Motivated to Succeed

Round 2, Day #94: 3 mile recovery run in 27:30 (9:10/mile). Ate too much for dinner before I went. Now a quick nap and up at 4am to do my workout before school and such. Looking forward to it!

Atonement is a
learned trade; not easily tasted
by a learned tongue.

“In the Tour, it's important to use every opportunity to distance or eliminate adversaries and if there's a chance, I won't hesitate to attack.” - Jan Ullrich

Round 2, Day #95: 6.6 miles total. 8:45pm run - 5.1 miles total. Warmed up for 10 minutes and then hit 1150m in the 5 min "on", 950m in the 4 min "on", 700 in the 3 min "on", 500 in the 2 min "on" and about 295m in the 1 min "on". Was 27 degrees and froze my @$$ off! Had been out of the house 15 hr. Brought stuff for midafternoon run, thinking that I would get there in the daylight. Taught until 6:45 then m eeting til 8:30. Oh well. 1.5 miles with nutrition class earlier. Taconic track is kind of boss in the dark!

Earbud icicles,
Frozen thighs, and the churning
engine... full throttle.

"I was never in a fraternity because I always felt that the track and cross country guys were my fraternity brothers." - Dave Wottle

Round 2, Day #96: 5 miles in 44:30, 8:54/mile. Today sucked. Got great news to start the day - someone adding to their family at work, and then horrible news to end it - our principal is leaving us at the end of the year. Today just sucks. The kids find out tomorrow. Some will take it fine. Others will take it painfully - especially those like me that have been there several years. God, can we have a do-over tomorrow? Can the school even survive? 

Big bunch o' fuck its,
Why even try any more,
Ship going down - - shit!!!

“The human capacity for burden is like bamboo- far more flexible than you'd ever believe at first glance.” - Jodi Picoult

Round 2, Day #99: 7 miles late - was supposed to be 10 but I was just tired. 1:02:00.

Inner fortitude
Strengthened by life's obstacles.
Work hard = dividends.

"There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people." - Howard Zinn

Round 2, Day #100: 10 miles early; 4 miles at about 9:15 pace, followed by 4 miles of alternating hard 800s by recovery 800s. Hard 800s were 3:51, 3:51, 3:50, and 3:48. Cooled down for 2 miles afterwards. Time to put my feet up and relax a little.

Consolidated
successes. Sometimes that's all
it takes - rewarding.

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” 
― Haruki Murakami

Day #101: 2 miles in 17:31. Nice and easy. 

Monkey trouble will
spur others to follow suit.
Leading to carnage.

"I not only use all the brains I have, but all I can borrow." - Woodrow Wilson 

Day #102: 6.5 miles total. 1.5 miles with the nutrition/fitness class. Did 1 mile warm up in about 9:30, 3 miles of 1 min "on" at 7.5-7.7mph and 1 min "off" in 25:30, then 9:17 cooldown. Total of 5 miles for the workout, 6.5 miles for the day. Got a bit cocky with .1 to go and tripped the circuit with .02 on the last "on" oops! Went up the steep hill by Russell Field for the first time today. Holy crap that's a beast! New xc team workout hill??

Summit the steep climb
and your reward is endless...
Magnificence conquers all.

"A big leather-bound volume makes an ideal razorstrap. A thin book is useful to stick under a table with a broken caster to steady it. A large, flat atlas can be used to cover a window with a broken pane. And a thick, old-fashioned heavy book with a clasp is the finest thing in the world to throw at a noisy cat." - Mark Twain

Day #103: 6 miles in 52:32, steady as she goes. Was a bit dehydrated. And sweaty. Drank 48 oz of water afterwards from a wide mouth ball jar. Yeah, you read that right.

A chupacabra
sweat running with a full beard.
Fear the beard, junior!

"The revolution is carried out by means of one's thought, not through one's family background." - Kim Jong Il

Day #104: 6.1 miles total. 2 miles with nutrition class. Evening workout was a progression run. 1 mile warm up and then hit it hard: 4:36, 3:58, 3:36, 3:07, 1.1 mile cooldown. I was breathing hard the last one.. but I don't really feel tired. 31:31 total for the 4.1 effort (7:41 pace)

Butt cheeks stare at me.
Fanny mcgee baby cakes!
Can't touch 'dis! Yeaaaaaaah buddy!

“You might say something isn't proven until it's tested... and the same could be said for the strength and the will of a person.” ― Evette Carter

Day #105: 2 miles in 16:54 after the longest day of school ever, high five from the Pei crew, and then an awesome planning session from the BURCS consortium. So much fun today and I feel motivated to push myself to run more and farther. Hoping minimum 100 miles during spring break over the next week and a bit. Starting with 12+2 make up from today tomorrow, then another 12 on Sunday. Woohoo!

Insight from friends will
transform ideas into
testaments of strength.

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.’ - C.S. Lewis - - - Michael Menard, Ana M. Wolf

Day #106: 12 miles, relaxed, carefree and just enjoying every step. 1:53:32, good for 9:28/mile. What a difference a couple weeks make! Weight still high and stagnant, but my energy is improving. Read from "Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire". Pretty sure if I tried like half the stuff Rafe does, I would get fired. (Green Bikilas)

In each step we take,
Strength replaces inner doubt,
and confidence grows.

"The ultra distance is an amazing thing. I told my sister: 'No matter what has happened in your life before, or what will happen in your future, nobody can ever take that ultra away from you. When you're an ultra runner, you're a runner forever.'" - Vanessa Runs

Day #108: 4.3 miles of muddy mountain roads downhill to a resevoir and back up again in October Mountain State Forest with Emma.

