Day 180, 185 To Go

June 29, 2013

I think I made a mistake.  I was running and I was feeling good, but I knew I had to run long tomorrow.  So, I decided to not push too hard.  I figured I would just push the envelope a little and make sure I was fresh for tomorrow.

The problem was I was listening to Soundgarden and the album is fast and loud and my favorite song came on, Jesus Christ Pose.  The sound is loud, fast, energetic and it epitomizes Soundgarden's sound and style.  So, I decided to run hard while the song was on!  I pushed the pace to a 6:50 - 7 min mile for the duration of the song...which happened to be about 6 minutes long.

As you can see by my HR, I got up there and I probably blew my chance at a good run tomorrow.  I normally can not run hard two days in a row and even though the long run is of a lower intensity, the longer duration makes it a more intense run.

Oh well.  I felt good, so sue me.

You have to sometimes just go with it.  If wanted to open it up right at the beginning because my calf didn't hurt and my legs were loose and I was feeling good, but I talked myself out of it for the most part.  It was the music that made me go for it.

I am a big proponent of just listening to your body (and loud music).  Sure, making a training plan is important and I recommend doing so, but if you have a hard day planned, and you feel like crap, switch things up.  On the other hand, if you have an easy day planned, but you feel great, just go for it!  The caveat to the easy day is that you do have to make sure no matter how good you feel that you schedule in recovery days.  Unless you are a moron like me, you need recovery days!

Here are my numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 3.24 miles

Pace: 7:43/m

Max Pace: 6:17/m

Calories: 421
Avg HR: 150

Max HR: 170

The thing that stands out to me about these numbers and the thing that makes me excited is calorie number.  If I could keep these numbers up, I'll be sporting a six pack in no time.  Oh, perhaps I should have mentioned, sporting a six pack, even at the ripe old age of 40, is totally one of my life goals.  Call me shallow (you may be right) but I want what I want.  Granted, if I would just stop eating lots of ice cream and drinking a bunch of soda, I would already have said six pack.  What I really need is will power.  I'll keep working on it (the will power and the six pack!).

Run for Life!!

Day 179, 186 To Go

June 28, 2013

Honey is going to run with me today, but she is a bit intimidated by the extra five minutes we are running today.  This is a common fear amongst new runners.  Increasing your mileage or your running time can be a scary thing.  Can you do it?  Will you end up in the middle of nowhere with no way to get home, dying of thirst, crawling along the road, desperate for someone to come and help you?

Maybe, if you try to run much longer than you are used to and you don't plan ahead and you are running in the desert.  Otherwise, you should be fine increasing your mileage by just a little bit.  The rule of thumb is that you shouldn't increase your mileage by more than 10% from week to week and your long runs should follow the same formula.

So, an extra five minutes added on top of 20 minutes is a 25% increase, so that would seem to go against this rule...and it kind of does, perhaps, in Honey's case.  My running times are based on my week to week times, not hers.  Sorry Honey!  Of course, this is the first time she has run 25 minutes and she did run a couple of other times this week.  If we assume she is running 60 minutes every week, then an extra five minutes is perfectly in line with the rule of thumb.  Next week, she will be running an extra 15 minutes if she runs with me every day...that would again be a 25% increase.  If she had been running consistently with me while I upped my time, she would be ok.

Consistency is always the key!!

In either case, Honey did fine today.  She felt that it was a lot harder to run 25 minutes instead of 20, but she did it.  The next time, she will find it easier.  Soon, she will think herself silly that she couldn't even think about running only 15 minutes.  That's the way it goes.  The longer you run, and the longer you make your longest runs the easier the shorter runs feel.

Here are our numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.12 miles

Pace: 11:48/m

Max Pace: 9:59/m

Calories: 265
Avg HR: 111

Max HR: 122

Honey's pace was good and she broke her self imposed mental limit of 20 minutes!  Yay!!  Now she can rest until next week!

Run for Life!!

Day 178, 187 To Go

June 27, 2013

I'm so tired I can't even run straight.  Not only was I up late, I had to get up at 4:30am and drive Caleb to the airport which is an hour away.  I got him to his gate, said my goodbyes, and drove back home.  You know how when you are driving and you can barely keep your eyes open?  Yeah, that was my drive home.  Not fun or safe!

I got home and went straight to work.  I would have worked the whole day, but Honey had a horrible migraine and I had to take her to the doctor for some emergency treatment.  They took care of her and we came back home and I worked some more.

Then, it was time for my run.  Minor pain in the calf still (damn thing is lingering!) and a case of the IDon'tWantToRunTodays.  I ended up with a decent time for my 25 minutes (oh 20 minute run, wherefore art thou?) anyway.

Home for a shower and a quick dinner, then to my bed for the rest of the night.  I was in bed nice and early for once and I hope to get a good night's sleep.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.85 miles

Pace: 8:46/m

Max Pace: 7:42/m

Calories: 363
Avg HR: 139

Max HR: 152

That's it folks.  I have no energy for anything else.  Just some Zzzzzzzzzzzz's.


Run for Life!

Day 177, 188 To Go

June 26, 2013

Today was another blah day.  I was not feeling all that well so I utilized one of my many (as in many, I mean five) sick days.  I spent the day with Caleb and we reminisced about the last time we were in Florida and we went to one of the Disney Water Parks.

I believe we had gone to the Blizzard Beach park that time.  Caleb loves the wave pool and he spent most of his time in there until he swallowed too much water and threw up in the pool.  We gracefully exited the pool, leaving the vomit floating harmlessly in the water.  Harmlessly until someone ran into it.  YUCK!

Glad we got out when we did!

Anyway, it was an uneventful day spent at home talking about the past.  I still did my run of course, but I did my 2nd 20 minute run of the week which means I now have to run 25 minutes every other day this week.  No hiding from it now.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.17 miles

Pace: 9:12/m

Max Pace: 7:59/m

Calories: 279
Avg HR: 141

Max HR: 155

Slight discomfort in my calf as well as an overall malaise, so my pace was nice and slow.  Tomorrow is a new day.  Tomorrow is also when Caleb needs to fly home ; o (  His flight is at 7:55am so I will be up waaaaay too early to drive him.  Not looking forward to that.  Derek is also very sad because his big brother will be leaving.  Looking forward to the next visit soon.

Run for Life!

Day 176, 189 To Go

June 25, 2013

So I felt a little sick today.  I didn't let it stop me from running and running well.  I also had made plans with my son to go out and do something fun tonight, so I had to stick to that too, but I felt like crap and call in sick about halfway through the day to get some rest.

I got some sleep and felt a little better then went for my run.  As you can see below, I was back to my old pace again after a few days of taking it easy.  I am still feeling the tug in my left calf, but I think it is beginning to lessen to some extent.  I feel like I could still pull it completely at any moment like if I accidentally step on a baby toy and it makes me slip and catch myself that I may end up really pulling it.

And let me tell you, there are baby toys everywhere in my house.  I'm pretty sure I could turn my head right now and find a few...let's see...there is a small blue ball, perfect for stepping on and falling to my left.  If I turn a little further, I see a multi colored stuffed caterpillar staring at me.  Luckily this is not in any position to hurt me (although it is a bit creepy).  To my right is a red and blue bucket of sorts.  This is not in a position to hurt me either.  One out of three ain't too bad.

