Sunrise Runner, Burning Barns & The Avocado Killer!

Woo to the hoo! Another week of Chicago Marathon training! About 300 miles in so far – ya know, that’s the part that nobody ever sees – the miles that you put in just to be able to run 26.2 on race day. But there we are, each morning before the sun comes up. Running empty streets and trails. We do get little rewards though…Like seeing shooting stars and sunrises!

Thinking about riding off into the sunrise.

Most days I get done before da sun, but if I time it right, I can just catch the big star as it climbs the horizon.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are orange.

Longer runs the sun will come up along the way. Makes for a nice view…until it decides to start cooking your body. Texas is hot, y’all.

Tanning the inside of my mouth. I heard mouth tans are so hot right now.

We got another reward this week when our training plan called for the shortest run in a couple months – 3.3 miles of intervals. Decided to visit old friend, Mr. Stripey Oval.

The race tag helps me run faster. Either that or I’m too lazy to cut it off. I forget which.

But it was a short reward, as we’re now back to more miles. This weekend’s long run is 18 big ones. Should be…fun?

No more horsing around.

Either way, I know I’ll reward myself with more TACOS! Just watch out for the spicy ones!!!!

Tried the “Barn Burner”. It did burn, and I didn’t even know I had a barn!

Luckily there’s guac around to calm the heat down. I really do want to eat ALL the guac.

I’ve killed so many avocados lately.

Oh, and yoga. Yes, it can be tough, but it’s also a reward, right? Ohmmmmmmmmmm.

Can you spot me? Hint – I’m one of only like two dudes.

There ya go, another quick update. See ya on the streetz…or the internetz!

How bout you? Morning or Night runner? Are you gonna eat your guac, or can I have it? What should I name those horses?

-Scott

Runnin Hill Repeats…Oh, & My New Emmy Nominations!

I’m proud to say that we’re nominated for two more Emmy’s this year, but I’ll get to that…

At last year’s Emmy’s. That’s #6 I’ve won so far. Honored!

But first…I noticed on a couple runs recently that I was really struggling whenever we came to a hilly sections. So what’s the solution? To go run up and down hills of course…doy!

I realized that a while back I had replaced my weekly hill repeat workout with a track workout. This reminded me that I need to mix up my workouts more often. So I went and ran some hill repeats…Fun!

To be honest, I really do kind of like hill repeats. Sick, I know.

Since I’ve reincorporated the hill repeats, I have noticed them getting easier on my long runs. Nice to see results!

Now for the Emmy news…Here’s the Nomination Announcements:

Booja…

…Kashaw!

I’m lucky to have such talented people to work with on these videos. (I’m including photos below in case Jason doesn’t believe that I actually know these people.)

Like my pal David Chicken.

At a music video shoot.

And my buddy Ashley Kamrath.

At last year’s Emmys.

And of course my crazy amigo Flula.

We are two wild and crazy guys.

Oh, and here’s a bonus pic of me, Ashley and Flula at a video shoot at the Texas state capital building.

Keep Austin Weird.

So here’s hoping. Please cross your fingers for us!

If you want to watch the videos that are nominated, you can see the ‘Play’ music video HERE and the ‘Rec X’ episode HERE.

Until the gala comes, I’ll be out there runnin the streets and all the hills! Boojakashaw!

How bout you? Been runnin any hills? Ever hang out with YouTubing German DeeJays? Ever dance with a grown man in a chicken hat and cape?

-Scott

Runnin, workin out and exciting news!

Hey Kids!  Hope everyone is having a great week.  Quick update: After my post yesterday where I touch on Robin Williams, I followed through with what I wrote about revisiting his various productions.  I sat the 5 year old boy down to watch Mork & Mindy.  He found it as funny as I did at his age.  Good stuff!

Anyway, I’m continuing my workouts per uge.  The past few days I’ve gone to yoga, had a weight room session, and gone on trail, road, and track runs.  Boom.

Did I hear something or see something? You make the call!

Gotta another couple runs and a lifting session to go until the weekend.  Doin work son!

OH, and some exciting news!!!  I got some new running socks!  Haha, when I was a kid I haaated getting clothes for gifts, but now I am pumped.  We had a tax-free weekend and a local running store was offering a deal – buy three Features, and get one free.  Aaaand I had a $10 off coupon!  I got four pairs of Features for like $20.  I always wear them on my long runs since I discovered them last year – no more blisters for me!

How bout you?  Good week so far?  Varied workouts?  Aren’t you excited about my new socks!

-Scott

Hump Day & Newbie Runner Alert

Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike.  Guess what day it is? Huuump Dayyy!  (And f you’re fast you can make it a speed hump day)

The past few months, hump day has also been a track workout day.  Today was no different.  The last couple weeks I was doing 800’s, but today I wasn’t feelin it, so I did 400’s and 200’s.  It’s cool, I’m not really training for anything specific right now…just out there to maintain some fitness during the summer heat.

Yes, 400 will be better than 800 today.

Even though I wasn’t feelin this workout, I’m glad I got er done.  Ya always feel better after a workout, no matter how crummy you felt going into it.  I’ve never heard anyone say, “I really wish I hadn’t worked out today.”  That’s a dumb thing to waste a wish on.

