Day 30, 335 To Go

January 30, 2013

My house has been invaded by decorators.  They just happen to look like Honey and my Mom.  The house is looking homey and "cute" as Honey likes to say.  Personally, I think puppies and kittens are cute, not living room decorations, but apparently, what the hell do I know!

You may all think this is great, but I have a problem with it.  Actually, a few problems:

1. Extra shopping is being done.  This costs money
2. Curtain rods need to be put up and holes drilled.  Guess who has to do that?
3. More shopping...more money
4. I am just an innocent bystander...if I don't like something, apparently, I can go live in the garage with my ping pong table (could be preferable...)
5. Did I mention the shopping?
6. And last, but not least, it gets in the way of my running...tonight I didn't get out there until 10:30!

So, I should probably stop complaining before Honey decorates our bedroom with pink bedding, butterflies and white kittens (no, Honey is not 12, but she still likes kittens and butterflies!)  So, this will be the last time I complain.

At least until I have to get up on the ladder and put up another curtain rod!  ; o )

Here are our numbers:

Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.19 miles

Pace: 12:38/m

Max Pace: 10:17/m

Calories: 126

Avg HR: 99

Max HR: 109

My knee is still barking from the piano incident, and I expect it will for a while.  Tomorrow will be a day of ice & Advil.  Can't wait!

Run for life!

Day 29, 336 To Go

January 29, 2013

    How to Ruin Your Running Season,  Course 101

Throughout your running career, you will be faced with obstacles that will derail your training, ruin your season, or worse, ruin your running career.  Here are a few things to avoid:

1. Cross training is great, but some sports to avoid if you are a bit older ad your priority is running are basketball, football and maybe even soccer.  Why?  Lateral movement.  What you don't realize until it is too late is that your knees are not as strong as they used to be.  One wrong move and there goes your ACL and your season, and potentially your running career.
2. Overeating because you are training.  How does this matter?  Well, most people who start running, especially if you are running a lot get really hungry.  The problem is that you tend to eat more than you actually need and since you are exercising you feel like you deserve that Klondike bar (or two...yes, I ate two last night...so sue me!) and that cheesecake (I didn't eat cheesecake) and that pizza (ok, I ate pizza again.) and before you know it, you have gained ten pounds and that takes a toll on your joints.  If you gain the weight slowly, you have time to adapt, but if you pack on the pounds and you are pounding the pavement, injury is around the corner. 
3. Helping your friends move.  Sure, helping your friend move is something you should do, but do you need to carry a refrigerator on your back all by yourself?  Is your friend so damn cheap that he couldn't hire a mover or two?  How's that back feel?  Nice, right?  Every step you take is agony shooting up and down your spine.  Bye, bye season.
4. Acrobatic sex.  Ok, I'm not going to discourage you from doing the Wheelbarrow or the Reverse Cowboy, but one wrong move and SNAP!!  Try running now cowboy.
5. Sprinting at the track.  So you are at the track and doing some speed work or perhaps you just want a soft surface to run around.  And your friend is there and he is goading you on running with you..."I bet I can beat you in a 100 meter dash!"  On your mark, get set, hamstring pull!!  If you do a lot of long distance running, most likely, sprinting is not your forte anymore and you are going to hurt yourself.  Remember number 1 above...cross training with other sports?  Probably the sport where you are most likely to pull a hammy is something mild like Softball.  You hang out on the bench, drinking beer, you patrol right field where no one hits the ball to you, and then you get up to bat...you luckily hit the ball and BAM!! You sprint out of the batter's box and there it goes.  Or, you can be an idiot and slide like a crippled blind kid into 3rd base and dislocate your shoulder (It fucking hurts!!)
6. And last but not least, move a piano.

Number 6 brings me to the whole point of this blog.  Honey had a great idea...lets' get a piano!  So, we found one on Craig's list.  Isn't it beautiful!

It needs to be tuned, but it is in semi-decent shape and it was fairly cheap.  The problem was picking it up.  And I do mean picking it up.  Me and a friend of mine, Mike McCain picked up the piano at its old residence and brought it home.  Mike is a big dude...me, not so much.  Can I just say, Ouch?

Today, my knees are barking and my back is a bit sore.  The back is no big deal, but my knees...they are hurting and I'm worried I may have derailed my season. 

Screw it.  I'm going to press on, pain or not!  I am determined to keep going and I am not going to be moving the piano any more, so that's a plus.  I am also not going to do any of the 6 things above (at least not again!)

Here are our numbers:

Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.16 miles

Pace: 12:57/m

Max Pace: 7:18/m

Calories: 104

Avg HR: 109

Max HR: 127

I'll just continue to take it easy, and maybe my knees will respond to ice, Advil and res...ok, no rest.  Two out of three ain't bad.  Just ask Meatloaf!

Run for life!!

Day 28, 337 To Go

January 28, 2013

Oh, what a day!  I wish every day could be like today!  Get up...eat breakfast...work until 1:00am...go to bed.  Oh, and run for 15 minutes at some point.

Obviously, I'm being sarcastic!

If I got paid overtime, I'd be thrilled, but I don't.  I'm salary.  I get to work all day for someone else so they can make lots of money while I struggle to feed my children!

Now I'm being dramatic!  Of course, I do think I am underpaid, but I make a good living so I shouldn't complain too much.  But hey, I'm writing this blog a day late at 10:00pm the next day because I am still working!

I'm renaming my blog to, "Honey, Get a Job So I can be a Stay at Home Dad!"

I don't think she is buying it.  And she does sort of have a job.  Check out my Honey's website here: www.cupncakesgourmet.com

My Honey makes cakes and she is really good at making cake toppers which she sells instructions on how to make for budding cake artists.  I'm advertising for her so she can sell so many I can quit my job, run half the day and blog the other half!  YAY!!

We have a long way to go until we get to that point, but we have the rest of our lives which of course will be long and prosperous because we are so damn healthy from running every day!

Here are our numbers:

Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.17 miles

Pace: 12:48/m

Max Pace: 8:11/m

Calories: 122

Avg HR: 103

Max HR: 113

Check in tomorrow where hopefully my wife's website will be so inundated with hits that the site will crash and I can quit my job!  WHOOHOO!

Run for life!!

Day 27, 338 To Go

January 27, 2013

Its Sunday, and what that means to me and most runners, is the long run!  Its not only necessary, it is kind of a tradition.  Sunday is probably not even the best day to do the long run, but at least for triathletes, it just ends up being the only day that many working people can run.  Saturday you go on your long bike ride and Sunday, you go on the long run.  Simple as that.

In 2009, I signed up for the NYC ING Marathon.  I was still training for triathlons, but I figured I could easily do both.  Why not?  I had waited 4 years to get into the marathon.  I would enter the lottery every year, but I never got in.  After missing the lottery three years in a row, you are guaranteed to get in on your fourth year, and that is what happened to me.  I could have joined  the NYRR (New York Road Runners) club and raced in 9 races during the year, and then I would also be guaranteed entry, but living in CT, it was a bit of hassle to get down to NYC and race.  So I took the lazy way and registered over and over again until I got in.

I downloaded the training guide from the NYRR site and I picked  the intermediate or moderate training plan.  I figured since I already was running about 20 miles a week (I ran a lot back then) I could handle it.  You can see the plan here, although mine may have differed slightly a few years ago...but for the most part, this is it.

As you can see, the long run is always on Sunday although at the peak you are running 6 days a week for a total of  49 miles!  I was pretty loyal to the program and I followed it exactly.  With the exception of a week or two, I did exactly what I was supposed to do according to the plan...at least as far as miles were concerned.  I didn't do any speedwork or tempo runs, although my route was pretty hilly, so I did a lot of hills.  Florida is so different in that there are NOOOOO hills anywhere.  If I ran on a hilly course now, I would end up in the fetal position at the base of first hill I found.  Hill running is something you need to train to do!

This was actually the third time I had trained for a marathon.  The first two times were when I lived in Hawaii and I entered the Honolulu Marathon.  The first time, I didn't get very far.  I can't remember the injury, but it happened early in the training so I never got back into it.  The second time, I had run in the 10, 15, 20, 25 & 20 Kilometer training races.  I was in the final race, a half marathon, when it happened.  I remember a few days earlier when I was running, I felt a slight tug on the back of my leg.  It was my hamstring.  I had been training hard and running some insane hills and I guess I had just overdone it.  I stopped running that day, but I was determined to run this half. 

