Motivated to Succeed

Day #53: 5.5 miles total. Did a 5k in 25:50 but it was too hot this a.m. Instead went to the track in NY once I came and visited Harry after dinner. Ran on a full stomach but was still able to run a 7:51 and 7:13 mile pretty relaxed. I was really surprised by the last mile considering I haven't really done speed work and wasn't really feeling it with a belly full of macaroni salad. Later tonight we had a fire in the back yard which was fun.

Sittin' 'round the fire,
Moth just suicided.. yup!
Guess aim small miss small!!

Day #54: Went for a 22 mile bike ride with Emma and then did 1 mile by myself. Racing tomorrow. Will be my third time on the Greylock Road Race, an 8 mile uphill challenge up Massachusetts's tallest mountain. I always run up and then back down to my car for 16-16.5 miles total. Briefly contemplated running up and down twice, but I don't think my quads can take that pounding. Will see what happens. Had a really nice day in Galway hanging with Harry and then drove back to MA to go from Pittsfield up to Adams and back again with Emm. All in all a great day!

Burned us some tent worms,
They're nasty, vile lil' devils.
Pizza. Beer. Rest. Go!

Day #55: 18 miles. Got up early and drove up to Williamstown to run from Notch Road/Williams Reservoir up to the summit of Mount Greylock. I did a warm up mile and parked about .25 miles from the start. As I was warming up I was remarking how beautiful it was. Blue Sky. Sun shining. Perfect day for a race. Then... BANG BaNg! BANG! Hunters. Well at least it was perfect for a few seconds. I knew it was going to hurt a bit as I haven't run long in a long time. Met a really interesting guy who was running the whole uphill race barefoot and made his own huarache sandals last night for the first mile which is gravel/rough pavement. I had run this race twice before in 2009 (1:22) and 2010 (1:34). I wanted to run something in between those two times. It was 66 at the start and 83 at the finish. Re

Day #58: 7.5 miles total. Mountain Day at BART where the whole school scaled the 3491' mountain that's the highest mountain in Massachusetts. I started with my core group of students that soon dwindled. I ended up doing the majority of the hike with my friend Matt and a newcomer to our school Brian who is from Louisiana. We spent over an hour talking about Swamp People and cajun lifestyle. Really enjoyed our time together. Brian soon ran ahead with some of the other kids and then I continued to push Matt to the top. So ended the short lived Three Musketeers, or as I called us: The Cowboy, Cajun, and Bearded Tutu Man. We picked up a group of 3-4 other students. All my kids really enjoyed seeing us at the top and especially the fact that I hiked the mountain in a tutu. Funny part was at the top an old guy just visiting when we were leaving said "Did you win a bet, or lose one?" I said, "A little of both I think!". We both laughed. Anything to motivate kids and/or give them something to use against me. At least I had fun. After school we had xc practice were we did another few miles, followed by a single mile by myself at home before going to pick up Emm to vote. 

If you never try,
You won't realize your greatness.
It lies inside all.

Day #59: 1 mile, nice and easy recovery day after watching my cross country team impress. We had 16 starters, and 16 finishers, and all were smiling during the race. They just enjoyed being out there. A truly great day for all.

To coach is to be
Present and Tuned in for them.
Celebrate success!

Day #60: 1 mile, halfway through my challenge of running at least 1 mile for 120 days straight. Did a lot of work last night and went down to school today before the bad storms rolled through. Going to grab a nap and then up early to get a long run in at Taconic High School. 

Halfway to the goal,
Feeling stronger and lighter.
Seize the day, bitches!

Day #61: 8 miles in 1:11:15, good for 8:54 pace. Got to keep the miles up. Nervous about the race on the 22nd. So underprepared. Might be ugly.

Spinach-breathed runner,
Working hard for a pay day.
Fall weather's the best!

Day #62: 6.5 miles; 2.5 miles with the cross country team, including my main man Jon who came as the manager for the first time to official practice. I ran 4 x 400m repeats in the 1:30-1:57 range depending on what group I ran with, another lap to put cones up and down, and finally ran a lap with my man Jon. Yup. He said he hates running and doesn't run, but he RAN a full lap with me! He's my hero. I told him by the end of the season he's going to be able to run a mile non-stop and surprise everyone at this school, especially himself. I wish I could have more days like this! Then came home and ran 4 miles steady on the treadmill, lactate threshold pace with the last mile about :30 faster to kick it in. Total was 31:32 for 4 miles, or 7:51 a mile! Haven't felt this good in close to a year. Going to celebrate with a pot of coffee and some Dr. Quinn with Emmy.