Anyway, I got some other news.  My brother has decided to join us and become a runner.  My sis has been urging him the past few years to join his siblings in the running community, and now he’s in.

Pa, Bro, Me, Sis, Ma, Mumford, and his Sons.  Don’t ask about the alien eyes we have – it was some weird red-eye corrector in the camera.

He signed up for a half marathon this fall!  He didn’t give himself much time to train for it, but he should be all right.  After all, the goal of first race at any distance should be about finishing, and nothing more.

How bout you?  Recruited any new runners?  Having a good hump day? Ever wasted a wish? 

-Scott

Trail Running Makes You Sexy

The other day I just wasn’t feelin another road run for the week. So I ended up going to a local nature preserve to run on their wooded trails. I’m glad I did. Mainly, because doing so makes you foxy.

Never mind the sweaty man laying down in the woods.

Trail running always seems to refresh me. It’s good to get in nature. It’s good to dodge plants and rocks and critters and mountain bikers and hikers and other runners. It totally turned my mood around. Before the run I was all like…

I had a real chip on my shoulder. #tortilla #notpotato

After the run I went and met some peeps for yoga. It was a really good practice. And of course, from a couple weeks ago – you know what yoga does to you…

#NotCreepyatAll

That’s right, I got an extra dose of foxiness that day. Watch out world!

Anyone else ever take a running ‘break’ by hitting trails? Every double dip your workouts?

-Scott

PS. I apologize for posting such foxy (and not at all creepy photos).

Meeting Pentatonix, Yard Work Workout & 1st Bike Ride

So the other day I was working (I’m a TV Producer) all day at an early 4^th of July festival. It was pretty fun. The headlining music act was Pentatonix.

And being that I had an all access pass, I checked out a bit of their performance from the stage in front of an estimated 100,000 festival-goers!

Notice how the female band member is totally checking me out.

To be honest, I didn’t know much about them going into this event. But since we were interviewing them, I needed to research them. I came to find out that they are very popular and pretty talented. They were also super nice in person.

They asked me to join the group based on some of my sweet youtube karaoke videos.

And they put on a pretty good show to boot.

Front row Joe.

Between the festival and that morning’s run/boot camp, I was pretty exhausted. The next day I took a rare unscheduled ‘rest’ day. However, I ended up doing 5 hours of yard work. That is a workout in itself. I was left noodle-armed from all the mowing, edging, etc. Imagine how much more tired I’d be if I got around to the manscaping.

Later on we took a doggy walk and the boy was anxious to try his bike out sans assistance – I had taken off the training wheels earlier in the day.  I was shocked that the first ride without the training wheels, he did pretty good!  You can watch the video HERE.

So he can now bike.

He can run.

He gets it from me.

And he can swim.

He gets it from me.

We may have a budding triathlete on our hands!

 How bout you? Are you a fan of Pentatonix? Yard work ever double as a workout for ya? Anyone else see a lil triathlete?

-Scott

 

PS – Sorry I’ve been a little MIA – WordPress was giving me issues.

Post-Run Birthday Boot Camp & Speed Humping

It’s been another crazy few days. Let me start covering it with today’s post on Saturday morning.

First off, I got up somewhat early to run. The humidity was redonk. Like 95%. Plus it was windy and hot. I had planned on going 8-10. I made it to 7…barely.

After the run, it was time for a birthday party. That sounds fun….but it wasn’t.

It was the birthday day of one of the folks I run/workout with on occasion. So what did she want to do…Party? Brunch? Party brunch? Nah, she wanted to lead everyone in a boot camp session. Sheesh.

I know we’re supposed to be in plank, but I’m doing the more advanced version where you put your knees down for a bit.

About 10 minutes after my run, there we were dragging tires, throwing medicine balls, squatting, planking, burpeeing, pushing up…Oh, and  we did a sort of plank/push-up workout thing called ‘Sally’. I don’t know who Sally is, but I now hate her.

Can you spot me doing core work?  Afterwards they had Lululemon cookies.

I did get to thinking (during the exhausting workout) that I’m glad these are the kinds of people that I count as my friends now-a-days. People who want to kick off their birthday with a run, yoga, boot camp, etc. I like that. Sure, we may still celebrate with some margaritas later, but first we’re going to get our sweat on.

Anyway, after the sweatfest, I saw a sign…literally. I saw a road sign that NEEDED a video. So we made one. Below is that video:

How bout you?  Do your friends celebrate their birthdays with a workout?  Do you know Sally?  Have you ever seen such a literal road sign?

-Scott

My Pukey Instructional Track Video & When did become a thing?

Are you dudes on Vine?  I love that app.  You basically have 6 seconds to make a video.  It’s a fun little way to be creative.  I was making videos on there pretty regularly…until my app stopped working…for months it was down.  But now it’s back!  And so on my run yesterday I made a quick one to let people know how a track workout should go:

Haha, yeah, you should be hurting.  But the good news is that if you do it regularly, you’ll see results.  I’ve noticed an increase in speed on my other training days.  That, and doing interval workouts is the best way to burn fat.  That’s good too, right?

