Day 147

• 4+ miles
• Fast/hard (estimating 7:30/mi pace or better, ran for 30:52 hard)
• 0630
• San Juan, PRI
• Wasn't motivated to push it at all today, committed myself to just cruising for 30 minutes, decided while riding down the elevator that doing so was plenty, I am afterall in the taper stage of Becca's marathon plan, walked out the front door of my Holiday Inn Express, took two steps and saw a runner off in the distance that looked reasonably fit, but not running too fast and next thing I know I have decided that I must catch and pass them, but who knows when they may turn, so better do so quickly....it didn't take even half a mile, but once I start running fast I don't like to slow down and since I also don't like to run the same pace for very long that only leaves one option.   Glad I got a hard effort in this week, just wish I had a better idea of how far and how fast I went even though I know that knowing may be a disappointment.   Anyway, I will miss my ocean view runs and the teal water etc., but I am still very much looking forward to getting home.   Off to Miami, FL for next 2 days first, not out of the humidity yet.

Day 146

• 5+ miles
• 8:30/mi pace (estimate)
• 0625
• San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Proud of myself for getting up early enough to do this -- didn't feel like running hard, didn't wake up early enough to run far.   Humidity is always surprising to me, which in itself is surprising to me considering that I grew up in it...being rained on basically has zero affect when it is as humid as it is.  

Day 145

• 3.75 miles (estimate)
• Medium speed
• 1530
• San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Very nice weather, didn't have time to go any further -- well, I guess I had time, but work is weighing heavily on my head to the point that I'm wary of being away from the phone for more than 20-30 minutes at a time these days (flights are brutal), so this is all I'd allow myself.   If I can wrestle myself out of bed early tomorrow perhaps I will get in more than 4 miles for the first time in what seems like forever...not that it's about distance, but still.   Hmmm, I just realized that "early" tomorrow will be SUPER early for my head, considering I'm on Eastern time here in PRI, but then, I can't really assume that my brain is even on Arizona time so I'll just stop complaining now and sign off.

Day 144

• 2.59 miles
• 6:30/mi pace
• 1910
• From/To Home
• I always run faster at the end of the day and today I guess I felt OK because that's the fastest pace I've run in a quite a while -- could also be all the tapering, no matter how unintentional it may have been.   Didn't feel hard, but then, when it does it is never as fast as it felt it should have been.   Off traveling again tonight, if I make it through March 5 with this streak then I should really have no excuses after that.   We shall see.

Day 143

• 1.7 miles
• Slow
• 1215
• From/To Home
• I was a wreck this morning, I slept for about 10 hours last night, woke up for 2, then back to sleep for a few more...this is all I could muster mentally prior to starting, so I procrastinated until I only had time to do about this much -- of course once I got out there I felt fine and could've done a real run of some distance, but whatever, maybe tomorrow.   

Day 142

• 2.05 miles
• Slow
• 1800
• From/To HOME
• Felt pretty good after 24 hours of traveling, but would not have run if not for the streak.   I will probably handle time change better as a result of the short run and stretch, so, another feather in the cap of 'The Streak."

Day 141

• 3.5 miles (estimate)
• Slow
• 0510
• Guangzhou, PRC
• Fog finally lifted and I had to run prior to the hotel gym opening anyway, so out to the streets I went -- insane city, with insane Chinese smells and a fairly significant danger level.   I like running outside in strange-to-me cities, or just plain strange cities.   I ran for 30:31, so I figure that was at least 3.5 miles, but it is unlikely that we'll ever know exactly.

Day 140

• 3.1 miles
• 7:51/mi pace
• 0600
• Guangzhou, PRC
• Treadmill again as I felt it wouldn't be safe to run outside considering the fog -- Yeah, seriously, I couldn't see more than a few feet and I worried I would get lost in the middle of the city that brought SARS to the world.   This run was easy and I felt like I was running fast, though I was not.

Day 139

• 4.35 miles
• 8:03/mi pace
• 0710
• Guangzhou, PRC
• Treadmill, 1% incline; 7k distance.   This one nearly killed me, seriously, it felt like an absurd speedwork session...not sure what it was, the humidity or jet lag?   Anyway, I was glad to have finished it and I felt good the whole rest of the day, so guess it wasn't too hard...well and I had the normal INCREDIBLE breakfast buffet that named hotels in Asia.   I honestly believe breakfast buffets in Asia are the greatest meal experience on earth, they simply have to be.

