Day 150, 215 To Go

May 30, 2013

I am 150 days in and I still feel pretty good!  I don't know about you, but I'm pretty siked about that!  I never though I'd get past a month, let alone 5!  I never went 5 months without getting some sort of injury that would cause me to take a few days off, and that was when I only ran a few days a week.  Either I was doing something wrong or I was just a little pussy who couldn't take a little pain.

I'm going with the former, just in case you had other ideas.

I would normally reward myself with a yummy dinner or at the very least, a big bowl of ice cream with whip cream, sprinkles and some chocolate syrup, but since I am racing this weekend, I'll settle for, well, nothing.  I spent too much money getting my bicycle fixed and I have a wife and four kids who drain every last penny I make out of me, so a nice dinner is out of the question.  Maybe I'll run out to 7/11 for a Klondike bar.

"What would you doooOOOoo, for a Klondike bar?"  Come on, I know you sang that little song in your head.  What would I do?  Well, I would get up off my comfy bed, get dressed, and drive to 7/11.  Believe me, that is a momentous feat right now.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.26 miles

Pace: 8:52/m

Max Pace: 7:23/m

Calories: 292
Avg HR: 135

Max HR: 151

I was Honeyless today again.  Why, you ask?  Well, we had company over for dinner and she needed to cook.  She chose cooking for our friends over her own fitness.  Can you believe it?  I can, and I'm glad because dinner was yummy and it is nice to have friends over.  Our neighbors, Bill and Karen and their two kids, Claire and Colin joined us tonight.  All I can say is that it is unbelievably loud having 6 kids running around the kitchen with tile floors, echos, and each one competing to see who can yell the loudest.  I don't know if that was what they were trying to do, but that is what it sounded like!

Now, it is off to bed without a Klondike, sadly.  Don't make the same mistake I did...go out...get yourself a Klondike.  They are yummy!  Good night!

Run for Life!!

Day 149, 216 To Go

May 29, 2013

Honey was back out there with me today.  I didn't hear a peep about her pooper.  I guess it is all better.  I'm afraid to ask because it might remind her about it and it will start hurting again.  Can't have that!

We ran for about 5 minutes before we ran into Mike and his two kids, Brianna and Mason.  They love to stop us when we are out on our run and they try to make us play.  I humor them for a few minutes, but then it is back to work!  Ok, that is what I want to do, but it usually ends up being closer to 5 - 10 minutes.

Once we start up again, we are nice and warmed up and we start running a bit faster...yes, even Honey!  She is pushing a sub 10 min mile for a bit when she realizes that we are going to fast.  We stop and start a few times in the run because she can't help but go faster.

This is one of the best arguments for a warmup.  If you run about 10 minutes, maybe do some drills, and take a few minutes to recover, when you start running again, you run much faster and easier.  It is something I don't really do when I run for 20 minutes because there isn't really enough time, but it is a good rule of thumb to follow.  I do this more on my long runs than on my short daily runs.  Honey, who is still new to running, is not good at pacing, and she was running too fast for her fitness to handle, but she felt like she could run faster, and that is good too.

Take a look at our numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 1.82 miles

Pace: 10:59/m

Max Pace: 6:09/m

Calories: 229
Avg HR: 105

Max HR: 128

Sub 11 min mile for Honey!  Whooo Hooo!  Great job!  That is a first and that is her new PR for one of our runs.  She was breathing really heavy and sweating like a pig, so I could tell she was working hard.  Of course, Honey will tell me that she doesn't sweat, but today, she was.  A lot.  When I run as hard as she was running, I sweat a lot not only when I am running, but for like 20 minutes after, even if I take a shower.  So in comparison, she hardly sweats.  So I'll let her think she doesn't sweat, just to be nice!!

Run for Life!!

Day 148, 217 To Go

May 28, 2013

I need to stay nice and loose this week for my race on Sunday.  It is hard to stay loose when you are sitting all day, but I do my best to get up and move around as much as my work will allow.  Sometimes, that isn't too much.  Looks like we have a bunch of people out this week because of vacation and sickness, and I get to do their work.

So, I sat on my butt a little too much today.  I did get up and do some pull ups as today was a back workout day.  See, I haven't completely forgotten about my strength training!  I will skip the legs this week since last week I was hurting for days and I don't want that this week.  Besides, how much stronger can I get anyway?  Pretty much, at this point, my goal is to not lose fitness, not to gain any more. 

Today, I ran a nice clip but I didn't push at all.  Some days, it just comes easy.  Some days, I want to shoot myself in the foot so I have an excuse not to run.  Today was not one of those days.

No Honey today since her butt was not cooperating.  Poor Honey.  I offered to rub her butt, but she didn't want me too because it hurt.  Some girls like it when it hurts, I told her.  I knew I was safe from her wrath since she couldn't get up, so that is why I said it, but I know she was mentally kicking me in the face.  HA!  Score one for me!

So, here are my numbers for today:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.34 miles

Pace: 8:33/m

Max Pace: 6:57/m

Calories: 301
Avg HR: 138

Max HR: 150

I seem to settle in at around an 8:30 pace on my good days.  I am only a few days away from doing my monthly review, so I am interested to see if I see an obvious pattern of improvement.  I have been on a plateau for months, so I am excited that I may finally have broken through it.  How much farther can I go?  I know if I was doing more targeted runs, I could improve my speed much more, but I wouldn't be able to run every day.  That is my dilemma.  Oh well.  I made my bed, time for me to crawl up into it...I'm tired.  Night, night peoples...

Run for Life!

Day 147, 218 To Go

May 27, 2013

I would say Happy Memorial Day, but it isn't the type of holiday that you should say "Happy" on.  It is a day we should honor our fallen soldiers who helped preserve our freedom and our way of life.  The key word there is "fallen" so happy isn't the right word.  It is kind of a bittersweet holiday because on the one hand, our way of life was saved, but on the other hand, it was saved by the ultimate sacrifice of many men and women.

So, I hope while you were scarfing down food at your backyard BBQ you took a minute to realize what these brave men and women did.  I didn't have the BBQ, unfortunately, but I did think about what they did for me and my family.

This is one of the few days a year that my employer deems worthy of a day off.  Since my colleagues in India are not off, I will have extra work tomorrow, so my job is still finding a way to screw me.  Thanks.

I really didn't do much today as I was beat from a long weekend of cake making.  It is amazing what that can take out of you.  I wasn't too sore from my longish run on Sunday, but I am feeling it a little.  Luckily, Honey came out for my Monday run so I got a good recovery in.

Honey was complaining about some back pain...more like butt pain.  It is kind of fitting, I think, since she is always such a pain in my ass, that she should finally be a pain in her own ass.  She still came out for the run, but not without a bit (a LOT) of complaining.  See, now she is being a pain in my butt again.  I can't win.

