Motivated to Succeed

January 2013

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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


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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
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
200.090.000.00
Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 93.29Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 99.50NB Trail Minimus (orange) Miles: 5.00
Night Sleep Time: 16.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 16.00Weight: 219.00
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
7.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #5: 7 miles in 60:23 as I read the first 120 pages from Frozen Ed Furtaw's "Tales from Out There" about the Barkeley Marathons. For a moment I nearly got lost on the treadmill! Spent the afternoon recovering and planning with Emm for our summer trip to Oregon. Excited at the thought of it! Can't wait to buy the plane tickets, then we will know it's official. Mind the Ducks Registration opened today. Got to get that in the mail soon after the next pay period. Legs feel good. New goal is 180# by June 1st. I know I can do this. How close can I get? Who's in for motivating this fatty to get moving and stop eating?!

Sweat bullets and knives,
Make the weak-"soled" cry; Breathe in
these accomplishments.

Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 7.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Comments(3)
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
7.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #6: 7 miles in 58:13. Get your sweat on! Felt pretty good. Ran fast to get Emm from work, but found out I don't have to pick her up. Wondering how long I can keep this streak up this time. Will be tough with the work crunch, but I have to do this. Goal is 180# for June 1st. Not sure I can do it, but going to give it a fighting chance! If you see this fatty slacking, shoot me a message and make me run!

Mo' Tip toe Tip toe 
Skip to my lou you ninny!
Hard workout.... Easy race!

Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 7.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
7.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #7: 7 sweaty Dunder Mifflin miles in my Michael Scott memorial tshirt. Very sweaty. Drank 4 pints of water afterwards almost immediately. Going to recover with an episode or two of "The Office" and then some school work. That's what she said!! (60:38)

Frozen Ed Furtaw,
Knows the Barkeley all too well,
I wanna run it! (not!)

Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 7.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
1.150.000.00

Round 2, Day #8: 1.15 miles to keep it alive. Long run tomorrow. Yeah buddy!

Pam Beesly: There is a master key and a spare key for the office. Dwight has them both. When I asked, "what if you die, Dwight? How will we get into the office?" He said, "if I'm dead, you guys have been dead for weeks."

Permanence is false,
Religion keeps us in check,
Until broken rules.

Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 1.15
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
7.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #9: 7 miles in 59:10

In the end the greatest snowball isn't a snowball at all.... it's fear. - Dwight K. Schrute

Jump once to surprise

Jump twice to be annoying.

I love the Office!

Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 7.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
7.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #10: 7 miles including 2.3 miles of snowshoeing with Emma and then 4.7 miles with just me. One miles tempo thrown in there in 6:24. Felt pretty darn good! Getting back in shape and working towards goals feels so good!

“I would run to Mexico if that’s where the sandwiches are.” - Stanley Hudson

Legs of steel are mine.
Find your own damn machine legs!
Aiight. Just have them back by Tuesday!

Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 4.70
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
7.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #11: 7 sweaty miles in 58:34. Felt pretty darn good. Sweating too much and wanted to bail at 4 miles. Funny that I hit the wall at only 4! Second wind and finished in fine form. I leave you with this diddy:

7 sweaty miles. 

"Any idiot can run a marathon. It takes a special kind of idiot to run an ultramarathon." - Mark Williams

Hum drum dee doo dah!
Jog fast, Jog slow, Jog on bro!
Secret weapon: beard!

Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 7.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
6.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #12: 6 sickeningly salty sweaty stealth miles on the treadmill. Started normal 8:30 pace, then increased to 8:00, then 7:30. Finished strong with my head held high, drops of sweat stinging my eyes. Got to love it! Final time was 46:47. Was fighting for one more second to get 46:46, but couldn't. Average Pace: 7:47/ mile. 

"My future is not going to be determined by seven little white lotto balls. It's going to be determined by two big black balls. I determine my destiny. I do." -Darryl Philbin

Sweat stings the eyes hard,
My right ear hurts again, sigh.
Give me super strength!

Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 6.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
7.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #13: 7 satisfying miles. 57:40, good for 8:14 pace. Booked the flights to Eugene, Oregon for July! Here we come!

Flip flop, mop and bop
Sweat cakes cheeks and stings my nose
'least the beard looks grand!

Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 7.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
6.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #14: 6 stealthy super secret sophisticated and sweaty miles. Found out my treadmill hookup blows a fuse if I try to run anything faster than 7 min mile pace. Ran the first 2 miles at about 8:35 pace, then dropped down next 2 in 15:10, then finished strong just under 14:50 for the last 2 miles. Total time 46:40 for 6 miles. 

Really enjoyed Thursday date night with Emm. Saw "So this is 40". Really enjoyed it. Did a late night run around 9pm.

Jogging up the wall
Fitness level approaching
Level awesome... go! 

Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 6.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
1.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #15: 1 miles in 8:28 to end my day and week. Exhausted and headed to bed. Hoping to get a couple more than my usual 6 or 7 tomorrow. Will probably break it into two runs since I am going to see "The Hobbit" with some of my 6th and 7th graders that read the book for school.

Thunder thighs suffer
But grow stronger and tighter.
Nature's own butt lift!

Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 1.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
7.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #16:  7 miles in 58:19 steady as she goes. Everything feels good and I think it is getting easier to run. Wish it could be my full time job! Shower and then off to the movies at 1:00 to see "The Hobbit".

Fly on the wall... Shoo!
Stubbed my toe but what the hell.
Runners don't quit mate!

Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 7.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
8.090.000.00

Round 2, Day #17: 7 miles in 58:49 (8:24/mile). Easy relaxed run on the treadmill as a study break. Then going food shopping and more school work. Rereading Pam Reed's book for about the tenth time. Got up to page 200. 

"Well, I am actually deathly afraid of frogs. I’ve come across bears and moose, but I’d be really scared if I saw a frog."

Working on cadence,
180. Getting easy.
Now... the dreaded scale!

Evening run: Uphill Challenge: 15% incline, 15 minutes. How far can you go? 1.09 miles apparently for me. Got to start somewhere. Want to do this every other week and hopefully hit 1.25 miles by the end of the winter. 

Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 1.09Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 7.00
Night Sleep Time: 9.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 9.00Weight: 220.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
6.250.000.00

Round 2, Day #18: 6.25 steady as she goes miles in 48:57 (7:50/mile). There was a lot of food for thought today. One of the funny quotes from a 6th grader today was, "Mr. Griffin, I'm sorry for the loss of your beard. It was a good beard. I'll say a prayer for you." (Red Vibrams EHD2)

Read an article in ultrarunning magazine about Fran Albaugh who is 90 (yes, 90 years as in born in 1923!) who just finished the Presque Isle 12 Hour Endurance Run. He racked up 30 miles in the rain and wind when everyone else called it quits 2/3 of the way through! I want to be like him!

Think about your beard,
DO DO DO DO I want to
remember that beard!

Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 6.25
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
4.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #19: 4 miles only in 31:42 (7:56 pace). Been dealing with a health issue that has interfered with running, but got up the gusto and gumption to plop on the treadmill and try to run. Was happy that I was able to get in at least 4 while Emm did the elliptical and we rocked out. Hoping we get some decent snow tomorrow because I need to go snowshoeing on Saturday with mommo, Emmy, Jonny and Harry! Glad tomorrow is Wednesday. Getting through the madness! (Blue Vibrams EHD3)

If fat were skinny,
Wouldn't I be beautiful!
Reality sucks! (teehee)

"I came up with a new thing this summer. I act like I'm telling someone how to do something. I go on with a long description. And then I say, "And shove it up your butt!" It's stupid, but it's my thing now." - Stanley Hudson

Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 4.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
6.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #20: 6 miles only; warm up in 9:10 and then 5 miles steady (41:33) including 3 x 3 minute hill surges at 8:20 pace and 4%, 5%, and 6% grades respectively. Cooled down and stretched. Didn't think I would get a run in as I fell asleep on the couch. Just crashed. Was so exhausted after school. Not feeling all that great. But rallied after a 20 minute nap and got the run in. That's dedication! Total for the run was 6 miles in 50:43; 8:27/mile (Blue Vibrams EHD4)

Reluctant muscles,
Bound up the hills, toward greatness.
You only live once.

Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 6.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Comments(3)
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
1.500.000.00

Round 2, Day #21: 1.5 miles only in 12:00. Came home and passed out after school. I swear I am working harder than the students. Took a 25 minute cat nap and then rallied to run on the treadmill. 

Zen runs are supreme,
Shake cobwebs nestled 'tween ears,
Tomorrow's ours mates!

"A runner's high is a special experience that most runners don't have all the time (an important point) but do get at irregular, unpredictable intervals. So don't begin running because you expect every workout to be like some other kind of "high" you might have experienced. The true, but rare runner's high is a zone that we enter when everything seems to click perfectly, when time stands still, and when we can run almost without effort." - Amby Burfoot

Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 1.50
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
7.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #22: 7 miles in 58:04 (8:17 pace). Finished Amby Burfoot's, "The Runner's Guide to the Meaning of Life". I've always admired Amby since I first started reading RW's in 2003 and think he's a true stand up guy. (Vibram Blue EHD6)

Jiggle wogglers
Shake it all about, for you
Know it all hangs out!!

"The longest journey begins with a single step.... Run and rest, run and rest. It is the perfect exercise program because it is coded in our genes. It is what our forefathers did millions of years ago." - Amby Burfoot p.112

Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 7.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
10.250.000.00

Round 2, Day #23: 10.25 miles total; Started the day with a 2.5 mile snowshoe jaunt behind Nonno's house with Emm. Had a blast. Then went for a run. Did 7.75 miles in 1:01:37 (7:57 pace!). Rereading Dean's "Ultramarathon Man" for the umpteenth time. I know I am getting fitter, a little leaner, and perhaps faster. Ran 39 miles two weeks ago, 41 last week, 43 this week. Hoping to heal this ear and the other problem I am dealing with shortly so I can get back to just training. (Blue Vibrams EHD7, EID1)

Pounding ear pain, yet
I push onward.  The fight will
continue Sunday.

"We search too much for false prophets. Some runners believe that they must move to a running mecca like Boulder, Colorado, or Eugene, Oregon. Other runners believe that they need a new coach. Still others believe that they need expensive heart-rate monitors or, perhaps, regular visits to an exercise physiology laboratory.

These runners believe, in other words, that they are most likely to find success by discovering new baubles in the physical world outside themselves. I disagree. I think these baubles are almost always false prophets. Success comes from within. It comes from consistent dedication to core principles and values." - Amby Burfoot

Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 10.25
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
12.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #24: (Run 1) 12 miles in 1:39:36 (8:18/ mile). Felt relaxed and confident today, even though I had a rough night of ear pain. Am on some meds and resting now so hopefully I will be on the mend. Did the first 5 in 42:21 (8:28/mi), the next 5 in 41:22 (8:16/mi), and the final 2 miles in 15:53 (7:57/mi). Am going to try to get an uphill challenge or a couple easy miles in tonight before bed.

Towards the setting sun
We run. Triumphing over
Our innermost fears.

