Motivated to Succeed

December 21, 2024

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Location:

Pittsfield,MA,

Member Since:

Jul 02, 2008

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Boston Qualifier

Running Accomplishments:

2006 Mohawk Hudson River Marathon (NY)
2007 Vermont City Marathon (VT)
2011 BPAC 6 Hour Run (NY)
2011 Mind the Ducks 12 Hour (NY)
2012 Maple Leaf Indoor Marathon #1 (IN)
2012 Maple Leaf Indoor Marathon #2 (IN)
2012 BPAC 6 Hour Run (NY)
2012 Mind the Ducks 12 Hour (NY)
2012 Memorial Day Marathon (MA)
2012 Around the Lake 12 Hour (MA)
2012 Hancock Shaker Village 50 (MA)
2012 Bay State Marathon (MA)
2012 First Descents Marathon (DE)
2013 Maple Leaf Indoor Marathon #1 (IN)
2013 Maple Leaf Indoor Marathon #2 (IN)
2013 Circular Logic Marathon (IN)
2013 Lake Waramaug 50M (CT)
2013 BPAC 6 Hour Run (NY)
2013 Ragnar Cape Cod Ultra Team (MA)
2013 Memorial Day Marathon (MA)
2013 Relay For Life No. Berkshire (MA)
2013 Ragnar Adirondack Ultra Team (MA)
2013 BayState Marathon (MA)
2013 One Day At the Fair Marathon (NJ)
2013 West Palm Beaches Marathon (FL)
2014 Arena Attack XL Center Marathon (CT)
2014 Maple City 6-Pack Marathon #1 (IN)
2014 Maple City 6-Pack Marathon #2 (IN)
2014 Maple City 6-Pack Marathon #3 (IN)
2014 Maple City 6-Pack Marathon #4 (IN)
2014 Maple City 6-Pack Marathon #5 (IN)
2014 Maple City 6-Pack Marathon #6 (IN)
2014 Circular Logic Marathon (IN)

Personal Bests:

400 - 1:01 (2004)
800 - 2:16 (2004)
Mile - 5:12 (2004)
2Mile - 11:27 (2004)
5k - 19:44 (2005)
10k 40:46 (11/22/07)
15k - 1:07:40 (11/11/07)
13.11 Half - 1:38:31 (12/9/07)
Marathon 3:59:18 (1/25/14)
50 miles 11:44 (5/14/11)

Eagle Scout with Bronze and Gold Palms (2002)

Biked from Ticonderoga, New York to Old Orchard Beach, Maine in August of 2005 (Total of about 290 miles

Short-Term Running Goals:

200 miles @ 72 Hour Race in May

Under 200 #

Sub 4:00 Marathon

Long-Term Running Goals:

QUALIFY AND RUN IN THE BOSTON MARATHON.

Personal:

I am 27. Have done 33 marathons and ultras. Really trying to get in shape to get back to running the miles I want to. I love to read and worked for four years in a bookstore. I like to keep track of the books I read. Currently I work as a 6th & 7th grade history teacher at the only charter school in Berkshire County, as well as serve as the coach for the cross country team! Been experimenting as a pescatarian (eating only fish) since August 10, 2011.

Just earned my Master's Degree in Adolescent Education for Social Studies. I have the most wonderful WIFE in the entire world.. EMMA! October 16, 2010

Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must. Just never give up! - Dean Karnazes -

We are all teachers and we are all students in this sport. - Dean Karnazes -

The simple act of putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward at an accelerated rate can be one of life's greatest - and simplest - pleasures. ~Dean Karnazes

"Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny." - MK Gandhi

"The marathon mercilessly rips off the outer layers of our defenses and leaves the raw human, vulnerable and naked. It is here you get an honest glimpse into the soul of an individual. Every insecurity and character flaw is open and on display for all the world to see. No communication is ever more real, no expression ever more honest. There is nothing left to hide behind. The marathon is the great equalizer. Ever movement, every word spoken and unspoken, is radiant truth. The veil has been obliterated. These are the profound moments of human interaction that I live for." - Dean Karnazes

Benn Griffin

C reate Your Badge{C}

2014 Books I've Read:

Favorite Blogs:

Click to donate

to Ukraine's Armed Forces

Miles:	This week:	0.00	Month:	0.00	Year:	0.00
Vibram Five Fingers KSO Lifetime Miles:						367.52
Vibram Komodo Sports (yellow) Lifetime Miles:						570.38
Vibram Bikilas (red) Lifetime Miles:						655.87
Vibram Bikilas (blue) Lifetime Miles:						414.89
Altra Lone Peak Lifetime Miles:						155.19
Lizzy Miles 2012 Lifetime Miles:						58.60
Vibram Komodo Sport (black) Lifetime Miles:						195.60
NB Trail Minimus (orange) Lifetime Miles:						101.74
Altra Instinct (grey) Lifetime Miles:						389.78
Vibram Bikilas (red #2) Lifetime Miles:						10.60
Vibram Bikilas (green) Lifetime Miles:						230.05
Altra Adams Lifetime Miles:						2.00
Merrell Road Glove Lifetime Miles:						46.11

