Quick Post

Just a quick post tonight as it is late and I am tired.
Worked out on both the Ellipticle and TM tonight for a total of 7.42 miles.
I have developed a blister on the inside of my left heel.
Close inspection of my shoe shows a slight inward crease on the edge of the insole. That is what caused it. I will visit my shoe store soon and ask them to replace the insole. I tried folding it outward but it returns back to were it was every time.

Keep Moving Forward Everyone.

Don't Be A Couch Potato

So I’ve made a decision and now I need to come up with a plan. How am I going to catch up on those 44 miles? Well one thing for certain is I can’t be a couch potato. I would hate to earn one of these.

Rather I should be peelin’ tators so to speak.

What do I mean by? Well admittedly I do watch a fair share of TV. We all know I get through my home treadmill routines by visiting TM theater. Perhaps its time to make TV time, TMTV time.

This occurred to me last night while laying on the couch watching “The Biggest Loser”. Next up was “Big Brother 9” which we had recorded earlier on the DVR. Again, just lying around on the couch. The couch can be a problem for me. Especially, if my plans are to workout later that night. I can become very apathetic to the idea of exercise while lying there. While I prefer the machines at SNAP the funny thing about not using the one at home is the fact that it is right next to than couch I'm laying on.

Now I like the idea of walking during shows such as “Biggest Loser” but I am not certain why I watch that train wreck they call Big Brother.

Tonight I walked through four more episodes of Zorro. I’m really digging it. When I saw these as a kid I only caught an episode here and there. Now I get to watch them in order and experience the whole story.

Mileage posted in the right hand column.

1374 Miles 26.5 Miles Per Week 52 Weeks

Have you checked out Craig and Kristin's blog "Running to Disney?" I really like the theme they have come up with. So much so that I am going to make that a goal myself over this next year.
This post title says it all. That's what I have to put in before I get on the plane to head down to Orlando.

As things stand today I am behind that goal by about 44 miles. Even though 44 sounds like a lot of miles I feel that I can do it. I just need to do a couple things. Make certain that from this point on I reach the 26.5 MPW and put in a little extra. At some point in the months ahead I would like to meet and beat the monthly mileage I had last September during the Jon-A-Thon. 216.49 miles. What I need to decide is whether to do that before or after Dam to Dam in May. I am thinking after might be the better plan.

I have posted a picture to show where this years mileage puts me so far. 114 miles east of Des Moines. Just about to take a turn south.

Tonight was a WOG at SNAP 5.3 Miles 60min.

Be sure to drop by and say hello to Craig and Kristin at http://www.runningtodisney.com/

Out Of The Night,

When The Full Moon Is Bright, Comes a horseman known as...

Those of you following this blog know that I am a big classic movie fan. Yesterday I received a Disney Movie Reward that I had been saving my points for. A boxed set of the complete first season of Disney's Zorro. 5 DVDs containing 39 episodes. It is currently sold as a Disney Movie Club exclusive. Which can be purchased only if you are member. Disney Movie Reward members can pick a set up for 2200 pts.

So tonight I am planning a walking trip over at Treadmill Theater.

Update 10:40pm

Well I have indeed visited the old TM Theater. I walked 5.32 miles in 80 Min. The episodes I have watched so far have been a lot of fun. There's nothing like a good swashbuckling adventure. One thing about these releases surprised me. The episodes have been colorized. I was expecting the original B/W copies. A number of years ago when Ted Turner purchased rights to MGM he colorized a number of films. Some looked pretty good while others looked like crud. These Zorro episodes look fantastic. As if they were originally filmed this way.

I have not joined the Disney Movie club in the past but if exclusive films such as these are being offered I may consider it. A flyer in the first DVD listed programmed wrapped and labeled As "The Wonderful World Of Disney" which is the version of Disney television programming I grew up with. So I made need to look further into this.

But for now I'm heading over to the microwave and popping a bag of Heathly-Pop Popcorn. I'm going to watch a few more episodes. I feel like such a kid.