"To keep from decaying, to be a winner, the athlete must accept pain--not only accept it, but look for it, live with it, learn not to fear it." - George Sheehan

Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
4.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #24: 4 miles only (33:16; good for 8:19/mile) in the saga I like to call "Tales of the Sicko". I feel very lucky to have had so many people helping me this weekend between Aunt Deb, my mom, Harry, and Emma. I would not have survived without them. As my mom said, "Benn is a bad patient." I don't like non-running pain. It's funny how I can run a marathon and hurt like hell, but a tiny little ear infection and the wheels feel off. Woke up in pain and could feel the throbbing in my ears. I am on an anti-yeast med for my ear because we think I have a yeast infection. As Emm said, my ear smelled like "raw pizza dough". Maybe I can start a mobile bakery? Continued the alcohol/vinegar wash, popped lots of pain killers, and finally got some antibiotics tonight. To add insult to injury, my rear brake light was out again (we suspect a leak which is getting water in there) and while I tried to take the bulb out, I blew the fuse. Thankfully Harry and Mom helped me fix that and then I picked up new lights and window blades. Oddly enough the only time I was not in searing pain was when I was jogging. I just tried to tilt my head and relax and I did feel some of the crackling open up my ear. Just going to suffer through tomorrow and hope that it is better the longer out I go. What I learned: Thou shalt not stick Q-Tips into thine ears!

A Q-Tip surprise,

fresh baked ear yeast up for grabs.

Take the meds.... good boy!

"The pain is getting intense.... that is expected. Pain is the body's way of ridding itself of weakness. If it feels good, you're doing something wrong. It's supposed to hurt like hell." - Dean Karnazes

Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 4.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
7.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #25: 7 miles total in 53:55 (7:42/ mile). I did 2 miles of warm up in 8:30 range and then launched into a 5 mile tempo run in 37:01, good for 7:24/ mile. Felt relaxed and good, just off balance. Did not stay at work today. Went in to make copies, and then came home. Ear has been killing me. Now it is 100% blocked, though some of the pain has subsided. However, as it is the ear I rely on more for sounds, I am effectively about 65% deaf. Teaching should be real interesting. I need to find out if Pittsfield has an ENT and see if they can operate around BART's stupidly long work hours or if I have to take more personal time. At least the run was good. I got to do some meditating and planning for the future. Excited for our vacation to Oregon as we may be moving there at some point. I need a weekend to recovery from this hell hole of a weekend. Ugh! I must go to school tomorrow, I must! Every day I'm out is another day of stress and catch up, and I think I actually worked more at home today than in a normal day at BART. Nearly pulled off 9 hours of working and made the slightest of dents in my to do list. (Blue Vibrams EHD9, EID3)

Toot! Toot! goes the goose
Passing you in the slow lane,
Surge to the line pal!

"The ultimate is not to win, but to reach within the depths of your capabilities and to compete against yourself to the greatest extent possible. When you do that, you have dignity. You have the pride. You can walk about with character and pride no matter in what place you happen to finish."  - Billy Mills

Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 7.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
6.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #26: 6 miles. Did it. 49:38, for 8:16/ mile. Recovery run from yesterday. Today at school was a trial but I persevered and got through it. Hearing was the hardest part. I physically feel great and the pain in the ear is gone, it is just still swollen shut. Actually started eating breakfast and lunch starting yesterday and am feeling better and eating less calories during the day. Trying to think thin to get thin! Lots of things to accomplish this year. (Blue Vibrams EHD10, EID4)

Sweat running to Dean,
Humble man and stoic beast,
Continue onward.

"The human body is capable of amazing physical deeds. If we could just free ourselves from our perceived limitations and tap into our internal fire, the possibilities are endless." Dean Karnazes

Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 6.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
6.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #27: 6 miles easy recovery run in 49:35, good for 8:16/mile. Today was day 3 of my diet. Feeling good and made sure to eat both breakfast and lunch which is a weird thing for me. Ear is about 50% better. Little to no pain and some sound is coming through! Yay for no more crankiness! Continuing with my Karnazes kick I started in with his second book 50/50, which I also have already read before. I read the first 70 pages and listened to some Goo Goo Dolls. Will continue with shooting for about 1800 calories a day and see where that takes me! Lanced a really sick blood blister under my pinky toenail on my right foot before the run. It was nice though. Hurt all day walking on it but I relieved the pressure in fine form. No picture though. Drats!

