Boring Weather

We could talk about the weather.

This happens more in winter than any other time of the year. It's due to the fact that I don't care for it - the colder temperatures, the rain mixed with wind, the overall feeling I might not make it from the house to my car without losing a few fingers to hypothermia. Okay, that might be a little drastic but you get the general idea of how little this season means to me or should I say how much? I sure talk more about it more than any other season but then I hear others giving summer a bad rap. I guess it's all fair play although boring.

Give it a minute, it will change. Be open to the different experiences it can provide. If you know the run in the winter is going to cause all the unpleasantness I could possibly imagine than find another way to go for a run. There are other options. And thinking about the other options can give another perspective on how you look at that same thing. Change the camera angle and you'll get a different picture of the same landscape. It might even get you to think of the same things in a way you hadn't thought about before.

Then it isn't boring.
TT

Goodbye 2016

Say goodbye to year 2016.

The year I turned 60 is over and done and 61 takes over from here as of this very day. I can't predict what the future will hold. I can only make some choices along the way and see how they play out over the course of the coming year. I somehow managed a few things this past year I might not have accomplished if I hadn't made the choices I did during 2016.

I whined for years to myself and others how I would like to run another half marathon. I got down to business this year and ran it October 22, 2016. I almost let the year get away from me but when I knew the date of this race I figured out a training plan with the weeks left before that date to get ready. It was a tough race with many hills. I did it. That was what I wanted to do. In the past I would have whined about how I didn't have enough time or placed some other obstacles to make it impossible for myself to do it the way I had before but I figured there was nothing to lose except my whining. It worked. I got it done.

I also started the year off with a mileage goal. I calculated the average number of miles I have run the past six years and it is about 560. I thought I would go for 800 miles this year. It was aggressive for me but I figured what could it hurt. My last run for the year was this morning and it gave me a total of 770 miles for 2016. I was short of my goal of 800 but how can I not be more than satisfied that I was able to improve by so many more miles even when I am so much older than I was six years ago?

I'm not sure what made any difference this time around but somehow putting some plans into action did the job. I figured if it didn't work I couldn't be any worse off than my average. No one would be the wiser if I didn't run another half marathon or if I ran my 560 mile average. It wouldn't be any big loss except there were no loss this year. There were only big gains.

It's time to say goodbye to a good year - 2016. It's almost over with only a few hours to spare. Sixty years and I might have learned a thing or two. Now to use that momentum into my new improved age of sixty-one.

Hello there, 2017. What do you have planned?
TT

Afternoons

Back again.

I am determined to switch my early morning runs into after work runs. I waited yesterday until almost 3:00 to go out and do my Sunday 5K. It worked out and I will be making it a point to make this change over. These early morning runs have me beat by the end of the week or maybe it was just last week that did it. I can try to figure it out but it's time for me to stop figuring again. Time to do so I've made up my mind, I will put in my plan, and start the action. I got my head start yesterday by going out at three. Now to take the next step by doing it again this afternoon.
TT

Do it

What happened?

I've been missing many runs lately. When I say lately I mean all this month. I can't seem to get into the swing of things the way I managed the past two months. I know my self-prescribed training plan ended right after my half-marathon on October 22 but even so, I haven't been able to figure out what happened to stall and stop almost all my regular runs. I have been a total no-show, no-miles, poor attendance for the entire month of November.

I went out this morning before I could figure out a way to stop. I did a simple 3 mile run. I'm hoping the fact that it was simple, easy, and so doable I will continue and start to build up again. It won't help to spend time trying to figure out what happened when I need to just fix it from here and now and go forward. Keep moving. Keep it simple. Let's do this.
TT

Plans change

Ooops.

I took one day off from work and was totally distracted. I managed to keep myself so busy I didn't think of sitting and writing or to get out and run. Actually, those things did pass through my mind but I did other things and not those.

I have decided its times to turn my running schedule around again. Since the time change and the cooler temperatures I am thinking to get my runs done after work instead of waking before the dead and going to the gym. Since I've only gotten a few sporadic runs this entire month it's time to change things up again. I am hoping to get myself out there again and if it doesn't work I'll think up another plan that might.

