Three Calendar Years

Today closes out three calendar years of running. It's day 1207 overall, and almost 3.5 years in total.

In 2011, I wanted to average 2.0mi/day and I did that, getting to the 730 mark earlier this year. Around September I realized I might get there and wondered if I'd get to 750. Some injuries in Oct/Nov slowed me, but I had a hard push in Dec to finish the year with 754 miles in total, which is the most I've every run. I had friends that ran half marathons with training all year that didn't get there. Pretty amazing for me.

That also brings the streak total to 2135 miles in total. Quite an amazing run. I'll keep going for now, but we'll see what happens in life. It's been a great run along the way and if it ends tomorrow, that's OK with me.

Day 1208

Closing out calendar year 3 with 3 miles. A great run.

28:00
3.0mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/84035006

Day 1207

Great run while the puppy slept. Cruised along and cut it a little short to finish the year tomorrow with a long one.

22:00
2.34mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/83866782

Day 1206

A hard one tonight. Short, slow, but struggling after working outside all day.

16:00
1.59mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/83769100

Day 1205

Shorter run after working all day around the ranch.

18:00
1.8mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/83602788

Day 1204

Easy run tonight. Held back with a lack of sleep
20:00
2.04mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/83455380

Day 1203

Shorter run after snowboarding all day.
14:00
1.47mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/83448828

Day 1202

Christmas day run, nice and easy.

22:00
2.26mi
www.mapmyrun.com/workout/83448938

Day 1201

I was hoping to run outside, but there still is lots of snow. Even though the weather is warm, I worry about footing. I could go to town, but my daughter wants me to pull her on the sled, so I went longer than she wanted on the treadmill, but shorter that I did.
A great run, cruising along easily.
24:00
2.54
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/83051090

Day 1200

A nice steady run after a short lifting session. Felt great.

22:00
2.27mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/82885318

Day 1199

Late run today, a little frazzled, and a little full, but I managed to cruise through it.

22:00
2.23mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/82798134

Day 1198

A nice, steady run today after a good sleep in.

24:00
2.47mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/82645892

Day 1197

Tired, sore body. Karate, running, and working on chores have me sore. A massage this afternoon, and I took it steady, a little slower than I have been running.

22:00
2.25mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/82520984

A beautiful day

That was what it looked like when I started my run on Sunday. This is what I looked like when I finished.

On Dec 18!!! I love Colorado.

Day 1196

Cold outside, snow coming in, so a treadmill run.

22:00
2.27mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/82407332

Day 1195

A beautiful, 60F day in CO. I headed to town, taking running shoes to cruise outside on the Cherry Creek trail. I was hoping there wasn't much snow and there wasn't.

A good run. I didn't really feel up to pushing, but it was such a nice day that I had to push along and enjoy it. Pushed harder than I wanted to, but I had chores and was trying to get things done.

30:00
3.01

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/82407912

Day 1194

A nice run, after chores all day and a tired body. Took it a little easy, even though I felt like going faster. It was a struggle the first 10 minutes.

22:00
2.27mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/82178820

Day 1193

Felt good today, and pushed on a strong, quick run. Got hungry near the end and stopped a few minutes earlier than I was going to, but waited too long to eat.

26:00
2.77mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/82048640

Day 1192

A nice run today, felt great. Only 3-4 intervals, but a good run for me. Lots of Icy Hot on the calf before I started since it was tight today.

24:00
2.52mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/81918492

Day 1191

Jammed up for time, in a hurry, which turned out to be for nothing, but I cut the run short. A quick one, however, that felt great.

16:00
1.66mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/81829338

Day 1190

A nice long run today, cruising on the treadmill. Did the intervals again, 6.4mph and 6.8mph, and not completely consistent, but enough to work a bit. Too much ice/snow still on the ground to run outside.

26:00
2.72mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/81667784

Day 1189

A nice run today, trying some intervals at 7mph inter-spaced with 6.4mph jogs. Felt good to cruise along.

24:00
2.54mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/81529336

Day 1188

Late run today, shorter than I expected, but longer than I wanted. Cooking dinner after chores, tired, looking at blackberries and sour mix thinking that I'd really like a margarita. Pounded out a quick one.

16:00
1.65mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/81492070

Day 1187

After a half day of skiing, a quick run. Tired, but felt good.

20:00
2.05mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/81304806

Day 1186

Ending the week with a great run. For once the calf didn't hurt, and I feel better. almost over the cold, and felt like pushing a bit today.

24:00
2.51mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/81171232

Day 1185

Feeling better after more sleep and a massage. Still a sore calf, still sick, but better. A normal run for me.

22:00
2.26mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/81060848

Day 1184

Pulled a calf muscle last night at karate. A slower, and painful, run today.

16:00
1.55mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/80901100

The One True Way

I saw a TED Talk from Chris McDougall last year and found it very interesting. I've included it at the bottom of this post. Recently Chris wrote a piece in the New York Times about the "one true way" to run, without injury, for the long term. It's an interesting read, and I tried to modify my stride a bit and it definitely seemed to cut down on my impact on the treadmill. Hard to tell on the gravel outside.

When looking for the article later, I ran across a few more posts. Here's one good one that talks about Chris' piece and how there might not be as much science, or even truth about it as the NYT piece seems to indicate.

There's also a response on running form that seems to match up more with what I think.There isn't one way for everyone, nor one shoe for everyone. I tend to run upright, with a shorter stride that I've built over my streak that seems to work well for me, without a lot of pounding. I considered changing to more barefoot shoes, and I might try it at some point, but for now I like my shoes, my stride, and feel good.

Day 1183

Struggling today.  I feel better overall, but at the same time a little worn out. Knocked off a little early as I was running out of energy.

20:00
2.05mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/80783474

Day 1182

Hard day. Sick, tired, chilly, started run in the basement with a sweatshirt. Took it off, but kept a T on the whole time.  Felt a little better after the run, but still sick and tired. Hard to concentrate, and struggle to keep going.

18:00
1.83mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/80688120

Day 1181

Nice, steady run on the treadmill since it's 20F and snowy outside.

24:00
2.49mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/80514460

Day 1180

Quick one, late, after freezing outside.

18:00
1.85mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/80411812

Day 1179

Nice strong run today, felt great while cruising along.

26:00
2.75mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/80233896

Day 1178

Felt great, starting out Dec on a good note.

