If you have read my post from yesterday, then you know that I am in need of a major rest day. I have not had a break since the race Sunday and my body is wearing down. I had all intentions of resting all day today until I took out my calendar and started to figure out the best way to incorporate my marathon training while being rested up to push my body at the Moonlight Chase next Saturday. I know that I have one of my biggest runs in my life coming up next week when I have to attempt to run 16 miles at one time! I about died from the 14 mile run last week, but also realize how great of a feeling it was to conquer that mental barrier.
When I started to mix and match my required runs for my marathon training I realized that I had to get my 16 mile run in next Tuesday. That is six days away. I also knew that this week is a recovery week and I was planning on running my 10 mile run on Saturday, but decided that only two days between these runs would not be wise. My body is not in good enough condition to hit up two runs like this so close together. So, I figured that I had no choice but to run the 10 mile today despite my body struggling.
I finally found time today to run and it was not until about 3:00. It was hot out and I knew that it was going to be a tough run from the start. I have not had enough running experience in the heat yet to push my body. I have only ran in the heat a few times and each time my body struggled. I took it nice and easy and made sure I drank plenty of fluids during the run trying to drink every 10-15 minutes. I felt great the first 4.5 miles. However, I quickly started to lose momentum and at mile 6 my body started to shut down. My body just felt tired. Not tired like out of shape, but tired like it just had no energy. Running at a 8:32 mile pace at mile 6 my hear rate was at 168. My body was working harder than when I run hard in the mornings running sub 7 minutes. At mile 7 my average heart rate was 171 and I just did not feel right so I stopped and walked for about 30 seconds to gather myself. 7 miles is the length of the Bix and I had completed in 59 minutes today which is okay considering how terrible I felt. After a slight rest I decided to give it a go again and completed one more mile.
At the end of 8 miles I had a decision to make. I could fight the pain and finish the 10 mile run or call it a day. I decided to call it a day. This frustrates me and in many ways I want to get out there and finish my two miles. However, I think it is a smart decision. This is a recovery week for me. I don't feel like I quit and was weak minded because I had that serious toned voice in my head that was telling me, "Don't be stupid Aaron! Why push so hard now that you have to stop training later?" I think it was a good decision on my behalf. I have to get 24 miles in this week for my recovery week and with this shortened by 2 miles I will be fine. I plan on running the Bix at 6 tomorrow night to practice that course so that is going to give me the miles I missed out on today. Plus, that will be two tough runs in a row for me and also 5 straight days of running. That will leave me with about 3-4 miles left in the week for a nice and easy short recovery run to get in on Sunday. I will take Friday off for sure. Saturday I am supposed to golf so I will not run that day. Sunday I will run in the morning before fireworks in Davenport and all that fun stuff.
As much as it kills me to not get dressed in my gear and go run the two miles I did not complete I have to learn from prior experiences. While training for the half marathon last year and the Chicago Urbanathlon I pushed and pushed and pushed and just wore my body down which lead to a stress fracture and more problems all winter long. I don't want that so I have to remember that running requires days of rest and really being in tune with your body and listening to what the body is suggesting. Yes, I could fight through the pain and true fatigue, but will that help me being that I still have 12 weeks left in my training? No, this is a long term commitment and sometimes we have to call it a day. Today I called it a day and think it was smart. I finished the 8 miles in 1 hour and 7 minutes which is an 8:23 pace. Nothing too impressive, but not too bad as I still am working to acclimate my body to the heat and sun.
I did come home and finish my 100 Push Up Training
Set 1: 19
Set 2: 20
Set 3: 14
Set 4: 14
Set 5: 24+(I did 30)
I am spent. Literally.
However, I am working towards my goals of GETTING IT DONE!
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Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Training - Week 6 - Week 4 of Marathon Training - Monday & Tuesday - Recovery, Time Goals, Body Fat %
I am entering week 4 of my marathon training. This week the miles will be scaled back to 24 total miles. My long run will scale back to 10 miles. This will give the body a chance to recover slightly after a good three weeks of pushing my frontier of my limits. This is a great time for a recovery week as my body is tired and sore from the race and all the pushing I have been doing lately.
With that being said I may go over my mileage slightly as I want to get a practice run in at the Bix at 6 for the big Bix 7 race coming up on July 30th. I ran the race for the first time last year and I ran the race in 58:19. I have my sights on a better time than last year. That is my major goal - to be faster - and just need to dial in a time for myself. A couple practice runs will help me make a decision for my goal. Also, running the Moonlight Chase on July 9th - a 4 mile run - will help me gauge at what rate I can push my body without crashing. For the Moonlight Chase last year I ran the 4 miles in 32:02 which is an 8:01 mile pace.
I was reading my post from the Moonlight Chase from July 11, 2010 where part of that post I shared the following:
I ran the Bix at 6 in 67 minutes which I was very pleased with considering that I am still not in the greatest shape. Last night (Saturday) I ran in the Moonlight Chase. This is a flat 4 mile course in Eldridge. I set a new personal best with my mile pace by finishing in 32:20. This is an 8:05 mile pace. I increased my PR by 11 seconds where my previous best was 8:16. So I was very happy with myself. The hardest challenge is that I am supposed to run 5 miles today and I am very sore. I did sign up for the Bix so I have to prepare for that race and there is not backing out now. So far, so good and I am still on the right path to achieving all my goals. Off to drink another cup of coffee, some coconut water and to the road to run. Maybe I will see you out and about running.
I have forgotten completely where I started and where I am currently with my running. To be honest I never thought I would still be running. I need to go back and read my training posts to do some more reflecting on my progress. This time last year I was starting my training or really running for the first time where in the month of June last year I logged a total of 19 miles for the month and was struggling.
This has reinforced that through trial and error, success and mistakes, maintaining my mental toughness I can turn into a somewhat average runner. Looking at the results from the Moonlight Chase race last year and thinking this year I want to run under 28 minutes is crazy. That is 4 minutes off a time that was a personal best this time last year.
This leads me to my first two days of running this week. On Monday I had a 3 mile easy run. I was looking forward to this as my legs and body were dead from the race on Sunday. However, as I took off in the afternoon in the hot sun I decided that I needed two work on two things:
1. Running in the summer heat as the Moonlight Chase is at night.
2. Running and pushing through the times the body feels tired and legs heavy.
I decided to push my body a little(probably not very smart) and see what I had. It was obvioius right away that I did not have much as I had to really fight to run fast. I ran the 3 miles in 21:01 which is a 7 minute mile pace. This is where I want to be for the race. I am not sure if I can sustain that rate of running for 4 miles, but I am going to try.
Mile 1: 7:24
Mile 2: 6:44
Mile 3: 6:51
I also did a TRX workout titled Endurance. It did not feel like it was that hard of a workout, but today I am sore in places in my core that I did not know existed. I also completed my 100 Push-Up Challenge Training by doing the following
Set 1: 13
Set 2: 17
Set 3: 13
Set 4: 13
Set 5: 19+(I did 30)
It was a good day of work.
Today(Tuesday) I felt very tired. My body hurts and I am sore. I ran the 4 miles easy as suggested. I ran the 4 mile run this morning in 31:09 which is an 7:47 mile pace. It felt good to work out some lactic acid and soreness. My joints hurt so I look forward to taking tomorrow off from running. Wednesday will be good to let the legs rest before the practice Bix @ 6 on Thursday.
Anyways, this has turned out to be a long post, but as I pursue my goal of completing a marathon it is important to take time to reflect, work on the small challenges along the way, and stay realistic and positive with my training.
I hope you are working towards a goal and that you are making progress. Continue to GET IT DONE!
With that being said I may go over my mileage slightly as I want to get a practice run in at the Bix at 6 for the big Bix 7 race coming up on July 30th. I ran the race for the first time last year and I ran the race in 58:19. I have my sights on a better time than last year. That is my major goal - to be faster - and just need to dial in a time for myself. A couple practice runs will help me make a decision for my goal. Also, running the Moonlight Chase on July 9th - a 4 mile run - will help me gauge at what rate I can push my body without crashing. For the Moonlight Chase last year I ran the 4 miles in 32:02 which is an 8:01 mile pace.
I was reading my post from the Moonlight Chase from July 11, 2010 where part of that post I shared the following:
I ran the Bix at 6 in 67 minutes which I was very pleased with considering that I am still not in the greatest shape. Last night (Saturday) I ran in the Moonlight Chase. This is a flat 4 mile course in Eldridge. I set a new personal best with my mile pace by finishing in 32:20. This is an 8:05 mile pace. I increased my PR by 11 seconds where my previous best was 8:16. So I was very happy with myself. The hardest challenge is that I am supposed to run 5 miles today and I am very sore. I did sign up for the Bix so I have to prepare for that race and there is not backing out now. So far, so good and I am still on the right path to achieving all my goals. Off to drink another cup of coffee, some coconut water and to the road to run. Maybe I will see you out and about running.
I have forgotten completely where I started and where I am currently with my running. To be honest I never thought I would still be running. I need to go back and read my training posts to do some more reflecting on my progress. This time last year I was starting my training or really running for the first time where in the month of June last year I logged a total of 19 miles for the month and was struggling.
This has reinforced that through trial and error, success and mistakes, maintaining my mental toughness I can turn into a somewhat average runner. Looking at the results from the Moonlight Chase race last year and thinking this year I want to run under 28 minutes is crazy. That is 4 minutes off a time that was a personal best this time last year.