Times are a changing. Again.
TT

Perfect reasons

Thunder and Lightning

The rain finally poured down. There was a lot of it. My guess it waited and waited until it was bulging and bursting at the seams. It couldn't wait another day or moment and spilled out while we slept. All of it rushing down from the sky with angry, rolling blasts of growling clouds and flashes of light. It sounded great to me as I knew I still had time before getting out of bed. Then I fell asleep for a second and there it was. The sound of some weird light-hearted, tinny melody coming from my nightstand. The alarm. I was supposed to get up and run. I had every excuse not to get up. Tired, raining, storm - perfectly good reasons.

I didn't use any of them. Got up and ran 4 miles.(gym, yeah, but ran)
TT

Procrastinated

New week.

Monday morning and I got up an finally got my first run for November. Talk about being lazy! I put off a run an entire six days and then on the seventh I managed to get my duff out of bed in time to run a short 5K before work. I have now officially started the month of November, on a Monday, on the 7th, and put myself into a good frame of mind for a new week.

Why did I put if off for this long.
TT

Break time

I took the entire week off from running.

I finally got out for almost 6 miles yesterday morning but I hadn't stepped out to run the entire week since the half marathon last Saturday. It wasn't because I was sore or any other reason except I stared down the alarm in the early mornings and turned over for another hour of sleep instead. I'm supposed to be re-grouping but I didn't even think about it. Okay, maybe I thought but it was quickly put aside and not thought up again. I was simply taking a break.

I will venture out again but it seems incredible dark for this time of the morning. Maybe I'll take the few minutes to figure out a new plan. Nothing too big but something with a little structure so the alarm doesn't get ignored in November.
TT

Battle of Hill-otes

This past Saturday I ran a half marathon. It was a tough one to conquer since it's only description on it's website was: Description: Hilly. It was telling no lies. It was aptly named the Battle of Hillotes which was a play on the name of the small town of Helotes that it took place.

There was no way I was coming home without finishing. I took the past seven weeks and three days following a training plan I devised for myself by plotting it on a spreadsheet. I took 3 or 4 other 10 and 12 week plans that I had and figured out how I could improvise them into something I could actually use. I don't know if it was a good plan or not but it got me to where I wanted to go and that was crossing the finish line.

It was more than planning. It was getting up at 4:00 am and running 3 or 4 sometimes 5 miles before work. The alarm would go off and I would push to get up. Some days it was easy and some days there was no way I believed I hadn't just closed my eyes to fall asleep. There were a few mornings I was up and dressed to run before my brain realized I was ready to go. Coffee was gulped down in a few, hot sips and left for later. I had a finish line I needed to cross. I had work to do before I got there.

The morning of the race it was a cool 49-50 degrees but I knew it would warm up quickly. It only took until mile 2 to get the feeling back in my numb fingers and that was the last I thought about the weather. I had to stare down some mean hills and not just one or two but six, seven, steep and cruel ones. I got to the top of one and just looked out. The sun was coming up and there was a view to see for miles. This is why I do this. When and where else could I have been in this moment.

Looking back at my splits my pace was fast coming up through mile 7 but the hills had taken it out of me and I slowed to some snails pace the last half. I don't know what I was doing on mile 12 except maybe crawling? But none of that mattered since I had no pace goal. I only wanted to defeat the finish line and I did that last Saturday.

Since there aren't many in my age group that ventures out, I placed second in my category with a time of 2:38:38. I was a good 14 minutes behind first place (damn mile 12)! I can at least look at the bright side that the person behind me came in right at 3 hours which put me a good 40 some minutes ahead. It doesn't really matter since all of this is extra. My only wish was to get it done.

Done it is. I'm re-grouping to see what's next.
TT

Lots of miles

I could go ahead and give a long list of miles but I did that more than a few times already. I could go back to my last post to see where I left off and add the new numbers to that already too long list. I'll spare myself and you the list.

This past month of September I ended up with a total of 113.37 miles. That is more miles in a month for me in the past six years I have actual stats to compare. I ran 112 miles in October of 2010. It took me six years to do it again but I did last month. I have a total of 40.18 miles for this month and it's the eighth day of the month. That isn't a bad showing by any means. I am 26.38 miles away from meeting the best mileage in any year for me. I won't be doing it as a marathon in one day but give me a week and I'll probably have that stat blown too. 

