

Since the third week of March, I have run over 300 miles (make notice of the milage tracker on the left hand side of the page, above the links). On this trek, I've upped my weekly milage to between 30-40 miles. This is a big step for me, who pretty much hadn't run more than 30 miles in about 3 years. With this rebirth of interest in running, I have also dropped 20 pounds, and hope to drop somewhere around 10-15 more. My goal is to run a half-marathon in September, and then attempt to run the full one sometime next spring. As a stepping stone to this goal, from July 18-20, I will be competing in the Great Lakes Relay, in which my 10 person team will be running approximately 270 miles across the northern half of the lower peninsula of Michigan over the course of three days. It seems like a good adventure, and should definitely be a good challenge for me. I'm definitely looking forward to it.

Hope all is well with the 4 or so people who actually still read this page. Hopefully, we will all be reunited at some point soon to regail in the stories of Yore, and partake in a few tasty beverages to make the stories better. I'm out.

Strike One!

In this video of a Georgia High School baseball game, we see an umpire getting pegged in the face by a baseball. Now, this looks innocent, but in fact, many people are saying this is premeditated. To read the story, go here, and then comment on what you think. I'm out.

A Job Hunt Has Ended

In what seems to be a hopeless job market for teachers in the state of Michigan, a diamond in the rough has emerged. After putting in many, many applications and resumés, Amanda is set to accept a job as a Special Ed Teacher in the Flushing school district. It's very exciting because she gets to stay in the state, and gets to teach in a nice district. She and I are very excited. So, when my student teaching is done, I will be moving to the east side of the state to live, and begin my job search. Hopefully, I will have the success Amanda has had in finding a job. Happy Gizzard Fest, only 2 days! I'm out.

Gizzard Fest

It's that time of year again. The happiest, most grease filled celebration to happen in the Mid-Michigan area. That's right, it's Gizzard Fest '08. Though it's lost some of its luster because some of us have moved to other places, those who are still around still make it a good time. This year, I've put in over 200 miles in so that I can run well in the 5K on Saturday, so I'm looking forward to that. After that, the debauchery and shenanigans that will ensue will be glorious.

If you are going to be in town (for those out of town who read this page) let me know so I can catch up with you for the day. For those who aren't going to be in town for this, the most sacred of events, we'll drink a beer and eat some gizzards on your behalf. Ahoy! I'm out.