Motivated to Succeed

 To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die. 

- Thomas Campbell

9:00 AM - Overcast and muggy. Temperature about 70 at the start. Got a bunch more rain last night. Didn't run yesterday because we got some terrible news yesterday afternoon. One of my mom's brothers passed away yesterday morning in his sleep. He was only 51. I hadn't seen my Uncle Joe in a couple years, but last time I saw him he looked to be about 70. He had been in a lot of pain and had had a pretty hard life. It's just so hard to lose people you are close to. What made things worse was I didn't know how to make my mom stop crying. All I could do was give her a hug and tell her I love her. To make matters worse my youngest brother and sister are on their way to California today for three weeks to stay with one of my cousins. Now my mom and her eight other siblings are all trying to get out to Michigan to help with the funeral preparations. Anywho, went to the track with Emmy. It was nice to have someone to run with. We ran a 5k on the track and then I did 5x hill repeats at the school. We finished with one loop of the big nature trail and a cooldown lap on the track. Stretched liberally afterwards. Splits were:

• Mile 1: 9:00
• Mile 2: 8:50
• Mile 3: 9:04
• Mile 4: 9:29
• .33: 3:14 (9:54)

11:00 AM - Overcast and rainy with a temperature around mid 60s. My favorite kind of running weather. I just love running and getting my feet wet, my legs dirty, and a smile on my face. Went to the track with Emmy. Did a warm up with her, and then I hit the trails. I like running on the trails because it's good practice for the running series on Monday nights. Occassionally went back and checked in on the track with her. One time, got back there and saw her about 100m down the track and said to myself, "Alright, Benn! You'll catch her in one lap!" One lap turned into two and I realized she was pulling away. I looked down and I was running 7:30 pace! She is a quick runner chica if I ever saw one! Did a couple more loops of the nature trail, once around the school and cemetery as well. Felt really good. Finished with two laps on the track doing 100m striders, recovery for 100m, etc. etc. Splits were:

• Mile 1: 9:39
• Mile 2: 10:47
• Mile 3: 9:58
• Mile 4: 9:55
• Mile 5: 8:38
• Mile 6: 8:14

Total Time: 58:07  Total Distance: 6.12 miles Average Pace: 9:29

6:30 PM - Actually sunny for a bit. Met Emma and Jonn after work today and we went to Panera and got lunch/dinner. Dumb move on my part. I went for a jog to unwind and all I tasted was burped up broccoli and cheddar soup! Yuck! Felt pretty good though, although legs were heavy. Probably because of the race on Monday and the long run yesterday. I am anxiously waiting to get back in runner shape! I really want to kick Jonny and Jonathan's butts in the 5k series! Splits, mostly on the nature trails in the woods according to watch were:

• Mile 1: 10:38
• Mile 2: 9:56
• Mile 3: 10:57
• .55: 5:31 (10:00)

Total Time: 37:04  Total Distance: 3.55 miles Average Pace: 10:26

A quote sent to me by our buddy Paul Ivory:

Life is a long, slow run. The fun is the run. Enjoy the hills, enjoy the bumps, watch your step, be good to everyone on the road with you, and don't worry about the finish line--it'll be here all too soon. How long you took won't matter, but how you ran it will." - Ken Williams Austin Fit class of 98.

4:50 PM - Long day at work. It's not fun working on holidays, especially when you make 8 bucks an hour for a company that refuses to pay you time and a half or even overtime on holidays or weekends. Add to that the fact it was the fourth and everyone felt compelled to go to a bookstore & that we are severely understaffed and it makes for a terribly painful day. As it is it is now 1:30 am on Sunday and I have to be up for work on my day off in approximately 5.5 hours. Awesome.

The run today was good to say the least however. Emmy and Jonn met me after work and we went and got changed at SPAC. There was some concert tonight there for Def Leopard and Styks or something. Went jogging around the golf course to avoid all the drunken partiers. Felt pretty good. Highlight of the run was when we saw a family of turkeys cross the road. The little ones were so cute!  Emma and Jonn smoked me again! Those quick devils!  Splits were:

• Mile 1: 9:46
• Mile 2: 9:25
• Mile 3: 8:54
• .5: 3:47 (8:03)

Total Time: 31:53  Total Distance: 3.5 miles Average Pace: 9:11

Afterwards I had to drive Emmy home to Pittsfield. She had been here since Monday and I am sure her mom missed her! So I drove her to Massachusetts, we got Chinese food and then went to downtown Pittsfield to see the fireworks at the ballpark! Really cool once they finally started. No set time as they just start whenever the baseball game is done. Then I grabbed a couple cups of coffee and dessert and had to drive the hour and a half back home. I am tuckered out! Tomorrow will be another long day I'm sure as I guess everyone but me had at least Friday, Saturday, or Sunday off. I need a new employer. Any suggestions?! :-D

Finally finished Born to Run today during my break. I didn't want it to end. Such a great read! Can't wait to reread it in a couple months!