This leads me to my first two days of running this week. On Monday I had a 3 mile easy run. I was looking forward to this as my legs and body were dead from the race on Sunday. However, as I took off in the afternoon in the hot sun I decided that I needed two work on two things:
1. Running in the summer heat as the Moonlight Chase is at night.
2. Running and pushing through the times the body feels tired and legs heavy.
I decided to push my body a little(probably not very smart) and see what I had. It was obvioius right away that I did not have much as I had to really fight to run fast. I ran the 3 miles in 21:01 which is a 7 minute mile pace. This is where I want to be for the race. I am not sure if I can sustain that rate of running for 4 miles, but I am going to try.
Mile 1: 7:24
Mile 2: 6:44
Mile 3: 6:51
I also did a TRX workout titled Endurance. It did not feel like it was that hard of a workout, but today I am sore in places in my core that I did not know existed. I also completed my 100 Push-Up Challenge Training by doing the following
Set 1: 13
Set 2: 17
Set 3: 13
Set 4: 13
Set 5: 19+(I did 30)
It was a good day of work.
Today(Tuesday) I felt very tired. My body hurts and I am sore. I ran the 4 miles easy as suggested. I ran the 4 mile run this morning in 31:09 which is an 7:47 mile pace. It felt good to work out some lactic acid and soreness. My joints hurt so I look forward to taking tomorrow off from running. Wednesday will be good to let the legs rest before the practice Bix @ 6 on Thursday.
Anyways, this has turned out to be a long post, but as I pursue my goal of completing a marathon it is important to take time to reflect, work on the small challenges along the way, and stay realistic and positive with my training.
I hope you are working towards a goal and that you are making progress. Continue to GET IT DONE!
Getting It Done - How Do You Motivate Yourself In The Morning?
Starting your day off on the right path is the key to reaching your goals.
It is important to get the mind ready for the day as well as the body.
The question is........
It is important to get the mind ready for the day as well as the body.
The question is........
How Do You Motivate Yourself In The Morning?
I think if we can create a list of different techniques that people use we might be able to help out ourselves and one another.
A few things that I have found to be useful.
1. Having my coffee ready to grind and brew when I get up while feeding Ava.
2. Having my plan of action ready for the day ahead of time. I know the night before what I need to accomplish to meet my goal.
3. Eating breakfast. This is something not everyone likes to do, but if you eliminate the snacking right before bed and train the body to eat right away in the morning it is amazing how much better you feel. Don't fill the body with junk, but good food. It really does help.
4. Make things a habit. I have done these things long enough that it just happens. It was difficult at first, but overtime you find yourself out of sorts when you fall off routine.
5. Read my post it note reminder of my current goal while I take time to read through my email, Twitter, and RSS Feeder in the morning.
Please share your ideas and strategies in the comments and hopefully somebody can benefit from your ideas.
Don't forget to keep striving to GETTING IT DONE!
Monday, June 27, 2011
Coffeechug Concepts Diigo Updates 06/25/2011
- Need some more advice of the types of foods you should be eating?
Coffeechug Concepts Diigo Updates 06/23/2011
- Just put these on hold at the library. Cannot wait to read.
- Very interesting
Training - Week 5 - Week 3 of Marathon Training - Sunday - Davenport Duathlon
Yesterday I posted prior to my race experience in the Davenport Duathlon about my goals and expectations for the race.
A day later and after finishing the race I have had to time to reflect a little and examine how my training is going and also how I am progressing towards my goals of running faster and preparing for the marathon.
Once again here is the race breakdown with my goals and what actually happened.
Result: If this run was 2 miles then running at my goal of 15 minutes would put me at a 7:30 pace. I took off at the start and it took a little bit for my legs and breathing to settle into the running mode. I felt like I was flying on the course as I tried to stay in the top 10. For some reason I thought I was in the top 10 of runners, but I think I was 11th. I ran a 6:56 pace for the first run putting me at 17:48(my Garmin stated 17:39). If you look at the official results it looks like everyone was running slow. It shows Jeff Paul running over a 6 minute mile pace, but the distance of the run was off. It was labeled as a 2 mile run, but actually it was a 2.6 mile run. The guys up top were moving at a good clip.
This goal was met with a a great time. I am happy with my run. This is probably the leg of the race that I am least happy with. I felt like I was running faster and probably could have kicked it into a higher gear on this run. A proper warm up would have helped.
Bike - 14.5 miles - Ideally I would like to ride at 14 mph on my bike and wrap this portion of the race in under 1 hour 5 minutes. This would include transition time.
Result: This proved interesting. My transition time was about a minute getting onto my bike. I stopped to take in a GU gel pack and also trying to figure out what to do. I have never transitioned nor practiced so I had to pretty much follow what others were doing. I was the only one without bike shoes and all the bike accessories. I just grabbed my bike, attempted to run with it out of transition, hopped on and started to ride. Being the only mountain/trail bike and being way too big for my bike I sure got some interesting looks while riding. I got into a good stride on the bike and just tried to maintain. I had no idea where the course would lead. Right away moving uphill(easy incline) I started to get passed by the people with real road bikes. I was peddling like crazy and just getting passed by these graceful bikers. I do have aerobars so I was sitting upright for almost the entire ride and several times I tried to pedal as hard as I could without causing complete exhaustion and the bike just would not go above 18 mph. I settled into around 16 mph speed and just tried to maintain. This is two mph faster than my goal. I was passed my 7 or 8 people on the bike if my memory serves me correctly. If you look at the results page you will see that my bike time was by far way slower than the rest in the upper half of the race. I was also the only one without sunglasses and I realized quickly why everyone was wearing them. My eyes were being drilled by gnats and bugs. I also was not expecting this very large hill about 6 miles into the ride. I had my bike on the lowest gear pedaling like crazy and I looked at my speedometer and it read 2.1 mph. That hill killed me! It was so hard. Maybe one of the hardest things I have done knowing I had to turn around and ride back. The bike distance was also off as it was not 14 miles, but 12.2 miles. I finished this leg in 46 minutes which put me at the a ranking of the 21st fastest bike time which is where I knew I would struggle based on my bike. The bike portion is one where your equipment is so important. I loved this part of the race and am looking into maybe getting a bike down the road to see how it helps. Towards the end of the bike race I once again had no idea how things work so I was told to stop going so fast on my bike and then about 10 feet later told to dismount and I was not expecting to dismount that particular location. I had to slam on my brakes and my back wheel skidded out to stop. I jumped off my bike and HOLY COW my legs were jelly. What a weird feeling. I could not feel my legs and they felt so heavy. I did end up having the 7th fastest transition time as I just had to rack up my bike, drink some water and go.
I reached my goal on this portion of the race also. Even if we had to go 14 miles I would have been way ahead of my 1 hour goal. I was very happy to have survived this part of the race despite being passed by so many.
Run #2
Result: When I took off running it felt like I was moving in quicksand. Actually it was more of trying to run in a pool. I felt like I was going so slow. I remember thinking how I pushed too hard on the bike and how am I going to finish the race. However, after about 1 minute or so of running my legs broke free of that feeling and was able to establish a great stride. My cardio felt good and my legs felt pretty decent being that I have never done this before nor ever trained for a run/bike/run. I did not realize at the time that I was running at a 6:45 mile pace. I was very happy with this result. I had the 5th fastest time on the run. The run was 3.2 miles( I am using my Garmin mile splits as the race splits are all off). I was very happy with this time. This is probably where I feel the best about the race. This shows my training is working as I was able to push my body after the run and bike portion and really run strong. This gives me great confidence in my 4 mile race coming up in two weeks and also for the Bix 7 race.
f
My goal was to complete all three legs in an overall time at 1 hour 44 minutes. Adding in the transitions I would guess that would mean 1 hour 50 minutes for the race. I ended up with a time of 1 hour 27 minutes for the 18 mile course which is far faster than my goal. I will be honest and tell you that I shocked myself at my results.
This was a great race. I really enjoyed the run and biking combo and will be looking for others to compete in.
Here are some things I learned.
1. How to put a bike on the bike rack. I had no clue and when I arrived I was the only one not assembling or testing out a bike. I had to wait for someone to rack their bike so I could see how to do it. I felt like an idiot. I sent a text to Amanda telling her that I did not belong in this race. Here is how I felt when I arrived and felt out of my league.(see picture above)
2. Get a proper warm up in before the race. Now that I am striving for some faster times I need to be warmed up prior to the race. I need to find out what others do to get ready. I need to be ready from the start. I have a few weeks to research this before the Moonlight Chase race.
3. Jeff Paul is not only an amazing athlete, but an amazing person. He works with Amanda at the junior high where they teach. He not only is inspiration for those around him, but he is so down to earth. Some people in all their gear and equipment stride around like they are so cool and amazing, but not Jeff. As I was running to the finish line he was there cheering for me, giving me a high five, and doing those small things that make him a great person. There is a reason he is not only an amazing triathlete/athlete, but a great person. He is one who more people should look to follow and see how he leads by example. I hope his good luck finds him on his upcoming races.
4. Once again I have proved to myself that the body is so much stronger than the mind. I am still learning so much about pushing myself to the limits. As I continue to train and eat properly my body is constantly adapting to the challenges. I love it.
This was a great experience. I hope this comes around again as I know the field was small this year(about 50). However, it was only the first year and I think word will spread.