The day of the race, I felt fine.  I was cruising at about a 7:15 - 7:30 minute per mile pace and I was past the midway point of the race.  I felt great and I wasn't tired at all.  I knew I could keep this pace the rest of the race and maybe even pick it up.  This was back in 2004, so I was only 31 at the time.  That is a peak time for an endurance athlete!

So I was feeling great and then that little tug started again and it started to pull harder when finally it felt like something just snapped.  That was it.  I pulled my hamstring and pulled up lame.  I could only limp.  I was devastated.  I was kind of in the middle of nowhere, and it was 4 miles back in the direction I had come to get to the finish line. So, I walked.  Kind of a stupid thing to do, but I was so down and I couldn't just sit there and wait.  It took me three months of rest and physical therapy to start running again.

So now that I was training for NY, I was worried I would push myself to hard, so I did most of my runs at an easy pace.  My goal for the race was 4:00, so that is a 9:10 minute mile, so I didn't have to push in the training.  The only real hiccup in my training came the week I was supposed to race in the Timberman 1/2 Ironman in New Hampshire.  I new I should probably taper my running a week or better yet two weeks before the race, but I didn't want to mess up my marathon schedule.  So the Sunday before the race, I ran 16 miles.

Oops...

The race was going great...after the swim and bike, I was over 9 minutes faster than the last time I had done the race.  I was going to break 6 hours!  Then, after one mile...ONE...I was done!  Now, I finished the race, but it was torture. The run at the end of a 1/2 Ironman is a 1/2 Marathon.  So after that one mile, I still had 12.1 miles to go!  My legs felt at mile one like they would after the entire race.  I should have tapered.

So, I walk/jogged the rest of the run and it took me 2:45 to finish the run.  Luckily, on the second lap, I ran into a friend, Muriel, who ran with me for the last 6.5 miles, so at least I had company.  If you ever do this race, the best part is at the turnaround.  The spectators who live there (the race takes place on Lake Winnipesaukee...say that three times fast...) hand out water, and food and the best thing ever: fresh cut oranges.  When you are in pain, sweating, tired and you have just been drinking energy drinks and gels, it tastes like heaven!

Where was I...oh...Marathon training.  So, I got through that race and I still had one 18 mile training run and two 20 mile training runs.  The 2nd 20 mile I did entirely in the pouring rain!  That's dedication.  Although, the worst run I did the entire training was 14 miles on a treadmill.  BORING!!!

The day of the Marathon arrived, and Nardy (a friend and coworker) and I got to the train station in Stamford, CT, and the train pulled up.  We waited for the doors to open up....and then the train pulled away...without us in it!  What the hell! 

Luckily, there was a guy there whose car was in the parking lot and we all got in and drove like maniacs down to the city.  We got to the buses at the last minute and got on one of the last buses.  It was almost a complete nightmare.  As it was, the stress was not the best way to get ready for the hardest race of my life.  But, we got to the starting line, shed our warm clothes (the temp was hovering just above freezing) and the race began!

I had a good race up until mile 22 and then I hit the proverbial wall (more like a literal wall!)  I was on empty, but I have 4.2 miles to go.  I walked and jogged the rest of the way (mostly walked) and I crossed the finish line with a huge smile on my face!  It was an experience I will never forget and one which I want to repeat again.  My time was 4:21:52.  I missed my goal, but I had done my best.  Next time...

Today, I ran for 35 minutes and Honey and I ran for 15.  Here are our numbers:

Time: 35:00

Distance: 3.52 miles

Pace: 9:58/m

Max Pace: 6:17/m

Calories: 455

Avg HR: 141

Max HR: 155

Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.22 miles

Pace: 12:21/m

Max Pace: 10:11/m

Calories: 136

Avg HR: 113

Max HR: 122

It is time that Honey starts running longer on Sunday, and I have targeted next week for her to start increasing her time.  We'll see how things go.  I'm sure she is thrilled!!

Run for life! 

Day 26, 339 To Go

January 26, 2013

Today, I'm going to talk about Pain.  But first, some shameless self promotion!

If you have been reading this blog and you are enjoying it, or if you have read it and think you'd rather have a root canal then read it again (which begs the question, why are you reading it right now you weirdo), or if you just click on the link to make it seem like you are reading it...I need your help.  Not really help, but if you could find it in your heart, please officially follow my blog. 

How do I follow you, you may ask?  Let me tell you!  If you are reading this on your phone, you have to click the link at the bottom of the post which brings you to the web version.  On the right side of the page you will see a few options. You can subscribe to the RSS feed, or you can join the Google + site or you can add your email and follow that way.  I like the email method the best because then every time a new post is loaded, you'll get an email.  If you are on your computer, you will see all of these options on the right side of your screen as well.

Ok, enough with that...now it is time for PAIN!

MWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Seriously, pain is sometimes a reality with endurance sports.  Whether it is running, triathlon, biking or swimming, you are going to experience pain at some point.  Now, this is completely avoidable.  All you have to do is stop whatever it is you are doing, and the pain will go away.  That is one option.  The other option, is to push yourself beyond your limits...beyond what you think are your limits and face down the pain and finish what you started.  The human body is capable of more than you can even imagine.

Honey ran with me again today, and she is still feeling pain.  This is not due to the running, but pain is pain.  She could chose at any time to just quit, but she does not.  Why?  Why do any of us push through the pain?  We all have our reasons, and you have to find yours.  If you read my blog yesterday, you know why we are doing it.

Some people push through because they have a goal like a PR (personal record) they are trying to achieve.  Some push through because they are just trying to finish a new distance or to push past whatever they achieved before.  Some are trying to lose weight really fast and that is their motivation.  Some, well...some just like pain!!

Most of the time, when you run, pain will not be an issue, at least after you have achieved a certain level of fitness.  Of course, if you are continually striving to be faster or run farther, you will continually have to face some pain.  Now don't get scared if you are a new runner.  Its not like the pain you expect to feel when you go to the dentist. It just means that it can be hard!  You may be short of breath or you may have some tightness in your muscles or your joints may hurt.  Those of you who have run extreme distances like a marathon may have experienced some severe blisters on your feet or chafing on your thighs or wherever else your clothes touch or maybe you experienced bleeding nipples (yes, it happens!) 

Ouch!!

Again, like I said, this doesn't have to be your reality if you train right and if your goals are less ambitious.  Maybe you just want to start a healthy habit.  Maybe you just want to lose some weight.  You don't have to experience any of these.  If you are a triathlete though, you are out of luck, because if you want to improve, you are going to hurt!  And if you are a runner who wants to compete and maybe beat your friend or your wife or husband (couples who run together STAY together!!) you are going to have to train hard and training hard can hurt! 

I have now just discouraged all of my readers from ever running again.  In fact, I don't want to run anymore!  I quit!

Only kidding!

There are also a lot of non painful things you will experience when you are running hard.  One is the camaraderie you can experience with other runners.  You'll meet the most amazing people.  Another is the experience of exploring your neighborhood.  You'll be surprised at the perspective you get when you run rather than drive.  Perhaps you will discover new places that you never saw before when you were in a hurry and driving by! 

Another great thing is a runners high.  This is very hard to explain or express in words.  It is a feeling of exhilaration that you feel when you have pushed yourself beyond your limits and when you have completed something you have never done before.  For example, when I finished my marathon, I was hurting, but I was also on cloud nine!  I had done it!  I was floating on air (turbulent air, yes, but air nonetheless!)  When you cross the finish line - and actually, for the entire race - the crowds were screaming and cheering and it feels like it is all for YOU!  It is really amazing.

To set a goal and to put in the time and to complete it, even if you don't meet your time goal (which I didn't) you still feel ecstatic!  It really is an amazing feeling.

And it fucking hurt!  Holy crap!  I could barely walk after!  But that is a story for another blog...

Now, here are our numbers:

Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.14 miles

Pace: 13:08/m

Max Pace: 10:47/m

Calories: 109

Avg HR: 91

Max HR: 109

Today, I challenged Honey to do a 5k.  She ignored me, but I can tell I started something deep inside her pretty little head.  Can I do it?  Would it be too hard?  Am I up to it? 