"Passion is an overwhelming love for the experience of a favorite activity. Motivation is a drive to engage in an activity based on some reward the activity offers beyond the simple enjoyment of the experience itself. When you have great passion for running, or anything else, you don't need any extra motivation. But motivation without passion can only take you so far." - Dean Karnazes in 50/50 page 152

8:40 AM - Sunny and hot early. Already in the 70s this morning. After having coffee and talking with my dad for an hour I went to the track. Laced up my sneakers and said hi to a xc buddy's parents who were leaving the track, though I haven't seen them in a year and I don't think they've seen me with short hair and a beard so I don't know if they recognized me or not. Went for a warmup and did 1.5 miles in 14:36 (9:44 Pace). Today's workout was just to see what I could do with some 400s. I planned to do 4x400s with 400 meter recovery jogs in between each. I wanted to hit somewhere between 1:40 and 1:45. I was pleasantly surprised because my times for the intervals were:

• 1st 400: 1:31 (5:47/ mi)
• 2nd 400: 1:29 (5:42/ mi)
• 3rd 400: 1:23 (5:29/ mi)
• 4th 400: 1:21 (5:14/ mi)

Recovery 400s in order starting after the first 400 were: 2:08, 2:13, 2:21. After the 4th I grabbed a sip of water and hit the trails for a warm down. Ended up doing 1.8 miles in 18:02 (10:01). Felt really great! Stretched and headed for home. My mom just got home early this morning from Michigan where she went to my uncle's funeral and memorial service. She seems at peace and doing well.

Going to grab a shower, and then to work for day #9 in a row. Then packing up my car. I'm going to Emma's house tonight. She is over near Boston with her mom to visit her aunt, but I'm going to utilize her quiet house to study for my comprehensive exams on Saturday. I'm getting nervous! Hopefully if I get some studying done tonight I can go for a hike, bike ride and /or jog tomorrow with Emmy!

Total Time: 45:08  Total Distance: 5.10 mi  Average Pace: 8:52/ mi

 6:20 AM - Sunny with blue skies for the time being. Starting temperature was 59, ending temp was 62. Was by myself at Emma's house. Went there after work last night and watched after the two cats. Emma was at her aunts with her mom and Skyler. Woke up a little sore in the quads from the 400s yesterday. Felt good to get a good night's sleep though. Slept about eight hours last night and then drove to the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail. Ended up running just over 5 miles. Felt pretty good. Wore my new Brooks shoes. Had a great dream last night where I ran a super fast half marathon with my sister, Su. I don't know if this is an omen of good things to come! I still have to decide to do a half or full marathon this fall (leaning towards the half). Had so much fun on the run today though. Saw six or seven little Warrens (bunnies) - named that because Emma nicknamed the bunny that lives in her back yard Warren. Stretched after getting back to the car and then zipped back to Emma's to watch the Team Time Trial! Lance is back! Unbelievable! Cancellara is pooping his pants after Astana's sensational ride! Splits were:

• Mile 1: 9:14
• Mile 2: 8:57
• Mile 3: 8:55
• Mile 4: 8:41
• Mile 5: 8:09
  

Total Time: 44:11  Total Distance: 5.04 miles Average Pace: 8:46

Waiting for Emmy to grab a shower and for a nasty thunderstorm to pass us by, then we are going to look at two venues for the wedding and hopefully go for a hike afterwards! Today is my only day off this week from work. :(

8:00 PM - Had another downpour, but weather was great for our hike. We drove out to Bash Bish Falls. What an amazing place. We went on the blue trail until it got too hazy to go on. Doesn't look like anyone's done maintenance on it in years. Then we took a much more traveled trail over to the falls. We ended up with over two hours of hiking (about 4 miles). My legs are super tired! Afterwards Emmy and I went and looked at a possible wedding venue and then we went to a Malaysian Restaurant for dinner where everything is homemade. I got chicken and rice in a peanut sauce and Emmy got a tofu dish. For dessert I tried a wassabi creme brulee! My first experience with Wasabi. Had never tried it before tonight. MMm. Now time to relax and watch a movie with Emmy.

12:30 PM - Sunny and temps in the mid 70s. Went for a walk with Emmy before driving the hour and a half back to Saratoga to go to work. We went walking in a really nice development. There are so many houses for sale and so many open lots there! Some really great views! We walked about 3 miles in an hour. Worked up an appetite for lunch :D. I love going walking with Emmy. She's amazing!

7:45 PM - Sunset running today after work. It didn't rain for once! Went to the school and had to stick to the nature trail and behind the school. There was a softball game going on and I didn't want to distract them with my horrible form and bad biker's tan. It got really hard to see in the woods as the sun was fading. Made sure to stay aware of my left knee which has been bothering me. I am going to try to find some knee strengthening exercises to do. Splits were:

• Mile 1: 10:00
• Mile 2: 10:52
• Mile 3: 9:46
• .78: 7:24 (9:30)

Total Time: 38:03  Total Distance: 3.78 miles Average Pace: 10:04/ mi

7:40 PM - Long day at work. Sunny and blue skies and no rain again today! After having dinner with my mom, Jonny, and Aunt Mary I got Jonn to go with me to the school. We went running on the nature trails. Did circuits doing the big nature trail to the small one, and two laps on the track. Then cooled down afterwards around the baseball field up to the car. Jonn really pushed me hard. The splits don't reflect how fast we were running in the woods. The stupid Garmin loses its signal in the woods, wish they'd perfect it a little better. Splits according to the watch though, because I don't want to do injustice and guess, though I know we ran close to 4 miles were:

• Mile 1: 9:34
• Mile 2: 7:41
• Mile 3: 8:05
• .55: 4:59 (9:08)

Total Time: 30:21 Total Distance: 3.55 miles Average Pace: 8:33

Tomorrow I have my COMPREHENSIVE EXAMS for my Master's Degree!!! 8:30 AM. I am off to bed!!

