Let's do this.
26.2
26.2
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Sunday, June 15, 2014
For Rachel!
Yesterday's run is dedicated to Rachel! Not the Rachel who donated before, but a completely different, wonderful and generous Rachel altogether. Rachel and I taught together in Seoul and have been in strong Facebook contact since! I would love for us to meet up again do a run together sometime soon...ideas?
In the vein of cleaning house, Friday's run was the same old same old Murphy Cuatro. This is the 2 miles and turn around run from my house that generally yields no interesting sights, so there's plenty of time to focus on running.
Thursday's run featured two new things. I ran without a hydration pack after learning that my first water stop is at the 3 mile mark in the marathon. I need to wean myself from on-demand water. Also, it's nice to get rid of the extra weight! On long runs, I usually run with up to 100 ounces of water in my Camelbak, which weighs up to six pounds. It's nice to be free of the pack too, which can be constricting with all of the straps, clips and ties.
Which leads to new thing number two. I ran today with my new Thump wireless headphones. This is not meant to be an endorsement of the product, but getting rid of that cord is awesome! It remains to be seen just how well they work and how comfortable they are, but that will soon be proven on race day. I'll bring the oldies just in case, but for now I expect these new ones to work out.
The run was a great one. I was really strong on my pace. Nothing too much to write about, just a fast run overall. But, it never felt too fast. It felt in control the whole time.
Splits:
Mile 1 - 6:59
Mile 2 - 6:43
Mile 3 - 6:48
Mile 4 - 6:30
Plus six seconds of finishing time means 27:12 overall. By the way, this is the fastest time on the Murphy Cuatro. I've run it eight times in the last three summers and this time was exactly one minute faster than the previous record!
Like I said, this isn't a lot to write about, just a bit of a brag. If only there was some way to maintain this pace over 26.2 miles, this would be almost exactly the pace needed to run a sub-3 hour marathon. Then I'd be in the same elite club as Paul Ryan!
Ha. I'm kidding. But really, I have been thinking about my pace a lot lately. I'd love to get a sub-4 hour, which means that I need to to run a little faster than 9:10 per mile. I know I can do it for most of the run, but what will happen late in the race? I'm getting nervous.
In the vein of cleaning house, Friday's run was the same old same old Murphy Cuatro. This is the 2 miles and turn around run from my house that generally yields no interesting sights, so there's plenty of time to focus on running.
Thursday's run featured two new things. I ran without a hydration pack after learning that my first water stop is at the 3 mile mark in the marathon. I need to wean myself from on-demand water. Also, it's nice to get rid of the extra weight! On long runs, I usually run with up to 100 ounces of water in my Camelbak, which weighs up to six pounds. It's nice to be free of the pack too, which can be constricting with all of the straps, clips and ties.
Which leads to new thing number two. I ran today with my new Thump wireless headphones. This is not meant to be an endorsement of the product, but getting rid of that cord is awesome! It remains to be seen just how well they work and how comfortable they are, but that will soon be proven on race day. I'll bring the oldies just in case, but for now I expect these new ones to work out.
The run was a great one. I was really strong on my pace. Nothing too much to write about, just a fast run overall. But, it never felt too fast. It felt in control the whole time.
Splits:
Mile 1 - 6:59
Mile 2 - 6:43
Mile 3 - 6:48
Mile 4 - 6:30
Plus six seconds of finishing time means 27:12 overall. By the way, this is the fastest time on the Murphy Cuatro. I've run it eight times in the last three summers and this time was exactly one minute faster than the previous record!
Like I said, this isn't a lot to write about, just a bit of a brag. If only there was some way to maintain this pace over 26.2 miles, this would be almost exactly the pace needed to run a sub-3 hour marathon. Then I'd be in the same elite club as Paul Ryan!
Ha. I'm kidding. But really, I have been thinking about my pace a lot lately. I'd love to get a sub-4 hour, which means that I need to to run a little faster than 9:10 per mile. I know I can do it for most of the run, but what will happen late in the race? I'm getting nervous.
RUN STATS:
Distance - 4.01 miles
Time - 27:12
Soundtrack - Beastie Boys, Hello Nasty
Thursday, June 12, 2014
For Andrea and the Curreys!
Last Friday's run was mentally and physically a big one.
I've been struggling with my program due to the end of the school year, the trip back home, lowered motivation and fatigue.
The run before this didn't end well, but I was determined to make up for it. I had my eyes set on a 20-24 miler, the last really long run before the marathon. I had done an 18 and a 20 in Delhi, and my training program called for another 20 miler before the end. The problem though, was that it was scheduled for the weekend that we were traveling from India back home. I wanted to do it earlier in the week, but I just never got to it. I wanted to up it to 22, so I could have a new longest run and get a bit closer to the magic 26.2 mile mark.
