Day 178

• 3.08 miles
• Medium pace (didn't wear watch)
• 2130
• From/To home
• Becca gets credit for extending the streak to 178 days -- she woke me up from Case's bed where I had fallen asleep after reading him 3 short books.  I'd have been pretty upset with myself if the streak would've ended so uneventfully.  I am concerned about some very slight cold like symptoms, but that's nothing new to me...I wonder if this streak has made me even more paranoid of illness?   

Day 177

• 3.15 miles
• 7:38/mile pace
• 0600
• From/To home
• Ran a little faster and a little further than I intended, which is pretty dumb.  I set out to just do a streak extender run because I have a grand plan to run off road in Thunderbird Park tomorrow for significant milage, which I've decided is over 5 miles considering the hills I'm planning to run, but I decided after I was a little warmed up I'd just go a little further.   Shouldn't have any affect on tomorrow's run, except that it may allow me to justify running shorter or slower...we'll see.

Day 176

• 5 miles
• 8:17/mile pace
• 0607
• From/To home
• Started out with intention to run very slow and not very far.  I successfully achieved my goal!  Had minor G.I. stress, but not bad enough to require a stop or anything specific.   This run, like nearly all my runs, had an elevation change of less than 10 feet probably...really gotta get into the hills soon...and yes, you will keep seeing me write that until I convince myself to actually do it -- it's a process :).

Day 175

• 7 miles
• 7:25/mile pace
• 0610
• From/To home
• Woke up with a bit of a headache, which worried me, so somehow that made me think that taking the iPod with me was a good idea, even though that invariably makes me run at a faster pace.  Well, I guess it worked because 3 steps into the run I didn't seem to have headache symptoms (read:  head pain) anymore, so the run went pretty well.   Still tight from the aforementioned LMI, but definitely feeling better...GOTTA get into the hills though.   Perhaps this weekend.

Day 174

• 6.33 miles
• 8:11/mile pace
• 0625
• From/To Home
• Seems I'm getting stiffer each day, this run was pretty grueling, just never felt like the wheels wanted to move...thought about how I really should be able to recover from even a difficult effort, such as the LMI, faster than I have and how that means I simply must make a habit of running in Thunderbird Park again -- I actually do enjoy it much more, but it's significantly more difficult than just running out the front door, so, well, I guess we'll see.

Day 173

Monday, March 26, 2012

• 3.14 miles
• 8:03/mile pace
• 0600
• From/To home
• A fairly lazy effort, but much faster than I expected to be able to accomplish considering the stiffness in all parts of my body courtesy of the Laura Matera Invitational death march.

Day 172

Sunday March 25, 2012

• 6.8 miles
• 9:30/mile pace
• 0900
• Dreamy Draw Park to North Mountain Summit
• My first ever Laura Matera Invitational start!!!  I was labeled the pre-race favorite and thought that was pretty cool.  I half expected to blow up and possibly finish dead last, but still, I thought it was pretty cool to think I might finish first...right up to the point that some no shoes wearin centaur decided to make a last minute entry at the behest of the dang Race Director.   From that moment on my hopes were dashed, but hey, at least I got to completely destroy my legs running up and down a zillion rocky hills and think about how mangled the vibram-5-fingers feet up ahead must be.   In all seriousness though, this was a really great event with a cool people percentage (100%) that I don't believe is matched by any other organized race in the continental United States.   It was very well run, very much appreciated by all and even had solid crowd support so into the event that they were calling out our individual names as we ran by (though unfortunately no one got my full name "payson BOBBY" right, deciding to just call me "BOBBY" only as if we were old friends, which I found to be a bit disrespectful actually).     
• The race was significantly more physically taxing than I expected it to be and the final .7 was flat out hard...I wasn't disappointed in my effort at all, but since I was so certain that I'd be able to finish in under an hour JEC and I decided to take another stab at it in a few weeks in an attempt to do just that -- pretty certain that all he needs to achieve the sub-60 minute time is to put on a pair of snazzy running shoes like mine, though bigger for sure, whereas I need to find a pair of kangaroo legs like his...hmmm, seems I at least need to get a few hilly runs in.   I'm thinking the weekend of May 5th-6th, but will have to check with CMB.
• Ms. Race Director Laurawesome, Thank you!!!  The event was very fun and I desparately hope to be invited to next years LMI, which I assume will end at the top of Humphrey's Peak.