3:00 PM - Overcast, windy. Temperature 76. Well it's done!! I showed up at St. Rose down in Albany this morning and didn't know what to expect. I had all my books and everything. Things went well. Exam started at 9am and I finished at 11:58am, two minutes before the cut off time. The questions weren't that bad. It was a lot of theoretical stuff. (e.g. using my knowledge of educational theory and instructional plans respond to your choice of four). I ended up writing 10 pages in the three hour limit, 3,000 words. I think I did fairly well. I was pretty happy with it. I talked about how I as a teacher can change the world and how I feel that one of the most important roles people can play in society is that of an effective communicator. After all, communication is key to one's success in the world - whether it be written, spoken, or nonverbal. We'll find out in two weeks our results. As for results, I found out I got an A in my summer research course!!! That means I'm still sporting a 4.0 GPA for grad school. WOOT! Got home and my dad had a surprise for me. He took me down to the "Arizona Room" which is the basement of the garage. My parents had it refinished to be like Arizona and it has a sauna and a lot of SW stuff in it. He surprised me with a beer! We've never shared a beer together. And it's something I've wanted for over two years. We finally had a beer together though today and talked about my test and the education system. Then we had a second one. Funny thing was when dad said: "Don't worry. You're not and trouble and no this isn't the birds and the bees talk." I laughed. Oh and my dad got his 5th tattoo yesterday! He got it on the front of his right shin. A big snake in some tropical leaves. He has a jungle theme going on now I told him. He started with a sun on his right outside calf, then got a Grateful Dead Head on the outside of the left leg, then a lion on the inside of the right calf, then a Griffin like our namesake on the inside of his left leg. I told him now he's unbalanced and has to get another tattoo on his left shin! He probably will. It's so great. With his long hair and tattoos who'd ever thing he's a principal, let alone the most awesome dad in the entire world and the most loved principal the school's ever had! After about an hour in the garage I decided it was time for a run before the storms came in and plus I wanted to watch the tour today! Went to the track and ran exclusively on the nature trails. Legs weren't sore from yesterday's tempo run, though halfway through they started to fade. Had my suspicions that it was because of all the beer and coffee today. Not exactly the best running fuel! Will go with GARMIN splits, though I know I ran farther. This was a high mileage week this week, probably around 30 miles if you include all the walking with Emmy! Feeling great! I hope I do well on my race on Monday! Splits were:

• Mile 1: 10:02
• Mile 2: 10:33
• Mile 3: 10:07
• Mile 4: 11:14
• .3: 3:04 (10:07)

Total Time: 45:03  Total Distance: 4.3 miles Average Pace: 10:28

8:00 PM - Overcast and cool. Temp in the high 50s. Emma surprised me by showing up at the house today after work! We went to the track so I could get a few striders in before the race tomorrow night. Did like 20 minutes on the trails and then 4 x 100 m striders. Stretched and then walked to the car hand in hand. She's such a cutie :-D. I love surprises! I hope that I do well at the race tomorrow! I want to place better than last time! (Total Time: 32:00)

Today is my mom's 48th bday (Though the card I made her affirmed that it was only her 29th! lol). Emma and I went and got her a cake and picked a bouquet of flowers for her this morning of black eyed susans, and some various white and purple flowers. Though on the way home I noticed they were covered in bugs so I told Emmy to drive as fast as possible lest they should gang up and attack us! Later Emma, my mom, my brother Jonn, me, and Aggie (the St. Bernard) all went up to Providence to the Miller's and went out in the canoe. It was a decent workout! I paddled across the lake twice! Feel those arm muscles! woot!

6:15 PM - Wasn't sure how the race was going to go today as I woke up and my left ankle was sore. I hurt it jumping off the porch a few months ago and it occassionally gives me problems. I iced a couple times today and tried to stay off of it as much as possible. Jonathan bailed on us today for the race, so it was just Jonny and me. Emmy came with us to act as our vanguard cheerleader. She's the best!

I decided to go for a warm up and test out the ankle. Jonn bet me that if I didn't beat my time from last time (25:25) then I would have to jump into the pond at the end of the race course which has multiple signs stating that fishing and swimming are prohibited.

WARM UP: Felt good. I pushed the pace a bit to simulate race pace and motion to gauge how I felt. The pain seemed to actually go away as I eased into race pace. I did .58 miles in 4:45 (8:10/mile pace). Came back to the pond and stretched before heading over to the starting line.

THE RACE: There were a lot more runners than the previous race. Temperature was cool and only in the high 60s today, though wind was steady between 12-15 mph. Saw my ninth grade English teacher. Her husband and niece were running. Jonn got ready and took off hard with a lot of the the other runners. I let about 30-40 (half the field) go in front of me as I started down the trail.

MILE 1: (7:22) Ran with the flow, passing a lot of runners on the first two hills. Didn't think to look at my watch and eventually settled in behind two master's age division runners who were chatting about their recent races. I felt good, comfortable, but pushing the pace nicely. Saw the leaders as they took the 90 degree turn to the left to head to another section of the woods.

MILE 2: (7:44) Fighting the pace. Settled in behind a group of four men that were following the group that Jonn was wedged in. I was really breathing hard now, and finding that I was pushing harder than I had planned. However I felt great! The only pain I had came from a pine needle that had wedged itself in my left shoe and was poking my big toe ever few strides!

