Happy New Year to my handful of readers!! I know that I didn’t have much of a presence at all on this blog last year, and that’s one thing I really want to change this year. There are other things I want to change as well, and perhaps I will write more about those here in the next few posts.
One goal that I do have that relates to running is to just get out and do it more. I ran a very disappointing 204 miles last year. That’s about 1000 less than I really wanted to. So, without setting any specific running goals, I do want to beat my output from last year by a significant margin.
I don’t have any races on the calendar yet, but I do know that I want to run the Bolder Boulder again and this time try to break an hour in it. I have 5 months to get to that point, so I think it is doable. But, just getting out and experiencing the craziness of the Bolder Boulder is fun enough. To those of you that haven’t run it, I highly encourage you to do it, even if you are out of state! Come to Colorado for Memorial Day and experience a Boulder institution. Other races that I’m thinking about is the Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half Marathon in August, and the Warrior Dash up at Copper Mountain a week or two after that. This will be the first year that my son is able to run the Warrior Dash (he’ll be 14 in May), and he has expressed an interest in doing that. So, we will see. I think, though, that the main goal is to just start running again on a regular basis and to lose the weight that I packed on in 2012.
So, I did go for a run today. I’m doing the Couch to 5K program again, and this was the 2nd day of the first week. It was chilly, about 25 degrees, but sunny and just a beautiful Colorado day. There were snow clouds covering the mountains, so we might be seeing some, but it doesn’t appear that there is any in the forecast. Anyway, it was a good run and humbling. I managed to get 2.18 miles in over 30 minutes. The fitness will come back, I just have to have patience.
A couple of side notes…I was running with music and one of the last songs that came on was Beautiful Day by U2. I love that song when it comes to being outdoors and running. It just fit my attitude and what I want to accomplish this year. The other side note is also music related…is it just me, or when you hear Gangnam Style, do you just want to break out in a horse trot while out on the trail. Maybe it’s just me.
Anyway, that’s it for now! I will be back soon, and I think I will talk about some of the stuff I want to accomplish this year. Until then, stay safe and Happy Running!
It’s been awhile since I’ve done a post, but even though I haven’t done any weekly updates or any other postings, I have still been running during that time. In fact, I’ve been going a pretty steady 4-5 days a week plus football games a couple of days a week as well. So, I haven’t been gathering moss as the saying goes.
I just completed the Couch to 5K program, and that was a bit humbling. Having run a Marathon less than a year ago and starting over was frustrating, especially since my fitness was in my control the entire time. I just made choices not to run, and that led me to starting all over again. I plan on this time making it stick, and not going back to the beginning.
To “celebrate” my completion of the program, I was talked into running a 5K this weekend. It will be my first real race since the Disney Half in January and my first 5K since last November. I’m a bit nervous about it, but I’m just going to go out there and run the best that I can. I know I won’t PR, but I’d like to break 36 minutes. So, that’s on Sunday.
Moving into next week, my training for Rock n Roll Arizona 1/2 Marathon with Team DetermiNation will be kicking off. I’m nervous about that, but I feel like I can get to the point where I can run a half in a few months. Again, I’m not shooting for record pace at this point, but I’d be happy to finish it. And, this provides a segue into a plea from me to my handful of readers out there. I am raising funds for the American Cancer Society as part of this race. Cancer is a cruel and unforgiving disease, and unfortunately, we have all been touched by it in one way or another. I ran Rock n Roll Denver last year with them, and it was an awesome experience. I’m honored to be able to do so again. So, please, follow the link to my fundraising page, and consider making a donation. Any amount works.
Ok, enough of my PSA. I also figure that running a half in January will really help to get me ready for the Lansing Marathon in April. So, that’s it for now. I will be back this weekend or early next week to break down my 5K effort this coming Sunday. So, until then, stay safe and Happy Running!
Another week in the books, and this one was pretty good from a running perspective. I was able to get out 6 of the 7 days, and the one day I did not, I was running around a football field trying not to get run over by large teenage boys with tons of padding on. So, without further ado, let’s head to the stats.
Weight: 238.2
Difference: -1.4
Very happy with that result. It probably could have been better, because I let my eating slide a little as it got closer to the weekend. But, it is a step in the right direction (down).
Weekly Mileage: 14.35 (all running)
- Monday: 2.43
- Tuesday: 2.43
- Wednesday: 2.45
- Thursday: 2.35
- Friday: Off (football game)
- Saturday: 2.34
- Sunday: 2.35
Risks Taken: Not sure…. I guess if I’m not sure that I took a risk, then I really didn’t. Something to work on for this week.
It was a good week running-wise. Got out every day to do something. I’m nearing the stretch of the Couch to 5K program where it will be all running. Actually, I think after the next couple of days it will be like that. I’m looking forward to it. Yesterday’s was a five-minute warmup walk followed by 20 minutes of running, ending with a five-minute cool down walk. It was good. I was slow, but it was good. So, the time is coming where it will be all running.