Yes, yes & YES!

All of you are up to it if you just try, and you will get more out of it than you put in.  I have gained friends, stories, a host of medals!  I have traveled and I have met some unbelievable people!  And yes, I even met Honey because of my addiction to running and Triathlons!  I'll have to tell you guys that story on another day.  Until then...

Run for life!

Day 25, 340 To Go

January 25, 2013

Its been a long week, but TGIF!  Lots of ups and downs at work and on the run.  Running, like life, will take you all over the map.  Some days you feel great.  Some days you feel like crap.  I like to say, "Run for life," as those of you who read my blog may have noticed.  This has many layers...

When I started this journey, my goal was more than just running every day.  I wanted to force myself to make a change in my outlook on life.  You see, I have three beautiful babies who are 11 months old on February 1 (Joshua, Kaylee and Ayla).  I am 40 years old.  If we take a look at current averages, woman are getting married is 26.5 years of age.  This has been steadily rising over the years.  In 2007, it was 25.6.  By the time my little girls are 26, the average age will probably be closer to 30.  That's not to say they won't get married before then, but I am just playing the averages.

So, that means that when my little girls get married, I will be 70!!  70!!!!  The last thing I want when it is time to have that Daddy/Daughter dance is to have to bring my walker out with me.  I want to be spry and able to dip my little babies!  Running is my answer.  Run for life...

The average age men will live to in this country is about 72.  Now, I plan to live to 162 which means I will barely be middle age at 70, so perhaps, I'll be in good shape, but I want to make sure of that.  How old you live isn't as important as how well you live.  If you are beset by sickness like cancer and osteoporosis and cataracts and incontinence or a host of other ailments, your quality of life will be crap.  Staying healthy through eating right and exercising is the key to a long and quality life.  Run for life...

This is why, I think, Honey is running with me.  As I have espoused many a time before, she hated running.  Now, she is depressed when she can't run.  Although she is 5 years my junior, she wants to be in good shape for our daughters weddings as well as our two sons, Joshua and Derek who is currently 4.  The average age for men to get married today is already 28.7, so who knows how high it will be by the time they are older.  Can't have the Mother/Son dance if you are in a scooter.  Run for life...

And let's face it, as we get older, you tend to put on a little bit more and more weight every year.  Say you put on just one pound a year once you hit 30.  By the time you are 50, you will be significantly overweight and being overweight can cause a whole host of health issues.  Running is a great way to keep your weight in check.  I have been able to stay the same weight for the last three years.  It hasn't been easy though.  Run for life...

Even on days like today, when I didn't want to run, I did it. I am looking to the future.  Not only do I want to be able to spin my little girls around on the dance floor, I also want to be able to spin my Honey around the dance floor once our little ones have left the nest.  You are NEVER too old to party and to travel and to live your life!  You can't do that if you are sick.  Run for life...

Here are my numbers:

Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.48 miles

Pace: 10:10/m

Max Pace: 8:29/m

Calories: 192

Avg HR: 117

Max HR: 137

I was tired and sore and bored today, so I took it nice and easy.  Looking forward to a run with Honey tomorrow.  Until then, my friends...

Run for life!!

Day 24, 341 To Go

January 24, 2013

I had another Honeyless run today, but have no fear, she will be back better than ever soon enough.  She told me she is actually depressed that she is not able to run today.  She is shocked and appalled that not running would make her feel that way. Normally, it is the other way around...running makes her depressed!  She didn't even read my blog from yesterday, but I bet the therapeutic affects of exercise are working already!

She is actually kind of lucky because it was cold again today.  What the hell...I'm in Florida!  Isn't it supposed to be hot here all the time?  Who knew...

I see by my friend's posts on Facebook that it is much colder up North, so my complaints fall on deaf ears for the most part.  We are having a countrywide cold snap that is stretching down into the deep South.  At least Hawaii is probably still warm which is where I should be.  The question is, how do I sneak out of the house and get to the airport...

       <six hours later>

So, I woke up tied to the bed with Honey standing over me holding a baseball bat.  I guess my plan to escape to Hawaii failed.  At least I got my run in already, because I have a headache now and running might be a bit hard. 
Now that I am no longer tied to the bed, I can finish my blog.  I am contemplating entering a race in April.  It is a Sprint Triathlon in the Orlando area call the Spring Fling Triathlon Festival.  I'm on the fence at this point, but perhaps if I massage Honey's feet she will give me the go ahead to do it!

Here are my numbers for the day:

Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.67 miles

Pace: 8:59/m

Max Pace: 7:35/m

Calories: 215

Avg HR: 129

Max HR: 144

I picked up the pace just a bit today, but for the most part I took it easy.  My heart rate stayed in the aerobic zone the whole time which was my goal since I didn't want to push hard two days in a row.

Guess it is time to eat...and maybe I can get tied to the bed again if I'm a good boy...until tomorrow...

Run for life!!

Day 23, 342 To Go

January 23, 2013

Oh boy...I'm later than the White Rabbit in getting this blog posting up. The good thing is that I was as fast as a rabbit in my run tonight.  Unfortunately, Honey was unable to join me because she was not feeling well and the doctor said she should rest.  She listened to the doctor for a least half a day, so that is an improvement.

The day at work was long and frustrating, and with Honey sick, I did double duty.  I brought home the bacon and fed it to my four little ones.  So, I needed a stress reliever.  For those of you who run, you know that there is almost nothing better at relieving stress than a good hard run.  In fact, exercise in general is more effective at improving your mood than any drug a doctor can prescribe to you (granted, maybe not as fun as any drug a doctor can prescribe to you!)

Studies have shown that a normal exercise regiment can improve symptoms of minor or even severe depression as well as taking a steady regiment of anti depressant drugs, without the side effects.  Wait, I lied. There are side effects of exercising...you get fit, healthy, thin and happy!

Check out this study done by Harvard Medical School if you don't believe me: Exercise and Depression

Now, don't go sending me get well cards because I am not depressed.  I just had a bad day, and I decided  to air my anger out with a brisk run.  It was also damn cold, but I ran it little tiny shorts (not because I'm sexy - although I am - but because I need to do laundry and that was all I had left).  I was listening to Linkin Park's first album, Hybrid Theory.  It is upbeat and there is a nice mix of anger, which I needed.  When the song "One Step Closer" came on, and the bridge where the singer screams, "SHUT UP WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU...SHUT UP!!!!" started...I hit my top speed.  I was free and fast and screaming to everyone at work, "SHUT UP!!!!"

That was refreshing!

Here are my numbers:
Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.90 miles

Pace: 7:53/m

Max Pace: 5:57/m

Calories: 244

Avg HR: 144

Max HR: 172

It felt easy too, which was nice.  Maybe this running every day is making me faster?  Only time will tell!

Run for life!!

Day 22, 343 To Go

January 22, 2013

Brrrrrr...f'ing...brrrrr!  Yes, it was cold today.  It must have been 50 degrees and windy when we got out for our run today.  I know, you Northeasterners are ready to throttle me, but too bad.  Move to Florida and you can complain and be a big wus like me when it gets down to 50!!

Honey initialy came outside with short sleaves on, but she quickly went inside and came back with a snow suit on (just a bit of an exaggeration).  She really hates the cold.  More than me, even.  She is from Brazil, as she likes to remind me every once in a while (as if I don't know!)  It is hot there most of the time.  Of course, in winter, which happens when it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere, it gets to be about 50 at its lowest.  Very similar to Florida.  The thing I like to remind her is that they have no heat in the winter, so she should be used to it. 

I always lose that argument (like most arguments, actually).   ; o (

So we started running and a few minutes in, Honey was heading for the house again.  "NOT SO FAST!!" I said in my stern voice!  That got a laugh. 

      I get no respect  <tugs at his shirt collar a couple of times>

Finally, I pleaded to her sense of commitment and health.

      That got the evil wife stare.

Finally, I said, "Fine, just go home, I'm better off running alone."

     Apparently, my potential for happiness was enough to convince her to keep running.

So, we were able to finish our run while freezing our butts off, but we did it.  I like to think of it as a reaffirmation of our commitment to fitness, health, and to our love of running.  Honey would like to think of it as a reaffirmation that I am chato, irritando, and saco!