Autumn smells, just sniff.
A whiff of body odor,
Oh no! Wait! That's me!

Day #64: 1 measly mile. Hardest day of this challenge, not because of sore legs, but because of other health stuff. Woke up at midnight and covered in sweat. Right ear was plugged and crackling. I tried to deal with it - got up on four separate occasions with no luck. Taught all day and it felt like my head was in the deep end of the pool. So hard to understand. Had my second xc meet of the season. 19 starters. 19 finishers. A win all the way around. Finally got to school at 7pm, but was exhausted and needed to get home. I got home, had a snack and passed out on the couch, then realized at 9:20 that I had yet to run today. Dragged myself through an 8:55 mile. Now going to try to pass out again.

Others go achieve,
And I sit idly by, for
today I am sick.

Day #65: 5 miles. Feeling better. Voice is still echoing inside my head trying to get out. It's very hard to understand 6th graders in this condition. My voice is the thing going next. Trying to hold on so I can get through Friday practice and then take the weekend off. 9 days until my race and feeling pretty blah. We'll see how it goes. Ran with the cross country team easy on the bike path. I went a little hard to try to catch up to them and to get different groups in sight. Did a total of 3 miles, only about 1 mile "fast", then did 2 miles later tonight by myself at about 8:40 pace. Am going to pick up Emmy from work and then hopefully just relax a little bit. Being sick is not very much fun!

Running in a fog
Seamen, sea foam, see this cold!
Running on empty.

Day #66: 3 miles only, running with the xc team. Ran with the cross country team and was helping some of my boys focus on learning how to pass with authority and how to kick so that others found it hard to maintain form and position. I think a couple of them learned something. My voice sounds pretty bad and still have crackling in the ears though. Ugh! Weekend could not have come quick enough.

If ever whizzing,
Be sure to go with the wind.
Don't wet yourself now.

Day #67: 4 miles, increasing pace. Started slow and gradually sped to finish with the last half mile sub 8 pace. Finished in 32:51, good for 8:13/ mile pace. One week from today is the mac daddy of all races in Berkshire County. Anita Ortiz will be there. Hope I don't embarrass myself too much. I am just hoping to get a nice run through the woods in. Ear still crackling. Snap. Crackle and pop! Going to sit on the couch and watch some Lord of the Rings I think for a bit. I am pretty sure that I sweat more than anyone else I know. Hydration will be the issue as it looks like some aid stations are 6 miles apart. Might have to consider carrying 2 bottles with me?

Snap, crackle, and pop!
Bones, joints, eardrums all the same.
Is this called old age?

Day #69: 1.15 miles; 10:00. Kept the streak alive, barely. Woke up and had lost my voice and the ear thing had intensified. Went in to work but couldn't stay as my head was pounding and I could barely talk. Called 2 doc offices - my PCP never answered and my old PCP office was apparently closed. Thankfully all my aunts on my mom's side are in the medical field and one of my aunts is a doctor. She got me hooked up with some antibiotics, aleve, medicated ear drops, nasal spray, robitussin pm, and some sudafed. Hoping they start to work. This is no way to live.

Medicated state.
Pain go away - you not fun!
Rest come swiftly now.

Day #70: 1.16 miles; 10:00. Home again from school. On the meds, feel a little better but not much. Tomorrow will be interesting. Need to rethink my lesson to avoid as much talking as possible. Please hurry up and go away ear infection. Got a call last minute to drive to Vermont to pick up some xc uniforms that were ready - had to drive an hour in torrential rain and winds (there was a tornado watch in effect) to make it there before they closed at 5. Made it home safe, then took Ruby to the vet to find out she has lost 2.6 pounds! She is lean, mean and a mole killing machine!

Nyquil for nighttime,
Pray tomorrow is better.
Miss being just me.

Day #71: 3 miles. No improvement in my ear; forgot my meds at work today too, so tonight's going to suck. If you were me would you still do the 50 miler on Saturday? I shelled out 100 bucks for it and I feel like I'm in the best shape leg wise that I've ever been in. If only I could hear out of my damn ear! Hurts to chew.