As you can tell by the name of the run, I didn't get there. What happened?
1. Physical exertion set in.
2. Mental blocks took over.
Before I left for the run, it was already in my head. I was dreading the distance and whining about having to go. I appealed to my friends for a motivational donation. Andrea stepped up. It helped and I set out to run the Mesabi Trail near my house. The Mesabi Trail is a great bike trail that will eventually be a 132 mile paved bike trail running through most of northern Minnesota. My idea was to run the 11 mile stretch from Eveleth, through Gilbert, to Virginia and back. (By the way, this seems inconceivable after running in Delhi. A run that would take me through 3 towns? Crazy.)
The trail is great. It's extremely well-maintained and beautiful. For the first four miles, I didn't even see another soul. I ran through the mixed forest, admiring the trees, listening to the birds and meditating on the sounds of the hidden streams that outed their existence with their gurgles that proved they were there.
At mile four, I entered the town of Gilbert. Gilbert will always live in my memory as the "Place Where I Bought my Record Player." Our record player is a big feature of Life at the Lake, so whenever I pass through Gilbert, I smile at the memory of bargaining the woman down to $20, then proceeding to spend more on a record cleaning kit and a needle.
From Gilbert, the trail turns west and passes through more forest. This is mining country and the deep lakes along the way are old open pit mines that have been filled with water. The route also passes through a rock cut from 1893, the original path being a rail line. It's very picturesque.
At this point, I was feeling good. My legs were heavy, but it wasn't unbearable and I didn't feel terrible.
Around mile 8, the route turns north and enters the city of Virginia. The City of the Virginia is the "Queen City" of the Iron Range. It was once a bustling headquarters of iron ore mining operations. Mining by nature is boom and bust, so Virginia has had its ups and downs. The portion of the Mesabi Trail that goes through Virginia is great, with lots to see along the way. It was here that I started to feel a little worn out. There are real live actual hills on the trail, which is something that I'm not used to dealing with and they took a toll. The hills combined with sleep deprivation, poor hydration and a baditude, to be fair.
As soon as Ms. MapMyRun announced 11 miles, I turned around and headed back. I'm not a big fan of out-and-backs, so this may have been one of the fatal flaws of this run. Knowing that I had to turn around and backtrack really got in my head. At this point, I had been on the trail for over 1.5 hours. Knowing that I still had to do that much was tough on my already weak psyche.
My mind started wandering, making deals and building escape plans. It was tough. Approaching 13 miles, I knew that I could make it at least that far without stopping or resting. I've done three half marathons, so I made up my mind to go at least that far. From Mile 13 to mile 14 was an uphill gain of almost 200 feet. That's probably more than all of my Delhi gains put together. At mile 14 I took a walking break.
It was the beginning of the end.
Once the decision to quit has been made, it's very difficult to overcome.
The next four miles would see my average pace drop from 7:59 for the first five miles, to 8:41 for the next, 10:06 for miles 11-15 and finally 12:27 for the final 2.79 miles. My body and my mind had given up. As I quit, I looked at my phone and saw that the Curreys had donated too. Ugh.
I skipped the last four miles of the run, walked the rest of the way back to my car and headed home broken, nervous and weary of my decision I had undertaken to run a marathon. I felt like a let down to my donors and myself.
How to fix this? Luckily, I come from a school where the growth mindset is highly valued. I'm going to learn from this and make it better. I'm going to refuse to let it hinder me and I'm going to run that marathon. And it's going to be great. I'm going to meet my life goal of running a marathon. I can do this.
I've been struggling with my program due to the end of the school year, the trip back home, lowered motivation and fatigue.
The run before this didn't end well, but I was determined to make up for it. I had my eyes set on a 20-24 miler, the last really long run before the marathon. I had done an 18 and a 20 in Delhi, and my training program called for another 20 miler before the end. The problem though, was that it was scheduled for the weekend that we were traveling from India back home. I wanted to do it earlier in the week, but I just never got to it. I wanted to up it to 22, so I could have a new longest run and get a bit closer to the magic 26.2 mile mark.
As you can tell by the name of the run, I didn't get there. What happened?
1. Physical exertion set in.
2. Mental blocks took over.
Before I left for the run, it was already in my head. I was dreading the distance and whining about having to go. I appealed to my friends for a motivational donation. Andrea stepped up. It helped and I set out to run the Mesabi Trail near my house. The Mesabi Trail is a great bike trail that will eventually be a 132 mile paved bike trail running through most of northern Minnesota. My idea was to run the 11 mile stretch from Eveleth, through Gilbert, to Virginia and back. (By the way, this seems inconceivable after running in Delhi. A run that would take me through 3 towns? Crazy.)