The Hills Are Alive With The Sound Of Quacking

Well no exercise yesterday. I was a bit selfish and worked on a personal project after work.

(Just blame Glenn I do) Only Kidding.

But instead of taking today as the traditional rest day. I hopped on the home TM this morning and walked some hills. (Choice inspired by Deb). I started off with an elevation of 2 and increased it every 5 min. At 50 min I was on 10. I took it back down to a 2 and finished my walk. 4 miles 60 minutes.

And for those of you wandering about a possible Donald Medal look no further here it is.

I sent one out to Mike Fess this morning. Check your mail Mike.

I try to check blogs everyday and if I miss an achievment please drop me a comment or e-mail and let me know. I will be happy to keep sending these out as we all progress.

New Wheels

Well yesterday I had a nice treadmill run in the new shoes. 6.2 miles. I have already highlighted my log sheet to track the mileage on them. These shoes are a change for me. My last two pairs were Saucony's and these are Asics. After inspecting my last pair the salesman suggested that I go slightly narrower. My last shoe was a wide and though it seemed comfortable there was considerable wear inside the shoe. The salesman said that was from excessive movement.

I certainly can't complain after yesterday jog. I still have time to continue trying them out. But I thik these are going to work out fine.

A number of you have sent me comments or e-mails asking what is a Huey. A Huey is 3.27 miles or 2/8 of the distance of a 1/2 marathon. Other duck characters represent the other 8ths. I posted a chart last January on this blog.

This link will take you to it.

http://snowytundratraining.blogspot.com/2008/01/training-goals-team-voice.html

Todays exercise will have to wait for after work. But I am prepared. I am bringing a gym bag with me and will stop at SNAP afterward.

Update 11:40pm. Made it to SNAP packing the gym bag proved to be a fine idea. I did 30min of strength training and then hopped onto the TM. About 1.5 miles in I developed a stitch in my right side so I slowed things down to a walk and after a bit it seemed to pass. It came right back once I jogged again though. Not sure what caused it, but I decided to listen to my body and I stopped at 2.64 miles. The shoes did nicely again tonight so I am pleased with that.

Till next time...

Smells Like TEAM Spirit

Videographer John Corigliano is just waiting for you to run this gaunlet. And we're all here to cheer you and each other on.

There were many highlights last December during Mousefest. Next to spending time alone with my wife during this trip, meeting the other Team Voice members is at the top of my list. And since that event the Team has grown. There are so many more of you to meet next January. And it will be here before we know it. Wow I can't wait. One month down eleven to go.

Spent a couple days letting my legs recover from Friday. My legs were sore even today but, I could not let that discourage me. I checked in on our mutual pal Huey today with a nice time.
And this afternoon I went out and finally purchased a new pair of running shoes. They felt great in the store and tomorrow I will try them out at SNAP. I changed brands so we will see how it goes. Store policy is bring them back if they don't work out well.
Tomorrow I may give a report.

Thanks to those of you who have posted comments here for the first time. I have added you to my blog file if I found that you had a blog. If you have a training or Disney related blog and have posted comments here and you are not on my list let me know. My goal is to return the favor by added a link to your site. I can be reached at caballerofan@mchsi.com Feel free to e-mail anytime.

20K Goal today, but wait isn't that Donald?

In honor of Jules Verne week over at Passamaquoddy I decided that if the weather became agreeable this week I would attempt a 20K.

Well temps today were in the low teens with very little wind.

I decided to go for it. I went out with the intention of heading out 6.2 miles and then turning around. As I approached the 6.2 mile mark I thought about Kates recent blog and asked myself if I should check in on Dewey before turning around. That is exactly what I did. Once I reached Dewey I did take a short walking breather. From there I did pretty well up until the 11 mile mark. The cold air was beginning to work on my lungs as I headed into a slight breeze.

The final 2.1 miles were a wog. But I did it. 13.1 miles in 2 hrs 17 mins.

I will say that I quickly realized how spoiled I had gotten on the treadmill. The road works your body in a whole different way. So be sure to mix your future training with road work once conditions allow in your area.