MILE 3: (7:43) After I crossed the road, I found that either i was slowing up or the pack I was following was speeding up. Turned out to be the latter. I got some encouragement from my former English teacher at the two mile mark and pushed hard towards the finish. I love the last half mile because theres some really fun downhills and windy trails! As I neared the finish I was coming up on a group of 3, the pack I had been following the whole race. I started my kick, but they ended up edging me out by about 5 or 6 seconds. Bummer. Next time they are toast!

FINISH:  I kicked hard and was really pleased! I got 23:00 flat, a full 2:25 faster than just two weeks ago! I am really proud of this, especially as the course is extremely hilly. They say to add 15-20% to your road 5k time to get an accurate predictor of where you're at. I got 13th overall, an improvement of a full 8 places from the first race!  Jonn ran a 21:56 and was surprised I was as close as I was to him! Feels great!

COOL DOWN: .52 miles with Jonn in 5:00 (9:42/ mile) on the roads out and back. Stretched a lot and then got ready to go to dinner with the family. My cousin Amanda is living with us this summer so she, Emma, Jonn, and my parents all went with me to the Parting Glass in Saratoga Springs for dinner. It was fun to go out to an Irish Bar with my parents! We all had a great time. Then we had carrot cake when we got home. Yumm! I am a bit sore and am anxiously looking forward towards tomorrow's rest day. Hopefully going to shoot for at 6 mile run sometime this week to. I want to start increasing my fitness level!

Played an hour of tennis at the school with my mom, Jonn, Emmy and Aggie! Aggie was funny because she kept following everyone around and the best highlight was when she chased Emma while she retrieved a wayward ball outside the court. Then had to go to work until 10:30pm tonight. Yuck! I'm exhausted. I always hate when Emmy leaves because it makes me feel down in the dumps. But we have a hiking date on Thursday together. It's my only other day off this week and we are going to climb Mount Greylock near Pittsfield, MA. She's done it before but I haven't. So hopefully it's a lot of fun. I'm hoping to get a bit of jogging on the trail done too! And then we'll have a picnic lunch up there and hike down and go to Third Thursdays, a free concert party thing the city holds every third Thursday of the month! Also, exciting we think we have the place for the wedding. Copake Country Club. There's an open house on August 22nd so I'm requesting it off work so we can go check it out. :-D.

8:05 AM - Sunny, blue skies and temperature was 57 degrees at the start. I headed to the school and hit up the nature trails. I like running on trails because you don't have to deal with cars, there's always things to jump over, dodge, and stare at, and it seems like time just goes by faster! After running on the trails, I popped out on the track and jogged there until I hit 5.15 miles, after which I stopped and grabbed a drink and some stretching. After that I decided to try a VO2 workout I read yesterday in TrailRunning Magazine. It is a 4 minute workout in which you do :20 hard as if someone is chasing you, followed by :10 of recovery, and you repeat it 8 times. The theory is that the more you do it the more your fitness improves, and as it improves, the farther and faster you'll go. For the 8x :20 I did about 100-110 meters on the track each time, with about a 20m recovery. After 4 minutes, I eased into a recovery and cool down jog. Felt really great. Going to grab a shower and ice though before work today. Splits were:

• Mile 1: 11:30
• Mile 2: 10:35
• Mile 3: 9:09
• Mile 4: 8:24
• Mile 5: 8:14
• Mile 6: 7:17
• Mile 7: 8:29

Total Time: 1:04:06 Total Distance: 7.05 miles Average Pace: 9:05/mi

Mt. Greylock - 3,491'

Adams, Massachusetts

9:30 AM - Sunny and warm, in the 70s at start, and low 80s at the end. Woke up at 5:30 this morning and headed to Pittsfield. It's my only day off this week so I wanted to get a day in with Emmy. Got to her house around 8 and we headed to Adams to hike up Mt. Greylock! I was stoked because it didn't rain on us, even though it was forecasted to rain today! It was 3.5 miles up and the same down, and towards the top the trail intersected and followed the Appalachian Trail. I told Emmy I want to run this trail to the top of the mountain sometime and she called me crazy. I like hiking with Emma. She's about the best sidekick you could ask for! Though with her performance on the mountain today she is the headliner! She was flying up the mountain and especially on the way down. I felt so bad because I was lagging behind. She probably would have made it to the bottom about 20 mins sooner had I not been so slow! I was sweating a lot in the heat. Probably my own fault since I was wearing a zippered fleece and corduroy shorts. But Howling Commandos are stubborn so I didn't want to take it off. Thankfully at the top of the mountain there was a nice breeze and we found a spicket behind a building up there to refill my Nalgene. I drank close to 3 x 32oz Nalgene bottles total!

The Ascent (MILES 0-3.5) Felt good. Pushed the pace. Steady with most miles between 20 and 25 minutes. Total time to the top was 1:21. Stopped at a pond for a nice look and we had a lot of fun on the way up talking and singing. Didn't see anyone else until we got to the top. Met a lady up there after we went up in the tower and she was so cute. She'd broken her foot the first day with her grandkids at another hiking spot. I guess she fell like 300' down a cliff and had to get air lifted out! That's one tough granny! In fact, the funny quote of the day from me was : "I can't wait to be a grandma!" Obviously I didn't think before I said it outloud. Oops!

