My first 60 mile week (Week 47)

I'll admit, it seems kind of silly to write this blog entry now. Really, I should probably go downstairs and finish my 1500 miles, but I figured before I do that, I should at least talk briefly about last week, as it was my biggest week of the year. It wasn't intentional; a planned trip to Subic on Thursday (Thanksgiving, coincidentally) made me want to run in the morning before my travel in case I didn't run when I got to Subic. As it turns out, I managed to run every day that I was there. It was great! Although it was hot, it was bearable, the air was fresh (at least compared to my normal running environment), and running on the road is always nicer than a treadmill (though it did slow me down a bit). By the time Sunday rolled around, it was a monstrous week of running, and despite all the running, I still felt really good!

My totals for Week 47 (21-27 November) are:

Total Runs Logged: 8 (2 runs on Thursday)

Total Miles: 63.7 (that's 9.1 miles/day on average, though my longest run was 8.7 miles)

Total Time Spent Running: 8 hours, 6 minutes, 12 seconds

Average Pace: 7:36 (min/mile)

Not counting Monday's run, my "as of" totals are:

Total Runs Logged: 250

Total Miles: 1487.1

Total Time Spent Running: 189 hours, 47 minutes, 07 seconds

Average Pace: 7:39 (min/mile)

REFLECTION TIME: With my 7.8 mile run yesterday, I am now a mere 5.1 miles from my 1500 mile mark. It's safe to say that by the end of the night, I will have surpassed my goal (for the second time this year). What will I do with the remaining 32 days of the year? I'll imagine I'll keep on running. It seems kind of silly to say that my NEW NEW goal will be 1600 or 1650 miles. Realistically, 1500 miles was more than I thought I would do at the start of the year. Now, I see just how far I can go. My legs feel great: no foot or knee pain, and my shoes have held up (though I ordered two new pairs yesterday). Like with most runs, the remaining in the year will be without much fanfare or celebration. I'm not doing it for the attention; rather, I'm doing it because it's good for me, and I enjoy doing it. Now if you would excuse me; I've got some running to do...

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.

Week 43 (24-30 Oct)

As far as running weeks go, this was certainly one of the least exciting weeks since the year started. Aside from the music I was listening to, and the treadmill I was using, not much changed from day to day this week when it came to my nightly runs. That being said, this week was also, the best running week I've had with regards to total miles, and so even though it wasn't exciting, it was definitely a good week for running

My Totals for the Week Are:

Total Runs Logged: 7

Total Miles: 53.7

Total Time Spent Running: 6 hours, 49 minutes, 52 seconds

Average Pace: 7:37 (min/mile)

While I intentionally kept the pace a little slower than normal, it didn't have too much of an effect on my overall total. In the long run (ha!) it probably helped me this week because I was never too tired or sore to actually run. My new totals for 4 July to 30 October are:

Total Runs Logged:81

Total Miles: 517.8

Total Time Spent Running: 65 hours, 35 minutes, 16 seconds

Average Pace: 7:35 (min/mile)

My total miles run thus far is: 1266.1

REFLECTION TIME! Not an exciting week for running, but with the 1200 mile mark far behind me, and the end of my running in 2011 so close (just 2 months left), even during weeks where the running isn't very fun, the excitement of actually hitting 1500 miles is enough motivation to get me on the treadmill. For two weeks now I've been running at night which I'll probably continue to do, though as long as I'm in Zamboanga I cannot run outside at night. There are too many potholes and not enough light to do it safely. Perhaps, I will try a day time run in Zam at some point just so I can use my GPS here, and upload my map to the blog. For now, I'll keep using the treadmill.

Okay, I know that if running on a treadmill isn't very exciting, then reading about running on a treadmill has to be even less entertaining. For those who stuck with it to the end, though, here is something that will hopefully "lift" your spirits. I saw this while driving the other day, and had to take a picture (I wasn't actually driving, just along for the ride).