The trail is great. It's extremely well-maintained and beautiful. For the first four miles, I didn't even see another soul. I ran through the mixed forest, admiring the trees, listening to the birds and meditating on the sounds of the hidden streams that outed their existence with their gurgles that proved they were there.
 |
| CC: By- Ken Ratcliff |
From Gilbert, the trail turns west and passes through more forest. This is mining country and the deep lakes along the way are old open pit mines that have been filled with water. The route also passes through a rock cut from 1893, the original path being a rail line. It's very picturesque.
At this point, I was feeling good. My legs were heavy, but it wasn't unbearable and I didn't feel terrible.
Around mile 8, the route turns north and enters the city of Virginia. The City of the Virginia is the "Queen City" of the Iron Range. It was once a bustling headquarters of iron ore mining operations. Mining by nature is boom and bust, so Virginia has had its ups and downs. The portion of the Mesabi Trail that goes through Virginia is great, with lots to see along the way. It was here that I started to feel a little worn out. There are real live actual hills on the trail, which is something that I'm not used to dealing with and they took a toll. The hills combined with sleep deprivation, poor hydration and a baditude, to be fair.
As soon as Ms. MapMyRun announced 11 miles, I turned around and headed back. I'm not a big fan of out-and-backs, so this may have been one of the fatal flaws of this run. Knowing that I had to turn around and backtrack really got in my head. At this point, I had been on the trail for over 1.5 hours. Knowing that I still had to do that much was tough on my already weak psyche.
My mind started wandering, making deals and building escape plans. It was tough. Approaching 13 miles, I knew that I could make it at least that far without stopping or resting. I've done three half marathons, so I made up my mind to go at least that far. From Mile 13 to mile 14 was an uphill gain of almost 200 feet. That's probably more than all of my Delhi gains put together. At mile 14 I took a walking break.
It was the beginning of the end.
Once the decision to quit has been made, it's very difficult to overcome.
The next four miles would see my average pace drop from 7:59 for the first five miles, to 8:41 for the next, 10:06 for miles 11-15 and finally 12:27 for the final 2.79 miles. My body and my mind had given up. As I quit, I looked at my phone and saw that the Curreys had donated too. Ugh.
I skipped the last four miles of the run, walked the rest of the way back to my car and headed home broken, nervous and weary of my decision I had undertaken to run a marathon. I felt like a let down to my donors and myself.
How to fix this? Luckily, I come from a school where the growth mindset is highly valued. I'm going to learn from this and make it better. I'm going to refuse to let it hinder me and I'm going to run that marathon. And it's going to be great. I'm going to meet my life goal of running a marathon. I can do this.
This run belongs to Andrea and the Curreys.
I'm dedicating runs to raise money for a campship in memory of our friend Ty Taylor at YMCA Camp Miller. Click here or here to donate. Please make sure you choose the Ty Taylor Campship option. And please let me know if you've made a donation so I can thank you!
I'm dedicating runs to raise money for a campship in memory of our friend Ty Taylor at YMCA Camp Miller. Click here or here to donate. Please make sure you choose the Ty Taylor Campship option. And please let me know if you've made a donation so I can thank you!
RUN STATS:
Distance - 17.97 miles
Time - 2:49:21
Soundtrack - Phish, Plastilina Mosh, Primus, Public Enemy (I was in the P's of my music library)
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Training Starts Tomorrow!
This year I've made the commitment to run my first full marathon and I'm stoked!
Tomorrow is the first "official day" of my training program, so I thought I'd write a quick post about what I've been doing in my first two months of 2014 running.
I made a goal to run 800 miles this year after a humbling failure of last year's 1000 mile goal. With that in mind, I was out on the road trying to get some miles under my belt. In January I managed 45 miles and so far in February I've done 40 more.
What's keeping me running these days? A big part of it has been the "gamification" of running on MapMyRun. Through their "courses" feature, I created a course at Nehru Park and I've been hitting it often to push myself to the top of the leaderboard. I've let my friends here at school know about the course and now we're engaged in some healthy competition to have the fastest time in the Park Loop. Today I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out just how the scoring works. I'm a sucker for badges, leaderboards and the overall mind-control of gamification.
Also, I've managed two runs with progressively negative splits!
Tomorrow is the first "official day" of my training program, so I thought I'd write a quick post about what I've been doing in my first two months of 2014 running.
I made a goal to run 800 miles this year after a humbling failure of last year's 1000 mile goal. With that in mind, I was out on the road trying to get some miles under my belt. In January I managed 45 miles and so far in February I've done 40 more.
