October recap and November preview

October Training Recap and November Preview

This was the month I was supposed to really break through in my training. And I did. For about two weeks. Then the running slowed to nothing, I rarely lifted weights and nothing got done to push me closer to my goal.

By the end of the month, I was over my original starting weight for the month and severely undertrained.

I’m hopeful I can learn from the mistakes of October. I don’t know. Looking back at my analyses of the previous 10 months of 2012, here is how it breaks down: 7 Failure months and only 3 successes. It should be noted that only one of the successes was an outright success. The other two were successes only because they weren’t exactly failures.

November is my make-or-break month. If I don’t buckle down and get my miles in, get my weight under control and get to working out, on December 1 I’ll be asking for a refund for my March race. It’s that simple.

I’ve lost too many days and weeks this year to have had a successful year of running. Ten months ago I was on my way to reaching my goal of 1,200 miles. Two months ago, I was barely on pace to make a go at 1,000 miles. Now, if I’m really diligent and don’t have any setbacks I might make 900 miles.

I don’t mean for this to sound so doom and gloom. It’s just the way it is. I’m trying to fight back. I just have to hope it’s not too little too late.

2012 Resolutions

I’ve been mostly quiet about my goals this year. Here on the blog, I’ve been just quiet in general. I’m trying to find more time to blog. Hopefully this will be my best attempt.

This year I’ve set out a number of goals that I didn’t accomplish last year. In fact, I accomplished 0 of my goals. 2011 was a failure as a runner, husband, father and person.

With that in mind, here are just some of my goals for 2012.

Running:

1,400 miles – I started 2012 with a slow January, but February is shaping up to put me back on target. As of today, I’m right on track to make this record.

Sub 2:00 half marathon – A long shot right now, but a solid goal. I’m slowly getting speed back, but I want to break 2 hours.

Sub 4:30 in marathon – This is going to be one of the tougher goals. I’ve got a marathon attempt in April and another probably over the summer. A sub 10 min mile sustained for that distance is not in the cards right now, but I really want this one.

Sub 5:30 50K – That’s a sub 10:30 pace. My previous best is 5:42, about an 11 minute pace. If I get some speed in the coming months, this one is possible. I’ll probably make a go of it in the summer, probably an early morning attempt.

Sub 8 minute mile – Nothing too exciting here, but it would be fun to see what I could do.

Other fitness goals:

100 push-ups – I want to complete the 100 push-up challenge this year.

50 bodyweight squats – We’ll see.

These aren’t my only goals, for sure. But it’s a good start. There’s plenty more on the personal and spiritual side.

I’ll update these as the year progresses.

As I mentioned, my running is back to where it should be, at least in regards to mileage. I’m averaging about 30 miles a week, four to five days a week of running. I’d like to be pushing 40 miles a week by April.

Saturday I ran 16 miles, the most for me since last June. It was a good run, and I had some speed for the first half, averaging sub 10 minute miles. I realize that’s not exactly “speed” but for my long runs, I’ll take it. And it is getting better.

The run left me pretty sore, so I’m debating another 16 or doing 20 this Saturday. It’ll depend on how the week plays out.

For now I’m hoping to keep piling on the miles as I prep for a March 18 half marathon PR attempt and an April marathon PR test.

2012 Resolutions

I’ve been mostly quiet about my goals this year. Here on the blog, I’ve been just quiet in general. I’m trying to find more time to blog. Hopefully this will be my best attempt.

This year I’ve set out a number of goals that I didn’t accomplish last year. In fact, I accomplished 0 of my goals. 2011 was a failure as a runner, husband, father and person.

With that in mind, here are just some of my goals for 2012.

Running:

1,400 miles – I started 2012 with a slow January, but February is shaping up to put me back on target. As of today, I’m right on track to make this record.

Sub 2:00 half marathon – A long shot right now, but a solid goal. I’m slowly getting speed back, but I want to break 2 hours.

