Motivated to Succeed

Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon

Previous WeekRecent EntriesHomeJoin Fast Running Blog Community!PredictorHealthy RecipesBenn Griffin's RacesFind BlogsMileage BoardTop Ten Excuses for Missing a RunTop Ten Training MistakesDiscussion ForumRace Reports Send A Private MessageMonth ViewYear View
Graph View
Next Week
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
20072008200920102011201220132014
15% off for Fast Running Blog members at St. George Running Center!

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


Create Your Badge{C} 

2014 Books I've Read: 

 

 

 

 

Favorite Blogs:

Click to donate
to Ukraine's Armed Forces
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
26.710.000.00
Brooks Addictions 8 - #2 Miles: 14.00Brooks Addictions 8 - #3 Miles: 12.71
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Race: Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon (13.11 Miles) 02:16:19, Place overall: 169
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
14.000.000.00

9:30 AM - Got up early, got dressed and a cup of coffee and then headed out to the race. Didn't get there until 5 after 9 and had to jog to the registration tent. Held in the scenic Thacher Park, New York, ARE makes you park in the parking lots and walk/jog up to the starting line. I like this though and it makes for easy get away after the race. Jogged to the start and got my bib number #581. Missed out by a week or so on the giveaway of a florescent orange hat. Darn! That'll teach me to register early next year.

My buddy from college xc Chris Chromczack was there dressed as his normal zombie self. This race is among my favorite of all time. It's put on by one of the best running clubs out there and everyone wears costumes and shows up ready to have a great time. Chris has an important job before the start of the race. He moseys around from port-a-john to snack table to bathrooms and sneaks up on people with a chainsaw w/out blade. It's funny to hear first timers scream a bit. Haha. He got me when I first came up and I turned around and said hey. The only time he really scared me was at mile 12 when he jumped out of a bush at me haha. He is one wild and crazy guy!

RACE TIME!


Race started promptly at 9:30 am. The ARE also puts on the Squirrely Six Miler in conjunction with the Hairy Gorilla Half and it has been my strategy in the past to run and just follow the pace of some of the 6 milers. 

 MILES 1-2: Bottleneck affect. It is a .1 mile run into the woods and then it's essentially single track. Too many people slow down when they see mud. Newbies! hmpf! Went through the one mile in about 11 minutes and then the two mile mark about 22 minutes.

MILES 3-5: Got into a rhythm. Miles 3 and 4 had big hills and I just plugged away. I forgot to mention that I haven't run more than 4-5 miles at a time since the Monroe Race. I was running this race as part of the Saratoga Stryders, one of the running clubs I am a member of. Flattened out going into the last mile.

MILE 6: Hit the 6 mile mark in 58:50 (5k had been 31:30). So I sped up the last mile and was on track to have a strong race. Headed out onto the second loop, thankful to be shed of the 6 milers and happy that it wasn't merely a repeat loop but a different one :).

 MILES 7-8: A couple really muddy sections. No aid stations with anything but water. I was beginning to think this was a bad idea. I remembered about mile 8 I had failed to eat breakfast! Doh! Running on empty, but I just kept plugging away.

MILES 9-11: Funny sight was a woman dressed as a ladybug that got her picture taken running away through the fields during the race. Sad thing, she beat me haha! That'll teach me to stay in shape! Around mile 11 you come to a 180 degree turn. A guy in a banana costume was standing there to make sure we turned. Six feet after the turn is a 100 foot drop off!

MILES 12 & 13: The last two miles were tough. Had to walk for about 5 minutes total, about 1 minute every 5 minutes of running. Blah. No real hills here which is generally when I walk, but I had to step to the side and let a couple dozen people pass. Just not my day. All in all a good show. Got beat by my former English teacher's husband though. He generally doesn't beat me.

FINAL TIME: 2:16:19, 169th place of 281 total finishers for the half.  Most people I got passed by in the end had gone through the last check about 5 minutes after me which shows how the walking did me in. Oh well. What a blast! Fueled up with bananas, got my hairy gorilla medal (plush toy), and headed home.

Total Mileage for the Day: 14 miles 

 

Brooks Addictions 8 - #2 Miles: 14.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Comments(3)
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
5.250.000.00

5:30 PM - Ran with Emmy while she was on the elliptical. Left knee a little sore as is the right calf, but overall not bad considering being out of shape and overweight! Felt fine during the run. Determined to do quality run. Ran 5 miles in 43:17, good for 8:39 a mile average pace. Sped up from 8:55 pace to 8:35. All at 2% incline. Trying to get back in shape. Changing my diet too. Trying to eliminate processed foods, ice cream, chips, bagels, and other unnecessaries.  

Brooks Addictions 8 - #3 Miles: 5.25
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
4.200.000.00

4:30 PM - Sarah had to go home today so I was in charge of my first official practice today. I only had 3 students show up. Somehow they all thought that the last meet was the last meet for everyone, when in fact we have cross country continuing for another 2 weeks!

We warmed up down to the field and I had them do stretching and then 5 x 1 lap "hard" effort. Fastest lap for guys was 1:28, fastest for girls 1:44. Did a 6th cool down lap together, and then cooled down back to the school.

When I got home I hopped on the treadmill and did 2 miles in 16:20, good for 8:10/mile average pace.  

Can't wait for a date tonight with Emmy watching "The Office" on TBS! 

Brooks Addictions 8 - #3 Miles: 4.20
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
3.260.000.00

5:30 PM - Work week's over! (for me anyways). Emm still has to work Saturdays. Urgh. We met and had a workout date. I ran most of my run around 8:35 pace, with 3 x .25 thrown in at 6:40 pace for good measure. Felt good. Did 100 crunches afterwards. Emm finished up on the elliptical. We are thinking (or maybe I should say I am thinking) about getting a second treadmill because 1. I think I am too big for Emm's treadmill and 2. it would be nice to have a running date during the winter which is not possible outside since we get out so late from work.

Total Time: 27:00 Total Distance: 3.26 Average Pace:  8:17

Brooks Addictions 8 - #3 Miles: 3.26
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
26.710.000.00
Brooks Addictions 8 - #2 Miles: 14.00Brooks Addictions 8 - #3 Miles: 12.71
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Debt Reduction Calculator
Featured Announcements
Recent Comments: