Progress Report

Ten days straight of at least 45 minutes of running.  I had 13 miler, a seven miler, and an eight miler thrown in there.  Consequently my last week of running brought me 54 miles of running.  A good start.

Starting tomorrow: ten straight days of at least 60 minutes of running.  It all starts tomorrow at 5 a.m. with the blogger formerly known as Nasty Nate.

After those ten days I have a mileage build-up plan that will get me to 70 mpw by mid-January.  This assumes of course that all days between now and then will be free of ice, dangerous windchills, and unplowed snow.

Highlights of the last ten days:
1. I didn't bust my knee open after falling, like I did over two weeks ago, when I was on day eight of my pursuit of ten days of 45 minutes.

2. Running consistently through the Thanksgiving holidays even with family in town.

3.  Most of my runs were solo, but I did get two good runs with Nasty Nate and two runs in with a friend from work whom Nasty Nate is jealous of.

4. I still prefer running alone in the dark than alone in the daylight.  It really is nice to be out in the dark alone.  It is very tranquil at 5 a.m. and River Road is actually very pretty with it's lights reflecting off the river.

5. The problem is nothing funny happens this early.  No one is out but boring runners and cyclists.

Where I've been and where I'm headed this winter:
1. Ten days of 45+ minutes of running.
2. Ten days of 60+ minutes of running.
3. 70 mpw by mid January
4. Sub 5:30 at Meet of Miles
5. Sub 1:30 at the Frozen Half

Lordy I'm 40

My challenge is simple.  On the last day of my 30s (October 8, 2011), I ran a 5k.  I ran that dreaded 18:34 I mentioned earlier and was running all out.  Beforehand I bet my friend our usual wager (a carrot), that no matter how fast my time was, I would beat that time for my next 40 5ks.

So there it is.  The goal is out there.   A tough goal in that I have to stay injury free as well as in shape. It's achievable thanks to my crappy time.  I really did go all out.  Those of you who know me, know I don't like to give my best effort in training but will always go all out in  race.

When is my next 5k, you may be wondering.   I am wondering the same thing.

Running Back to Blogging

I know I have let this blog twist in the wind, but I am going to revive it for the sake of my own running.  The last good race I ran was the Victory 5k in 2009.  I ran a 16:29 5k off a steady diet of 60 mile weeks and weekly hill repeats.  I felt maybe if I pushed up to 70 mpw and added a second quality weekly workout, one final sub 16 was there for me to have in my lifetime.

Since then, life happened.  Emily got pregnant, was on bedrest, then was in the hospital with bedrest, Charlotte came early, we had a newborn in the NICU and then at home, and then just as things were settling down, Emily's mom's health began to deteriorate and we lost her this June and miss her everyday.  So here I am, 20 pounds later with an 18:34 5k from October being a satisfactory race for me.  Unacceptable.

This has to change.  And change has been slow so far.  This morning after running with a couple of friends I got to thinking about how nice it is to have goal races, and to race often.  But then I had itchy skin for 30 minutes, post-run, and I remembered how I need that extra motivation to run in the winter to tolerate crap like itchy skin.  If I want to return to the racing scene at a level I can accept, I HAVE to train through the winter so I need to make running more a part of my life.  I miss blogging about running.  Hell, I miss blogging in general.  I miss reading running blogs.  I miss racing.  I miss being around people who love races as much as I do.

I was up to 60 mpw in early October, but not anymore.  I maybe got 35 miles in a week, once, since then.   So I am hitting reset and going back to the basics: 45 minutes a day for ten days.  And when I get there, I will write about the next step.

The end game right now is simple: to get to 70-75 mpw before the Frozen Half Marathon.  But first I have to get through the winter and come out on the other side of the December's first major cold snap and/or snow storm at 50-60 mpw.

And the big picture is also simple.   I know the sub 15 5ks for me are a thing of the past, but I still think I have a puncher's chance of getting under 16.  Yes I have a lot miles and quality workouts to add and pounds to lose, but I do want to give it one more shot.

I hope that by writing about it, I will hold myself accountable.  So my path to 70 mpw does not start with tomorrow's run.  It starts with this blog entry.