Karnazes power!
Carpe this diem and then
sprint to the finish!

"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

Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 6.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
3.100.000.00

Round 2, Day #28: 3.10 miles only in 23:18, good for 7:30/ mile!! ; tempo run. Fell asleep on the couch after an exhausting day and week. Feeling better each day from the ear infection, but Friday's are my day to just let go and relax. After a wonderful dinner of spaghetti and low fat baked eggplant, I fell asleep watching an episode of "Reno 911". Got up at 8:30 and then changed and hit the ground running. Was a surreal experience and for most of the run I was in a runner's high. I don't get this often, just two or three times a year, so it was a surreal experience. It felt so easy and smooth, and I felt like I could run forever!

Invisible strength,
that ties these sinewy legs
to untrodden paths.

"Running teaches you that there's a difference between working hard and feeling bad. Consumer culture tries to teach us otherwise. How many television commercials talk about "making life easier"? If everything you knew about life came from TV, your goal would be to live the easiest, most comfortable and unchallenging life you possibly could. You would believe that the only good feelings are sensual pleasures such as the taste of a good soft drink and the fun of driving an expensive car and lying on the beach.

But it's just not true. Challenging and testing your mind and body, even to the point of exhaustion, failure, and breakdown, can feel as wonderful as anything else life has to offer. I suppose the enjoyment of hard work is more of an acquired taste than the taste for pleasure and fun, but once you've acquired it, you're blessed with more ways to feel good, and life is better. Harder and better." - Dean Karnazes

Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 3.10
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
12.000.000.00

Day #29: 12 miles in 1:42:08, good for 8:31/mile. Felt good and relaxed. This also pushed me to 50 miles for the week, so hooray for first 50 mile week of the year! I am actively working on my diet courtesy of myfitnesspal.com (if you have it please friend me: jamminlongtime). I need all the motivation I can get! Starting weight this week was 221#, and ended at 218#, good for a 3# loss overall. It's been a while since I saw the scale moving in this direction! During the last 2 miles I started thinking about a fellow runner, Dan Scharfman who I had the pleasure of meeting at the Mile 40 aid station of the HSV50 miler. I had already bailed but he was still pushing along, helping another runner, Lauren in her quest to finish the 50 miler as well. It was his first 50 and during the short 10 minutes I met him, I could tell this is the kind of guy you don't meet every day. He was kind, considerate, selfless, and above all, genuine.  He sadly passed away at the young age of 55 last week after complications from a massive heart attack. I know he's somewhere running down the creekbeds and singletrack. I am convinced I will go back to Hancock Shaker Village and finish the 50 miler! This is the year!

Quick step the sweat fest,
Don't let it hit your toesies.
Booyah! Got it done.

"Because 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

Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 7.00NB Trail Minimus (orange) Miles: 5.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
6.250.000.00

Day #30: 6.25 miles, easy recovery run in 52:31 (8:24/mile). Everything seems to be in working order after the long run yesterday and my first 50+ mile week this year. Operation Slim Down is in full force. At this rate I should be under 210# by March 1st! (Wishful thinking I bet but we will see). Concentrating on eating 5-6x a day, no ice cream, and limiting breads. Feeling lean and mean. On a personal note what I learned today from my run: I should not consume smoked salmon and garlic triscuits before running. Had the worst heart burn imagineable - every 3-4 minutes. Nearly made me cry. But at least I know I can still persevere and get the run down on a bad day! Need to plan for the next couple weeks - Hoping to get a sub 5:00 at Maple Leaf Indoor Marathon. That'd be sweet and a 20 minute improvement from last year. Can I do it? My beard thinks so!