The Descent (MILES 3.5-7.0) Tough. Humbling. I learned I have something to work at. Still a lot of fun coming down, but I am a more consistent and faster climber than descender. Emma zips on down the trails, but I have to constantly check my strides and what not. Twisted each ankle a couple times and rolled them. My knees felt like they were going to explode through my skin! I swore that I would end up being crippled and eaten by chipmunks, but I was thankful that Emmy waited for me so we could walk together. She's so awesome! Coming down took 1:11, then minutes faster than going up the same trail. I know Emmy could have made it in about :50. Saw a father/son couple I believe, the son on a mountain bike, the father was running/walking down the trail. Man could he move! I am anxiously anticipating a trail 1/2 in the near future! Maybe in October for the fall foliage!

Afterwards Went to Adams, MA and ate lunch at a cafe. I feel bad because my blood sugar was seriously low. I was really tired and agitated and downright grumpy. I've never done a 2.5+ hour hike or run without food before, and I think my body was screaming for something. I got a cheese and tomato sandwich and a chocolate chip cookie, Snapple, and a coffee. The A/C was so nice in there! Emma got a humungo salad! I will have to remember food so that I am not such a rude partner! Hopefully Emma will still go hike with me ;p.

Ran errands with Emmy to a bunch of places to get stuff for her. She made a turkey/cheese calzone for us at night. Then we watched a huge thunderstorm roll in and we watched Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire as I haven't seen it before and we are planning on seeing the new movie next week. To bed early because have to wake up and drive back to New York for work on Friday morning.

From Emmy: Remember the lady with the golden lab near the top of the mountain? I didn't know she was there and I burped soo loud! Hahahah priceless.

And yeah, you are completely wretched when you are hungry.

;)

6:20 PM - Sunny and temperature is in the mid-70s. Very long day at work. When I got out I came home and got changed into running shorts. Went down to the school and hit the nature trails. Ran for 55:55 on the trails for a total of 5.11 miles. Felt good. The soreness from the hike is basically gone. Really felt good to hit the trails. Slowly regaining my running fitness. You don't realize how much you miss it until you are back at it again! On a side note, people were really rude at the bookstore today. Kind of drove me nuts. Everyone was full of complaints and very few people had any positive things to say. I guess I resemble a dumpster because that's all people use me for there: to dump their woes, frustrations, and anger on. Oh well. I aim to please :)! Also, as I ran I came to a wonderful conclusion -- Runners are truly amazing people. As a whole they are some of the kindest, most considerate, caring people in the world. I think that the world would be a better place if more people ran. Splits today were consistent, though I was faster than the times reflect:

• Mile 1: 10:36
• Mile 2: 11:32
• Mile 3: 11:01
• Mile 4: 10:41
• Mile 5: 10:57

Total Time: 55:55 Total Distance: 5.11 miles Average Pace: 10:56/mi

26+ miles this week. That's the highest mileage for a week post-injury! I am anxiously anticipating my comeback :)

8:30 AM - Partly sunny and temperature in the mid 60s this morning. Had coffee and my mom made scrambled eggs for my dad and me so I couldn't turn that down, though I knew I was going for a jog before work. I got stuck with the 11-8 shift today and then an 8-5 tomorrow, so I won't be able to get a run in tonight. Decided to go to the track, but when I got there there were 5 other people there, so I hit the nature trails. Sometimes I just like running by myself without anyone else around. Actually I much prefer that! Allows me to get in the zone and just think about stuff, or just think about my running, being in the moment. Stretched and hit the big nature trail at the school. Did 6x loops. First lap I eased into it and then was pretty consistent. Lap times were : 4:40, 4:20, 4:20, 4:19, 4:18, 4:03. Felt good. Jogged to the car and stretched and then headed home. Time for a shower and then to work! Pleased with the run considering I had a long run only ten hours ago!

Total Time: 30:04  Total Distance: 3.10 miles Average Pace: 9:42

5:30 PM - After work I met my brother Jonny and also Jonathan and Jeremy from work. We carpooled up to Spa Park, stretched and then hit the 5k course. I felt good. Chatted with Jonn and Jonathan as we went, but after we got to about 1.25 miles in I looked back and couldn't find Jeremy. I back tracked and found him walking. He said his asthma was acting up so I went back and jogged/walked with him the rest of the way. We would do about 4-5 mins of jogging and then a couple of walking. He said he wanted to quit but I kept saying "Hang in there! We'll do it even if we have to drag you out of here." He hung in there. Was really proud of him. Splits were (8:56, 10:27, 10:12). Then we did a half mile cool down to the car. Was almost there and got stung in the right ankle by a bee as we ran through a field of clover. Doh! Poor bee. I looked down and its stinger was still in my ankle and pulsing! I ripped it out and kept running letting out a Howling Commando roar! Stretched and went back to the bookstore for an iced coffee with the guys. I am hoping to get a tempo run in tomorrow before coming back to watch the tour! Should be a great mountain stage! Was great to run with friends from work :).

Total Time: 34:56  Total Distance: 3.54 miles Average Pace: 9:45/ mi

5:15 AM - Overcast, humid. Temperature was 60 degrees at the start. I got up early and headed to the track. Took a bit for me to get warmed up. I ended up doing 2.21 miles of warm up in 19:54 (9:00/ mi) and then decided to give 800s a go. I am reading Yasso's book, so maybe that influenced it. I can't wait to start marathon training and do Yasso 800s! Did 4x 800 with 400m recovery in between. Splits were:

• 800 #1: 3:41 (7:26 pace)
• 800 #2: 3:31 (6:55 pace)
• 800 #3: 3:22 (6:34 pace)
• 800 #4: 3:06 (6:08 pace)

The intervals were slightly longer and most came up as .51 miles instead of .50. Recoveries were 2:16, 2:16, 2:24, 2:16. Cooled down slow around the track 1.4 miles in 13:17 (9:29 pace). Overall felt really good considering I ran last night. If only I could run every morning like this!

