Motivated to Succeed

2:00 PM - Decided that my weekend was over when Emmy left to go back to school.  So before conquering loads of homework I thought going for a run would be a good idea.  Just wanted to go nice and steady.  Ended up going 7.5 miles @ 7:30 per mile pace.  No soreness and surprisingly no slothness from all that food I ate this weekend.  Still pumped over my awesome 10k PR on Thursday! 

Looking forward to next Sunday, 12/2 - where I get the choice of doing a 15k or 3.5 miler for the Winter Series Race #1 of 5.  I think I'll just do the 15k with 1.5 mile warm up and cool down or tack on a few afterwards and use it as a long run. Now my goal is to steadily build up mileage!

*Only Concern - that I'm racing too much (5 mile race on 11/4, 15k on 11/11 and then 10k on 11/22) . My body feels fine and actually the pace I ran all of my miles at today was considerably faster than my pace on 11/4 but safely under my 15k and 10k paces. 

>>If anyone has suggestions of ideas for training and/or possible training programs for Marathon training, I'm gunning for Marathon #3 in October of 2008 in Albany.  Is it too soon to start preparing?  The course is fast.. Overall negatie elevation of 300 feet from start to finish and only one hill at about halfway point.  A beautiful course limited to 500 or so runners.  What would it take for me to be able to meet a BQ time of 3:10:59 for the open age group?  I'm willing to give it everything I have.  I want to do it right this time.<<

Total Time:  56:13   Total Mileage:  7.5    Pace Per Mile: 7:30

*Note: UPDATED GOALS As well today!  Didn't know what goals I should be shooting for for mileage however. Sasha mentioned a couple weeks ago to aim for 6 x 6 mile days. I guess I'll have to go week by week.

THIS WEEK'S GOAL: to run every day!

8:00 PM - Evening run; Study break so decided to hop on the treadmill and cruised 2.75miles in 20:14 - 7:21 Pace

4:00 PM - Got home early today after a rather bizarre day at school.  I have five 75 minute classes back to back on Mondays and Wednesdays, and in my fourth class I had a test which got out early, though I waited around because my last class of the day is in the same room.  Well usually the class starts coming in about 10 minutes before... though with 4 minutes to go it was me and another girl who was jabbering away on her phone.. All of a sudden three security guards come running down the hallway and go "You!  Out of the building! Now!  Grab everything and get outside!"  They made it sound like it was a Nazi invasion or something!  Well I gathered my stuff up and go outside in my shorts and sweatshirt into a freezing 33 degree rain/sleet only to find the campus security guard, Albany police force, as well as school officials telling us to "get back" and then to "go around to the far side of that building over there".  They wouldn't tell us what was up, and as the roads were being blocked off and stuff I decided to just high tail it out of there.  Makes me feel bad though.  That's the first class I have missed the entire semester.

So got home early and went for a run.  Felt pretty good.  Not too tight and felt steady.  Ended up doing 6.63 miles in 50:23, good for 7:36 pace/mile.

Total Mileage:  6.63    Total Time:  50:23     Avg. Pace Per Mile:  7:36

8:00 AM - Did an easy 6.3 mile run before work today.  Average pace of about 7:33 a mile.  Total time was 47:33.  Not looking forward to work though.  We'll see about tonight doing a quick run, but I kind of have a feeling tonight I might actually allow myself time to watch House.  I love that show but haven't seen in it a couple weeks because of homework :(.  We'll see how today goes.

Total Mileage: 6.3       Total Time:  47:33     Average Pace:   7:33

8:00 PM - Rushed home from work and did a quick 2 miles in 13:33 (6:46/mile pace) Felt amazing.

5:00 PM - Long day at school, though it was worth it.  Got a 100 on my Criminal Justice test, two 100's on Sociology papers, and then I got back my 15 pager from Colonial North American History that counts for 40% of that class grade AND more importantly was the last major paper of my UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES!!!  It had a big "A" on the cover plus the note, "Great work, Benn.  The best in the class by far.  I mean that."  So yeah, that definitely fired me up for the ride home.  Until I got to CVS and found out that my not-so-awesome Gilette Mach 3 Turbo was going to cost me $22.00 for replacement blades! Honestly, what the hell man.  I could have bought a new razor and like 12 replacement blades for it, but rather than do that, I did right and saved the planet a little and just sucked it up and bought the blades, swearing under my breath and the stupid American dollar.