Day 171

• 1.7 miles
• Slow
• 1720
• From/To home
• Let the day get away from me and then upon realizing Becca has a wine tasting party tonight I had to wedge in what I could while boys took a bath...perhaps this will serve as tapering for tomorrow's big race!  Maybe that was my plan all along?  Nah, I'm not that smart.
• Separate, unassociated, but noteworthy to me:   Case played his first soccer game today...he took one to the face that rocked him for a while, but went back in eventually and surprising even scored a goal.   Overall he seemed to have fun, though the shot to the cheek was a setback.   (For the record he is 0-1 as the team lost 8-6)

Day 170

• 5.25 miles
• 7:06/mile pace
• 0545
• From/to home
• iPod enhanced, otherwise nothing noteworthy -- boss does now have a prepaid cell phone though so my secretary duties resume in full, but the bright side is that I can at least call him back now so I didn't need to do this run accompanied by my phone.   

Day 169

• 1.7 miles
• Medium pace (whatever that is -- didn't wear a watch)
• 2010
• From/To Home
• My high maintenance boss is in Hong Kong and the SIM card in his cell phone went bad, which should mean that I get a break for a day or so since it would prevent him from being able to call me at all hours of my night etc. -- well, he decided, as he always does, to drag me into his misery, so I spent most of the evening explaining to him how cell service works and what his options were.   This resulted in me carrying my cell phone while running as I knew he would be calling, again.   I decided running just wasn't very relaxing as a result, so I cut the run short as he called at 1.7 miles and I was basically going right by our house at the time -- I guess I should be thankful that he's more of a yammering fool than I am when it comes to diarrhea of the mouth, so I was able to just listen to him while catching my breath before reexplaining to him that purchasing a prepaid phone was his best option to eliminate his inability to make/receive calls and separately how to view his emails over the internet.   Wow, this was a whiny post huh?   I actually don't mind him nor his need for assistance as I regularly obtain more information regarding our business through these exchanges than I normally would, but the running with phone in pocket just wasn't ideal, so perhaps I'll hope the situation calls for just less than that next time.

Day 168

• 2.56 miles
• 7:58/mile pace
• 0648
• From/To Home
• Lacking in motivation today, felt better once I started running, as usual, but by then I didn't have enough time to run further considering the fact that I still lacked motivation to speed up.   Anyway, the only noteworthy difference between this and all the other short runs I have amassed this month is that I passed 2 trash cans that had been either tipped over by natural forces, or by the natural force that is a teenage kid (age assumption there, of course).   I passed them on my "out leg" as I decided that if no one had picked them up by the time I returned then I would do so, which would also allow me to complete my requisite 2k prior to any stoppages.   Well, of course no one had picked them up, so I proceeded to put them upright and pick up all the various items that had escaped the city issued rolling garbage containers -- it was no big deal, of course, but I am pretty sure now whenever passing the homes that produced this particular garbage I will look to see if the inhabitants reflect what was in their garbage, specifically fast food remains (In-n-out burger, Sonic, McDonald's etc.).   Oh, and when dealing with the second turned over can I was assisted in the clean up effort by Erik the neighborhood walker that most seem convinced has some mental illness and may be a serial killer because he is seen pacing the neighborhood streets with the regularity of an assumed pyschopath on the search for human prey.   He was as odd as he usually is, but also adamant that it must have been kids who turned over the garbage...he based this one the proximity of the garbage to the curb from where it would be naturally assumed the containers originated -- he said there was no way the wind could accomplish the same, which led me to believe that he must never have lived in any tornado or hurricane area's, but I didn't get into this with him as he does strike me as too odd to want to get into much discussion with, even if I do not go as far as most in the neighborhood in believing he is surely someone stockpiling bodies in his house.  
• 1-6-8 is a very good string of numbers as far as Mandarin speaking Chinese people are concerned.   It can loosely be considered to mean forever/ongoing (1) good business (6) profitability (8).    

