Day 358, 7 To Go

December 24, 2013

Its Christmas Eve!!!  Finally, after all the preparations, wrapping the presents, cooking the food, putting up the decorations, picking up the visiting family members, putting up with the Elf on the Shelf, threatening the children with no presents if they just don't start LISTENING, it is finally here.

Honey, as do most Brazilians, celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve.  Don't ask.  I have no idea why.  I think they are just less patient than other countries.  That's my reasoning, and I am sticking to it.  After dinner, which is at midnight, we open presents.  Except, apparently, when you have a lot of small children, then you eat earlier and open up presents earlier.  I think that is just an excuse so Honey can open up her presents earlier too.  I was tempted to make her wait until Midnight, but I didn't want to make Derek suffer.  Honey, I wanted to suffer, but not the kids!!

This is what Derek (and me and Honey, et al) had to look forward to...

But first, he had to wait until after dinner...

Vovo (grandma in Portuguese), me and Derek

I know, it isn't all that extravagant, but there were only 4 adults and 1 child (the babies don't eat much).  We also don't have a dining room table because our dining room is the playroom.  Also, dining room tables are expensive.  Sure, we could get a small, cheap one, but it wouldn't fit everyone.  So, we are waiting until the kids are a bit bigger and we can all sit at the big table.  Until then, we eat in the kitchen. 

I suppose we should take a look at the numbers:

Time: 30:00

Distance: 3.36 miles

Pace: 8:55/m

Max Pace: 6:46/m

Calories: 342

Avg HR: 130

Max HR: 150

I felt a little better today, but it was still a struggle to get out there.  I mean, it's Christmas Eve and I wanted to eat and open presents too!  I suppose I can highlight my gift haul...I got a new pair of Oakley Sunglasses (I lost my other ones) a bunch of new clothes, and my favorite gift, piano lessons!  Yeah! 

Honey was happy with her gifts too!  I got a gift for each of her 5 senses:

Smell: DKNY Golden Delicious perfume
Touch: Day at the Spa
Taste: Gift Certificate to Fogo de Chao restaurant
Sight: Gift Certificate to Ulta (makeup and beauty store)
Sound: Tickets to see the traveling Broadway Musical Once

I get to go to the last one and I probably will also benefit from the Taste gift too!  I'm looking forward to her gifts as much as mine!!

I hope you all had a great Christmas Eve.  Time to go to bed so we can wake up and see what Santa is bringing for the kids!  Good night to all, and to all a good night!!

Run for Life!!

Day 357, 8 To Go

December 23, 2013

I think it is safe to say that this is the worst Monday of the year.  First of all, so many people are out of the office today, so that causes me to have too much and too little work, all at the same time?  How is that possible, you ask?  Well, since most people are out of the office, I don't have anyone sending me normal day to day work or new work.  Yay!  On the other hand, when anything goes wrong, it gets sent to me because I am one of the only people left in the office!  Boooo!

You know what else makes this a horrible Monday?  Everyone is running around (in my house) happy and cheerful and signing Christmas songs and relaxing and getting excited, all while I sit, alone, in my office, working.  No one else works.  Just me.  Screw your holiday cheer!  DAMNNN YOUUUUUU!!!!

Ok, now that I got that out of my system, I can relax and count the seconds as they tick away until 5pm.  I have to work tomorrow too, and that might be worse, but one day at a time, right!

Here are my numbers:

Time: 30:00

Distance: 3.01 miles

Pace: 9:57/m

Max Pace: 7:18/m

Calories: 257

Avg HR: 123

Max HR: 161

I felt like crap today.  I think half of it is in my head.  The problem is that it is hard to separate what I am actually feeling from what I think I am feeling.  That's why the placebo effect works so well.  I have the opposite of that, whatever that is.  I think it is hypochondria.  That's probably it.

I am not only burnt out from running this year, I am burnt out from working and from writing this blog, so, I am going to cut things short today.  The excitement is palpable in my house, and I think I want to try to latch onto that a bit before the day is through.  Later!

Run for Life!!

Day 356, 9 To Go

December 22, 2013

Hello Sunday.  Did you miss me and my long runs?  I missed you.  I miss my long runs too.  After yesterday's revelation about my iron deficiency, I now know why you and I have drifted apart.  I pledge to get healthy so we can once again be joined in the holy tradition of the Sunday Long Run!  Are you with me!

Today, I ran a little longer, but just 10 minutes, so it is kind of a pathetic attempt at running long.  I actually felt ok and I ran nice and easy, so I didn't feel tired afterwards.  I supposed I could have run longer, but it was not necessary as I just want to ensure that I hit 1,000 miles for the year and I am pretty confident that I will now do that.  I probably don't even need to run long next Sunday.