I had ice rimming my glasses and hanging from my beard. Here's a picture that my wife took when I got home.

I was exhausted but man it felt good when it was over. Looking forward to much warmer days here.

Hope you are all doing well.

Well I'll be a Flying Donkey.

I have fallen behind on many of the podcasts that I listen to. One of those podcasts is "Inside The Magic" According to Jeff from MO, Ricky recently made an exciting annoucement. Here is the statment Jeff made on his blog (http://dishippy.blogspot.com/)Thursday Thursday, February 7, 2008.

"I just found out listening to the Inside the Magic podcast that they are rereleasing The Three Caballeros and Saludos Amigos in one dvd set. This is extremely exciting since that is one of my favorites. The Three Caballeros that is. I've never seen Saludos Amigos so I'm excited to seeing it for the first time. The release date is April 29, 2008. Can't wait."

These are two titles that had been retired into the Disney vault some time ago. About 6 months ago I found a copy of The Three Caballeros on DVD at Best Buy. Unfortunitly I could not find Saludos Amigo's. Like Jeff from MO I have not seen that film. Although I own the one I will certainly purchase this DVD when it is released.

I have to believe that these are being brought back out to complement the "Grand Fiesta Tour" which opened in Epoct last year. Figment aside, I typically am not a fan of putting the Disney characters in Epcot but they pulled this one off nicely. The introduction of Donald, Jose, and Panchito keeps this ride lively and entertaining.



According to Wikipedia.
Saludos Amigos premiered in Rio de Janeiro on Aug 24th 1942. It was released in the United States on February 6th 1943. It garnered mixed reviews and was only reissued once, in 1949, when it was shown on a double bill with the first reissue of Dumbo

It contained these short stories.

Lake Titicaca,
American tourist Donald Duck visits the titlee location and meets with some of the local yokels, including an obstinate Llama
Pedro,
involves the title character, a small airplane from Chile, engaging in his very first flight to pick up air mail from Mendoza, with near disastrous results.
El Gaucho Goofy,
American cowboy Goofy gets taken mysteriously to the Argentine pampas to learn the ways of the native gaucho. This segment was later edited for the film's video release to remove one scene of Goofy smoking a cigarette.
Aquarela do Brasil (or "Watercolor of Brazil"),
The finale of the film, involves a brand-new character, Jose Carioca, Donald Duck around South America and introducing him to the samba.


Three Caballeros was released in 1944.
In this movie we get to celebrate along with Donald Duck as he opens his birthday gifts.
A projector and a series of films. Of course Donald himself becomes part of the animated fun as the film progresses.

The Cold-Blooded Penguin,
Involves a penguin named Pablo, who is so fed up with the freezing conditions of the South Pole that he decides to leave for warmer climates.

The Flying Gauchito,
The adventures of a little boy from Uruguay and his winged donkey, Burrito.

Bahia,
A pop-up book trip through Salvador, the capital of the Brazilian state of Bahia, as Donald Duck and José Carioca meet up with some of the locals who dance an interesting samba and Donald starts pining for one of the females in the group.

Las Posadas,
Is the story of a group of Mexican children who celebrate Christmas by re-enacting the journey of Mary and Joseph searching for room at the inn. "Posada" means "inn", and they are told "no posada" at each house until they come to one where they are offered shelter in a stable. This leads to festivities including the breaking of the piñata, which in turn leads to Donald Duck trying to break the piñata as well.

I would place Three Caballeros in my top ten list of Disney favorites. It's one of those nostalgic looks back into what the Studios were producing so many years ago.

Thanks Jeff for the heads up on this upcoming release. And welcome again to the blogging world.

On a training note. I have not done a thing since Mondays run. I have this afternoon off and will be getting up to SNAP. I will post an update later today.

If a cell phone rings in the forest would life go on?

I am willing to bet that right now someone somewhere is…

Snowboarding down a mountain, one hand is holding a phone while the other holds a Red Bull or Monster. Watch out for that tree pal.