Day 167

• 3.44 miles
• 8:02/mile pace
• 0635
• From/to home
• Just a slowish cruise run, surprised again at the pace as I thought it would've been slower...either I'm getting faster or the distance measuring method I have (gmap-pedometer.com) is flawed, whatever, just glad I was able to get this in before work.  

Day 166

• 6 miles
• 7 min/mile pace
• 2016
• From/To home
• Surprised to see the average speed after this one, I attribute it to the fact that I took Becca's Ipod with me and I alway run faster when I have it, plus I guess I'm a little less stressed than yesterday since my presentation went very well in Baltimore and I'm now home :).  

Day 165

• 3 miles
• 7:50/mile pace
• 2258
• Treadmill Holiday Inn Express, Baltimore, MD
• Hardest run in quite a while, guess the day just wore on me even though I didn't do much other than sit on various airplanes and deal with delays etc. -- well, I guess I did a significant amount of worrying about the presentation I was working on, but hard to think that's anyone elses fault :).   Anyway, as I was lost (f'n google maps) driving around looking for the hotel I seriously thought that to continue the streak I may have to stop, put on running shoes, run for 1.2 miles, then resume my vulture method of finding the hotel, but then I found it so I really had an hour to spare to get the run in.  The streak goes on...

Day 164

• 2.29 miles
• Slow
• 1115
• From/To Utopia park the home
• Satisfied the 2k minimum streak extender running 1.46 to the park, then played for an hourish, then home from there.   I've stated before that the wind is an issue when pushing the boys in the Burley stroller...this fact was especially evident today as it was/is a windy day.   Odd note for today, all three Wein boys changed cloths multiple times, but always managed to wear something green in honor of the Americanised St. Patrick's day traditions...for my run I wore a shirt that I've owned for over 20 years, perhaps I should blog about shirt streaks I have, what would you think about that Laura?  :)

Day 163

• 3.08 miles
• 8:02/mile pace
• 0625
• From/To home
• Calves feeling tight this week, not painful, just tight...kept thinking it was a hydration issue, but not sure about that anymore, strange. 

Day 162

• 4.23 miles
• 7:55/mile pace
• 1917
• From Case's soccer practice at CCV to Home
• Ran home from Case's first soccer practice.   He did well, but he was the only kid on the team to cry during practice, which he did 3 times.   Becca said he was just really tired, but I am pretty sure some of it had to do with my not preparing him properly for the experience...need to play with him more to just play than to win -- crazy how simple that sounds but didn't occur to me until seeing him want to always win when playing with other kids.   Interesting also that he had a tough time with it since I don't let him win all the time myself.   Anyway, he said he had fun at practice, so if we can get him to understand how to accept things that don't go exactly as he wishes then, well, everything will be better, starting with soccer I guess.

Day 161

• 3.93 miles
• 8:03/mile pace
• 0635
• From/To Home
• Slow cruise run, felt tightness in calves that leads me to believe I was/am dehydrated, but wasn't bad so the run went well enough.  Definitely would've run another .07 if I'd have been wearing the Garmin, but then, I'd have probably run faster if I'd have worn it as well, so whatever.  Finn slept past 5am for the first time in a while, so joyous morning in the Wein household.  

Day 160

• 4.47 miles
• 7:26/mile pace
• 1945
• From/To Home
• Felt pretty good, but then the evening runs usually do I guess...didn't push, so again happy with the pace considering that fact.  Shrimp and french fries prior to the run did not have the negative affect I feared, which is nice.

Day 159

• 6.35 miles
• 7:15/mile pace
• 1932
• From/To Home
• Felt relaxed today, didn't push until slightly increasing force on each stride during last mile...feel good about the average pace considering.  Tomorrow I get to day 160, which would've had no meaning to me except that my only faithful reader thought I was at 160 two days ago, which mentally made me a) have to get to 160 and b) feel, strangely enough, that I should've been there sooner.   Finn turned 6 months old today.

Day 158

• 6.11 miles
• 8:20/mile
• 1930
• From/To home
• Got the boys to sleep and since our guest was going to sleep as well Becca and I decided we'd go for a run together to take full advantage of having another adult in the house.   This was Bec's first run since her marathon and she's had some pain in her foot (not sure which one), but she said it wasn't too bad on this run, which is nice.   Found out about my next race today, March 25, The Laura and Craig Invitational, can't wait, probably ought to increase mileage between now and then to prepare for the 7 miler, but we'll see. 