Those are Portugeuse words...you'll have to look them up.  I don't know exactly what they mean, but I'm sure it is something like charming, intelligent and sexy!

Here are our numbers:

Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.17 miles

Pace: 12:48/m

Max Pace: 10:43/m

Calories: 115

Avg HR: 98

Max HR: 127

Tomorrow is going to be a bit warmer, so it should be a more pleasant run.  Until then, my friends...

Run for life!!

Day 21, 344 To Go

January 21, 2013

Three weeks down, 49 to go.  Oh boy...

The good news is that I feel good and I am confident I should be able to get through at least the first quarter.  After that when I increase the minutes...well, I'll let you know.  Really, the hardest part so far is writing this blog.  I have to find something interesting (interesting to whom, you ask?) to write about every day. 

Today, I'm going to introduce you to Chia seeds.  Don't roll your eyes at me, I promise, it is interesting!  So sit back, and learn something, and stop complaining. What else are you going to do?  Read  your friend's Facebook post where he talks about his cat, or the person who takes pictures of everything she eats, or even better, the person who tells you every damn thing they do of every minute of every damn day including when they go to the bathroom!  REALLY!!!

Sorry...I got a bit carried away.  I have annoying friends, apparently...back to Chia seeds...

So Chia seeds are a kind of super food (and yes, these are the same seeds from the Chia Pet...ch..ch..ch..Chia Pet!!)  If you are a vegetarian, you probably already know about them, and if you don't, just eat a steak already because you are doing it all wrong!  First, they have very little taste and no smell, so you can add them to almost any food, so they are very versatile.  Here are some other characteristics of Chia seeds:

• Two tablespoons (1 serving) provide 4000mg of Omega-3
• 8.25 grams of fiber per serving
• Over 4 grams of protein per serving, including all essential amino acids, so they can substitute for meat
• Six times the calcium of milk
• Chia can absorb a whopping 12+ times its weight in water.  Chia´s insoluble fiber reduces digestive transit time and removes toxins as it passes through the digestive tract.
• The most important antioxidants contained in Chia seeds are chlorgenic acid and caffeic acid, and coumaric acid and caffeic acid in Chia oil; these are antioxidants that play a major role in cancer prevention

I could go on and on about this amazing food, but instead, I'll just direct you to a website that sells them: www.GetChia.com.

You can learn all about them and buy a one pound bag for about $15.  Since you are using only a few teaspoons at a time, they last for a while.

You may be wondering where I heard about these amazing seeds?  Well, I have previously spoken about the book "Born to Run" and this is where I read about them.  The Tarahumara Indians eat Chia seeds before they go on their long 50+ mile runs.  Another benefit of these seeds is that they give you a lot of energy.  Of course, being that they contain a lot of fiber, you have to be careful about how much you eat.

The Tarahumara Indians make a drink called Iskiate which contains sugar, lime, water and Chia seeds.  I have made it a few times myself and I have used it on longer runs.  I actually drank some today before my run, but it wasn't long enough to need extra energy.  I did drink it before my last race, and based on the outcome of the race, I will certainly use them again.

Honey and I add the seeds to tuna sandwiches, salads, smoothies, PB&J and whatever else we can get away with adding them to.  I highly recommend them!

Today, due to a lack of childcare, I went for a 30 min run by myself, then about 30 minutes later, Honey joined me for another 15 minutes.  Here are my solo numbers:

Time: 30:00

Distance: 3.14 miles

Pace: 9:34/m

Max Pace: 6:58/m

Calories: 401

Avg HR: 135

Max HR: 152

And the numbers with Honey:

Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.19 miles

Pace: 12:35/m

Max Pace: 10:55/m

Calories: 126

Avg HR: 106

Max HR: 116

So, enjoy your Chia seeds and unfriend those annoying posters on Facebook, especially those people who post stupid blogs.

Run for life!!

Day 20, 345 To Go

January 20, 2013

Well, today didn't go as planned.  Isn't that always the case?  Even more so when you have children.  Have I mentioned that children are the bane of, well, everything!

I kid.  I love my children, then just get in the way of doing everything.  My plan was to run for 45 minutes, shower, write my blog, watch some TV and that was about it for my day.

Instead, I brought Derek, my 4 year old, to a play date.  It was sort of a play date for me too because I got to visit my friend Nikki who I have known since college and who fortuitously lives in Florida too.  She happens to live a 2 hour drive away, so our visits are not as frequent as I would like.  Alas, I spent a good portion of my time in the car.  But that wasn't the reason I didn't run long.  It was because on the way home, after stopping to get a Jamba Juice (ok, I got two, but since there are none close to me, I have to stock up in my belly) that the problem arose. 

The police blocked off 95 for some reason, and I had to get off and find my way in the middle of what looked like nowhere.  After two Jamba Juices, I kind of had to pee really bad already.  So, it probably took me close to an additional hour to get home (there was my run) and my bladder exploded.  BOOM!!

It didn't really explode, but I bet it would make a cool sound if it did.  Not so much a BOOM but more of a SPLAOOSH!

Derek had fallen asleep in the car, so by the time I extricated him and all his various shoes, electronics (you can't take children in the car without some sort of electronic equipment like an iPad these days...Zeus forbid) and got him ready for bed, it was well past 8:00pm.  I'd been sitting for at least 5 hours in my car already, so I decided to just run 15 minutes.

Boooo!

So, Honey and I went out for our nice little run.  Honey should have stayed home since the last time she ran, her Uterus said, "Try that again, missy, before I'm healed, and I'll torture you all night with spasms of pain!"

And it did.

But, she is determined to run again tonight.  She is a masochist...but then again, aren't most runners at some point or another?  I think we are.

Here are our numbers:

Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.16 miles

Pace: 12:55/m

Max Pace: 10:02/m

Calories: 115

Avg HR: 106

Max HR: 118

Today, I will do my 45 min run.  It is only a 5 min increase since last week which is not a lot.  Normally, you should not increase your mileage or time of running by more than 10% every week.  I ran 130 minutes last week so I could increase my time by 13 minutes this week.  I'm being conservative since I won't get a day off.  It is more than enough because if I only increase my long run by 5 minutes every week, by the end of the year I'd be running for 290 minutes (just shy of 5 hours!) on Sunday, and that isn't really practical unless I decided to be an ultra marathoner!  Um, no!  Speaking of masochists!  I have all the respect in the world for them, I just don't think I am capable of that.

Now, its time to work, assuming my computer and network cooperate, which it has not done thus far.

Run for life!

Day 19, 346 To Go

January 19, 2013

"Honey's back and she's better than before!  Hey la, hey la, Honey's back!!"

That is absolutely true, except for the "better than before" part.  About five minutes in she realized she should have waited a few more days since she isn't fully healed, but, she persevered and made it through the run.  She is all better now, so I have high hopes she will join me again tomorrow.

I was a bit worried I had spoken too soon in my blog from yesterday because when it was time to run it was chilly and raining.  Those are not a few of her favorite things, I can tell you that.  Luckily, the rain stopped and we were able to go out, although it was still a bit chilly.  I guess it is all about perspective, because I wore my long running pants and a long sleeve shirt, and five minutes in, I was regretting it.  I was too warm.

When it is 80 one day and then 60 the next, 60 feels chilly...but it really isn't.  When I lived in the Northeast, if it was 60 degrees in January, I would have gone for a swim!!  After days on end of 30 degree weather (more like 40 now thanks to climate change) a day of 60 is awesome!  Now, 60 is too cold. 

I'm meteorologically jaded.

Tomorrow, I'm gearing up for a longer run.  Probably about 45 minutes.  Honey will stick to 15 since she just came back, but next week I'll stretch her out (and no Honey, I am not talking about a Medieval torture device...or a sex toy).

Here are our numbers for today:

Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.17 miles

Pace: 12:47/m

Max Pace: 10:51/m

Calories: 127

Avg HR: 103

Max HR: 116

Not too bad a pace for Honey.  In a month, I bet we can break 12:00 consistently, and my goal for her is sub 10 by the end of the year.

You can do it!!

Run for life!!

Day 18, 347 To Go

January 18, 2013

Tomorrow is a big day.  Not that today was unimportant, but tomorrow...Honey is coming back!  Yeah!