Miles, miles, miles. I had someone ask me how I could run all those miles without anyone or anything chasing me. It's not the most original comment. It isn't original at all. How many times has everyone heard that one before? I probably couldn't even outrun someone if their intention was to chase me down. It doesn't take being pursued to run. 

Drive, confidence, consistency, strength, discipline, determination, endurance, courage. Chase me.

TT

Recap

Here is an up-to-date recap of the past month or so.

Day 1 -  6.24 miles
Day 2 -  3.55 miles
Day 3 -  8.17 miles
Day 4 -  5.07 miles
Day 5 -  4.17 miles
Day 6 -  5.63 miles
Day 7 -  Rest
Day 8 -  Rest
Day 9 -  6.41 miles
Day 10 - 9.08 miles
Day 11 - Rest
Day 12 - 5.27 miles
Day 13 - 4.52 miles
Day 14 - 4.22 miles
Day 15 - Rest
Day 16 - 4.73
Day 17 - 4.73
Day 18 - 5.05
Day 19 - Rest
Day 20 - Rest
Day 21 - Rest
Day 22 - 5.8
Day 23 - Rest
Day 24 - 12.04
Day 25 - Rest
Day 26 - 3.48
Day 27 - 5.05
Day 28 - Rest
Day 29 - 5.59
Day 30 - 4.11    End of September - Total 113.4 miles

10/1 Day 31 - 13.18
10/2 Day 32 -   5.04

October is off to a good start but I have Jury Duty today. We will see how it goes.
TT

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Day 28

It's almost the end of the month and I realized I hadn't updated any of my status lately. It hasn't been because I haven't been doing the work, I just haven't sat and gotten it down here.

Day 1 - 6.24 miles
Day 2 - 3.55 miles
Day 3 - 8.17 miles
Day 4 - 5.07 miles
Day 5 - 4.17 miles
Day 6 - 5.63 miles
Day 7 - Rest
Day 8 - Rest
Day 9 - 6.41 miles
Day 10 - 9.08 miles
Day 11 - Rest
Day 12 - 5.27 miles
Day 13 - 4.52 miles
Day 14 - 4.22 miles
Day 15 - Rest
Day 16 - 4.73
Day 17 - 4.73
Day 18 - 5.05
Day 19 - Rest
Day 20 - Rest
Day 21 - Rest
Day 22 - 5.8
Day 23 - Rest
Day 24 - 12.04
Day 25 - Rest
Day 26 - 3.48
Day 27 - 5.05
Day 28 -
Day 29 -
Day 30 -

That brings it all up to date. Only the three days left in the month but I have a total of 103.7 miles for September. It was the goal to hit the 103 miles this month because I had gone through all my stats since 2010 and the last time I had a distance that high in a month was September 2011. That's a lot of years in between without coming close to that distance in a month. 
TT

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Day 14

It is the end of Day 14 and I'm still here. It may not seem that way but I am. Never left, still on the program, still chugging away at it every day. Or mostly. I can give a run down of activities to prove it and so here it is.

Day 1 - 6.24 miles
Day 2 - 3.55 miles
Day 3 - 8.17 miles
Day 4 - 5.07 miles
Day 5 - 4.17 miles
Day 6 - 5.63 miles
Day 7 - Rest
Day 8 - Rest
Day 9 - 6.41 miles
Day 10 - 9.08 miles
Day 11 - Rest
Day 12 - 5.27 miles
Day 13 - 4.52 miles
Day 14 - 4.22 miles

That's a total of 62.34 miles if my calculations are correct and tomorrow is mid-month with a half month still to go. Not such a bad showing so far. The momentum is building. Let's see where it goes from here.
TT

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Day 8

It's early before work and I haven't headed out for an early morning run. I have another scheduled rest day for today so it wasn't in the plan. I did think about it when I knew I woke up with enough time but I guess if I make myself follow the plan when I DO need to run I should at least follow it when I'm not supposed to run. They say rest is important.

I will reserve my prerogative to change my mind if this afternoon creeps up on me and I decide to take an easy 3 mile run today instead of tomorrow  or do it today and tomorrow. My concern is for the long run on Saturday since I've committed to another appointment that may take my allotted time. There goes life again. Getting in the way of my life. But it hasn't yet. I need to be proactive in taking action to figure it out.