Total Time: 53:55 Total Distance: 6.4 miles Average Pace: 8:25 / mile

12:00 PM - It rained a lot yesterday and during the night. Partly sunny and mid 60s though. In Pittsfield with Emmy today because we are going to see the new Harry Potter movie tonight. I went with her to the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail and ran 3 miles in 29:40 with her just chatting and having a good time. I picked up a pair of Vibram Five Fingers KSO size 43 yesterday and wanted to try them out today. So we stopped at the car and I put them on. Fit like a glove! I did a 1 mile cool down in 9:30 with them on. Only problem: I was thinking to myself how awesome they felt and managed to stub my right big toe, and dragged it on the pavement, so I already have a pea-sized hole in the top of one of the shoes! Doh! I am sub a boob sometimes! I guess it adds character though? Hey, if any of the moms that deal with boys destroying stuff out there have any suggestions for how to fix my shoe it'd be appreciated. I was thinking of cutting a small square of fabric and then super gluing it to the outside of it? Or perhaps I should leave it how it is right now and see what happens. I just don't want to have the hole get bigger! Man I am so lucky Emmy puts up with my shananigans.

On a side note, the Schleck Brothers were absolutely AMAZING today in the tour! They were showing who was boss! I was so glad Contador let Frank get the win too! And way to ride across the gap to Andreas Kloden, Lance!

Total Time: 39:10Total Distance: 4 miles Average Pace: 9:47/ mile

8:45 AM - Rainy, drizzly, humid. Temperature around 65 at start and 70 at the finish. I normally like rain while I run but this was like running through a humidifier and a mister. My sunglasses kept fogging up, but if I took them off to wipe them off I had to slow down so I didn't fall, as I am near sighted and can't see more than two feet in front of me! Got home late from the Harry Potter #6 movie. What a fantastic movie. My favorite so far! I liked the movie theater too. It was new and the armrest could be put down so I could sit right next to Emmy!

Went to the track today at the school. I went on the nature trails and felt good. As tomorrow will be a rest day, I went harder than normal, tempo pace, probably about 7:30 pace for effort, although times don't reflect that as the Garmin has poor signals through the woods. Cooled down with 1.15 miles in the Vibrams. They held up really well on the wet grass. I loved the feel. I figured out a new way to pick flowers too, as I kept getting little clovers stuck between my toes as I ran through the grass! So much fun :). Now time for a shower and watching the individual time trial in the Tour de France. Splits were:

• Mile 1: 9:33
• Mile 2: 9:08
• Mile 3: 8:39
• Mile 4: 8:15
• .15: 1:15 (8:12)

Total Time: 36:51  Total Distance: 4.15 miles Average Pace: 8:52/ mi

10:50 AM - After watching the last major stage of the tour I went to the school for a run. Andy Schleck is absolutely amazing. I think he has a great shot at winning the tour next year. Frank and Brad Wiggins put up a fight too. Way to go Brad for holding onto fourth place by seconds! Temp was 75 at the start, sunny, 81 at the end. Hot and humid! Ick! Absolutely drenched in sweat at the end. I tried to keep it even and smooth, and did circuits running on the track and both nature trails. I had an incident about halfway through, I cruised up the hill and around the side of the school and there was a jeep sitting behind the building there with two teenagers in it. I think I scared them, and rightly so. I mean who wouldn't be scared by a 6'2" bearded sweaty man lumbering towards them?! Well I think they realized that they weren't exactly supposed to be loitering behind the school because they weren't there when I came back out of the nature trail. Did stretching and a cool down afterwards. Felt good. Just want to ice my legs though. Going to take tomorrow off and then a 5k race on Monday! I felt good, and I feel my fitness coming back. Splits were:

• Mile 1: 8:53
• Mile 2: 9:43
• Mile 3: 9:41
• Mile 4: 9:25
• Mile 5: 9:41
• Mile 6: 9:35

Total Time: 57:25 Total Distance: 6.05 miles Average Pace: 9:29

8:20 PM - Dusk, Temp around 76 or so. Humid. Mosquito City! I hate mosquitoes, especially when they pick me as their target, their juicy, sweaty, mouth-watering target. Went to the track with Emmy and my sister Su. Emm surprised me by showing up at work yesterday. Her mom drove her from Massachusetts so I could see her. Yay! Su wanted to run at the track so I went there and got a good run in. Did the first 1.7 with them but then changed to the Vibrams to do a cool down. I am not anticipating much in the way of a race finish tomorrow at the 5k as I have done a lot of runs the past two weeks, but all we can do is hope for the best I guess! Total cooldown in the Vibrams was 1.4 miles.

