Week 11 Recap

Not much to report this week. I did my running, including the 10-mile Sunday run. As with the other long runs, once I hit the 4 mile mark, it really was actually relaxing and gratifying. The training has one more long week (and 10 mile run). Other than that, I am on the "cool down" phase of training. The remaining weeks total and long run are:

Week 12 - 17.5 Miles (6.0)
Week 13 - 21.5 Miles (10.0)
Week 14 - 16.0 Miles (6.0)
Week 15 - 12.0 Miles (4.0)
Week 16 - 4.5 Miles (Race)

That's only 71.5 miles left to train....only a little under 12 hours....Only one month till race day. What will I do after that? Probably see if I can become a body builder....lol

Have a good week.

Week 10 Recap

I'm still here. I know I skipped an entry for week 9, but that's because I was on vacation. I've been keeping up with my running and and excited that the run is only 6 weeks away.

I was asked this week about why I don't run the 13.1 miles before the race, to make sure I can finish. I struggled with an answer until I really thought about it. 13.1 miles is the goal of my training. If I did it before, it would not be the accomplishment I am hoping it will be. Do I think I could push myself and do the run now?.....Yes. Would I be able to do it without feeling the pain for the next week?.....No.

It's no longer about losing weight (I've only lost 5 pounds) to look better. This run is about an accomplishment for me. It's about seeing my name in the paper and getting a medal. It's about doing something others (and me at the beginning) wouldn't think they could do...and having the proof to show it. It's about having a story to re-live when I'm older. IT'S SELFISH!!

Enough ramblish....This week will be 21.5 miles with the long run being 10 miles.

Week 8 Recap

I really think I will be able to finish now. I had my doubts ealier because I had yet to run outside, and week 7 put a real strain on my legs. Week 8 was entirely different. I felt comfortable running and actually think I prefer it to the treadmill. I think it has a lot to do with actually seeing progress made instead of running in one spot. It also save me about an hour/day in drive time and hot tub.

My weekly goal was 20.5 miles with the long Sunday run being 8.5 miles. I completed 21 miles and 9 miles on Sunday. What was strange was I really didn't start to tire until after the 8 mile mark. Week 9 will be the longest training week unless I decided to push things later. At 22.0 miles, it isn't much different than this past week.

Miles Trained - 99.2
Minutes Trained - 1,013
Calories "lost" - 17,265

Week 7 Recap

Back on track this week by running 16.0 miles. I was only supposed to run 15.5, but I felt like I had to start making up for last week.

The big change this week was the fact that I started running outside. Of the 16 miles, 14 of them were in the neighborhood. It is quite a difference in the pounding that my body is taking. On the treadmill, it is flat, a comfortable temperature, and it helps your legs along. Although not drastic, the peeks and valleys put strain on different leg muscles. I ran in the rain and it was also a bit windy on Sunday.

The upcoming week is one of the longest of the whole training program. The 20.5 miles is only 1.5 miles less than the longest week (week 9). Although I would like to try to do it completly outside, I think I will do one of the short runs inside so I can relax in the gym hot tub.

Miles Trained - 78.2
Minutes Trained - 803
Calories Lost - 92.36 cans

Now It's Serious!!

I've made the step that will ensure that I will run the race. I've paid the entry fee. On top of that, I've signed up for the special edition newspaper that details the pre-race activity and gives the race results. I'll be damned if I get a results paper and not have my name in it.

Although I wasn't able to run this past week, I got a vote of confidence from the wife (whether she knew it or not). As with any training, it takes some time away from the family, and we are no different. With me sometimes running at 10p at night, it can be taxing. We were on a neighborhood walk and I was talking about the day of the run and how she could follow my progress online if she wanted because of the chip technology. She made the comment of, "what makes you think I don't want to be there to see you cross the finish line?" Although I know that deep down she supported me getting healthier and completing this goal, it was very uplifting to hear it voiced.

Week 6 Recap

Not much to recap this week. I didn't make it to the gym at all. Not because I didn't want to, but life got in the way again.

On a more positive note, I have found a partner to do the run with. That should provide some extra motivation to make sure I see this thing through to the end.

See you next week.

Week 5 Recap

This week provided a real test in the training program. It wasn't necessarily the 7.0 mile run, but the time it takes to run it. At 74 minutes, plus travel and hot tub, I'm away from the family for 2.5 hours. Luckily the wife has been pretty supportive and sees that it really does have a positive influence on me. My 2 year old is going through a period where he only wants his mom to do things, so I'm sure he doesn't care if I'm gone...lol

I was able to get through the full 18.0 miles this week. Much like my other longer runs, the beginning of the 7.0 mile run was grueling, but after awhile, it was pretty relaxing. I am happy for the day off today, as I'm a little sore.

Next week is much like this week, with a distance of 18.5 miles. Only exception is a Sunday run of 7.5 miles. I have family coming over this weekend and possibly people staying over, so finding the time to run will be a challenge.

On a side note, I've always wondered why long distance runners that I see usually don't have headphones (iPod, etc). I always thought that it had something to do with the weight or the bother of the cord. I decided this week to try running without. Actually my dead batteries decided for me. I was surprised that it actually made the runs easier. It helped it two ways. First, I know that most of the songs are between 4 and 5 minutes long. This provides a sort of timer that tells me how far I have gone. I don't like this. It structures the run too much. This week I put a towel over the distance reader and set a goal for when I could check distance or drink water (ex: One full inning of baseball game). Some innings were long, and some were not.
Secondly, it was more relaxing. I was able to notice other things around me. I even got lost in a TV show in which I had to read the closed captioning. It took my mind off the run. I imagine when I run outside, it is much better.

Distance Run - 62.2 miles
Time Trained - 10 hours, 42 minutes
Calories Lost - 74.9 cans
Low Weekly Weight - 208.8
Average Weekly Weight - 210.1