Slacking off

I suppose I keep slacking off on this blog is because I am always spending too much time trying find a quote or going through my pictures looking for something to add. I just have to get these out. 2 days ago I took the day off from running and working out. I truelly felt guilty for doing so and breaking the streak but I needed the day off. Too much work needed to catch up on and my body was sore. Since then I have certainly made up for it. Increasing my average speed and distance with out a problem. I should probably take more time off and rest more often but its so hard to get right back into the routine taking any time off.

Persistance

Okay, I admit I am not keeping up with this daily blog as I should. It's not motivating as much as I had hoped it would but I am assuming reflecting back upon it it will in the future. Feeling tired after my workouts lately. I mean sleepy tired. I feel like the first thing I want to do is go to bed immediately after my run. Doing some research I think it may have something to do with not properly maintaining my glucose/fructose levels. I am certainly not dehydrated as I know I have a tendency to over hydrate, running with my camel pack most times. Hopefully I will figure this out and I will eventually share what I learn.


Runny Streak: Day 16
Total Mileage: 52.17
Condition: Tired but willing to battle

Results

"There is real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment." ~ Norman Vincent Peale

I took it easy yesterday only running just more than a mile but still keeping the streak alive. Today is worth bragging about. Today I finally hit the hour running mark. I haven't done this in years and it was a slice of life reaching it today. Not only that but what I am most impressed with myself for is not taking the short cuts and ending the run early. I took the long way the entire way. Now that I have conquered this route it's finally time to choose a new one and keep this only as part of my regular runs. The new goal is to get comfortable running for two hours. If I follow the plan of increasing my runs by 10-15% a week I should be there in about 7-8 weeks. Seems like forever but I will get there. I just to be patient and motivated. Oh yeah End of week one in my 100 mile month and I have tallied 32+ miles. I'm ahead of schedule and I like that.

Burns

Not the blog I want to write but I will nonetheless be vulnerable and share. Lots of pain in strange places. Runners Rash. In trying to become a "Real" runner you run into all sorts of aches and pains. Dealing with various forms of runners rash though is a new one on me. I have always laughed at the $20 bottles of glide stick they sell at the runners store and thought of it merely as a scam but maybe there is something to it. Other things such as petroleum jelly are just messy and seem to increase friction. The other recommendation is of course to stay dry but I sweat like no one else so that's not going to happen. Not too much on the subject doing a Google search. I suppose it's just not something people like to talk about.


Today's Run:
Time: 50 min
Distance: 4.47 miles
Weather: 58 f and sunny
Condition: Felt Great but still wimping out and escaping from a longer run.

Small goals

"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe" ~ Anatole France

I started a new one month goal a few days ago. I want to run 100 miles in 30 days. These little task lists really do the job for me, it keeps me motivated. I actually found this challenge on a website I recently joined map my run. It's not bad. There are some pretty nice features even when you do just the free membership. The advertising is a little annoying but I can't afford the membership right now and I'm not 100% sure it's worth it. So far it's fun though and helping.

Today's Run:


Weather: 53 F
Distance: 5.09 miles
Time: 00:54:35
Condition: Felt Great, On my way :)

Blisters

"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve...." ~ Unknown

Weather: 48 F Sunny very windy

Distance: 3.7

Run Time: 00:38:21

Run Type: Fun run

Condition: Felt great



I developed blisters on the arches of both of my feet today. I have had blisters before but never on the arches before. Doing some research I think I have figured out why. My shoes I believe have stretched a little bit do to getting a little wet over the weekend. I'm not happy about this prospect as I cannot afford new shoes at this time. I do have some shoe conditioner so hopefully it will tighten them up once again.

I Hate this Weather

"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement." ~ Steve Prefontain

Ok I should be doing this everyday but I missed yesterday so here is the catch up:

April 5, 2009- Jogging day streak 7
Weights: Legs, Biceps, Lower Abs
Run Type: Recovery Loop Distance: 1.56 miles
Time: 0:16:41
Weather: 38 F snowing
Condition: OK


April 6, 2009- Jogging day streak 8
Weights: Back, Shoulders, Obliques
Run Type: Distance
Distance: 4.5 miles
Time: 0:46:22
Weather: 36 F Cloudy
Condition: Felt good but my goal was to do 6 miles and I thought I did but when I mapped my run it was only 4.5. NOTE TO SELF: MAP OUT RUN BEFORE HAND!!!


I played racquetball this evening as well. Which makes me beckon again if I had energy to that tonight maybe I should be adding in another exercise daily. Not hard just something like a leisure bicycle ride. Also I need to step up my diet again. I have been a little lazy the bast few days and using food as a way to celebrate work out success. I have to find another way to celebrate.

Absurd

"Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy just to be normal." ~ Albert Camus

Great workout today chest and tri's. Poor run today. I felt great throughout and actually succeeded in dressing appropriately. I felt zoned in the whole run, laughing and enjoying myself the entire time. Then I finished the loop at looked at the time 28:40 on a 3 mile loop. I expected it to have so much better. Maybe 22-23 minutes instead. Instantly sucked the life from me. No desire to do the loop again after that. Reflecting back these are the pitfalls and mindsets I want to overcome. I should have done another loop. Tomorrow.