Oh you cruel world,
Heart wants; body won't allow.
Do I deserve this???

Day #72: 4.5 miles total. Ran with the cross country team. They were glad to have their Coach back. Ran easy 2 miles and 1 mile of hard 85-90% effort 100 m sprints. Found out my youngest runner, Jordan is only 10 and is named after Michael Jordan (her middle name is Michele!). She finished her first ever 5k yesterday. Very proud of my runners. Had a total of 16 finishers yesterday. Our team is getting bigger and bigger! Ran another 1.5 miles by myself before a shower. Trying to stay on top of the ear drops and antibiotics. Body feels good, just can't talk or hear. Stupid bugs.

Sports induced wedgie.
Do I pick? Or NOT to pick?
THAT is the question!

Day #73: 1.5 miles w/ the cross country team. Had 9 show up today. Feeling better. Still can't talk and ear is about 1/2 blocked, but feeling physically better. Looking forward to tomorrow. Going to give it a go. 9 runners showed today: 5 6th graders, 3 7th, and 1 8th grader. These are the ones that are putting in the hard workouts and are going to see the big improvements. I'm excited for them. Had them do 4 x .25 miles with the first 200m easy out and then 90% effort on the way back. Had them start slow, and push push push. When they finished 4 I asked who was tired. Everyone said yes! So I said great, go again. After the 5th when I asked no one spoke. So I said, Well guess we need to run it out of you if you ain't tired yet! So they went for a 6th. The last one, we did a reverse run, where I had the last place finisher go first, then the 8th, then 7th. The last runners Mark and James started about 35 seconds after the first runners. They nearly caught the other runners, but Jessie was holding back the whole time. 

Ready for a trip,
Odyssey into the woods.
Please, please! Don't get lost!!

Day #74: 32 miles total; Hancock Shaker Village 50: Hardest course I've ever seen. No joke. Only 7 people made it to the turn around and decided to continue. Got lost 4 miles into the race, hooked up with 3 other people, backtracked and missed turn again and climbed Mt. Sinai for the second time .. Hit the first aid station at "6 miles" in 2 hours. Technical, rocky, muddy, root strewn trails. Loved every second of it. With backtracking I logged 30 miles by the time we got to the turn around. Since it took 7 hours and 43 minutes to go that far, there was no way to finish the 50 miler. Cooled down to HSV, 32 miles total for the day in a time of 8:04. Enjoyed microbrew, a tofu wrap, and homemade vegan backed beans before driving up to Berry Pond to get the drop bag I could never use. One of the most epic trail runs of my life. Only some crackling in my ear. Worst was that it interfered with my balance and I fell 3 times while going downhill. The race director started going to the aid stations to round up people so they wouldn't be running the last 11.8 on the Taconic Crest Trail in the dark. This course was humbling. I felt like I ran, hydrated, and fueled better than any other race in my life, and yet my time was so slow!

Hard doesn't describe,
That course be a beast Michael 
Will be back next year.

Day #75: 1 fat mile; 9:52. Spent the day doing school work, but managed to get out in the morning to go apple picking with Emm for the first time since I started working full time at school three years ago. Felt good. Got to make an effort to put family first. No excuses. Work needs to be second at all costs. Hard to say that now after spending the last six hours doing progress report comments, quiz grading, lesson planning and fretting. Ugh! Time for a nap. Was happy to escape to watch one episode of Dr. Quinn with her and then do a fat mile. Official results were posted and only 7 finishers. The two we saw at Aid Station 10 took three hours to do the last 2 sections of the trail. I am confident it would have taken me much much longer than that. As it was they finished amid the lightning and downpours. Anxious to move forward and start thinking about my next races coming up including BayState Marathon in October. I might do Monroe-Dunbar again for some redemption on a much shorter course. 

Sore legs, tight quads.... stretch?
Next year seems so far away,
But not long to train!

Day #76: 2 miles with the cross country team - nice and easy. Made them do hills and they cried, big babies. Legs are really tired still. Had double charlie horses last night which was not fun!

Hills are for sissies.
Real runners run up mountains.
What? You Cry? So sad!