So, after my run, Caleb and I went to the Andretti Thrill Park to race some go carts and play some laser tag!  That was a fun time!  I did have the magic ability to pick the slowest go cart on the track over and over again.  It was pretty amazing.  I did get a few fast ones, and it is much more fun to have a fast one than a slow one.  The last three runs were with pathetically slow carts.  The worst part was that it was just me and Caleb on the course so he easily past me and lapped me my car was so slow.  If there had at least been other carts on the track, I could have gleefully crashed into them rather than wait most of the run to crash into Caleb again.

Did I mention that bumping was forbidden on the track?  Yeah, right.  My first run I was continually crashed into by a little girl with an evil grin.  I decided following the rules after that race was no longer necessary.  I caused some spectacular crashes after that.  Good times!

Here are my numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.92 miles

Pace: 8:36/m

Max Pace: 7:22/m

Calories: 376
Avg HR: 146

Max HR: 164

Today was another 25 minute run.  I need four this week, and today was the first one.  I have three more to go!!  Until next time...

Run for Life!!

Day 175, 190 To Go

June 24, 2013

Happy Monday everybody! 

I know what you are thinking.  You are thinking I am on drugs or I won the lottery or I had sex with 10 supermodels last night, because my normal Monday greeting is usually much more somber.  Well, I have turned over a new leaf!  I am not on drugs (at least not right now) and I did not win the lottery and the only supermodel I had sex with was Honey (not too shabby!) I am just trying to put a positive spin on the day.

I can tell you that after a full day of work, my positivity did not last, but I at least go through half the day without cursing my job and my existence.  I take that as a marked improvement over a normal Monday.

Honey again accompanied me on my run.  That would be two days in a row.  I know what you are thinking.  Honey must be on drugs or won the lottery or...wait...if Honey won the lottery the only running she would be doing would be to Viera to go shopping at the outlet malls.  I bet she could run a 5 min mile if there was a purse at Coach that she wanted.  So no, she isn't on drugs (at least not right now) and there was no lottery or marathon shopping.  She was just motivated to run.  What do you think about that!?!

Here are our numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 1.64 miles

Pace: 12:13/m

Max Pace: 9:55/m

Calories: 188
Avg HR: 101

Max HR: 116

I think tomorrow I need to test out my calf again.  I only felt a twinge here and there which is an improvement.  I will continue to use my foam roller and take it easy on my leg when possible.  Tomorrow is another day and I intend to make it a good one!  Later folks!

Run for Life!!

Day 174, 191 To Go

June 23, 2013

This was not a happy Sunday ; o (  No long run and my calf still hurts.  I suppose I did salvage part of my Sunday by going to see Superman: Man of Steel with Caleb.  The movie was pretty good, I thought.  Lots of character buildup in the first half and then lots of destruction the second half.  We got the best of both worlds!

Anyway, Honey and I went out for a run during the day in the heat and it was very hot and humid.  Honey melted and I had to leave her in a puddle on the street.  She has since evaporated and we will never hear from her again.

Only kidding, I scrapped her off the pavement and brought her inside and nursed her back to health.  As you can see below, we went at a very easy pace.  Partly because Honey is not used to running in the heat and partly because I wanted to take it easy on my calf.

There doesn't seem to be any escape from the summer heat unless we run at close to 8pm, sometimes 7pm.  On the off chance that the weather is not sweltering, the run ends up being really pleasant.  And by not sweltering, I mean in the 80s with only mild humidity.  I'd kill for that on my daily run!!

Here are our numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 1.60 miles

Pace: 12:29/m

Max Pace: 10:26/m

Calories: 181
Avg HR: 99

Max HR: 108

This coming week I need to run four days for 25 minutes instead of just two.  This is going to be made difficult because I have family visiting and I am lazy.  The former reason is probably the more prevalent reason, although you can't discount laziness. 

Run for Life!!

Day 173, 192 To Go

June 22, 2013

I did it again.  My watch had no battery.  This isn't from a lack of trying to charge it, I guess the charger wasn't properly engaged when I set it up.  MayMyRun to the rescue again!

I took it easy today and I ran again early in the morning to get it out of the way so I could spend time with the family.  It was another rainyish day here so we didn't make any plans to go out and do anything.  Caleb is happy to surf the web on his computer (perhaps I should enable parental protections...) and I was stuck with the babies all day and punishment for having fun at Disney the day before.

Thanks Honey.  Glad to see you are not bitter.

Later in the day, Caleb, Derek and I went to go see Monster's University.  It was funny and cute and an enjoyable movie.  I think Derek got a little bored at the end though.  It might have been because he missed half the movie going to pee! 

I hate leaving a theater during a movie and I will only do so under the most dire circumstances.  I remember having to pee at the start of watching the movie The Abyss, directed by James Cameron, and I held it in the entire movie.  The movie is three hours long and takes place under the ocean...which as you might know is full of water.  Lots and lots of water.  When the movie ended, I was unable to stand up straight my bladder was so full and ready to burst. 
So, the 2nd time Derek wanted to pee I was pissed (ha!) because it was a pivotal part in the movie.  Yes, I know it is only a cartoon, but there are pivotal parts in cartoons as well!

After the movie, we walked back to our car which was kind of far away as the movie theater was packed.  Guess who told me he had to pee AGAIN as we neared our car?  If you guessed Derek, you would be right!

Kids.

Anyway, here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.13 miles

Pace: 9:25/m

Max Pace: 7:31/m

Calories: xxx
Avg HR: xxx

Max HR: xxx

My calf is still hurting so I will again overdose on ibuprofen and spend some time with my Foam Roller.  Hope it helps!

Run for Life!!

Day 172, 193 To Go

June 21, 2013

Happy Friday to everyone, especially those lucky enough to NOT be working and also happen to be going to Disney!  That makes it an extra special happy day!

I got my run out of the way early.  I was tired, needed to use the bathroom, and it was hot.  Oh, and I didn't want to run.  But, of course, I dragged my lazy ass out there to run.  Unfortunately, I found out that my watch was low on battery.  So, I used the MapMyRun app on my phone instead.  In a pinch, it works nicely, although I don't know if I can truly trust the distance and pace numbers.  I need to take it to a track and test it out.

Here are my partial numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.14 miles

Pace: 9:20/m

Max Pace: 9:00/m

Calories: xxx
Avg HR: xxx

Max HR: xxx

I got it out of the way and now I am off to Disney!  I took my four year old Derek, who you all know already, and my 17 year old son Caleb, who you don't know yet.  Quite a difference in age, but that is the great thing about Disney: there is something for every age!  Speaking of age, Derek is supposed to pay since he is four, but I lied and said he was two.  They didn't care, which is nice, but I don't know how much longer that will work.  Seriously, though, three year old children have to pay full admission!  Disney may be a lot of fun, but they rob you blind!

Funny aside, when we were going through the line, I coached Derek to say that he is two years old and that he will be three in two weeks.  He memorized it and I made sure to tell him not to say anything unless asked.  Of course, as we were going through the line and we had just made it past the turnstile, he turns around and yells, "I'm two!!!"  They ignored him though, so we got in!

We started out in the Magic Kingdom and eventually made our way to Epcot.  Unfortunately, it was raining quite a bit and unlike most days in Florida, it didn't stop for a long time.  We tried to go on Mission Space which is one of my favorite rides (although as I age, I get dizzy much easier!) but Derek was too short.  Maybe in a year or so.