Here are our numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 1.65 miles

Pace: 12:07/m

Max Pace: 9:35/m

Calories: 199
Avg HR: 106

Max HR: 118

After the run, her butt locked up on her again, even worse than before.  I think I will have her take a few days off.  Sitting for 10 hours straight working on that cake must have given her some muscle spasms and they are shooting down her leg.  A bit of stretching, some Ibuprofen and rest, and she will be as good as new in a few days.  Get well Honey!!

Run for Life!

Day 146, 219 To Go

May 26, 2013

Finally, Sunday has arrived and I have delivered the cake.  The biggest part of my weekend is over, other than doing my long run today.  Since I'm sure you have all been waiting patiently for pictures, here are a bunch from the cake we just did.  A couple have the original Fighter Pilot Helmet we modeled the cake off of.

Not too shabby, if I do say so myself!  Granted, Honey did most of the details while I baked the cake and icing, helped build the structure, and rolled out most of the fondant.  The details and all the artwork, that was Honey.

 After the delivery, it was time to come home and run!  Unfortunately, Honey hurt her back or her butt or both (she complained about one than the other than both, etc.)  I suspect sitting in one position for 10 hours was the culprit.  So, she didn't accompany me on my long run.  I missed her rollerblades dearly.

For today, I wanted to push the limits of the aerobic zone and I did just that.  I was on the border most of the time, although my average was squarely in the zone.  I pushed the last mile and I was in the anaerobic zone for most of that.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 45:00

Distance: 5.52 miles

Pace: 8:10/m

Max Pace: 6:24/m

Calories: 705
Avg HR: 146

Max HR: 168

A breakdown of each mile:

1 - 9:00
2 - 8:05
3 - 7:57
4 - 8:10
5 - 8:01
6 - 7:21

This was my fastest long run of my experiment.  It was only 5.52 miles, but I'm sure I could have carried on for another .7 miles for a 10k.  I'd be happy with an 8:10 10k these days.  I'd prefer a 7:10, but I still have some work to do to get there.  The good news is that this wasn't that hard a run until the end and I had energy to spare.  Next week is my race, so I won't be running long either, but I hopefully will be running fast.  Then, back to the long runs.  Hope Honey can handle 60+ minutes of rollerblading!

Run for Life!!

Day 145, 220 To Go

May 25, 2013

I should have charged more for the cake!  I think I got the servings right, so my price was probably fair as far as that was concerned, but due to the difficulty, I should have charged more.  Oh well.  Normally, Honey likes to add cost here and there for her hard work, but she was not around when I had to give a quote, so we lost out.  I also forgot to charge for delivery!  Ugh.

We worked on the cake from 1pm to 11pm, and we have a little more to finish in the morning.  I didn't run until 9 or 10pm!  It was the best part of the day.  I finally got to stretch out my legs and get out of the house.  As much as I do love making a cake, hour after hour gets old eventually. 

It was nice and cool compared to earlier, yet still warm enough for a pleasant night time run.  I listened to so new music from 30 Seconds to Mars.  I like the new album.  It is a little more electronic sounding than I usually listen too, but it also rocks pretty hard so I can make an exception.  Overall, I like it and it is good running music.

It was fairly dark in some places during my run and I got paranoid something was going to jump out of the bushes and eat me like, uh, an alligator or a Florida Panther or a squirrel!  Nothing got me though.  I was safe and I ran in the middle of the road so they had longer to run for their meal...especially those rabid squirrels!!

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.33 miles

Pace: 8:36/m

Max Pace: 7:27/m

Calories: 300
Avg HR: 137

Max HR: 148

My new shoes are breaking in.  As you can tell, I ran without Honey.  She was busy working on the details of the cake.  It is coming out really great...just you wait and see.  I'll post the pictures tomorrow.  Tomorrow, for my run, I am going to cut back on my running time. I have a race next weekend and I think it is a good idea to taper my distance.  I am going to increase my intensity and reduce my volume.  This is a good way to stay strong, improve my speed, and not tired my body out for next weekend. 

Run for Life!

Day 144, 221 To Go

May 24, 2013

Its a three day weekend bitches!  Yeah!  What do I have planned for this weekend?  The beach?  No.  Lots of training?  No?  Disney?  NO!

Then what the hell are you doing on this long weekend?

I am making a cake with Honey.

Loser.

Hey!  Don't talk to myself like that!

The cake is actually a cake order for our side business, Cup n' Cakes Gourmet!  Honey and I make fantastic cakes for parties, weddings or whatever the occasion.  This occasion happens to be for a man retiring from 30 years in the USMC.  A very fitting cake to be making on Memorial Day weekend.  I'll post some pictures in Sunday's blog once it is all done.  Tonight, all I am doing is baking and getting the cake part ready.  On Saturday, we will construct the cake.  On Sunday, we will apply any finishing touches and deliver it.  Then, I can chill.

Today is just a normal work day.  Once the day is done, it is time for a normal run.  The only problem is I am really fucking sore.  My legs are barking.  Ouch.  I guess I did my leg exercises right this time.  At least Honey is coming so I can do a nice and easy recovery run.

Here are our numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 1.58 miles

Pace: 12:41/m

Max Pace: 10:46/m

Calories: 175
Avg HR: 108

Max HR: 119

Perfect.  Nice and easy.  Honey was hurting a bit...not from being sore, but from lack of running!  She is determined to get back on track.  Today was a step in the right direction.  Hopefully, for both of us, tomorrow is a better run!  Have a great weekend folks!

Run for Life!

Day 143, 222 To Go

May 23, 2013

I remember Thursday a little.  I remember because I got up super early to go for a bike ride with my friend Mike.  We are in full training swing for the Pineapple Man Triathlon on June 2nd!  Of course by full, I mean full of biking and running...not so full of swimming.  There is only so much one can do with a busy life, and for me, swimming tends to get left out.  I am a good swimmer, so it isn't that big of a deal, but I actually like to swim, so that sucks.

Anyway, to the biking.  We were riding at a good clip for most of the ride.  My bike is fitting me much better now that I adjusted the aero bars from last week.  I still need to go back to the professional fitter to make sure it is as good as it can be.  We did run into a bit of a problem on our ride.  Luckily, it was at the tail end of the ride.  Mike's back wheel locked up.  We found that one of the spokes on his wheel had broken, so the rim bent and was rubbing against the brake and frame...more than rubbing, actually.  It was pretty stuck.

So, I rode the rest of the way back and got my car.  Luckily, I was able to use a shortcut that is only accessible by foot or bike.  I got home in 5 minutes instead of 25.  This did mean that our ride was cut short.  I ended up with 21 miles instead of 26.  Oh well.  I picked up Mike and drove him home and he is now getting his bike fixed.

Here are the bike numbers:

Time: 1:06:37

Distance: 21.00 miles

Pace: 18.91mph

Max Pace: 29.96mph

Calories: 1,393

Avg HR: 117

Max HR: 165

I should ride every morning.  Not only would I become a much better rider, I would burn an extra 1,000 calories a day!  Sweet.  Of course, I would have to get up like 6am every day.  Ugh.  Probably when I start training for my Ironman I will have to do that anyway.  Best to wait until I HAVE to do it!

