The Return of the Run Log!! (Week 46)

As I get closer and closer to the 1500 mile mark, part of me wants to push myself to run harder and longer. There is this desire in me to make it to 1500 miles in as little time as possible. At this point, I know I'll have no trouble reaching my goal; the question is when I will get there. By the looks of it, it will be much sooner than originally expected. This week marked the 4th time in 5 weeks that I surpassed 50 miles for the week (double my original weekly goal). For Week 46 (14-20 November) my totals are:

Total Runs Logged: 7

Total Miles: 56.9

Total Time Spent Running: 7 hours, 00 minutes, 41 seconds

Average Pace: 7:23 (min/mile)

As the title suggests, this week was the return of the run log. In early July my home computer stopped working the same time that my GPS watch stopped working. Of course my running log for the year was saved on that computer, and I hadn't made a backup copy. I knew the mileage I had run thus far (actually I was off by 2 miles), but everything else was a mystery. So I started fresh at Week 26 with new spreadsheet which I have used for the past 20 weeks. Well, thanks to my very computer savvy father-in-law, my computer is working again, and Stephanie was able to pull my first running log off it, and I combined the two. It's really cool to see the new total now after nearly 11 months of running.

My new "as of" totals are:

Total Runs Logged: 242

Total Miles: 1423.4

Total Time Spent Running: 181 hours, 40 minutes, 55 seconds

Average Pace: 7:39 (min/mile)

REFLECTION TIME: 76.6 miles remain until it's officially "mission accomplished". At my current rate, I'll reach that by the 1st or 2nd of December, a full month ahead of schedule. As for what I'll do for December, I don't have a specific goal in mind; I guess I'll keep running and see just how far I can go. Again, there is something inside me that wants to get to 1500 as fast as possible, but I also know the harder I push myself, the greater my chance of injury. I would say I've been lucky, but really I think that it's smart running that has kept me injury free this year. Now, I need to keep running smart so that I'm not doing my last miles on crutches. (Seriously, if I broke my leg tomorrow, I would crutch my way to 1500, but let's hope that doesn't happen.)

1300 Miles and Beyond (Week 44)

9 straight days of 8-mile runs. Part of me knows I can't keep up this pace. Prior to this week I never had more than a few consecutive days with 8-mile runs. To have logged more than 50 miles 2 weeks in a row, entering this week, I'm not sure what I was thinking to try to keep the 8-mile runs going, especially as I continue with my two-a-day workouts. Still, every day I stepped onto the treadmill to run, I was determined to go as far as I could comfortably go. Often when I first started I would think to myself that I wouldn't do 8 today, but I never let myself quit early; worried that if I let myself "slack" one day, I would be more likely to do it the next. Again, I know I can't keep it up, but I want to keep going for as long as I can. Keeping with that attitude, I had an overall outstanding week of running in regards to both miles (most to date) and pace.

My totals for Week 44 (31 October - 6 November):

Total Runs Logged: 7

Total Miles: 58.8

Total Time Spent Running: 7 hours, 18 minutes, 7 seconds

Average Pace: 7:27 (min/mile)

My "as of" totals from 4 July through 6 November are:

Total Runs Logged: 95

Total Miles: 576.6

Total Time Spent Running: 72 hours, 53 minutes, 23 seconds

Average Pace: 7:35 (min/mile)

With 3 consecutive 50+ mile weeks my total mileage for 2011 is now: 1324.9

REFLECTION TIME: Running at night has definitely helped boost my weekly mileage because I have more time to run. I can usually dedicate an hour to running each night versus in the morning when I only had about 45 minutes before I needed to get ready for work. In that extra 15 minutes, I can usually add an 2 more miles which over the course of the week is pretty substantial. Of course, I don't plan to run for an hour every night, though as I mentioned above, I'm worried now if I do less one day, I won't want to run a long distance the following day. More than 1300 miles into the 1500 mile "journey" it's about digging deep and finding the motivation to keep going. I'm so close, and part of me wants to get there as fast as possible which is why I keep pushing myself. We'll see what happens next week. With some travel planned there will be at least a couple of days I won't be able to run. Still hoping for some good mileage though.