Day #109: 6.25: warm up, 6 x 800s in 3:56, 3:56, 3:56, 3:55, 3:56, 3:54 with .25 recoveries in between. Mile cool down. 52:58 total. Felt strong and confident. Consistent splits on the 800s.

Day #109: 6.25 miles total, warm up, 6 x 800s in 3:56, 3:56, 3:56, 3:55, 3:56, 3:54, cool down. All in all a refreshing run. Total Time: 52:58.

Large raindrops splatter
the windshield, creating an
aqua jungle gym.

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe!" - Albert Einstein

Day #110: 10 miles for Day 110. 1:31:37. Read the first 100 pages of my friend Vanessa's book. So inspired.

Bug guts on the glass,
Motivate my ass to move,
Faster and not be next!

“The unhappiest people in this world, are those who care the most about what other people think.” ― C. JoyBell C.

Day #111: Steady as she goes. 6.5 miles @ 9 minute miles - felt good and relaxed.

Day #112: 3.38 in 30:00 - getting anxious. 213# weigh in; 40 pushups.

Day 113: 4.75 miles total. 1 mile warm up, 3.1 mi race with my 6th graders. 1 got the under 13 win for boys in 23:30, I ran with Jessie who took the under 13 prize home for girls at 27:31. Went back and ran in my third runner who was struggling as a cool down. (27:31 for the 5k) - 50 miler in CT tomorrow.. Nervous - so I guess I'll carboload!

Mud puddles delight,
Labored breathing, pink faces,
Strain for the finish.

"It's very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not
to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is
against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit."
- George Sheehan

PM - another 2 miles relaxed and easy. 

Day #114: 51 miles total at Lake Waramaug Ultras running with two of the best friends a runner could ask for, Ana and Michael. We cruised around the laps and enjoyed the Funky Monkey aid station. "Chimps and Champs, not chumps!" Was so great to represent Sea Shepherd. Our lap splits were pretty consistent. 4.4 mile out and back and then 6 laps around the 7.8 mile lake. Stayed together and pushed each other to finish. I have never felt better during an ultra. Laughter truly is more powerful than GU Roctane!

The will to survive
strikes out any sense of doubt,
and brings victories.

"It hurts up to a point and then it doesn't get any worse." 
- Ann Trason

Day #115: 4 miles in 37:40 (9:25 pace). Everything felt good today. Very small risidual soreness from the race. Bigger problem today was breathing and throat. Lost voice. Running helped get the gunk out though! Felt like I did a bit of a duathlon today. Came home ate dinner and passed out on the couch for an hour and a half, then got up and hopped on the treadmill. Pretty sure if there was a cop out there today looking through my window he'd have pulled me over for RWD (Running While Drowsy). Glad I opted for the indoor treader tonight.

If you think you can
And train like you know you can,
You can! This is true.

“Endurance? You’ve only got to get out there and do it. Face up to it: man was meant to run.” – Percy Cerutty

Day #115: 3 miles total. 2 miles nutrition class and then another mile by myself. Fell asleep on couch 730 right after got home at 7. I am lethargic. Heh. Omw to bed!

Day #116: 4 miles total; 2 miles at the bird sanctuary with my wife. Another two at 9 min pace later in the evening.

Day #118: 7 miles total: 1 mile w/ fitness class, then 1.5 mi warm up in 13:48, 4 x 800 m with 400m off. 800s were: 3:53, 3:52, 3:51, 3:49. Felt so relaxed. Recovery 400s were 2:14, 2:14, 2:16, 2:10. Then cool down in 13:08 for 1.5 miles. Total Time: 51:20 for the 6 evening miles. Got to run earlier. Did not finish workout until 11:03 tonight. Eating some homemade guac and blue tortilla chips before bed. Then up at 4am to make a quiz for school. I swear this is nuts!

Within the young heart

is an even balance of

success and failure.

"I feel happy to terrify kids." - R.L. Stine

Day #119: 4 miles in 36:20 (9:05 pace). Just easy and relaxed. Ready to rock and roll this weekend.

Day #120: 2.26 miles in 20:00 before driving to Buffalo. This capped a week including a 50 mile race and the heaviest training I've ever done, 75.26 miels for the week. Talk about breaking down mental barriers! 6 hour ultra tomorrow! Phew!

Sweat beads plop onto
the moving belt and hurl
toward walls behind.

I believe that the Good Lord gave us a finite number of heartbeats and I'm damned if I'm going to use up mine running up and down a street. - Neil Armstrong

Day #121: 30 miles at the BPAC 6 hour: 5:33. Started off fast to beat the heat and ran the first half marathon fast, then chilled and relaxed and walked 10 mins of each lap for the remaining 5 laps. Saw some friends, fellow MTDers and a bunch of new faces. Got really warm. Was actually 78 degrees at the finish, higher than I thought it'd be. I held my own. Felt good at the finish, could have gone one more but wanted to get in on the 5 hour drive home so I could get home in the daylight. I love this race!

A sweat stained salt lick
Passes me with a friendly
Wave. Ultra time!

"You've got to spread your arms, hold your breath--and always trust your cape." - Jerry Jeff Walker

Day #122: 2.25 miles in 20:08. Recovery run. Feeling pretty darn good considering 105 miles in 8 days. Excited to taper for Ragnar Relay for Friday/Saturday. Huzzah!

Clydesdales's sexy legs
turn heads and yet still carry
curious musings.

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier

Day #123: 30:31. Fell asleep after dinner. Woke up at 10pm to run. Overall feel good.