Day 8 - 0 miles (so far)
Monthly total - 32.87 miles
TT

Thursday, September 1, 2016

It's Day one.

I set my alarm for 4:50 instead of 4:05. That simple transposition of a zero and a five made the difference in having the time to get a simple three mile run done early this morning or not. I was happily going to hop right out of bed when the alarm rang to get myself geared up.  Instead I'm sitting here in front of my laptop racing with my fingers instead. It doesn't count. So I will need to gather myself and make a simple plan B. This won't be thwarted on the first day!

The schedule will need to shift. It will need to be moved to later this afternoon instead of early pre-dawn. I will stick to the plan I made and see where it takes me. I can't always plan without knowing there will need to be room for change.

September 1, 2016 - 0 miles :(
TT

SLow5and!?%sTEad99Y

I needed to change my password for my computer access at work today. It has to be done every quarter or so but today was the final day. I've been getting warnings the past two or three times I logged in. Nice little pop-ups would say, "Why don't you change your password now, you only have two more days until..." That wasn't the exact wording. I guess I clicked past the reminder so quickly I don't remember how they were worded.

Of course, the passwords need to have that crazy combination of letter, numbers and characters to make it hard to break. I gave my last password some thought and wanted to follow the rules without making it impossible to remember. I did what the authorities suggested and found a phrase. It was way back at least three months ago and I while I was being realistic, I also wanting to motivate myself with my running.

The phrase was slow and steady. The password was a union of that phrase with capitals, numbers and symbols interspersed. I've been using it every time I log in and it was a constant reminder not to worry about pace but keep up the discipline. Pretty soon, my fingers didn't stumble over trying to type the complicated combination each day. Pretty soon, I wasn't thinking about how slow I might be running but getting out there and doing it. The password and motivation worked.

Today I had to change my password. Let's just say I couldn't help but use the second half of that phrase. Well, along with a multitude of symbols, capitals, and numbers thrown into the mix.
TT

Guilty?

It's Sunday morning and I guiltily have been drinking the entire pot of coffee. I've busied myself with paperwork. I've looked over accounts and balances and the early morning has crept past. I am losing my window of opportunity to get outside before the blaze of the day descends. Well, maybe I don't feel all that guilty about the coffee.
TT

So no matter what I 'think' it has no bearing on what I 'can'. So the early morning crept past? So I thought. But I shoved the idea aside and went for a run anyway despite the threat of a blaze. It wasn't, isn't, and only existed in my head. I'm so glad I exercised it out. I was sentenced to four miles down, fifty for the month. Guilty as charged.

Math doesn't equate

I have another eight consecutive days of running. I started out keeping it to myself because I couldn't make the math equal the goal. I kept adding this number of miles and that number of days and shook my head 'no'. There was no way I could get them to equal by the end of the month. Then I thought the heck with the math and just ran.

I'm up to 31 miles this month. That's a good number. That could possibly work out to the total of 100 miles for the month if I keep adding. I will probably need to divide a few miles by days and subtract at least a few days off and then I'll end up not making the goal. I can't seem to come up with the right answer on paper.

I've always hated math. I think I will just stick to running.
TT

Not yet

I'm still stuck at 25 miles this month. There seems to be an epidemic of reasons that keep me from running. I could say there has been a lot going on and guess what? It would be true. The main problem is that none of the things that have been happening have been promoting anything that has to do with getting in a few miles each day. In fact, you could say the things that have been happening have been a major deterrent to getting the miles run.

I'm not giving up and I'm not settling. There is a time when I have to get these other things done the same way I would like to get running done. It will all work itself out. Or maybe I should say, I will work-out myself, at some point.
TT

No babies allowed

Yeah. I know. I get it.
I've been a slacker.
I've been snaking around like I've forgotten all about moving myself.
I've left the running shoes cooling in the closet.
I have excuses up the wazoo on why I didn't.

So, I've been trying to do a little catch up. I'm not where I should be at this point in time.
But there is no use crying like a baby. The past three days I've been getting those shoes a little dirtier. I even went out to the gym this morning since the thunderstorms weren't going to let me run outdoors.

So this is still do-able. I hear 'ya.
TT