It was another run without Honey today.  Why?  I vaguely remember that she was mad at me for something, so she punished me by not running.  Don't tell her that she was just punishing herself by not running, or she will get mad at you and then not do something she should be doing for herself to punish you. 

Women.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.13 miles

Pace: 9:24/m

Max Pace: 8:23/m

Calories: 273
Avg HR: 136

Max HR: 144

I was beat on this run.  I did my leg exercises today.  Yeah, I'm supposed to do them Monday, but I didn't.  I didn't do any other strength training this week either.  Crap.  I am failing in only my second week.  I need to get back on the ball next week.  At least I got the leg workout in which is the most important.  I also realized I had been doing them wrong.  Not so much wrong as I had not been doing enough repetitions.  Ouch.  Wrong felt better.  Tomorrow should be interesting.

Run for Life!

Day 142, 223 To Go

May 22, 2013

Today was a long day.  I worked late and Honey wasn't feeling good.  The babies were cranky and it was almost impossible to get my work done, which is why I worked late.

That may be a lie.  I don't remember, but that is kind of a normal day in my house.  The work part is almost definitely true.  Almost every day is like that.  The baby part is probably true.  They spend their day in the other room, banging on the walls, screaming, crying, laughing and generally being babies.  Most of the time, I can ignore it.  When I am on a conference call, occasionally it makes for interesting calls.  I'm sure people can hear them, but most of the time, they don't say anything.  They probably think we beat our children.  I suppose as long as they don't tell HR, I'm ok with it.

I finally received a new pair of running shoes (maybe it was today...who knows...but I did get them this week).  I recently spent $100 on my other pair, and about a week later, I got an email for the same shoe (with velcro instead of laces) for just $39.  So with shipping, it was about $45!  Half!  So of course I bought a pair.  According to Honey, I had to because it was such a good sale that I would be saving money.

I didn't really attempt to explain to her that if I didn't buy them, I would be saving more.  Instead, I just took her advice and bought a pair.

They feel similar except that they are a bit tighter.  I barely need the velcro strap.  I figure they will loosen up.  I'll wear them all week to break them in nice.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.36 miles

Pace: 8:29/m

Max Pace: 6:04/m

Calories: 306
Avg HR: 133

Max HR: 153

Honey was absent today.  I don't know why.  I'm sure it was because she is a lazy bum, and you can tell her I said that.  Maybe that will encourage her to get back out there tomorrow.  Oh, wait...maybe she did come with me and she used her rollerblades.  I don't know...let's go with that!!

Run for Life!!

Day 141, 224 To Go

May 21, 2013

Welcome back Honey.  I hope your time away was fun, but it is back to work today!  Time to run!  Honey is a bit tired, but she is coming out today anyway.  When she landed, she had to stay in the plane for about two hours (the flight itself is just a little over two hours!!) because of a big thunder storm.  They wouldn't let anyone out on the runway so the plane had no one to guide it to the terminal.  I'm sure that must have been very frustrating for her.

Too bad, Honey...let's run!!

Now, as I explained in yesterday's blog, I am a bit behind.  In reality, today is Sunday, not Tuesday, the day this blog is for.  I have no recollection of last Tuesday except that I think Honey had a migraine and I think she was a last minute go to run...but run she did.

Other than that, I can just say Tuesday happened.  I'm pretty sure work sucked and I am willing to bet my left leg that there were babies screaming and pooping throughout the day.  That's all I have for you.

So, without further adieu....here are our numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 1.61 miles

Pace: 12:26/m

Max Pace: 10:49/m

Calories: 182
Avg HR: 100

Max HR: 109

Not a bad run after almost a week of for Honey.  She was struggling a bit, but she pushed through and finished which is all that matters.  Until next time...

Run for Life!!

Day 140, 225 To Go

May 20, 2013

I am going to apologize in advance for this week of blogs.  It has been a hectic week and I am a whole week behind!  Crap.  That means I need to write 5 blogs before I am even up to date.  That also means that I have probably forgotten everything I did, said, thought, and hoped to accomplish with these blogs.

You see, my memory sucks.  It is like a pasta strainer so rusted and full of holes that even ziti slips through the cracks.  I remember the big picture, but forget all the details.  It is a problem!

I am going to apologize in advance for this week of blogs.  It has been a...oh crap.

Where was I? 

So it is Monday!  Yay!  I love Mondays...I think.  Do I?  Wait, no.  I hate Mondays!  Boooooo...its Monday!  A full week of work looms ahead but I can look forward to a three day weekend.  Honey and I do have to make a cake, so it will be a busy weekend.  I am looking forward to this cake because it will be a challenge and we are getting paid to make it.  The cake is for a retirement party for a man retiring from the USMC.  He was a fighter pilot, I am guessing, because the cake is going to be in the shape of a fighter pilot helmet. 

Today, I am sore from my Sunday run.  More sore than I expected to be after how easy the run felt, but I guess I did run farther than I have in a long time, so that takes a toll on the body.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.08 miles

Pace: 9:39/m

Max Pace: 8:31/m

Calories: 268
Avg HR: 123

Max HR: 131

It was a recovery run and I treated it as such.  I don't think I could have gone much faster anyway.  Honey is scheduled to come home today too, so maybe tomorrow she will be out there with me again.  Hurry home Honey!!

Run for Life!!

Day 139, 226 To Go

May 19, 2013

I have heard through the grapevine that a few of my faithful readers have tried to sign up to follow my blog, but have been unable to do so for one reason or another.  You would think Google, the King of the Internet, would make their blog site a little more user friendly.  Then again, are you using Google+?  Yeah, that's what I though.

In the (self) interest of helping you all out, I have put together some instructions on how to do this.

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

It's that simple.  Hopefully it works for you!!

Now, to my Sunday.  I'll stop complaining about my three gorgeous babies for one day because I am in such a good mood.  They weren't too bad today anyway.  Sure, they got super early wanting a bottle and then ended up waking up for breakfast late which threw the entire day out of whack.  In spite of this, I did get to go out for my run at around 7:30pm.  It was still light out when I started, at least.

My plan for the day was to increase my time by 10%.  Since I ran 60 minutes last week, I decided to run 66 minutes this week.  It felt like 20 minutes I felt so good!!

I don't know what was going on, but my entire run was easy, peasy.  Not only did I not get a lot of sleep, I also had an extremely unhealthy lunch of Burger King complete with Whopper, fries and way too much soda.  I should have been dragging...but no.  Halfway into my run I felt like I could go on forever. 

I stopped for a few seconds here and there to stretch my foot and to adjust this and that, but other than that, I was cruising.  On my way back I stopped at 7/11 to refill my Gatorade.  Since I had only about 2 miles to go, I figured I would pick up the pace a bit.  Up until that point, I had stayed within my aerobic zone and I was still able to push 8 - 8:30 pace.  Even when I topped out of the zone, I felt like I was still in it. 

