Motivated to Succeed

Week starting Mar 30, 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
21.540.000.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
3.300.000.00

4:00 PM - Progress is in order - hopped on the treadmill to get in another day of training.  Really getting optimistic that once Mother Nature decides to stop giving us snow so that it can melt a bit that I can get out on the roads. Gorgeous sunny day here and temps in the mid 30s :) Really awesome!  Did walking warmp up, eased into a nice jog. Two miles in 21:51! 10:55 PACE!! Woot! Walking cool down, and stretching. 

Total Time: 41:00 Total Distance: 3.30 Average Pace: 12:25

On the mend! Keep on truckin' FRB >> We'll get there I'm sure of it! One way or another, whether run, bike, swim, hop or waltz we'll get there! Great job everyone, and Happy Spring!

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
4.000.000.00

11:00 AM - Freezing rain today. Blah. But tomorrow is supposed to be thunderstorms and temperatures in the 50s, so I am holding out hope that perhaps I might see the lawn again sometime. Felt really good today. No soreness at all.  Did my normal warm up walk, then eased into a jog. Couldn't have asked for anything better. Ran 2.5 miles in 27:00 @ 10:48 / mile pace. This truly shows that all this work is paying off.  I am steadily progressing, and I have no doubt that I'll be able to call myself a runner once again! :).  Did my warm down walk and then stretched.

Total Time: 48:52 Total Distance: 4.00 miles Average Pace: 12:13 / mile

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
4.750.000.00

10:00 AM - Happy April everyone! :) Hilight of today was 2.5 miles after warmup in 26:39 @ 10:39 Pace! Total for the day was 4.75 miles in an even hour.  Felt really good. Light stretching to follow.

Total Time: 1:00:00 Total Distance: 4.75 miles Average Pace; 12:37 / mile

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
3.250.000.00

8:00 PM - Felt good today. Interesting food for thought. Was still reading Joe Henderson's Running A to Z and found a passage in there that talked about when running the Pikes Peak Marathon it is important to turn around as soon as  you get to the top because if you don't it will take much longer to find your way down the switchbacks; I think this can be extrapolated to the everyday runner, and more importantly those of us that became injured in the last several months.  I think there is a commonality among distance runners to continually improve and always strive to set a PR, or win a race.  Yet I think what I've learned the hard way in the last couple of months is that we can't continually improve. You can log as many miles as you want, but miles are correlated to wear and tear, and there is only so much the human body can take before it says "Hey! Wait a minute! I need a break here!".  I think I lingered too long at the top of the mountain after my November races, and started focusing on more intense training for the 1/2 in January, then jumped right back in to start training for the next race.  What I failed to do, was listen to my body and take some time for recovery.

Did warm up walk, then 2 easy miles of jogging in 21:25 (10:42 pace), cool down.

Total Time: 40:06 Total Distance: 3.25 miles Average Pace: 12:20 / mile

PROGRESS! I have done 11 miles of jogging in the last 5 days! Between 2-2.5 each day! Things are coming along nicely.  I can't wait until I can run 3 or 4 though!

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
1.670.000.00

8:00 AM - Went for a nice walk today. No running though, because did 5 days in a row with a jog. Ended up doing 25:00.

Total Time: 25:00  Total Distance: 1.67 Average Pace: 14:58

Had a stressful day today. Had to study for a big EPY 502 Ed Psych test. But it paid off! I got a perfect score and an actual thumbs up from the professor on the way out of the room.

 

I'm not sure who here has battled or is battling or knows someone who is battling cancer, but each year I do the Relay for Life, and this year I'd like to try to get pledges.  I set a goal of $200, though I know it will be hard to meet this goal by June.  For every $10.00 I collect I plan to run a mile.  If anyone has the ability to support me, or is interested in making a donation for a luminaria in remembrance/honor of anyone, my site is:  http://main.acsevents.org/goto/benngriffin

Many thanks FRBloggers.  Keep on trucking!

- - Benn - -

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
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No run or walk today. Emergency came up at work.  Originally I was supposed to work 8am to 4pm, but one of the guys at work had chest pains and went to the ER so they asked me to stay an extra hour to 5pm, then to come back 9pm to 11:30pm.  They had wanted me to stay if possible all the way through but I had promised one of my brotheres to go to his fundraiser called Galwayopoly where I got to see him and my dad dominate Team Orange! Ugh! So got home around midnight, then my other brother woke me up at 4:30 and told me I had to take him to school for his band trip. Then I came home to sleep and finally fell asleep around 6, alarm when off at 6:42. Now work 8am to 4pm (that I know of).  I really want to do a walk or run tonight, but I might have to wait until after I pass out for a couple hours after work. So tired my eyelids hurt! haha.  Hope everyone else has better luck! As far as I know, Steve's okay though so that's the important part.  You can always catch up on sleep, but you only get one heart!

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
4.570.000.00

5:00 PM - Long day, kind of feels like Friday just merged with Saturday into a super day.  But luckily I got through work and was able to muster up the strength to get out there for a nice enjoyable outing. (This on quite possibly the best day of the year so far! 54 degrees and sunny with only a slight wind.  Headed to the track and foudn that I was the only one there except for one other walker.

Mile 1: warm up walk : 14:17. Felt nice and ready to go :)

Mile 2:  eased into a jog.  9:11 [ Yes, I know. That's fast! Though it did not feel fast at all.  I monitored myself and was running at the same effort and cadence that I did on the treadmill.  Felt really good though.

Mile 3: continued to jog. 8:50! [Fastest mile since I hurt myself in January. Don't worry I know that I should not try to PR now that I'm feeling better.  I will continue to keep myself in check and run smart and conservative.  Tomorrow will be a slow easy recovery day.]

Mile 3 - 3.5: 4:23; aka 8:51 / mile pace! This means I maintained an 8:50 pace for 1.5 miles after a 9:11 easy mile before that with no pain. That also equates to progress!

Mile 3.5 - 4.57 - Cool down mile: 14:15 for the first mile, 1:10 for the last .07.

Total Time:  52:07 Total Distance: 4.57 Average Pace: 11:24

 

JOGGING NOTES FROM THIS WEEK: WHERE I'M AT

  • With 5 days including jogging of 6 days total, I had 3 x 2.5 miles of jogging continuously, and 2 x 2 miles of jogging continuously; I feel this shows that my persistence has paid off. It is important for me to continue to gradually increase miles so that I will not risk further injury.
  • Total Miles Jogged this past week: 11.5 miles in time of : 1:59:19; Equates to average pace of 10:22, though this is skewed since my "break through" Saturday run.  Overall feel really great about my current level of fitness and looking forward to another good week. To everyone else out there who also continues to wage the war of Comeback 2008 - I think it was Teddy Roosevelt who said something like, "when you get to the end of a rope, tie a knot and hang on";  Wecan and will do this!  Keep on truckin' FRBloggers and thanks for all of your support!

- Benn - Anxiously awaiting the runs still developing over the horizon.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
21.540.000.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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