Here are my numbers:

Time: 40:00

Distance: 4.17 miles

Pace: 9:35/m

Max Pace: 7:43/m

Calories: 389

Avg HR: 121

Max HR: 130

The long run is essential to running training.  You don't even have to do it every weekend, just every other weekend at least.  LSD (no, not the drug, although that would certainly perk up your run...I'm talking about long slow distance) runs build up various functions in your body like it increases mitochondria development and capillary growth, both of which will increase your endurance.  They help your body convert fuel to energy and energy is what allows you to run for a long time.  LSD will also strengthen your tendons and ligaments and your bones over time so you can handle more distance.  The human body is a highly adaptable machine!

So, not only is my endurance affected by the low iron, it is affected by the lack of the long run.  A doubly whammy!  I knew this experiment would be hard and possibly take a toll on my body, I just hope that toll doesn't linger too far into next year.  That would be unfortunate.  Good thing I plan on running for the rest of my life, so I have plenty of miles to go, whether it is next year or in 2015!

Enjoy your long run if you went today.  I'm all done and ready to lounge the rest of the day.  Peace!

Run for Life!!

Day 355, 10 To Go

December 21, 2013

Here we are, the 2nd to last weekend of the year.  Christmas is in a few days and the end of the year is just over a week away.  What does all this mean to me?  It means that my journey is almost at an end!  For all of you faithful readers (and I am averaging about 22 views per post, so not too shabby!) I want to let you know that I will continue to blog next year.  I just won't be doing it every day!  I'm thinking a weekly blog dedicated to running, exercising in general, family, and general life, will have to continue.  Of course if you write me and tell me to go to hell and to please stop bothering us with your daily Google+ and Facebook posts, I will most certainly tell you to go fuck yourself, so don 't bother.

I just recently went to a doctor for a checkup.  It wasn't because I was feeling ill, although I can't say I am feeling 100%, but just because preventative medicine is the best way to prevent any problems from growing.  Well, I did get my results from my blood work back and it was mostly good.  No issues for someone my age except I apparently have a Vitamin D deficiency (I think most people have this deficiency since we don't get enough sunlight and I don't drink milk) and I also have an iron deficiency!  What!  I'm a male and that is very rare.  I looked it up and only about 3% of men ever get this.  Then I looked up endurance athletes and that number jumps to 30%!  So, I think I know my problem.

I'm running too damn much! I remember about halfway through the year I had some blood work done and my CBC (complete blood count) was fine.  Then, as you may recall, I mentioned that I was feeling a bit weak and tired around the time I was in Brazil and when I returned.  It was about that time that I decided to stop running long because I didn't think I could keep running as much as I was and run long on Sundays.  I think part of the problem was that Honey had stopped running with me due to her knee injury and I was running more than I had all year, by quite a bit.  You add up travel, too much running, and an increase in running and you have all the necessary ingredients for Overtraining Syndrome, which I felt I was getting.  Iron Deficiency is a physical sing that I was right.

So now what?  Well, I will be taking an iron supplement and come January, I will be taking a break and running less.  I will not stop, but I will build up my mileage slowly.  As soon as I start to feel better, I can pick it up even more.  I do hope I don't need to be on these supplements for long because I don't like the way they make me feel!!

Here are today's numbers:

Time: 30:00

Distance: 3.25 miles

Pace: 9:14/m

Max Pace: 7:35/m

Calories: 327

Avg HR: 130

Max HR: 141

Another day in the books and only 10 to go!  The end of the year can't come soon enough!!

Run for Life!!

Day 354, 11 To Go

December 20, 2013

 Thank Santa, it is finally Friday!  I can't take another day of work this week, so its a good thing I don't have to work on Saturday.  I actually have enough work to do to take me deep into the weekend, but I'm fried, so I will stop thinking about work right....now!

I have a Christmas party to go to on Saturday, but that's it.  Honey and I spent all our money on Christmas gifts, so we won't be going out tonight.  I really want to go see American Hustle, but I will just have to wait until after Christmas!

Here are today's numbers:

Time: 30:00

Distance: 3.16 miles

Pace: 9:30/m

Max Pace: 8:21/m

Calories: 318

Avg HR: 123

Max HR: 135

11 days to go!  I hope I am able to get some good runs in, because I need a good one.  I feel like it has been a while.  Perhaps I can run in the Grand Canyon?  That would be nice.  Take a look at what that would look like...

Grand Canyon, Arizona

 I'm pretty sure this picture doesn't do the Grand Canyon justice.  I mean, it is a GRAND Canyon, for goodness sake!  It does sort of look like a desert, which I don't find aesthetically pleasing, but based on other pictures I have seen, I would surely love to visit and run/hike the whole damn thing!

Vancouver, B.C.

