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!

Man Hike #1 (Anoa Trail)

As a man I think it's important that every once and awhile guys get and be a little adventurous. That means going outdoors with your buddies, getting dirty, sweaty, maybe a little cut, bruised, or bloody, and in general toying with that line between safe and perhaps I shouldn't be doing this. That's why I am a big proponent for "Man Hikes." The concept is pretty simple, grab your friends, get water, and "blaze a trail" to somewhere (it is okay to follow a previously defined path, but the rougher it is, the more manly the hike becomes, and all the better for everyone on it). Beer at the end is optional, though highly encouraged. Also, no girls allowed! A couple of Saturday's ago, a few guys from The Guam Crew and I decided to take our first Man Hike of 2011 through the Anoa Conservation Area, to the Pacific Ocean side of Guam. It was definitely manly, and a whole lot of fun. Although we were following a trail of sorts, it added to the excitement (and manliness) that the trail started at the "No Trespassing" sign My fellow Man Hike participants: Jesse, Chris, and James
The first part of our hike was mostly a steep downhill,
and required some agility with a little bit of climbing, and some areas that required us to get low.

About half way down the cliff's path we reached a clearing that gave us a glimpse of our destination.As you can see, it was pretty incredible, but nothing compared to when we finally reached the bottom:Unlike the Philippine Sea side of Guam which is fairly calm, the Pacific Ocean side is very rough, and where we were, completely non-swimmable, but what a view!Here's our group pic on the bottom. After a short break, we hiked along the coast to see what else we could find...It didn't take us too long.
We called this the blow hole because although water wasn't shooting out of the top of it, the waves did find a way into this pit

This is in the same area. the spot of light under the rock and above the water was the area I just climbed out of.

After spending an hour or so walking along the coast we decided it was time to head back, which was the least fun part of the trip, not so much because the Man Hike was over, but rather because we had to go uphill...and it was steep! It's hard to get a good idea based on that picture, but we essentially had to go back to the top of that hill where. The green in the picture isn't grass or bushes, it's full grown trees!
In all actuality the hike up wasn't too bad since we knew where we were going. All in all it was a great Man Hike, and everyone had a good time. It's the first one of 2011, and the first one we've done in a while, but I guarantee there will be more this year. Expect more adventure, more excitement, and a lot more manliness.

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.

My First Duathlon

It was supposed to be a Triathlon, Dual Distance, which means you could choose between a sprint, Olympic distance. I wouldn't say I had my "heart set" on doing my second Olympic distance triathlon, but I was looking forward to it. I had even managed to talk a couple of my co-workers into doing the Sprint distance for what would be their first triathlon...

Unfortunately new rules set in place by someone on Guam requires any organization having an event that involves people getting into the ocean requires a permit 30-day in advance. It's hard to do a triathlon when you can't get in the water. Ever adaptive, the Guam Triathlon Federation opted to turn the Triathlon into a Duathlon (Run, Bike, Run). Despite the change in race format, I was still able to convince one of my buddies to join me. Early Sunday morning we took off and got ready for what was our first Duathlon.

The Duathlon consisted of two 5K runs with a bike ride sandwiched between them. At the check-in you had the option for selecting a 20K or 40K ride. I figured since I was planning to do an Olympic distance Tri which includes a 40K bike ride, and since I wanted to get the most bang for my buck, that I would go ahead and do the longer distance.

All things considered, it was a great day for racing, with the weather warm (not too hot), no rain, and not a lot of wind. After a 20:10 5K, I was off on my bike.

The above picture is probably one of my favorite racing pictures. It totally has to do with the camera angle, but it does look really cool. I have to give all the props to our photographer who happened to be another friend from work who was there to cheer on/take pictures of someone else, and was kind enough to snap a few of me.

Another great shot. I have to admit there is one big downside to doing the 40K, and that is the fact that it was the same course as the 20K you just did it two times which equates to 6 laps. It's a flat course, easy to ride (minus the potholes), but there isn't much to it.

Here I am trying to grab a drink of Gatorade from the sports bottle Duct Taped to the front of my bike. Unlike my first Olympic triathlon when I didn't use a lid, had the straw fly out during the first lap, and only had the occasional splash of Gatorade on my chest to cool me off, this time, I actually used a lid which proved much more effective at keeping the drink inside the bottle and readily drinkable. I finished the 40K ride in 1:09:34, and it was time for my second 5K.

The first mile of running after a long bike ride is always the hardest. It's hard to describe how my legs feel, but I'd say it's a mix between Jell-O and cement; very heavy, yet also very unsteady. The most important thing is to keep them moving.

My second 5K was over in 21:59 for a total time of 1:51:43. Of the 45 racers that started, 10 of us did the longer 40K ride. My time was good enough to put me in second place which was kind of surprising since the 3rd and 4th place finishers were two guys on the Guam National Team. Still, I'll say the same thing about all my other races, it's not about what place I come in, it's just about finishing.

All in all I'd say it was a great first Duathlon, and I could see myself doing another one if the opportunity should present itself again.

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.