24:00
2.48mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/80109132

11 Months

11 Months, on my third calendar year of running, day 1176, was a good one. I felt great, pressed for time, I pushed.

This brings me to 684mi this year, on pace for 746 for the year. Pressing a little in Dec, I should hit 750mi.

Day 1177

A short, quick run today.

16:00
1.66mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/79930590

Day 1176

Nice, long, slow run with my wife. A little chilly, but no wind.

41:18
3.01

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/79839614

Refreshed

The streak almost ended recently, but it didn't. In fact, I pressed on, even though I was tired one day, and I felt like I'd worked myself, even though I was tired. The next day I felt even better, even more refreshed and strong.

I've said it before, but the mental benefits of running every day, even when I'm tired, outweigh the physical ones. I just feel like I did something. Especially on those days when I might have worked outside, or be tired, but maybe didn't press that hard. Getting the run in makes me feel like I've actually done something positive for my health.

Day 1175

Good run, late, on the treadmill with wind outside.

24:00
2.47mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/79670786

Day 1174

Outside doing chores all day, tired, and crunched for time, so a short one. However I felt good, so I pushed.

22:00
2.32mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/79671134

Day 1173

Good run on the treadmill with a ton of wind outside. Pushed hard and almost completed 9:00/mi for 2. Only a few seconds off.

22:00
2.32mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/79365628

Day 1172

Back home, cruising down the road on my regular route and it felt great on a cool autumn day.

23:13
2.4mi

Day 1171

A morning run before skiing, between Fraser and Winter Park. Chilly, but beautiful

18:41
1.88

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/79200212

Day 1170

Another morning run, trying to get things knocked out early. The club was closed, so I ran around the neighborhood in Fraser, avoiding ice and jogging easy.

17:19
1.38mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/79201012

Day 1169

Tough one, hurt ankle, I barely made it through.

14:00
1.37mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/78782320

Almost a bad day

I was walking the other night after a movie, on some brick sidewalks and stepped into an uneven area. My left ankle turned a bit, and luckily I collapsed my left leg before it was too bad. It hurt for awhile and was slightly sore the next day, but it wasn't too bad and didn't prevent me from running.

It was a mistake on my part, not being careful in the rest of my life. I am fairly careful while running, watching the ground fairly often to be sure I don't hurt myself, but I forgot to pay more attention in the rest of my life.

Day 1168

Easy jog tonight.

16:00
1.61mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/79201880

Day 1167

An easier run after skiing today.

 18:00
1.61mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/78555474

Day 1166

After a day of skiing, a nice easy run.

16:00
1.54mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/78555590

Day 1165

Another nice, easy run with my wife, just jogging down the trail

46:05

3.4mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/78164934

Day 1164

Felt great on this run. a slight pain in the right knee,but didn't slow me down much.

20:00
2.11mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/78013290

Day 1163

Late in the day, struggling a little to get into the run. Not physically, but mentally. Powered through a shorter one.

18:00
1.82mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/77887048

Day 1162

A nice easy job with my wife down the road on a nice CO day. Slow for me, but a nice easy pace with the dogs for her. Felt good to hold back a bit.

45:30

3.29

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/78165062

Day 1161

Easy run on the treadmill with the wind howling outside. Good to be back home.

22:00
2.27mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/77540930

Tiger Balm

I've mostly run for years without any help, other than my cho-pat strap occasionally. However the last few months, with heavy travel and upping the mileage, I've been getting some tight and sore muscles, and I've ended up trying something.

I took Tiger Balm with me on a few trips, and I'd rub it on my calfs before running, loosening them up  much more than I expected. I'd used it before baseball and karate a few times, but lately I've added it to the running routine and it's worked out well.

I have icy hot in my other bags, and I'll have to try that running sometime but for now I like what Tiger Balm has done for me.

Forced Outside

I've seen broken treadmills. I've had slow treadmills that were maddening, but I hadn't run into a stopped treadmill. Up early on Sun morning before I needed to get to the airport, I hit the fitness center. I hopped on the treadmill, hit start, and things lit up, the numbers changed, I could enter my weight and age, but the belt wouldn't move.

I tried a few things, and even though I was in a Holiday Inn Express, I didn't know how to fix it. Three minutes after pressing a lot of buttons I gave up and headed outside, jogging through the local neighborhood as the day started in the New York neighborhood of Corona.

It was a little annoying as I didn't have a route, no phone or GPS, just my watch and me, cruising along uneven, broken sidewalks in a crowded urban setting. Very few people up at that hour, shops shuttered and barred as I headed out. Fifteen minutes later, as I turned and came back, I saw more people waiting for buses, a few shopkeepers mopping out their space, tossing buckets of soapy water onto the sidewalks, and the day beginning.

It was actually a fun run, and he temperature helped. I hadn't prepped well for a fall trip to the NE, but it was actually fairly dry and warm, and a t-shirt and shorts worked out fine, with just a slight chill on my exposed skin.

Day 1160

Broken treadmill in the hotel sent me outside for a nice run.

16:23
1.53mi

View

Running in NYC

When I was in New York City in 2010, I made two runs in Central Park one evening and really enjoyed it. The weather was cool, and there was traffic to avoid, but it was neat to run in an park setting and see the skyscrapers jutting up as I ran through the trees. This year my hotel was further away from the park, almost 10 blocks. However I wanted to get to the park, so I headed out from 51st and 3rd, crossing to Park Avenue and then heading north.

I jogged up the famous street, getting to 61st street before I cut over to the park. It was a sunny morning, a little chilly (40F), but not too bad, as I came in site of Central Park. I crossed into the park, and then headed down a path, moving South towards the edge before coming out and heading back over to Park Avenue for a return to the hotel.

Time was short, and I was in the park for only a tenth of a mile or so, but it was still a joy to run in New York city in the morning.

Day 1159

Cruising up Park Avenue, the over to Central Park to skirt the edge before coming back to the hotel.

A fun run in NYC!

24:00
1.93mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/77273518

Day 1158

Quick one before hitting the airport

20:00
2.04mi

Day 1157

A good run outside, enjoying the fresh air in CO. Took a new route, through another neighborhood and hit some hard hills.

26:31

2.69mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/77549312

Day 1156

After snowboarding, a good run. Not too hard, just cruising along.

20:00
2.06mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/76822882

Day 1155

Easy run today, on the treadmill as I was cooking peppers while running.

20:00
2.05mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/76616392

Day 1154

Nice, easy run today.