Today (actually yesterday since I am writing this late, but for the sake of continuity, I will pretend that today is yesterday.  Got it?) was Friday which meant it was my last day of work before the weekend.  Often at my job, at 4:59:59, I get asked to do something really complex that will take me like 100 hours to complete and it absolutely, positively NEEDS to be done right away!!  Then, I do it...and I send the results to the person who was begging and pleading for me to work well into the night to finish their report and guess what?  Yeah, they are no longer online working.  What the fuck!!  Seriously!

So now, I log off at like 4:58 so they can't ask me anymore.  I actually still work if I need to (and I usually do) but I am not accessible by our instant messaging system so they assume I am logged off for the day and they are out of luck.  But since they really didn't need it until, oh, probably next Friday, they'll live!

What does all this have to do with running?  Nothing, really, except that if I have to work late, I have to run late, and I'm not the biggest fan of running in the dark.  Not to mention it was a bit chilly here and I just missed the rain.  With my job, though, it happens often.  In a few months it will get dark much later and I can enjoy running in the daylight again (along with 90 degree heat!)

I felt a little stiff on my run today.  I have to look back, but I think every time I run a bit harder, the next day I am a bit slower.  Makes sense.  My body needs to recover.  I also think the longer I work on that day, the longer I am sitting on my ever expanding butt, and it contributes to being stiff.  My Achilles hurt too.

OMG...can I stop bitching already?

Yes, I can.

Thanks.

I'm talking to myself.

You're a weirdo.

Screw you.

OK!!

I need help.  Here are my numbers:

Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.61 miles

Pace: 9:20/m

Max Pace: 6:17/m

Calories: 207

Avg HR: 130

Max HR: 141

Until tomorrow (wink, wink):

Run for life!!

Day 17, 348 To Go

January 17, 2013

Easy.  Light.  Smooth.  Fast.

Those of you who have read Born to Run will remember the above mantra.  I have attempted to make it my own, but only with limited success.  Let me explain a bit...

It is a simple phrase, but accomplishing this is not simple at all.  The idea is that when you run, you need to think of these four things and if you can put them into action, your running form will be perfect and you can run forever!  Ok, not forever, but you can run distances that you never thought you could run.  The key is to work on the first word first: Easy.

What this means, is that your running form should be feel free and easy.  Your body should not be tight.  You should feel loose.  Your jaw should not be clamped shut and your shoulders should be relaxed (if you find yourself hunching up your shoulders, just smile and it will loosen up your shoulders right away).  You need to keep your body, and your mind, free and easy. 

This is the first step, and Easy is not easy!  But, you can't move onto Light until you have mastered Easy. 

Let's talk Light.  Light refers to your footsteps.  If you have ever heard a professional runner, let's say a Kenyan, run by you, you will just hear a light "tap...tap...tap...tap" as they go by.  Sure, it will be a fast "taptaptaptap" but it will certainly not be "CLOMP...CLOMP...CLOMP...CLOMP!!"  When you run correctly, your feet should come down and land right under your body and they should touch the ground for only a fraction of a second.  They should "paw" the ground (think like animal...not an elephant though...more like a cat).

This step is very important in running short or long. If you are clomping around and you can hear your footsteps loudly, think about how heavy you are landing on your feet.  As it is, you are putting a lot of impact on your joints, so if you are landing very heavy, you are putting even more impact on your joints.  And normally, if you land heavy, you are either landing on your heel (never a good idea) or you just do not have any control, and control is important.  That is why the goal is to land your foot directly under your body because that means that as soon as you land, you are already moving forward and taking the weight off of your joints.  It probably also means you are landing on your mid or forefoot which gives you all the extra flex that is in your foot.  It is like a shock absorber.

So, if you master this, you will be Easy & Light.  You are halfway to perfect running form. Next, is Smooth.

Smooth means that your motions are graceful and fluid, like water.  No herky, jerky movements, but instead, the grace of a ballerina.  Once you have mastered the Easy and Light, you will already have gained some control over your body.  Smooth is the next step that allows you to gracefully plant your foot under your body and to "paw" your leg behind you with a strong kick.  If you are smooth, your head will not bounce up and down like you are on a horse, but instead, your head should rise and fall smoothly like you are floating on water.

Once you have mastered Easy & Light & Smooth you have Fast!

If you can control your body and be Easy, Light and Smooth, and you are able to maintain these over a period of time, you will be FAST!  Fast is just a byproduct of perfect form (along with genetics, practice, time and dedication!)

So, where am I, you ask?  <sigh>

I have mastered Easy for most of my runs.  If the run is a long one, Easy gets hard.  So, I suppose I haven't MASTERED it yet, but I feel comfortable with Easy.  Running every day has given me an opportunity to work on Light as well, and I can run Easy & Light for a period of time, but not all of the time.

Today, I ran Easy, Light & Smooth for about 2 minutes.  So for a couple of minutes, I felt like I was floating through the air!

I know I am a loooong way from mastering this and that is ok.  At times, I can be fast even without Easy, Light and Smooth, but at what cost?  Probably an injury.  I will not give up though, so I WILL master it eventually.  You should give it a shot too!

Here are my numbers for today:

Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.68 miles

Pace: 8:55/m

Max Pace: 7:03/m

Calories: 217

Avg HR: 128

Max HR: 151

The high max HR was gained while I was listening to some Motley Crue.  I think the song was called "She's Sticky" or something like that.  And yeah, it is about what you think it is!

Run for life!!

Day 16, 349 To Go

January 16, 2013

Let's talk music.

Do you use music when you run?  I think most people would say yes to that question.  I certainly do, unless I am running with someone else.  It is kind of rude, I think, to pop in headphones when you are running with someone.  Kind of hard to have a conversation.  And if you have no interest in talking with the person you are running with, why are you running with them in the first place?

Of course, you can do the half rude thing and put one headphone in.  That isn't so bad.  And if you are doing a really long run, you may need the extra diversion.  I also find that when I am doing speed work, music bothers the hell out of me.  It feels like it is always too loud and a distraction and it interferes with my panting and trying to catch my breath.

My music of choice varies quite a bit, but lately, I have been on an 80's metal kick.  Yup, I said it.  I was a headbanging, long haired, pot smoking, drinking, bass playing metal head when I was a teenager all the way up to my 30's!  I wanna rock!!

Actually, I still do, but headbanging gives me a headache these days...and all that headbanging makes my head feel like it will fall off my neck!  How the hell I did that when I was younger, I'll never know.  So, I may not be able to head bang anymore, but I can still play.  Occasionally I break out the Bass guitar or my regular guitar and jam a bit.  I kind of suck now, but back in the day, I was damn good.  My dreams of becoming a rock star were dashed when I had kids (see, kids...the root of all evil) and now I am too old.  And once I started eating better, drinking less, and exercising, playing in a band and getting home at 4:00am on the weekends, drunk, was not as appealing any more.

So, now, I am all nostalgic for the music of my youth.  That includes bands such as Megadeth, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Queensryche, Rush, Black Sabbath,...and it includes some hair metal bands like Winger, Motely Crue, Mr. Big, Ozzy, Dokken, Ratt...and the list goes on and on and on.

There is just one problem with listening to this music - other than I like it loud and since I'm half deaf from playing music for years, my iPhone is never loud enough- and that is that it always makes me run too fast.  Seriously.  If you are going for a leisurely run and you put on Master of the Puppets by Metallica, by the end of the song you are flat out sprinting, and you may have even run over some children and kicked a few puppies on the way.  AHHHHHHH!!!

Ok, that was an exaggeration.  I would never kick a puppy.

So, music is kind of indispensable if you are going to run, that is for sure.  But there are other alternatives like books on tape (haven't tried that yet) or talk radio (I used to listen to ESPN or NPR) or of course, there is always silence.  Or, if you are running with someone, there is always conversation.  Like when I run with Honey.  She never shuts up...well, at least she doesn't shut up until she can't breathe anymore, then she shuts up.  So, a tip from your uncle Steve, if you are running with someone who won't shut up, just run faster!

Here are my numbers for the days run:

Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.54 miles

Pace: 9:46/m

Max Pace: 8:11/m

Calories: 200

Avg HR: 121

Max HR: 135

It was a nice and easy day today.  I didn't even try to push it at all...at least not until the end when I was listening to a rather upbeat tune by Mr. Big called "Addicted to That Rush".  Other than that little blip, I chilled today with a nice and easy pace.  It felt great.  Can't wait until tomorrow. 

