Okay, it's been nearly 3 weeks since my last post, and just when I thought the break in Texas would provide more blogging time. I possibly could have blogged more; however, for a running blog, it would have been slim reading. Instead let me recap week 5&6 now, and in my next post (later tonight, I promise), I'll give you week 7's recap and a BONUS!
31 January was the last day I ran in Texas. I did 6.1 miles in the afternoon, and the weather was a little warmer than usual, but very nice. I'll admit I was optimistic for a few more great runs before leaving San Antonio, but late Monday/early Tuesday the cold front hit, and the temps dropped below freezing. I was barely able to tolerate temperatures in the 40's, so when the thermostat says 20 degrees (note you'd have to multiply that by FOUR to get the average Guam temperature), I am not going outside. Perhaps, if I had running pants, multiple long sleeve shirts, gloves, and a running cap I could have managed, but all I had were shorts and t-shirts, so I stayed warm, and stayed inside. Now I know cold weather is an excuse lazy people make, and that I could have run on a treadmill in the gym across the street. True, there was a gym 200 yards from my room, but the one time I went over there and did some cross-training, the short sprint over there was so brutal, I lost all motivation to suffer through the cold.
As such my sad total for week 5 was:
Total Runs Logged: 1
Total Miles: 6.1
Total Time Spent Running: 40 minutes, 53 seconds
Average Pace: 6:42 min/mile
I'd love to say that after that dismal running week that I was reinvigorated and hit Week 6 in full stride, but that is not the case at all. Most of the week was spent at my parents' house in Belton, TX, and I opted to spend time with the family rather than go run. The weather was a little warmer, and I could have managed, but I knew my time was with them was limited, so I neglected my running. To add to that, on Wednesday I left TX to return to Guam. It was about 17 hours of total flying, and because of the time change, I landed in Guam on Thursday evening. Still, this week does have a happy ending.
Friday, my first full day back in Guam was a Wing Run day. Now the Wing Run is a 1.5 mile run that we do in formation. The pace is very slow, as it is more for the Esprit De Corps than the actual physical fitness, but I try to get the most out of the time. I made a point to run before and after the run, to get some extra miles. Saturday, I had my longest run to date, and my first night run. I left my house at 7:30 PM and ran for 12 miles. I kept the pace fairly moderate as I didn't have any water to hydrate along the way, but it felt really good, and the temperature at night in Guam is much more bearable than during the day. I remembered that the hard way when on Sunday I decided to do a 6 mile run in the middle of the afternoon. It was brutally hot, but it felt good to get the 25 miles in for that week, in 3 short days.
My week 6 totals were:
Total Runs Logged: 3
Total Miles: 25.3
Total Time Spent Running: 3 hours, 18 minutes, 11 seconds
Average Pace: 7:50 min/mile
That Brought my "as of" total after Week 6 to:
Total Runs Logged: 32
Total Miles: 200 (that's pretty cool)
Total Time Spent Running: 24 hours, 52 minutes, 24 seconds
Average Pace: 7:28 min/mile
So it wasn't a great two weeks of running, but that is to be expected from time to time. Distractions, like obstacles, are something everyone has to overcome. This time it was the weather and spending time with family, but next time I could be sick, injured, too busy at work, or looking to do something with friends. This reinforces my mentality of making sure to get as much running as possible when I DO have the time. It's also important to weigh the pros and cons of the "distraction" versus running. Distraction won this time, but I know that won't always be the case.
More to come including photos from TX and other "blog-worthy" events.
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