Visiting a forest and enjoying its wildlife. Then the phone rings and frightens the animals away. Or worse yet, attracts the attention of a nearby bear.

Walking through Epcot and talking business on the phone. While his wife is walking next to him pushing a stroller, and she’s ticked off that he couldn’t leave work at the office to fully enjoy the family “vacation” she spent months planning. (Witnessed this one personally during Mousefest, She was not happy.)

Oh, and later that night. Same couple San Angel Inn Cantina at dinner time. Yep he’s on the phone.

A couple weeks ago I was at SNAP and the lady running (or rather sprinting) next to me had her phone resting in the cup holder. She took two calls while I was there. She just stepped off the belt and onto the side deck. Good grief, get a clue lady. I would never let a phone interrupt my workout like that.

The cell phone is a major part of our society today. It is both useful and in my opinion it is one of the greatest scourges on our planet. And for heavens sake don’t get me started on text messaging. Some people can’t be without it.

The cell phone has become a fashion accessory in some cases.

“Oh have you seen my new Razor”
“That’s so old I just got a Chocolate”
“Chocolate is sooooo last year, mines a Jukebox, look it swings open sideways”
“Mine has camera”
“Mine plays music”
“Mine clips toenails”

And mine? Well mine has a ringer and I talk to people on it. And yes shocker of shockers I sometimes leave it at home.

A number of years ago I had the great pleasure of taking a couple trips out to Miramonte national park in SW Colorado to go camping and fishing with my Dad. Being away from it all was great. Each morning I would find him sitting outside drinking his coffee and watching the mountains reflected in the lake as the sun came up.

One morning he said “It took me years to learn how to do this.” I asked him what he meant. “To just take the time to slow down” His point was that in our busy lives we need to take the time to just decompress and put things on the shelf for awhile. It’s ok to do that. “Son, sometimes you just need to go and sit on a rock.”

It’s interesting how this post started out as a rant about my annoyance with cell phones and then my mind turned to Dad and his rock. I realize now that I need to do just that. I have been somewhat stressed lately and although the temps are cold here I could always take the time to just go and unwind somewhere, instead of giving into to a food temptation. I could drive out to the lake and watch people ice fishing, I could go to a mall and people watch, or I could just go find a nice quiet place like a bookstore and relax in its coffee shop.

So here is a challenge for you. Take at least 5 + minutes and give yourself a break today. Just go somewhere sit back, relax, and enjoy another episode of the All About the Mouse Disney Podcast. Ok I’m kidding about the podcast. You can listen to that later, and you should by the way.

Just take some quiet time today. No Ipod and no cell phone.

Don't Let The Wall Stop You

A little photoshop fun tonight. As I look back on my '06 20K run, and forward to this years 20k in May and the '09 Half.

Have you ever watched a runner hit the wall? Not a physical wall, but that point of exertion where it looks like they’ve given it all they have.
Perhaps you’ve witnessed this happen and felt bad.
Perhaps you’ve witnessed someone push through, overcome, and have been inspired.
Perhaps one of those statements rings true for yourself.

In early June of ’06 I hit the wall somewhere around the 10th mile marker of the Dam to Dam 20K.
I managed to get through the last 2.4 miles by wogging it out.
I had trained beyond that point, and even had completed a 12 mile jog two weeks prior.

So what happened?

Well a combination of things. But first, let me first say that I did achieve my primary goal of simply completing the 20K. Something I never imagined I could do.

This was the first event of its kind I had ever done. It was a benchmark that I set while working on health goals. On the morning of the race I was able to meet up with my pal Larry from work. He and I had discussed doing this event and being that we shared a similar pace, we met up in the same starting corral to run together.

We maintained a nice 10min pace for those first 10 miles.
But those 10 miles where different than anything my training had prepared me for.

I had always trained at night during the cooler evening hours. Never in the Sun.

I never trained for hills. Dam only has a few hills but the one at mile 8 took some of the wind out of my sails as we pushed through it.