I pushed hard the last couple of miles so I would end up using all my energy, but when I got home, I felt like I could have gone on and on!  Yeah!  I love it!

Here are my numbers:

Time: 1:06:00

Distance: 7.75 miles

Pace: 8:32/m

Max Pace: 5:53/m

Calories: 992
Avg HR: 143

Max HR: 168

That is a max distance since I have been in Florida, I believe, and an 8:32 pace is my best for a long run since I started this journey of running every day.  I stayed in my zone except at the end too.  So it was still a LSD (long slow distance) run for all intents and purposes.  Picking up the pace to race pace at the end of a long run is a good way to train yourself to run when you are tired...even though I wasn't tired!

My lap times were 9:04, 8:53, 8:20, 8:34, 8:49, 8:31, 8:04 & 7:47. 

I know it is only about 8 miles, but if I can keep this up and stretch this pace out to 26.2 in my Ironman...well, maybe I CAN make Kona!  Maybe...still a LOOOOONNNNG way to go on the run and even longer on the bike.  Still, I was encouraged.

I did miss Honey on my long run rolling beside me.  I hope next week she is by my side again...and since she will be home on Monday, I bet she will be.  Next week will be even longer...say about 73 minutes!  Can you do it Honey?!  I hope so!!

Run (roll) for Life!!

Day 138, 227 To Go

May 18, 2013

It was a bit of a long day.  Just me and three babies, wiling away the day, full of poop, screaming, and yes, many cute hugs, kisses and laughter.  I was exhausted by the time the day ended, and it ended early for me at about 10:00pm.  I normally hit the hay sometime between 12 and 1, so I was truly beat.

Honey will be home soon, thank Zeus, because if I have to do this for too many more days, I won't make it.  I'll be crawling through the house, dragging my limp, wasted body, towards the door in the hopes of escaping into the night. 
I was able to get my run in during their second nap.  It was quite hot, but I love it.  I love coming in from a run all dripping with sweat.  I feel like I worked hard, even if I didn't.  The only problem when it is that hot is that even after I take a shower, I continue to sweat.  I haven't quite figured out how to stop that other then waiting like an hour before I take a shower.  Honey loves it when I do that.  I leave wet spots wherever I sit and I make the air smell so fresh!

Once again, I was able to run fairly fast (compared to normal) and I'm not sure what the deal is.  I'm curious to know how my long run is going to go tomorrow.  If I can keep up this pace for a long run, then I know something is going on.  I really just hope that I have turned a corner.  I know that often when we train, we get into a rut and we can't seem to make progress.  I have felt like that for, well, years.  I haven't gotten any faster and running hasn't gotten any easier.  In fact, it has gotten harder.  Sure, my training was inconsistent (uh, babies) and it was very unstructured (uh, lazy) and I could never make any real progress.  I would build up some mileage or some speed and then life would interfere and I would go back to where I was...sometimes I would fall further behind. Add to that injuries, and I never got anywhere.

I do credit some of my progress with the change in footwear.  I know these minimalist shoes are not for everyone, and I have had my doubts and difficulties with them too, but I will never go back to regular shoes.  Never.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.30 miles

Pace: 8:43/m

Max Pace: 7:25/m

Calories: 291
Avg HR: 139

Max HR: 156

I always consider it a good day if my pace is under 9:00/m.  If I can keep this up, and I intend on trying, I can finally say I have taken a step forward.  I have noticed that even when my heart rate gets close to Zone 4 which is my anaerobic zone, I am not struggling like I used to.  I almost feel like my max heart rate has gone up, if that is even possible.  I may have to test myself in the near future.  It is not a fun thing to do, that I can tell you (basically, you run as fast as you can until you are about to vomit...pretty much), so I may procrastinate a bit with that one!  I'll start looking into that...right away...yup.

Run for Life!!

Day 137, 228 To Go

May 17, 2013

Yes, glorious Friday has arrived.  If only my Honey and Derek were here to share it with me.  Whatever will I do to make up for the loss of their company?

Go to the movies, of course, and see Star Trek: Into the Darkness!!  Yeah!

So, as you may have figured out, I am a total Sci Fi geek.  I admit it and I am not (too) ashamed of it!  I love all things Sci Fi and Fantasy: Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings & D&D to name a few of the more popular ones.  I like vampires and werewolves and strange new worlds and alternate realities and hard Sci Fi like Robert Heinlein and Isaac Asimov.  Yup...geek all the way.

If only I had time to read more these days, I'd be a happier fellow indeed.  Since I don't, I went to see the new Star Trek movie with my friend Bill.  It was a long movie but super fun.  Sure, the story was kind of weak and they totally stole from earlier Star Trek movies (KAHHHHHNNNNN!!!!!) but the action was great, the effects fantastic, and the main characters captured the essence of the original series actors.  They made me feel nostalgic for the old and original Star Trek series that ran for a measly three years back in the 60's yet was able to spawn an empire of movies, TV shows and books.

If Honey was here, I would have dragged her complaining ass to the movie.  She would have been all like, "I hate these kind of movies," and "They are just so boooooring," and "Can't we just go see a chick flick or just talk?"  Yeah, uh, no.  We are going to see Star Trek.  Of course I'd have to make it up to her and go see some Sandra Bullock movie, but it would be worth it!

Alas, Honey was not here, so I went with a friend instead.  I stuffed my face with popcorn and Sour Patch Kids.  I'd have to run 50 miles to burn that off.  Since that is not possible, at least for me, I'll just do my 20 minutes...which I already did as a matter of fact. 

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.12 miles

Pace: 9:28/m

Max Pace: 7:43/m

Calories: 266
Avg HR: 121

Max HR: 134

It appears the honeymoon is over with my new shoes...but not really.  I was starting to run faster, but I pulled back and took it easy.  My feet are thanking me now.  I do have to say that these new shoes are irritating my little toe on my left foot.  I think that there is a defect with them.  Not only that, one of the laces already broke!  I am not happy with the construction of this pair and I will have to check the return policy of the store I bought them from.

I actually got an offer in email for the same pair (with Velcro instead of laces) for only $39 instead of the $100 I paid.  So of course I bought a pair.  This way, if I return these, I have a nice new pair.  I am hoping they are a bit better.  I do like the shoe, overall, I just think I got a poorly constructed pair...at least I hope that is what it is.  If not, then I think that Vibram, as a company, has jumped the shark (can you use that term here?)  Cutting corners is not the way to keep loyal customers.

Anyway, I'll let you all know how it goes.  Until then...

Run for Life!!

Day 136, 229 To Go

May 16, 2013

Today is a sad day.  Yes, Honey and little Derek are gone.  They are now in Connecticut visiting friends and attending a birthday party.  Why am I stuck here while they are gallivanting around the US of A?  Why am I stuck on babysitting duty instead of visiting my friends?

