SIXTY-ONE point THREE!!!!! (and no steroids either!)
Today, I achieved something, that I did not think I was going to do this year...or next.
I broke the sixty mile barrier for the week. Roger Maris hit 61 homers. But I did 61.3. (Spoken like a true Met fan!)
Now, I'm not too sure how else to say this, but in the humblest of terms, I think I am on a tear right now. I have run 10 or more miles for three consecutive days now. In fact, if you discount Thanksgiving, I have run 10 or more miles five days in a row, and six of my last seven runs have been for 10 miles or more.
So why the sudden madness?
I could attribute this to a few reasons. For one, I knew this would be a heavy eating week. And it has shown to be true. Although I was at 160 pounds earlier today (before the pizza and the ice cream), I had tipped the scale as high as 163 just a couple of days ago. So, even with all my long runs, my caloric intake has toppled my long-distanced progress.
Another reason is this goal I have. I had joined a wonderful online group called http://www.runningahead.com/ for runners like myself. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes to run and share their experiences. It has a killer app for logging your runs and other exercises too. In this club, there are user groups that one can join. In the beginning, I had joined a 1000 kilometer group. The goal was simple. Get to 1000km before the "pace bunny" did. The "pace bunny" goes an exact distance each day, based on the 1000km divided by the 365 days in the year. Well, I easily accomplished this feat, and moved onto another group the 1000 mile group.
The 1,000 mile group proved to be a doable feat as well. However, with all the travel I did in September, and my nagging injuries in July, I did not accomplish that goal as fast I wanted to.
So, as such, the 1,500 mile user group was out of the realm of possibilities. Although, I did join that one anyway.
I am currently a little more than halfway between 1200 and 1300 miles. So far the most mileage I have ever done in one month was 171 miles back in August. However, I am at 135 miles this month, and I seem to be really doing well. No pains, no worries. Just full steam ahead. Whereas, I been convincing myself all along that I had absolutely no chance to entertain the possibility of accomplishing this goal, I am not so sure anymore. To get to this goal, I have 36 days left this year to run 251.8 miles. If I could continue doing 10 miles per day, I'd reach this goal by December 20th. Only time and willpower will tell, right?
The third goal, is the goofy comparison regarding the distance that it would take to get to my Dad's house in Florida. One of the things I loved the most about Forrest Gump, was always what a running fool he had been. Running back 'n' forth across the country. I actually admired it. So, in comparison to my false idol, I have ran 1,248.3 miles so far this year. And if you want to know how that rates, well, let me put it to you this way:
My father lives in Tamarac, Florida. If I go to Google Maps and do a point to point direction from where I am right now to his home, the total distance to his front door from mine is 1,276 miles. I am barely a marathon away from reaching his house. At this point I would be physically in Delray Beach. Aqua socks, anybody?
The fourth and final goal (you thought I'd stop at three, didnt'cha?) is that I am desperately trying to improve one of my three weaknesses, my endurance. I need to run more often and run longer each time. My per minute miles are suffering right now, so I am also careful to throw in some tempo runs here and there not to slip in pace. My other two weaknesses right now, is my overeating, and my flexibility. It was my hamstrings that finally went on me in last month's NYC Marathon. My right leg especially. I had pulled a hamstring in my right leg, during a practice softball game playing for Avon Products. That was 9 years ago in 1998.
I broke the sixty mile barrier for the week. Roger Maris hit 61 homers. But I did 61.3. (Spoken like a true Met fan!)
Now, I'm not too sure how else to say this, but in the humblest of terms, I think I am on a tear right now. I have run 10 or more miles for three consecutive days now. In fact, if you discount Thanksgiving, I have run 10 or more miles five days in a row, and six of my last seven runs have been for 10 miles or more.
So why the sudden madness?
I could attribute this to a few reasons. For one, I knew this would be a heavy eating week. And it has shown to be true. Although I was at 160 pounds earlier today (before the pizza and the ice cream), I had tipped the scale as high as 163 just a couple of days ago. So, even with all my long runs, my caloric intake has toppled my long-distanced progress.
Another reason is this goal I have. I had joined a wonderful online group called http://www.runningahead.com/ for runners like myself. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes to run and share their experiences. It has a killer app for logging your runs and other exercises too. In this club, there are user groups that one can join. In the beginning, I had joined a 1000 kilometer group. The goal was simple. Get to 1000km before the "pace bunny" did. The "pace bunny" goes an exact distance each day, based on the 1000km divided by the 365 days in the year. Well, I easily accomplished this feat, and moved onto another group the 1000 mile group.
The 1,000 mile group proved to be a doable feat as well. However, with all the travel I did in September, and my nagging injuries in July, I did not accomplish that goal as fast I wanted to.
So, as such, the 1,500 mile user group was out of the realm of possibilities. Although, I did join that one anyway.
I am currently a little more than halfway between 1200 and 1300 miles. So far the most mileage I have ever done in one month was 171 miles back in August. However, I am at 135 miles this month, and I seem to be really doing well. No pains, no worries. Just full steam ahead. Whereas, I been convincing myself all along that I had absolutely no chance to entertain the possibility of accomplishing this goal, I am not so sure anymore. To get to this goal, I have 36 days left this year to run 251.8 miles. If I could continue doing 10 miles per day, I'd reach this goal by December 20th. Only time and willpower will tell, right?
The third goal, is the goofy comparison regarding the distance that it would take to get to my Dad's house in Florida. One of the things I loved the most about Forrest Gump, was always what a running fool he had been. Running back 'n' forth across the country. I actually admired it. So, in comparison to my false idol, I have ran 1,248.3 miles so far this year. And if you want to know how that rates, well, let me put it to you this way:
My father lives in Tamarac, Florida. If I go to Google Maps and do a point to point direction from where I am right now to his home, the total distance to his front door from mine is 1,276 miles. I am barely a marathon away from reaching his house. At this point I would be physically in Delray Beach. Aqua socks, anybody?The fourth and final goal (you thought I'd stop at three, didnt'cha?) is that I am desperately trying to improve one of my three weaknesses, my endurance. I need to run more often and run longer each time. My per minute miles are suffering right now, so I am also careful to throw in some tempo runs here and there not to slip in pace. My other two weaknesses right now, is my overeating, and my flexibility. It was my hamstrings that finally went on me in last month's NYC Marathon. My right leg especially. I had pulled a hamstring in my right leg, during a practice softball game playing for Avon Products. That was 9 years ago in 1998.
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