Week 17 (Four Months Down)

Let me try a little harder to update this blog with a little more frequency. I know I say that every couple of weeks, but this time I really mean it :) Like I said in my last post, coming into this week, I had just over 20 miles to run before I hit the big 500. With my goal of doing 100 miles a month, I was already way ahead, but my goal this week was to make sure I made that 500 mark before the week's end. It did not prove to be difficult, but I'm still glad the goal was there as it made me get up and run at least once during the week, when I really didn't feel like it. In the end I was glad I did it, and even happier that I broke the 500 mile point. Though far from a big mileage week, it was still a good week for running.

My Week 17 totals were:
Total Runs Logged: 7
Total Miles: 28.2
Total Time Spent Running: 3 hours, 37 minutes, 9 seconds
Average Pace: 7:42 (min/mile)

In addition, to breaking 500 miles, I was also able to get another "great run" in using the same Fartlek method that I had talked about in my last post. Once again, it was good to go out and run fast when I felt like it, and slow down when I felt like it. In addition the the 28 miles, I also squeezed in a "Man Hike" with the guys on Saturday. I'll blog about it later, but here's a picture to pique your interest, and show yet another reason why Guam is so awesome.



With April 2011 a part of history, my new "as of" totals are:
Total Runs Logged: 92
Total Miles:507.7
Total Time Spent Running: 65 hours, 45 minutes, 49 seconds
Average Pace: 7:46 (min/mile)

REFLECTION TIME: Given that I ran 500 miles in the first 4 months of 2011, I could say that my new goal should be to run 1500 miles, not 1200. Still, I'm not ready to make that big of a jump. I had a few REALLY great weeks of running, but I'm trying to do more than just run. I think I will have no trouble getting to 1200 (assuming I keep at it), and I can probably get 1300 to 1400 miles by the time the year is up. Still, for the time being, I'll keep the 1200 as the goal on my "ticker" (and in the blog address), but my "secret" goal will be to see how many miles over 1200 I can get before it's 2012. I'm looking forward to the next 8 months.

So Here's the "Plan"

As I said in my first blog, 100 miles a month or 25 miles a week doesn't seem like a lot, and really if I was able to break it up over 6 days (gotta have a break at least one day), it would only be about 4 miles a day. That being said, I know that I realistically won't be able to run 6 days a week. Also, while my goal is to run 1200 miles this year, that's not my only goal. Although it's months away, I will have a PT test that I hope to score a 100% on. That means I'll have to do at least 67 push-ups in a minute. I also hope to compete in the Guam's Sprint Triathlon Series, the Guam Extreme Adventure Race (GEAR), the Xterra Triathlon, and any other adventure I can find on Guam.
So you can see that doing nothing but running won't be ideal for me. Mondays are dedicated as my "strength training" day where I'll focus on push-ups and pull-ups. Tuesday, Thursdays, and Fridays are Squadron PT days. While I may run during some of the PT days, I can't count on being able to do it all the time. Luckily, I'm usually able to run to and from PT (1-mile each way), and a little extra beforehand (maybe an extra 2 miles). That totals 12 miles and leaves Wednesdays and the weekends for "maximum running opportunities." I figure if I can squeeze in 8 miles on Wednesday mornings, I will only need to run 5 miles on the weekend. Of course this is very subject to change depending on travel (Hong Kong in 2 weeks!), other Guam activities (see previous paragraph), and just how I feel. Still, the blog and my overall goal for the year will hopefully keep me motivated to keep running which will keep the daily/weekly mileage manageable.
6 more miles down today, and it was done in the early morning (started around 730) which made it way more bearable. Total pace was 7:35 min/mile. It wasn't overly exerting, but it felt good to get out and get the legs moving.
Up next...a catchy phrase to end each blog entry (maybe).