Day 358

• 2.39 miles
• 8:11/mile pace
• 0520
• From/To Home
• Finn has been having trouble sleeping, which at least allows Bec and I to both run in the morning...

Day 357

• 6.48 miles
• 7:24/mile pace
• 1939
• From/To Home
• Felt good and ran by one of IronChad's houses...it wasn't on fire or anything, so I guess that fact isn't so exciting.  Anyway, this was my first run in my new $39 pair of New Balance running shoes...I like them...and not just because they look just like Case's shoes, which is exactly why I chose them.  

Day 356

• 6.78 miles
• 7:31/mile pace
• 0630
• From/To Home
• Pretty poor route choice as I made 2 rectangles around the 'hood, which resulted in longer than usual mileage running straight east as the sun was coming up...anyway, felt OK today I guess, but still just miffed at how slow I am now.  Maybe what I need is some good hiking and camping this weekend to get me back into it?   Running that is, I've never really been into camping, although I think it is fun, just haven't done much of it at all.

Day 355

• 2.28 miles
• Medium
• 1915
• From/To Home
• Streak extender -- didn't feel like going any further as I wanted to get back to put kids to bed and watch more of the addictive, though completely non-sensical show Becca has me semi-hooked on #&@$% *#@.
• Unassociated:   Played baseball with Case before work and hit range balls with him after work...I like that he's getting older.

Day 354

• 5 miles
• 8:20/mile pace
• 0600
• From/To Home
• Slow run around the block...almost zero people out, which was strange as I wasn't up especially early.   Need new shoes, amazing that I couldn't or didn't get to it this past weekend....

Day 353

• 2.4 miles
• 8:06/mile pace
• 2015
• From/To Home
• Very nice to be able to run at night now, except that by 8pm on a Saturday I'm pretty much ready for bed, so this was somewhat uninspired.   Becca's been watching this show called "Pretty Little Liar's," which is a teenage angst mystery of sorts -- right before going on this run I watched the Halloween episode, which of course weirded me out a little bit because I absolutely hate being scared and or startled, so I saw the neighborhood in a completely different way on this run, convincing me that Becca is never allowed to go out for a non-sunlit run ever again...just too many places for people to jump out from behind. 

Day 352

• 4 miles
• 8:08/mile pace
• 1745
• From/To Home
• Family run, me pushing the boys...definitely getting cooler, though today was hot the evenings are cooling off.  

Day 351

• 1.82 miles
• Slow
• 0600
• From/To Home
• Pushing Case on a wild and bumpy ride -- I thought I was going to get a break today since Case initially stated he didn't want a rough ride because he was playing with his toys, but that lasted about 2 tenths of a mile, then we had to do some serious off road traveling to satisfy him.   You wouldn't think from initial look at Case's 'hood that it had any off road possibilities, but when you decide that entertaining your son is more important than the neighbors landscaping, opportunities abound.

Day 350

• 6.34 miles
• 7:40/mile pace
• 0510
• From/To Home
• Negative split by 3 minutes, helped significantly by the fact that Master of Puppets started playing on my iShuffle music player and I decided to run hard for the whole freak 8+ minute song.   I really though my average speed would've been much faster, but it wasn't...I felt fine, just not fast I guess.   Anyway, did some push ups after stretching, which led to Case riding on my back for a while, so now I'm worn out.  
• Becca ran 6+ miles after me this morning...I think together we will log many miles in the coming months, well, as long as I get back on the train at some point.

Day 349

• 3.94 miles
• 7:53/mile pace
• 0635
• To/From Home
• Had plenty of time to get in the longer run I had planned (not that I'm following a plan, I'm not), but then I started working and well, when I only had roughly 30 minutes left above is all I ended up getting in -- had I wanted to run faster I suppose I could've increased the milage some anyway...problem is that once I've compromised from my original intention I seem to mail it in, which could also explain some of the lethargy of the past 2 months.
• Need new shoes, based on milage and how my legs feel, may buy some tonight, we'll see.