In training I had one speed and once there I tried to just keep my rhythm. I found that slowing down for water stops not only threw me off pace, but it was awkward too.

Although there were no rules against it, I did not bring my IPod. (Which is something I was very used to having) I purposely left it at home because I figured Larry and I would most likely be talking to each other and motivating one another during the race.
The motivation and support was great but all the talking winded me more than I expected it to.

Around that 10th mile I made a decision that had I kept going, might have kept me from hitting that darn wall. I slowed down for a cup of water and decided to take a quick nature break. I told Larry to keep going and that I would catch up. I was back on the road shortly but I just could not comfortably fall back into my previous pace. I just felt zapped. I saw Larry up ahead looking back and waved at him to continue. Which I am glad he did.

Here is a picture of me taken between the 11th and 12th mile.





Looking at my stride you can see that I am dragging a bit here. But you know, there was never a point when I said enough or I quit.
I stuck it out and as I made the final turn, I could hear the drum line of a local high school band playing. It charged me up, and with renewed energy I sprinted that last ½ mile.

So Donald and his brick wall represent that darn wall I hit. My goal this coming May is to not only finish this race, but to avoid hitting that wall. I have a feeling that on race day it will be lurking in the back of my mind. My intention is not to break through it, but to train smarter for it and simply never hit it.

This year Larry and I are both planning on some long outdoor runs once the weather turns nice.
Although I do not think Ipods are banned, I will follow mgreenes earlier advice and leave it at home again. This time I want to soak it all in, and I feel that I can do that since I have been there before.
This year I have you guys to help spur me on when things get tough.


I certainly want to encourage you all to picture our friend Donald in the months ahead.
Push through those things that challenge you. I can't wait to see you all at that Disney finish line in '09.

Keep Up The Good Walk...Never Mind That Plateau

My friend Jason from church came up with "Keep Up The Good Walk." What a nice pat on the back that was to read in a recent e-mail. Jason thank you for being a great pal and for the support and prayers.

Now a brief word about that plateau. Looking over the past several weeks one could get discourage looking at my results on the scale. Up/down up/down 3-5 lbs each week. Can't seem to break under 200. Yet. But while the scale says one thing, the mirror says another. Out of curiosity this morning I tried on a pair of jeans that I have not worn since '06. They fit, comfortably. How cool is that?

See the glass really is half full...

Daily Point range (24-29)
Today’s Points: 32
Flex Used This Week: 8/35
Exercise: Yes

Late Night

It's nearly 11:30 pm amd I have not exercised today.
Off work late. Computer had a virus. But hey, life goes on.
I should have gone up and exercised while my pc ran another system scan. But I didn't.
I have to get up for work in about seven hours so I have decided to skip the exercise tonight.
My thoughts are saying just make this your rest day, and make it up on Friday.
Sounds good if I stick to it.

Daily Point range (24-29)
Today’s Points: 21
Flex Used This Week: 5/35
Exercise: No, But I did shovel another 3 inches off the driveway this morning. 30min.

Well better get to bed...

Not Done With the Tundra Calorie Burner Yet.

Snow has fallen on the meadow. I mean Tundra. About 4 inches so far, but the forecast calls for 12 inches all the way up to a whopping 1 foot.

Daily Point range (24-29)

Today’s Points: 27
Flex Used This Week: 5/35

Exercise: Yes Intervals

I mentioned to Matt that I would post a picture of my Champoin Chip. It arrived this past Saturday.

Thanks for all the great comments on yesterdays post.

Checking On Huey.

Tonight was another one of those nights when I had a hard time getting the motivation to get out the door. But thankfully I did. I decided to do some strength training tonight. (an area I really need to work on, but have lacked the enthusiasm for). I did 30 min of that and then moved over to the treadmill. I managed a nice Huey run 3.275 miles in 30.17 min.