We stayed in the play area of  Mission Space for at least two hours and it was still raining when we left.  Most of the rides were now closed in Epcot, so we went back to the Magic Kingdom and went on a few more rides.  Then we watched the parade and finally the spectacular video show they project onto the castle.  Awesome!  And this time, Derek stayed away for the whole thing.

Now, the bad news.  My calf hurt me on and off throughout the whole day.  This is not good.  I could not go down steps without pain and since I often had to carry Derek, it only made it worse.  Time for mega doses of Advil and some personal time with my Foam Roller.  Now, here are a few pictures.  Only a few because I am not a big picture person.  I'd rather see what is going on rather than hide behind a camera.

Derek's first time on Splash Mountain.  He is terrified...then again, so is Caleb...my scream was just for fun...ahem.

Oh no!  The Evil Zurg has captured my boys!  Derek seems unfazed by his predicament.

Caleb and a reluctant Derek in front of the Castle!

Yoda backpack!  "Judge me by my size, do you?" - Yoda

Run for Life!!

Day 171, 194 To Go

June 20, 2013

Today was my second day this week running for 25 minutes.  I'd like to say it went well, and my numbers bear that out, but sometimes, there is more to what you see than the box score.  On a few occasions during my run, I felt a pull in my left calf near the bottom.  It is an odd place for what is probably some sort of strain and it didn't pop up too often, but it was often enough for me to be concerned.

I think my mad dash to avoid the lightening yesterday and the increase in my pace over a short period contributed to the strain.  It seems to occur when the angle of my ankle is far forward.  For example, if you run up a hill, the angles of your ankles is more pronounced.  This puts more strain on your calf and entails more flexibility.  Even when running on flat ground, you tend to stretch this muscle out when you change speeds or direction. 

Not good.  I hope this goes away...will need to treat it aggressively or the increase in mileage will take its toll rather fast.  I may forgo my long run this weekend as I was already considering it since I will have company (my 17 year old son Caleb) for the weekend and I don't want to disappear for too long.

Here are my numbers for today:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.95 miles

Pace: 8:29/m

Max Pace: 7:14/m

Calories: 378
Avg HR: 132

Max HR: 150

I am happy that the increased time and distance do not seem to have any affect on my pace.  I think July is going to be a good, strong month for me, if I can get my injuries under control.  I am planning on going to the Magic Kingdom/Epcot Center in Disney World tomorrow (YAY!) and that will entail a lot of walking.  I hope it doesn't make it worse!!

Of course, the biggest event for today was that I went to the airport to pick up my son, Caleb, who was flying in from New Jersey.  Now, don't hold the fact that he lives in NJ against him.  That is his mom's fault and her family since they live there.  When you are a kid, you have to live where your family lives.  If your family lives in NJ, you are just stuck.  What can you do?  You have to wait until you grow up before you can escape what I like to call the Armpit of America.  The difference between an armpit and NJ is that armpits smell better.

Anyway, I digress.  He had a good flight and it was great to see him!  He just finished high school and is gearing up for College which is very exciting.  He is very smart, so he is ready academically, but I'm not sure if he is versed in beer pong, funnels and wild college sex parties.  That is where I come in.  I will be his mentor and teacher.

Who am I kidding, I never had wild sex parties in college, although the beer funnel reared its head a few times.  If I could go back to college now and be 18, I would focus much more on my wild sex parties than my work.  You get much more out of a college education that way.

Uh, I think I got off track again.  Anyway, I'll post a picture or two tomorrow from our Disney trip. 

Sex Parties...Run for Life!!

Day 170, 195 To Go

June 19, 2013

It is probably not a good idea to go out running when you see a thunderstorm approaching, but that is just what Honey and I did today.  Actually, she used her rollerblades and I ran, but we were both out there.  At first, the clouds, although ominous looking, seemed far enough away to not be any danger.  That is what I thought, but Honey was a bit afraid.  We still went though.

After a few minutes, it became clear that our running route would take us directly under the storm, or at least it looked like that.  We could see lightening here and there, but the thunder was not following the strikes, at least as far as we can hear.  I always go by count of 5...if you see lightening and you count how long before you hear the thunder, every 5 seconds is a mile away.  So, I figured we were safe.

When we got to the turnaround, the weather started to take a turn for the worse and the sky darkened even more and now it looked like the clouds stretched all the way back to our starting point.  Uh oh...not the safest conditions.  So, we took off as fast as we could back home.  I was not feeling great and I had been running fairly easy up to that point.  In looking at my pace, I increased my pace from my first mile to my second about 1:30 per mile.

The run back was tense but we made it all the way back home alive!  Yay!  Hopefully there are no ill affects from the rushed run back to safety.  Next time, I'll wait a little while longer before I go out and run in bad weather.  Impatience can often be your undoing in all facets of life, running is no different.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.55 miles

Pace: 7:51/m

Max Pace: 5:38/m

Calories: 329
Avg HR: 140

Max HR: 164

As it turned out, the storm passed by quickly and the sky calmed down.  It has been raining quite a bit lately and the storms can often be spectacular.  Watch out for lightening, folks, it is no joke!!

Run for Life!!

Day 169, 196 To Go

June 18, 2013

I was disappointed today with my numbers.  Why?  Because I am a moron and I shut off my GPS watch to stretch and when I started running again, I forgot to turn it back on.  So, I had no idea when I was supposed to stop and how far I went.

This shouldn't be a big deal, but it pissed me off.  I know, I know...you just think I have OCD.  Well, to some extent, you are right.  I do, but I have it under control.  Really.  Hold on on second, I think I left the iron on...

Nope, it was off.  Nope, it was off.  Nope, it was off.  Nope, it was off.

I have a problem with the number 4.

Anyway, you will see my numbers have ? and + to indicate my ignorance of what the numbers actually are.  I know I ran more than 2 miles...probably about 2.25 and my pace was certainly faster than 9:30, but for recording purpose, rather then inflate my numbers, I chose the conservative route and kept them low.  And those that know me know I am anything but conservative!

Anyway equipment failure is something that runners have to deal with.  You just hope that it doesn't happen in a race.  In a triathlon, the chance of something going wrong is of course increased because there is so much more that can go wrong.  On the swim, your goggles could fog up or worse, they could fall off.  The swim start is rough so it is not unheard of that your goggles get ripped off of your head.  I have had them kicked/pulled almost all the way off.  Then you need to stand up, if you can, and put them back on or you have to tread water until you can get them on right.

On the bike, there is an endless amount of things that can go wrong with your bike, the most common is the flat tire.  You had better hope you know how to change that tire, or you are dead in the water.  Even if you can change it, you are talking a 5 - 10 minute delay which will effectively kill your race time, unless you are in a long race like a half or full Ironman.

Then there is the run.  Not much can go wrong here.  I suppose your laces could break or your shoe could fall apart, but that is rare.  For me, at least, the worst thing that can happen and has happened is my GPS watch refuse to cooperate.  Perhaps it can't get a signal or it lost its charge.  Ok, so it isn't the end of the word when this happens, but it can through off your race plan.  If this ever happens to you...just run!  Run as best as you can and hope your training kicks in.

Here are my spotty numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.00+ miles

Pace: 9:30/m?

Max Pace: 7:46/m?

Calories: 240+
Avg HR: 119?

Max HR: 139?