20:00
2.03mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/76466020

Starting a streak

I had a friend ask for some advice on shoes lately, asking what I ran in and then some streak advice. For the shoes, I told him to go to a running store, let them watch you and give you advice. I have 2 pairs of Nikes, and enjoy them, but I also have a pair of Asics trail shoes that I like. I can't give you great advice, other than go with what you like on your feet.

For the streak, I say this. Run slowly, slower than you think you should. The first 6-7 weeks I ran, most of the time I went just over a mile, slowly (12-13min) and often felt like I'd barely worked out.

Or not worked out at all.

I participated in other events at the time, starting ski season, and going karate. You can do the same thing, especially if you think of those other activities as optional on any particular day. However for the running, do that every day. Or walk.

Do it for the mental benefits, do it for the excitement of accomplishing something every day. Just don't push faster, longer, or harder each week. Go slow, build slower, and enjoy your accomplishment.

Day 1153

Easy run today, trying the "one true way" a bit for my style change. Not sure how I feel about it and it's definitely harder to maintain speed, but I'll keep practicing and see.

20:00
2.03mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/76308910

Day 1152

Pushed today, faster for a longer distance. Hard, but felt good.

26:00
2.73mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/76155794

Day 1151

Back home, hitting the treadmill with snow outside. A great run, felt great, cruised along.

24:00
2.53mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/75966440

Day 1150

A mini-milestone, another beautiful run in Las Vegas with a few friends. A little hard to get started over the highway, struggling to breath a bit, but I felt better as we went along, and it was great to watch the sun rise while jogging back to the Mandalay Bay.

24:06

2.51

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/75788810

Day 1149

An early morning run, out with friends for an out and back over the highway, chatting. A good way to start the day with an easy 2 miles

25:18
2.34mi

Day 1148

A windy, slightly chilly afternoon run in Vegas. My normal loop was closed with construction, so I had to alter it a bit. Always interesting to run in the desert town, seeing the sights.

21:00
1.96mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/75622364

October Totals

A hard run on the last day of October for me.

A good month, however, with runs in Liverpool, UK, Seattle, the beach in California along with quite a few at home.

The month total was 67.02, not bad, and giving me 619 for the year and puts me on pace for 743 for the year. A record year for me.

Day 1147

Hard run today. As soon as I started running, I felt a little weak, and my stomach was upset. Not nauceous, but upset and I struggled. Walked at the 1.5mi part for a bit and walked the last .2 miles as well.

26:45
2.39mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/75341796

Day 1146

Nice, long, slow run with my wife. Just jogging down the road on a beautiful day.

47:02
3.29mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/75342070

Day 1145

Quick run in the am, after lifting.

16:02
1.63mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/75342274

Day 1144

Running down Sunset Blvd, while the sun rose. A little ironic, and again, a slow start for the legs after a late night.

16:01
1.42mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/75342494

Running on the Beach

I arrived in LA, and immediately drove to Venice beach to run. It was a beautiful day, 70F after leaving a 15F morning in CO. I changed and headed down the sand, jogging along.

I thought about using the sidewalk along the beach, but decided to enjoy the wide, firm, flat beaches in CA and did a little over a mile down and then back. Great fun, and a treat to get a run at the beach, on the coast on the other side of the country from when I woke up.

Day 1143

Cruising down the beach in Venice, CA. Slow to start, but I warmed up nicely and had a great run.

28:19
2.6mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/75342854

Day 1142

The left calf was really tight today, a knot inside. I took it easy on the run, warming up more, going slower.

22:00
2.21mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/74626614

Day 1141

Nice run, easy, but trying not to push too hard today.

18:00
1.86mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/74471626

If I stopped today

I'd be 115 on the retired list of runners at the Running Streak Association.

115. 114 people bothered to track and send in their streaks and they'd be ahead of me. What's amazing is that if I complete this year, about 3 1/3 years, I'd only move up to 112. If I ran for 4 years, I'd only get to 106 or 107.

To break the top 100, I'd have to go about 4.6 years.

5 years gets you to the 96th place.

10 years required for 70th.

That's some serious dedication, and perhaps obsession.

Not sure where I'll stop, though I'd like to get through the end of this year. Serious skiing in Jan might make me think about ending it.

Day 1140

I can't believe it's 80F in late October in Denver. I took advantage of a non-windy day to go outside and take a nice long run. Felt great.

33:00
3.11mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/74260848

Day 1139

Quick one, waited too long to run with chores to do this am.

 

18:00

1.86mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/74079572

Day 1138

slept in, felt rested, then felt guilty seeing friends running on Twitter, so I got up, lifted a touch, and then worked out hard.

26:00
2.7mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/73912304

PhD Research

I got asked to fill in a survey from Ted Vickey, for his research and, I assume, dissertation. I don’t know if he wants others to answer, but here’s his site:

http://ht.ly/6YrFH

The questions on the survey were a little strange to me. I exercise because I enjoy it, want to stay fit, and it’s really my “hobby.” I use various fitness tools, mostly to track what I’m doing. It’s mainly because of this streak that I do it, otherwise I’d really slack off.

I am probably different than others, mostly using the tools to help me know when to taper back my exercise more than motivate to drive forward, but just as I love the feedback on time and distance on the treadmill, the same feedback from Runmeter does help motivate me to push through some days.

Day 1137

Struggling. Up at 5am and tired today. Slower, hard run

22:00

2.2mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/73771030

Day 1136

Nice easy run on a cool, fall, CO day.

24:00
2.44mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/73622996

Day 1135

A short one today. A little worn out and needing to relax a bit.

18:00
1.82mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/73419478

The Group Run

Last week in Seattle I ran with a large group, over 40 people and it was great. I was in the middle of the pack, moving around and talking to quite a few people during our two miles.

A picture of us warming up.

Day 1134

Cooking today. Felt a little tired, but viewed it as a challenge before I shut down for the night. Cruised at 6.6 to start and 6.7 for the second mile, finishing 2 miles in 18:05. Then pushed on for 4 more minutes.

24:00
2.54mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/73333706

Day 1133

Good strong run. With karate tonight, had to hold back.

22:00
2.28mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/73177214

Day 1132

In a hurry, so a quick one on the treadmill today.

16:00
1.61mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/72959652

Day 1131

Easy run late in the day.

20:00
2.04mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/72803642

Day 1130

Tired this morning, and struggling to get going.