I GOT IT DONE yesterday and feel good about it. Today, I am back at it getting ready for week four in my training. Things are scaled back a bit this week, but still a good week to prep the body.
A day later and after finishing the race I have had to time to reflect a little and examine how my training is going and also how I am progressing towards my goals of running faster and preparing for the marathon.
Once again here is the race breakdown with my goals and what actually happened.
Davenport Duathlon - Course
Run #1 - 2 miles - My goal is to run this in 15 minutes or lessResult: If this run was 2 miles then running at my goal of 15 minutes would put me at a 7:30 pace. I took off at the start and it took a little bit for my legs and breathing to settle into the running mode. I felt like I was flying on the course as I tried to stay in the top 10. For some reason I thought I was in the top 10 of runners, but I think I was 11th. I ran a 6:56 pace for the first run putting me at 17:48(my Garmin stated 17:39). If you look at the official results it looks like everyone was running slow. It shows Jeff Paul running over a 6 minute mile pace, but the distance of the run was off. It was labeled as a 2 mile run, but actually it was a 2.6 mile run. The guys up top were moving at a good clip.
This goal was met with a a great time. I am happy with my run. This is probably the leg of the race that I am least happy with. I felt like I was running faster and probably could have kicked it into a higher gear on this run. A proper warm up would have helped.
Bike - 14.5 miles - Ideally I would like to ride at 14 mph on my bike and wrap this portion of the race in under 1 hour 5 minutes. This would include transition time.
Result: This proved interesting. My transition time was about a minute getting onto my bike. I stopped to take in a GU gel pack and also trying to figure out what to do. I have never transitioned nor practiced so I had to pretty much follow what others were doing. I was the only one without bike shoes and all the bike accessories. I just grabbed my bike, attempted to run with it out of transition, hopped on and started to ride. Being the only mountain/trail bike and being way too big for my bike I sure got some interesting looks while riding. I got into a good stride on the bike and just tried to maintain. I had no idea where the course would lead. Right away moving uphill(easy incline) I started to get passed by the people with real road bikes. I was peddling like crazy and just getting passed by these graceful bikers. I do have aerobars so I was sitting upright for almost the entire ride and several times I tried to pedal as hard as I could without causing complete exhaustion and the bike just would not go above 18 mph. I settled into around 16 mph speed and just tried to maintain. This is two mph faster than my goal. I was passed my 7 or 8 people on the bike if my memory serves me correctly. If you look at the results page you will see that my bike time was by far way slower than the rest in the upper half of the race. I was also the only one without sunglasses and I realized quickly why everyone was wearing them. My eyes were being drilled by gnats and bugs. I also was not expecting this very large hill about 6 miles into the ride. I had my bike on the lowest gear pedaling like crazy and I looked at my speedometer and it read 2.1 mph. That hill killed me! It was so hard. Maybe one of the hardest things I have done knowing I had to turn around and ride back. The bike distance was also off as it was not 14 miles, but 12.2 miles. I finished this leg in 46 minutes which put me at the a ranking of the 21st fastest bike time which is where I knew I would struggle based on my bike. The bike portion is one where your equipment is so important. I loved this part of the race and am looking into maybe getting a bike down the road to see how it helps. Towards the end of the bike race I once again had no idea how things work so I was told to stop going so fast on my bike and then about 10 feet later told to dismount and I was not expecting to dismount that particular location. I had to slam on my brakes and my back wheel skidded out to stop. I jumped off my bike and HOLY COW my legs were jelly. What a weird feeling. I could not feel my legs and they felt so heavy. I did end up having the 7th fastest transition time as I just had to rack up my bike, drink some water and go.
I reached my goal on this portion of the race also. Even if we had to go 14 miles I would have been way ahead of my 1 hour goal. I was very happy to have survived this part of the race despite being passed by so many.
Run #2
Result: When I took off running it felt like I was moving in quicksand. Actually it was more of trying to run in a pool. I felt like I was going so slow. I remember thinking how I pushed too hard on the bike and how am I going to finish the race. However, after about 1 minute or so of running my legs broke free of that feeling and was able to establish a great stride. My cardio felt good and my legs felt pretty decent being that I have never done this before nor ever trained for a run/bike/run. I did not realize at the time that I was running at a 6:45 mile pace. I was very happy with this result. I had the 5th fastest time on the run. The run was 3.2 miles( I am using my Garmin mile splits as the race splits are all off). I was very happy with this time. This is probably where I feel the best about the race. This shows my training is working as I was able to push my body after the run and bike portion and really run strong. This gives me great confidence in my 4 mile race coming up in two weeks and also for the Bix 7 race.
fMy goal was to complete all three legs in an overall time at 1 hour 44 minutes. Adding in the transitions I would guess that would mean 1 hour 50 minutes for the race. I ended up with a time of 1 hour 27 minutes for the 18 mile course which is far faster than my goal. I will be honest and tell you that I shocked myself at my results.
This was a great race. I really enjoyed the run and biking combo and will be looking for others to compete in.
 | |
| Bike 11: The only mountain/trail bike |
 |
| Here I am thinking, "Holy crap, what am I doing? |
Here are some things I learned.
1. How to put a bike on the bike rack. I had no clue and when I arrived I was the only one not assembling or testing out a bike. I had to wait for someone to rack their bike so I could see how to do it. I felt like an idiot. I sent a text to Amanda telling her that I did not belong in this race. Here is how I felt when I arrived and felt out of my league.(see picture above)
2. Get a proper warm up in before the race. Now that I am striving for some faster times I need to be warmed up prior to the race. I need to find out what others do to get ready. I need to be ready from the start. I have a few weeks to research this before the Moonlight Chase race.
3. Jeff Paul is not only an amazing athlete, but an amazing person. He works with Amanda at the junior high where they teach. He not only is inspiration for those around him, but he is so down to earth. Some people in all their gear and equipment stride around like they are so cool and amazing, but not Jeff. As I was running to the finish line he was there cheering for me, giving me a high five, and doing those small things that make him a great person. There is a reason he is not only an amazing triathlete/athlete, but a great person. He is one who more people should look to follow and see how he leads by example. I hope his good luck finds him on his upcoming races.
4. Once again I have proved to myself that the body is so much stronger than the mind. I am still learning so much about pushing myself to the limits. As I continue to train and eat properly my body is constantly adapting to the challenges. I love it.
This was a great experience. I hope this comes around again as I know the field was small this year(about 50). However, it was only the first year and I think word will spread.
I GOT IT DONE yesterday and feel good about it. Today, I am back at it getting ready for week four in my training. Things are scaled back a bit this week, but still a good week to prep the body.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Davenport Duathlon Pre Race Post To Alleviate Nerves
It is about 3 hours to race time. I have been up since 4 to get my coffee, water, breakfast, and some Gatorade into the system. I am just about to embark on fitting my bike into my Escape(the old school Escape with a tape deck!). As I prepare my mind for this race here are the thoughts going through my head.
1. What are you doing in this race?
2. How jelly like are my legs going to be after riding 14 miles on a bike? The furthest I have rode on a bike is 8 miles and I could barely walk due to the jelly like state of my legs afterwards.
3. Please God don't let me crash or make someone else upset.
4. Will I look like a complete newbie with my basketball shorts on?
5. How do I transition? I have never seen this happen before. Should provide as entertainment.
6. Suck it up Aaron and Get It Done!
Below is the basic structure of the course. I have posted my projected goals for each leg of the race. This is purely guesswork as I have no idea how the bike ride will go or how my legs will feel after the bike ride.
Davenport Duathlon - Course
Run #1 - 2 miles - My goal is to run this in 15 minutes or less
Bike - 14.5 miles - Ideally I would like to ride at 14 mph on my bike and wrap this portion of the race in under 1 hour 5 minutes. This would include transition time.
Run #2 - 3.1 miles (5 km) - I really have no idea how my legs will feel as I have never done this before, but I would like to get this part done in under 24 minutes which is about an 8 minute pace. I hope I would be able to run faster, but who knows.
f
This would put my overall time at 1 hour 44 minutes. Adding in the transitions I would guess that would mean 1 hour 50 minutes for the race. Not sure how that compares with being fast or slow, but I am assuming slow as I know the ones who have good bikes and know how to ride a bike will be moving at around 20-25 mph.
I will let you know how it goes. Time to pack up, shake out the nerves, find out how to put a number on my bike, find out how transitions work, maybe find some rules that I should be aware of, and just go out push myself and have some fun.
Please go away rain to eliminate any further chances of injury.
What are you doing this weekend to reach your goals?
Bike - 14.5 miles - Ideally I would like to ride at 14 mph on my bike and wrap this portion of the race in under 1 hour 5 minutes. This would include transition time.
Run #2 - 3.1 miles (5 km) - I really have no idea how my legs will feel as I have never done this before, but I would like to get this part done in under 24 minutes which is about an 8 minute pace. I hope I would be able to run faster, but who knows.
fThis would put my overall time at 1 hour 44 minutes. Adding in the transitions I would guess that would mean 1 hour 50 minutes for the race. Not sure how that compares with being fast or slow, but I am assuming slow as I know the ones who have good bikes and know how to ride a bike will be moving at around 20-25 mph.
I will let you know how it goes. Time to pack up, shake out the nerves, find out how to put a number on my bike, find out how transitions work, maybe find some rules that I should be aware of, and just go out push myself and have some fun.
Please go away rain to eliminate any further chances of injury.
What are you doing this weekend to reach your goals?