I had considered mapping out where I had run to and getting a more accurate distance, but since I am writing this a few days late, I don't remember where I ran to.  Oh well.  I'll live.

Get out and run everybody!!  Enjoy the rapidly approaching summer...only a few more days until the first day!

Run for Life!!

Day 168, 197 To Go

June 17, 2013

Let me start out today's blog by first stating that I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read it.  Second, I want to apologize to my many, many readers (like 7) for not posting a blog all week.  I have no good excuse, but I will attempt here to give a few bullshit ones:

1. I had a busy week at work (not really, but this is always a good one, and it makes everyone feel sorry for me because I work sooooo hard)
2. It rained all week and my Internet connection was spotty
3. I had family coming to visit and I had to make preparations (My son, Caleb, is visiting...but he came on Thursday, so what was my excuse before then?)
4. I was lazy (only real one in the bunch)
5. I forgot (I am quite forgetful in my old age)
6. Honey yelled at me every time I tried to write my blog because she wanted me to do something else (this is fairly accurate)
7. And last, but not least...I was too busy watching Internet porn (um....only kidding Honey)

So, without further adieu, here is Monday's blog...

I am nearing the end of the 2nd quarter of the year which means I have to start increasing my time from 20 minutes every day to 25 minutes.  To do this, I will increase gradually.  This week I will run two days for 25 minutes, and next week four days.  Then it will be July and I can run six days at 25 minutes with the 7th day being my long run.

I found this difficult when I went from 15 minutes to 20 minutes because although it is only five minutes more a day, my body was used to it and it didn't handle the extra stress well.  I have to be careful of injuries during this time.  I will probably cut out my long run or cut it down on the weekend to make up for the increased workload during the week.

Today, for my first 25 minute run, I felt really good until about minute 22.  Then I kind of faded a bit and started to regret my decision to run 25 today.  Luckily I only had three minutes left and I finished strong.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 25:00

Distance: 2.92 miles

Pace: 8:33/m

Max Pace: 7:11/m

Calories: 372
Avg HR: 131

Max HR: 149

The extra time didn't have any impact on my pace other than I slowed down slightly at the end.  For some reason, I don't feel like increasing from 20 to 25 will be as hard mentally as increasing from 15 to 20 was.  I could be wrong, but I think maybe I am just more in a groove at this point almost halfway through the year.  Ask me in a couple of weeks and I may think differently.  Until then though...

Run for Life!!

Day 167, 198 To Go

June 16, 2013

Ugh...as I predicted, there was no getting up in the morning.  Joshua was with us all night and he is still nursing a fever.  Thank goodness for Tylenol or he would be even worse. 

Oh, Happy's Father's day to all you father's out there.  May you have a day of rest and peace and quiet (this requires no kids though, so sorry).

I have a Cold Stone Ice Cream cake to look forward to this afternoon.  I am also going to treat myself to some good ole southern BBQ at Sonny's which I have never gone to but I always pass and it usually smells great.

A few hours later...

So, I have had my BBQ and my ice cream cake and the babies are in bed.  Do you know what time it is now?  Yes, it is time for a Father's Day nap.  Zzzzzzzzz

A few hours later...

So, I am up and lazy from my long nap and dreading going out for a long run.  Honey will be with me, but I fear that this is going to be a tough one.  I am tired, full, worn out, and unmotivated. 

So, it is 7pm and time to go.   Babies are in bed and I have made an emergency trip to the bathroom to hopefully deal with my afternoon assault on my digestive system.  Off we go...

As I sit on the toilet at 7/11 staring at the sign that says "All employees must wash their hands before going back to work" I wonder if anyone actually pays attention to that.  I know I wash my hands 99% of the time after I go to the bathroom (hey, sometimes, you just can't do it for one reason or another) but I have seen countless other people just walk right out of the stall passing right by the sinks.  This is after I have heard all manner of explosions emanate from the stall that would make a Michael Bay movie sound like a love story in comparison.  Needless to say, I rarely touch the doorknob in public bathrooms for this reason.

I got back out there, feeling considerably better, but not 100%.  More like 65%.  I was tired from two days of less than optimal sleep as well as just plain bad sleep on top of that.  Add to that a weekend of eating bad or unhealthy food and my body was done.  Even if I was physically able to push myself to go faster, I was certainly not mentally able to do so.

As you can see by my numbers, my HR never got up too high and I just didn't care to push it up higher.  Considering the way I felt, I'll take these numbers:

Time: 1:08:00

Distance: 7.11 miles

Pace: 9:34/m

Max Pace: 6:18/m

Calories: 911
Avg HR: 134

Max HR: 148

I did push my time up to 68 minutes and I felt every single one of those.  Honey only complained about her ass being on fire once which was nice.  Of course my ass really WAS on fire after my multiple trips to the bathroom...

On that note, I will bid you adieu.  I'm tired and unlikely to get much sleep tonight.  I forgot to set my DVR to record True Blood, so we have to wait until 11pm to watch it.  I'm tired already...good night...

Run for Life!!

Day 166, 199 To Go

June 15, 2013

I was up early today as it was "my turn" to wake up with the babies.  So much for a relaxing Father's Day weekend.  On top of that, Joshua appears to have a fever.  He is acting normally and eating, but how long will that last?  How long before the whining and crying and clinging and projectile vomiting starts?

If you said about 9:30am, you'd be right (minus the vomiting, thank goodness!)

The problem with cuddling with my little boy isn't that I don't like to do it, its that my two little girls get jealous and they get all cranky and screamy, particularly Ayla.  She is a bit of a hog when it comes to lap time.  If she is on your lap, everything is fine, until you put her down and especially if anyone else gets in your lap.  Add to that a jealous 4 year old in Derek, and I turn into a jungle gym full of screaming children.

Calgon, take me away and drown me...please!!

It was brutally hot today.  It was so hot that I didn't even think about going out for my run until after 7pm when the sun was low in the sky.  It was a reasonable temperature by then.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.25 miles

Pace: 8:54/m

Max Pace: 7:13/m

Calories: 283
Avg HR: 124

Max HR: 139

I was a bit tired and I really kind of dragged myself through this run.  Honey was nursing a migraine so I was on my own.  I could have used the motivation, I suppose.  At least I finished it.

Fast forward to bed time which was about 1am for me and queue up the screaming, inconsolable, sick child.  Yup, we welcomed Joshua into our bed as he would not stop screaming.  He kept us both up for a while longer and he slept in Honey's arms who got even less sleep than I did.

I had planned to bike and run in the morning, but I am guessing I will be unable to wake up in the morning...in fact, I'm pretty sure I won't!!

Run for Life!!

Day 165, 200 To Go

June 14, 2013

It is Friday and time for the weekend!  It is not just any weekend, it is Father's Day weekend.  This should mean that I will be pampered and massaged and waited on hand and foot, but most likely will mean I will get stuck being with the kids.  I mean, seriously, who wants to spend the day delegated to celebrating fathers with their kids!  If anything can ruin a relaxing weekend is spending it with children.'

I'll let you know how it goes.

For tonight, Honey and I will be going out for dinner and a movie.  Although this is potentially a fun night, due to our wildly different tastes in food (I like most foods, Honey likes Sushi...that's about it) and movies (I like everything, especially movies with explosions, nudity, black comedy, car chases, deep philosophical meaning, or any combination of the above and Honey likes chick flicks).