Because I have to work.  Why not take a few days off, you ask?  Because I am going to Brazil for three weeks in August with the entire family and I have no vacation time left.  I know, you don't feel sorry for me, and I don't feel sorry for myself either.  I am just here alllll alone with no one to talk to.  I guess it is....

PARTY TIME!  WHOOOHOOOO!!  Where's the beer and the chicks and the orgies!!  Get me some drugs and some rock n roll!  WHOOOOO!!

Yeah. Maybe if I was still 20 and single and I didn't have three babies sleeping in the other room I might do that.  At least the orgy.  I suppose I can have a beer, but what's the point. 

I do kind of need one since I was accosted viciously by three unrelenting, sociopathic toddlers all day.  They wore me out with their incessant screaming and whining.  I don't know what was going on.  Hmmm...did I forget to feed them?  Who knows.  There is always a bunch of Cheerios on the floor, so they can scrounge for food if they are really hungry.  I left out a litter box and a bowl of milk too, so they were fine.  Don't go calling child services on me!  I know how to take care of children!

Now what end does this diaper go on...

Honey!! Honey!! COME HOME!!!!!!

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.33 miles

Pace: 8:35/m

Max Pace: 7:12/m

Calories: 296
Avg HR: 128

Max HR: 144

Well would you look at that?  While my babies were eating cheerios and ants off the floor, I was having another great running day!  I think my shoes ARE magic! 

I am starting to think it is just the placebo affect.  You know, you think something will make you feel better, so you feel better, even if it has no discernible affect on you.  It could be that.  It is one of the following, for sure:

1. The shoes really are magic (or perhaps, just really good and comfortable)
2. All the cross training I am doing is paying off
3. My strength training is making me super strong!
4. Running with Honey a few times a week, while slow, allows me to recover and get faster
5. I'm snorting cocaine before every run

So, it is either one or a combination of all of these things.  Whatever it is, I should probably run nice and easy tomorrow.  Its not like I have been pushing it these past three days.  You can see by my heart rate that I have not been, but once I get loose and I look down at my watch, I see that I am running fast.  The only bad thing is that running faster is harder on my body and I am feeling it in my joints a bit.  Tomorrow is going to be a slow day.  It's settled.

As for Honey, she had better be having fun.  I'm sure she isn't running or rollerblading.  She is probably sipping wine and eating chocolate and complaining about me!  The nerve!  Oh well...I suppose she deserves a few days off.  Hurry home Honey!!

Run for Life!!

Day 135, 230 To Go

May 15, 2013

So today is the day I got to ride my newly fit bike!  I was very excited...well, as excited as I can get at 6:15am in the morning.  Instead of a !!YAY!! it was more of a yay!

Unfortunately, things didn't work out that great.  As I may or may not have mentioned, when I picked up my bike, the bike fitter was sick, so she was not there to adjust the new aero bars.  They definitely need some adjusting.  My knees kept on hitting my elbows and when I stood up to ride, I almost fell because my knee hit the handlebars!  Yikes!

Needless to say, I still did a 20 mile ride.  I cut it short because I was very uncomfortable, and really, with a new setup, I should not be out there pushing too many miles right away.  I have to get used to it...and I also need to go back and get fit right.  I made some adjustments myself that should help, but I still need to go back. 

I don't know what I did, but I didn't notice that my GPS was not on, so my numbers are not exact.  I turned it on when I turned around, so I guess I can just double everything.  Here they are:

Time: 1:09:12

Distance: 21.04 miles

Pace: 18.24mph

Max Pace: 27.37mph

Calories: 1,386

Avg HR: 138

Max HR: 156

Ok, enough with the bike, its time to talk about the run.  This will be my second day in my new shoes.  Will I run as fast as yesterday or will I go back to my normal slow times...

Let's see:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.37 miles

Pace: 8:26/m

Max Pace: 7:09/m

Calories: 305
Avg HR: 134

Max HR: 152

Well, look at that, I did have another good and fastish run.  Is it the shoes?  Nah, it can't be.  They aren't magic.  I would like magic shoes though.  What would I want my magic shoes to do?  Hmmm...I think I'd want my magic shoes to make me rich so I can quit my job.  Yeah.  That's it.  What would you want your magic shoes to do?  I can think of a few good ideas:

1. Allow you to eat whatever you want and you don't get fat (I bet this would be the most popular)
2. Make you rich (hey, that's mine...pick your own!)
3. Allow you to fly!
4. Give you super strength
5. Make you a great dancer (even magic shoes can't help me there...)

I think those are good choices.  Let me know what you want your magic shoes to do!  Until then...

Run for Life!!

Day 134, 231 To Go

May 14, 2013

I got my bike back today!  Yay!  I also got my new running shoes!  Double Yay!!!  Now, I am all set for at least 1.5 years for the bike, and probably at least a year for shoes.  I did spend a bit of money today, but since I haven't spent a penny on my bike or running shoes in about 2 years, I was due.

I will be trying my tuned up and refit bike tomorrow morning at the butt crack of dawn, so I'll know if it was worth it.  Unfortunately, when I picked up my bike, the bike fitter was not there since she was sick, so I was not able to get my new aero bars adjusted perfectly.  I will probably go back to have her do a final adjustment, but it should do for now.

I am more excited to try my new shoes.  For one, my old shoes smell so bad, they are not even allowed in the house anymore.  They even stink up my entire garage.  They got wet a couple of times and I didn't dry them out fast enough and bacteria took hold...and they stink!  They stink so much that when I take them off after my run, my feet stink as bad as the shoes.  I have to scrub them in the shower to get them smelling just like regular feet!  I did buy a spray that I can use on a daily basis to keep them smelling fresh as roses!  I will be using that often.

Ok, without further ado, here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.43 miles

Pace: 8:14/m

Max Pace: 6:27/m

Calories: 314
Avg HR: 137

Max HR: 159

So my good time is not because I got new shoes.  At least I doubt it.  The new shoes are specifically for running unlike my old ones (I didn't know!)  They were cross trainers that can be used for running, but they weren't specifically designed for running.  These new ones have a little more padding on the ball of the foot which should help me on the longer runs.  They also have speed laces that flex a little so they are more comfortable.  The material in general is softer and more breathable.  I think they are much more comfortable.  They felt really good.

Honey rolled with me today and she was moving pretty fast, so when we turned around, I decided to turn it up.  I was cruising at around 7:15 most of the way back and I felt great.  I can't wait to go out again tomorrow!  Until then...

Run for Life!!

Day 133, 232 To Go

May 13, 2013

Yes, today was Monday, but no, Honey did not run with me today.  She had a headache.

All together now...

"AWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!'

Where's the dedication?  Where's the motivation?  So she couldn't open her eyes without experiencing excruciating pain and so she couldn't keep any food down.  Is that any reason to skip a workout?

Actually, it is.  Honey felt bad that she didn't run, but even if she wanted to, I would have stopped her.  Migraines are no joke.  I get them on occasion, so I know.  It is very hard to do anything, let alone run!  I'm sure she'll be out there again tomorrow.