Wed, Apr 21, 2010

Running Miles	Swimming Yards	Bike Miles
4.27	0.00	0.00

7:00 PM - Today was a very productive day. I woke up and actually wasn't that sore from the 20+ miles of running yesterday. I had breakfast with Emmy and then we commenced a ton of errands and yard work. Cleaned up the back yard and got a fire permit for the day so we were able to get rid of a lot of brush. Also went grocery shopping, returned our cans and bottles for the scavenger can $ (Current Total : $6.50), got my hair cut because it was time, and then hung out a bit before going to get a free engagement photo taken that Emma won.

Got home and was feeling really blah despite Emm trying to cheer me up with some softserve ice cream yummyness. Went for a jog while I watched Seinfeld. Really felt the 2% incline from Emm's treadmill even though I was running at a fairly slow pace. However, I think running on tired legs is good. This will make me stronger :).

Total Time: 40:00 Total Distance: 4.27 miles Average Pace: 9:22

Brooks Addictions 8 - #2 Miles: 4.27	Scavenger Can $ Total: Miles: 1.95

Night Sleep Time: 0.00	Nap Time: 0.00	Total Sleep Time: 0.00	Weight: 0.00

Comments

From Nevels on Thu, Apr 22, 2010 at 11:33:28 from 131.204.15.93

sounds like a good (albeit busy) day.

running on tired legs is a good training technique. two benefits (in my convoluted mind, at least)are that you learn to deal with forcing yourself to run through the fatigue, which will serve you well in your future ultrarunning career, and you also forgo the wondering of "when are my legs going to tire out" on any given run, as often happens when you start a run feeling great.

just a random thought....

From Nevels on Thu, Apr 22, 2010 at 11:38:46 from 131.204.15.93

solid run yesterday, by the way.

how does the ol' knee feel? (and, a little more stingingly, how are the... um... chafed bits and pieces doing...?... body glide....)

From Benn Griffin on Thu, Apr 22, 2010 at 12:13:34 from 96.240.245.142

Chafing is much better! Knee is solid. I actually hurt more today when I woke. More fatigue and such, but that good ache you get from quality runs.

I am anxious to get to the Memorial Day weekend for my bday race! :D

At this point, do you think I should concentrate on time on my feet for the long runs over miles? i.e. I was thinking it might be good to have a 4 hour run before the 30 miler .. even if I only cover 20 miles (haha ONLY 20 miles), I think it would be good training.

I have already learned that I am a HAMMER nutrition guy and that I need the HAMMER products for quality assurance on these long runs. So that's good. I would be happier though if my weight would come down.. I was 198 yesterday! I am turning into quite the fatty!!

From Nevels on Fri, Apr 23, 2010 at 12:47:38 from 131.204.15.93

glad to hear that the chafing is better and the knee is behaving. you'll be in fine shape for your memorial day excursion.

as far as time on your feet vs. distance, i asked that exact question when i was first getting into ultra's a few years ago, and the answer i got was somewhat enigmatic. the guy i asked said "ideally, both." i think he was onto something, though; you need to both be able to stay on your feet for longer periods of time (which can be accomplished by running shorter, slower runs or running over more difficult terrain, thereby reducing the physical wear and tear), but you also need to know what the actual physical act of running miles on top of miles feels like (and, more importantly, how to react to/handle it).

that being said (confusingly enough, i know...), you just about hit the nail on the head with your own suggestion. if you manage to hit a 4+ hour run, nice and easy, you'll get a great "ultra workout" (whatever that means), regardless of the actual distance you cover. if you opt to go this route, though, i'd make sure that you do your longest run (time-wise) at least 3 weeks prior to the 30-miler.

as far as nutrition... i've found that continuously experimenting works well for me. at one time i was very dependent on gu for calories, but over the last year or so, i've transitioned over toward just eating pb&j or whatever other kinds of "normal" food that aid stations have. in addition to being much much cheaper than the running nutrition products, a somewhat more ephemeral benefit is that i'm not mentally dependent on one certain food at an aid station (which, in the latter stages of a long race can really kill you mentally if the aid station doesn't have the one particular item you have grown accustomed to)

all that being said, if hammer products work for you, by all means, use them. i've had a decent amount of success using hammer products at races sponsored by hammer, so it is certainly a viable option. my one suggestion would be to keep your options open, especially as you are first entering the deep, dark world of ultras...

keep up the good work...

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