So, we chose a Thai/Sushi place that promised to have both good sushi and Thai food which I love and rarely get to eat.  Unfortunately, it just plain sucked.  Thai Thai was the name, and it should have been called Sucks Sucks.  First of all, they got Honey's order wrong.  She is very specific in what she orders.  She always orders Salmon rolls with JUST Salmon and the rice on the outside.  It is like a reverse roll.  They did it the normal way.  I ordered Pad Thai, and it looked like a plate of oily noodles.  It had a slight peanuty flavor and that is about as close as it came to tasting like Thai food.  I also asked for extra spicy, and it wasn't even close.  In fact, it was mild enough to feed a baby.

So, we left the dinner rather unsatisfied, although somewhat full (we ate almost everything..hey, food ain't free ya know!) and we made it in time to see This is the End.  I have to say, I found the comedy quite dark and hilarious.  Honey, was not amused at all.  In fact, she said it was the worst movie she had ever seen.  The majority or critics agree with me, so who are you going to believe?  I guess I would be able to see her point about it being horrible, but I have a sense of humor...a particularly dirty sense of humor.

Anyway, I think I am forgetting something...oh yes, my run.  Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.37 miles

Pace: 8:27/m

Max Pace: 7:27/m

Calories: 305
Avg HR: 136

Max HR: 152

Another nice run for the week.  It was a little faster than the past two days, but in line with what I have been averaging. 

I got home late from the movie and hung out even later with Honey...time to go to bed as it is already 2:30am.  Tomorrow is going to be a long day.  Later!

Run for Life!!

Day 164, 201 To Go

June 13, 2013

I feel like I am doing something wrong today by writing this blog on the day that it is actually do.  I am a procrastinator by trade, so I feel like I am denying my true nature.  Really, with all my TV shows off the air for the summer, I have nothing better to do with my time. 

I should get a hobby or something (remember, running is not a hobby, it is a way of life!!)  Maybe I will spend some time reading again.  I love to read but I haven't had time to read these past 15 months (15 months...hmmm...that is the same age as my triplets...connection?)  I have a bunch of books that are piling up waiting for me to read, including Dan Brown's new book.  Of course, once I start reading a book, I tend to ignore everything else in my life like sleep, showers, food, Honey, babies, work...the list goes on and on....especially if it is a good book!

Today, Honey accompanied me on my run but she used her Rollerblades.  We both took our iPhone with headphones, so there wasn't much conversation.  It takes a lot to shut up Honey.  She likes to talk, even on our runs.  Granted, she is only a Chatty Patty for the first 5 - 10 minutes of the run...then she is a Panting Patty (ooh..that sounds like fun) until the end.  She still manages to get a word in here and there, but for the most part, I get silence for the remainder of the run.  When she is on Rollerblades, she is able to talk the whole time, and she usually takes advantage of that.  Today, however, with the headphones, she basically ignored me. 

I was busy listening to the new Black Sabbath album, so I didn't mind today.  It isn't too bad, but it needs a few more listens before I can give a proper opinion on it.  It does sound like Black Sabbath should, so that is a plus.

Seeing that this is a running blog, I figure I can now talk about running.  Um...I have nothing to say on the subject right now except...

 Let's take a look at my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.34 miles

Pace: 8:34/m

Max Pace: 7:10/m

Calories: 299
Avg HR: 131

Max HR: 151

I went the same exact speed and distance as I did yesterday.  I wasn't trying to do that, it just happened.  It is like 8:34 is my groove pace.  I have found as I have become a more experienced runner that pacing has become easier to manager.  What I mean by that is that I don't go too fast if I can't handle it and I can manage my pace throughout my run much better.  This is something that can be very useful to a runner when racing longer distances like a half marathon and a marathon.

You can actually practice pacing and you can work on getting a feel for a specific pace.  You need to be warmed up because when you first start running and you are not loose, your speed will feel much faster than it actually is.  Once you are warmed up, you can practice pacing by running at a steady pace and guessing how fast you are going.  Then you look at your GPS watch to see if you were right.  You can do this throughout your run to get a feel for how fast you are going.  Another method is to use the functionality in your GPS.  For instance, Garmin GPS watches allow you to set pace alerts.  You can set your alert to a narrow pace and work on staying within it. If you hear a beep, you need to either speed up or slow down.  This will help you get a feel for a specific pace.

You can also just repeatedly look at your watch to make sure you are going the pace you desire.  This is annoying and can border on obsessive compulsive disorder if you do it as much as I used to (I think I was close to needing medication, I was so bad!)

Ok, it is time to sign off.  Enjoy your runs people!!

Run for Life!!

Day 163, 202 To Go

June 12, 2013

Aye!  My legs are worse today than they were yesterday!  I hate when that happens.  I mean, when I woke up, I actually felt a little better.  Than I sat down on my ass working until almost 7pm and they ended up feeling much worse.  If I had run early in the day, I bet I could have staved off some soreness.  Oh well...no such luck.

I got myself dressed and outfitted with some water and I lumbered outside to start my run.  I had an online appt at 8pm and I had to make sure I was done with the run and showered and ready to go in about an hour, so there was no time to take my time.

I started my watch and took my first step.  Fittingly, I emitted a sound that reminded me of a dying sheep with a deep bass voice.  I say fittingly, because ran and sounded like Frankenstein. 

I was lumbering along, moaning and pretty much dragging my left leg behind me, at a snail's pace of 11 min per mile.  This would never work.  Not only that, my velcro on my shoes were not attached right and they were annoying me.  So, after a few short minutes, I stopped, bent down and fixed my shoes, and slowly started up again.  The short break had been productive because I was just a teeny, weensy bit more loose this time. 

I didn't push and I tried to relax and to enjoy my time outside since it was the first time I had stepped outside all day.  Soon, I started to run a bit smoother and with less of a hitch in my stride.  Soon after that, was lopping along easily and at a 8+ min pace. 

The soreness fled my body and I ran and ran until my time was up and I never slowed down and I had a big smile on my face when I was done.  The run had started off horrible, but I had stuck with it and it turned out great.  Just like anything in life, you need to persevere and persist and if you do, you'll be rewarded for your efforts (or you'll get hit by a car and ironically die leaving your goals unfinished...one or the other).

So, here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.34 miles

Pace: 8:34/m

Max Pace: 7:28/m

Calories: 301
Avg HR: 136

Max HR: 151

I love seeing 8:30s along with a nice average HR.  My goal for this year is to consistently pace 8 min miles within my aerobic zone.  I am only about 30 seconds away and I have a little more than half the year left to go.  I got it...

Run for Life!!

Day 162, 203 To Go

June 11, 2013

Today was a day for me and Honey Bunches of Oats to run together.  HBO wasn't sure if she wanted to go, but I convinced her to join me.  I had no intention of running fast as my legs were on fire.  I'm glad that I didn't do the entire workout yesterday or I probably wouldn't even be able to walk right now!  I really shouldn't get this sore considering I only did four body weight squat exercises.  I may have nice looking legs (or so I have been told) but they are certainly of the chicken variety (just a sexy chicken).

So HBO joined me, the sexy chicken, for a nice 20 minute jaunt outside.  It looked like it would rain any second, but instead, we basically got misted on.  I was actually hoping for one of those insane Florida downpours where you can't see a foot in front of your face because it is raining so hard.  The skies looked like they could open up at any minute, but it held off. 