Thermaly Challenged

""Cool Runnings" means "Peace Be The Journey" ~ Derice Bannock, Cool Runnings

48 Degrees and 22 mph winds. Sun was shining though and I thought I would be fine. Nope I was wrong. It was a miserable 3 mile 22 min run. I can't seem to ever dress appropriately. I went on a new paved trail today that offered no protection to the elements only wearing my Under Armour* t-shirt and shorts and froze my but off. Yesterday in colder temps and worse looking weather I wore long sleeve and I was completely overheated right away. I at least learned that I would rather overdress than under dress today. Back and shoulder workout went fantastic today somehow found the courage for every extra rep every extra step.

Motivating a Change

"Happiness is not a matter of events, It depends upon the tides of the mind" ~Alice Meynell

Rest day for weight training. Upper back still hurts but again only when I am at rest. Threat of storms and a chilly 49 degrees regardless five mile run today 48:23. Like I said I'm a beginner with big dreams just trying to keep on the road to achieving them. I have been reading a good book recently entitled "The Athlete's Way" by Christopher Bergland (www.theathletesway.com). It's filled with some great quotes, ideas to reshaping and charging my mind for fitness and I think it's working and helping a bit. I love his slogan "Sweat and the Biology of Bliss." I think it's probably why I bought the book. It inspired a nice realization as I continued through the day's run. "Everything that happens during today's run is all me. Whatever I do there are no excuses except that I pass or share with anybody or anything else. It's mine." I like that sense of ownership and responsibility. There are no other factors besides my own. I was rather surprised I didn't slip into a hidden pothole after thinking it. lol

Tuff day

"Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it." ~ Winston Churchill

It was a tuff training day today. I worked out with weights on biceps and legs, then about a 2 mile run all of which was uphill and straight into the wind. I'm tired but I feel great. I have been working out with weights on the average of five times a week now. The work outs last typically about 60 minutes and I adjust the weight to do 6 sets of 16-20 reps with 4 exercises per muscle group. I do back, shoulders, obliques one day, chest, triceps and upper abdominals the next and finally biceps, legs and lower abs the final day and continually rotate. I go for my runs after my weight workouts. My current goal is to achieve 25 miles a week comfortably, currently I reach that on a good week and usually average 18. I divide and rotate the runs as well between hill days, sprint days and jogging days. I also do a 15-20min light yoga/stretching routine first thing in the mornings just to get the blood flowing.

In looking what I just wrote down it sure seems like allot but its a pace that seems to be be just challenging enough. Not too much to get myself injured but not too little where I am just going through the motions. I do admit though I really feel like sometimes I should add a morning jog a few times a week. Maybe I will if I can find the time. Can you tell yet I don't have too much else to do?

Don't cry if you've never seen the Rain

"There is no Challenge more challenging than the challenge to improve yourself" ~ Michael F. Staley

Chuck Ragan, one of my favorite musicians granted me inspiration for today's work out. It was stormy run today. Drops falling, wind blowing, and the remaining bits of snow slowly melting away I was out and about on a surprisingly fast 4 mile run. Not bad I thought since my biggest problem lately has been my motivation and here I was out in the worst of it. I should mention also that I hurt my upper back/neck during yesterdays weight work out. Pinched a nerve or something. It hurts but it didn't effect my chest and tricep work out nor did it affect the run. Only seems to hurt when I am sitting down or relaxed. Anyway, I know it's cheesy to say but I'm proud of myself today for overcomming the challenges.

Lets Get Started

"It's like driving a car at night. You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole journey that way." ~ E. L. DOCTOROW

I suppose I should explain. This whole mess of a blog is to help motivate and track myself through a variety of health, fitness and athletic goals. Although I have to admit that vanity is of course is a primary driving factor to all of this nonsense I find myself wanting to achieve and prove more than that. I have always been in the middle. Never really healthy or athletic nor have I tiered the other way and been significantly unhealthy. Over the years I have done many races, 5k’s, 10k’s, bike races, endurance races and etc… None of these however, I have done with any other intention than just doing them. Now something has changed. I no longer wish to pursue these athletic endeavors and fitness endeavors with the same casual attitude. I want to be healthy, in shape and really race. The title of this blog “Running on Water” comes from a crazy idea I have. In my pursuit to find motivation and define my racing/athletic goals I came across “Worlds Coolest Marathon” (http://www.npmarathon.com/). A crazy little marathon run in the North Pole. From there I found something called the “Grand Slam Club” which is a group of people who have run marathons on all of the continents across the globe and topped it off with the North Pole Marathon. “This is it!” I thought. This little club encompasses my passion in life. Travel, adventure, fitness, health, this is what I have and want to do. I know its a little nuts and crazy considering I have never run a marathon before in my life. I have never been that kind of shape before. This is the plan. This is the ambition. It’s the dangling carrot I don’t know if I ever will reach but it’s the road I now choose to travel. This is the blog that will take years to write as I try to reach these crazy goals. Hopefully it will actually motivate me. Hopefully those of you who generously take the time to read any this will kindly drop a note, lend a hand or smile.