Sub 4:30 in marathon – This is going to be one of the tougher goals. I’ve got a marathon attempt in April and another probably over the summer. A sub 10 min mile sustained for that distance is not in the cards right now, but I really want this one.

Sub 5:30 50K – That’s a sub 10:30 pace. My previous best is 5:42, about an 11 minute pace. If I get some speed in the coming months, this one is possible. I’ll probably make a go of it in the summer, probably an early morning attempt.

Sub 8 minute mile – Nothing too exciting here, but it would be fun to see what I could do.

Other fitness goals:

100 push-ups – I want to complete the 100 push-up challenge this year.

50 bodyweight squats – We’ll see.

These aren’t my only goals, for sure. But it’s a good start. There’s plenty more on the personal and spiritual side.

I’ll update these as the year progresses.

As I mentioned, my running is back to where it should be, at least in regards to mileage. I’m averaging about 30 miles a week, four to five days a week of running. I’d like to be pushing 40 miles a week by April.

Saturday I ran 16 miles, the most for me since last June. It was a good run, and I had some speed for the first half, averaging sub 10 minute miles. I realize that’s not exactly “speed” but for my long runs, I’ll take it. And it is getting better.

The run left me pretty sore, so I’m debating another 16 or doing 20 this Saturday. It’ll depend on how the week plays out.

For now I’m hoping to keep piling on the miles as I prep for a March 18 half marathon PR attempt and an April marathon PR test.

I’ve Moved!

I’ve moved my blog to http://fitnessgeek.theschulmans.org/. Please update your blog rolls accordingly!

Lil Geek #1

You are so small, yet your impact on us has already been bigger than we could have imagined. I think of you often, imagine you yawning, stretching and doing your best to grow and grow and grow.

I worry too. That I won’t be able to give you everything and I hope you’ll forgive me in any ways that I fail you.

But these are not your concerns now. Yours is to grow and be healthy. My concerns are innumerable. I love you so much, yet we have not met. Although I have seen you. Your little heart beating so fast. That is nothing to how fast mine beats just thinking of you.

I have so much I want to show you, to teach you and to do with you. I can’t wait. Just eight months give or take and you’ll be here. I’m hoping these weekly notes will one day show you just what you meant to us. I doubt it though. There is no word in any language that defines our love for you.

Until then know that our hearts are yours and you are our everything.

Movin’ On Up

It’s been a fun few days. This morning I met some fellow runners at Kennesaw Mountain for an early run. They run a running store in Ohio and were visiting friends in town so we managed to get together and do about 9 miles. It was cool especially since I haven’t run with someone else in probably a year or more.

Maybe I’m anti-social? Or maybe I just don’t shower enough? They didn’t say they detected any unsavory odors, so maybe I just don’t have enough friends crazy enough to go running.

The nine miles was a good warmup for tomorrow’s 16 miler in the morning. I’ve got four long runs before the marathon. I’m feeling confident and If I can get in some quality runs during the week I’ll be ready to go.

News! News! News!
On Sundays I’ll be writing exclusively to Lil’ Geek. I’d like to give something for the little ‘un to read years down the line and see what was going through my head as the pregnancy progressed. This means my long run reports will move to Monday.

Finally, I’m moving. To the east side. Movin’ on up. After Monday I’ll be found at http://fitnessgeek.theschulmans.org. Please update your links accordingly. I’m hoping to update the look of the site, and Mrs. Fitness Geek has convinced me this is the way to go. Hopefully it’ll be a better blog in a few months. Any suggestions are welcome. Monetary donations are more welcome.

Back tomorrow with the first message to Lil’ Geek. Hope you’re having a great weekend.

TIART – Why I Blog

I never thought I’d be blogging. Of course, a year ago I never thought I’d be running either, so there ya go. I started blogging as motivation, but also to chronicle this journey.

But more importantly, I started blogging and reading blogs because if you’re not a runner, you don’t understand. You don’t understand the need to talk about shoes, getting up at 5 am or doing a long run on a weekend.