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Getting It Done - Mix Things Up and Face Your Fears
I did it.
I posted on Twitter earlier today the following: @coffeechugbooks sometimes we just have to be brave and try something new to see where it takes us. will be announcing new challenge later today.
I just registered for the Davenport Duathlon being held tomorrow.
It is a 2 mile run, followed by a 14 mile bike ride, then finishing up with a 5k run.
I have never rode a bike 14 miles before. I tried a long bike ride on Friday and after 8 miles I was gassed.
This should prove interesting.
So the question is, "Why am I doing this?"
To knock down another mental wall in my head. I believe this is one more step for me accomplishing a future goal of mine of completing a triathlon.
Also, this is a great conditioner for my body in my training for my marathon and other races.
And it is a challenge. I look forward to challenges. I am nervous you bet, but I will handle my own tomorrow(hopefully).
I had to go out and buy a helmet as I did not own one and also a water bottle for my bike as I never needed one prior to tomorrow.
I feel the mental strength to sign up for this race stems from my daughter Addyson who after refusing to ride her bike without training wheels(I accidentally drove over them) for months, woke up yesterday, jumped on her bike and started riding instantly. She just decided that enough was enough and now she is a speed demon in the neighborhood. If she can overcome her fears at the age of 4, then I can overcome my fears at my age.
Yes, this is one more step in my conquest of Getting It Done.
What are you doing to Get It Done? Mix things up, try something new, create a little challenge to pull you out of your rut and see where your at. Face those fears.
P.S. Say a prayer for me that I don't crash or hurt anyone on the way tomorrow. I am putting lives at risk with my big body on a cheap Schwinn.
I posted on Twitter earlier today the following: @coffeechugbooks sometimes we just have to be brave and try something new to see where it takes us. will be announcing new challenge later today.
I just registered for the Davenport Duathlon being held tomorrow.
It is a 2 mile run, followed by a 14 mile bike ride, then finishing up with a 5k run.
I have never rode a bike 14 miles before. I tried a long bike ride on Friday and after 8 miles I was gassed.
This should prove interesting.
So the question is, "Why am I doing this?"
To knock down another mental wall in my head. I believe this is one more step for me accomplishing a future goal of mine of completing a triathlon.
Also, this is a great conditioner for my body in my training for my marathon and other races.
And it is a challenge. I look forward to challenges. I am nervous you bet, but I will handle my own tomorrow(hopefully).
I had to go out and buy a helmet as I did not own one and also a water bottle for my bike as I never needed one prior to tomorrow.
Yes, this is one more step in my conquest of Getting It Done.
What are you doing to Get It Done? Mix things up, try something new, create a little challenge to pull you out of your rut and see where your at. Face those fears.
P.S. Say a prayer for me that I don't crash or hurt anyone on the way tomorrow. I am putting lives at risk with my big body on a cheap Schwinn.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Training - Week 5 - Week 3 of Marathon Training - Friday - A Hodge Podge of Excercise
Woke up this morning at 4:50 and ate a small bowl of cereal.
I was still feeling the effects from the 14 mile run on Wednesday.
I took yesterday off completely and did not do anything workout related to let the body regroup as I had not had a rest day since Saturday and my body was in need of one.
I got up this morning and decided to jump on my bike to warm up my leg muscles and get a good little workout in prior to my 3 mile easy run.
I rode 8.43 miles on the bike in 35 minutes. My legs were dead the last few miles. I am not a bike rider at all. This being only like the 4th or 5th time of actually riding a bike this summer. I finished up the ride and tried to go downstairs in my house to knock out some push-ups and my legs about buckled from under me. I was able to manage without crashing which was a minor miracle in itself.
After my bike ride I knocked out my 100 Push-Up Challenge workout that I did not get in on Wednesday.
Set 1: 14
Set 2: 17
Set 3: 12
Set 4: 12
Set 5: 19+(I did 35)
After this I stretched out a little bit and 10 minutes later I took off on a 3 mile run with You-Dee. This was a needed run to knock out the fatigue and heaviness in my legs. I ran the 3 miles in 23:37 which is a 7:48 pace. The first two miles were nice and easy like I needed, but I decided to push the last mile to see what I had and ran mile 3 in 7:07. I recovered very quickly after the run which is great for me.
This is a great start to the day. All done by 7 am. What are you doing to start your day on the right track? Don't wait, get going now on your goals.
Later I might knock out a TRX workout, but we will see how the day develops. Have a great Friday.
Time for some breakfast.
I was still feeling the effects from the 14 mile run on Wednesday.
I took yesterday off completely and did not do anything workout related to let the body regroup as I had not had a rest day since Saturday and my body was in need of one.
I got up this morning and decided to jump on my bike to warm up my leg muscles and get a good little workout in prior to my 3 mile easy run.
I rode 8.43 miles on the bike in 35 minutes. My legs were dead the last few miles. I am not a bike rider at all. This being only like the 4th or 5th time of actually riding a bike this summer. I finished up the ride and tried to go downstairs in my house to knock out some push-ups and my legs about buckled from under me. I was able to manage without crashing which was a minor miracle in itself.
After my bike ride I knocked out my 100 Push-Up Challenge workout that I did not get in on Wednesday.
Set 1: 14
Set 2: 17
Set 3: 12
Set 4: 12
Set 5: 19+(I did 35)
After this I stretched out a little bit and 10 minutes later I took off on a 3 mile run with You-Dee. This was a needed run to knock out the fatigue and heaviness in my legs. I ran the 3 miles in 23:37 which is a 7:48 pace. The first two miles were nice and easy like I needed, but I decided to push the last mile to see what I had and ran mile 3 in 7:07. I recovered very quickly after the run which is great for me.
This is a great start to the day. All done by 7 am. What are you doing to start your day on the right track? Don't wait, get going now on your goals.
Later I might knock out a TRX workout, but we will see how the day develops. Have a great Friday.
Time for some breakfast.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Book Review: Level Up by Gene Luen Yang
Product Description(from Amazon.com)
Smackdown!
Video Games vs. Medical School!
Which will win the battle for our hero’s attention in Gene Luen Yang’s new graphic novel?
Dennis Ouyang lives in the shadow of his parents’ high expectations. They want him to go to med school and become a doctor. Dennis just wants to play video games—and he might actually be good enough to do it professionally. But four adorable, bossy, and occasionally terrifying angels arrive just in time to lead Dennis back onto the straight and narrow: the path to gastroenterology. It’s all part of the plan, they tell him. But is it? This powerful piece of magical realism brings into sharp relief the conflict many teens face between pursuing their dreams and living their parents’. Partnered with the deceptively simple, cute art of newcomer Thien Pham, Gene Yang has returned to the subject he revolutionized with American Born Chinese. Whimsical and serious by turns, Level Up is a new look at the tale that Yang has made his own: coming of age as an Asian American.
My Thoughts
I have not posted a book review in quite some time or at least it seems like a long time. I just have not been able to find the time needed to get the reading done. Plus, being summer I usually don't read much YA as I just need a break from this genre after reading it all school year.
However, I was excited to read this graphic novel. The cover alone was enough to sell me as it brought back my memories of playing on my Gameboy for hours and hours and hours. Man, how times have changed in the gaming world, but the Gameboy was unstoppable for a long time.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel. I read it in one sitting one morning when I awoke before the rest of the crew. I sat on my deck with my coffee and breezed right through this. I really became in tune with the main character as he was trying to balance the tough decisions of life - living the life you want or living the life your parents want. As we grow up this is a tough decision. Early on we often think we have everything figured out and that is not always the case. Without parents who knows where some of us would end up. However, as we continue to grow up, leave high school, and enter college we start to understand the world and ourselves. This book does a great job touching upon how we just need to do what makes us happy. As parents it is a good reminder to make sure we prepare our kids to make their own decisions and not try to dictate their lives. Both are very hard.
The illustrations were great. I like the style and art. I enjoyed how as the main character went through the different phases of life it was breached by "Level One, Level Two...." just like in a video game. The dialogue was great. I actually wrote down a few phrases to use in some future blog posts as I found myself really thinking about some of the comments of the characters.
The one thing that I understood why they were there, but got on my nerves after a little while were the angels. It all makes sense when you read, but for part of the reading I was like, "Why are they being used again?" Once you read, then you will understand the meaning behind them and it works well.
This is another great graphic novel. I am slowly enjoying these more and more as I pick these up to read every so often. This is another one that rather surprised me and recommend to anyone. And yes, it did cause me to pull out my old Gameboy from storage and give it a try.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Training - Week 5 - Week 3 of Marathon Training - Wednesday 14 Mile Long Run - Longest Distance Ever and in the Rain and with Consequences
I apologize now for the long title to this post and for the long entry, but I have a lot to say.
Here I sit at 10:32 at night typing up this post when I should be in bed as I know Ava will be up tonight and the kids will be up bright and early ready for breakfast. But, I had to get this post typed up as I have some great things to share.
Today I was all prepped to get my long run in for the week. It has only been 6 days since last week when I did my last long run, but for some reason I was mentally prepared to run the long distance today. Being that I was afraid and doubted that I could run 14 miles I figured I should get it done today.
I woke up late this morning. I was exhausted. I just could not stop being tired. Amanda had to tutor at 9:00 so I had to wait until she came back which at that time it started to rain. I was mad as I was all geared up with pre run nutrition and hydration and mindset. I had to wait because she had to tutor again at 1:00. God bless her soul for helping the youth with math because I can barely count on my fingers.