Here we are going outside the US once again.  This time we are going to Canada and a nice coastal town.  Ok, I'll bite.  Looks like an interesting place to run.

Baja California Sur, Mexico

Again we leave the country, but this time, we go South down to Mexico!  Farmland, Cati and whales are part of the scenery down here.  I'm ready to book my flight!!

Well, I am running out of cool places to show you, but that doesn't mean there aren't hundreds of other places for you to explore on your own.  I suggest you start with your own backyard and go for a short run!  Get started!!

Run for Life!!

Day 353, 12 To Go

December 19, 2013

The final countdown has begun.  Only 6 days until Christmas.  Really, it is 5 days because Honey has a tradition (as do most of Brazil) to celebrate on Christmas Eve and to open the presents at Midnight.  If you think about it, though, you can't really count Saturday and Sunday.  That's the weekend and since I am not working, I can relax and the days will just fly by.  That makes it only 3 days left.  If we take it a bit further, we can even discount Christmas Eve.  That's the day we will be opening the presents, so it doesn't really count.  We will probably open up a present or two early, so that completely invalidates that day.  Now we are down to just 2 days.  Christmas is in just 2 days!!

I have been thinking, when will I run on Christmas?  It's one of those days you really don't want to do anything but spend it with your family.  Going out for a run will be a bit of a chore.  I can always run really early before Derek wakes up, but I may be up late putting some toys together, so that might not work.  One way or another I'll get out there.

Here are today's numbers:

Time: 30:00

Distance: 3.26 miles

Pace: 9:12/m

Max Pace: 8:07/m

Calories: 348

Avg HR: 130

Max HR: 136

Blah, blah, blah, blahblahblah blah, blahblah blah.  Right!!

Onto another installment of some Rave runs to entice you to travel and see the world.  Get out there and run everywhere!!

Roseberry, Idaho

 Idaho?  Really?  I think I'll pass.  I'm not much of a small town guy.  I was born in NYC and I have always lived in urban or suburban locales.  This might be a nice place for a 5k, but that is about all I can imagine.

Gran Canaria Island, Spain

Look at that sunset!  This is an island in Spain!  Can't beat that.  I want to go!!  Honey, pack your bags!  Let's tie up the kids, lock them in a closet, throw some food in a bowl, and let's go!

Griswold, Connecticut

I lived in  CT for a few years, and I never heard of this place.  It is North of Mystic which was a good hour drive from where I was, so that is probably why.  It looks like a nice run through Sunflower fields.

That's all folks.  Talk to you tomorrow!

Run for Life!!

Day 352, 13 To Go

December 18, 2013

This week is flying by, and there is only one more week until Christmas.  Even more exciting is that I only have 13 more days and I can rest my aching body!  My biggest pain, now that I am almost done, is my left hip.  I think it is just tendon pain, but I supposed it could be some type of bursitis.  That worries me a bit since bursitis can become serious because the bursa, which gets inflamed, can actually get infected.  I don't think I have a serious case, even if it is that, so I'm not too worried.  I also think, based on where the pain is, that it is just tendon pain.  In either case, I'll have a couple of weeks off (or three) to recover.

For now I am just pushing through, just like I have all year.  I have battled all sorts of nagging injuries and I am still standing.  I actually think that running every day has strengthened me.  Many of these injuries would have sidelined me in the past, but this year, I just battled through them.  I don't know if this will serve me well in the future as I may be more inclined to push through any pain when I should, maybe, be stopping.  I do know it has made me more mentally strong, and that is one of the most important aspects of endurance training of any kind.  It is one of the most important aspects of any sport.

It has also made me a better writer, I think.  I am no Shakespeare or Mark Twain, and I probably never will be, but the fact that I have spent a year writing almost every day has helped me along in my development as a writer.  This is one of the unexpected benefits of my year of running.

Let's take a look at today's numbers:

Time: 30:00

Distance: 3.36 miles

Pace: 8:56/m

Max Pace: 7:55/m

Calories: 336

Avg HR: 127

Max HR: 134

Just another day out there.  Nothing more to report.  Let's take a look at a few more Rave runs that you can plan on doing at some point in your life.

Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah

 Yes, this is very pretty.  No, you will probably never see me running out here.  I might do it in warmer weather, but I have no desire to run in the snow.  I would cross country ski or snow shoe here, but not run.  If you are a winter person, then this is the place for you!

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

The mountains in the background are nice, but again, I'm not a fan of running in the desert either!  I would choose this over the winter wonderland above, but I think I would pass on this one too.  Let's take a look at the last one for the day.

Telluride, Colorado

We are back in Colorado for this run, and it looks a little more up my alley.  This run has a 2,600 foot descent which would be tough, but you can always walk down part of it.

That's it for today folks.  Talk to you tomorrow!

Run for Life!!