At least it had cooled off a bit and we were able to have decent weather for an evening run.  It was very humid, but the temp had dropped a lot.  I couldn't tell at the end of the run if I had been sweating or I had just gotten wet from the ,moisture in the air. 

Initially, HBO had opted for a white shirt.  Mmmmm...rain, white shirts and boobies certainly go well together, but between the two of us (mostly her), we figured it would be risky for her to wear white when it could rain hard at any minute.  So, the run ended up being uneventful and nipple free.

Here are our numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 1.69 miles

Pace: 11:52/m

Max Pace: 10:04/m

Calories: 208
Avg HR: 97

Max HR: 105

I think I need to push HBO a bit.  She has shown that she can turn it up a notch once in a while.  I just need to find the right day when she feels good and crack the whip!  I'll get her back under 11 min and maybe even further down.  She can do it!  Can't you Honey?

Run for Life!!

Day 161, 204 To Go

June 10, 2013

Monday is here again.  I still have not found a way around Mondays.  They just keep on coming.  My new project is to create a time machine that allows me to skip over Monday.  I'll let you know how it goes....

Since it is Monday, I needed to do my leg exercises.  I sort of did them.  I did four out of the six I needed to do.  I did them after I ran and after I showered (real smart there) and it was close to bed time, so I got tired and didn't finish.  I have failed miserably in doing my strength training.  I need to do better.  Perhaps when I create my time machine, I can use it to go back in time to do all the training I missed.  Then when I return to the present day, I'll magically be stronger and faster!  I don't really understand how the whole time continuum thingy works, so I may be missing something.  I guess I'll let you know last week, er, I mean next week...uh..

Onto something I do understand: running.  I understand that I am sore today (this is before I did my leg exercises) from my long run yesterday.  Damn these old legs of mine.  I can only imagine what they will feel like tomorrow.  All I know is that after I was done with my last exercise, I felt like I had lead in my legs. 

It is funny how some weeks no matter what I do I feel great and other weeks no matter what I do I feel like crap.  Anyone want to explain that to me in terms my confused brain can understand?  I'll wait for your comments to stream in.  I appreciate all comments, particularly sarcastic ones. 

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.19 miles

Pace: 9:07/m

Max Pace: 7:53/m

Calories: 277
Avg HR: 122

Max HR: 140

Recovery run speed.  Honey was absent today because she wanted to eat ice cream instead.  Well, she used the excuse that she didn't feel good, but while the cat was away, the mouse ate all the ice cream.  I have a mind to squish that silly little mouse.  Luckily, I found some ice cream hidden in the deep recesses of my freezer, so the mouse can live for another day.

Run for Life!!

Day 160, 205 To Go

June 9, 2013

My expectations for today's run were mixed.  On the one hand, my long runs have been getting better.  On the other hand were a few glasses of beer and wine from Friday night. 

The alcohol won, I think.  I regressed a bit this week.  There are a few possible reasons.  Let's explore them:

1. It takes a couple of days to rehydrate, so drinking will have a detrimental affect on your running
2. Honey came with me on her rollerblades and I spent a lot of time stopping and starting to help her (more on that later)
3. It was really humid
4. I was just lazy and didn't try hard enough

 It could be any one of these things or all of them.  Let's start with the first one: drinking.

I am not a big drinker, but I did have fun.  So, even if this was the reason, I don't care.  Screw you.  I had a blast and I'd do it again!  Obviously, alcohol will have a detrimental affect on performance.  No news there.

The second reason: Honey.  She is always a good person to blame if something goes wrong.  She is my wife, after all.  We ventured outside our protected little gated community and took to the streets...or at least to the sidewalk near the streets.  The issue is that every couple hundred meters there was a break in the sidewalk for a street or driveway or an entrance into a fast food joint.  At each of these intersections, are these red plastic, matt-like things with circular bumps on them.  I have no idea what their use is.  Is it some sort of rumble strip to alert a blind person that they are approaching an intersection?  Are they there to look pretty, because they aren't.  Or are they there to torment rollerbladers?  I think it is the latter.

Honey needs to slow down when we approach these because when her wheels hit them, they kind of stop moving.  That can have a detrimental affect to someone wearing said wheels.  So, I slow down with her and help her across.  Then we pick up speed and stop again to go back up on the sidewalk and then we repeat this over and over again.  Perhaps if she were a more skilled rollerblader this wouldn't be an issue.  I don't know...in either case, it is probably a good idea to slow down rather than end up face first on the pavement.

So, all that stopping and starting over and over again slowed me down and tired me out.

Number three was certainly a factor.  I just don't know how much.  Once you approach 70% humidity, your performance starts to get worse.  I believe it averages 650% humidity on a normal day here in Florida, so as you can imagine, it was nasty.  The bonus to the high humidity is that I get to multi task when I run as I get a swim workout in at the same time.

Lastly, was I just lazy?  Probably a bit, but the fact that I ran for 62 minutes probably means I wasn't THAT lazy.

So, here are my numbers:

Time: 62:00

Distance: 6.68 miles

Pace: 9:17/m

Max Pace: 5:51/m

Calories: 849
Avg HR: 143

Max HR: 159

I ran 62 minutes because I went a little to far on the way out and I was at 60 minutes too far from home and I didn't want to walk.  The pace wasn't horrible, but I feel like I should have been under 9 and I wasn't.  Next week I should be back in the groove.  I have mapped out a slightly different route that will allow us to avoid many of the stops and starts and every week Honey gets better and stronger.  She often complains that her ass is on fire when she is rollerblading and I assume she means her butt muscles, not that she has diarrhea from eating too much spicy food.  At least I hope it isn' the latter because she is often in front of me when I am running and that could be rather unpleasant!!

Run for Life!!

Day 159, 206 To Go

June 8, 2013

Ugh, my head.  I'm hungover.  Not a recipe for a good run today or tomorrow.  Not a recipe for a good day, period.

I woke up at 4am with a pounding head and my contacts stuck to my eyes.  I guess I fell asleep without taking them out.  Only took me 10 hangover filled minutes of struggling with my eyeballs to get them out.  That has to be good for my eyes and my contacts.  I popped a couple of Advil (never take Tylenol when you are drunk) and drank some Gatorade and went back to bed.
\
Unfortunately, I had to get up again not too much later to deal with crying babies.  I fed them and changed them and didn't kill them, so I take that as a success story.  When they finally went back to bed, so did I.  When I woke up a few hours later (I slept longer than they did!) I felt much better, but still a bit slow.

I waited until much later in the day to do my run.  It was not only hot, but I was lazy and unmotivated.  Some days are meant for lounging on the couch with ice cream and chips and no exercise in site.  Those days are far and few between unfortunately (at least the no exercise part...ice cream is a staple in my diet!)

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.27 miles

Pace: 8:49/m

Max Pace: 7:14/m

Calories: 294
Avg HR: 132

Max HR: 144

Not too bad, considering.  I don't expect to have a great long run tomorrow, but I'll get out there and do my hour.  Until then, though, I am going to chill...and go back to bed.  No more wine for me, thank you...

Run for Life!

Day 158, 207 To Go

June 7, 2013

Happy Friday!  I am very glad this week is over.  I wasn't really busy this week, but sometimes, that can actually be worse.  Imagine you hate your job and you are busy and the week goes by in a flash, even if you are mentally wasted by the end of the week.  That is normal.  Now imagine you aren't too busy and the week drags on and on and you may not be mentally drained yet you still want to stab your eye out with a fork?  That was my week.