Lots of Running (Lots of Catching Up...Weeks 20-23)

Quite a bit has happened since my last blog entry. For starters, I added 19 runs and 106 miles to my log. In addition to that I went on another crazy MAN HIKE, took a 4-day trip to Palau, and competed in my second Olympic Triathlon (which I won first place in). I have a blog entry coming for the Man Hike and the Olympic Tri. As for Palau, I don't know if a blog entry can do that trip justice. In the mean time, though, let me recap my running adventures.

Week 20 (16-22 May) included a Wing Run Day. I've mentioned the Wing Runs previously, but I'll say again, that I typically enjoy Wing Runs. It's only a 1.5 mile run, and the pace is REALLY slow, but for me it's less about the exercise and more about the camaraderie. Additionally, it gives me an excuse to show up to work late, and I get to add a few extra miles to my weekly totals. I make it a point, to run as much the day of the Wing Run before the run actually starts. As such, I always arrive to the formation dripping with sweat. Without fail I always hear comments from people asking if I got caught in a rain storm or if I jumped in a pool. My usual response is "This is what 'Excellence' looks like." Really, I figure if I'm in PT gear and running shoes I might as well get a workout. Aside from the Wing Run, I had an amazing MAN HIKE on Saturday, but that is for another blog entry.

So for Week 20, my totals were:
Total Runs Logged: 6
Total Miles: 27.2
Total Time Spent Running: 3 hours, 27 minutes, 33 seconds
Average Pace: 7:38 (min/mile)

Week 21 (23-29 May) was short not just in miles, but also in days. This was due to the fact that it was Memorial Day Weekend, and Stephanie and I took the opportunity to Scuba Dive in Palau. As far as diving goes, they say it's the best in the world; "they" being anyone and everyone that has ever dived and made it to Palau. I had hoped to do a run while I was there, but we spent all of our time on the water, so it just didn't happen. Even though my trip cut into my running plans, it was TOTALLY worth it. If you Scuba Dive, Palau is a must-take trip.

Week 21's totals were:
Total Runs Logged: 4
Total Miles:19.5
Total Time Spent Running: 2 hours, 28 minutes, 54 seconds
Average Pace: 7:38 (min/mile)

With regards to my weekend travelling and my running plans, the disadvantage of travelling is that it typically not only messes with my running on the week I take the trip, but also the following week as well. With Palau, we got back around 5:30AM on Tuesday, so I was really not in the mood to run that day. Still, during Week 22 (31 May-5 June) I was determined to get my 25 miles. With less days available in the week that meant I needed some longer runs to meet my goal. Mainly it involved one 11.6 mile run on Sunday. Of course I chose to do it during the late morning when the sun was up and it was HOT. It was not a fun run, but I made it, and met my goal.

Back on track with my running, my Week 22 totals were:
Total Runs Logged: 3
Total Miles: 25
Total Time Spent Running: 3 hours, 15 minutes, 18 seconds
Average Pace: 7:49 (min/mile)

There was excitement on several days of Week 23 (6-12 June). Wednesday morning the Drongo birds were so unbearable I ran 8.4 miles on one street to avoid them. Wednesday night my car wouldn't start which screwed up my Thursday morning running plans (but I still managed to do some running). Turns out I needed a new battery, and not a new Starter so I was happy about that. Friday we had a Wing Run which helped me get my mileage up. We also ran it more than 2.5 minutes faster than normal, which I enjoyed (though a lot of people couldn't handle it). Sunday was my 2nd Olympic Triathlon. I will blog all about it later, but I will say I had a great time, FINISHED, and added 6.2 miles to my weekly total.

Week 23's Totals were:
Total Runs Logged: 6
Total Miles: 34.3
Total Time Spent Running: 4 hours, 20 minutes, 37 seconds
Average Pace: 7:35 (min/mile)

PHEW!! That was quite a busy 4 weeks for me. Looking at previous 4-week spans the total mileage wasn't that great, but it still puts me ahead of my goal.