By this point in the day I decided to pack it up and call it a rest day. However, I was anxious for some reason. I was constantly in motion in my house and driving everyone crazy. Finally, about 4:30 I decided to pack up and go for it. We had a house full of kids, but Amanda had her friends over so I did not feel too guilty and took off.
It rained and rained and rained and misted in between the rain. It was cool out so I did not have to worry about overheating. I felt really good in the beginning. I had to serious plot out my route while running to make sure I did not repeat any roads because I tend to lose motivation when I have to loop.
I really focused on running nice and easy to make sure I completed the run. I was able to finish the 14 mile run in 2 hours and 2 minutes which is an 8:44 pace and a burning of almost 2500 calories for me. This is the longest run and time ever for me. I was so proud. I actually almost got teary eyed on mile 13.5 realizing that I busted down the walls that I set in my mind. I will be honest and tell you that I did not think I would be able to run this far. I know it goes against my GETTING IT DONE mindset, but I had seriously built up some mental walls. Knowing that I busted through that wall today is huge for me. I was actually able to tell that I was proud because I ran the last mile in 8:14 after the previous miles were all 8:30 or above.
I DID IT. So can you! You just have to put in your mind to get it done.
I did learn many new things during my two hours out on the road.
1. My family is awesome. I always think how lucky I am to have a wife who allows me to wander aimlessly around town running when she is stuck at home with the kids. God bless her as she is always supportive of all my crazy ideas.
2. I have been reading lately about not running in cotton socks. I keep reading about how they can cause blisters. I have never had blisters, but I never usually ran that far either. Today during the rain and the long run I learned that cotton socks do cause blisters. Check out my first nasty blister. Time for some running socks and to learn how to care for a blister. Any suggestions would be great!
Here I sit at 10:32 at night typing up this post when I should be in bed as I know Ava will be up tonight and the kids will be up bright and early ready for breakfast. But, I had to get this post typed up as I have some great things to share.
Today I was all prepped to get my long run in for the week. It has only been 6 days since last week when I did my last long run, but for some reason I was mentally prepared to run the long distance today. Being that I was afraid and doubted that I could run 14 miles I figured I should get it done today.
I woke up late this morning. I was exhausted. I just could not stop being tired. Amanda had to tutor at 9:00 so I had to wait until she came back which at that time it started to rain. I was mad as I was all geared up with pre run nutrition and hydration and mindset. I had to wait because she had to tutor again at 1:00. God bless her soul for helping the youth with math because I can barely count on my fingers.
By this point in the day I decided to pack it up and call it a rest day. However, I was anxious for some reason. I was constantly in motion in my house and driving everyone crazy. Finally, about 4:30 I decided to pack up and go for it. We had a house full of kids, but Amanda had her friends over so I did not feel too guilty and took off.
It rained and rained and rained and misted in between the rain. It was cool out so I did not have to worry about overheating. I felt really good in the beginning. I had to serious plot out my route while running to make sure I did not repeat any roads because I tend to lose motivation when I have to loop.
I really focused on running nice and easy to make sure I completed the run. I was able to finish the 14 mile run in 2 hours and 2 minutes which is an 8:44 pace and a burning of almost 2500 calories for me. This is the longest run and time ever for me. I was so proud. I actually almost got teary eyed on mile 13.5 realizing that I busted down the walls that I set in my mind. I will be honest and tell you that I did not think I would be able to run this far. I know it goes against my GETTING IT DONE mindset, but I had seriously built up some mental walls. Knowing that I busted through that wall today is huge for me. I was actually able to tell that I was proud because I ran the last mile in 8:14 after the previous miles were all 8:30 or above.
I DID IT. So can you! You just have to put in your mind to get it done.
I did learn many new things during my two hours out on the road.
1. My family is awesome. I always think how lucky I am to have a wife who allows me to wander aimlessly around town running when she is stuck at home with the kids. God bless her as she is always supportive of all my crazy ideas.
2. I have been reading lately about not running in cotton socks. I keep reading about how they can cause blisters. I have never had blisters, but I never usually ran that far either. Today during the rain and the long run I learned that cotton socks do cause blisters. Check out my first nasty blister. Time for some running socks and to learn how to care for a blister. Any suggestions would be great!
3. Stomach Issues - I don't know what it is, but my last few runs over 5 miles have caused me great stomach problems. My stomach will hurt during the run and for several hours after running. Not sure what causes this, but this is something I need to find a solution to because it kills! I had to fight a terrible stomach pain the last 7 miles like no other. It was not fun.
4. Knees - I feel like I am complaining a lot, but my knees were on fire the last three miles. Everything else besides my knees, stomach, and blister were awesome. Cardio wise I felt great. Legs felt good until the last mile, but my knees were shot.
5. I CAN DO THIS - For a marathon I would still have 12 more miles, but I know that after today of breaking down my mental wall that I can do anything I put my mind to. This is a huge day for me. I know thousands of people run this distance all the time, but I am not what I consider a "runner" nor do I have the body of a "runner" so this is huge for me.
Time for bed and praying for no cramps. My legs are dead and my toe hurts. Good night.
Don't forget to ask yourself what you are doing to break down your mental walls. What are your strategies? I would love to hear them.
#Trust30 - Writing Prompt #9: Afraid to Do..........Youth Sports Issues, My Business Idea, and Running a Marathon
I signed up to be part of this writing project by one of my favorite people on the internet, Seth Godin. It is called the Trust 30 Project.
#Trust30 is an online initiative and 30-day writing challenge that encourages you to look within and trust yourself. Use this as an opportunity to reflect on your now, and to create direction for your future. 30 prompts from inspiring thought-leaders will guide you on your writing journey.
I am several few days behind so I will be catching up on the writing prompts by posting a few a day until I am caught up.
Here is the website if you want to learn more and join. Please let me know if you join so I can read your posts.
http://ralphwaldoemerson.me/
Afraid to Do by Mary Jaksch
Emerson says: “Always do what you are afraid to do.” What is ‘too scary’ to write about? Try doing it now.
(Author: Mary Jaksch)
As you know I am way behind on these writing prompts, but this writing prompt is actually the topic of a future Getting It Done post in my new series. This ties in so well with a recent episode of Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition where the latest episode trainer Chris Powell tells the person he is working with that he needs to get over his fear. He states that you will always be scared of your fears until you deal with them. Staying scared will never solve the problem.
This topic is very much what I am currently trying to overcome. I will be honest in that I am scared of actually running a marathon. I cannot imagine myself running 26.2 miles. That is why I post so much on my training to keep me going. It would be so easy to fold on myself if I was not sharing my journey with you readers. However, those days where I have self doubt I think of the blog and remember that I cannot let the people down and need to see through what I am writing about.
This is what I am doing. Documenting my journey. This post has already begun and will continue to the next 4 months.
I love this topic. This is one that I hope to use in my classroom. We must learn to face our fears.
I am trying to think of other fears that are too scary to write about and I am not sure I have anything else on my plate.
Actually..........I take that back.
I have considered for years starting up my own business where I work with local athletes on sports nutrition, fitness, conditioning, and skill work. I know nothing too new here. Where I would be different is that I would not train sport specific at younger ages. Instead I would focus on team dynamics, agility, core strength, quickness, etc. so that no matter what sport the athlete ventured into in their future, their time and money would not be wasted. I cannot tell you how many examples we have of athletes committing to one or two sports at a very young age, playing year round, and by the time they are ready for high school or college they are burned out and no longer want to play. My approach would keep things fresh and fun for a long time and hopefully eliminate this issue. I think youth sports in America is a mess and and I have many issues with how things are dealt and ran.
One of these days I will test this idea out(maybe with my own kids). First things first, I need to run that marathon.
There you have it. Two ideas
What about you?
Coffeechug Concepts Diigo Updates 06/21/2011
- It is time to make it final and sign up.
- Just placed all of these on hold at my library.
- Anyone subscribe to this? I am curious to how good the content is as this sounds like a really great idea.
- Two more books for me to read and check out
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Coffeechug Reading Updates and Reviews
I have not been posting book reviews as often this summer and for good reason. I just don't have the time. With Ava, Addy, and Aiden mixed in with some marathon and fitness training my days are flying by. I do however, still read and just wanted to update everyone with what I am reading and reviews coming down the pipeline.
Remember you can always follow/friend me on Goodreads to stay current with all my reading as well.
1. Level One by Gene Luen Yang - finished and review coming later this week. Great graphic novel!
2. Game Of Thrones by George R.R. Martin - One of my favorite books of all time. If only I had more time to begin book 2 and get through books 3 and 4 before the new one arrives in July. Review coming soon.
3. A Story Of A Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon - currently reading for my book club that I run. We meet next week so I need to get moving on this.
4. 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss - just got this from the library yesterday, read about 10 pages and am ready to buy for my Kindle. I love books like this where you can take away some great ideas to help your life.
5. Improving Endurance by Paul Mason - this took me about 20 minutes to get through. A short review coming later, but not much to say.
6. A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan - another great novel I am currently reading for a book club on Goodreads. I will have this finished as soon as I finish book #3 above. Loving this book so far.
That is enough to keep me busy. What about you? Any good suggestions for me to add to my already large list of TBR's?
Remember you can always follow/friend me on Goodreads to stay current with all my reading as well.