16:00
1.57mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/72577524

Day 1129

In a bit of a rush this morning, and didn't want to race down to run the waterfront, dodge cars, and get back at a reasonable time with an early morning session.

20:00
2.03mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/72577246

Day 1128

Group run through downtown and along the water today. Slower pace, but nice to chat and run with about 40 people.

30:48
2.26mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/72259604

Day 1127

Quick treadmill run before the conference starts in Seattle.

20:00
2.05mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/72259838

Day 1126

Hard run today, short and quick since I have to catch a plane, and I was feeling stressed. Struggled to get through it.

18:00
1.82mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/71889698

Day 1125

Nice run today, relaxing.

22:00
2.24mi


http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/71778390

Day 1124

Excellent treadmill run. Snow outside, but I cruised along for a nice long run

26:00
2.72mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/71634418

Day 1123

Struggled to get going. Did a few sets of back workout, but then wasn't sure I had the mental energy to run for 20 min. However started watching a DVD and got lost. Next thing I knew it was 14:00min and I was doing fine. Good run

22:00
2.23mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/71434072

Day 1122

Nice, strong, steady run today.

24:0
2.41mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/71309096

Day 1121

Trying to get my daughter a little more exercise, so I waited to run with her this afternoon. Nice, slow, pacing run for me. She alternated walking and running, but I ran in place a bit. Not sure what my total distance/mileage was, but this is the linear distance and right time.

22:31
1.53mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/71309648

Day 1120

Great long, fast run today

24:00
2.52mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/70964182

September Totals

September was a good month, with my pushing things for a long run every week and 2 miles most weeks. I ended up with 68.38 miles for the month, with a 3 3mi runs and a lots of 2.25-ish runs.

For the year, that brings me to: 552.8 a 730mi pace.

Maybe I will get to a2mi/day average.

Day 1119

A good strong run today, cruising along on the treadmill, despite being a little tired from the UK return.

22:00
2.26mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/70769472

Running in the UK

I have a Verizon, CDMA phone. I knew it wouldn't work in the UK before I arrived for this trip (I found out in July). However I was sure I'd get wi-fi from the hotel and could plan a route. No such luck, and it was a mistake to count on it.

No problem, I thought. I'll just run a simple route. It worked, mostly, in London, though I did miss a turn and run about 1/2-3/4 of a mile more than I expected. I thought I'd be more careful in Liverpool, but I wasn't. Or, I got confused.

I was traveling for about 24 hours of real time. According to the clock it was closer to 30 hours, but I'd had some sleep, and when I started out at 8pm, I was tired. I left the hotel, thinking I'd stick to one road, but after a half mile I hit a large intersection, one that didn't look like it had a good straight route, so I turned left. I thought I'd stick with that, but 1/4 mile or so that hit a large highway I didn't want to cross and I turned right. No big deal, I thought, thinking I'd recognize both intersections on the way back.

I went 9 minutes out, thinking I'd come back quicker, and not wanting to hurry. However I realized that I was also enjoying the run. When I came back, I think I hit the first turn to the left correctly, but then when I got to the next large intersection and went right, I knew I'd made some mistake. I backtracked a little, still jogging, but things looked funny. I think I looped around in a few circles, blowing past my 20 minutes to about 26 minutes before I knew I was lost and looked for a map. I found one and stopped my run at that point, trying to figure out where to go. I thought I had a route, but once I started, I knew I'd made a mistake again, and stopped jogging again to ask someone outside a pub which way to go.

I got pointed in the right direction, which wasn't the way I thought I should go. I wasn't far off, but I was off, and I'm glad I asked. I jogged back to the hotel, arriving only slightly late. Not too tired, and not an outrageous run since I was going slower than expected the majority of the time. I'd been warned about Liverpool being dangerous, but I never really worried about that while I was running. I stuck to well lit areas, and busy streets and things were fine.

The biggest issue was not really studying a map of the area I was in for 10-15 minutes and noting some large street names. I knew my hotel, but I hadn't even gotten the name of the two streets that crossed by it. A mistake, and one I won't make again.

Definitely an adventure, one I didn't want at 9pm at night, but which worked out OK and I had a good run that night.

Day 1118

Up early to run in the hotel before flying back to the US. Nice Lifefitness treadmill and some rugby world cup as I cruised along. That treadmill definitely felt quicker to me.

20:00
2.05mi


http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/70769718

Day 1117

Another early run, looping down by the docks in Liverpool.

15:00
1.33mi

Day 1116

Running early, looping past churches in Liverpool with a friend, going slow.

20:00
1.74mi

View

Day 1115

A run through Liverpool, UK at night, after traveling all day and arriving at the hotel at 8:00. Went for a run, got lost, ran about 25 min, and I think this is short distance, but I made it back to the hotel

2200
2.1mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/70468136

Day 1114

A long, hot, hard run outside. A flight to the UK tonight, so I got up early to get tired, and went for a long run. Had to walk in the middle once (up a hill), and then at the end.

33:48
3.2mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/69922830

Day 1113

A good strong run today, despite a lack of sleep. Should have gone more, but I'll try for a long one tomorrow before a flight across the Atlantic

22:00
2.26mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/69732684

Healthy

My annual physical, 2 years late, was today. It's been a touch over 3 years since my last one, so I finally scheduled it.

Talked to the doctor about my knee, he checked it and thought I shouldn't do anything if it wasn't really limiting me. That's the same advice I got over the weekend from my brother, an acupuncture/homeopathic doctor. They did suggest I give glucosomine/chondriton a month or so and I got some over the weekend and started taking that. We'll see how I do.

Otherwise, healthy. Doctor was impressed by the running, said it was doing me good. We'll see what the blood analysis shows in a couple days.

Day 1112

A nice, steady run today. Felt good

22:00
2.26mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/69568820

Day 1111

I went outside for a longer run on a warm fall day. 80F, and I hoped to do 3mi today. I started my loop and felt good, cruising around a 9:40 mi for 2 miles, but then started to get tired. Around 2.5, I was struggling a bit. Finished 3mi barely.

31:00
3.12mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/69414802

Day 1110

Good strong run. Felt like stopping early (mentally), but pushed on.

22:00

2.26mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/69236810

Day 1109

Slower run, held back somewhat.

24:00
2.39mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/69024022

Day 1008

I felt something was wrong about 3. My day just didn’t feel right and it was because I hadn’t run. My wife invited me to lunch just as I was getting ready to run, so I had to put it off.