My new "as of" totals:
Total Runs Logged: 120
Total Miles: 659.8
Total Time Spent Running: 85 hours, 7 minutes, 3 seconds
Average Pace: 7:44 (min/mile)

REFLECTION TIME: I need to blog more often, write less, and put more pictures up. I got it! Man Hike and Olympic Triathlon entries are coming quickly. Additionally, with 3 weeks left before I hit the halfway point, I have a short term goal. I am a mere 90.2 miles away from hitting 750 miles by the 6 month mark. That means I need to hit 30 miles a week for the next three weeks. It's very doable, and should give me the motivation to get up and run! I'll keep you updated; I promise.

Week 18 & 19 (2-15 May)

As far as running goes, the past two weeks have been fairly uneventful. The one exciting running event of Week 18 was Cinco De Mayo 5K that I ran in on base. It was free, and worked well with my PT schedule so I figured I would go ahead and do it. I decided that I should probably do more than just a 5K for PT though, so I ran about 3.5 miles before the race. My intention was not to win, I just figured it would be a good opportunity for PT. I also joked with the people setting up the race that because it is a Cinco De Mayo race, there should be Margaritas instead of Gatorade at the finish line, or maybe chips and salsa. In addition to there not being any of that, there also weren't a lot of people who showed up. As such my 20:41 time (far from a personal best) was good enough for first place and a little trophy. It's kind of silly, but kind of fun, and so I added it to my growing shelf of running metals and trophies.

My totals for Week 18 were:
Total Runs Logged: 5
Total Miles: 25
Total Time Spent Running: 3 hours, 8 minutes, 9 seconds
Average Pace: 7:32 (min/mile)

As for Week 19 it was not a great week for running, and it very well could have been. By Thursday, I had already passed 21 miles for the week, and just needed an easy 4 to make 25. It never happened, though. I had every intention of running on Friday, but that was before this little guy decided to make his home in my bedroom:This vermin kept me up most of Thursday night/Friday morning with both his elusiveness and incessant scratching at the door/chewing on the carpet. It took me about two hours Friday morning (after I gave up trying to sleep) to catch him, and "dispose" of him (relax, I released him outside, far from our house). For most of the story (my wife's version of it anyway) you can check out here. That being said, after that adventure, I was not in the running mood. As for the weekend, I managed to stay busy, and find things to do that didn't involve running.

My totals for Week 19 were:
Total Runs Logged: 4
Total Miles: 21.1
Total Time Spent Running: 2 hours, 40 minutes, 43 seconds
Average Pace: 7:37 (min/mile)

Despite the less than stellar week of running, I'm still doing good overall.
My new "as of" totals are:
Total Runs Logged: 101
Total Miles: 553.8
Total Time Spent Running: 71 hours, 34 minutes, 41 seconds
Average Pace: 7:45 (min/mile)

REFLECTION TIME: Two weeks of okay running, and very little excitement, makes it hard to stay motivated. What does motivate me is that I'm nearing my half way point, and it's still May. Also, I know that in running towards a distant goal, most weeks won't be that exciting. It comes down to putting your head down, focusing, and above all else, keep running. When the opportunities come to "spice things up", you take them, but on weeks when not much is happening, you just run. This Saturday my second MAN HIKE is planned. It should be a lot of fun, and I hopefully will have some great pictures to add to the blog. Get excited, I sure am!

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.