Run for life!

Day 15, 350 To Go

January 15, 2013

I hate my job.  Ok, that is a bit harsh.  I despise my job.  Hmmm, that's worse.  Let me try again (think positive now).  I abhor my job.

Oh f*ck it.  Seriously, I do not enjoy my work, but in this economy I have security, I'm good at what I do, and I have a lot of flexibility.  I work at home and I get to see my kids all day (sometimes that is a positive) and I have time to take care of my family when they need me.  So, I'm not going anywhere.  That being said, I had to work late again tonight and I thought I might never get out for my run, but I stole away for my 15 minutes, came back and ate dinner, and got some more work in after that.  See...flexibility.

Now, if I had my druthers, what would do I want to do when I grow up (oh, wait, I think I confirmed in an earlier blog that I am not accepting the fact that I am an adult)?  I still am not 100% sure what I want to do, but I know I want to work for myself.  I think I would like to work in the fitness industry, or, I'd like to write.  See how perfect this blog is?  I'm training for both right now!  Maybe I am preparing for my future right now?  The big question is, can I support my family on blogs and running?

Uh, no.

So much for following your dreams.  I am an idealist, I'm just not a stupid one.  Maybe once the kids move out, I'll follow my dreams (albeit, with a walker, false teeth and a full adult diaper).

For now, I will have to be happy with my two hobbies.  And I kind of am.  I'm not sure if I am enjoying writing the blog or running more?  It's a toss up.  Today, I ran without music and I just listened to the sounds of nature.  It was dark and cool and the crickets were, uh, cricketing (?) and it was a nice, peaceful run.

Here are my numbers for today:

Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.62 miles

Pace: 9:16/m

Max Pace: 7:55/m

Calories: 210

Avg HR: 131

Max HR: 151

So, tomorrow, will Honey be joining me?  Stay tuned, because maybe she will.  If not, it is only a couple of days until she does.  Until then, my friends...

Run for life!

Day 14, 351 To Go

January 14, 2013

Today was the first day that I didn't really want to run.  There never was a chance of me NOT running, I just didn't really feel like it today for a few reasons.  First, I worked until past 6:30 and it was a long day.  The kids were extra whiny and children have a way of sucking the life out of you like a vampire when they have those days.  On top of that, Honey had a doctor's appt that I was worried about (all is well, so that is good).  Add to all that, it was past 7:00 before I was able to put on my shoes, and I was just super unmotivated.

But I put my shoes on anyway.  That's the key to running.  Just put on your damn shoes.  If any of you out there ever feel like maybe you'd like to pick up a new exercise regimen, nothing is easier than starting running (ok, the running part might not be easy sometimes, I know).  Compare putting on your shoes, and opening your door and running to any other exercise regiment?  Going to the gym?  You need a membership and you have to get in your car and drive there and get changed in the dressing room where some old guy will inevitably bend down in front of you showing you his nether regions (or does that only happen to me?)  How about doing some program like P90X?  You have to pay a ton of money for the program, then you need weights and bands and pull up bars and then you have to clear out your living room in front of your TV so you can jump and bump and sweat all over your carpet while Tony Horton yells at you on the screen (and the worst part is he makes it look easy...and it is not easy!!)

Running is the best exercise because all you need is a pair of sneakers and an open door, and you can do one of the best workouts there is.  So what are you waiting for?  Do you have questions?  Do you want someone to run with?  What is holding you back!!

Well, if you have questions, post some comments and I'll help you out as much as I can.  That is what I'm here for...to entertain you...to educate you...to hopefully inspire you...and to inspire myself too!  Running may be an individual sport, but it has a great community and you can meet wonderful people and change your life!  It really is a magic pill!

So, Honey is out of commission for a couple more days.  But she will be back.  She asked the doctor if she could run and he actually said he didn't know.  He said most women who have triplets end up kind of overweight, so running never came up (my Honey is a hot little minx, in case you were wondering).  So, she is going to take it easy for another day or two, and then I'll have my running buddy back again!

Its late and almost time for bed, so I'll end with my numbers for the day:

Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.59 miles

Pace: 9:25/m

Max Pace: 8:08/m

Calories: 206

Avg HR: 125

Max HR: 138

Goodnight everyone...

Run for life!!

Day 13, 352 To Go

January 13, 2013

Today, I want to pay homage to a few people who have done some amazing feats of endurance.  My little 15 minutes a day for a year pales in comparison and is actually quite pathetic in relation to these masters of endurance.  I'm a master of being pathetic next to them.  Honestly, I should just quit right now I'm so pathetic.

But, I won't.  I'll revel in my patheticness!  Everyone has to start somewhere, and I'm starting here.  So screw you and your judgemental attidute (did I just tell myself to screw off?  I got problems...)

So, lets take a look at some of these amazing people.  I'm going to skip over the people who run marathons in just over two hours like Haile Gebrselassie's marathon record of 2:04:36 and those amazing cyclist who complete the Tour de France (even if I juiced for a year, took EPO, had 100 blood transfusions and put a motor on my bike, I couldn't do what they do).  This is for those few who went past the bounds of what humans should be capable of and passed over into superhuman territory...at least as far as I am concerned.

I'll start with someone I actually trained with in Hawaii.  Chet the Jet Blanton.  He temporarily had the world record for Ironman races in one year.  I believe it was 27.  However, 20 of them were at one time.  A double decca Ironman.  That's 48 miles of swimming, 2,240 miles on the bike, and 524 miles of running.  He did this over a month's time taking small sleeping breaks in between bouts of amazing endurance.

How about Dean Karnaze who ran 350 miles nonstop!  He ran for 80 straight hours!  This guy has run the Badwater race four times (the toughest endurance race in the world) and he ran 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 states!  Yeah...insane.

A word or two about the Badwater race.  It is insane.  It is a 135 mile race, which is already bad enough.  Add to that, you run from the lowest place in the Western Hemisphere, Bad Water, Death Valley, to the highest point in the contiguous US, Mt. Whitney.  On top of the 13,000 feet worth of ascent, there are the 130°F (55°C) temperatures to deal with.  It gets so hot, the runners have to run on the white lines on the side of the road so their shoes don't melt!  MELT!

Then, there is Mark Covert who has run at least one mile every day since July 23, 1968.  He has run over 136,000 miles throughout his life.

In 2013, from August 28 - October 2, a few insane individuals will attempt one of three races:

• One Ironman Triathlon daily * 30 days
• One Ironman Triathlon daily * 20 days
• One Ironman Triathlon daily * 10 days

This will take place in Verona, Italy.  Check out the website here: www.decaironman.com.  Chet the Jet Blanton (mentioned above) will be attempting the 30 day event along with a bunch of other crazies.  Good luck dude!

There are plenty more of these if you look around.  Humans are pushing the limits of human capability every day.  This blog is my small attempt.  So today, I ran a whopping 35 minutes!  Can you believe it!  (I'm going to start on that pathetic rant again...)

Here are my numbers for the day:

Time: 35:00

Distance: 3.48 miles

Pace: 10:04/m

Max Pace: 6:16/m

Calories: 452

Avg HR: 138

Max HR: 159

My goal was to stay in my aerobic zone, and for the most part, I did.  The spike in my heart rate and speed was due to the drills I do before most runs, excluding my short 15 minute runs.  I warm up for about 10 minutes, then I do butt kickers, high knees, sideways cross overs, skipping and then last but not least, strides.  These drills are great dynamic stretches (as opposed to static stretching like touching your toes and holding for 30 seconds) and they loosen you up for longer runs or speedwork.

Then I finished out my run after the drills.  It was a bit hot today (about 80) and I ran around 12:00pm, so the heat was a factor.  I tried to keep in my aerobic zone, but my heart had other plans.  I had to keep on slowing down until I finally stopped (well, I ran into a neighbor, Mike McCain, and we chatted for a while).  I finished off my run and now I am off to spend the day with the family.

Hope you enjoyed my little endurance history lesson.  Until next time,

Run for life!

Day 12, 353 To Go

January 12, 2013

I woke up today with a hangover.  Problem is, I didn't drink last night.