1. Level One by Gene Luen Yang - finished and review coming later this week. Great graphic novel!
2. Game Of Thrones by George R.R. Martin - One of my favorite books of all time. If only I had more time to begin book 2 and get through books 3 and 4 before the new one arrives in July. Review coming soon.
3. A Story Of A Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon - currently reading for my book club that I run. We meet next week so I need to get moving on this.
4. 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss - just got this from the library yesterday, read about 10 pages and am ready to buy for my Kindle. I love books like this where you can take away some great ideas to help your life.
5. Improving Endurance by Paul Mason - this took me about 20 minutes to get through. A short review coming later, but not much to say.
6. A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan - another great novel I am currently reading for a book club on Goodreads. I will have this finished as soon as I finish book #3 above. Loving this book so far.
That is enough to keep me busy. What about you? Any good suggestions for me to add to my already large list of TBR's?
Training - Week 5 - Week 3 of Marathon Training - Tuesday 5 Mile EZ...A Good Nice Run!
Woke up this morning to a great morning. It was warm, but not too hot. The rain cleared out last night and so this morning was a great time to run.
I jumped on my bike to the Y for a warm up as my legs and body were tired and a tad bit sore from the workout last night. Two miles is such a perfect distance for warming up and cooling down.
Ran with You-Dee this morning and it was a nice change to be able to run and hold a conversation. It was a nice break from my headphones. We ran at a good easy pace as I did not want to push too much as I pushed pretty hard yesterday and big guy is still trying to get his hip back in shape to run.
We ran the 5 miles in 40 minutes for an 8:05 pace.
Did some cool down stretching and rode my bike on back home. This last sentence reminded of a Jimmy Buffett song:
Blew out my flip flop
Stepped on a pop top
Cut my heel, had to cruise on back home
Totals for this morning
2 Mile Bike Ride - 8:46
5 Mile Run - 40:28
2 Mile Bike Ride - 8:04
A great morning. Off to make a healthy blueberry breakfast pie thing with the kids and enjoy the rest of the day.
Are you reaching your goals? What did you do this morning to ensure a great day?
GET IT DONE!
I jumped on my bike to the Y for a warm up as my legs and body were tired and a tad bit sore from the workout last night. Two miles is such a perfect distance for warming up and cooling down.
Ran with You-Dee this morning and it was a nice change to be able to run and hold a conversation. It was a nice break from my headphones. We ran at a good easy pace as I did not want to push too much as I pushed pretty hard yesterday and big guy is still trying to get his hip back in shape to run.
We ran the 5 miles in 40 minutes for an 8:05 pace.
Did some cool down stretching and rode my bike on back home. This last sentence reminded of a Jimmy Buffett song:
Blew out my flip flop
Stepped on a pop top
Cut my heel, had to cruise on back home
Totals for this morning
2 Mile Bike Ride - 8:46
5 Mile Run - 40:28
2 Mile Bike Ride - 8:04
A great morning. Off to make a healthy blueberry breakfast pie thing with the kids and enjoy the rest of the day.
Are you reaching your goals? What did you do this morning to ensure a great day?
GET IT DONE!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Training - Week 5 - Week 3 of Marathon Training - Monday 3 Mile EZ...Test of Body
My last post was part of my Getting It Done series and in that post I talked about the frustrations I get with people making excuses. I made a vow to myself today to not make any excuses and get the job done.
Tonight after Aiden finished his baseball game I came home and ran 3 miles. It was supposed to be an easy run, but I felt pretty good in the 80 degree heat and started thinking about my 4 mile race coming up in 3 weeks. I have a goal for the race and tonight I decided to push my body a little bit to see where I was training wise. Trying to push the body for a fast time on a 4 mile run is much different than training to sustain movement over the course of 26 miles.
I ran the 3 miles in 21:48 which comes to a 7:14 pace. I felt good afterwards and was able to recover pretty quickly. I hope I can push a little harder next week and see how much I can trim off this time before finalizing my run time. Right now I am set on running the 4 mile race under 28 minutes.
Here is quick breakdown
Mile 1: 7:32
Mile 2: 7:12
Mile 3: 6:57
I came home and then completed my 7 Weeks to 100 Push-Up Challenge since my body was nice and warmed up.
Set 1: 12
Set 2: 15
Set 3: 10
Set 4: 10
Set 5: 19+ (I knocked out 30)
Being the start of the 3rd week in this program I am still having a hard time imagining being able to do 100 consecutive push-ups, but time will tell.
I also wanted to get in a TRX workout tonight as well. This part proved tough. I started the workout, but Ava was being fussy so I had to stop mid workout to help with Ava. Finally, I was able to get AVa calmed down, took Aiden down to the basement with me and had to find the desire to finish this workout. I completed the TRX 3D Strong workout. Holy Cow! This workout was harder than the Condition to Win. It really taxed my body and made me realize how weak I am. My shoulders are very sore right now along with some tired legs.
I did not make excuses. I found a way to get it all done. Really, when you break down the time this all took just a little over an hour. That is one tv program or elimination of checking Facebook for the 100-200 times of the day.
Find a way to reach your goals. I mentioned in a previous Getting It Done post about setting a goal. Coming up I will be talking about the system in which I use to help me mark my checkpoints along the way to achieving my goals.
It is time for bed as I have a run bright and early tomorrow.
Tonight after Aiden finished his baseball game I came home and ran 3 miles. It was supposed to be an easy run, but I felt pretty good in the 80 degree heat and started thinking about my 4 mile race coming up in 3 weeks. I have a goal for the race and tonight I decided to push my body a little bit to see where I was training wise. Trying to push the body for a fast time on a 4 mile run is much different than training to sustain movement over the course of 26 miles.
I ran the 3 miles in 21:48 which comes to a 7:14 pace. I felt good afterwards and was able to recover pretty quickly. I hope I can push a little harder next week and see how much I can trim off this time before finalizing my run time. Right now I am set on running the 4 mile race under 28 minutes.
Here is quick breakdown
Mile 1: 7:32
Mile 2: 7:12
Mile 3: 6:57
I came home and then completed my 7 Weeks to 100 Push-Up Challenge since my body was nice and warmed up.
Set 1: 12
Set 2: 15
Set 3: 10
Set 4: 10
Set 5: 19+ (I knocked out 30)
Being the start of the 3rd week in this program I am still having a hard time imagining being able to do 100 consecutive push-ups, but time will tell.
I also wanted to get in a TRX workout tonight as well. This part proved tough. I started the workout, but Ava was being fussy so I had to stop mid workout to help with Ava. Finally, I was able to get AVa calmed down, took Aiden down to the basement with me and had to find the desire to finish this workout. I completed the TRX 3D Strong workout. Holy Cow! This workout was harder than the Condition to Win. It really taxed my body and made me realize how weak I am. My shoulders are very sore right now along with some tired legs.
I did not make excuses. I found a way to get it all done. Really, when you break down the time this all took just a little over an hour. That is one tv program or elimination of checking Facebook for the 100-200 times of the day.
Find a way to reach your goals. I mentioned in a previous Getting It Done post about setting a goal. Coming up I will be talking about the system in which I use to help me mark my checkpoints along the way to achieving my goals.
It is time for bed as I have a run bright and early tomorrow.
Getting It Done - Excuses: No need for them so get rid of them!
I have been thinking of some possible topics that I could begin to write about in my Getting It Done series and excuses was one of the topics I was pondering after being home with the kids all weekend.
And then I checked out my favorite blog guy Seth Godin and he recently wrote about excuses.
Here is what he had to say:
And then I checked out my favorite blog guy Seth Godin and he recently wrote about excuses.
Here is what he had to say:
Even good excuses, really good ones, don't help very much.
Explanations, on the other hand, are both scarce and useful.
And accurate forecasts and insightful intuition are priceless.
This is so true.
How easy is it to make excuses? Too easy and the reason so many people make them all the time. I see excuses everyday in life in the teaching world of middle school education with students, teachers, parents, etc. Excuses are everywhere in terms of trying validate why we or someone we care about cannot achieve what we expect.
We need to get rid of the excuses, quit pointing fingers everywhere but at ourselves and just get the job done. When we don't reach our goals, then try to understand why, learn from it, and move on. There are times when we will not always achieve what we want, but as long as we don't make excuses and learn from the experience, then it is still a success to a certain degree.
This morning my foot hurt. My legs and body are sore from running and TRX yesterday. Ava has been fussy. My kids are nonstop needing something or causing mayhem. I could use any of those as excuses to not run and workout today.
Why waste the mental energy to convince myself that the excuses are valid when I know deep down that I am full of crap. Why do we try to spend so much time convincing others and ourselves of our excuses? It is stupid and it drives me nuts.
Tonight I will get my run in. I will get my 100 Push-Up Training done and complete a TRX workout for strength. Why? Because I have no reason not to get it done.
I will not make excuses and neither should you.
Get It Done!
Explanations, on the other hand, are both scarce and useful.
And accurate forecasts and insightful intuition are priceless.
This is so true.
How easy is it to make excuses? Too easy and the reason so many people make them all the time. I see excuses everyday in life in the teaching world of middle school education with students, teachers, parents, etc. Excuses are everywhere in terms of trying validate why we or someone we care about cannot achieve what we expect.
We need to get rid of the excuses, quit pointing fingers everywhere but at ourselves and just get the job done. When we don't reach our goals, then try to understand why, learn from it, and move on. There are times when we will not always achieve what we want, but as long as we don't make excuses and learn from the experience, then it is still a success to a certain degree.
