Day 119, 246 To Go

April 29, 2013

So we have a schedule now.  Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Honey will be running with me.  The rest of the days, she will rollerblade.  This is the schedule.  Having 10,000 children, though, can put a monkey wrench in any schedule, so we'll see how it goes.  So far, so good (yes, I know it is only one day...baby steps!)

Every Monday, when I get out there to run, I feel old.  Everything hurts and I am slow.  If I run by myself, inevitably, I start to run a little faster.  Today, I don't think that would have been possible.  I felt like I was 80.  My ankles, feet, hips and arms (who knows why) all hurt.  What the hell!  Tomorrow had better be better, that is all I have to say.

I have spoken to many of my triathlete friends, and my situation isn't that odd.  Many of them feel achy and stiff after a week of workouts.  It seems like we are in a perpetual state of achiness.  It just comes with the territory.  The key is recovery.  Most workout cycles are 4 weeks.  Three weeks of increasing distance and effort, with a fourth week of recovery where you cut your volume down by about 20%.  This gives your body time to recover and yet, you are still keeping your fitness.

I have not been able to get my 4th week of recovery all year, obviously.  I can probably cut back on my long run though, and I may do that in the future.  I am feeling like I need an easy week, so maybe this weekend will be the time to cut back.

Here are our numbers for today:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 1.64 miles

Pace: 12:13/m

Max Pace: 9:02/m

Calories: 192

Avg HR: 104

Max HR: 122

It was a good run for Honey.  12:08 is her best and this came close, so I give it the thumbs up.  Honey was a little sore today, but not too bad.  She did, however, walk with the babies today too.  She walked almost 2 miles.  Then, she started her 10 Minute Trainer DVDs.  She did two 10 minute workouts.  One was an Upper Body workout and the other was Core Cardio.

Mark my words, though, tomorrow, she is going to be sore ALLLLL over.  DOMS - Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness will kick her ass.  The 45 minute rollerblading session will get her and probably, are upper body will be sore right away since the only workout she gets with her upper body is when she...oh, never mind.

Run for Life!!

Day 118, 247 To Go

April 28, 2013

I woke up to a text that Mike, my training partner, would be here in 15 minutes since he was running a bit late.  It was 7:30am and I was still in bed.  Oops.  I had to text him back that I was running even later due to the fact that I was still in bed and I would meet him there instead.  I knew at that point that I would miss the swim.

Awwwww...

I got up, ate, got ready, pooped, packed the car and was on the road in no time.  I got to my training location in Melbourne, FL, and made a second trip to the bathroom.  Hey, the last thing you want while riding a bicycle is GI issues.

So, we set out, me Mike and Daryl and got moving.  We went nice and slow to start and when we turned out onto the straightaway, we picked up speed...or at least we tried.  Holy wind batman!!  No matter how hard we pushed, we couldn't break 18mph and mostly, we were closer to 16 or 17.  We took turns pulling, but after 2 minutes, you had to pull off and get to the back of the line (it wasn't much of a line since there was only three of us, but it was still a pace line).

We hit the turnaround at about 8 miles and headed back.  We were only doing 16 miles since that is basically the course for the next race (we should be going further, but we were actually riding the course).  Wow, what a difference on the way back.  We immediately sped up to 25mph and pushed 26 at times.  It was so much more fun than fighting the wind!

At the end, me and Daryl pushed up to 30mph!  We were happy until we thought about it and realized the Tour de France riders will average 30mph for a 120 mile ride!!  What!  Still, I was proud of my 15 seconds of Tour de France pseudo fame!

We transitioned and went out for the run.  This did not go so well.  Mike and I forged out ahead, but 1.5 miles in, Mike's calf cramped up, and we ended up walking the remaining 1.5 miles.  Oh well.  I only got 15 minutes in so I knew then that I had to go home and run another 45 minutes.

When I got home, Honey, the kids and I went to get something to eat and then we stopped at The Sport's Authority so Honey could buy something.  What did she buy?  Rollerblades.  Her plan is to roll with me when I do my longer runs.

She did ok for her first time on the blades.  I thought when we bought them she had used them before, but she had only used roller skates!  HAHA!  Oh well.  So, she accompanied my on my 45 minute run.  It consisted of me running my normal slower pace for my long runs and of Honey grabbing onto me every few minutes because she was seconds away from doing a face plant on the asphalt!!

Ok, I'm exaggerating a little.  That only happened a few times.  Other than that, she did fine.  I think after some more practice, I will have a tough time keeping up with her, that's for sure.  Perhaps it will help me run faster when I get tired.  I can't have her beating me now, can I!

So now Honey is running, she has been walking with the babies every day from 1 - 2.5 miles, and she is rollerblading.  I look like a slacker now.  I need to get my swim on to keep up!  Soon, she will be in better shape than me, and I can't have that!!

Here are my biking numbers:

Time: 0:47:40

Distance: 15.31 miles

Pace: 19.27mph

Max Pace: 30.64mph

Calories: 889

Avg HR: 143

Max HR: 171

Gotta love that max pace, especially since there are NO hills in Florida.  The fastest I remember going was 43mph, but that was down a steep hill in CT.  No chance of that here.

Here are my combined running numbers:
Time: 60:00

Distance: 6.20 miles

Pace: 9:41/m

Max Pace: 5:27/m

Calories: 782

Avg HR: 142

Max HR: 158

I think that max pace came while I was doing my running drills with my strides.  What must it be like to run 5:27 for an entire marathon?  I can hardly imagine it.  When I do, I start to pant and then pass out from the sheer effort of the imagining!  Some people can do that though.  Professional marathoners even go faster!

Another week in the books.  Tomorrow, I go back to work.  I hope to bike at least once this week in the morning and maybe even swim.  Will I do it?  No clue.  But I want to.  Where there is a will...

Run for Life!!

Day 117, 248 To Go

April 27, 2013

This truly was a lazy Saturday.  Other than my run, I didn't do much at all.  And yes, Honey ran with me today too.  We ran early in the day during the triplet's first nap around 11:30am.  This got it out of the way and allowed me some time to recover for my longer workouts on Sunday.

Today was another uninterrupted run.  No breaks and even more impressive, no whining.  Honey is on a mission.  Not only does she want to shape up to go to Brazil and (hopefully) wear a standard Brazilian bikini (think floss, but not as thick), she is visiting friends in CT in a couple of weeks and she wants to look good for that too.  Girls are weird sometimes.  I think she is more concerned about looking good for her girlfriends than for me!

Whatever!  I'll take it!  I get a running companion and an even MORE hot wife, so I have nothing to lose.

The big question is, whatever will I do while she is in CT?  While I will miss her terribly, I think I may have to visit a strip club, go out drinking with the guys, get into a bar fight, watch lots of porn, and troll the abortion clinics for chicks (come on, you know they put out!)

