Motivated to Succeed

Week starting Feb 03, 2008

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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
2.062900.005.10
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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AM - Going to do some crunches and eccentric exercises.  Continuing to ice and stretch lightly.  Anticipating the rebound sometime soon.

Rest day #5 :(

Sorry to all you Patriots Fans out there (and I know there are many).  It must hurt to be fans of the team that ended the perfect season not so perfectly. 18 and 1 ouch.  I never thought I'd live to see one of our three New York football teams actually end up a Super Bowl winner. wow. Miracles do come true.

Achilles is healing nicely.  Have done a lot of icing, massaging, resting.  I can't believe it's only been 5 days.  This whole "taking a week off to rest" I think is the most painful, most drawn out week I have ever had.  Even worse than finals week ever was in college!

FYI, anyone looking for a good trail marathon should look at the one I'm doing:  Nipmuck Trail Marathon in Ashford, CT  :http://www.marathonguide.com/sites/nipmucktrail/marathoninfo.cfm  ;  Although, I'm not sure what kind of goal to set.  It states to ADD ONE HOUR to your BEST ROAD MARATHON PR.  It's a very difficult 26.4 mile course I suppose, and only about 10 of 180 finishers ever gets under 4 hours, and about 60 under 5 hours.  My best road PR is 4:26, so I suppose I am shooting for 5:30 or faster, but would it be too ambitious to aim for breaknig 5 hours? 

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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AM - Really starting to feel blah.  My achilles I think is healing... but this is the longest week ever. Depressed.

Pushups and 200 crunches

Days of "Rest" (or TORTURE!):  6

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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AM - Crunches and pushups; Raring to get back out on the roads. Nasty weather expected next couple days so hopefully before the end of the week I can get a trial run in . Got to start smart. Don't want any more setbacks. Sent off application to Nipmuck for 6/1 yesterday. Getting psyched!

Rest Day: 7; Felt pain yesterday going up stairs which was weird. Continuing to massage and take it easy. Hoping to just get back out there even for 3 mile jogs.

So I really want to run.  But the question is:  How long do I need to wait before I come back.  Everything I've read leads me to believe that achilles issues might be a prolonged problem, so should I suck it up and start doing some runs?

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
2.060.000.00

My thoughts and prayers to all those who are affected by or know those that were in the paths of those devastating storms that hit the South last night.

4:00 PM - Couldn't stand it any longer, so I dressed up and tried to go for a run.. and failed miserably.  Only able to do two miles.  I give up. I went as slow as I could, and it still hurts. Unfortunately I don't have access to a pool, so not sure what to do.  I can try to hop on a bike tomorrow at the college?  Is that better than nothing?

Mile 1: 10:14

Mile 2: 10:10

Total Distance: 2.06  Total Time: 20:57  Avg. Pace: 10:09/mile

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Got up early and went and did my taxes. Oh happy days.  Even though I only work part time, I paid 1500 bucks in taxes and still OWE 250 to the government.  Not a very nice start to my day.  My mom and me swung by the YMCA afterwards, and I did a swim.  First time in probably about four years I've gone swimming (besides jumping into the waves in Vieques during winter break).  This is what I did:

1000 m freestyle:  20:08

200 m breast stroke: 5:02

450 m freestyle:  8:58

= 1 Mile =  34:08

Felt really good actually;  Looking forward to becoming a better swimmer and getting in some nice swims this month while I rest.  I picked up a schedule and they have a lot of mornings with open lap swim.  This looks promising. :)

PM - 3 sets of pushups, 200 crunches.  Probably going to get up early to go swimming.  Though not sure.  There's open lane swim 530 AM to 830 AM, and then 1115-5 (but only 1 lane available during this time).  It might be a 5am wakeup call then for me.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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11:30 AM - Went to the YMCA this morning and decided to go for a swim.  Did 1100 meters of freestyle in 21:35 and then changed and went and checked out the weightroom.  They more than quadrupled the amount of cardio equipment that they have since the last time I was there about two years ago.  Kick butt!  Hopped onto a bike and did 5.1 miles in 20:45.  Felt really good, and barely any soreness in the achilles.  Not the same as running, but at least it's something to do.

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Blah seems a pretty good term for summing up today.  Feel like junk and want to run but can't.  Stuck at home babysitting and can't go to the YMCA.  Man this is peachy.  Not to mention have to do a stupid paper for grad school that is absolutely pointless.  Tried reading more from Running Through the Wall.  All that does is make me more depressed.  Now it's snowing a ton too.  And to make a horrible day even better, found out that somehow all 3 sets of my keys got locked in my car. I need a redo at life.

Going to plan my hardest to get to the YMCA and do a good 40 min + bike ride or something.  Got my paper done which is good.  That leaves tomorrow open (more than usual) to get in a cardio.  me = Misses Running :'(!!

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