This morning my foot hurt. My legs and body are sore from running and TRX yesterday. Ava has been fussy. My kids are nonstop needing something or causing mayhem. I could use any of those as excuses to not run and workout today.
Why waste the mental energy to convince myself that the excuses are valid when I know deep down that I am full of crap. Why do we try to spend so much time convincing others and ourselves of our excuses? It is stupid and it drives me nuts.
Tonight I will get my run in. I will get my 100 Push-Up Training done and complete a TRX workout for strength. Why? Because I have no reason not to get it done.
I will not make excuses and neither should you.
Get It Done!
Music Journey: Dave Matthews Band - Live Trax Series 1 Review
As you may or may not know, I love Dave Matthews Band. I have set out this summer to listen to and review each of the 20 Live Trax concerts. You can read more here.
Here is the first review:
I forgot how much I dig this Live Trax. Being the first one it had to be one of main reasons that I have continued to buy almost every single Live Trax(all 20 of them) over the course of the last few years when this all started.
According to Wikipedia:
Live Trax Vol. 1 is the first release of the Dave Matthews Band's Live Trax series. This two-disc set was released on November 2, 2004 and features the band's live performance at the former Centrum Centre in Worcester, MA on December 8, 1998.
The show featured songs from all of the band's four albums at the time: Remember Two Things, Under the Table and Dreaming, Crash, and the most recent Before These Crowded Streets. The five members of the Dave Matthews Band were joined by guitarist Tim Reynolds and keyboardist Butch Taylor throughout the duration of the show. Songs such as "Don't Drink the Water", "#41", and "The Last Stop" featured guest banjo player Béla Fleck in addition to the rest of the band. During "#41," saxophonist Jeff Coffin from Béla Fleck and the Flecktones guested with Béla and the rest of the band for a 20-minute jam which featured an interpolation of the Flecktones' song "Sojourn of Arjuna" off the album Left of Cool.
I am more of a DMB fan without Butch Taylor on the keyboard as I like the rock vibe and louder feel to the shows since his departure, but listening to this Live Trax and recently listening the deluxe Weekend On the Rocks 8 CD three night show I have forgotten how he brings a great vibe to the band.
Live Trax brings me back to the days of Leroi and Butch and the vibe is so much more chill and I love it.
Here is the setlist of the show
1 Seek Up
2 Linus and Lucy
3 Pantala Naga Pampa » Rapunzel
4 Satellite
5 Don't Drink the Water
6 Jimi Thing 7 Stay (Wasting Time)
Disc 2
1 #41
2 So Much To Say » Anyone Seen the Bridge?
3 Too Much
4 Drive In, Drive Out
5 Tripping Billies
6 I'll Back You Up
7 The Last Stop
This show starts off with Seek Up which is an 18 minute jam to start the show. What an opener! A great start to the show that really gets things going in the right direction.
However, the one downer to this show is the Linus and Lucy jam that follows. I like the little Charlie Brown solo, but not 7 minutes of it. Give me a about a minute or two and then move on to the next song. This is what I don't miss about Butch Taylor. To me this was 7 minutes of concert time that could have been added to any of the other great songs or more jam time with Bela Fleck.
I like the recovery of PNP into Rapunzel. I know it has been done over and over, but I love this combo and don't think it will ever get old to me. It just has a great summer vibe. I always sing at the top of my lungs to this one. The drums make me do that dumb finger drum playing thing that we concert goers do when jamming. The little Dave scream at the ~3:50 mark I love! It is the small things that make me love a show.
Satellite is Satellite and you know what you are getting with this song.
However, when he moves into Don't Drink the Water with Bela......WOW! Love it. Great jam with Bela on the banjo. A great pick up to the show. This is a great song without any guests, but having Bela just makes it better. Then he moves right into Jimi Thing which is a great transition. A 13 minute Jimi Thing jam works at this point in the show. My man Boyd tears up the violin on this song. Not only Boyd, but everyone in the band has their moment of glory to show off their skills. Timmy on guitar, Leroi, and the rest of the crew just jam this song out. I forgot how great this version of Jimi Thing really is. I am moving that song version to my DMB Fave playlist right now.
The show just does not slow down when from Jimi Thing it slides right into another favorite of mine, Stay. But, I must straight to the jam of all jams and of course I am talking about #41.
Bela Fleck joins the crew and this is one of the best jams. I cannot remember what other versions are out there in the LT series, but I don't know if this #41 jam will be beat. Leroi destroys the brass on this song. You also have Jeff Coffin joining which he shows why he is now added to the live crew after the death of Leroi. Adding a little banjo, Dave on guitar and of course the drumming is top notch quality I am not sure if there is 20 minutes of music that gets any better than this. The little banjo/guitar solo after the 8 minute mark is so cool. It almost makes you want to learn to play the banjo! The last thing I can say about this song is the end when Dave sings his little outro, "Maybe I will....." Words cannot do this song justice. Yes, this song moved over to my ultimate DMB Setlist playlist. Not sure if it will be topped and not sure where it will end up in my setlist, but I think it will last the next 19 Live Trax listens. Tough to outdo this version.
Quickly moving on to the rest of the show as I have rambled on quite a bit already, the band moves right into So Much To Say with an Anyone Seen The Bridge that I live. So Much is standard with every show, the The Bridge was very cool. I would love to hear this version live. They then move onto another standard of Too Much. Then they pack a one two punch with Drive In Drive Out which I just love the emotion followed by a great Tripping Billies.
He then slows things down with I'll Back You Up which I love this song. However, I would have liked to see him keep the energy level up with another big one, but I enjoy this song so I cannot complain too much. They then close the show with a stellar The Last Stop. A 20 minute rendition that blows the show up and brings everything to an amazing close.
That sums up Live Trax #1 for me. I am out and ready to move on to Live Trax #2.
Have you listened to Live Trax #1? If so, what are your thoughts? Until Next Time........
Here is the first review:
I forgot how much I dig this Live Trax. Being the first one it had to be one of main reasons that I have continued to buy almost every single Live Trax(all 20 of them) over the course of the last few years when this all started.
According to Wikipedia:
Live Trax Vol. 1 is the first release of the Dave Matthews Band's Live Trax series. This two-disc set was released on November 2, 2004 and features the band's live performance at the former Centrum Centre in Worcester, MA on December 8, 1998.
The show featured songs from all of the band's four albums at the time: Remember Two Things, Under the Table and Dreaming, Crash, and the most recent Before These Crowded Streets. The five members of the Dave Matthews Band were joined by guitarist Tim Reynolds and keyboardist Butch Taylor throughout the duration of the show. Songs such as "Don't Drink the Water", "#41", and "The Last Stop" featured guest banjo player Béla Fleck in addition to the rest of the band. During "#41," saxophonist Jeff Coffin from Béla Fleck and the Flecktones guested with Béla and the rest of the band for a 20-minute jam which featured an interpolation of the Flecktones' song "Sojourn of Arjuna" off the album Left of Cool.
I am more of a DMB fan without Butch Taylor on the keyboard as I like the rock vibe and louder feel to the shows since his departure, but listening to this Live Trax and recently listening the deluxe Weekend On the Rocks 8 CD three night show I have forgotten how he brings a great vibe to the band.
Live Trax brings me back to the days of Leroi and Butch and the vibe is so much more chill and I love it.
Here is the setlist of the show
1 Seek Up
2 Linus and Lucy
3 Pantala Naga Pampa » Rapunzel
4 Satellite
5 Don't Drink the Water
6 Jimi Thing 7 Stay (Wasting Time)
Disc 2
1 #41
2 So Much To Say » Anyone Seen the Bridge?
3 Too Much
4 Drive In, Drive Out
5 Tripping Billies
6 I'll Back You Up
7 The Last Stop
This show starts off with Seek Up which is an 18 minute jam to start the show. What an opener! A great start to the show that really gets things going in the right direction.
However, the one downer to this show is the Linus and Lucy jam that follows. I like the little Charlie Brown solo, but not 7 minutes of it. Give me a about a minute or two and then move on to the next song. This is what I don't miss about Butch Taylor. To me this was 7 minutes of concert time that could have been added to any of the other great songs or more jam time with Bela Fleck.
I like the recovery of PNP into Rapunzel. I know it has been done over and over, but I love this combo and don't think it will ever get old to me. It just has a great summer vibe. I always sing at the top of my lungs to this one. The drums make me do that dumb finger drum playing thing that we concert goers do when jamming. The little Dave scream at the ~3:50 mark I love! It is the small things that make me love a show.
Satellite is Satellite and you know what you are getting with this song.
However, when he moves into Don't Drink the Water with Bela......WOW! Love it. Great jam with Bela on the banjo. A great pick up to the show. This is a great song without any guests, but having Bela just makes it better. Then he moves right into Jimi Thing which is a great transition. A 13 minute Jimi Thing jam works at this point in the show. My man Boyd tears up the violin on this song. Not only Boyd, but everyone in the band has their moment of glory to show off their skills. Timmy on guitar, Leroi, and the rest of the crew just jam this song out. I forgot how great this version of Jimi Thing really is. I am moving that song version to my DMB Fave playlist right now.
The show just does not slow down when from Jimi Thing it slides right into another favorite of mine, Stay. But, I must straight to the jam of all jams and of course I am talking about #41.