Ok, I won't do any of those things.  I'll sit at home, catch up on my TV, do my running, biking and maybe some swimming.  That's about it.  Holy crap my life is boring.

Here are our numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 1.58 miles

Pace: 12:37/m

Max Pace: 10:29/m

Calories: 177

Avg HR: 107

Max HR: 115

Par for the course for Honey and me.  I'm still hoping I can get her to sub 12 min miles by June.  Just have to keep up the hard work!!  Move that butt Honey!!

Run for Life!

Day 116, 249 To Go

April 26, 2013

I love Friday, but only half as much as I hate Monday...but still, it ranks high on my list of days.  I'd say number 3 with Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd.  The rest are all tied for 4th with Monday being last at 7.

So, for my 3rd favorite day of the week, I decided to go fast!  I didn't decide that until I was actually running, but it must have been the freedom I felt from another hard week at work.  I was feeling really free because I recorded my fasted time yet!

My first five minutes were actually kind of slow, so if I had been feeling good from the get go, I would have done even better.  In either case, it was hard work.  I was panting and spitting and panting some more.  I was listening to something, I don't even know anymore, and I had to take the headphones out of my ears because it was just becoming annoying.  Not only was the song playing too slow, the music was just a distraction.  When you are pushing that hard, any external stimuli can be a distraction.

I ran just shy of 2.75 miles in my 20 minutes for a pace of 7:19, but I was doing sub 7min miles for the last .74 miles of the run.  That is when I was really killing myself.

I love these runs the best, especially when I feel up to it.  I wish I could run like this EVERY day!  It would make the 20 minutes go by faster.  I know I am still running 20 minutes, but still, it makes the 20 minutes more interesting.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.74 miles

Pace: 7:19/m

Max Pace: 5:54/m

Calories: 352

Avg HR: 153

Max HR: 173

I didn't get that 173 in my heart rate until the end.  I think I was approaching my limit.  I could probably have held out for another quarter mile or so, and then I would have passed out!  I kind of ran today like I was running a 5k which may not be the best way to train, but it sure was fun.  Extrapolating my pace out to a full 5k would have given me a 22:43 time.  Not by best by about 2 minutes, but a time I would be happy with now.  It may even have been faster since I was pacing about 6:50 in the last mile, so maybe a 22:20.

Perhaps I should enter a 5k in the near future.  I'll have to think about that...

Run for Life!

Day 115, 250 To Go

April 25, 2013

Today was a milestone day for Honey.  She ran the entire 20 minutes without stopping, even for one second.

Lets give her a hearty round of applause!!!!

This is significant for her, and I am very proud of her.  Not only was it the first time she ran the entire 20 minutes, it was also her fastest pace!

Beginners tend to reach a PR (personal records) very often.  This is because, as a beginner, you have a long way up.  Growth in endurance and speed come quickly.  This is great because it can be very encouraging to a new runner.  This will only happen if you work hard though.  If you skip runs or slack off in your runs, you are not going to hit PRs.

The trap that beginners need to be wary of is when these PRs and the speed and endurance gains stop coming so quickly.  This can quickly discourage new runners.  All you newbies out there have to realize that this is perfectly normal.  If you want to get better and faster, you have to work harder.  It really never gets easy if you want to get better.  Sure, you can step off the gas and just enjoy the level of fitness you have achieved and you can have a long running career.  This is perfectly ok.  If you want to get better, you have to work your ass off.  No way around it.

Here are our numbers today:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 1.65 miles

Pace: 12:08/m

Max Pace: 9:03/m

Calories: 201

Avg HR: 108

Max HR: 125

Once again, I am so proud of my Honey!  Great job today.  Keep it up!

Run for Life!!

Day 114, 251 To Go

April 24, 2013

Today I tried something different.  I ran before work.  They say (whoever they are...screw they!) that if you work out in the morning, you will have increased energy throughout the day.

I was dragging ass after lunch.  Either "they" don't know what they are talking about or I would have been face down on my computer with A S D F tattooed across my forehead.

It may have something to do with the fact that my little Kaylee is sick and she has a high fever and I was up at 1:00am and again at 3:00am to check on her.  Honey took the second shift and I sort of slept.  My poor little girl is not happy.  She is a bit of a drama queen (like her mommy) and she basically needs to be held all day. 

I feel for you Honey.

The good thing about running in the morning is that I should have my evening free.  Of course today I did have a doctor's appt and I had to make up the time at work AND I worked late, so that theory went out the window.

I also did not win Powerball.  If I had won, I would have changed the focus of my blog and attempted to run in a different local every day.  I would travel the world and run in every city, state, country and continent!  That would be an adventure.  I didn't win, though, so I am as poor as yesterday and will continue to run down my street again and again and again (for at least 251 more times this year!!)

Here are my morning numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.07 miles

Pace: 9:40/m

Max Pace: 7:41/m

Calories: 266

Avg HR: 120

Max HR: 130

Perhaps I will run in the morning again...perhaps I will just sleep.  Perhaps my little baby will feel better.  Perhaps a lot of things.  One thing I know is that another day is in the books!!

Run for Life!!

Day 113, 252 To Go

April 23, 2013

Honey is in the house!  Well, I suppose she is out of the house, if I'm being literal.  That's because she decided to grace me with her presence today.  I think she is trying to break her record of running 19 days in one month.  I don't think she will break it this month, but next month, watch out!

When I run with Honey, the coach in me wants to give her instructions, but the husband in me knows better.  If I were some hunky personal trainer, she would hang on my every word and practically beg me for my insight.  Since I am just her hunky husband, my opinion is worthless and better left given to the dogs we pass on our run.

Such is the married life.

So, instead of telling her what she can do to improve, I will instead tell all of you (not that you are going to listen to me either....don't worry, I'm married, I'm used to being ignored).

There are few things I see most beginners do that can affect their performance and enjoyment.  The first thing is the clothes they wear.  Many start out all excited wearing their cotton shorts and shirts and worst of all, cotton socks.  At first, they feel great, but if you sweat or run long, you will regret it.  Cotton absorbs all of your sweat, irritates your skin, chafes and overall causes misery.  Go with synthetic materials all the way!

Another thing new runners do is they overuse their arms.  They pump their arms like they are in a boxing match instead of on a run.  Not only that, they punch the guy to their left then their right and their left and their right...in other words, they pump their arms and they swing them across their body.  This does two things.  First, it wastes energy with all the excess pumping and second, when you cross your body with your arms, you overwork your core with all the twisting which also wastes energy.  It can also cause back injuries and other trunk injuries.  Any excess movement, especially awkward movement, over time can build up and cause overuse injuries.