I’ve been thinking about entering a 5K here in the next few weeks, but I’m finding I’m having a hard time committing to that. I don’t know why, especially since I committed to a marathon in April and I’m probably going to join Team DetermiNation to run a half marathon in January. But, I just can’t pull the trigger on a 5K. I don’t know what’s up with that. That’s something to ponder.
Anyway, that about does it for this recap. I hope to get another post out into the world this week. So, until then, stay safe and Happy Running!
Time for another week in review! That’s two weeks in a row. Guess I’m on a roll, watch out!!
Weight: 239.6
Difference from last week: +4 pounds…not good, and not happy about that. I know it was my eating, especially over the weekend while camping that contributed to this. I almost left this part out, but I need to be accountable, so in it goes. It sucks, but it is correctable!
Weekly Mileage: 16.86 (6.3 running, 10.56 hiking)
- Monday: 2.11
- Tuesday: 2.10
- Wednesday: 2.09
- Thursday: Off
- Friday: 6.05 (hiking)
- Saturday: 4.51 (hiking)
- Sunday: Off
Risks Taken: Camping adventure by myself
So, this week was a little different. I only ran 3 days this week, and the mileage was lower than it had been. Part of that is because of where I was in the Couch to 5K program. The workout duration time was lower, so that has something to do with it. Plus, I was starting to get a little tired. I didn’t want to take a rest day on Thursday, but common sense got the better of me, and I did take it off. I also made the decision to get away for the weekend and head into the mountains for a little solitary time, just me and the dog. Football season is starting soon, and I knew that with that, my weekends would be busy reffing games. I just wanted a couple of days to clear my head and get centered. It worked! It will be the subject of another post here in a couple of days, so I won’t say too much. I didn’t run the other days, but did get some pretty intense hiking in, so I’m counting that here.
So, that was my week last week. This week, I need to focus on my food and not eating as much as I did as well as getting back on track running-wise. Oh, those of you readers on facebook, stop by and “like” my Chris The Runner page. I will get another post out in a day or so. Until next time, stay safe and Happy Running!!
As I’ve been getting back into the running flow, I’m having difficulty with the concept of rest. I don’t want to do it when it comes to running. I don’t want to take a rest day. I just want to keep plugging along.
Why? I think a lot of it is because in the past when I’ve taken a rest day, it’s turned into two and then three and then four, and so on. Getting out every day ensures that it won’t snowball like that. But, I also know that rest is essential to the process. If I go too much, then I run the risk (no pun intended) of getting hurt or just burned out. But, knowing myself and my (too) laid back personality (lazy??), then getting back out can be a problem.
The other thing is the affect that running has on my mood. It’s an amazing thing. I can have had the crappiest day at work, just full of stress and one thing after another blowing up in my face, and when I run, that all melts away. Conversely, if I go in the morning, it seems to make the day go a little quicker and not quite as stressful.
So, what’s the answer? Probably some cross training would help. Digging the bike out of the garage, going to the gym, even going out for a walk would probably help. I don’t know. I feel that if I’m not running, I’m not making progress towards my goals. I think I probably just need to loosen up a little bit when it comes to that and not worry about it so much.
Speaking of rest, this coming weekend marks one of the last where I really don’t have anything going on. Football season starts in a couple of weeks, and at this point, every Saturday has me working a game or two. I’m thinking about heading up into the mountains for a little camping with the dog. It might help me to clear my head, or I may get so restless with nothing to do! I don’t know yet, we will see. But, just thinking about the summer nearly being over is a little sobering. It was an odd one for sure, but I know that the lessons I have learned will help to make me stronger both physically and mentally.
So, I guess that’s it for now. I have managed to run every day this week so far. Actually, I think I’m on 6 days in a row at this point. Maybe a rest day tomorrow would be good for me. Who knows? Anyway, until next time, stay safe and Happy Running!
This is my first go at a “week in review” type of post. I think that with the goals that I put out in my post on Thursday, this might be a way to try to be accountable for them.
Weight: 235.6 (this is from this morning…will do comparison in weeks down the road).
Weekly Mileage: 14.81
- Monday: 2.26
- Tuesday: 2.28
- Wednesday: 3.46 (group run)
- Thursday: Off (my birthday!)
- Friday: 2.23
- Saturday: 2.25
- Sunday: 2.33
Risks Taken: Went on a group run!
So, that’s kind of my recap from this past week. I’m sure that this will become more refined as time goes on, especially as the weight begins to drop. The group run was fun. It was actually a group off of meetup.com that goes around City Park near downtown Denver every Wednesday evening followed by an outing to a nearby restaurant. I had signed up back in April of 2011, and this was my first time joining them. There were plenty of reasons for me not going previously, but the primary one was just my fear of the new and unknown, especially in social settings. I had a great time on both the run and the dinner afterwards. I know that in the future, I’m going to make it there as often as I can. Unfortunately, this week I’m not able to since I have a prior commitment, but I will get there the week after. It’s part of me taking risks and just getting out there.
