Running on empty

The Shawnee Marathon
October 24, 2015

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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One year ago today I celebrated one of the greatest successes of my life. I completed my first marathon. I still say first (and not only) because my hope is to one day do it again. In the days that followed that epic moment of my life I wrote about my struggles of getting back to running long distances. Now, 366 days later I still haven't found my motivation to go the distance.

The River to River Relay 2016

I am still running and I enjoy doing it. But I'm not pushing the limits. Members of the running group I'm in, the Yellow Donkeys, have started run streaks. I started mine May 1 and am still going strong, despite the occasional aches and pains that come with the daily running. I'm free styling right not, but I don't think I've hit a double digit run since October 24, 2015. 

R2R training

I've passed up a couple of chances to run a half and even full marathon over the course of the past year, in part because of scheduling conflicts, but also because I still don't feel ready to do it again. I posed this question last year, are there any runners out there who have experienced this and how long does it last? 

Thumbs up to running

I still have my eye on the prize of one day running the Disney Marathon. I know I can do it, it's just a matter of finding that motivation to start the training again and go the distance. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  

My Better Half

Near the beginning of the race
River to River Runners

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents
Listen to the podcast on the Jittery Monkey Podcasting Network here!

No, this isn't a post about my true better half, my wife.  Instead I'm writing about my most recent half marathon.  I say most recent as if I've run so many before.  The Fly with the Eagles race (February 14, 2015) marks my second half marathon. I ran the same race a year earlier, but with much different results this time.

Yes I took a selfie

According to the official race results from the River to River Runners website, I ran the 2015 race in 1:58:58. In 2014, I finished the 13.1 miles in 2:22:20.  I think I can attribute several things to my improvement, but I think the biggest thing was I was mentally prepared this time around.  I wasn't sure what to expect in 2014 because I hadn't run more than 10 miles at that point.

GU Energy Gel

The mild winter helped me get out and run more this time.  The night before I ate lasagna from Fazoli's and drank a lot of water. Last year it was pizza and soda the night before the race.  I also tried a GU Energy Gel for the first time, thanks to a running friend (Pamm). I will never run a long distance race without it or a similar product.  I took it around the eight mile mark and maybe it was mental, but I did feel recharged and even more determined to finish. A new pair of running shoes from my parents also helped this year. Last year I'd run in shoes with more than 500 miles on them.

Sign guy helped lift spirits.

The funny thing as I was listening to my RunKeeper app I was trying to do the math in my head. I got excited when I figured out I could possibly finish at the two hour mark.  My goal was to do anything better than last year's 2:22:20.  I was disappointed with that time because my goal was to do 2:20:00. When I rounded the last curve I saw the clock registering at 1:58 and some change.  I was ecstatic as I realized I was going to make it in under two hours and picked up my pace. I crossed the finish line with a sense of pride I've not felt in a long time.

I'm not hurting like the pic implies

This race has renewed my dedication to running. While I don't consider myself a runner, I am having fun doing it.  I'm eyeing an upcoming marathon in October, which is something I never thought I'd want to do.  I still don't know if it'll happen, but I do know my friend and coworker Ashley Smith is headed to the Boston Marathon in April.  Check out here countdown and training here.

My 12 Favorite Pics of 2014

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

A quick year in review of my favorite pics (most of them I took or am in, sorry).  It's been a great year with family and friends.  I wish you health and happiness in 2015.  Thanks for your support as always. 

January:
Ziplining at Shawnee Bluffs Canopy Tour

In January we celebrated my oldest son's 14th birthday by ziplining at Shawnee Bluffs Canopy Tour. It was a fun adventure for all of us, despite the cold.  My mom also went along and had a blast zipping from tree to tree.  

February:
Run the Eagles Half Marathon

I ran my first half marathon in February.  My time wasn't what I was hoping for, as I finished in 2 hours and 22 minutes even.  My goal was 2 hours and 20 minutes, but I can now cross "half marathon" off my bucket list.  I plan to Run the Eagles again in 2015.