Tired, struggling a bit with the day, so I took it easy.

18:00

1.82mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/68895352

Day 1107

A good run, a little hard since I was stressed and tired, but not too bad.

22:00
2.26mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/68685192

Day 1006

Good run today.

20:00
2.04mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/68508450

Day 1005

Cruising down the road today. A good run on a cooler summer day

24:01
2.39mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/68508790

Day 1104

Good run. Slept in a bit, then a run while my wife did the elliptical. Not taking advantage of Austin, but it's vacation and don't want to travel around to see the city.

24:00
2.5mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/68110042

Day 1103

Waking up late, on vacation, a little lazy, but running before eating to balance things out. I felt better, but the TV wasn't working on the treadmill and I was trying to hurry, so cut a touch short.

18:00
1.85mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/67932744

Day 1102

Quick one on the hotel treadmill. Big plans to get to

20:00
2.06mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/67826494

Day 1101

Short run, slow  since I ate lunch late, an hour before I ran. Had to stick w/ 6.1 most of the time.

18:00
1.75mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/67645726

Day 1100

A milestone and I should have run earlier. Raining when I got home and had to hit the treadmill for a long one. Did the 30sec fast/slow alternates for most of the run until 19:00. Felt hard, but good.

28:00
2.94mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/67499828

Day 1099

Easy run today

22:00
2.23mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/67501496

Variations

I’ve been running steady most of the last three years, rarely doing more than changing my speed once or twice during the run. That hasn’t been much of an issue for me, but recently I hurt my knee and decided that I ought to try and vary things a little as I build back some strength.

I used to do the body for life run, which was a brutal 20 minutes.

It’s a pyramid workout, and when you get to the level 9 and 10s, it’s hard. If you’re trying to work at that level, you are exhausted, and not just physically. Mentally pushing yourself is hard.

I decided to try a few variations on my own, not building up to that level, but working harder.

A few days I did a 1:00 at a slower pace, around 6.3-6.3mph and then a 0:30 slice at a faster pace, varying the speed slightly, depending how I felt. Sometimes the faster pace was 6.6mph, sometimes 7.0mph, sometimes 7.2mph.

The other pyramid I tried was a two stage pace. 0:30 at 6.3, 0:30 at 6.7, and 0:30 at 7, alternating. Getting a break, but not a lot of a break.

Those are OK, but they require more thought. I prefer a 1:00 on, 1:00 off, and having a reminder to just change on the :00 time. Easier to handle when I’m running, especially with Runmeter, which gives me an update every minute if I want it.

Day 1098

Struggled to get going today. I was looking for a break at 3min, but toughed it out and around 10 min started to feel better.

24:00

2.43mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/67036994

Day 1097

Quicker one, and an odd one. I stopped on an odd number, which I never do on the treadmill. Hopefully I won't create any bad luck with that one.
Felt good, steady 6.5mph

17:00
1.71mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/66823742

Day 1096

Good run late in the day, after a hectic day.

22:00

2.26mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/66723912

1886.5 miles

Today I complete a milestone. Three years of running every day, at least a mile a day. Unlike most of those days, today was a struggle, with me feeling tired, my mind wandering, and unable to get into the zone. Every step was a step to me, and I remember them all. Not a good run.

However I persevered. I wanted to walk a few times, and would plan on walking the next hill, but I never did. I slowed down and kept jogging. I wanted to turn around early, but I didn’t. I went my fairly regular route, and added a few more steps on each of the turnround points (there are two).

One thing I’ve learned in three years is that I’m a grinder. I work through the stuff that I need to, even when I don’t want to. I’ve learned that I like regularity, with just a very small hint of variation once in awhile.

I’ve learned I feel healthier with regular exercise, and that running every day is not only possible, but it helps me monitor my energy level, my happiness, and my effort level. Both in life and work. I can tell when stress is getting higher, when I’m pushing too hard.

I’ve also learned that exercise is my hobby. I sometimes lament that I don’t spend enough time playing guitar, or working with wood, but ultimately I realize that my activities (baseball, snowboarding, running, etc.) are a hobby.

Three years, running every day, has taught me about myself, and at the end of every day, I feel like I’ve accomplished something, no matter what else has happened.

It’s been a good three years and I’m not sure how long I’ll go, but I’ve enjoyed the journey so far.

Day 1095

Hard run, struggled to get going and move through it, but persevered. Wanted to walk a few times, but decided to just slow down and jog.

29:30
3.08mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/66480624

Re-numbering

Tomorrow is 3 years of running, but I had it as day 1092. That math doesn’t add up, so I went back and looked. I realized I had two “Day 841”s and then found two errors.

So I’m renumbering things to get them correct. Keeping track of this daily should be easy, but every once in awhile I mess it up.

Day 1094

A great run. A little pressed for time, but I pushed a bit at the beginning at 6.5 and felt great. I moved to 6.7 for the rest of the run and ended up with a good time and I feel great.

24:00
2.56mi


http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/66313290

Day 1093

Great run today. Cruised along.

22:00
2.31mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/66135764

Day 1092

Outside, with rain threatening, but enjoyed a nice steady run down the road. Runmeter flipped out on my, which was annoying. Getting paces of 10:20 when I felt faster was bad, but then getting 23:00, followed by 7:13, then 28:00 during the run distracted me.

Corrected with a mapping and ended up:

25:13
2.52mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/49441924/

The Year So Far

I really hurt my knee in August, flaring up what I think are torn ligaments in the knee. Likely they've been torn for years, but I did something to hurt them early in the month and had a number of slow days. That with some stress made me slow down the running.

Near the end of the month I felt better, and pushed a bit more, trying to make up a little distance. I ended up getting to my 2mi/day average. Barely.

August was 62.27mi. That brings my year total to 484.42, which is pacing me at 60.55 mi/month or 726 for the year. I want to get to 730, so I'm just below the average. A good September and October should get me above the pace, then we'll have to see if I can make Dec 31.

Day 1091

Great run today. Hit the treadmill to save some time.

24:00
2.54mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/65794182

Day 1090

Good steady run. Late in the day, so treadmill, but felt good

24:00
2.47mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/65651506

Day 1089

Good run in Oshkosh, NE. I headed E out of town, running along route 26, past the Cabelas building and some factory of some sort. Very windy, and nice to look at, but not the place I'd want to live.