Day 157

• 2.78 miles
• Medium
• 1430
• From/to home
• Pushed boys in Burley stroller to the park, 1.2 miles from home and then after an hour+ of park time we returned home a longer way, though not long...thankfully first segment was long enough to satisfy my 2k everyday goal as Case insisted upon stopping to pick up pinecombs on the return home leg.   Anyway, glad to get it in, even though I had the greatest plan to accomplish later if needed (JEC, aka CMB).   Little dudes are getting heavy.

Day 156

• 5.14 miles
• 7:13/mile pace
• 0707
• From/To home
• Felt harder than it should have, a bit congested probably due to recent sleep pattern irregularity -- actually spit on myself twice???   Anyway, felt like pushing just a little today so I did...still lost focus and slowed down through middle of run etc., but whatever.   Headed towards 6 months now...

Day 155

• 2.07 miles
• 8 mins/mile
• 0630
• From/To Home
• Felt fine, would've run more if I wasn't so jacked up about potential emails -- work is stressful these days, but whatever, I still like it I guess.   Still dealing with fear of potential sore throat...yeah, I'm retarded.

Day 154

• 5 miles
• 7:55/mile pace
• 0730
• From/To Home
• Pretty easy cruise run, somewhat surprised that I can cruise at sub 8 minute miles as I had serious doubts as recently as 1 month ago.  (Feel better than I did last night, now thinking my feared illness may have been mostly dehydration as I was too stressed at work yesterday to remember to drink anything at all -- will have to monitor though as I still have white things in the back of my mouth...I hate those things)

Day 153

• 1.7 miles
• 8:08/mile pace
• 1910
• From/To home
• Just an easy jog around the block, tired from the travel and work stress, whatever, hope to run a bit longer tomorrow morning, pending that I feel better.

Day 152

• 2.58 miles
• Cruise speed, whatever that is
• 2230
• From/To Home
• Was alone with Case until sitter arrived, then off to catch plane to LA, returned to PHX at 10, home by 10:30, quick run that may have been longer and or more inspired had I remembered to eat dinner.  ???

Day 151

• 4.03 miles
• 8:27/mile pace
• 1115
• Arrowhead CC
• Another treadmill run, this one short on time due to child care only being offered until noon.   Tried to really simulate some climbing today, so increased .5% incline every .25 of a mile, while maintaining the same speed throughout.   End result was a feeling of having done a pretty hard effort and believing I maximized my 30+ minutes -- treadmill gave me credit for climbing 910 feet, for whatever that's worth.

Day 150

• 5 miles
• 8:24/mile pace
• 0950
• Arrowhead CC
• Treadmill run with increasing incline as I continually felt the affects of the realization that a treadmill run is not exactly a run.   Anyway, decent effort, substituted speed for what I felt would require a power stride. 

Day 149

• 3.48 miles
• 7:20/mile pace
• 0510
• From/To Home
• Strange right hip tightness/discomfort that I'm blaming on the guy that bent my ear for the entire CLT/PHX flight last night as I felt I had to angle my body towards him or he would be insulted...nice guy though and may give the company I work for some business, but whatever, not worth it if the discomfort lasts more than just another few hours.   Felt pretty good running, didn't push, but wasn't totally lazy about it either, pace was good.   Becca and Finn are on their way to Mobile/New Orleans for her marathon on Sunday, which is very cool, but also means I have to figure out some way to get my runs in for the next three days....options are:   Treadmill at the club, pending that I show up when day care is available.   Ask Laura to hang with Case while I go for a run, ideally with Craig.   Ask Catie to watch her two girls and Case while Chad and I go for a run.   Convince Case that he wants to sit in the jogging stroller for a while.   Each may require bribery, but I'm in no way opposed to that.

Day 148

• 5 miles
• 7:44/mile
• 0630
• Miami, FL
• Treadmill run at Doral Intercontinental hotel, felt good actually, just cruised, but happy that a cruise could be sub 8 minute miles...well, except that I can never know if treadmills are calibrated correctly, but mentally it was good for me.