Day 138

• 1.7 miles
• 8 min/mi (estimate)
• 0540
• From/To home
• Wore my raquet sports shoes since I had already packed my running shoes, this resulted in my decision to run shorter than the short run I had originally planned because I didn't want to come up with some sort of odd injury from running in non-running shoes (guess I'm not ready for Five Fingers, huh?)...anyway, that was for the best as I barely made it out of the house on my predetermined schedule anyway.   The streak will now be challenged a bit by travel, but there is no reason for it to stop that I can foresee at this point.   We shall see.

Day 137

• 8.34 miles
• 7:20/mile
• 1430
• From/To home
• Pretty poor effort for the weekend considering that I didn't get a "long" run in, but I was happy with this effort as I put effort into it.   I was OK throughout as it wasn't an all out effort, but much closer to it than I've wanted to make myself in a while...first few miles slowish then picked up on final 5.   Still have top end speed issues, or rather holding it for more than a very very short time, but since I never do it I guess that's understandable.   Anyway, again, happy with this run, for now....was windy today, glad I wasn't on an outdoor treadmill as I may have been blown off the thing :).

Day 136

• 2.7 miles
• Medium (no watch)
• 1215
• From/To home
• Didn't feel like getting up this morning, thought I was going to do some sort of long run, perhaps I will tomorrow, today just felt got a few miles in to extend the streak and get warmed up enough to stretch well. Felt good, thought about how I rarely have minor pains now, whereas months ago I wasn't sure I was ever going to get past those things.   Wonder if I'll deal with them again when I speed up a bit...wonder when I will see.  

Day 135

• 3.01 miles
• Fastish? 
• 0700
• From/To Home
• Pushed the pace a bit, for no particular reason, guess I just felt good, which seems odd since I barely slept last night.   Anyway, wish I had worn a watch, but I didn't, so the pace could be anything between 7 and 9 minutes per mile, we will never know, or at least it seems highly unlikely that we would ever know. 

Day 134

• 5 miles
• 8:03 pace
• 0615
• From/To Home
• Talked myself out of pushing the pace this morning -- apparently I'm not even above making up reasons to run slow...I used the fact that i was going to be playing golf later to justify not getting to tired during the run.   Golf.  Seriously.   I suck.  Need to schedule that running session with J.E.C. sooner rather than later.  

Day 133

• 5.4 miles
• Slow (no watch)
• 0620
• From/To Home
• Wasn't feeling it this morning, not surprisingly I had to stop at the pool complex to take a bathroom break, but I knew that was a very real possibility since I ate a giant hamburger last night -- to Becca's credit it was tasty and shaped like a heart.  

Day 132

• 5 miles
• 8:05/mi pace
• 0615
• Treadmill Arrowhead CC
• When I woke up at 5:30 it was raining and I decided that might be a good thing since I could justify doing my run on the treadmill and thus never being to far away from help in case I passed out and fell down as I thought I was going to do last night.   Turned out that concern wasn't necessary and run went fine, not great as I still didn't feel super, but not bad at all.   No, it was not raining while I actually ran on the treadmill, but whatever, it looked like it could have started anytime.   
• Treadmill said I climbed 290 feet during the 40 minutes and 26 seconds and burned 670 calories...the climbing stat has more meaning to me, but not much.   I did sweat a lot, which is fine I suppose.   

Day 131

• 2.03 miles
• Medium pace (didn't wear watch)
• 1951
• From/To home
• In a hurry to get this one in between conference calls with Asia, started off feeling fine and thinking "what was I worried about today for, I don't feel great, but I don't feel nearly bad enough not to run."   Well, with about half a mile to go I started to get light headed and almost didn't make it home without falling over -- no fatigue from running or pain, just vertigo as bad as I've ever had it...rounded a corner almost straight into the ground on the way home, very very strange.   Anyway, The Streak goes on and I feel fine now.   Back to Asia calls.

Day 130

• 2.11 miles
• Slow
• 0915
• From/To Home
• Painful effort, have body aches, not sure how much of that is a result of yesterday's run or if I have a virus of some sort.   Pushed Case in Burley to the park, played for a couple hours and then ran home -- Case able to do the retarded slide all by himself for the first time, was pretty cool (the slide has no rails and makes 2 turns?   Strange).   Concerned about tomorrow though I have no intention to run more than a few miles, just seem to live in fear of sinus issues having experienced them for the first time 100+ days ago.  Deal with that tomorrow.