As for me, today was supposed to be my leg workout.  I kinda, sorta did it.  The thing is, I did it during the day while I was working.  I figured I should be able to take a few minutes here and there to do the workout.  Well, I did.  The problem is that it was a few minutes here...and a few minutes WAAAAY over there.  The thing about strength training is that you need to overload your body to gain muscle.  If you take too much time in between your sets, you don't get the full affect of the workout.  If I was lifting extremely heavy weights and doing a low amount of reps, then fully resting is ok.  I wasn't lifting heavy weights, I was using my own body weight.  A short rest is all you need.  If you allow yourself to fully rest, you don't stress your muscles.

I'll know tomorrow if I did any good.  I should get sore.  If I am not sore, then I probably wasted the workout.  I'll have to make it up on Thursday which is supposed to be a day off from strength training.  I think I should work my legs twice a week anyway.

Here are my numbers for today's run:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.12 miles

Pace: 9:26/m

Max Pace: 7:49/m

Calories: 270
Avg HR: 119

Max HR: 131

In a few days, my Honey will be going to CT to visit some friends.  That will leave me with two to three kids.  Why two to three?  Honey can't decide if she should take one of the babies are not.  She is taking Derek, but she may be also taking Kaylee.  So, it will be difficult either way for me to get my workouts in, especially my Sunday swim/bike/ride.  That will suck.  I may even miss Honey!!  I know I will miss her beside me on my daily workout ; o (

Run for Life!!

Day 132, 233 To Go

May 12, 2013

Its Sunday and I am not swimming, biking and running (not yet with the running, at least).  As I detailed yesterday, I got fitted on my bike and it is getting a tune up.

There is another reason I didn't go train today.  I value my testicles.  You see, today is Mother's day, and Honey is a mother 4 times over.  She deserves a break today...and she got it.

I got up early to give the babies a bottle (at around 5:00am) and then I got up and fed them and played with them at 7:50am.  I also got up and made pancakes and bacon and served Honey breakfast in bed.  She was pleased.

Then for the rest of the day, I took care of most of the baby duties (and baby duty!) while she sat on her ass and did nothing.

I have noticed something about Mother's Day in comparison to Father's day.  You see, on Mother's Day, the mom wants the "day off" to relax.  She doesn't want to deal with the children.  But, on Father's Day, I get, "It's Father's Day, you should spend it with your kids!" 

I think I am getting the shaft here.  I think most of us men do.  We can't win.  Damned if we do, damned if we don't.

We went out do lunch too...actually, we did that yesterday.  We all went to Olive Garden...me, Honey, my mom, Derek, Ayla, Kaylee and Joshua.  I do remember eating, but I don't know what I had because most of the time I was fending off attacks from a screaming little boy and an antsy little girl.  Dinning with kids just isn't fun.

I am still unsure as to why I had any kids in the first place.  The world has enough people.  The last thing it needs are my hell spawn populating the earth.  Too late now!

Back to Sunday!  Of course, since I didn't ride or swim, I wasn't going to scale back on my run, so I did an hour.  Honey accompanied me on her wheels.  It was the longest roll she has done to date.  As she repeatedly told me during the run, "My ass hurts!!!"  Roller blading will do that to you.  I just told her to zip it and roll faster.

I realized that I can run more than an hour too.  At the end of the hour, although I was tired, I knew I had more in me.  Not only that, I went fast the last mile to burn off some of that energy.  I think I need to pick up the time next week.  It's time I start stretching out my endurance.  I would like to get up to 2 hours which would be about 12 miles. That would be perfect.  I'll settle for 10 miles and 1:40 though, since that would prepare me for a half marathon.  I would like to do one of those this year.

You see, I have a goal.  It is a pretty unattainable goal, but fuck it, I'm going to make it my top end goal for when I do my Ironman.  I want to get a good time so I can put myself in line for a trip to Kona.  Yes, I am going to go to the Ironman World Championship!

I figure I have a 3% chance of attaining this goal...maybe less.  But 3% is better than 0%!

Here are my numbers:

Time: 60:00

Distance: 6.38 miles

Pace: 9:24/m

Max Pace: 5:59/m

Calories: 818

Avg HR: 133

Max HR: 155

I ran a negative split which is always a good thing.  I know my time could have been better, but we ventured outside the friendly confines of our gated community, and Honey was not that comfortable rolling out on the narrow sidewalks with all the obstacles.  It certainly slowed me down a bit.  On the plus side, I realize if I run a bit slower, I can go longer.  Isn't that always the case though...I just need to practice what I preach here.

Next Sunday...65 minutes.  Small increase, but an increase nonetheless!

Run for Life!

Day 131, 234 To Go

May 11, 2013

I finally got around to doing something I should have done three years ago when I bought my bike.  I got professionally fitted.  I have been experiencing all sorts of discomfort so I finally broke down and got it done.  Of course, now my bike is at the shop getting a tune up and I won't be able to ride Sunday morning, but I think it will be worth it.

It took about an hour which was actually quick.  I didn't have that much to change since I did a decent job initially, but there were a few things off.  My seat was too high and too far back and one of the cleats on my shoe was not straight.  These are pretty important adjustments.  This could be the difference between having back pain and not having back pain.

Since I was in a bike shop, I was unable to leave without spending money.  It is just impossible.  Everything I got I needed, so it wasn't like I was impulse shopping (although I can certainly do that easy enough).  My aero bars on my bike, which are pretty cool, unfortunately, are not adjustable.  I needed them adjusted a bit, so, I had to buy new ones.  New bars need to be installed.  Installation costs money..for just a few bucks more, I could get a much needed tune up.  My brake pads were worn out (very important part!) so they needed to be replaced too.

All in all, I think I got a good deal on everything.  I even got the fitting for free because I bought stuff.  I like free things!  I probably won't get my bike back until Monday or Tuesday.  I am excited about my next - hopefully comfortable - ride.

For my run today, I opened it up a little, but I didn't go really fast.  I am still nursing some foot pain and I don't want to push.  Honey is getting much better on the rollerblades, so she was able to keep up with me easily and she never once tried to tackle me while she fell...which she didn't...fall that is.

Progress!

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.32 miles

Pace: 8:38/m

Max Pace: 7:29/m

Calories: 300

Avg HR: 137

Max HR: 150

I would love for 8:30  to be my comfortable pace.  It used to be about 5 years ago, but now that is a distant memory.  It is still in my cross hairs though...so I will keep on striving to get there!  Until then, though, I'll keep plugging away at my slower paces.

Run for Life!

Day 130, 235 To Go

May 10, 2013

I don't think I fully appreciate Friday until it is gone.  It starts just like any other day of the work week, but when it is over, you get this feeling of release and freedom that no other day (other than the day you go on vacation) can bring you.  So, I just want to sit and enjoy the quiet freedom for a minute....

...

...

...