After my run, the boy ‘graduated’ from pre-kindergten.

Luckily that bridge was in the classroom to cover the lazy river.

When did this become a thing?  From what I hear, kids now-a-days have several graduations – Pre-K, K, etc. etc.

Yes, they had diplomas, performances, presentations, and even celebratory cake.

{Grumpy old man voice} In my day, we only had one graduation – High School.  Then another if you finished college.  Kids these days!  {Back to normal voice}  That said, it was pretty cute seeing these kids in their caps and gowns and such.  It was actually a fun event.  And I suppose it’s good to give kids a fun reward for school every so often.

“Now that you’ve graduated, it’s time to get a job. Go apply at that law office.”

Most important to him though, the graduation came with presents from family members.  Hopefully he’ll remember these incentives as he gets older. Haha!

How bout you?  How do you feel on track/speed workouts?  Ever been to a kid’s graduation?  Anyone have an internship available for a 5 year old?

-Scott

 

Early Runs of Necessity & Hauntings by Children

The weekend that was was a full one.  The wife was working, so that meant daddy daycare doodie duty (OK, there may have been some doodie too (diaper fun)).  And since CCP is so not cool with leaving toddlers home alone so the parents can go to the bar for a run, that meant I had to run before she left for work.  That meant meeting up with my early running friends at 5:30 am. I was able to squeeze 9 miles in with them before I had to head home.

Some of the early run crew sharing a potty break after a recent run.

The rest of the day, it was chasing around the two little monsters as they tried to make as much of a mess in the house as possible.  I swear it’s like living in a haunted house – you hear random unexplained noises and screams, or you leave a clean room, then come back 30 seconds later to find it completely destroyed!  Is it a poltergeist or a toddler?

Playing firefighter selfie. Don’t let the cute exterior fool you, that’s how they get you to lower your defenses.

Sunday was more of the same.  I got up early to get in a quick 3 miles before going to yoga.  And this yoga class was a tough one.  People were struggling.  But it made us stronger, right?  The rest if the day involved more kiddie games.

The two year old made a Mr Potatohead. Let your nightmares begin now.

Mix in a few household chores, doggy walks, and trips to the park….by Sunday evening I was exhausted.

Trying to burn off some of their nonstop energy.

Keep calm and slide on.

Just a few thumbsuckers.

In fact, I pretty much passed out as soon as the wife got home….that is until I was suddenly awoken by a large crash.  The boy for some reason knocked over cabinet in his room that shattered a piggy bank that was on the floor for some reason.

We’re totally innocent.

I heard once that they took a very fit marine and had him shadow a toddler and do everything the same.  By the end of the day, the marine was completely spent.  I totally feel for him.  Maybe that should be a new book I should write – The Toddler Workout.  It’s that thing where you never sit still, you run everywhere, and you keep your energy up with sugar and carbs.  I’ll get working on that.

How bout you?  Good weekend of workouts?  Every been in a house ‘haunted’ by a child?  Want to pre-order a copy of my new book?

-Scott

 

I Saw a Real UNICORN on my Run!

I did, I really did, but before I get to that, let’s recap the week.

This week saw some crazy up and down weather, but I took it all in stride – literally (see what I did there?).  It started on Saturday with a hot and humid 10 mile run at around 8:30 per mile pace.

It continued Sunday with a successful yoga practice.

The window don’t lie.

It went on on Tuesday with a morning 4 miler at about 7:40 per mile pace.  Followed by a weight session.

It ran on on Wed with a windy track session.  I went 4 miles with an average pace of 7:04 per mile.  The 400’s are getting faster by the week – most of them around 80 seconds!

If you keep your race timing chip on, you can pretend to race each time you run!

It carried on on Thursday with a weight session followed by a social run.  I ran 3.5 miles at a 7:15 per mile pace.

Boom SHAKA Laka.

It was great to see some old running friends there.  And of course, after the run came the social part where we got to catch up with one another and swap running stories (for some reason my non-running friends don’t want to talk about running all the time).

I was getting in my Zen Zone. (BTW, click any image to enlarge and get a better look)

But what was even cooler to see was a real. life. UNICORN!  The route we ran took us by a few fields of wildflowers.  There were three or four photoshoots going on in said fields.  And one of them was a little girl with a unicorn!  I’m sorry I didn’t have my camera to take a pic, but someone did capture a half human half zebra on the run though…

Centar….Zebtar?

But for reals, the white pony had a sparkly tail and a horn on it’s forehead.  Chances are it was a fake horn that was attached to the horse.  So I did a quick net search and found the local folks who take the unicorn pics.  If you’re interested in taking Unicorn photos, here’s their website.  In the meantime, here’s an example of their work…

This is EXACTLY what I saw (but with a different girl).

But maybe not, maybe it was real.  I’ve written before about my fascination with North Korea.  And it was reported recently that North Korea has found an actual ancient Unicorn Lair.

So who’s to say what’s real and what isn’t.  Life’s more fun when you believe anyway.

I’m a humacorn.

How was your week’s workouts?  Ever see a ‘mythical’ creature?  How long do you leave your timing chips on your shoes after a race?

-Scott