Day 129

• 21.14
• 8:23/mi pace
• 0710
• From/To home
• Ran with Bec, final 20 miler before here March 4 marathon in MSY -- I made her run an extra mile because I don't believe in the insane idea that one should only run a max of 20 miles in any one run prior to a marathon, how does that make any sense?   I did tell her that we'd be doing an extra mile before we started, so I didn't trick her because I'd rather not risk divorce.   The run went well, basically just cruised and got in a few hills for good measure -- considering the effort the pace surprised me a bit and has me thinking that perhaps Bec can set 3:35 as a goal for her marathon...hmmm, have to think about this a bit more.  Think I like "Shot Blocks" now, though they are still weird initially they do seem to result in a rather even energy supply if taken properly (which for me I've decided = every 45 minutes of a long run at cruise pace).   
• Also noticed while reviewing running streak posts from the initial months that when I'm out of shape I whine (or would that be Wein?) a lot more...I do feel much better structurally when running now though, which I'm glad about.  

Day 128

• 2.45 miles
• 8:19/mi pace
• 0750
• From/To home
• Just slow streak extending run, worried about tomorrows long run (20-21 miles) so took it easy.   Now that I fear Craig and Laura read my blog I can't seem to be as casual about my comments anymore...not that I mind, they are some of our best friends and I'm honored to think that they care that I even have an unannounced blog, but I do need to go back and edit out any negative comments I may have put in the blog about anything since this is a reminder that all things on the net are public :).  

Day 127

• 5 miles
• 8:24/mi pace
• 0625
• From/To home
• My cruise pace is just slow -- really have to make something happen if I want to be on pace for a sub-3 hour marathon, seems completely impossible at this point.  

Day 126

• 5 miles
• 7:12/mi pace
• 0740
• From/To home
• Pushed the pace today, had shortness of breath for pretty much the whole run...had a few moments where I felt relaxed and gliding at a good pace, but mostly just a struggle to keep up a pace I felt acceptable.   Tried to really push the last mile, ran out of gas resulting in a 6:39 mile -- not bad, but was hoping for better.   Can't believe I did an entire marathon at a faster pace than this and I've set a goal to do even better?  Perhaps I am really old now, depressing.   Need to start on the strength stuff and keep stacking the mileage before I give up I guess.   Also need to play more golf, not to help me run, but because I now suck and that isn't acceptable.  

Day 125

• 5 miles
• 8:27/mi pace
• 0605
• From/To home
• Felt like I was going faster than above pace and actually thought I did 5.1 or 5.2, but whatever, wasn't supposed to be fast or hard and wasn't.   Have to speed up tomorrow, but that's tomorrow.

Day 124

• 2.87 miles
• 8:29/mi pace
• 0710
• From/To home
• Felt pretty good considering yesterday's effort, could've kept going without difficulty, but glad I cut it to this length in an effort to recover.   Rolled I.T. band and have been doing so somewhat regularly, I think it helps more than just alleviate pain, I think it helps overall, perhaps even performance.

Day 123

• 12.32 miles
• 8:08/mi pace
• 0655
• From/To home
• Ran from home to T-bird Park, 3 loops and then returned home -- ran much harder than I anticipated, but really enjoyed it.   I woke up with sore throat symptoms, which worried me and still does, hopefully it will pass quickly or turn out to be nothing at all.   Considering the first 3 miles were slow, I ran very well thereafter...had earphones on and that may have helped, also took down 1 GU, which seems to always help as well.  Need to run more hills, definitely believe in the "speedwork in disguise" mantra associated with hill running. 

Day 122

• 1.7 miles
• 8:35/mi pace
• 1845
• From/To home
• Didn't get out of bed, so didn't do long run, could only wedge this in to continue streak.

Day 121

• 2.43 miles
• 8:30/mile
• 0550
• From/To Home
• Playing golf with Casey Jones at Blackstone CC this morning, so wanted to warm up, but not get tired...guess I accomplished that while extending The Streak.  Becca asked today how consumed I am by The Streak -- not sure, I don't think about it too much, but definitely every day...I'll have to evaluate that over the next fews weeks.  

Day 120

• 5 miles
• 8:14/mile pace
• 0735
• From/To home
• Becca took Case to school today so I could get this run in, which was very cool.   Started off briskly, but never moved beyond that....feel like perceived effort should result in faster time, but I guess it is probably faster than same perceived effort a few months ago -- wondering when I'll feel like really pushing it, if I don't within the next few months then breaking 3 hours will be in jeapardy, well, may be anyway, but hopefully not.  Nearing 4 months on The Streak.

Day 119

• 8.3 miles
• 7:43/mile pace
• 0550
• From/To Home
• Up tempo going out and ran pretty hard coming back in...still not fast at all, but pleased with the effort.   Long way to go.