March:
Birthday dinner at Giant City Lodge

I turned 41 in March, and after living in southern Illinois for 10 years I finally had dinner at the Giant City Lodge.  I've heard people rave about the fried chicken dinner for years.  Now I know why they do.  It's a great meal and I had an awesome time spending the day with the people I love.

April:
Wrestlemania XXX

A long standing tradition is my annual trip to Wrestlemania every April.  This year it was in New Orleans.  Chad and I dressed up as the Iron Sheik and Nikoali Volkoff.  I'm sad that I'm not going in 2015, but I am hoping to attend Wrestlemania 32.

May:
8th Grade Graduation

It's not often that I get a pic of all three of my kids.  It's even more rare that they're dressed up and smiling.  In May we celebrated as our oldest son "graduated" from 8th grade and entered high school. Time really does fly by, so cherish every moment with your kids.

June:
New York getaway

Like it's not often to get the kids together for a pic, the same can be said for a weekend getaway with my wife. In June we took an extended weekend for the marriage of our friends Brian and Keith.  The ceremony was in the Big Apple, and while we were there, we took in our first Broadway show, Pippin.  The whole weekend was an unforgettable experience.  I love New York!

July:
Hittin' the lake

In 2007 we bought a boat.  Our time in it has gotten shorter due to busy summer weekends, work, and life in general.  In July we had a chance to get out and take a trip to Kentucky Lake with our friends. It was the only weekend we were able to get out this year.  Hopefully that'll change in 2015.

August:
Flyin' high
(Photo by Gail Johnson)

I wasn't at the pool to take this picture, but I absolutely love it.  It's my daughter celebrating her friend's birthday.  She climbed to the high dive and in her true "free spirit" attitude went as high in the air as she could before making a big splash.

September:
Gridiron Glory

For as long as I can remember, my son Mason has played baseball. Every summer, fall, and even winter we'd watch him at first base.  In 2014, he added football to his interests.  He's number 37 in the white jersey.  I've learned more about the sport, especially not to volunteer to be the time keeper.

October:
Disney adventure

After a four year hiatus we returned to Disney World and Universal Studios in October.  I love the magic that Disney provides.  A week away from work and the cooler weather in the Midwest is always a good thing in my opinion.  The entire Hunsperger clan made the trip this year.

November:
Lighting up the world

We celebrated Thanksgiving in St. Louis with family and on the Saturday after the holiday my daughter and I helped my dad decorate the outside of the house for Christmas.  As you can see, it was a nice day, I took a selfie from the ladder with the two helpers mocking me in the background.

December:
Santa is watching

We had four Christmas celebrations this December.  This particular one was at my inlaws' house.  Santa came by on Christmas morning to make sure my kids and their cousins were enjoying the gifts he had left, and believe me he left plenty.  It was a great year for everyone involved.

Thanks again for reading.  See you in 2015.

Middle Age Ain't So Bad

Ready, set, GLOW
2014 Glow Run

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Before we start, yes I'm aware that "ain't" isn't a word, but it's my blog and I'll use bad grammar if I want to.  (And I just ended a sentence with a preposition).  

Anyway, when I turned 40 a year-and-a-half ago, it really didn't bother me.  In the months leading to the big birthday, I blogged and vlog my feelings about entering a new decade. Truth be told, hitting 30 was harder for me. 

Not long before I turned 40, I started running.  More accurately jogging fast.  Well kinda fast.  I entered a few 5Ks and my only goal was to run the 3.1 miles without stopping to walk.  It was something I could never accomplish as a teenager when I ran cross country.  Then nearly two decades passed and I could probably count how many miles I ran on both hands.

My first half marathon
February 2014

I recently ran in a 5K in my town.  For me, this was just another race.  I've done several 5Ks and even a half marathon.  I just aim to get in under 30 minutes when I run a course like the one here in Carterville.  But I had a strong desire to finish in the Top 3 of my age group (40-44) and get a medal.  I never earned one in my cross country days, so I'm probably over compensating for that.

As the gun sounded at this most recent race, I looked around at the wide variety of runners and walkers.  I'll be honest, I was motivated to beat some of the younger guys at the event.  I didn't realize just how motivated I was.  When my app (Runkeeper) gave me my first update at five minutes, the voice told me I had run 0.62 miles. Usually I'm between 0.52 and 0.56 miles at that time. I was moving like I'd never moved before.  