Of course, the thing most new runners do wrong is they try to run too fast too soon.  If you start out too hard too soon, you end up tiring yourself out to the point that you can not recover, and you either have to end your workout too soon or you get sloppy with your form and can cause injuries.  Pacing is something that comes with experience, or you can cheat and use a GPS watch.  Again, you can always use your heart rate as a guide to keep yourself in check.

All of these things will improve with time and experience.  Not that Honey has any of these issues, of course!! (<wink, wink>)

Here are our numbers: (Update...I screwed up somewhere...these numbers are from my GPS, so they are right, but Honey didn't put up these numbers....so I don't know what happened!)

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.30 miles

Pace: 8:42/m

Max Pace: 6:16/m

Calories: 285

Avg HR: 129

Max HR: 157

Honey is going longer and longer without stopping...I think she got just past 10 minutes today.  Soon, she will be at 20!  Go Honey!

Run for Life!!

Day 112, 253 To Go

April 22, 2013

I know this is a common theme with me, but holy crap, its Monday again.  It seems like it comes around every few days (7 to be exact).  I think the problem is that I don't actually relax on the weekend so Monday comes too soon.  I may actually start to like Monday since sometimes I can relax more on Mondays than I do on Saturday and Sunday!

I felt good today after the long run on Sunday, but when I started to run, I was terribly slow.  Luckily, I had Honey to keep me company.  I had to work to keep up with her at the onset.  She did a great job and ran straight through to the turn around at 10 minutes.  After that, she had maybe one or two short stops.  She is getting better and even more than that, she is actually trying.

It is amazing what you can accomplish when your head is into what you are doing.  If you set out on some goal with negativity on your mind, you are defeating yourself before you even start.  Conversely, if you start out with a positive mindset, you are giving yourself a boost that potentially push you over the edge of success.  When it comes to running, your mind is sometimes even more important than your body.  When the going gets tough, it is your mind that will keep you going.  You can always go further than you think.  You can always go faster than you think.  And if you think you can go faster and you think you can go further, just imagine what you can accomplish!

I often wrestle with positivity.  When it hurts or when I am tired I can hear the negative thoughts creeping in and I always fight them off if I can.  Sometimes I win, and sometimes I lose.  I feel like I am winning more often than I am losing during this trial of running every day!  That is definitely a positive!!

Here are our numbers for today:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 1.62 miles

Pace: 12:22/m

Max Pace: 10:41/m

Calories: 189

Avg HR: 107

Max HR: 112

It was a great recovery run for me and a great training run for Honey.  Her plan is to run with me only 2 or 3 days a week so she doesn't burn out and she doesn't let the negative thoughts take over.  So far so good.

Run for Life!!

Day 111, 254 To Go

April 21, 2013

It was a long day.  The trip to Orlando started early and was ok until about 30 minutes into the ride when the babies started screaming.  Why?  Who knows.  They just did...and, they finally stopped about 5 minutes before we arrived at our destination in Orlando. 

My ear drums would like to thank you for utterly destroying them and leaving me more deaf than I already was.

We kind of got lucky when we got there.  You see, people are often fascinated with triplets.  On top of that, we brought them and Derek in in this:

This gets a lot of attention.  So much so, that they ended up helping us ahead of a lot of people.  We got the birth certificates done right away which were needed to do the passports.  So, the babies ended up with their birth certificates (Brazilian ones, of course...they already have the US ones) and passports.  Unfortunately, they do not do visas at the traveling consulate.  So my mom and I both need to still get those.  I had one, but it expires after 5 years and mine just expired.

So, we need to get those and we need to get the US passports for the babies.

We did one other thing.  Honey and I are not officially married in Brazil as well as the US.  Yay!  How should we celebrate?

Lets go to Fogo de Chao with some friends.  Bill, Karen and Claire met up with us and we had a great lunch.  I stuffed my face with more meat than an African Lion at a wildebeest buffet on the Savannah.  It did kind of slip my mind that I still needed to run when I got home.  Oops.

So, we get home, and I am dying for a nap.  Everyone slept in the car on the way home except me since I drove.  The problem is, if I nap, I will never run, so I decided to forgo the nap and just get out there.  My goal was to do at least 30 minutes and call it a day.

Running is strange sometimes.  Some days, I can barely get through 20 minutes and others, I feel like I can go on forever.  Today was one of those days.  I ran 20 minutes and felt fine, so I kept going.  I got to 30 minutes and turned around and I ended up completing a full hour.  It has been a few weeks since I did that, so I was surprised I felt so good!  I don't know if it was the endless pounds of beef I took in (had to be in the neighborhood of over 3,000 calories, at least) or perhaps it was the turbo boost I got from all the gas I had.  Every 2 minutes gas would explode from my rear and I would shoot ahead at high speeds!

Very dangerous situation...especially for anyone running behind me.  Eat a cow, and see what it does to your digestive system!!

Here are my numbers:

Time: 60:00

Distance: 6.38 miles

Pace: 9:25/m

Max Pace: 6:40/m

Calories: 813

Avg HR: 137

Max HR: 151

Not a bad pace and I steadily increased my pace every mile until the last .38 miles:
Mile 1 - 9:56
Mile 2 - 9:20
Mile 3 - 9:19
Mile 4 - 9:17
Mile 5 - 9:07
Mile 6 - 9:00

That is always the goal, to do a negative split, even in my training runs.  Since I almost always do an out and back run, I can easily tell if I do a negative split if I reach my house before my time runs out.  Typically, I get back with about a minute to spare.  Granted, my first mile is usually a warm up, but it still counts!

Ok, time to rest my legs and my belly.  Even though I felt good while I ran, I did feel the urge to puke a few times.  The cow wanted out, but I wouldn't let him go!

Run for Life!!

Day 110, 255 To Go

April 20, 2013

As I promised, I am going to post some pictures of the cake we made this week for Colin's birthday.  We had a great time at the party and the kids all had fun in the pool.  Well, the other kids did.  The babies are too small for the pool and I only have two arms, so I didn't try to put them in.  Derek did go for a little dip, but the sun hid behind some clouds and it got a bit chilly for swimming.  Not that that stopped him.  I pulled him out when he started to get blue and he was shivering. Young children will play until they get hypothermia unless you take them out!

Self preservation isn't high on a 4 year old's list of priorities!

So, here you go:

There he is, Thomas the Tank Engine!  He was made with a yellow pound cake and Ghirardelli Buttercream filling.  If you want your very own 3D cake or any type of cake, check out our website at http://www.cupncakesgourmet.com/

Now, to the running.  I ran after the party and after consuming cake, cupcakes, hamburgers, hot dogs, mac n cheese and chips.  I ran rather well, considering!

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.19 miles

Pace: 9:08/m

Max Pace: 8:03/m

Calories: 282

Avg HR: 135

Max HR: 142

Time for some much needed rest tonight.  Tomorrow, we are off to Orlando to visit the traveling Brazilian Consulate to get some passports, visas, and birth certificates for our trip to Brazil in August.  Maybe, while we are there, we may just stop at Fogo de Chao again for some lunch....maybe...