9 Months and 1100 Miles (Week 39)

I think it's safe to say that barring any freak accident, I'm going to make my 1200 mile running goal this year. With 91 days left in the year, my new "goal" is to make it all the way to 1500. That means for the remainder of the year I'll have to run just over 4 miles a day; a very realistic goal for me to attain. This week I really pushed myself to get a lot of runs in the day; possibly more than I should have. In addition to running every day morning before work there were a couple of evenings were I ran as a warm up to my second workout of the day. After Sunday's run, I was completely wiped out, so for the remaining 13 weeks in the year, i should incorporate a few breaks, and keep the running to once a day. Still, it was one of my best weeks of running for the year both in average pace and total distance. It took its toll on me, but I think it was worth it.

My Week 39 (26 Sep - 2 Oct) Totals are as follows:

Total Runs Logged: 9

Total Miles: 48.2

Total Time Spent Running: 5 hours 59 minutes, 16 seconds

Average Pace: 7:27 (min/mile)

With a great week of running to cap off the month of September and looking back at the past three months; I'd say it has been pretty good for running. My totals from July 4th through October 2nd are:

Total Runs Logged: 68

Total Miles: 373.5

Total Time Spent Running: 47 hours, 19 minutes, 23 seconds

Average Pace: 7:36 (min/mile)

This brings my total miles in 2011 to: 1121.8

REFLECTION TIME: Well to make my goal of 1500 miles in 2011, I essentially need to duplicate what I did the past three months. It is doable, but hopefully, I can plan to be more consistent in my runs so that I'm not killing myself in the weekly mileage to hit 1500 as 2012 nears. In the past three months, there were 5 weeks where I didn't hit 25 miles. To get to 1500, I'll need to average about 28 miles per week. With easy access to a treadmill and the time to do it, I shouldn't have too hard a time doing it.

Week 16 Recap (a change of pace)

Fresh off my first duathlon, and looking to "pick up the pace", Week 16 provided for me my first "great run" in nearly two months. For the first time, I decided to try a new running style called "Fartlek". I know the name sounds absolutely disgusting, but it's actually Swedish for "speed play". When someone is running a Fartlek, they vary their pace and intensity over the course of the workout. What's great about Fartlek running is that it's fairly unrestrictive, that is, you run how you feel. You can speed up and slow down as you wish. When looking at my pace over my entire run, you see several peaks and valleys.

The valleys on the graph are when I sped up, the peaks, are my slower pace. As you can see, over the course of the 8.5 mile run, the distance I ran at a fast pace varied from nearly 1/2 mile to just a few hundred yards. Like wise my slower pace varied not only in "how slow" but also in distance. Here's a close-up shot of part of the run.

This running method proved perfect for me, as I typically don't like a lot structure with my run, but would prefer to run as I feel, but it also provided me with the results I had hoped. Over the 8.5 mile run, my average pace was 7:21 minutes/mile. Like I said, it was a great run, and made for an overall great week of running.

My Week 16 totals were:

Total Runs logged: 6

Total Miles: 26.93

Total Time Spent Running: 3 hours, 19 minutes, 38 seconds
Average Pace: 7:25 (min/mile)

With Week 16 down, my new "as of" Totals are:
Total Runs logged: 85

Total Miles: 479.5

Total Time Spent Running: 62 hours, 8 minutes, 40 seconds

Average Pace: 7:47 (min/mile)

REFLECTION TIME: It's great to have a new tool in my running tool belt to help me keep my workouts interesting. Realistically, I am somewhat limited on my routes and the times I can run (it's just too hot during the day), so a little speed play is a good way to avoid getting into a running rut. With there being no requirement on how fast or far you have to run, I'm free to run as fast or as slow as I want for as far as I want. That type of freedom keeps running fun, and as an added bonus, the benefits of Fartlek running is hopefully, faster runnning time. It is definitely something I'll be using again.

Now with 1 week left in April, and so close to the 500 mile mark, I new it wouldn't be too difficult to make it, but would still take a little discipline (spoiler alert, I made it). The details of Week 17 are coming up...NEXT.