Got home, and it was dark, and as I live in boondocks, treadmill it was grrr.  Did 4 miles @ 7:30 pace and felt great, but bored. Forgot to grab a  book to read, and no tv in the room so staring at the wall while I did 4 easy miles in 30:00 was hard enough as it was.  Switched and did 4 or 5 x 90 "on" and then 60 seconds "off".  Then threw in a 120 or 140 sec burst at end.  Hit the 6 mile mark in 43:56 - 7:19 average pace ( I think the "on" were about 6:45-6:50 pace then).

Total Mileage: 6.5   Total Time: ~47:45

Ian and anyone else I'm interested in your opinion about running form. I follow your runs daily and always love the entries. This one in particular today is interesting for me because I have horrible form. I get it from my dad (I look almost exactly like him) and I am flat footed and wear orthodics. I think I am "bowlegged" that is my knees and thighs face outwards while my shins and feet tend to want to rotate inwards. the orthopedic had told me I would be lucky to be running when I'm 40 :-. On top of that I swing my arms left to right. I don't consciously feel that, but I do. IN looking at video and pictures you can clearly see. I thought this was due just to the way i'm designed with wide hips and then the whole bowlegged thing. What's your take on it? or anyone else's for that matter? It stinks that I have such horrible biomechanics. Maybe I should just keep running. I know everyone's different so maybe that's just my thing. I just got to try that much harder to overcome it. When I try to run with "proper form" like they try to teach you in xc, it didn't help and I just feel alien and tense and unrelaxed. Yikes! (going to post this to my blog too)

8:00 AM - Up early despite not sleeping well.  Decided to start the morning off right, so had oatmeal with golden raisins, and then out and cruising.  Felt really really good. Hardly any soreness.  And was just basically on autopilot.  It's crazy to think that 7:30 is now an "easy" pace for me when this past year or two it was probably my 5k pace! Felt so good!

Total Mileage: 7.61 miles        Total Time:  57:04     Average Pace/Mile:  7:30

So happy!  Also, I think I will break 175 miles this month (that's with a few days off).  I also can't remember the last time I was able to do that.  (Probably summer of 2004!)  I think this is a sign of good things to come.  I just have to keep the intensity up so that I keep improving!!

Hey everyone.  I just wanted to say thanks for how much this blog has helped me already in my running career.  It has help me get focused and be consistent and more driven to wanting to do my best.  But I could really use your prayers.  I had a mini breakdown today because of three reasons.  First my mom hurt her knee bad a few weeks ago and has to go back to the doctor's next week and it just hurts to see her in pain every time she stands up or tries to walk and wincing with each step.  Then we found out our St. Bernard who will be nine in January has bone cancer and probably won't live another year.... and the thing that triggered my breakdown.  I found out that my dad has some kind of heart thing - yesterday my mom said it was just a weak valve that needed replacing.  Then I come to find out that she didn't tell me what was really up because she didn't want to scare my younger brothers.  My dad has something where his heart goes into vtac and stops suddently so he goes in on Wednesday to get some scopic analysis where they will stop his heart and restart it with a mini defibrilator. And if his heart vtacs, then they will install a defribilator directly on his heart.  I don't know what to do with finals coming up and everything and I am just so worried.  So if anyone can send me and my family a prayer or two, it'd mean so much.  Thanks everyone and keep on trucking.

-Benn

8:00 AM - Tried to concentrate long enough to get in a run.  Did 6.3 @ 7:22 pace.

Total Time:  46:24      Total Mileage:  6.3    Average Pace:  7:22

*I think it made me feel better.  It's funny.  Running is the one thing I look forward to now.  No matter how I feel when I wake up or how crappy I feel lacing up my shoes, the moment I head out the door I always feel better....

11:00 AM - a chilly 15 degrees out but dressed in three or four layers and went out there.  Just wanted to run.  Did 3.25 easy miles and 2 x 1 mile in 6:19 and 6:04 ; all this with 20-30 mph gusts.  Felt so good! I love running :).  And glad to see I am getting in better shape!! BQ here I come! (though I know it's going to be a lot of work and probably take a few years to do)

Total Time: 36:32     Total Mileage ~5.25