What's keeping me running these days? A big part of it has been the "gamification" of running on MapMyRun. Through their "courses" feature, I created a course at Nehru Park and I've been hitting it often to push myself to the top of the leaderboard. I've let my friends here at school know about the course and now we're engaged in some healthy competition to have the fastest time in the Park Loop. Today I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out just how the scoring works. I'm a sucker for badges, leaderboards and the overall mind-control of gamification.
Also, I've managed two runs with progressively negative splits!
Monday, January 13, 2014
Pitter Patter, Let's Get At 'Er!
Back to blogging and back to running. Too many excuses have clouded my thoughts and mind. To help me get back on track, I've signed up to run my first marathon. On June 21st, instead of running the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon, I'll be going all the way up to Two Harbors, MN and running the entire 26.2 miles to Canal Park.
In that spirit, two goals for 2014:
1. Run 800 miles (lessened from my overly ambitious 1000 mile goal from last year)
2. Finish first marathon
Secret goal for 2014:
1. Actually run 1000 miles in spite of my newly expectation-lowered goal of 800 miles.
So far, I've been back in Delhi for four mornings and I've been for three runs. I've done the Nehru Park Loop three days strong.
9 miles down, 791 to go.
I've got this.
ps. Despite the lack of posts, I did run over 150 miles including 1 10-mile race since the last time I wrote anything. As you can imagine, they were all very interesting and anecdote-filled.
In that spirit, two goals for 2014:
1. Run 800 miles (lessened from my overly ambitious 1000 mile goal from last year)
2. Finish first marathon
Secret goal for 2014:
1. Actually run 1000 miles in spite of my newly expectation-lowered goal of 800 miles.
So far, I've been back in Delhi for four mornings and I've been for three runs. I've done the Nehru Park Loop three days strong.
9 miles down, 791 to go.
I've got this.
ps. Despite the lack of posts, I did run over 150 miles including 1 10-mile race since the last time I wrote anything. As you can imagine, they were all very interesting and anecdote-filled.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
May 24, 2013
This year I wanted to run a marathon. Cooler heads (Kate's) prevailed and convinced me that the first 6 months of life of our new son was no time to be training for a marathon.
Thank God Kate is so smart. This week I took three days off because our son decided to wake up every two hours. That means that waking up at 5:40am isn't so easy. It also means that if I can get 30 extra minutes of sleep before heading to school, I'll take it. The temperature in Delhi is also rising. That means hydration is more important than ever. After not drinking water all day long on Wednesday, then playing soccer Wednesday night, I woke up in the middle of the night with a killer headache. Another day of not running.
Finally, Friday I was back on the streets of Delhi tallying up miles in pursuit of my goals.
The run is a 5 miler that passes through a Dhobi Colony in the Ministers of Parliament's neighborhood. Dhobis are the launderers of India. They collect your clothes, take them away, wash and press them and bring them back. When I cruise through the narrow lane just before the 2 mile mark on this run, the dhobis are just starting their day, hanging the day's work on the multitudinous lines on either side and criss-crossing the route. Given an hour or two more and there would be a sea of white shirts, sheets and other assorted articles of clothing lining the way.
Not too much to report on this run, it was pretty standard. This is the third time I've run this route, and I beat my previous best by 4 seconds, completely on accident!
I've got to start bringing a camera on my runs, or going back and taking photos. A new goal?
Thank God Kate is so smart. This week I took three days off because our son decided to wake up every two hours. That means that waking up at 5:40am isn't so easy. It also means that if I can get 30 extra minutes of sleep before heading to school, I'll take it. The temperature in Delhi is also rising. That means hydration is more important than ever. After not drinking water all day long on Wednesday, then playing soccer Wednesday night, I woke up in the middle of the night with a killer headache. Another day of not running.
Finally, Friday I was back on the streets of Delhi tallying up miles in pursuit of my goals.
The run is a 5 miler that passes through a Dhobi Colony in the Ministers of Parliament's neighborhood. Dhobis are the launderers of India. They collect your clothes, take them away, wash and press them and bring them back. When I cruise through the narrow lane just before the 2 mile mark on this run, the dhobis are just starting their day, hanging the day's work on the multitudinous lines on either side and criss-crossing the route. Given an hour or two more and there would be a sea of white shirts, sheets and other assorted articles of clothing lining the way.
Not too much to report on this run, it was pretty standard. This is the third time I've run this route, and I beat my previous best by 4 seconds, completely on accident!
I've got to start bringing a camera on my runs, or going back and taking photos. A new goal?
RUN STATS:
Distance - 5 miles
Time - 42:27
Temp at 6am - 90 degrees F
Soundtrack - Bonobo, The North Borders
Sunday, April 28, 2013
This Year's Goals
This year I will run over 1000 miles.
This year I will PR my 1/2 Marathon.
This year I will run a sub 20:00 5K.
This year I will PR my 1/2 Marathon.
This year I will run a sub 20:00 5K.
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