Total Time: 30:10 Total Distance: 3.10 miles Average Pace: 9:43/ mile

6:15 PM -  Temperature was 85 degrees, hot, and humid. It was horrible all day, and I was kind of sore from all the runs the last two weeks. Found that I had run six days in the last week and eleven days in the last two weeks. I feel fine, but fatigued, and my body is still struggling to get used to running again, especially now that I've added Vibram Five Fingers to my training. Emma was here and I stopped by and picked up my friends Jonathan and Jeremy from Jon's house too on the way. We were all excited, and although Emmy had her running stuff, she didn't want to race, despite all of us offering to cover her $4 entry fee.

WARM UP: After getting to the race spot in Wilton and registering, I went on a warm up jog with Emma, Jonathan and Jeremy. My brother Jonny wasn't there today because he had to work at a Coldplay concert at SPAC in Saratoga Springs. We did a half mile warm up in 4:56 (9:52 pace). Felt good. Jogged back to the starting line and stretched. Was getting anxious and wasn't sure how the race was going to go. Jonathan put in his iPod headphones and got ready to zoom off. I kind of knew he would beat me. I am not sure why, but it seems like him and Jonny are naturally gifted. I run substantially more miles than them and am never able to beat them in the 5k. I'd probably hold my own in anything longer than a 5k, but I guess I just don't have the speediness they do. I am hoping that more 800s will help develop my speed.

THE RACE:

MILE 1: (7:23) Got sucked up into race fever. Jonathan hung next to me and we pushed the pace, through the first two hills before settling into a rhythm on the flat sandy part leading into the ninety degree turn. At this point I was in 13th or 14th place, and I could still see the leader heading off into the woods in the other direction. Jonathan stuck by me until the one mile marker and then took off.

MILE 2: (7:27) A long hard mile with several climbs. Went past a kid that was only 13 or 14 with a Boston hat on and he said, "Man, you're fast!" I said. "Nope. I just had a good pace maker that first mile. You are doing great man! Try to hang with me and we'll get this thing done." (He did hang with me until about the road crossing where he faded. He ended up finishing about a minute or two back from me, still a great run for someone so young!). What I have noticed is a lot of younger runners go out way too fast, only to die a violent and horrendous death out there on the course and struggle home. I ran hard and crossed the road. The crossing guard said, "Looking good. Hang in there. You're eleventh!" I also heard someone yell "Good job Benn!" I thought it was my former teacher, but then I found out at the end of the race it was Emmy cheering me on!! I crossed the road and could see Jonathan down the trail about 100 meters. I wanted to catch him, so I kept the pace high.

MILE 3+: (8:21 [7:35 pace avg]) The last mile is gruesome with huge uphills, and bone shattering downhills during the last half mile as the course descends around a pond. I could see Jonathan towards the end but knew I had no chance at making ground on the single track, as there were technical crossings of a couple bridges and divits. I continued to hold the pace, but could feel my legs starting to give out. I was thinking to myself, "Just get to that finish line!" Crossed the line and got the results. 11th place, an improvement of two places from last race, though my time was only 23:12, 12 seconds slower than last time. Jonathan ran a 22:55 and barely beat me. I am going to have to try harder to beat him next time. Jeremy struggled in, and I almost went to look for him, but he got home in 34:55 or something. He doesn't run much and hadn't run since that run last Monday I helped him with. Still a nice result!

COOL DOWN: Emmy went for a cool down with me. She had already done a few miles during the race. We jogged to the car so I could change as I was really sweaty, then we jogged on the road up a little bit, under a narrow bridge and back. On the way back we saw a train pass overhead. Cool stuff! Stretched at the car. (10:19)

After the race I drove Jeremy and Jonathan home and then took Emmy down to Colonie Center to meet her parents. She had to get home so she could rest up for her surgery tomorrow. She has about three days of surgery this week so she needs her rest!

Total Time: 38:27  Total Distance: 4.6 miles Average Pace: 8:21/ mi

9:10 AM - I slept like a rock last night. Was tired from the race for sure. Woke up at about seven and had coffee with my dad and sister on the front porch. Then I got ready and drove to the school. Sunny and Temp was 76 at the start. Very hot and humid and muggy! Ugh! I was going to hit the nature trails and track circuits, but there were a ton of people there. I am not one for really running past people I don't know, and plus I like to get "in the zone" when I run so I decided that it might be a nice change to hit the roads. There was no one out and I wanted to see how the legs felt considering if I do the Marine Corps Half in October it will be on all roads and paved bike trails. Definitely a different pounding then on the trails! Highlight of the run was at about the two mile mark I ran down a hill and this chocolate lab comes jumping out of a bush at me. So I stopped and am talking to it. It was more an attack of love towards me than of hate. It just wanted some affection. A minute later it's chubbier brother/sister came bounding out at me too. Stopped for about three or four minutes before the owner came jaunting down the driveway apologizing. I said no need, we have a St. Bernard so I know what it's like to try to keep control of big puppies. Waved goodbye and said have a nice day. Finished doing the 4+ mile loop down Graves-Alexander-Parkis Mills Roads and then back to the car. Switched into the Vibrams and did a cooldown to the end of Graves Road and back. Noticed a bit of a hotspot on my right foot towards the end of the cool down, but this was a huge plus. Longest run I've done in the Vibrams yet! Oh, and I ran more than half of a half marathon today. Yowsers! Legs are feeling it, but tomorrow is a planned day off! Splits were:

• Mile 1: 9:09
• Mile 2: 8:55
• Mile 3: 9:07
• Mile 4: 8:34
• .32: 2:47 (8:41)
• Mile 5: 8:31
• Mile 6: 8:49
• .73: 5:50 (7:59)

Total Time: 1:01:47 Total Distance: 7.05 miles Average Pace: 8:45

**P.S. Emma's surgery today went very well. Just got off the phone with her. She's going to lay down and get a nap in. She said the bandages on her face make her resemble "The Swamp Thing" or a "Swamp Monster" or something of the sort. I'm sure she's as cute as ever! :D

Today is filled with great news! Emmy is recovering well and she sent a picture in the email last night and she truly does look like a swamp thing, albeit the cutest swamp creature I've ever seen. Ghee!!! I talked to her this morning briefly before she went back to the doctors.