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 15 Re-Cap

Alright, the real "excitement" of Week 15 was me completing my first Duathlon (Run, Bike, Run) which I will blog about in my next entry (great pics included). Before I get to the race itself, I thought I would talk about the week in general. I met my weekly mileage goal, and did so without any really long runs. The longest was actually just over 7 miles. I did manage a little over 8 on Thursday, but that was broken up over 3 runs. Aside from the Duathlon which was a new event for me, I also ran for a short distance (3.7 miles) on a treadmill. It's been a long time since I've done that, and my primary reason for doing it was to get my speed up. As I had noticed the day before, and mentioned in my last post, I've been struggling with trying to get my speed up since I came back from Texas. I figured the best way to do that was to force myself to run faster on a treadmill. It definitely does the job, but I was definitely feeling it too, and it's clear I need to work on getting faster. It is a strong possibility I'll be using a treadmill in more of my workouts. That being said, still a good week for running.

My Totals for Week 15 were:
Total Runs Logged: 7
Total Miles: 26.07 (the 5Ks in the Duathlon weren't exactly 3.1 miles)
Total Time Spent Running: 3 hours, 14 minutes, 08 seconds
Average Pace: 7:27 (min/mile) (the race definitely helped improve my overall pace)

My new "as of" totals are:
Total Runs Logged: 79
Total Miles: 452.57
Total Time Spent Running: 58 hours, 49 minutes, 02 seconds
Average Pace: 7:48 (min/mile)

REFLECTION TIME: It's clear that for most people there will be some sacrifice in speed as you increase your distance. What I want to avoid is sacrificing too much speed. While I can run 1 mile in under 6 minutes, my real goal is to run 10+ miles in under a 7 min/mile pace. The Boston Marathon was held this past Monday, and when looking at the qualifying times for 2013 I noticed they had made them harder. For my age group, in order to qualify for the Boston Marathon I have to run another marathon in 3 hours, 5 minutes. That is just over a 7:03 min/mile pace. Interesting enough, the winner of this year's Boston Marathon completed the race in 2 hours, 3 minutes, 2 seconds. That equates to an average pace of 4:41 min/mile. It's insane, and I can't fathom running one mile at that speed let alone 26 of them. Interestingly enough, there is quite a bit of controversy right now regarding his finishing time. It's the fastest time ever recorded for a marathon, but it might never be considered a world record. You can read more information on it HERE.

As for me, I'm not looking to set any records...I'm just trying to get a little faster.

Week 13 and 14 Re-Cap (28 March - 10 April)

Following my rather "insane" weekend in Week 12, I took a proper 180 degree turn, and let my body rest. Now, it was far from a complete lack of inactivity, but as far as running goes, I definitely backed off of it. In paste extreme physical events, I have not let my body rest enough afterwards, and it has cost me. Trying to pick up my running schedule as it was before my races tends to be detrimental and prolongs my recovery time, and general feeling of not being at 100%. Truth be told, I probably could have taken it even easier than I did, but I really felt better after a few days, and I didn't want to get out of the habit of running. As it was, I wanted to stay loose without putting too much strain on my worn-out body. I kept the miles low, and the pace slow, and I think that all-in-all it was a good post-race week.

My Week 13 totals were:
Number of Runs Logged: 5
Total miles: 13.8
Time Spent Running: 1 hour, 50 minutes, 57 seconds
Average Pace: 8:02 (min/mile)

With Week 12 down, and my recovery period over, Week 13 was about getting back into running. Now, I wasn't training for any specific race, so my mentality with regards to running, was to merely get my 25 miles. With my longest run in Week 12 being just over 6 miles, I knew I needed to get a couple of longer runs in too. As such, I managed to work in 2 eight-milers (on Wednesday and Sunday). I've noticed that my pace on the runs greater than 8 miles haven't been that great over the past couple of months (really, since I came back from San Antonio). While I had some amazing runs in the colder weather, even before I left, I managed to get a few 8+ mile runs with a faster than 7:30 pace. Since, I been back, that has only happened once. I'm not really sure what the cause is for my slower pace. Slower pace or not, my goal is still to get out and run, which is what I'm doing, and what I did during Week 14. I think the best thing I can do right now is keep at it, and push myself a little harder on the longer runs. I know I'm capable of running faster, I just need to do it. Regardless, I met my goal in Week 14.