Run for Life!!

Day 109, 256 To Go

April 19, 2013

Today, Honey and I got back to something we haven't done in about two years.  We made a cake.  Not your run of the mill round cake with some frosting.  No, we make Cake Boss type cakes.  If you don't believe me, check out our website here and see the Cakes Gallery for some pictures: http://www.cupncakesgourmet.com/
Last night I baked the cake and made the buttercream for the cake and cupcakes.  Today, Honey and I put the cake together and did most of the details.  We will have to finish the rest in the morning.  We baked the cupcakes today too...well, they were just cake box since we were didn't really have enough time to make those from scratch like the cake.  Besides, most people actually like the cake box cupcakes for some reason.  Personally, I prefer homemade cupcakes.  They are just better and the best part is I actually know what is in them.  Try reading the ingredients for store bought cupcakes!!
Anyway, the cake came out pretty good.  You'll have to check out my blog tomorrow for pictures.  Yup, I am going to tease you and make you wait...

Today, I ran pretty hard since I was feeling good.  I didn't go all out since I am still feeling stiff and my calves and ankles are not cooperating with me...same with my knees.  What the hell!  I need a full body massage.  That's what I need.  And an ice bath.  And pain medications.  Strong ones!!

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.47 miles

Pace: 8:05/m

Max Pace: 6:56/m

Calories: 323

Avg HR: 146

Max HR: 160

Not a bad pace.  Granted, a few years ago I could run this pace in my aerobic zone for 6 miles easy.  Getting older sucks sometimes!!

Run for Life!!

Day 108, 257 To Go

April 18, 2013

I've spent the week looking for airline tickets to Brazil.  Me, Honey, my mom, Derek, Ayla, Kaylee and Joshua, are all going.  Me on a plane with four kids, three of which will be about 1 1/2 years old.  I feel so bad for me and for anyone sitting next to us.

I apologize in advance to anyone who may be reading this and who may also be on my plane.  No one wants to be on a plane with children.  In fact, a lot of people feel that there should be children free flights.  I tend to agree, except that that doesn't work in my best interest.  I still agree though. 

Have you ever been on a plane with a screaming child for hours upon hours?  I think if you went crazy and killed the child and even the entire family, you could claim insanity in court and get off.  Well, you may end up in a nut house, but that is better than jail.  I am bringing THREE babies on a plane.  I think I am going to die.  I think the other passengers will be hoping that the plane goes down by the time we land.

I think I need to drug my children.  Its in our and everyone's best interest.  How much Valium can you safely give a toddler?

The worst part is that if it is a nightmare going, it will be even worse coming back.  Why?  Well, because now, I just assume it will be a nightmare.  If it ends up being a nightmare, on the way back, I will KNOW it is going to be a nightmare and there is nothing I can do to avoid it.  Its like being tied to the train tracks with a train schedule in one hand and a clock in the other...you know when you are going to die.

That is how much I am dreading this flight.  What I am dreading even more, though, is paying for it!  It will run us between 3k and 4k at least.  Yay!

On the bright side, I will get to run in another country, and that will be a nice change of pace. 

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.18 miles

Pace: 9:11/m

Max Pace: 7:40/m

Calories: 280

Avg HR: 130

Max HR: 144

Another comfortable run.  It is getting hotter and hotter though, so things are going to get harder and harder.  I am still struggling a bit recovering from the race this past weekend.  I am loosening up, but I'm not quite there yet.

Run for Life!!

Day 107, 258 To Go

April 17, 2013

Honey has graced me with her company yet again.  She put in a strong effort and I could see that she was honestly pushing herself.  You may think that this means that often, she doesn't try.

Uh, yeah.

For someone who hates running, that is to be expected.  When she puts in a hard effort and doesn't complain about it, I am happy and very proud of her.  Of course I hope that some day she grows to love running, but I don't really think that will happen.  I am just happy that she is doing something to keep herself healthy so she will be by my side for a long, long time.

Do you encourage your family to exercise?  If not, you should!  Don't be an accomplice to their laziness and sloth.  Do not enable them to be unhealthy.  Push them.  Encourage them.  Work out WITH them.  Do whatever you can to make them realize that it isn't for you or for anyone else, it is for them, because that is the truth.  If you get sick, although you may make those around you miserable, at the end of the day, it is you who is sick.  You owe it to yourself and your family to be as healthy as you can. 

This isn't to say that you will not get sick or some horrible disease.  Shit happens.  But, if you take care of yourself, eat right, exercise, don't drink too much, don't smoke at all, and try to be positive, you are giving yourself the best chance to be healthy and to live a long time.  Encourage those is your family to do the same, and you all can live long healthy lives.

If you hate your family, bring them a package of hamburgers, a pack of cigarettes, and a box set of Dexter for them to sit and watch for the next few weeks.  This way, you will ensure their early demise and happiness for you.

Whatever works for you.

Here are our numbers for today:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 1.71 miles

Pace: 11:47/m

Max Pace: 6:24/m

Calories: 195

Avg HR: 97

Max HR: 114

Remember to get your family involved in your exercise pursuits.  It will be more rewarding for all of you.  And of course,

Run for Life!!

Day 106, 259 To Go

April 16, 2013

Today was a hard day.  While I worked, I had the TV on all day and I was watching coverage of the horrible events at the Boston Marathon. 

I will not be afraid.  I will not be deterred from living my life.  I will continue to run and I will run another marathon and I will do my Ironman.  I will go to Disney and other "targets" around the country.  I will not be cowed by terrorists, domestic or foreign.

They will not, and can not win.  I am a fucking New Yorker, first of all.  I lived through 9/11 and I remember everything about that day.  It didn't scare me then and I won't allow it to scare me now.  I will get angry though!

I don't know if this was motivated by religion, geo-political issues, power, land, hate, fear or whatever other reasons that terrorist act.  I won't get into their reasons and if they are valid or not.  In my opinion, attacking innocent civilians is cowardice.  It is cowardice when the US does it and it is cowardice when other nations do it.  Making innocent civilians pawns in your struggle for whatever the fuck you are struggling against just makes your struggle less important, less valid, less reasonable, and just plain not right. 

If this was done in the name of religion, you don't know what religion is SUPPOSED to be about.  Most people don't which is why I have no place for it in my life.

If this was domestic and you are railing against the government, then you don't understand the role of government and you don't deserve our Constitution and you should get the fuck out of the country.