So I started reading other blogs and began my own. I don’t read as many as I should for sheer lack of time. But I read as many as I can. I have few friends who run outside of bloggers, so this is my way to get my fix when I’m not on the road. I’m addicted to race reports. I love reading about other runners and their trials and difficulties on long runs and then the triumph on the big day. It’s good motivation.

Annnnnnnnnd over to Lost. What an episode last night. The geek in me laughed at the episode’s title, “Some like it Hoth.” And how great is Hurley?

I’ll be going for a run after work today. I’m still battling a sore throat and sinus funk, but hopefully that’ll clear up soon.

The Plague

It’s been a few days and the House of Geek is full of the funk. Coughing, hacking, keeping up at night, plague.

That’s the bad news.

The good news is I ran Pine Mountain yesterday, both the west and east loops. It’s 4.56 miles total with about 900 feet of elevation up each side. I summitted twice, once from each loop. The total time was about 85 minutes. That sounds like a lot, but that’s climbing the mountain twice and descending twice.

Overall, I felt good after the first summit. I stupidly tried to run the whole way up the first time and made it halfway before my body said, “Hey, idiot. Walk some.” So I ran the flats and walked the uphills. I made good time and now have an idea of how I’ll do the next time.
As for the marathon training, in general, I’m doing so-so. It’s Passover so my energy levels are a bit low thanks to no wheat and grain products and no bean or legumes. My 10 miles on Saturday was brutal. I could feel my body telling me that I was tired.

Yesterday’s mountain run went as well as could be expected I think. I had enough energy for the run, and I’m looking forward to some interesting runs this weekend. On Saturday I’m meeting up with a couple of runners at Kennesaw Mountain and on Sunday I’ll go for a 16 miler.

I think I’m getting pretty ready for the marathon. I know it’s a hilly course since it’s a trail run along the side of a mountain. But I’ve been training hard with hills and I think I’ll be set.

I’ve got my hydration and fueling down pretty well, although with the weather starting to heat up, I’ll probably have to adjust it a bit.

As for Mrs. Fitness Geek, she’s hoping to get through the funk. Poor Lil Geek was all shook up last night during mom’s coughing fits. Hopefully the little one will finally got some sleep this morning.

Lost tonight! Woohoo!

Friday I’m in love

I could write a thousand words here. A hundred thousand. And it wouldn’t be enough to describe the love I felt this morning seeing our baby’s heartbeat for the first time. I could tell you how happy I was or that I felt my soul warm. But that wouldn’t explain it. Instead, a photo:

I know, I know. It’s a smudge. But it’s our smudge. And we love it. So much.

TIART – Running Technology Tips

I’ve missed a few Take It And Run Thursdays you know, with Mrs. Fitness Geek being pregnant and all. This week’s theme is a goody: Running Technology Tips. Here we goooooooo…

1. If it looks like it might rain, go low-tech – Can’t stress this enough. Nothing sucks more than losing a cell phone to Mother Nature.

2. If you’re going to run with a cell phone, use a cheap backup – ATT Go Phones are great because you can just drop your SIM card in the back and have a cheap phone that works normally. Go Phones are as low as $18. 

3. Headlamps are great – I love mine. It makes me feel alone in the early mornings, like nothing in the world exists outside of the halo stretching just in front of my feet.

4. Podcasts make me happy – I’m big into podiobooks right now as my music’s gotten a bit stale. I go through stages like this and find podcasts and podiobooks help ease the time on those long runs.

5. No technology is good technology – Sometimes I don’t take any techie bits with me outside of my cell phone. No watch, iPod or other gadgetry. It’s running at the most basic level.

Elsewhere, I don’t want to talk about the Braves. Well, not a lot. They blew it last night but managed to win two of three. I can’t complain. We’re back at the doctor tomorrow morning for an ultrasound. Hopefully we’ll be seeing Lil’ Geek’s heartbeat. Fingers crossed…