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.
1200 in 2011
Showing posts with label San Antonio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label San Antonio. Show all posts
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
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.
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.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Week 3 Thus Far
As for my 3rd week of running, like I said before, on Monday we were in Hong Kong, so I ran 5 miles along the waterfront that morning. We left Hong Kong LATE Monday night and didn't make it back to Guam until about 6am on Tuesday. Unfortunately, that put a slight damper on my running/workout plans. Still, I managed to run a little more than 2 miles Tuesday night. Wednesday I had another "great" 8 mile run. Thursday morning, anticipating very busy day at work, I actually managed to get out of bed at 5am, and ran 6+ miles. It was great running, despite a lot of rain, but work was very busy and I didn't get home until very late. Because I got home so late I opted to sleep in a bit on Friday before going to work. As such, I was not able to get a run in on Friday.
I would say that I missed not running, but truth be told I was REALLY tired. I can honestly justify my break by saying that I've ran or worked out every day for quite some time (Saturday in Hong Kong we did a LOT of walking). That being said, I still feel a little guilt about not working out. I'll probably more than make up for it this weekend (in SAN ANTONIO), and then I'll feel better. In all honesty, I know the break will probably be better for me in the long run (haha) too.
While the past 10 days or so have kept me very busy, hopefully I'll se a bit of reprieve over the next few weeks. this may allow me to not only keep up the running schedule, but also keep my blog updated. I've enjoyed writing thus far, and hopefully as I continue on my running journey, I'll get into a better groove with my writing. Hopefully, with more travels planned, multiple triathlons, and a general willingness to embrace new adventures I'll be able to keep the blog exciting. I suppose running and writing a blog are both similar in the fact that if you don't mix it up every once and a while, it can get boring pretty quick. I'm going to definitely try to keep that from happening. So I'll keep running, but keep it fun too.
I would say that I missed not running, but truth be told I was REALLY tired. I can honestly justify my break by saying that I've ran or worked out every day for quite some time (Saturday in Hong Kong we did a LOT of walking). That being said, I still feel a little guilt about not working out. I'll probably more than make up for it this weekend (in SAN ANTONIO), and then I'll feel better. In all honesty, I know the break will probably be better for me in the long run (haha) too.
While the past 10 days or so have kept me very busy, hopefully I'll se a bit of reprieve over the next few weeks. this may allow me to not only keep up the running schedule, but also keep my blog updated. I've enjoyed writing thus far, and hopefully as I continue on my running journey, I'll get into a better groove with my writing. Hopefully, with more travels planned, multiple triathlons, and a general willingness to embrace new adventures I'll be able to keep the blog exciting. I suppose running and writing a blog are both similar in the fact that if you don't mix it up every once and a while, it can get boring pretty quick. I'm going to definitely try to keep that from happening. So I'll keep running, but keep it fun too.
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