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.

Mid Week Check-Up

5 Days into the new year and things are still going well (though never as planned). On the positive side of it, perhaps the "accountability" of a blog keeps me focused and motivated to stick to the plan even when the plan falls through. For starters, on Monday, I had an early morning (6:30) meeting to attend. Usually at about this time I'd be halfway through my morning workout (Monday's dedicated to Strength training). I suppose I had the option of waking up an hour earlier than normal, but that's just not going to happen. Typically, I like to do my workouts in the morning; by the afternoon I'm drained and not in the mood, and on a typical week I might have called Monday a wash and justified my lack of physical activity by noting that I ran Saturday and Sunday and would be at PT on Tuesday. As the first week of the year, and still eager to reach my goal, though, so I sucked it up and did my workout in the evening. Not coincidentally, I noted that my upper body was extra sore the next day during PT.
So I know it's silly and minor deviation, but a bump in the road nonetheless. Tuesday and today went just as I hoped logging 4.1 miles and 8 miles respectively. Still, I know all weeks won't be the easy on me, and I will face many challenges in the coming months. That's when I'll really need to stay focused, stay positive, and keep running.
By the way, if you interested in doing some extreme running, look into the "Badwater Ultramarathon." It's a 135-mile race that starts in Death Valley and ends at Mt Whitney. The race is from July 11-13. Go to http://www.badwater.com/ for more details. If that's a little too extreme you can check out http://www.ultramarathonrunning.com/races/#usa for a ultra running race near you. If that's still too extreme and you live on Guam, I HIGHLY recommend the Stick 'n Back Super-Sprint Triathlon. Get more information and the entry form here. I'll give you more details about this awesome race in my next blog, but if you've ever even thought about doing a triathlon, this is the one for you.
Until then...(I still haven't figured out how to end it)