If this was what many assume and you are the standard Islamic terrorist, then you are just fucking stupid.  Do you remember the last time you did something like this?  Millions of your people died because of 9/11.  I am in no way condoning either the Iraq or Afghanistan war, but what do you have to gain?  You aren't scaring anyone.  You aren't winning anything.  You are not getting any virgins in heaven (seriously, why would you want virgins...I'd prefer some experienced women!!)  You are not gaining any new allies.  You are just putting your people and your religion and your entire belief system under a microscope that shows it to be nothing more than a pathetic dark age, misogynistic, hateful, backward, discriminatory and violent system.

In 100 years, you'll all be gone and so will most of the people who believe as you do.  So live it up.  It will be over soon enough.

The Boston Marathon is the holy grail for runners.  Sure, many of us have run they NYC Marathon or another great (and better) marathon than Boston.  But Boston is special.  It is kind of like the Hawaii Ironman.  You don't just sign up for Boston.  You have to earn it.  You have to be fast enough and you have to qualify.  Qualifying, for me, is a distant dream.  My only chance is that as I age, I don't get too much slower and the qualifying times eventually meet up with my running times!

At my age, I would need to run a 3:15 marathon to qualify.  My only marathon I ran a 4:21.  That would mean I would need to improve by over an hour!  What!!  I would only have qualified for Boston with that time is if I was in the 70 - 74 age group! 

So, I am probably not going to qualify for Boston anytime soon.  But if I got in next year, I'd be there will bells on and a target on my back and I'd dare those motherfuckers to strike again.  I'm not scared and me, Honey, and my little ones are going to live our lives every day without being afraid. 

The rest of you should too.

My heart goes out to everyone who was hurt and to the families of those who were killed.  Stay strong.  The country is behind you.

Here are my numbers for today.  I dedicated this run for Boston.  My run was filled with thoughts for you.

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.20 miles

Pace: 9:05/m

Max Pace: 7:32/m

Calories: 284

Avg HR: 129

Max HR: 144

Run for (Boston) Life...

Day 105, 260 To Go

April 15, 2013

Somebody has to do something about this Monday day coming back again and again.  I'll never run again if someone can figure that out.  Nothing good ever comes out of Monday.

Today was a special run though.  Yes, you guessed it...Honey ran with me today.  She is determined to get into shape and lose some weight before our potential trip to Brazil in September.  We will be spending some time at the beach and she want to wear a bikini (as do I...I mean, I don't want to wear a bikini, I want her to wear one...granted, I'd be pretty sexy in a Brazilian g-string bikini...)  So, I am on board to help her out in any way I can.

She will ignore every piece of advice I give her but that will not stop me from giving her as many tips as I can.  I like to talk to myself.  In fact, if it wasn't considered crazy to do that, I would probably be doing it right now.  I mean talk to myself out loud as if someone is going to answer me.  Well, I guess I will answer me.  Who better!

I think if Honey will run with me a few times a week, it will have a positive affect on me.  First, when she runs with me, we run much slower.  This will allow me to recover whereas normally, I don't allow myself to recover.  I have a hard time slowing down on my own.  If I can get a few recovery runs in a week, I can attempt to do some speed work once a week.  I wish I could do some hill running, but this damn state is so flat.  The only hills I have seen are highway overpasses and the bridges that go over the river. 

I could run on the highway overpasses, but that would be dangerous.  The bridges offer a good alternative, but they are about 30 minutes away from home and I don't often have that extra time.  I would love to run them at least once every other week.  Nothing is better for building strong legs for a runner than running hills.  Optimally, I would do speed work one week and hill running the next.  It would be perfect.  I have to try to plan that out!!

Here are our numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 1.56 miles

Pace: 12:48/m

Max Pace: 10:31/m

Calories: 158

Avg HR: 101

Max HR: 103

Honey had a little trouble today, but she hasn't been running much, so that is understandable.  Her overall speed wasn't too bad, so I think she had a good first run.  Hopefully I get her out there again!!

Run for Life!!

Day 104, 261 To Go

April 14, 2013

Its the day after my race and I am still in my eatwhateverthefuckIwant mode.  Basically, I will end up fatter at the end of this weekend than when I started.  Its always this way though.  I (usually) work and train hard and I like to reward myself.  Yesterday, we ate at Longhorn Steakhouse for lunch.  To be honest, I was disappointed.  I should have just got a nice juicy steak, but I decided to go with a new sandwich they had.  I didn't like it.  I was even considering going with a fat, juicy hamburger, but I wanted to try something new.

Sometimes, the good old standard is better than something new.  Sometimes.  This was one of those times.  Oh well.

Today, I didn't go out to eat other than dinner where I got Subway.  I used to work at Subway when I was in college.  It was probably my best job.  A bunch of my friends worked there and we basically screwed around, ate the food and got wasted while working.  I can't do that in my present job.  Granted, I make a tad more now, so it is a fair trade off...sort of!  I tend to eat Subway once a week now.  I suppose it is better for me than most fast food, except for the fact that they probably use Sodium Nitrate in all their meat which is problematic.  Look it up...that shit is bad for you!

Anyway, other than Subway, I ate a bunch of chocolate, potato chips, soda, ice cream and probably other crap.  Rewards are good.  Of course, I still needed to run long today.  I am a bit sore from the race of course, so my plan isn't to run too long, but at least 40 minutes was in the plan.  That is what I did.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 40:00

Distance: 4.05 miles

Pace: 9:53/m

Max Pace: 6:33/m

Calories: 519

Avg HR: 133

Max HR: 146

I had thought that if I felt good, I could run longer.  By 20 minutes I knew I couldn't go longer.  In fact, I didn't even make it to my normal drink fill up spot, 7-11.  So, I turned around and came home.  I picked it up a bit on the way back just because I felt I needed to put some effort into the run and I felt like I hadn't up to that point.  As you can see, I didn't pick it up that much.  I was at 1.9 miles at the turn around and I ended up doing 2.15 on the way back, so I felt good about that.

Next week, I need to start building up the distance/time again.  I'd like to get my long run up to 90 minutes by the end of June.  I may alter this as I also want to do some speed work once a week, and that takes time and miles and it will wear me down, so the long run may suffer a bit.  We shall see.

Run for Life!!

Day 103, 262 To Go

April 13, 2013

Race day is here and I am as ready as I can be.  I am up at 4:00am and zzzzz......

I am up at 4:09am and ready to go!  I packed the night before so I have everything I need:

Swim Gear:

• Goggles
• Wetsuit
• Extra swim cap

Bike Gear:

• Bike (duh)
• Bike shoes
• Rubber bands to prop up shoes on bike
• Helmet (two actually, one regular one and one racing one)
• Sunglasses (never ride without them...a bug could fly in your eye and you'll go down!)
• Bike computer (charged)
• Water bottle filled with Gatorade
• Oil (chain was oiled last night)
• Bicycle pump
• Spare tire and tools to change a tire

Running Gear:

• Running shoes
• Race belt for number
• Hat
• GPS watch
• Baby powder to put in shoes so they slip on easy

General Stuff:

• Toilet paper (they run out sometimes)
• Towels (to put your gear on in transition)
• Extra water bottles for hydration pre and post race
• Snacks for morning
• Gear bag to carry everything
• USAT card
• Sunscreen
• Phone and wallet with ID and cash
• Morning tea
• Change of clothes for after the race
• Flip flops
• Pre race clothes
• Actual race clothes (tri shorts and tri top)

I'm sure I am forgetting something, but that just about covers everything you need for a triathlon.  I think I remembered everything except the toilet paper and a pair of shorts for after the race.  Instead, I wore the pre race long pants I had for the morning.  Worked out fine since it wasn't too hot.