20:45
1.98mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/65651824

Day 1088

Good quick ruin, trying to get done on a busy day

16:00
1.66mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/65238020

Day 1087

Short run, pressed for time.

16:00
1.58mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/65139200

Day 1086

Stuck at the mechanic all day getting new tires, so I couldn't run until later. Raining outside, so my plan of jogging down the road was killed. Had a nice treadmill run, steady, not too hard.

16:00
1.59mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/64940296

Day 1085

Great run today. I was going to go outside, but decided to run quicker so I could get a few other things done. I started quick, and got my first mile done in 8:59 and the second done about 8:50. Good times for me.
I also pyramid’d the last 4-5 minutes, going 30 sec at 7mph and then 30sec at 6.4mph.

22:00
2.32mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/64672684

Day 1084

Good, steady run today

20:00
2.04mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/64445326

Day 1083

Two hot days in OKC and traveling this am didn't give me enough energy, mentally, to run outside. So I hit the treadmill, starting at 6.6 and I felt great. Upped to 6.7 near the end and had a good run. A couple 15s breaks holding the arms and keeping the legs moving, but otherwise a good run.

25:00
2.52mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/64266062

Day 1082

Hot run today, pounding the streets outside of Oklahoma City. Felt like my legs were tanning as I ran. Wanted 2 miles, but ran out of energy.

18:44
1.89mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/64122932

Day 1081

Not feeling well, and short on time, I decided to hit the treadmill in the Oklahoma City hotel. However with it locked at a top speed of 3.5, that wasn’t a great idea.
So I went outside, pounding down alongside the highway. I struggled at first, but got into it and had a good run.
21:08
2.06mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/64081354

Day 1080

Catching a cold ,and struggled to run, but once I hit 14:00, I pushed to 20.

20:00
2.0
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/63738630

Day 1079

Felt good today, and after about 5 minutes of 6.3mph, I added in some pyramids. I first went to 6.6 a few times, doing the intervals as:
1:00 slow (6.3mph)
0:30 fast (6.6mph)
After a couple of those, I upped the fast interval to 7.0mph and that felt good. The last 3 minutes I went 0:30 fast, 0:30 slow with a slow minute to finish.
22:00
2.25mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/63553684

Day 1078

A good, strong run today. Ran at 6.6 for most of it, feeling good. The knee feels slightly shaky now, but it doesn't hurt and did fine.

22:00
2.27mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/63327526

Zoning Out

The other day I was running outside, enjoying the summer weather. It wasn't too hot, nor too cold, and I had a few things on my mind. As I went down the road, following my normal route, I was thinking about a few pieces I need to write, trying to work out how to attack them and the message that I wanted to send.I found myself a half mile down the road, listening to a different song than I last remembered, and I couldn't remember seeing the last half mile pass.

I had zoned out.

One of the things that I think is important for regular exercise and training is the ability to zone out. You have to let the work, the effort, and the boring, monotonous nature of the activity fade out and let your mind take over. Until you can do that, the running (or swimming or whatever) becomes a chore, step after step.

That can be motivating sometime, and I know that setting goals and pushing through to those goals is helpful. For my son we worked on running from telephone pole to telephone pole sometimes, or making the next driveway, but at some point you have to be able to enjoy the time moving along.

That was critical for swimming, and when I found myself a few laps down the pool without remembering them, I knew I was in good shape and also finding a zone in swimming. That came easier in biking, and eventually running for me.

Now I look for those times. I have had them with other people, or with music, but for the most part they come when I'm running solo, thinking about some issue, and drifting away as the miles go by,

Day 1077

Pulled the groin at baseball last night, but feeling better today. Took short strides, slightly quicker movement to try and not get hurt. The run felt good, but I can feel the groin is still a little tight.

22:00
2.23mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/63116100

Day 1076

Shorter, steady run at 6.4mph

16:00
1.59mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/62904580

Day 1075

Took it easy today, going a steady 6.3 and not pushing too hard.

18:00
1.78mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/62749264

Day 1074

A nice steady run outside. Tried Runmeter and it helped motivate me to keep a pace up and run hard.

30:19
3.06mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/62749486

Day 1073

Easy treadmill run

16:00
1.57mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/62749590

Day 1072

Feeling better on the knee. Started at 6.3 and went to 6.4, feeling fine. still going with less distance for a week or so.

16:00
1.59mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/62233434

Day 1071

Slower, less distance, taking it easy.l

16:00
1.55mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/62233700

Day 1070

Slower run outside, taking it easy.

21:30
1.93

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/61714422

Pyramiding

I grabbed a graph of my running for last month, and was surprised. I haven't consciously done anything in planning my runs, mostly listening to my body and trying to keep up with 2mi/day. If I felt good, I did try to push harder and go beyond 2 miles, but I wasn't looking back at the runs at all.

I ended up with this, almost a set of pyramids that seem to cycle almost weekly. I had long runs on the 8th/9th, 15th, 21st/22nd, and 29th. All about 7-8 days apart. That was funny to me, and naturally I went less the next day or two after those.

I think I've built a good base, and I am tempted to apply some science to my workouts, but I'm not sure I want to. The goal here isn't to run faster or longer, though I have tried to get to 2mi/day this year to see if I could do it. I'm not sure that was a good goal, however, so I'll keep on running every day, just making sure that I am listening to my body and see what happens.

Day 1069

Tired today, a little worn out from yesterday, so I went a little slower, and shorter today. Knee felt fine, though I am a little worried. Lots of amateur diagnosis today of torn meniscus.
Ugh
16:00
1.53mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/61480922

Day 1068

Good run. started at 5.8, felt OK, then went to 6.1 and a little 6.2. The knee was definitely shaky, but I bet I can do a week of 6.1 and feel OK.

16:00
1.51

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/61320336

Day 1067

Good run, almost back to normal. Ran at 5.8, up from a 5.6 start. Afraid to push it too much more.

24:00
2.21mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/61143568

Day 1066

Knee is doing better. Still sore, but I tried 5.4 today and it went OK. Good striding, though I’m moving a little quicker than normal, trying not to bend the knee much.
Managed a better distance than yesterday. Would have gone further, but slightly worried about overdoing it.
18:00
1.52mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/60923502

Day 1065

Getting better. Managed to run at 5.0mph today, an improvement. Felt comfortable, but was afraid to try and go faster.
18:00
1.42mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/60769372

Running and Diets

I mentioned recently that I don’t really track a diet per se, and instead try to better make choices every day, finding slightly healthier things to eat on a regular basis.
I also don’t really track the volume of food, and don’t mind being a bit hungry most days, but I do try to keep a rough eye on whether I eat more or less. It’s not so much for my weight or size/shape, but more that it helps me understand how much energy I’m expending. There are days that I’m working too hard in a short period, and I worry about wearing myself out, so if I find myself getting really hungry, I pay attention.
It’s one way that helps me to better understand the effort I’m making and not push myself too hard. Which can lead to injury.