My Week 14 totals were:
Number of Runs Logged: 6
Total miles: 26.1
Time Spent Running: 3 hours, 19 minutes, 21 seconds
Average Pace: 7:38 (min/mile)

That brings my "as of" totals to:
Number of Runs Logged: 72
Total miles: 426.5
Time Spent Running: 55 hours, 34 minutes, 54 seconds
Average Pace: 7:49 (min/mile)

REFLECTION TIME: At the start of the 2011 I had one BIG goal in mind (run 1200 miles), but I also had smaller goals to help me along my way such as completing my first Olympic Triathlon (20 Feb), and of course my Insane XTERRA/Guam Marathon Weekend (26-27 March). With both of those events over, and the year not even 1/3 of the way over, the question now is:
"HOW DO I STAY MOTIVATED?"
While I still have my 1200 mile goal, the monotony of running can take it's toll on even the most dedicated of runners. Although I love the challenge, I am far from a dedicated runner (at least as I see myself). I suppose as with any long-term goal, you have to have smaller goals a long the way to serve as "check points". There are still several triathlons scheduled for the year, so hopefully that will keep my focused on staying on top of my running game. As for other events, I just need to keep my eyes open, and be ready to try something new.

Week 12 Re-Cap

Okay, so up until Saturday and Sunday (see My Insane Weekend Parts I & II) Week 12 was a bit "ho-hum." That was entirely intentional, though, as I knew I would need every last ounce of energy for the XTERRA Tri and Marathon. I did some running, but kept it pretty light knowing that I needed to keep my legs loose, but I didn't want them to be worn out. I also did some Yoga on a couple of days hoping that it would stretch me out a bit and relax my muscles. Considering the fact that I finished both of my races, I'd say I was pretty effective. If you didn't count the marathon and run portion of the XTERRA, I only ran about 14 miles with 6 miles being my longest pre-race run. Including the XTERRA and marathon in my totals, it was a very good week for getting my mileage up (though both races KILLED my average pace).

My Week 12 Totals were:
Total Runs Logged: 6
Total Miles: 45.5
Total Time Spent Running: 7 hours, 18 minutes, 46 seconds
Average Pace: 9:39 (min/mile)...my XTERRA pace was 14:38 and my marathon pace was 9:35.

My New "as of" Totals are:
Total Runs Logged: 61
Total Miles: 386.6
Total Time Spent Running: 50 hours, 24 minutes, 36 seconds
Average Pace: 7:49 (min/mile)

REFLECTION TIME! When people find out I completed both the XTERRA Triathlon and Guam Marathon in the same weekend (actually within 25 hours), the response is consistently, "You're Crazy!" That's probably a fair assessment, and to be honest, I like it. Looking back, it's hard to say why I decided to do both, other than I thought it would be cool to say that I did it. Realistically without any professional training or coaching it probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, but I think the fact that I did it on my own is important. People love to make excuses for why they can't don something challenging whether it be lack of equipment, training, know-how, or fitness. I am far from a professional, and if I was able to do both events, ANYONE is capable of doing one or the other. All it takes is a little will power and the determination to see it through.

Weeks 10&11 (Getting Ahead and Tapering)

I swear I've been trying to write this blog for close to a week, but time has seemed to get away from really quickly recently. Still, I'm here now, and I've got some recapping to do. If Week 9 was for catching up, then Week 10 was all about getting ahead. I knew that in preparation for my marathon (it's tomorrow, 27 March, by the way), that I would need to get some serious miles in. I was hoping to do a 20-mile run or so over the weekend, but I had to settle for 17 miles. Still, it was the farthest distance I've run since I ran the AF Marathon in Sep of 2008, so I was glad I got the distance in. It gave me some confidence that I would be able to actually finish the marathon (though I won't be setting any records while doing it). I also ran with a Camelbak during the race which I won't do during the marathon, but it helped keep me hydrated, and was probably the only reason I was able to do that distance. Overall, I logged more miles in Week 10 than I have in any previous week. The 17-miler helped, but I had 4 other runs that week that were greater than 7 miles, which I felt was adequate leading up to the two-week countdown for the marathon.