The weather was perfect, actually.  It was lower 70s and overcast.  So, it was warm enough that when you got out of the water, you didn't freeze your butt of on the bike and it was cool enough that you didn't overheat on the run.  Since it was overcast, you didn't have to worry about the sun beating down on you.  Perfect.

The water was actually warm, but still cool enough to be wetsuit legal which is great.  I am certainly faster with a wetsuit.  I'm sure I gain more time wearing the wetsuit in the water than I lose taking it off in transition.  It was a fresh water lake that had a reddish tint to it, kind of like iced tea.  I couldn't see more than an inch in front of my face.  I had more visibility swimming in the Long Island Sound which is just dirty!  The water was clean and fresh as I found out when I drank a few gallons while swimming, so that was good, but it was so dark that you would never see the alligator coming up from the depths to eat you.  Luckily, no one got eaten (to my knowledge, anyway).

So, we (me and Mike McCain) arrived about 6:10, got our stuff out and ready to go, picked up our packets, and set out for the transition area.  It was a first come first sever type of transition, so we got a spot on the first rack right in front of the bike exit and entrance.  Perfect placement.  Once transition was ready, a quick trip to the bathroom (not long lines) and over to the water to warm up.  I put on my wetsuit and went for a quick stroke or two.

The first few strokes felt smooth and graceful and easy.  I was cutting through the water like a dolphin, but quickly, my legs and shoulders started to burn, my lungs started to burn and I turned from a dolphin into a struggling fish caught on a fishing line. 

Its been a while since I swam.  Once since my last race in October.  Not optimal at all.

I warmed up a few more times until I felt a little loose and got on the shore for the first wave.  We were in the 3rd wave, so Mike and I waited patiently.  Mike's philosophy is to swim like a Manatee, smooth, slow and easy.  It keeps him grounded and allows him to keep control of his emotions and body with the great adrenaline rush you get at the start of a race.

I like to be right up front and center with a direct line to the fist buoy.  This often gets me in the middle of a scrum of flailing legs and arms, but it gives me a great start and a fast one.  I figure if I can get to the first buoy without getting caught behind slower swimmers, I can rest when I make the turn.

Everyone spread out and when the gun went off, they raced out into the water.  There was a bit of a convergence as the swimmers from the right ran into those of us who swam straight out.  There was a buoy or something on the right that impeded their straight shot out into the water, so it got a little tight at the convergence.  I got a nice kick in the right cheek which stopped me for a second.  Luckily it missed my eye or nose and I was able to press on and past that bastard who kicked me!

After the first buoy, we all turned left.  I didn't have much competition to get around the buoy.  I looked around, and we were spaced out nice and I was near the front.  The problem was that I was having trouble taking deep breaths.  I had worked a little too hard for the swimming shape I was in.  I did the breast stroke for a few seconds and continued on.  I did that one more time, and by the time I hit about midway between the 1st and 2nd buoy, I was breathing ok.

Now, at this point, I started to focus seriously on my form.  I knew I had a decent pace going, but I was still struggling.  I realized my head was not low enough in the water, and my legs were dragging.  Once I "pressed the buoy" as its called (it being you press your chest into the water and your head goes lower and your legs rise) I started to move quicker and easier.  I finally started to make some space between a few swimmers who had been pacing me.  It is a great feeling when you can do that.  On another level, it is discouraging to the swimmer you pass because for some reason, you are all of a sudden going faster than them.  I have found that (more so when you are running) when you pass someone, it might incite a short burst of speed, but usually, they fall back and give up a little.  On the bike, this doesn't work as well because you often when I pass someone, they pass me back a little later (but I suck on the bike).

Once out of the water, there was a long run to the transition.  They even labeled as a separate line item in the times (see below (called Run1Tm).  It took me 2:04 to get to the transition.  It was probably a good quarter mile away!  Once there, I quickly stripped off my wetsuit without any problems and I was able to remain standing.  I put on my race helmet (I end up looking like a sperm with it on, but it is supposed to make you faster!), my sunglasses, and I pulled my bike off the rack and raced to the bike start.  This wasn't that far and I held onto the seat and ran next to the bike.  I attach my shoes to the pedals and prop them up with rubber bands so they don't drag on the floor.

Once I get to the mounting line, I hop on as fast as I can and start pedaling.  After I get some speed up, I reach down and put my left foot in, pedal some more, I then put my right foot in and pedal again, and finally, once I am at a comfortable speed, I reach down and tighten both shoes.  Now it is time to shake off the swim and get moving!

I looked down and my cadence was where I wanted it, but I was not breaking 20mph.  I shifted and my speed went up but my cadence got to slow.  Sure, I could keep this up, but if I am unable to keep a cadence of about 88 - 95, I know my legs will burn out from the stress.  I eventually got my speed up and towards the end of the bike ride, I was pushing about 23mph.  I passed a few people - one in my age group - and I got passed by a few.  One guy went past me like I was sitting still.  He was in my age group, but I think he was in the Olympic race (there was a Sprint, Olympic and Duathlon going on all at the same time on the same course).  Then another guy in my age group passed me and I pressed hard to keep up.

I had beat this guy in the swim by about a minute and I had a much better transition, but he ended up beating me on the bike by about 2 minutes.  So, we ended up in the transition area at about the same time.  I got the the dismounting line and I had already released my feet from the shoes (which were still attached to the bike) and I hopped off the bike in one smooth motion and continued my run into the transition area with my bike.

I released my helmet latch while running and I racked my bike, dropped my helmet, put on my left shoe, than my right and tightened both (since I wear Vibram Five Finger shoes, you have to carefully get your toes in the right slot, and this can be challenging, especially when rushing!).  Then I reached down and grabbed my hat which had my GPS and race belt on it.  I turned and ran towards the run exit while putting on my hat, my race belt, and finally my watch which I started as soon as I got on the run course.