Day 348

• 5.02 miles
• 7:17/mile pace
• 0630
• From/To Home
• Becca ran 8 this morning, four of which were mile repeats at like 6:40/mile, which is quite strong considering...well, yeah, she hasn't run any mile repeats in years, but I don't really need to explain why that is quite strong, it just is.   Anyway, that made me feel like I couldn't just run 8:50 miles like I wanted to, so I grabbed my iShuffle thing and decided I'd run easy for a song, then hard for a song etc.  It was more enjoyable than recent efforts, so I might make a habit of this.   What I need to make a habit of is following a schedule, I have all but given up on the schedule I was trying to follow before because, well, I think I just wasn't ready for it and as a result it buried me...perhaps more mentally than physically, but felt 6 feet under regardless.   I haven't given up on the early December marathon, though I have little hope of making my sub-3 hour goal...I still want to do it even if only to hang with those that are going (The Rosenlof's and Elliot).  

Day 347

• 2.25 miles
• Slow
• 1910
• From/To Home
• Pushing Case and we really did a lot of off-road bumpy adventure stuff....I actually wore the watch, but forgot to start it, I'm a genius.  

Day 346

• 6.5 miles
• 8:18/mile pace
• 0900
• From/To home
• It has definitely starting to cool down, which is very welcomed, though I think I dislike running in lots of cloths more than wearing very few items of clothing and still being hot...but we're not to the cold temps yet, so...anyway, this was just a very slow effort.   This is now a long run for me, man, I seriously suck.

Day 345

• 1.35 miles
• Fastish
• 0935
• From/To Arrowhead CC
• Decided to join Becca for the "Power Hour" class that she does at the gym -- I ran fast so I could turn around and go back to run a bit more with Becca because I feared the warm up run wouldn't be 1.2 miles long...well, it was, which was good because Becca didn't cooperate.   She ran fast too, so I couldn't look cool running back to her.   She's a real jerk.  
• The power hour class destroyed me....I am not in good overall shape at all, this could be the reason for my horrible collapse, I think I should do something about it, but, yeah, I'd have to do something like that again...hmmm....

Day 344

• 1.7 miles
• Slow
• 1810
• From/To Home
• Pushing Case and Finn again, it was fun and Becca enjoys it more than I do -- by-the-way, she's starting to get more serious about running again...could be the straw that finally breaks my back on this streak as it is much easier to do when she does everything around the house and with the kids etc.   Yeah, that's just an excuse, but well...the last 2 months have been mentally taxing, for this slow guy anyway.

Day 343

• 6.56 miles
• 7:38/mile pace
• 0630
• From/To Home
• Felt harder than the numbers may lead you to believe.
• When my summary comment is like that one it means it's been too long between run and posting comments...

Day 342

• 1.82 miles
• Slow
• 0645
• From/To Home
• Difficult, but enjoyed, trip around the 'hood with Finn and Case -- Case gets me to go off road as often as possible, for his entertainment, which makes the effort significantly harder, but more fun too.   Thankfully the Burley stroller can handle it pretty well...but yeah, I wish I had a "Bob."  

Day 341

• 5.75 miles
• 7:08/mile pace
• 0621
• Mt. Pleasant, SC
• Felt like picking up the pace today, first time I have felt like doing so since perhaps June.  Held off running hard until the last .2 for fear that I would make the run miserable by hitting the wall -- I blame overall out-of-shapeness and reading this before running this morning:  http://elliotkawaoka.com/2012/09/10/vegas-70-3-worlds-2012-refusing-to-fold/ for giving me that fear.  
• Hip felt fine today, it is very strange that it comes and goes, but at least it goes sometimes.
• It is 9/11.

Day 340

• 2.5 miles
• 8:25/mile pace
• 0619
• Mt. Pleasant, SC
• Streak extender -- trying to shorten and slow down my streak extender runs so as to enable them to be more full recoveries....realize that saying this after nearly a month of short slow runs is a bit funny, but that's my thought process anyway.
• Saw my cousin Kathryn out on the street during my run...which would be really amazing, except that I'm staying in her house, so it wasn't that amazing.