And now it is Friday and I get to enjoy the weekend!  Fun with friends, lots of babies and perhaps a little drinking tonight?  Yes, some drinking...something I do not do often and something that has the chance to make my Saturday miserable.  I get hangovers just looking at a beer so I will try to temper my enthusiasm tonight.

For now, it is time for my run.  Honey accompanied me and she had some problems today.  First, she had a migraine earlier in the day.  Second, it was HOT today and the sun was blazing at 5 when we went.  Honey wilted like a dying flower after about 8 minutes.  She stopped before we turned around and joined me again in a few minutes on my way back.  All in all, I'd say she ran about 16 minutes out of the 20, so it wasn't too bad. 

If you have never run in extreme heat, you are in for a surprise.  It can sap your energy and knock you on your ass faster than you can imagine.  The temperature isn't the worst part, it is the humidity.  If the humidity is hovering around 100%, you are unable to cool off.  The way sweat cools you off is by evaporating on your skin and this creates a cooling effect.  If the humidity is near 100%, it does not evaporate...and you do not cool off.

Honey doesn't sweat, as we have discussed previously (with hand over mouth coughing...bullshit).  So today, she was also unable to cool off and she withered and had to stop.  It takes some time to get acclimated to this weather and for the most part, we will probably run later most of the time to take advantage of the cooler evening weather.  Today that just wasn't possible.

Here are our numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 1.70 miles

Pace: 11:44/m

Max Pace: 8:22/m

Calories: 193
Avg HR: 107

Max HR: 130

I am unable to parse out Honey's time from mine because only I wear a GPS.  I'm sure she doesn't care, so I won't dwell on it.  The key thing she needs to get out of this run is the experience.  For all you runners out there, the more you run in different conditions, the better you will be able to prepare for future runs and races.

Ok, it is time to get my drink on.  Wish me luck.  Peace!

Run for Life!!

Day 157, 208 To Go

June 6, 2013

Time for a hard run today.  Actually, I normally do not plan the day I will run hard, I just go by feel.  Today, I felt good and I had Honey cruising on her Rollerblades to encourage me.  She took to the job with an annoying fervor.  I say annoying because when you are panting and sweating and close to vomiting, someone screaming at you to go faster is as desirable as herpes on a first date.  On the other hand, it really did help me push hard.

I started out running easy and Honey wanted to know if I was going to run fast.  I figured I felt ok and that I could pick up the pace.  My first mile was only an 8:11 pace.  I spent most of the mile looking at Honey's backside (not too shabby a way to spend an evening, if you ask me).  That would just not do.  So, I picked it up in my second mile.

Now, I had Honey falling behind more often than not.  It was like a race at this point!  I finished the 2nd mile with a 7:04 pace which was more than a minute per mile faster than my first mile.  Of course now, I was struggling a little.  Not too much that I couldn't keep on going and not too much that I couldn't pick it up a bit still.  Honey was harassing (aka, encouraging) me to go faster saying that she was right behind me and that she was catching up.

Luckily, I am competitive and I didn't decide to stick my leg out and send her flying through the air.  Seriously, I would never, ever do that.  Well, never say never I always say (except when I say never say never because you can't actually say that phrase if you never say never.  Got it?)  I'm sure Honey is more than capable of provoking me to try to kill her, so it is always possible, but at least today, I wouldn't do it, so she is safe.

As you can see from my numbers, I did 2.7 miles so I still have .7 miles to go and I wasn't done accelerating.  I pushed the last .7 miles at a 6:46 pace!  Now, I had Honey on the ropes.  She was getting tired (of rollerblading, not "encouraging" me...that she kept on doing).

I topped out at a 5:13 pace.  Now, I was struggling a lot at this point.  The thing that always gets me when I get to this pace is that professional marathoners will run the entire 26.2 miles at this pace.  What the fuck!  How is that even possible?  It must be magic.

Here are the numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.70 miles

Pace: 7:24/m

Max Pace: 5:13/m

Calories: 347
Avg HR: 144

Max HR: 176

This was not my fastest run yet...that was 7:19...but I am confident I can top that.  I think, if I prepare, I can top 7:00!  That is going to be my goal this month.  I'll have to be warmed up a bit to do that, but I can and will!  Are you with me!  Yeah!  And I'm sure Honey will be with me screaming at me the whole time if I want any chance at doing it.  I will even promise not to trip her if (when) she gets on my nerves.  Promise!

Run for Life!!

Day 156, 209 To Go

June 5, 2013

I am proud that I have been able to rack up 156 days of running in a row.  I know many have done longer, but I am not done yet and I am close to being halfway to my goal.  Then I read an article in Runner's World that just blew my mind.

Check it out here: Article

This dude has run every day for 45 years!!!  Holy crap.  He is voluntarily ending his streak due to un-fixable foot injuries and turning to biking instead to get his exercise.  His name is Mark Convert and he is now 62 years old.  He has run at least a mile every day since July 22, 1968.  I wasn't even born yet.

Running a mile seems to be the cut off for people who want to keep a streak alive.  I know my streak is based on time, but at the least, if I were injured, I would attempt to bang out at least a mile if I was unable to do any more.  In fact, after my year of running is up, I may continue running every day but I may just jog a mile on days that I want to "rest".

The world is full of impressive people who are able to do amazing things with their body.  I am finding it hard enough to find time to run every day and it has only be 156 days.  To be able to run every day for 45 years, or over 16,425 days in a row, is just incredible.  I mean, you get sick, have to travel, have special events like weddings, children being born, there are severe storms or you get injured.  All of these things can derail a streak like this, but somehow, he got past them all.

My hat is off to you, Mark Convert! 

Here are my numbers for today:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.24 miles

Pace: 8:57/m

Max Pace: 7:23/m

Calories: 287
Avg HR: 139

Max HR: 148

I think I was a bit sore from my faster run yesterday, or perhaps it is lingering soreness from Sunday, but in either case, I wasn't able to push too hard.  I did get faster at the end.  I think I just take longer to warm up on some days.  It might have something to do with how long I sit on my ass all day.  I don't know and I may never.  Anyway, all I have to say is...

Run for Life!!  (or at least for 45 years!!)

Day 155, 210 To Go

June 4, 2013

Ow!  I feel good...huh!

That's my James Brown impersonation.  It actually sounds better on paper than in person.  I can't do impressions.  My British accent is particularly pathetic.  I've always wanted to do an accent.  The best I can pull off is NY accent.  Granted, I was born in NYC, so that isn't all that impressive.

Anyway, the whole point is that I feel good today.  I actually feel better than I did on race day.  I have recovered nicely and my run today showed me that.  I was taking it fairly easy, at least perceived effort wise, in the beginning, and I picked it up towards the end.  There is this young girl, probably high school age, who runs on my street, and she was running ahead of me.  I got a little competitive and decided to push it a bit to pass her.

I was huffing and puffing as I went by her while she smiled and seemed like she was running effortlessly.

I hate young people.

I had Honey with me today rollerblading, and that just encourages me to run faster.  She is getting better so she is usually a bit ahead of me and that encourages me to run faster.  Again, the competitive side of me comes out.  I just hope she doesn't push it too hard, or I'll be running fast every day she rolls!