Week 4/January Re-Cap

Okay, so I technically have one more day left in the month, but I thought now would be a good time to review the past week as well as reflect on my first month of running. This week I've been in San Antonio, and as far as running goes, it has been nothing short of fantastic. I didn't do any any weight lifting or calisthenics this week, but that was mainly because I didn't want bring my computer (which has my workouts) into the gym. Still, I made it a point to do a lot of running which will hopefully counter act the increased calorie consumption caused by eating out twice a day. Now I know I could eat "healthy" while still eating out, but c'mon! I'm in San Antonio, Texas. There are too many BBQ, Mexican, and other great restaurants I can only get here, though not necessarily specific to San Antonio (i.e. Texas Land and Cattle, Freebird's, Taco Cabana, Chris Madrid's, The Smokehouse, B&B Smokehouse, Mi Tierra, and the Menger Hotel's Sunday Brunch). In other words, even though I'm running a lot, I don't anticipate of losing weight while I'm here.

Like I said, it was a fantastic week for running. Here are the stats:
Total Runs Logged: 6
Total Miles: 47.3
Total Time Spent Running: 5 hours, 33 minutes, 38 seconds
Average Pace: 7:05 min/mile

Yeah, it was a good week, and with the month all but done, and 4 full weeks into my running program, my "as of" totals are:
Total Runs Logged: 28
Total Miles: 168.6
Total Time Spent Running: 20 hours, 53 minutes, 16 seconds
Average Pace: 7:26 min/mile

From Monday through Saturday, I had 3 runs that were greater than 8 miles, and every one of them was "Great" (actually, I'd say darn near incredible). On Wednesday I ran 10.2 miles at a 6:55 pace!! If I've ever run that distance at that pace, I don't remember. I know that part of the speed is a result of increased running, but I know a good deal of it is also due to the colder weather. Although it has chapped my lips and hands and the cold air "burns" the lungs, it has certainly helped me run faster. When I return to Guam, it will be interesting to see what my pace is for longer runs. I would expect to slow down a little, but hopefully not too much.

REFLECTION TIME!
30 days into the year, and I'm well ahead of schedule. If I was to keep this rate up I'd hit 2000 miles before the end of year. Still, I'm hesitant to adjust my running goal just yet. Although, I've had lots of running success so far, it's hard to judge just how much running time I'll have for the rest of the year. Perhaps in a couple of months, I can reassess my progress and determine if 1500 or 1800 is possible for the year (though I'm not changing the website's name). Although I've had some soreness in my legs, and I'm currently sporting a small blister on my big toe, I've really not had any problems. There is also occasionally minor chaffing, but nothing I can't overcome. Although, I'm running with 3 different pairs of shoes, none of them are new so it won't be long before I need to buy new ones. I'll get into the "gear" later on, but for now my runs are going well, and I'm looking forward to running and other athletic "events" quickly approaching. Hopefully I'll see success in these events as a result of my running. If nothing else, it will certainly be something worth blogging about.

Week 3 Re-Cap

Hooray, another week down, and so much closer to my goal. Before I recap the last two days of the week (Saturday and Sunday), here are the new numbers.

My Week 3 Totals are:
Total Number of Runs Logged: 6
Total Miles Logged: 37.4
Total Time Spent Running: 4 Hours, 35 minutes, and 2 seconds
Average Pace: 7:21 min/mile

That brings my new "as of" total to:
Total Number of Runs Logged: 22
Total Miles Logged: 121.3
Total Time Spent Running: 15 hours, 19 minutes, and 38 seconds
Average Pace: 7:35 min/mile

As you can tell, 23 days into my first month, and I've already surpassed my monthly goal of 100 miles. I'll keep my goal "as is" for now, because I know as the year progresses, I'll dedicate more time to the Triathlons on Guam, as well as other activities. Until then, I'll continue to reap the benefits of running.

Alright, so Saturday morning, I left Guam early in the AM, and after about 18 hours of flying, layovers, and more flying, I arrived in San Antonio, TX mid-morning on Saturday (got to love the time change). For the next two weeks I'll be at Lackland studying AF Logistics. Not long after arriving in SA (but after I had eaten a feast of a Mexican Meal) I decided it would probably be a good idea to get a run in. This was not only to combat the food I had just eaten, but also to get my legs loosened up after sitting for so long (plus remember I was still feeling guilty about not running on Friday). While not as cold as other areas of the country, SA is a good 20-30 degrees colder in Guam. Similar to my Hong Kong experience, I noticed an increased effort in my breathing as I was sucking in the cold air. It wasn't overly difficult, but it was very different than what I was used too. Still after my Saturday PM run of 6+ miles, I noticed that I had managed to keep a good pace throughout the run (about 7:23 min/mile). Perhaps, while there was perceived increase in effort, there was no really increased exertion of energy.