Day 339

• 7.28 miles
• 7:34/mile pace
• 1640
• Mt. Pleasant, SC
• 0530 flight this morning meant that I would run in the afternoon, thankfully it was a very very nice day in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina -- not hot and overcast too.   Felt good, but didn't have enough time to get in a long run before scheduled dinner, but also didn't want to push the speed either, so this was the end result.   Still felt good.
• Right hip felt better, though not perfect...think I'm babying it.

Day 338

• 4 miles
• 8:20/mile pace
• 0930
• Arrowhead CC
• Treadmill run enabling me to watch my Auburn Tigers prove just how completely miserable our season will be this year.  My hip didn't feel good, so I decided not to push the speed, instead I increased the incline each half mile, which seemed to feel fine.   End stats, per the treadmill, 575 feet climbed, 600+ calories burned, 4 miles, 8:20/mile pace...whatever.  
• I think I'm due for new shoes again, though I don't feel as though I've earned them at all...perhaps they'll help the hip issue?

Day 337

• 2 miles
• 8:30/mile pace
• 0607
• Redondo Beach, CA
• Short slow run that was a little less comfortable than such a short and slow run should be, but it is done...also did a few push ups, which I will need to make a habit of it I want to consider a push up streak starting on my 40th birthday -- yes, I am still of the belief that I probably was overtrained when I was so miserable a few weeks back and very possibly still recovering from the same, so, yeah, I know starting another streak is an absurd concept, but if I weren't prone to absurdity, would you be reading this blog? 

Day 336

• 7.35 miles
• 8:41/mile pace
• 0555
• From/To Home
• Ran to, through and around Thunderbird park, then returned home....the hills had a big affect on me and my average pace, but I'm trying to convince myself that doing 7 miles for the first time in what seems like months is a step in the right direction.  

Day 335

• 4.53 miles
• 7:04/mile pace
• 1802
• Arrowhead CC
• Treadmill run as a result of my lack of motivation when waking at 5am -- the treadmill run actually felt better than any run has for a while, so that's positive, though hard to know if it is impressive as it was a treadmill run afterall.  We'll see how this whole thing plays out, but I do feel like motivation is returning, which I take to mean that I'm healthy again.

Day 334

• 5.02 miles
• 7:43/mile pace
• 0630
• From/To home
• Longest run in weeks....not sure anyone would believe that I am doing marathon training, not sure if I even believe it, but I am, though I feel I need to restart now.   I mean like building mileage back up slowly etc.   Not sure how I'm going to accomplish my goal, but perhaps I'll start feeling much better on runs soon...I do think I finally shook the virus I had...now to get the hip feeling better and stop getting hemoroid flare-ups.

Day 333

• 1.75 miles
• Fastish
• 2120
• From/To home
• All I could muster after a half day on the beach and then a drive home...man am I weak or what?   Hip felt better, but then, I didn't even run 2 miles, so hard to get too excited.

Day 332

• 3 miles
• Medium
• 2135
• Manhattan Beach, CA
• Ran the old route, from my uncle's house, where I lived for 2 years, down the strand to the MHB pier and back...pretty sure I measured it at 3 miles once...in 1997.   I used to do the run in the sand on the beach, between the volleyball courts so as to always be in the deepest sand....I was absolutely wrecked after another full day at Disneyland, so I wussed out and stayed on the paved strand.   It was also past my bedtime and my hip was bothering me...as it has been for weeks, but I've been trying not to say anything in hopes that silence would help it just go away...

Day 331

• 4.14 miles
• 7:34/mile pace
• 2045
• Anahiem, CA
• Wasn't real motivated to do this run having walked all over Disneyland all day, but once I got out on the streets it was a bit easier than expected because the weather was typical LA evening cool and I was running around the perimeter of the parks, which was pretty cool.   Disney really is awesome.

Day 330

• 3.2 miles
• 7:42/mile pace
• 0645
• From/To home
• No motivation, really struggling.

Day 329

• 1.2 miles
• Slow
• 2010
• From/To Home
• Minimum streak extender.