Here are my numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 2.54 miles

Pace: 7:52/m

Max Pace: 6:50/m

Calories: 329
Avg HR: 137

Max HR: 158

My next goal is to run at this pace on my normal days, kind of like I have been running at 8:30 on many normal days lately.  I'm getting there!  Until next time...

Run for Life!!

Day 154, 211 To Go

June 3, 2013

It is time for the monthly round up!  I have tabulated my numbers and come up with my summary for the month.  Some interesting things happened this month.  First, I had the highest mileage for any week so far this year with a distance of 21.36.  That was due to my great long run on that Sunday.

Other things of note was that although I only had one run where I ran below 8 min mile, but I had twice as many runs under 9 min mile.  As I said previously, it has to be the new shoes!!  Either that or I am getting faster.  I guess, whether it was the shoes or not, I am getting faster, and that is a good thing.

Honey did a little running with me this month as well as a bunch of rollerblading too.  It was an active month for both of us.  I probably rode my bike more often this month than previously too, although I won't detail that here.

So, here are my monthly numbers:
              Total Miles | Total Time
January          52.24    |    9:25:00
February         52.01    |    8:40:07
March            74.57    |   11:30:00
April            75.59    |   12:00:16 
May              79.51    |   12:31:00

Here is a week by week breakdown:

Steve's Total Miles Logged: 79.51
Partial Week 1: 14.00
Week 2: 18.36
Week 3: 21.36
Week 4: 17.18
Partial Week 5: 8.59

Total Running Time: 12:31:00

Honey's Total Miles Logged: 13.19
Partial Week 1: 3.26
Week 2: 3.27
Week 3: 0.00
Week 4: 4.84
Partial Week 5: 1.82

Total Running Time: 2:40:00

Now, on to my Monday run.  I ran with Honey today and we had a pretty good run.  Any time she gets below 12 min miles, it is a good run for her.  Since this was the day after my race, I needed the easy run, and that's what I got.  I had a hard race, so I need to make sure that I recover well.  We will see how my run goes tomorrow and that will let me know if I am recovering. 

Here are my Monday numbers:

Time: 20:00

Distance: 1.70 miles

Pace: 11:45/m

Max Pace: 9:40/m

Calories: 211
Avg HR: 101

Max HR: 114

Ok, I've had enough for today.  I'm signing off.  Have a nice day!

Run for Life!!

Day 153, 212 To Go

June 2, 2013

Its race day!  I am up nice and early...somewhere in the 4:00am area.  Today, Honey will be coming to the race along with Derek.  However, I told them last night that if they delay me in leaving, they are getting left behind!  Luckily, that was not the case and they were ready on time.

We drove over to the race and parked without much trouble. I left them to fend for themselves as I had to get body marked and my transition area all set up.  They soon arrived at transition and cheered me while I set up my stuff.  A bit over exuberant, Derek was.  Very cute though.

I'll say right up front here that I did not feel like I had a good race.  I don't know what it was, but every step of the way I felt like I could have done better.  Lots to improve on in this race next year.  Ok, let's get started.

The swim started in the water.  Well, obviously, but what I mean is it was a water start.  We did not start on the shore.  The water was fairly low.  The gun went off and I dove forward with zeal!  I made it to the first turn without much incident, but I was already struggling.  I was getting jostled quite a bit at this point, and I could not catch my breath.  Could have something to do with the fact that I swam like three times all year!

I finally got out of the water, and I thought I had swam well, but my numbers show I did not do as well as I usually do.  I got to transition and got on my bike and took off!!

At the first turn, before I had even put my feet in my bike shoes, I almost ran over a poor turtle crossing the road.

"Why did the turtle cross the road"

"Why"

"Because he wanted to get squished, that's why!"

I hope he was ok, but he was a turtle and moving turtlelike across the street.  It didn't look good.

I got out on the main road and there was a headwind.  It wasn't really bad, but I could just about keep a 19 - 20 mph pace going, if even.  I was hurting after a few miles.  I suck in a headwind.  It completely neutralizes me.  At least, I thought, I will have a wind at my back on the way in.  I did, but it did not help me as much as I would have liked.

I was able to get my average speed up above 20mph, but that is pathetic in a flat course like that.  I should have done better.

Once I was back in transition, it took me a while to get my shoes on.  They are not built for speed and since they are new, they do not slip on all that easily.  I got them on and off I went.

I kept a steady pace of 7:34 exactly for the first three miles.  Not sure how I did that, but ok.  Normally, I pick up speed by the third mile, but I was unable to do that today.  It was getting pretty hot.  The last .4 miles I ran at a 6:35 pace.  I passed a guy in my age group with less than a quarter mile to go and he started gaining on me as we approached the finish line, but I shut that down with a nice sprint of my own!  Yeah!

Of course, if I was able to go that fast at the end and pull off a 6:35 pace, that means that I should have been able to push the last mile too.  Just couldn't do it...

I will post my numbers, but they are not great.  There is much better competition in this race due to its location and longevity, so I never expected to win.  In fact, the top guy in my age group finished 12 minutes ahead of me!  Most of it was from the bike and a good portion from the run. 

Here are my bike numbers as far as my GPS told me:

Time: 44:12

Distance: 15.22 miles

Pace: 20.66mph

Max Pace: 34.24mph

Calories: 1,057

Avg HR: xxx

Max HR: xxx

No clue where that 34.24 mph came from.  Probably a fluke as I never really got that fast.

Here are my GPS numbers for the run:

Time: 25:19

Distance: 3.40 miles

Pace: 7:27/m

Max Pace: 4:47/m

Calories: 445
Avg HR: xxx

Max HR: xxx

Below are the numbers they provided as part of the race.  I have to say, I love what they gave us.  Most companies who do the timing just give you basic stuff and I end up doing a lot of manipulation myself.  They did it all for me!  You will see some discrepancies in my numbers and the official numbers.  That is to be expected as I may not have started and stopped my watch at the right place.

I have also posted the link for the full race numbers in case any of you want to try your hand at this race next year, you can see what the competition is up to!

 

Total Time: 01:22:39.44

Swim Time: 10:26

T1 Time: 0:50

Bike Time: 44:53

T2 Time: 1:11

Run Time: 25:19

Overall Place: 100 out of 595

Overall Percentile: 83

Gender Place: 86 out of 343

Gender Percentile: 75

Category Place: 17 out of 48

Category Percentile: 66

Series Points Earned: 0

Swim Details:

Time: 10:26

Pace: 30:41

Overall Place: 132

Percentile: 78

Gender Place: 98

Gender Percentile: 72

Category Place: 18

Category Percentile: 64

Transition 1 Details:

Time: 0:50

Overall Place: 99

Percentile: 84

Gender Place: 73

Gender Percentile: 79

Category Place: 13

Category Percentile: 74

Bike Details:

Time: 44:53

Speed: 20.58671

Overall Place: 186

Percentile: 69

Gender Place: 159

Gender Percentile: 54

Category Place: 27

Category Percentile: 45

Transition 2 Details:

Time: 1:11

Overall Place: 303

Percentile: 49

Gender Place: 191

Gender Percentile: 44

Category Place: 29

Category Percentile: 40

Run Details:

Time: 25:19

Pace: 7:26

Overall Place: 65

Percentile: 89

Gender Place: 56

Gender Percentile: 84

Category Place: 11

Category Percentile: 79

Full Race Results: http://www.multirace.com/

Run for Life!!