Most of the run was tree covered and off road.  It was hard packed dirt with some lose sand.  My shoes handled it fine except that they have no treads left on them, so my traction was hurt a bit.  I started out with the guy in my age group, but he pulled away a bit.  I pushed hard to keep up, but my back was acting up, and I needed to stretch.  I stopped for a quick stretch (like 5 seconds) and continued on.  According to my GPS, my first mile was faster than my second, which is usually not the case.  I tend to speed up as the race goes on because my legs loosen up from the bike.  This race was only 2.8 miles instead of a normal 3.1 miles.  He ended up beating my by 31 seconds overall and 49 seconds in the run portion.  I would have made up some of that if the run was longer, but I don't know if I could have closed the gap.  As usual, I lost it on the bike.  Here were my bike numbers:

Time: 0:33:19

Distance: 11.35 miles

Pace: 20.43mph

Max Pace: 23.63mph

Calories: 799

Avg HR: xxx

Max HR: xxx

As you can see, my pace was not great for a flat, non windy course.  The race organizers said the bike course was 20.7 kilometers or 12.8 miles.  I got 11.35 on my bike computer.  I know GPS can be off a bit, especially when there are a lot of trees, but the bike course was not shaded all that much by trees, so I think they were just a bit off in their estimation.  If they are right, my average speed would be 22.2mph, which I like better of course!

My run numbers were not too bad:

Time: 20:16

Distance: 2.71 miles

Pace: 7:30/m

Max Pace: 5:39/m

Calories: 354

Avg HR: xxx

Max HR: xxx

Again, the race said the run was 2.8 miles.  This is probably accurate as I have noticed that my GPS can be off about .04 per mile. Considering I was running through the woods, the race may be right here.  This would put my pace at 7:14/m instead of 7:30/m.  I obviously like this one better!  Based on how hard I was working, I would say 7:14 is closer to my actual speed than 7:30.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!

My swim pace would be 1:37 per 100 yds or 1:46 per 100 meters.  This is a little slow for me, but considering it was in fresh water and I NEVER practice, I'll take it.

Here are my final line from the race:

Position

Bib

Firstname

Lastname

Class

City

State

SwimTm

Run1Tm

T1Tm

BikeTm

T2Tm

Run2Tm

TotalTm

16

150

Steven

Charles

ST M 40-44

Palm Bay

FL

0:13:19.823

0:02:04.415

0:00:54.381

0:34:34.772

0:00:59:122

0:20:16.000

1:12:09.279

So, how did I do?  Well, Mike and I got back from putting our stuff away just in time for my age group awards!  They say 3rd place...not me...they say 2nd place....not me...uh oh...then they say 1st place and it was the guy I was chasing!  What the hell?  I never saw those other two guys pass me.  I went to the timing table and found the results and low and behold...I wasn't there at all!  What the fuck!

I went to the timing table and apparently, something went wrong.  Looks like my chip did not get picked up in the 2nd transition, so my time was joined (I fixed it in the above line based on my GPS time).  So, once he recalculated, I was in 2nd!  Give my my medal bitch!!!

So, I got my medal, I just didn't get to stand on the podium.  Oh well.  The guy in third, Rod Bitterling, is probably a little bitter when he got home and realized he didn't place!  Sorry buddy!

Overall, it was a successful race that showed me what I need to work on....everything!  Really, I need to swim occasionally and I have to bike a LOT!  Running, I got that covered.  Oh, and since the race took me just over 20 minutes, my run for the day was done.  Sweet!

Hope you enjoyed my little tale of race day.  Now, I am going to eat way to much and rest as much as possible, thereby undoing all the good the race did for my waistline.  Hey, I deserve it!

Run (and Tri!) for Life!!

Day 102, 263 To Go

April 12, 2013

It is getting hot here in Florida.  I was still sweating a good 20 minutes after my run was over.  I took a shower and I was still sweating.  It is only April!!  I ran at 12:30pm since I wanted to have plenty of time to rest before the race tomorrow, so it was the hottest part of the day, but really, it was only around 80 degrees.

I'm not complaining, really.  I'd rather it be 80 than 40 any day, but the temperature is changing fast so getting acclimated is going to take some time.

I really had to hold myself back today.  As you can see by my max pace, I started to pick it up without even thinking about it.  I was thinking about the race tomorrow and that gets me all riled up and I started to run faster.  I pulled back so I don't waste my energy.

Normally, the day before a triathlon, you want to go on a short run, maybe 10 - 20 minutes, just to get your legs loose.  It is a good idea to go for a short spin on your bike too to make sure everything is in working order.  I didn't do that though.  I am going to suck on the bike, that's for sure.  I have to get that turned around because my goal is to do an Ironman next year, and if I don't get my miles up, I will never be able to handle the 6 - 9 months of training! 

For a 13 mile ride in the race, I can get by, but in an Ironman where you ride 112 miles, there is no getting by.  You have to do more than survive because you still have a marathon to do AFTER you get off the bike, so you need to get off the bike with somewhat fresh legs.

I'm screwed.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.17 miles

Pace: 9:13/m

Max Pace: 7:44/m

Calories: 278

Avg HR: 137

Max HR: 156

My max heart rate was pretty high.  That came at the end of the run.  I was not pressing or breathing heavy, but my heart rate was up there.  That is one of the affects heat can have on you and you have to be careful and make sure you don't overheat and get dehydrated.  I will most likely spend the rest of the day drinking lots of water or Gatorade and I will eat plenty more pasta.  The pasta is not necessary, but I have a lot of leftovers and I like easy meals.

Wish my luck tomorrow!  I'll be lucky if I get any sleep.  I always have a hard time sleeping the night before a race.  Of course, sleep is important, but two nights before the race is more important, and I slept ok on Thursday night.  Off to bed at 10pm which is early for me!

Run for Life!!

Day 101, 264 To Go

April 11, 2013

The week is flying by (wishful thinking, really...its dragging) and it is almost time for the race on Saturday!  I am excited except for the fact that I have to wake up at the buttcrack of dawn to get there on time.  The race is at a park in Orlando that is about a 1:30 drive from home.  The packet pickup starts at 6:00am and the pre-race briefing is at 7:15.  So basically, I need to leave at 4:30am and get up around 4:00am.

I'm tired just thinking about it.  And of course, the worst part, is that once the race is over and I get home and I have been up for half of my day already and I'm tired from racing, I will get no rest.  Most likely the first thing that will happen when I walk in the door is I'll get babies thrown at me like grenades, but instead of BOOM they go WAHHHHHH!!!!

<Sigh>  Being a parent has it rewards though, like, um, perhaps in 20 years, one of them will become famous and can buy me a new house!  There's other rewards too.  If you're a parent, you know what they are.  I don't have to tell you!

Onto the running...Today, I took it easy again, but I could feel that I was getting loose and the stiffness I felt all week was going away.  Just in time too.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.08 miles

Pace: 9:38/m

Max Pace: 8:16/m

Calories: 266

Avg HR: 124

Max HR: 136

Although my time is on the slower side, I was holding back.  I figure I should be tapering for a race anyway, so instead of lowering volume (like you are supposed to) I am lowering my intensity.  Not optimal at all.  In fact, there are many who say that lowering volume and increasing intensity is the way to go.  Since I can't really lower my volume, I have to lower the intensity instead.