The Totals for Week 10 are:
Total Runs Logged: 6
Total Miles: 53.3
Total Time Spent Running: 6 hours, 57 minutes, 3 seconds
Average Pace: 7:49 (min/mile)

I'll do the "as of total" shortly

As for Week 11, I classified it as a tapering week, which if you don't know is when you start cutting back on your running leading up to a race. It is to ensure you aren't over-trained and injury-prone. The reduced running gives your legs, joints, and back a little rest and recovery time which helps lead to improved race-day performance. Truth be told, it was still a decent week of running, and I would have likely hit my 25-mile goal, but Friday after my run, I started feeling really sick, and didn't feel better until the following Monday. I will take that as a sign that my body did not want me to run, and so I didn't. Most of my runs were fairly short this week with the exception of a 9-miler on Wednesday morning. I definitely noticed a slower pace. I'm not sure if that was a result of my bug coming on, the weather, or if my body was just tired from the previous week. The slower pace probably helped, since I won't be going super fast through the marathon, and the slower pace was closer to my goal marathon pace (though that will probably be even slower than I had hoped).

The overall totals for Week 11:
Total Runs Logged: 6
Total Miles: 22.9
Total Time Spent Running: 2:56:44
Average Pace: 7:43 (min/mile)

At the end of Week 11 my new "As Of" totals are:
Total Runs Logged: 55
Total Miles: 341.1
Total Time Spent Running: 43 hours, 5 minutes, 50 seconds
Average Pace: 7:35 (min/mile)

Coming up very soon, I'll be talking about what I did today (26 March). I'll give you a hint if you haven't checked Facebook, it definitely wasn't resting, and probably not the smartest thing to do before a major race. That being said, it was EXTREME!!

Tomorrow's the marathon...I'll be blogging about that (and Week 12's running) very soon.

Week 9 (Catching Up)

With a dismal Week 8 that included absolutely no running, I knew I had some serious work to do in Week 9. Although even after skipping a week of running I was still "ahead" of my 1200 mile goal, I knew I was falling behind. My biggest near-term concern was and still is the Guam Marathon on 27 March. Starting off Week 9, I only had two runs for the year that were greater than 10 miles. Although some people would argue the necessity of really long runs, most people would agree that in preparation for a marathon you do have to get your weekly mileage up and at least a few really long runs in (~20 miles). Well, I was able to do a 13.1 mile run on Saturday which still is only half the distance I'll have to run on the 27th, but it's a step in the right direction. Of course I'm running out of time too, as I can't complete my longest run right before the marathon or I'll be too worn out for the actual race.

Although, my individual runs weren't very long in Week 9, I did manage to increase my mileage. My weekly totals were:
Total Runs Logged: 4
Total Miles: 34.3
Total Time Spent Running: 4:29:26
Average Pace: 7:51

My longer (though not long enough) runs in Week 9 slowed down my pace a little, but that was to be expected. More than anything, I was just glad to be outside and running. At the end of Week 9 my "as of" totals were:
Total Runs Logged: 43
Total Miles: 264.9
Total Time Spent Running: 33:12:03
Average Pace: 7:31

Over the next couple of weeks, I really can't think about my 1200 mile goal. Instead I need to focus on preparing for the marathon. Luckily, preparing for the marathon will help me with my goal, but I need to be smart about my runs. Ordinarily I would run as much as I felt like running with no real goal in mind as long as I was getting at least 25 miles a week. Now, with a challenging run in my very near future I have to be a little more deliberate in my run planning in order to get the maximum benefit from my runs to best prepare me for the 26.2 mile race. If I had planned far enough in advance I'd use a website like this one, but there really isn't that much time. It's not like I'm coming into this marathon completely unprepared, but it's been more than 2 year since my last marathon, and again my longest run over the past several months has only been a half-marathon. I'm not planning on setting a PR (personal record) at this event, just on finishing, so really it's going to come down to mental more than physical determination, and I'm confident that I will finish.