Of, the quiet is over and the babies are screaming.  At least I had a minute.  Silence is something you also do not appreciate until you never have it.  If I didn't run with music, I could enjoy silence, but I often feel the need to preoccupy my brain while I run.  Otherwise, it doesn't shut up and it seems louder than if there was no music!  I can handle music when I run, but not when I run fast.  If I am doing speedwork or if I am in a race or at the end of a fast run, music grates on my nerves.  I don't know why, but it does.  I guess I could have used music when I ran my marathon, but I chose to forgo music to enjoy the sights and sounds of the race.  I think that was a good choice.

I have been contemplating whether or not I will want music the next time I run a marathon, which will be in 2014 in Florida Ironman.  Right now, the feat of completing an Ironman seems beyond my capabilities, but I also haven't started training yet.  I hope as I train I start to feel like I can do it.  I figure, if I get tired at the end, it might be nice to have music while I walk the last 10 miles of the run!  Maybe I will get a book on tape and "read" during the race.  Lots to think about.

Here are Honey and my numbers for today:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 1.65 miles

Pace: 12:08/m

Max Pace: 10:14/m

Calories: 200

Avg HR: 110

Max HR: 117

Not much to say about this run other than it is done and it is time to relax and enjoy some alone time with my Honey.  Hope you all enjoy your weekend too!

Run for Life!!

Day 129, 236 To Go

May 9, 2013

Other than a mind numbing day at the office (aka, the desk in my bedroom) I rested.  Ok, other than the mind numbing day at the office and my 20 minute run, I rested.  No strength training, no biking, and Honey was nice enough to let me sleep until 8:30.  That's when I crawled out of bed and started my computer.

It takes about 15 minutes to get my computer and all the programs I need up and running.  This allows me to pee, freshen up, say hello to the babies, and eat a quick breakfast.  Then I sit down with my hot tea and I cry...I mean I work.

The babies were screaming most of the day today.  I don't know what Honey was doing out there, but I can only assume she was torturing them.  That's fine...the more she tortures them, the more they like me better.  It may have been that she was remodeling the baby room and making room for a workplace for her, but I'm going with thumb screws.
After my run, my plan for the day is to sit on the bed and watch TV until I go to bed.  You see, my foot has started acting up again today.  It felt fine for two days then it came back.  Stupid foot.  I iced and took my ibuprofen and all that is left is for me to rest...after my run.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.04 miles

Pace: 9:47/m

Max Pace: 8:01/m

Calories: 261

Avg HR: 118

Max HR: 133

Honey accompanied me today on her roller blades.  She was complaining about a little back pain.  I think she may be pushing too hard too.  We both need rest...so both of us are off to watch a slew of TV shows.  Until tomorrow then...

Run for Life!!

Day 128, 237 To Go

May 8, 2013

My alarm went off at 5:55am.  Just digest that for a little bit.  Not only did it go off at 5:55, I got out of bed at 6:00am...voluntarily...so I could go outside, in the chilly air...and ride my bike.  I am going to regret this later in the day!!

I dressed quietly in my bike shorts, long pants, bike shirt and bike jacket, and I did all the other little things you need to do to go for a bike ride.  I even remembered my heart rate monitor this time.  It was a bit chilly, but after 5 minutes, I was nice and warm.  After 30 minutes I was hot and wishing I had less clothes on.  That's the way it goes.

We went a little longer today since we started early.  That is the main benefit of going out early.  I'd say we started about  6:25 and we rode for about 1:20, so I was back before 8:00.  I had time to shower and eat before I had to start working. 

All the complaining is just for show, really.  Sure, I hate getting up that early, but I always feel great when I am done and I am glad that I got my lazy ass out of bed and did the ride.  I burned a days worth of calories before I even started my day.  You can't beat that!!

Here are my bike numbers:

Time: 1:19:23

Distance: 25.09 miles

Pace: 18.96mph

Max Pace: 29.27mph

Calories: 1,662

Avg HR: 127

Max HR: 168

For the most part, we rode at 20 - 22mph.  At the turn around, we rode though a nice neighborhood and rested a bit, then we picked it up again on the way back.  All in all, it was a good ride.

So, I worked all day...work...work...work..and I worked a little late too, then Honey and I strapped on the shoes and went for a run.  We started off sllllloooooowwww.  Honey was not feeling good and I was just plain tired.  As always, though, we picked it up once we got loose and Honey put in a respectable pace.

Here are our numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 1.62 miles

Pace: 12:21/m

Max Pace: 10:26/m

Calories: 189

Avg HR: 108

Max HR: 118

I also did some chest exercises and abs today.  I was on fire!!  Now, I am melting into my bed and hoping for a silent, restful night.  Boa noite everyone!

Run for Life!

Day 127, 238 To Go

May 7, 2013

As promised, I will now explain my grand plan to add strength training to my already full regiment of training.  It really isn't all that grand though.  I'm not going to a gym, although I do have a membership at Planet Fitness, and I don't have any weights at home.  So, I am resorting to the basics: push ups, pull ups, body weight squats, ab exercises and various other core strengthening exercises.

This is my simple plan:
Monday - Legs and abs
Tuesday - Back
Wednesday - Chest and abs
Thursday - Nothin'
Friday - Back and abs
Saturday - Chest
Sunday - Nothin'

It sort of looks ambitious, but really, I'm only doing about 15 - 20 minutes of work each day, at most.  I do some push ups on my chest days and some pull ups on my back days and a variety of body weight squats on my leg days (regular squats, side squats, jump squats, twist squats, and single leg squats).  The leg workout is basically these 5 exercises with two sets of 12 each.  It was fairly easy, but my legs are sore already today!  Tomorrow will be worse.  So, I guess it is doing something which is all I want. 

I want to be able to build some functional strength that will enhance my swimming, biking and running.  Endurance exercise takes a toll on your body and it can have the effect of wasting your muscles.  Have you ever seen what a professional marathoner or cyclist look like?  Marathon runners are small and they have very little muscle tone.  Cyclists will have massive legs, but their upper body is tiny.  Triathletes have the best build since they need both their upper and lower body.  The only way to keep a body like that is to mix in strength training.

Not to mention it makes you look good, and Honey appreciates that!

Here are my numbers for today:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.23 miles

Pace: 8:59/m

Max Pace: 7:06/m

Calories: 283

Avg HR: 130

Max HR: 149

I had a good run and I wasn't pushing hard either.  I felt good.  I actually held back a bit.  I like days like that.  I wish all the days were like that!  Ok, time to sign off and get some rest.  Tomorrow morning, I am going for another early Wednesday bike ride!

Run for Life!

Day 126, 239 To Go

May 6, 2013

Its Monday again, but today, Honey was taking a rest.  She was not feeling well.  I think she may be working out too hard.  That's my girl!!

Did I mention that its Monday?

M(iserable)
O(nerous)
N(oxious
D(ull)
A(bhorrent)
Y(esterday, as in I wish it was!)