Day 1064

Slow, but no pain in the knee as long as I kept at 4.6mph.

18:00
1.31mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/60539036

Day 1063

I made it through a shambling, slow, old man jog with a hurt knee.

26:00
2.03mi

Day 1062

Flew home from New Orleans early, late lunch, and then a short run today before baseball

16:00
1.57mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/60152266

Day 1061

An early morning run around University Lake again. Lots of people this time, and I took it easy, with tired legs.
20:00
2.07mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/59874882

Day 1060

Flew early to New Orleans, ate BBQ around 1, and then managed to get to University Lake around 4. I started around from the parking lot, thinking I’d get to the Cook Hotel and turn around. Instead I was there around 10 minutes in and kept going, thinking I’d stop at 15 and turn back.
However at 15 minutes it felt like I was doing well and halfway, so I kept going.
A bit of mistake as I wasn’t halfway until around 20:00 or so and it was 101F. By the time I thought I might have done too much, I was too far to turn around and kept going, mixing in some walking.
Ended up going all the way around, nearly 4mi, but I was hurting in the sun. Definitely should have had more water around.
43:55
3.93mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/59804458

Day 1059

Felt like pushing today, after a indulgent day yesterday at the water park. Struggled and needed a couple of 15sec supports from the arms on the treadmill, but pushed. Went 6.6 for the first 12 minutes and then6.3 to close it out.

24:00
2.46mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/59579306

Day 1058

Early run since I'm spending the day with the kids. Struggled to get going, and pushed a little, but knocked off at 20 min since I knew the body was tired.

20:00
2.05mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/59355954

Day 1057

Nice, cool run outside today with the cloudy day. No rain, which was threatening, but it held off. I zoned out, going down the road thinking about things and missing large sections of scenery. Those are the best days.

24:37
2.39mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/59197022

Day 1056

A little tired, had to slow a bit while running, but also distracted. A busy time at work and a little worried about that. Stopped because I was struggling to focus.

20:00
2.04mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/58989010

The July Totals

I closed out July strong. I made an effort to avg better than 2 mi/day and did that, ending the month with 67.18 miles run, the longest ever. For the year, that means that I'm at 422, which puts me on a 722mi pace for the year.Almost at the 730 distance I'd like to get to and average 2mi/day.

I definitely need to keep up the running across the next few months, and even increase to a good 2.2mi/day or so to up the average.

However the body feels good, legs feel fine, and I think I might be able to get there.

Day 1055

A good run, but hard. Wanted to finish the month strong, and started at 6.5, but had to slow down in the middle for 5 minutes or so because I was beat.

20:00
2.03mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/58783118

Day 1054

Late run today, tired after working in the yard for awhile, so this was a shorter, slower run.

18:00
1.79mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/58640340

Day 1053

A good day, which I started pushing at 7:00 to 6.6 and then 6.7, then 6.8 for most of the run to 18:00 min. Finished just ahead of the 9:00/mi pace for 2 miles.
26:00
2.72mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/58447370

Day 1052

Quick one, late in the day

16:00
1.61

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/58292340

Day 1051

A nice jog outside, on a cool Co summer day. Lots of clouds and just a touch of wind.



22:45
2.41

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/58055322

Day 1050

Late run today, after a late start and busy day. Struggled to run a bit and had a few times after 14:00 min where I used some treadmill supports to help me run for 0:15

24:00
2.47

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/57872188

Picking up the pace

One of my goals this year was to try and average 2 mi/day. I started with January, going 65mi for the month and I felt fine. So I kept going, hitting this mileage:
Jan: 65
Feb: 51 (short by 5mi)
Mar: 59 (slightly short)
Apr: 52 (short)
May: 61
June: 66
That’s 354 for the first half of the year, which is below the 360 I’d want to be at. However I’m tending to do a better job of hitting 2-2.25 mi most days, so at that pace I’d get to 720 by the end of the year.
I’m not sure I’ll keep running every day once ski season starts. I wanted to get through my black belt, and I’ll probably try to get through 3 years and into the fall, but at that point I’ll have to decide if I want to bang out a mile after some of those long days on the slopes.

Day 1049

Cruising slower today, with the body definitely sore after a look week. Struggled to get going, but settled into a good routine.

22:00
2.18
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/57641238

Day 1048

Struggling to run a little after yesterday. Yard work in the am didn’t help.
Started slower, sped up to 6.5 for much of the first mile, but had to slow down around 15:00 to 6.2 because I was struggling a bit.

24:00
2.44mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/57426476

Day 1047

I made it to the black belt test. No coffee, slower, easier run today. Now time to get ready for the test

18:00
1.77mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/57229272

Day 1046

Felt like going further, but a little windy outside and worried about contacts. So I decided to stick inside, and not push too hard, but get a good run in.
Hopefully I didn’t go too hard with the black belt test tomorrow.
26:00
2.68mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/57089252

Day 1045

I decided I wasn’t going to karate tonight. Feeling a bit worn out, and no need to stress. I started running, and felt better, and so I kept going. I did 6.6mph most of the way, then jumped to 6.8mph at 14:00 min to see if I could get close to 2.0mi at 18:30. I did, and beat it, though subtracting the walking, I was really at 18:17 of running when I crossed 2mi.
Kept going, though slower, for a nice long one today.
26:00
2.72mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/56927376

Day 1044

22:00

2.23mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/56724938

Day 1043

Tax form run day, an easy one, but shorter than I wanted because of time.

20:00
2.05mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/56538088

Day 1042

Hot  and slow, with a little girl pacing me on the bike. A good summer run.

22:38

2.02mi

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/56339260

Day 1041

Supposed to be the black belt test run, getting 2.0mi in under 18:00 done. No one showed up, and it was hot, but I decided to knock it out anyway.
Started too fast, getting lap 1 done in 1:50 instead of 2:15, and kept up a similar pace, knocking out a mile in 8:04, which was too quick. by 1.5mi I was struggling to keep at the 2:15 pace/lap, but I did manage to finish in 16:52 before walking a lap.

20:44
2.25
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/56122960

Lost in London

Thursday night my company rented a bus, packed it with books, beer, supplies, etc for the Friday SQL in the City event, and then drove about 15 of us down from Cambridge to the center of London. I read and napped a little, and then watched us crawl along the Thames, saw the London Eye, and a few more sights I remembered from my time in London. We turned into the city and passed Trafalgar square, before arriving at the venue and unloading at the Royal Society of London.

Then a few of us went to the hotel to check in, with the others coming over later. It had been a long week, and I was tired, so I made to the hotel, checked in, got my one and a half bed room (yes, one and a half beds with a full and a small twin) and then decided there was nothing on TV, wi-fi only in the bar, and so I should get a drink before dinner.

I had a couple beers, people arrived and joined me, and we chatted along before heading to dinner “just around the corner”. I had to settle the bill, since I was the one that opened it, and walked outside to find no one around, crowds around a few pubs, and was unsure of what to do. I also wasn’t sure which corner, so I started to walk around one. Fortunately I ran into the CEO of our company, who had a address of the restaurant. That was my first time lost.

The second time was the next morning. I never sleep well before events if I have to be there early, being paranoid about oversleeping. It’s the same way with flights, ski trips, etc. So I was tossing and turning and around 6:15 just got up. Pulled on shoes, stretched a bit and walked downstairs. I wasn’t sure where I was, but my plan was to find a major street and then go down and back. So I headed down Great Portland Street, which was near the hotel and looked fairly large. However a couple of minutes later that T’d at Oxford Circus.

Hmmm, I thought, I’ve been here, and turned right to go down Oxford Street, which isn’t a major road, but close enough. I passed the Oxford Circus Underground station, which I remember from college. That same old brown, Harry Potter style building next to an alley leading towards a nightclub. I went down, ran about 10 minutes, and then turned around. I ran back, with all the shops of Oxford street a bit of a blur, and then realized I was at Tottenham Court Road. I’d run there last year when I was in London, but I hadn’t started, or passed it.

I was slightly lost.

I assume I had missed my turn, but I’d been looking. Since London isn’t a grid system, more like a grid planned, and named, by someone after 10 pints of beer, I turned again, heading back up Oxford Street. I did manage to find Portland Street, and it wasn’t bad, with me only going about 10 minutes longer than I expected. I showered, changed, and managed to find my way over to the Royal Society of Medicine, without getting lost.

I got to give a presentation in the main lecture hall, which was a treat. It’s quite a nice venue, and while I’m sure I am far down the list of important people that have given talks there, it was exciting for me to see the names of some famous medical doctors listed on the wall and think about how many amazing things were said from the stage I was standing on.

Fortunately I stuck with cabs and trains for my trip out of London and didn’t get lost again.

Day 1040

Traveling all day from London, getting here at 2pm and with no wife, did a quick treadmill run. Tomorrow may be my black belt run, so I took it a little easier, slowing down after a mile.

20:00
1.98

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/55979506

Day 1039

Up early to run before my event, I found myself pounding the pavement along Oxford Circus, dodging the people commuting to work early. And then got lost.

Still, a good run.

28:34
2.6

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/55980204

Day 1038

Good run, though on the hamster track with rain likely and chilly wind outside. A good black belt test run
22:00
2.35mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/55454370

Day 1037

A nice run along the river today. Back to pace, almost. A little slow, but the knee was aching slightly from the pounding. Might hit the treadmill tomorrow.
23:01
2.4
http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/41294600/

Day 1036

A morning trail run.

18:52
1.81

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/55044998

On the Trails

Over the last weekend (July 4), we went camping up near Red Feather Lakes at the Beaver Meadows Resort. It's about 60-75 minutes out of Fort Collins, CO, way in the mountains at around 8500-8800 ft of altitude. It's remote, with the camp sites lacking power, running water, and there's no cell service. Outhouses were around, and it's a nice wooded area.

We camped out, cooking over fires, and I managed to go running on the trails nearby. It was hard to run at altitude, and I felt sluggish for 3 days, only really running well the last day. I also struggled to get past all the flies and mosquitoes, which were constantly attacking.

However I did enjoy the trails, cruising down wooded trails similar to those that I used to run at in some packs in my native Virginia. It was nice to move along, and I had my daughter for company a couple of the days as she rode her bike next to me. The hard parts were helping her up some hills there, when I had to struggle up myself while pushing a 100lb girl on a bike.

Still it was good, and it was the chance to see some beautiful scenery in Colorado. I stuck to similar routes, as I tend to do, mostly because I like a routine, and I have a chance to avoid any turned ankles by watching where I'm going and having some familiarity.

I don't love camping out there, but it was nice to get out and run, on my own schedule, without anything pressing on me.

The one memorable run was Sunday, when everyone else was fishing, I decided to get out and run before a thunderstorm. It had sprinkled a bit, and so I took off when the clouds cleared a bit. I managed to get out about .8 or .9 miles and then turned around. However the temp was dropping, a few drops hitting me from the sky, and my shirt was wet. The nipples started to hurt, and so I took off my shirt since I didn't have any lubricant. As I ran, the bugs attacked, forcing me to swing my shirt constantly, hitting my back to ward them off. Haven't had to do that since Seashore State Park in Virginia.

Day 1035

Flew to the UK, a short nap, and decided to run to wake up in the afternoon. Hard to get started, but then felt good cruising through the park at Jesus Green.

17:29
1.72mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/54899604r

Day 1034

In a hurry to leave the country, so a shorter run. I was going to go 2 min longer, but I lost all bandwidth for my movie and my wife wanted to talk, so shortened things up.

18:00
1.82

http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/54714768

Day 1033

Cruising this morning for an early run before Kendall’s dance class.
Realized that I’m slightly slow for the karate run, where I need to maintain 6.7mph. Need to try a few runs at that speed.
26:00
2.68mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/54468762

Day 1032

Good run, struggling a bit to maintain pace. I think the black belt test run is weighing on my a little.
Or maybe it's the 5mi across 2 days along with 2 hard karate classes.

26:00
2.66mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/54322428

Day 1031

The new shoes went outside today, cruising down the road. Had a great run, cruising nicely and feeling strong as I ran up and down the few hills on my regular route.
26:31
2.61mi
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/54132028