The scary part is, that the marathon isn't the only challenge that week. The details on what else I'll be doing are forthcoming.

Serious Catching Up to Do (Week 5&6)

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.

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.

Major Catching Up to Do

Wow! It would be an understatement to say the last week and a half hasn’t been busy. Work (lots of it), travel, preparing for travel, and of course a fair amount of running. I suppose I should start out by recapping my running for the past couple of weeks.

Week 2:
Total Number of Runs Logged: 8
Total Miles Logged: 34.5
Total Time Spent Running: 4 hours, 20 minutes, and 19 seconds
Average Pace: 7:31

That makes my new "as of" total after 2 weeks of running:
Total Number of Runs Logged: 16
Total Miles Logged: 83.9
Total Time Spent Running: 10 hours, 44 minutes, and 36 seconds
Average Pace: 7:41

Now, my 2nd week of running had my first “great” run, but the real highlight of the week was not the distance but the location. Friday night Stephanie I flew to Hong Kong for the three-day weekend. Later on I’ll post pictures and blog about our adventures (Check it out on my Stephanie's Blog here), but for now I’ll just talk about the running. While most studies would probably say that running in a colder climate is easier than the hot and humid of someplace like Guam especially with regards to muscle fatigue and endurance. That’s probably true; however, after nearly a year and a half of running in Guam, I’ve come quite accustomed to it. Going from running in 80+ degree weather one day to around 50 degree weather the next is quite a shock to the system. . I am really not sure about the air quality in Hong Kong compared to Guam, but I will say that it was noticeably harder to breathe in the very “crisp” air. I ran about 5 miles on both Sunday and Monday and although the cold air provided a new challenge, it was great running in a new environment. Hopefully in future travel adventures I’ll continue my running as well. The running blog and goal for 1200 miles this will hopefully encourage me to maintain an active lifestyle even when on “vacation”.

Week in Review (3-9 Jan)

One Week down, only 51 more to go! I could say something about if I was able to keep this pace up I'd finish off the year with 1700+ miles logged, but realistically I don't know if that is possible. Instead, like any other addiction (though I'm far from addicted to running), I'll take it a day/week/month at a time. Here's a look back at the week:
Total Number of Runs Logged: 6
Total Miles Logged: 33.4
Total Time Spent Running: 4 hours, 19 minutes, 23 seconds
Average Pace: 7:46 min/mile

That brings the yearly totals to: (I'm counting the 1st and 2nd of January in this one)
Total Number of Runs Logged: 8
Total Miles Logged: 49.4
Total Time Spent Running: 6 hours, 24 minutes, and 17 seconds
Average Pace: 7:46 min/mile

REFLECTION TIME!!
A week into the program, and I feel good. I wouldn't say "excited" comes to mind when I'm waking up in the morning, but I am not regretting my typically morning runs one bit. My body feels good and while I am usually a bit tired and very sweaty after running, I haven't been sore or stiff before or after the runs. I know I am not stretching enough, but that is something I'll have to work to make time for. I will be in TX in a few weeks, and was reviewing running/triathlon events that were going to be going on while I was there. There is a 50/100 mile race in Huntsville one of the weekends I'll be there. I thought about signing up for a good minute, but with the 50 mile event already full, I knew that it wasn't realistic for me to try a 100 mile race when my longest run in the past year+ has only been 13.1 miles. Still, it's good to know I am excited about doing an ultramarathon and that the thought of doing one does cross my mine. I'll keep my eyes out for such events near me, and hopefully the opportunity will present itself. Until then, I'll just keep on running.