Tomorrow, I am going to run early to get it out of the way and to not waste too much energy.  Tonight I will carbo load.  Really, for a sprint, I don't need to, but I like to keep the same routine for any race, so pasta and bread it is!  A lot of it too!

Run for Life!!

Day 100, 265 To Go

April 10, 2013

Yay!!  Happy 100th day running in a row...said absolutely no one.  But I felt like giving myself some balloons to celebrate.  Why though?  What makes 100 so special?  Who the hell knows!

I guess it is probably because we use a base 10 counting system us humans do.  That is only because we have 10 fingers and 10 toes.  If we had 11 fingers, we would have a base 11 counting system and I would probably be celebrating on my 121st day of running.  Luckily, we only have 10 because 11 would look weird.

Honey has been hinting that she wants to run with me again.  We shall see.  I think it will be good for me because I'm feeling a little worn out.  20 minutes a day has been a little tougher and I'm feeling it.  My big concern this week is that I have a race on Saturday, so I don't want to be all worn out.  I have been running slow all week...not by choice, really, but because I haven't been able to go faster.  Not a good sign for Saturday!!

Here are my numbers for day 100:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.04 miles

Pace: 9:49/m

Max Pace: 8:16/m

Calories: 264

Avg HR: 129

Max HR: 137

I guess I will make Saturday my fast day.  That is going to have to be the way I think.  At least I know I will be warmed up.  The run is only 2.8 miles which is pretty short.  It is only .3 miles shorter than normal, but I tend to take a little while to get up to full speed.  After you get off the bike, your legs can be a bit heavy.  Considering I have not been riding much (almost not at all) my legs will be pretty heavy.  I could ride slow, but I will probably ride as hard as I can.  Then, I will run as hard as I can!! 

Run for Life!!

Day 99, 266 To Go

April 9, 2013

Maybe I am fat to go along with old and slow because today was worse than yesterday!

Speaking of fat, every pound you put on can have an affect on your speed.  Every pound can cost you 2 seconds a mile.  Sure, that might not sound like a lot, but put on 10 pounds and that is 20 seconds per mile.  Over a 10k that is 1:20 or over a marathon almost 10 minutes.

That, however, is not the worst part.  For some of us, it may be because speed is important, but think about the pounding your knees and feet take?  Every step when you run puts about 4x your weight on your knee and foot.  So 10 pounds is 40 pounds of increase.  And if you put that weight on your belly, it adds extra stress on your back.  A pound of weight on your belly can add 7 pounds of pressure on your back.  Why do you think pregnant women are always complaining about their back?

Why all the talk about weight?  Well, I used to consider my best race weight to be 155 pounds.  Now, I am about 170.  I have been able to drop all the way down to 159 a while ago, but it took some serious dieting and I ended up losing muscle too.  I think 155 was a weight my frame could handle 15 years ago, but not today.  I carry more muscle on my frame and my bones are thicker and stronger, probably due to all the running.

You have to find out what weight works best for you.  I'm sure if I ate nothing but chicken and veggies and drank only water and worked out twice as much (including lifting weights) I could probably get down to about 160 or even 155 and I would look like an underwear model, but I would drive everyone I know crazy (ok, Honey would kill me since she does most of the cooking...although I bet she would like it for other reasons...)  For me, I'd like to drop a few pounds...just enough to show a six pack.  I've been saying that for years and I've yet to achieve it.

You haven't failed until you stop trying!!

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.06 miles

Pace: 9:43/m

Max Pace: 8:13/m

Calories: 264

Avg HR: 124

Max HR: 137

My numbers are mocking me and telling me to stop trying.  Never, ever give up people!  Reach for your goals and you'll get there eventually.  Just keep plugging along.

Run for Life!!

Day 98, 267 To Go

April 8, 2013

Why is it Monday again?  Sure, eventually it has to get to Monday or that would mean that somehow, time stopped or the world ended (something some people actively hope for, for some reason!!), but I don't have to like it. 

There are but two Mondays I look forward to: Memorial Day and Labor Day!  Why?  Because I am a patriot?  No, because I get those days off!  Anyone who tells you differently is either full of it or even more full of it!!

Considering I only ran 40 minutes yesterday, I feel worse than I should.  I feel as if I ran a couple of hours.  That's not good.  I suppose the added miles I walked at the zoo could have played a part in how I feel, but that just means I'm a big pussy, so I'll pretend that isn't the reason.

Like most Mondays, I'm tired, irritable and looking forward to Friday.  So, I'll shut up and let my numbers speak for themselves:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.08 miles

Pace: 9:39/m

Max Pace: 7:58/m

Calories: 266

Avg HR: 124

Max HR: 136

Can't say I like what my numbers are saying:

    "You're slow!"

    "You're old!" 

    "You're fat!"

Hey!  Now that is going to far.  Sure, I may be old and slow, but I am not fat.  The nerve!!

I hope tomorrow is better..

Run for Life!!

Day 97, 268 To Go

April 7, 2013

We went to the zoo today.  I don't mean I woke up and went into the kids play area which is pretty much a zoo every day, I mean the Brevard Zoo.  Its not the San Diego Zoo or even the Bronx Zoo...hell, the Central Park Zoo has cooler animals, but it was a day out with the family.  We met up with some friends and we took a ton of pictures.  Not that I have any of them...no, I was too busy keeping an eye on Derek and Claire to bother with pictures.

To tell you the truth, I would rather see with my eyes and remember than spend my entire day taking pictures to look at later.  I'll let other people do that.  I have one picture:

Can't seem to get Honey's head in any picture.  I'll have to work on that...

The babies were pretty good being out all day and we even spent some time at the pool area with them.  Ayla is a little water baby...Kaylee, not so much.  The jury is still out on Joshua.

After a long day at the zoo, I still had to do my run.  I was planning on doing 30 min again, but I pushed it up to 40 for the hell of it.  I want to get back up to an hour soon.  At least I am telling myself that I am tapering for my race next weekend.  Its a lame excuse since the race is just a sprint, but I'm telling myself that anyway.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 40:00

Distance: 4.36 miles

Pace: 9:10/m

Max Pace: 6:14/m

Calories: 565

Avg HR: 145

Max HR: 169

I kept myself to my aerobic zone except for the last quarter mile or so when I ran hard.  I ran fast because we were having company over and they were pulling out as I ran past their house, so I figured I had better move it!  It all worked out in the end.  We had a nice dinner and a fun political conversation after.  I know they say you should not discuss politics or religion, but who cares what they say!  Don't get me started on religion...most of you won't like what I have to say!  Running is my new religion!!

Run for Life!