It was an insanely busy day at work, so I am just not up to writing today.  I want to tell you all about my plan to work in strength training into my week.  I want to explain how I have recruited my phone to remind me, twice a day, to do my workouts.  I really want to write about it.  But you'll have to wait until tomorrow when I am not ready to sleep.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.13 miles

Pace: 9:25/m

Max Pace: 7:00/m

Calories: 276

Avg HR: 122

Max HR: 132

Not a bad pace considering it is the day after my long ride/run.  I'll take it, thank you very much.  Ok, signing off for today.

Run for Life!!

Day 125, 240 To Go

May 5, 2013

Sunday tri training day!  I like Sunday mornings.  I don't like getting up super early, but by the time I get there, I'm over complaining.  Today, I actually got there early enough to swim.  The water was very rough today, so I was a pussy and wore my wetsuit.  My next race will not be wetsuit legal, so I told myself that this was the last time I would use it.  I need to stick to that if I want to have a good race.

The swim, although short, was tough!  Wow...but at the same time, it was fun.  I like the rough water...I feel like a kid playing at the beach at the Jersey Shore with the big waves.  Good times.

After the swim, it was off on the bike.  Right away, you could feel the wind.  The only question was, would it be at our backs on the way out, or on the way back.  We turned onto the main strip (after about 1.5 miles of easy warm up) and Mike says to me, "Hey, we are doing 20mph and I'm not even trying."  I was true, I was kind of sandbagging it when I looked down and I was going 20+mph without any effort.  So, we turned it up!  We were hitting upwards of 28mph for the whole way out. 

Soon as we turned around, everything stopped!  Ugh...15mph was hard.  I hung on for a while, but I got dropped and rode a portion of the way back on my own.  I ran out of energy and I couldn't keep up.  Oh well.  It was actually harder riding by myself since I had no one to draft off of.

When I got back, I decided to not run and to go home and run with Honey.  Well, she would be roller blading, but still, I wanted to get her out of the house since she had not been feeling well and she needed some time out in the sun.  We had a nice run/roll for 40 minutes.  Honey had a couple of spills...her first real fall.  The first one, she just sort of fell and went down on one knee...luckily she has knee pads on.  The second fall she was behind me and she dragged me down with her.  Thanks love.  She hurt her butt on that one.

After that, it was smooth sailing.

Here are my bike numbers (the last two numbers are to show the difference in pace with and without the wind at my back):

Time: 0:50:12

Distance: 15.18 miles

Pace: 18.14mph

Max Pace: 28.53mph

Calories: 893

Avg HR: 125

Max HR: 147
Lap 1: 21.50mph
Lap 2: 15.69mph

Here are the running numbers:

Time: 40:00

Distance: 4.02 miles

Pace: 9:57/m

Max Pace: 6:56/m

Calories: 503

Avg HR: 127

Max HR: 158

I took it easy on the run again.  My foot was still hurting, but I think it is getting better.  I hope the shorter long run will help.  Until next time, my friends...

Run for Life!

Day 124, 241 To Go

May 4, 2013

Every step I take hurts.  Check that...every other step I take hurts (since it is only my right foot).  I think the best thing for me to do today is to ice my foot, overdose on Advil, and chill.

So, of course, Honey wants to go to the Mall! 

"Um Honey...that doesn't sound like a good idea," I say to Honey.

"I just need to get out of the house and the babies love to go out!  Let's go!" says Honey exuberantly.

"But Honey, I can barely walk.  I need to rest today!"

So, we went to the mall.  The babies had their choo choo train and Honey's legs were just fine.  That left me dragging my foot, in pain mind you, all across the mall.  I don't even know what mall it was and I don't care.  I had no intention of buying anything...well, unless I was able to locate my Vibram Five Fingers running shoes.  I have been trying, unsuccessfully, to get them for a couple of weeks, but my running store, Running Zone, didn't have my size.

No luck with the mall either.

By the time I got home, I was not happy.  I iced my foot and I had been taking Advil all day, so it wasn't horrible, but it still hurt to walk.  I was hoping this was one of those things that hurts when you walk but not when you run...

And it was!

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.00 miles

Pace: 10:02/m

Max Pace: 8:39/m

Calories: 259

Avg HR: 122

Max HR: 131

I was slow, but I got through it.  Honey roller bladed with me and we did our 20 minutes without any major incidents.  Whew.  Now, I have to hope tomorrow when I ride and run that I don't aggravate it any more.  I think I will cut back tomorrow on my long run, just to be safe.

Run for Life!

Day 123, 242 To Go

May 3, 2013

So Friday has finally arrived.  Work is done and the night is planned.  What to do tonight?

I know, go see Ironman 3!!  Yeah baby!

So, let's get this out of the way...run, run, run...shower...get dressed...let's go Honey!!

Ok, it didn't go exactly like that.  I have 4 kids, so it was more like feed the babies, go run, shower, get the babies ready for bed (change, dress and a bottle...no bath tonight) and then go back in and pick the bottles off the floor (the little bastards always throw the bottle out of the crib...why!!) and then finish getting dressed and go out.

Honey and I went to a Japanese Hibachi restaurant first.  It wasn't too bad, but everything was a tad too salty for my taste.  Next time, we'll try somewhere else.  Not a ton of great restaurants in the Palm Bay/Melbourne area.  You have to travel to Orlando for the good stuff.

I should mention, since I left the house, my right foot was hurting.  It was hurting enough that I couldn't walk without a pronounced limp.  What the hell did I do?  All I know is that I had better take it easy the next few days.  It feels like Plantar Fasciitis and that is not an easy injury to come back from.  So, I did my best Igor impersonation, and dragged my foot the whole night.

Off to the movie.  It was good, but not great.  I'd give it a B-.  I love Robert Downey Jr. as an actor, and he really makes the part better than anyone else could.  The special effects were fantastic, as expected.  As summer approaches, we get more and more of what I like to call "Popcorn Movies."  It's the kind of movie you get a big tub of popcorn and you munch away and enjoy the visual spectacle.  Story, acting & plot need not apply...although it is a nice addition!

Honey hated the movie, and probably even fell asleep during it.  Women.  I suppose she would have liked it is there was a subplot where a guy and a girl HATED each other and spent the entire movie avoiding being with each other only to have some stupid plot point like a fender bender, or perhaps a wedding, or maybe an all night party or some other non event bring them together for a kiss of true love and then they live happily ever after (even though they spent the first two hours of the movie hating each other...what!)  Yeah, a chick flick.  Then she'd be happy. 

Granted, there are good chick flicks, but they are far and few between.  At least with a crappy Popcorn Movie, you get entertained by explosions and action!  A chick flick is nothing without a well written plot, good actors and chemistry...three things you don't often find in any movie, let alone a movie with Hugh Grant in it.

But I digress...

Here are our numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 1.62 miles

Pace: 12:23/m

Max Pace: 10:36/m

Calories: 187

Avg HR: 103

Max HR: 113

Just a nice easy stroll down the street with Honey.  So why does my foot hurt?  Probably because I ran hard yesterday and my body is tired.  Screw you body.  Screw you!

Run for Life!