Day #77: 5.26 miles; 3 miles with the cross country team including 1 x 400m which I joined on the grass field in 1:32. Started :30 after all of them, and caught six who were slacking. Loved it! 20:00 jog tonight by myself, 2.26 miles total. Next thing to look forward to is BayState Marathon on 10/21. Got to redeem myself. Had a tough time with not doing the Joseph Smith Marathon in July nor finishing the 50 miler this weekend. Getting close to 2/3 of the way done with this challenge. Emma suggested, "Can you do 360?" I'm going to try! Legs still really sore. Hoping no charlie horses tonight when I sleep.

No babies here please.
Earn your keep; Do the work, bitch!
Wait... a marathon?!?

Day #78: 5 miles; 3.5 with the team including some quick 400 repeats and some hilly 400s on uneven terrain. Another 1.5 miles much later tonight by myself at about 8:30/mile pace. Ear almost back to normal. Still some echoing when I talk. Looking forward to seeing how some of my cross country runners are going to do in the race on Friday. Still some lingering lactic acid in my legs from Saturday, but I'm ready to get back at it and start training for the marathon next month. Been stuck on marathon 10 for far too long. Highlight of my day was watching my 6B class not only read, annotate and ask questions about a text on the Berlin Conference they were reading for the first time, but being able to successfully organize and defend their positions in one of the following: + effects on Africa, + effects on Europe, - effects on Africa, - effects on Europe. Really proud of them. If only every day were as productive. I'm tired now. Time for a nap and then up at 4 to lesson plan again. Goodnight.

Sleep, come quickly now,
For I am a man of work,
And patient I'm not!

Day #79: 5.5 miles; 3.5 miles easy with the team including warm up, 2.5 miles with Mark and Dylan and then .5 mile cool down to the school. Then another 2 miles at home at 8:30 pace. Legs are still the littlest bit sore from last weekend's escapade. Ready to focus on getting healthy and in shape for the marathon at the end of next month.

One step then the next,
Limits are for the resigned.
I focus on GOALS!

Day #80: 2 miles only in 17:00; Early dismissal at 12 today. Rain all day and contacted the host school about the problematic decision they were making. They said they were calling the meet at 12 whether yea or nae. Problem was that if my students stayed to wait at the school until the 2:30 bus, only to have the race cancelled, then many would be without rides home until 6 or later after the school dance being held. Couldn't have that over my head, so decided to call it. We have another race anyways on Wednesday, so will just aim for that one. Was really bummed though to see that at 12:36 I got an email saying the race was on. If they had just been respectful of our circumstances we could have found out when we needed to and still gone to the meet. Ugh! Frustrating. Headed to New York to pick up Lizzard and bring her home and to check on Dad who has successfully survived his first month of retirement! Woohoo!

Rain, rain go away.
Please let the good runners play.
No? Please? Come on! Lame

Day #81: 6.75 miles total; 1.5 around the block with Emma and Lizzard who is nursing some swollen elbows. Then stretched and on the treadmill. 1 mile easing into it and then hit an 800 workout. Did a total of 6 x 800m at about 80% effort, contained, with 400m recoveries. Times for the 800s were: 3:43, 3:47, 3:45, 3:43, 3:38, and 3:34. Recovery laps were: 2:22, 2:20, 2:17, 2:17, 2:20, 2:20. Felt really good and strong considering this time last week I was recovering from a 32 mile odyssey in the woods. Any suggestions for how to get in shape for the marathon on Oct. 21st? I feel like I am in better shape in a way than when I ran my marathon PR at about 160# in 2006 (4:26), even though I'm still just about 225# at the moment. How is that possible? Is a 4:26 even in the realm of possibility? I need to get in 1-2 more long runs between now and then!

Yasso might be right.
800s are perfection.
Tired yet happy.

Day #82: 6.65 miles; Did Monument Mountain 3.5 miles in the a.m. with Emm in the mist, just like it was four years ago when I proposed there to her. A lot of people out on the trails for a rainy day like today! Then did 3.1 miles by myself later on after grading a set of tests. Did the first mile in 8:31, then next two in 7:04 and 7:03. Total for the 5k was 23:29, about the same pace as last year at Shillelagh Shuffle! Watched Dr. Quinn tonight, but it was a really depressing episode. Not how I wanted to end the day.

Mist encompasses
Echoes of things, sounds unseen.
Existing in fog.