Omega 3's rock,
Until they come out your nose
Protein Nose Nuggets!

“Somewhere along the line, we seem to have confused comfort with happiness” - Dean Karnazes

Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 6.25
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
6.000.000.00

Day #31: 6 mile progression run; (47:49 on a full stomach, 7:58/mile). Started a little slower than 8:30s for 20, then 8:00s, then last 2 miles in 14:46. Felt good, other than that I was running on a full stomach. Legs pleasantly tired from this long month of miles. Feeling the strongest I ever have at the start of a year. I hope this bodes well for my races this spring and fall! Blew my diet today, was at just about max calories because of pizza. I hate dinner. It's always my downfall.

Sweat drops down the walls,
Right onto the power cords,
Don't worry. I LIVE!

“Catch on fire and others will love to come watch you burn.” 
― John Wesley

Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 6.00
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00Weight: 218.00
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Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
7.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #32: 7 miles total in 58:49 (good for 8:24/mile). Thoroughly enjoyed this run. Am reading "Born To Run" for the 10th or 11th time, and read a solid 60 pages of if tonight before going to YBar and seeing some fantastic slam poets (@Curtis Asch) in the WXW Winter Invitational. I love their talent. So inspiring! Going to bed now, and then up in about 4.5 hours to start making my midterm for Wednesday as well as preparing for the faculty meeting and my 6th grade health and wellness class. ugh! I hate being underprepared. I feel like I am working harder than ever!

Thunder cats! Insects!
Has anyone seen my balls?
Good times.... great people!!!

"The ultimate is not to win, but to reach within the depths of your capabilities and to compete against yourself to the greatest extent possible. When you do that, you have dignity. You have the pride. You can walk about with character and pride no matter in what place you happen to finish."  - Billy Mills

Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 7.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
9.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #33: (AM) 4 miles easy in 35:30, good for 8:53/mile. Felt good and relaxed. Got my sweat on. Weighed in and was 216#. Making a difference and moving towards the end of the scale I want to be at. Finished my midterm exam (28pp). I just hope that the kiddos don't make voodoo dolls. 

Sweat infused glory,
Dictates today will be mine.
Full force. Full fury.

"Everyone is an athlete. The only difference is that some of us are in training and some are not." Dr. George Sheehan

 

Round 2, Day #33: (PM) 5 miles total in 41:24, good for 8:17 a mile. Felt good to get a second run in after a long day. I guess my take away from today's pd is that I need to make more time for me, less time for work, and be more present while at home. It's tough when you are exhausted at the end of the day. Sticking to the diet is getting tough, but I burned some extra calories and I am going to have a small Stewart's reward (first ice cream since Christmas!)

Pain is just weakness.
Give in - it wins. But fight and
Victory is yours!

“Make friends with pain, and you will never be alone."~Ken Chlouber, Colorado miner and creator of the Leadville Trail 100 mile race 

Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 9.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
8.500.000.00

Round 2, Day #34: 8.5 miles to push me just over the 200 mile mark for the month! Total Time was 1:09:37, good for 8:11/mile pace! I ran the first 4.1 fairly uneventfully until my bowels felt like they were going to explode and I barely made it to the bathroom. I know exactly what caused it and every time I eat it before a run I tell myself "this is a bad idea". Stupid, stupid, stupid! Ran 33:43 for the first 4.1, good for 8:13/mile. Then got back on the horse, albeit a bit lighter and ran another 4.4 in 35:53, good for 8:09/mile. Am nearly halfway through "Born to Run" again. I just always read it so quickly. I can't put it down!

Corredor con queso
No estoy bien ahora.
Cuidado! Shit! Shit!

"Learn to run when feeling the pain: then push harder." - Ann Trason

Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 8.50
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
200.090.000.00
Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 93.29Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 99.50NB Trail Minimus (orange) Miles: 5.00
Night Sleep Time: 16.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 16.00Weight: 219.00
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