So, that’s it for this post…it was a short one, I know. I hope to have a couple of posts during the week, and then this recap next Sunday. Until then, stay safe and Happy Running!
So, today is my birthday. My 41st to be exact. It’s been an interesting journey to this point with ups and downs like everyone else. Like I touched upon in the last post, it has been a rocky year. It started out strong, but went downhill after that. Some of that stuff I could have controlled, while other parts of it I could not. That’s irrelevant, though. None of that changes things today. In fact, I had this picture posted up on my Facebook a week or so ago. I think it sums things up perfectly for me (disclosure: I stole this from the Marathon Nation’s FB feed).
Dwelling on the past does me no good. It just makes things worse for me, and as someone who battles with depression, making things worse is the LAST thing I need. Keeping a positive perspective on things is much more productive, and something that I am working really hard on doing.
So, to segue in to the “meat” of this post, I really do want to make this year the positive year I know it can be. As a result of that, I’m setting some goals and making them public. That way, you can hold me accountable for this. In the end, though, I know it is up to me to make this happen. So, without further ado, here are my goals for the coming lap around the sun:
- Keep running
This one should be self-explanatory. However, I thought that I was at this point last October. I had discovered how joyful and invigorating running on a regular basis could be, especially the long runs. I was thinking about that the other day, about how much FUN a 2 or 3 hour run could be. I yearn to get back to that point. It will happen, I know. I just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other and not let the noise of life get me down.
- Run another Marathon
Again, self-explanatory. I’ve taken steps, and I have registered for the Lansing Marathon in April of 2013. I really wanted to run the inaugural edition this year, but just couldn’t make that happen. I worry, though, that my window to get some sort of base down prior to training is rapidly shrinking. That’s another reason for the goal above. My main goal for Lansing is to beat my time from last October. What I’d really like to do is get below 4:30, but at this point, I’d settle for beating my PR. I do want to run another marathon in 2013, but it would be in the fall, and therefore when I’m 42, so I’m not including that here.
-Sub 1:00 Bolder Boulder
The first time I ran Boulder was in 2011, and I was going for speed. I ran that in about 1:03. This year (2012), I ran/walked it with Diane and Connor, and I did it in 1:44. It was strictly for fun this year. Next year, I want to break the hour mark. I came close in a 10K I ran in July of 2011, missing it by 10 seconds, but this is the one I really, really want to break an hour in first. It should be very doable, especially since it comes about a month after the Lansing Marathon. I will still be in marathon shape, so hopefully that bodes well.
- Lose 50 pounds
This one kind of speaks for itself. I’ve let myself get fat and lazy over the past several months. I’ve eaten like crap and I just haven’t exercised. This goal is very much in my control, and I know that I can get there. I have the tools in place, because I’ve done it before. I know that if I lose the weight, I can become a faster, more consistent runner as well as just feeling better on a daily basis.
- Simplify Life
This sounds like a good goal, but how does one really accomplish it? Life in general these days for me is pretty complicated. I know that things will simplify on their own once the house sells and I get into a smaller place. I know that as I work on the last goal that I have listed below, things will simplify as well. I think what I mean by this is that I just need to take better care of myself and learn about me.
- Get and keep my head on straight
Oh, boy…where to start with this one?? Right now, my overwhelming feelings are those of insanity. So much has happened over the past several months, that it feels like things are just being thrown at me one after another. With Connor moving out-of-state, my marriage ending, work uncertainty and so many other things, I’m often left grasping at straws to keep things going. My biggest goal for the next year is to just figure out what is going on and the best way to deal with it all without going down some self-destructive path. That is my challenge. Running and fitness will play a key role in all of that. If I can keep going that way, then the rest should follow. It’s scary to look inward at yourself because you know what your flaws are. The challenge is determining the good in you. None of us are perfect, we all have our flaws. I think the key, though, to keeping your head on straight is to not dwell on those flaws, but to be realistic about them. At the same time, recognize and celebrate your strengths.
- Take more risks
I’m not talking about the skydiving, daredevil type risks that could wind me up in the hospital. I’m just talking about daily risks. Taking on a project at work, going to a meetup group (for an introvert like me, that’s terrifying), being vulnerable to a friend. Those sorts of risks. Those are things that I have held back from forever. I need to get out of my cage a bit more, so to speak.
So, that’s my list of goals for the coming year. I think that all of it boils down to me taking care of myself. It’s a tall order, but I do think I have it in me to do so. Anyway, if you are still reading, thanks for following along this long. Until next time, stay safe and Happy Running!