What?

Yeah, not a drop of alcohol, but this morning I had all the normal symptoms of a hangover.  I had a headache, I was dizzy, I was dehydrated, I was nauseous, I felt weak and I wanted nothing more than to just stay in bed for the rest of the day.

Babies don't care if you have a hangover.  And since Honey is already supposed to stay in bed, it was up to me to get up with them.  So I did...then once they went for a nap, I went back to bed.  When Honey woke up, apparently, she had a hangover too!  What the hell happened?  Well, her symptoms were similar to mine, except a bit worse.  You see, I rarely throw up.  No matter how sick I am, my body stubbornly hangs on to any food I have ingested.  This makes bouts of food poisoning that much worse for me.  Not for Honey though. She throws up at the mere mention of nausea.

Ahh....food poisoning.  Could it be?  What did I eat last night (the question is, what DIDN'T I eat!)  Well, here is the list of things I remember eating last night (I am really failing at this diet lately):

1. Chinese food (or as I like to call it, tasty MSG treats)
• Beef and Broccoli
• General Tso's Chicken
• Orange Chicken
• Spare Ribs
• White Rice
• Shrimp Fried Rice
2. Two Grape ice pops (all natural Edy's...so they are good for me, right!)
3. Nilla cookies
4. Peanut Butter M&Ms
5. Ruffles potato chips
6. About 6 or 8 pieces of chocolate from a mixed box from Belgium (run Forest run!!)

That's it.

Any more days like this and I'll be on the receiving end of Jillian's tirades on the Biggest Loser (very inspiring show, by the way).

However, the only thing Honey shared with me was the Beef and Broccoli and the Shrimp Fried Rice.  So, my guess it was one of those.  I think perhaps I didn't get as sick as her because I ate so much food and it was diluted, plus, I have a fairly strong constitution when it comes to sickness.

We spent most of the day lounging around doing nothing (what else is a Saturday for, anyway).  When it was time for my Honeyless run, I got up and just put my shoes on.  I was still a bit sick and I was sweating even before I took my first steps.  I ran a bit of a jagged course since I couldn't run too straight, but after a few minutes, I started to feel pretty good.

I didn't look at my watch at all except to note when the time hit 7:30 so I could turn around and when it hit 15:00 so I could stop.  I didn't care about pace.  I just wanted to get through it.  What was odd is that my legs felt great, if not fast.  Running is odd like that sometimes.  Everything can go right and you may run like crap and everything can go wrong and you may run great. 

Our bodies are complex and the only way you will ever figure it out is if you take lots of notes, so it is always a good idea to keep a running log.  You can track what you ate, how you felt, what the weather was, if you were sick, how far you ran, your pace, etc.  If you do this for a long time, you will start to see patterns that you can use to improve your training, your nutrition and anything else that gets in the way.  A blog, perhaps, is a worthy substitute for a training log, although it is not the best format for analysis later on.

Anyway, here are my numbers:

Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.49 miles

Pace: 10:02/m

Max Pace: 8:03/m

Calories: 194

Avg HR: 121

Max HR: 136

The weather was great and my legs felt fresh so I wanted to run longer, but I am thinking long term, so I packed it in and came home.  Tomorrow, I will stretch it out a bit. 

Before I go, I want to mark an important event that happened yesterday.  Joshua, the youngest of the triplets (only by 2 minutes, but I'm sure his sisters will not let him forget it) took his first steps!  He was very excited and proud of himself as were Honey and I.  He took his first steps towards a lifetime of running, perhaps?  One can only hope.

So Joshua,

Run for life!!

Day 11, 354 To Go

January 11, 2013

Honeyless day two is done.  Honey is still in bed and itching to get out there with me again.  I told her the run was horrible and that I was chased by a Florida Panther up a tree so she wouldn't feel bad about not coming.  She responded by telling me that it is dangerous to climb trees.  Not sure what to think about that response...

Anywho...

I wonder if this happens to anyone else when the run.  The first few minutes, I feel like every joint in my body is screaming for mercy and begging me to just sit down and eat more pizza.  Anyone?  After a few minutes, everything loosens up and I only feel the normal amount of aches and pains for a man of my age.  Oh, how I miss the days when I could run and run and run and the only pain I felt was maybe the next day if I ran particularly hard.  Now, I feel everything. 

Yesterday, I ran a bit harder than normal, sure.  And I also did some jump squats.  These are just body weight squats where instead of coming back up to standing, you explode up and jump off the ground.  This helps build strength in my legs to combat any knee issues and it also helps me with my kick at the end of a race.  It basically builds power.  As long as I don't do too many, I don't need to worry about hurting my knees since they are a plyometric exercise (great exercises, but only for those whose bodies are not made of brittle plastic like mine.)  So, I was a bit sore today, but I don't think yesterday was the problem.

The problem is that I sit on my ASS all day for my job.  A desk job.  Computers.  Boring.  And it kills my hips and flexibility.  So every run, I am loosening up my hips and back and legs from a days worth of misery sitting at my computer.  Speaking of that, I'm still sitting at my computer.  What the hell!  I'm outta here!

But first, here are the numbers for today:

Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.53 miles

Pace: 9:50/m

Max Pace: 9:08/m

Calories: 198

Avg HR: 124

Max HR: 137

I'm going to go find a place I can stand for the next few hours.  Not more sitting for me.  Until next time,

 

Run for life!!

Day Ten, 355 To Go

January 10, 2013

Today was a sad run.  Why, you ask?  Well, because Honey did not come.  It wasn't because she didn't want to, it was because her doctor was just a bit more insistent this time, and we felt it best to listen this time.  She said something about - I don't know the technical term here - her uterus falling out if she didn't listen to her advice. 

So, we decided not to take any chances and she took the day off.  Actually, she will be taking four days off.  I will be running Honeyless until Monday.  Then, hopefully, she will be cleared to start running again.  She is very upset that her streak is going to end, but have no fear Honey!  We will just start another streak.  The goal was to run every day for a year.  Who says the year has to start on January 1st?  A year is 365 days, so whether it starts on 1/1 or 1/14, a year is a year.

Psst...

Psssst...

Honey isn't listening...so, I need to ask all my readers for their help to cheer her up and encourage her to run again.  So leave some comments telling her how inspired you have been by her dedication and perseverance!  Ok...back to the blog...

Ahem, where was I.  Oh, yeah...running...

So, today, I ran by myself.  I ran a bit faster than usual, but, I still stayed within my Aerobic zone.  I pushed the pace to my limit in the Aerobic zone, but I stayed under.  I think if I push the pace too often early, I will never make it the whole year.  I recently read that pro athletes use a method of training called  the Lydiard method.  The method calls for a high volume of training - about 80% low intensity, 10% moderate intensity and 10% at high intensity.  So, basically, that is what I am kind of doing.  Granted, the volume isn't very high, yet, but it will get there.

Most of my runs will be at an easy pace, a few at a moderate pace, and a few at a fast pace.  My hope is that if I continue this pattern, I'll get much faster.  And that is always a good thing!  What I need to start doing now is some cross training.  I need to swim and bike and do some weight lifting/ab work.  I'll do that in all my spare time...oh, yeah.  I don't have any of that!

So, here are my numbers for my run today:

Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.72 miles

Pace: 8:43/m

Max Pace: 7:15/m

Calories: 222

Avg HR: 136

Max HR: 150

Since I burned sooo many calories today, I decided that I earned dinner at Subway where the motto is Eat Fresh!  Yeah...I worked there for like 5 years while I was in college (that prepared me for the real world, right) and there was nothing fresh about it.  In fact, the freshest thing in the store was the beer we kept in the ice machine in the back...among other things...

Well, time to spend some time with Honey...I'm going to attempt to cheer her up.  Wish me luck.

Run for life!!

Day Nine, 356 To Go

January 9, 2013

I had pizza again today.  If you read yesterday's blog, you'll know that I'm a big pig and I have no will power when it comes to pizza, so today, I ate the leftover pizza and garlic knots.  As you will see by my calories burned on the run tonight, I did not earn that pizza.