The weird thing is, I thought I'd wear myself out as the humidity was thick enough to cut with a knife that night.  But I chugged along.  I ended up finishing in 24:56, with a pace of 7:59 per mile. I finished fifth out of 20 in my age group and 35th out of about 245 runners.  I was more than pleased with my performance, and even though I didn't get that top three medal, I achieved a personal goal. That to me has proven to be more important than a medal collecting dust.

I was also impressed that night that the overall male and female finishers are over the age of 40.  The male runner is 51, the female is 48.  They've shown me that hard work and dedication pay off and I hope to improve my own performance.  The 2014 Carterville Twilight Glow Run has rekindled my running spirit as I continue to move toward my goal of 600 miles by the end of the year and look ahead to another half marathon in 2015.

Half Marathon Full of Mistakes

Everyone get a medal

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Over the weekend I completed my first half marathon.  I ran in the Fly with Eagles Half Marathon put together by the River to River Runners.  The 13.1 miles took runners through the Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge with some beautiful scenery.  Despite some icy spots on the trail, it was a great course.

This is the first time I've run more than 10 miles.  When I finally crossed the finish line I was exhilarated, but I was also in a lot of pain.  Pain that I'm now learning I could have avoided had I been better prepared.  So I'm sharing the mistakes I made with you, just in case you ever feel the need to lace up and run any type of race.  By the way, I finished 27 out of 31 in my age group (40-44) with a time of 2:23:00.  My goal was to complete the race in 2:20:00, so I'm disappointed, but I did finish and never stopped running.

My shoes are now race retired

These Shoes Were (Not) Made for Running
My biggest mistake by far was not having a good pair of running shoes.  For more than a year now I've been running in a pair of Nike custom designed shoes my inlaws got me for Christmas several years ago.  I never really thought I was going to do more than just run 5Ks, so I never wanted to splurge on a pair of quality running shoes.  But in 2013, when I ran 500 miles my knees were in a lot of pain.  My wife told me then (and she's getting great pleasure in reading this) that I needed new shoes.  I continued to ignore her, because I'm an idiot, and kept running in these style over substance shoes.  Thanks to my parents, I now have a new pair of running shoes.

During the course of the half marathon, I could feel the pain coming on in my knees and thighs.  By mile seven I was hurting quite a bit and was cursing myself for not investing in some good shoes.  I slowed down significantly, but never stopped running.  My pace was 10:52 per mile.  My average on the last 5K I did was 8:09 per mile.  While I know my shoes were a reason for this, I also believe the bitter cold contributed.  It was 16 degrees when the race started.  I dressed in layers: a tshirt, long sleeve tshirt, and a hoodie.  I also wore gloves and a headband over my ears.  

Eat This, Not That
My eating habits the day before the race killed me too I think.  I did load up on carbs Friday night in the form of pizza.  There were probably better and healthier ways to accomplish that.  I also had several sodas the night before the race and didn't drink nearly as much water as I should have.  I admittedly skimped on the water the morning of the race because I didn't want to stop on the course to pee.  I did take advantage of almost all the water stations and had Gatorade at two of them.  One thing I did RIGHT on that morning was eating before the race.  I normally run on an empty stomach, but at the advice of a coworker who runs marathons, I had a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter.  

Crossing the finish line
Photo by Ashley Smith

Charge It Up
Lastly, I ran without a fully charged iPhone.  I always listen to podcasts while running, as I feel like it helps the time go by faster over listening to music.  I think I'm too busy calculating the time when I have songs playing.  I can get lost in the conversation of a podcast and not focus so much time.  However, podcasts can be quite draining on the battery and I was only 80% charged before the race, so my phone died at the 12 mile mark.  The last mile was quiet, which is not necessarily bad, but I do like to have the sound of something to keep me moving.

So those were the mistakes I made.  I wasn't sure if I'd ever want to do this again, but I really do want another go at it, if nothing else to take what I've learned this time around and hopefully have a better experience.  Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive on Facebook and Twitter.  Your words of encouragement go a long way.  Now to start gearing up for that next race.