On Sunday morning I went for run around 9:30, during which time I completely smashed my perception of cold weather running. Given that I had flown for most of the day yesterday, was still operating (mentally) in a different time zone, and was facing a different climate, I was expecting to struggle. When I looked at my GPS watch around the 5 mile point I noticed that less than 35 minutes had elapsed. 3.5 miles later (bringing my total run to 8.5 miles), my clock said 58:41, a 6:54 min/mile pace. Now, I've run faster before, but for that distance, I cannot recall the last time I maintained a pace below 7 minutes. To go from a 7:14 pace on an 8-mile run earlier in the week, to a sub-7 min pace is pretty darn remarkable. I would expect improvement, but not on that scale, so I have to attribute my speed to the cold weather. We'll see over the next couple of weeks if I can repeat that pace.

REFLECTION TIME!!
3 Weeks Down and 49 more to go, but I say that without any since of eagnerness or anticipation to see this year end. As I've said before, the past two weeks were hectic with travel, work, and preparing for my travel. It makes it hard to find time to not only run, but also write about it. That being said, I need the blog because it keeps me motivated. I know that if it weren't for me advertising my running to the world wide web, that I normally wouldn't make time to run on Vacation. The same goes for working long days. I'd make an excuse on why I couldn't run before or why I could skip the next day. 1 or 2 days is okay, but how many missed opportunities would that up to over the course of a year? The blog keeps me focused on my goal, and although there are days that it may be much easier to slack off, I'll feel like a slacker if I do. So even though it may be hard, I'll suck it up and keep running.

Mid Week Check-Up (my first Great Run)

Week 2 is halfway over, and I'm still going strong. While it would certainly be more than troubling if just 12 days into the New Year I was already sick of running, it does provide comfort to know I don't dread waking up and going for a long run, like I do on Wednesdays. To be honest, I'd say I rather enjoy it. It gives me the opportunity to put every thought, worry, or trouble to the side and just think about running. The duration of the run leaves me tired and sweaty which is feels good because I've burned a lot of calories and done something that benefits my overall health. In addition, because it's early in the morning the weather is nice, not too hot and on days like today there's no rain or no wind, it makes for a great run.

So how do you define a "great run." I suppose that depends on the person running. For some, a run that's over before it even starts is a "great run" (of note, this probably doesn't help America's obesity problem). Other might consider a great run, a run in which they feel so good that they seem to forget they are running, or find themselves not checking their watch or GPS every few seconds to see how far or how long they've gone. Still others I'm sure consider any run with their friends or dog a great run. While I can see the value in all of the other "great runs" (with the exception of the first one), my definition is a little different. At least for now, for me a "great run" is quite simple; it's based on the pace I'm able to maintain.

Like I said, that defines a great to me for now, and as I progress on my running journey that is sure to change, if not in how I define, surely in the pace I determine to be "great." On typical "long run" days like Wednesday where I am running more than 8 miles, my goal is to run 8 miles in under 1 hour. That equates to less than a 7:30 minute/mile pace. Today was the first time I was able to do that in a while. I completed 8.1 miles in 59 minutes and 18 seconds which is a 7:19 pace. It certainly helps that the weather conditions were close to ideal: not too hot, very little wind, no rain, but I also think it shows that I'm getting faster, and that's a good feeling.

While a 7:19 pace is respectable, it is not my ultimate goal. To qualify for the Boston Marathon, someone my age needs to run a marathon in 3 hours and 10 minutes which is about a 7:10 pace. Now there are a lot of other contributing factors in marathons like aid stations to keep you hydrated, support from fans and fellow runners, and most importantly an extra boost of adrenaline, but there is definitely some training required to get yourself ready for that duration of a run (3 times longer than my current "long runs") and I do need to get faster. For at least the next couple of weeks my goal will be to continue to run 8 miles in less than 1 hour. Perhaps in February I can start looking at shaving time off that goal until MAYBE by the end of the year I'm able to do 8 miles in 56 minutes or less (7 minute/mile pace). It's a bit of a lofty goal, but one that is possible. Still that's not what I'm really looking for at this time. All I'm focused on is logging more miles, hopefully while completing a few more great runs. So for now, I'll just keep running.