Also this morning, I got the official letter in the mail. I PASSED MY COMPREHENSIVE EXAMS FOR MY MASTER'S DEGREE! Now all I have left is student teaching!

Finally, I sat down this morning and started off where I had left off the other day on John L. Parker, Jr.'s Once A Runner, about page 70. I've wanted to read it for the last five years since I first started running and heard of it, though it became increasingly hard to get ahold of. All the copies from the libraries were getting "lost" (aka stolen) and it wasn't uncharacteristic to see a paperback fetch $250 or $300 on eBay. Well thankfully when the sales for the sequel Again to Carthage tanked, the publishers realized, "Oh wait, why would people buy the sequel if they can't get their hands on the first book?! Duh!" And they rereleased it for a modest $24. I picked it up and read it cover to cover this morning. And all I can say is wow. It truly lives up to the quote from Runner's World : "The best novel ever written about running." I just couldn't put it down. It has everything about the long distance runner in it. From the Trial of Miles and Miles of Trials, to the grit, determination, and sacrifices that embody this type of athlete. I highly recommend it to everyone on the running blog that hasn't read it. Simply AMAZING!

Some memorable quotes:

p. 15, "In the world of the runner, as in the ocean, there is a hierarchy of ferocity. In the sea the swift blue runner is eaten by the slashing barracuda, which is eaten by the awesome mako shark. In track, such relative positions are fixed more or less in black and white and are altered only at great and telling expense. Pride necessarily sprouts and grows; a pride that can only come from relentless kneading of unwilling flesh, painful months of gring and burning away all that is heavy, all that is strength-sapping and useless to the body as a projectile."

p. 110, "A runner who could not run was out of his element. He would not even think of himself as an athlete; ridiculously there would be a kind of guilt about it; that was the worst part. He would begin to feel uncomfortable around his training comrades and the feeling would be mutual, like a newly wounded soldier among the embarrassed whole ones, who would not wish to be reminded of certain roll-the-dice aspects of life." This quote I especially took to heart dealing with all my injuries of 2008. It is so tough to struggle with the question, "Am I still a runner?" when you cannot in fact run. But Emma helped me realize the answer which is that running is a part of who we are. Running doesn't go away because of an injury. Yes it will be a difficult and slow recovery, but we are lifelong runners and must remember life is a journey of ups, downs, and side to sides. We're in it for the good, the bad, the ugly for sure. We just have to keep the faith!

At the very least, pick up the book and read the last couple chapters of the final race. Parker has captured the anxiety, the stress, the glory, and the multitude of other emotions that consitute the long distance runner's races. I can't wait to go to work tonight. I am picking up the sequel, Again to Carthage!!

2:00 PM - Very hot and humid outside. Disgusting. I hope it rains to cool things off. It's abotu 85 degrees inside the house! Did 200 crunches, 100 situps and 50 pushups. Free weights afterwards.

4:45 AM - The calm after the storm. After a very rainy day yesterday (some locales reported upwards of 6+ inches of rain!) and closing the store after opening day at the race track, I thought I would sleep well. The house was stifling though, and even with the fan on I didn't sleep well. Took me a good 10 minutes to fall asleep which seems like an eternity when you are used to falling asleep in a matter of seconds! After about 5.5 hours of sleep I woke up, changed into jogging clothes and drove to the track. I took yesterday off and was still feeling soreness from the long cooldown in the Vibrams the other day. It's a good hurt, a strengthening hurt though. I started slow and gradually warmed up and felt great! Drenched in sweat though. Surreal experience running on the track and going round and round lost in my own thoughts watching the sun rise. A couple got to the track just as I was finishing. I might have to start jogging the other way, else I'm liable to get dizzy! Phew! Now off to a long day at work. Splits were:

• Mile 1: 10:58
• Mile 2: 10:25
• Mile 3: 9:45
• Mile 4: 9:23
• Mile 5: 9:15
• Mile 6: 8:44
• Mile 7: 8:47
• Mile 8: 8:31
• Mile 9: 8:12
• Mile 10: 7:42

Total Time: 1:31:52 Total Distance: 10.01 miles Average Pace: 9:10/ mi

Down 1 pound in the biggest loser contest to 187! Also, started reading John L. Parker, Jr.'s Again to Carthage at work last night. What a phenomenal book!! I can already tell I won't be able to put this one down either!

I was going to go running today after work but we had really bad rainstorms and flooding the other day, and there were more storms to follow during and after work today. Instead I decided to scratch the run and rest up. I got 10 hours of sleep last night! Slept from 9pm to 7am. Must have been tired from the run/work. After work today I went to the nearby farmers market and got tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, zucchini all for only $7.00 total! Grilled up the squash and zucchini on the grill outside :) Yum! Going to bed early tonight at 9ish again and going to wake up and go running at the track before work! I can't believe tomorrow is August!