What the hell...you only live once, then you die and rot.  So, I'm glad I ate the pizza!! I'll make up for it on Sunday with a longer run.  That's how I roll.  Eat...then run.  Eat more...then run more.  It's a power struggle that for most of my adult life I have been losing.  Of course, since I only finally considered myself an adult when I turned 40 (just this past year) its nowhere as near dramatic as I made it sound.  My issues with being a grown up are fodder for another blog some other time...to the running now.

Spitting in the face of her doctors again, Honey braved another day.  Nine days in a row running is the longest she has ever gone exercising in any form, so I have to give her some props.  Running isn't easy.  Even those of you who are die hard runners know this.  All of us started out hating it.  Every part of it.  And over time, it grew on us...like mold.  And now we can't get rid of it.  My goal is to grow so much running mold on Honey that she runs around the house all day doing her house chores.  I want her to run to the bathroom.  I want her to run to the kitchen and get me some water (seriously, I'm parched!)  I want her to run everywhere!

I'll also settle for her taking on a new healthy habit that will extend her life, make her more healthy, happier, fitter and enable her and me to spend the next 100 years together.  Then we can die together in bed like that couple in The Notebook (seriously, if you don't cry at the end of that movie, you are a cold hearted bastard).

Take a look at our numbers today:

Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.18 miles

Pace: 12:47/m

Max Pace: 10:01/m

Calories: 119

Avg HR: 97

Max HR: 108

Slowly, but surely, the numbers are improving.  It may just be a few seconds per mile every time, but progress is progress.  At some point, I need to get Honey to run a bit longer so we can increase her endurance...maybe next week.  Until then,

Run for life...

Day Eight, 357 To Go

January 8, 2013

The start of week two was a successful run.  Only 51 weeks left...or 357 days...not sure which sounds worse.  I'm writing this just before I go out for my run on day nine...I'm a little bit behind, as you can tell.

Honestly, it is amazing I have lasted this long...not with the running...but with the blog.  At this point, however, I see them as linked together.  I can't run without doing this blog, and I certainly can't blog without doing the run.  So, I need to get moving!

I'll blame my late start on Honey.  She wanted to have some alone time with me once the kiddies had gone to bed, so I did not deny her.  I told her I would write later...and then I found myself asleep and no blog written.  You know how it goes.

Ok...to the running...

Honey went against doctor's orders today and ran anyway.  Screw doctors.  What do they know?  They only go to school for like 30 years to be a doctor.  I'm proud of her resistance.  I'd ignore them too.  She is turning into a true runner...she is running through pain and against doctor's orders.  Just don't tell her I said so.

Take a look at our numbers:

Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.15 miles

Pace: 13:00/m

Max Pace: 10:27/m

Calories: 112

Avg HR: 91

Max HR: 112

I really need to get my heart rate up, or I won't be doing much good for diet.  Well, let's not call it a "diet" in the sense that I am fat and trying to lose lots of pounds.  I'm just trying to get back down to what I like my race weight to be.  I am about 165 right now and I would love to race at around 155.  That might be a bit too low a number, so I'll settle for 160, but 155 is six pack territory...and Honey likes that sort of thing!

So, ordering pizza last night was probably not a good idea...the mozzarella sticks were definitely not a good idea...and the garlic knots were bordering on complete and utter stupidity.  Uh, but YUM!

I think I have some leftover...perhaps a pre-run slice of pizza would be a good idea...ok, maybe not. I'll settle for the stupid f*cking apple. 

One of these years my New Year's Resolution is going to be to eat as much as I want, drink more, smoke, sit on my ass and watch TV, and get as fat/lazy/unhealthy as I can get.

Until then, though...

Run for life!!

Day Seven, 358 To Go

January 7, 2013

One week down, 51 to go!

It was an uneventful run tonight.  I was a tad sore, but it went away after a couple of minutes.  Honey and I had a nice, cool evening run together.  She was not feeling well again today, but I guilted her into going.

First, I told her the situation:

Its late, its chilly, its wet and you feel like crap.  But, if you bag on tonight's run, your streak is over and no matter how hard you try, I will always be better than you.

That got me "the look" which makes me cringe every time.  You know what I mean.  If any of you are married, you get "the look" at least once a day.  I think is is in the manual they hand out to women before they walk down the aisle.  It must have a horrific title like, "How to Dominate Your Man For the Next 50 Years With Only Your Eyes" or "How to Crush Your Husbands Balls Beneath Your Feet and Have Him Beg For Mercy" or "How to Fake an Orgasm, and 1000 Other Ways to Demoralize the Love of Your Life".

Seriously, she was feeling bad and I just told her that if you think you can run tonight, but you aren't going to because you just don't feel like it, just put on your shoes and go.  If you do that one night, it makes quitting the next night so much easier...and the next and the next and so on.  The great thing about running is that all you need is a pair of sneakers.  Just put them on, and go.  Sure, you can have all sorts of fancy equipment, but those are just enhancements that sometimes do more harm then good.

Lets talk about fancy equipment, shall we?  I use the Garmin Forerunner 305.  Its not the most recent iteration of Garmin's GPS watches, but since it still works, I'm not upgrading.  The newest version, the Forerunner 610 sports a touch screen and is smaller and more accurate, but it costs $350!  Check it out here for more info: Forerunner 610

Anyway, the version I have gives me all the information I need and it is possible to customize multiple screens.  I can see my speed, my pace, my distance, the elevation, hill grade, heart rate, average heart rate and pace and speed, when the sun rises and when the sun sets...oh, and I think the actual time.  No runner needs all this, but I guess it is nice to have.  It can be a great training tool (there is a way to set up complex workouts too) and it is nice to know how far you have gone and your pace.

Sometimes, though, it is nice to just run.  Just put on your shoes and go.  Don't worry about how fast or how far you are going. Just go.

I need to try that more often, because I am f*cking addicted to that damn watch and the stream of information it gives me.  You know when it sucks though?  In a long race like a 1/2 Marathon or Marathon...you look at the watch and it says 3 miles...then 3.1 miles...then 3.4 miles...and so on and so on and finally, in what feels like hours and hours later, you look at your watch again, and the bastard has the balls to show you 4.2 miles then 4.3!  AHHHHH!  Its like crack.  So, it takes some getting used to in the beginning, but eventually, you only look at it every minute instead of every 10 seconds.

Really, the only other technology you need when running are a few good pairs of synthetic blend shirts and shorts (never use cotton!) and you are good to go.  That leaves us with probably the most expensive part of running...the shoes (and I suppose socks..they can be $8 to $10 a pair).  Running shoes can run you anywhere from $30 at DSW to over $150.  And according to Runner's World and every other magazine or shoe maker in the world, you have to replace them ever four to six months or 300 to 500 miles!

I went through this every six months...I would buy a new pair of shiny shoes and begin to wear them out right away.  After hearing about the book Born to Run and reading a bunch of studies (mostly inconclusive) about the new craze of barefoot or minimalist running, I decided to try out the Vibram shoes (I did eventually read Born to Run...excellent read!)

They are weird.  The first time you put them on, they feel strange.  The first time you run in them, they feel weird.  When was the last time you ran barefoot?  As a kid, maybe?  Well, these shoes may protect your feet, but that is about it.  There is no support, no arch, no cushioning, no nothing.

As you can see, mine are a bit worn out, but I don't see the need to get new ones since they don't have any holes and there is no cushioning to speak of.  The one problem I do have with them is they smell.  Seriously.  I can clear a room.  I need to find some sort of spray or use Febreeze or something!

The key to running in these "shoes" is to start slow and build up your miles very slow.  Because our feet have been pampered for years upon years wearing shoes, they are not strong enough to run barefoot.  Also, because there is no heel lift, your foot drops more than usual, and it puts extra strain on your achilles tendon.  That has been the biggest problem for me.  But, prior to wearing them, my biggest problem was my knees.  Since I started wearing them, I have had virtually no knee problems (other than when I walk into furniture in the dark).

I don't think I will ever go back to wearing regular sneakers to run, even when I do a triathlon.  You should see me trying to put these on in a hurry...my little piggies like to invade each other's spots and I end up running with three toes in one, uh, toe thingy (I have no idea what to call these f*ckers, so deal with the term toe thingy).

I'll end tonight with our numbers for today:

Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.15 miles

Pace: 13:03/m

Max Pace: 11:20/m

Calories: 115

Avg HR: 99

Max HR: 109

Goodnight!

Run for life!!