Bela Fleck joins the crew and this is one of the best jams. I cannot remember what other versions are out there in the LT series, but I don't know if this #41 jam will be beat. Leroi destroys the brass on this song. You also have Jeff Coffin joining which he shows why he is now added to the live crew after the death of Leroi. Adding a little banjo, Dave on guitar and of course the drumming is top notch quality I am not sure if there is 20 minutes of music that gets any better than this. The little banjo/guitar solo after the 8 minute mark is so cool. It almost makes you want to learn to play the banjo! The last thing I can say about this song is the end when Dave sings his little outro, "Maybe I will....." Words cannot do this song justice. Yes, this song moved over to my ultimate DMB Setlist playlist. Not sure if it will be topped and not sure where it will end up in my setlist, but I think it will last the next 19 Live Trax listens. Tough to outdo this version.
Quickly moving on to the rest of the show as I have rambled on quite a bit already, the band moves right into So Much To Say with an Anyone Seen The Bridge that I live. So Much is standard with every show, the The Bridge was very cool. I would love to hear this version live. They then move onto another standard of Too Much. Then they pack a one two punch with Drive In Drive Out which I just love the emotion followed by a great Tripping Billies.
He then slows things down with I'll Back You Up which I love this song. However, I would have liked to see him keep the energy level up with another big one, but I enjoy this song so I cannot complain too much. They then close the show with a stellar The Last Stop. A 20 minute rendition that blows the show up and brings everything to an amazing close.
That sums up Live Trax #1 for me. I am out and ready to move on to Live Trax #2.
Have you listened to Live Trax #1? If so, what are your thoughts? Until Next Time........
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Training - Week 4 - Week 2 of Marathon Training - Sunday 3 Mile Recovery Run w/ TRX - Recovery from weekend!
I did it. I finally managed to get my 3 mile recovery run in this week.
It took me until Sunday. Three days after my long run of the week on Thursday.
I had hoped to get my run in Friday before Amanda left for her weekend of fun, but time got the best of us as we tried to mow, grab some groceries, pack, etc.
I took a few steps back Friday and Saturday with my eating binge. I fell apart on Friday completely eating more junk than I have consumed in the last month all together.
I guess we will have those setbacks and sometimes those are good to have to remind us to keep our focus on the prize. It was also a reminder about how terrible junk food really makes you feel. I felt terrible all day. I was uncomfortable, sluggish, and slept terrible. It was a good reminder for me to know that I have been doing great things with my training and nutrition the last two weeks.
One day was all it took to set me straight.
Saturday I did not eat horrible, but just did not eat enough and therefore I did the opposite of Friday and snacked all day, but not really consuming a great meal.
Today I felt the results of two bad days of eating as the three miles felt terrible. My stomach was uneasy and the run felt hard. Yes, it was warm out, but I don't think that was the reason. It was a relief to my body to sweat some of the toxins and junk out of my system.
This 3 mile run put me at 29 miles for the week which is right on track with my marathon plan of being ready for my first marathon on September 25th.
I also knocked out another round of TRX Condition to Win to work my core again. This workout really taxes the core in 30 minutes and I think I sweated more during this than my run in the 80 degree heat.
Needless to say I feel good about myself again. I was not motivated to get out there on a Sunday evening, but I reminded myself of my goals and where I want to be in 4 months. That was all I needed.
I have a big week coming up with my running. 30 miles of running with my farthest run of my life of 14 miles. Yes, I am nervous, but that is a sign that I am focused and preparing myself for what needs to be done.
Getting It Done is never easy, but nothing in life worth anything is ever easy.
Remember to share your goals with me so we can work together to achieve.
Enjoy the rest of Father's Day. Time for some dinner. Fish on the grill!!!
I ran my 3 miles in 23:30 which is a 7:46 pace.
It took me until Sunday. Three days after my long run of the week on Thursday.
I had hoped to get my run in Friday before Amanda left for her weekend of fun, but time got the best of us as we tried to mow, grab some groceries, pack, etc.
I took a few steps back Friday and Saturday with my eating binge. I fell apart on Friday completely eating more junk than I have consumed in the last month all together.
I guess we will have those setbacks and sometimes those are good to have to remind us to keep our focus on the prize. It was also a reminder about how terrible junk food really makes you feel. I felt terrible all day. I was uncomfortable, sluggish, and slept terrible. It was a good reminder for me to know that I have been doing great things with my training and nutrition the last two weeks.
One day was all it took to set me straight.
Saturday I did not eat horrible, but just did not eat enough and therefore I did the opposite of Friday and snacked all day, but not really consuming a great meal.
Today I felt the results of two bad days of eating as the three miles felt terrible. My stomach was uneasy and the run felt hard. Yes, it was warm out, but I don't think that was the reason. It was a relief to my body to sweat some of the toxins and junk out of my system.
This 3 mile run put me at 29 miles for the week which is right on track with my marathon plan of being ready for my first marathon on September 25th.
I also knocked out another round of TRX Condition to Win to work my core again. This workout really taxes the core in 30 minutes and I think I sweated more during this than my run in the 80 degree heat.
Needless to say I feel good about myself again. I was not motivated to get out there on a Sunday evening, but I reminded myself of my goals and where I want to be in 4 months. That was all I needed.
I have a big week coming up with my running. 30 miles of running with my farthest run of my life of 14 miles. Yes, I am nervous, but that is a sign that I am focused and preparing myself for what needs to be done.
Getting It Done is never easy, but nothing in life worth anything is ever easy.
Remember to share your goals with me so we can work together to achieve.
Enjoy the rest of Father's Day. Time for some dinner. Fish on the grill!!!
I ran my 3 miles in 23:30 which is a 7:46 pace.
Plugged back in and time to refocus
First time on the computer since Thursday. Playing single dad(wife had a weekend with the girls in Chicago) really makes one appreciate the few moments you get to yourself when you have someone else to help with the kids. Honestly, this is the first time since Friday at noon where I have had 10 minutes to actually sit down and look at a computer or book.
I have a major blog post or two to type in today. So many thoughts to share.
Plus I had a complete eating like a slob breakdown the last two days and must talk about minor setbacks to achieving our goals.
Happy Father's Day and hope everyone enjoys their day with family.
And at this point I must attend to a crying baby and two other children with a list of demands.
Look for posts later about Getting It Done and training for a marathon.
I have a major blog post or two to type in today. So many thoughts to share.
Plus I had a complete eating like a slob breakdown the last two days and must talk about minor setbacks to achieving our goals.
Happy Father's Day and hope everyone enjoys their day with family.
And at this point I must attend to a crying baby and two other children with a list of demands.
Look for posts later about Getting It Done and training for a marathon.
Friday, June 17, 2011
#Trust30 - Writing Prompt #7: Dare to be bold
I signed up to be part of this writing project by one of my favorite people on the internet, Seth Godin. It is called the Trust 30 Project.
#Trust30 is an online initiative and 30-day writing challenge that encourages you to look within and trust yourself. Use this as an opportunity to reflect on your now, and to create direction for your future. 30 prompts from inspiring thought-leaders will guide you on your writing journey.
I am a few days behind so I will be catching up on the writing prompts by posting a few a day until I am caught up.
Here is the website if you want to learn more and join. Please let me know if you join so I can read your posts.
http://ralphwaldoemerson.me/
Dare to be bold by Matt Cheuvront
“Next to Resistance, rational thought is the artist or entrepreneurs worst enemy. Bad things happen when we employ rational thought, because rational thought comes from the ego. Instead, we want to work from the Self, that is, from instinct and intuition, from the unconscious.
A child has no trouble believing the unbelievable, nor does the genius or the madman. Its only you and I, with our big brains and our tiny hearts, who doubt and overthink and hesitate.” - Steven Pressfield, Do the Work
The idea of “being realistic” holds all of us back. From starting a business or quitting a job to dating someone who may not be our type or moving to a new place – getting “real” often means putting your dreams on hold.
Today, let’s take a step away from rational thought and dare to be bold. What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to accomplish but have been afraid to pursue? Write it down. Also write down the obstacles in your way of reaching your goal. Finally, write down a tangible plan to overcome each obstacle.
The only thing left is to, you know, actually go make it happen. What are you waiting for?
(Author: Matt Cheuvront)
There are two things that I have always wanted to accomplish, but due to the mental walls that I have built up in my mind I have never been able to accomplish them.
1. Run a marathon
2. Write a book
the obstacles in my way are quite simple - myself. This is usually the case with 99% of the people in the world. We are the ones who hold ourselves back. The outside forces are all ones that we can easily overcome once we empower our minds and build up the self confidence to actually believing that we are capable of our dreams and goals.
My plan is already in the process. I am journaling my marathon journey on my blog to keep me aware of my process and to also hold me accountable as I share my struggles and triumphs with my readers. In terms of my book, I am working on some ideas here on the blog also titled, Getting It Done, in which I would like to eventually move the contents into book format. I have started them both and will see where it takes me. I am still working on stripping down the walls in my mind, but the walls are getting smaller every single day.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Training - Week 4 - Week 2 of Marathon Training - Thursday 12 Mile Run - Hardest Run Of My Life
Today is my seventh straight day of running. As you know I had to change plans in my running this week(see previous post if you care to read why)
Today was my hardest run I have ever had to complete up to this date. I was reminded of a quote I posted earlier in the week:(this post was the 1st in my new series titled, Getting It Done)
Today was my hardest run I have ever had to complete up to this date. I was reminded of a quote I posted earlier in the week:(this post was the 1st in my new series titled, Getting It Done)
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