Over the past months I have been very surprised by the days when I am not in the mood to exercise. I may not always get through that mental block, but when I do it is very rewarding.
One way I get myself through this is thinking about the other Team Voice members. My thoughts are not about letting anyone down. They are more in line with the poem that Kate wrote for Jonathan entitled "Will you run for me?" You can read it on Jonathan's blog here http://voiceofmousetunes.blogspot.com/2007/03/will-you-run-for-me-by-kate.html

When I stuggle I often ask myself, am I willing to run a mile for Rae? Jon? Kate? Deb? Byron? mgreene? Bryan? Jogger? and now I can even add Matt. The answer is yes. The reason is support. Sometimes our comments back and forth on these blogs can get detailed or be very brief. I value them all and I thank each of you for them. Without you guys I might still be sitting on the couch and turning into a potato. Now I am getting healthier each week and I have goals out there to reach for.

Daily Point range (24-29)
Today’s Points: 29
Flex Used This Week: 5/35
Exercise: Yes

If you have not posted on someones blog for awhile please stop by. Even if just to say hello. This goes for anyone out there that has never left a comment on these blogs. Please feel free to introduce yourselves.

Team Voice: Many Goals, One Voice

6 in 60

Post Superbowl greetings,

What a dull game. (But then I just watch for the commercials) Till the last quarter that is. What a comeback! I really did not have a favorite team going into this afternoons game. In fact I don't have a favorite team at all. I did go into the flex points tonight and that is noted below.

I noticed I have not blogged since Thursday. Points have been good. I took my Friday rest day and then never got to it on Saturday.

We went out of town this past Saturday and drove down to the Unfinished Furniture store in Oskaloosa. It is located about an hour from where we live. Our mission was to find a new computer hutch with doors, which we could put on our main floor. This way it's easier to monitor the kids. We had tried many stores and after learning about this store we decided a nice road trip would be worth it, regardless of if we found anything. The trip paid off, we found an oak hutch that perfectly meets our needs.

When the "tundra" warms up a bit I still need to stain and seal it but hey we got a nice deal. Information on this store can be found here http://www.dooleyinc.com/ after loading up our purchase we traveled to Pella. Pella is know for it's Dutch history. We stopped and visited a few shops in the town square. It is much like a true 'Main Street' of olden days. We eventually came to the Jaarsma Family Bakery. This place was packed with customers. We each had a dutch letter and bought some cookies for the kids. A dutch letter is basically an almond paste rolled up in a flaky sugary crust. It is baked in the shape of an S.

Jaarma delivers, so if you like dutch pasties visit their site here. http://www.jaarsmabakery.com/

Upon returning home we decided to put the new desk into service, even though I will need to unload it this spring to finish it off. Everything was going great until I pressed the power button on my pc tower. Nothing happened. For some reason the power supply decided it was time to fail. I tried a few things with no luck. I called Ray who lives in town, and also works for the same company I do for his opinion. He agreed it sounded like the supply and he actually had a spare and brought it over for us to borrow. Now all is well and I need to order a new supply.

Being that I did not exercise yesterday I made no excuses about getting to it today. My wife and I went up before going over to her Dads to watch the big game. About 25 min into it I wanted to stop. I had fallen into the trap of pushing myself just a bit further than I should at this point. I had ramped the speed up to 6.7 and maintained it for longer than I should have. I dropped the speed back down to a 6 and realized if I kept going I could get a full 6 miles in during my hour. Somehow I stuck it out and hit that 6th mile just moments before the 60 min mark. To get there I did not do a cool down. I just "kept moving forward".

Friday

Daily Point range (24-29)
Today’s Points: 28
Flex Used This Week: 3/35

Exercise: Rest Day

Saturday

Daily Point range (24-29)
Today’s Points: 28

Flex Used This Week: 3/35

Exercise: No

Today (Sunday begins a new Flex Week)

Daily Point range (24-29)
Today’s Points: 34

Flex Used This Week: 5/35

Exercise: Yes

Matt over on the Team Voice forums has started a new blog.

Be sure to stop by and say hello and welcome Matt

http://www.anotherdisney.blogspot.com/

Mongello Everyone.