First post-program run
5k. 
3.1 miles.
“That was a long motherflippin’ run Roy!”
There’s the tired you get from sleep deprivation, and then there’s the tired you get from working a long day. What I’m feeling right now is completely different. If you’re reading this on Wednesday morning then I guess I didn’t pass out before I published it, but I probably didn’t last much longer than that.
For a moment I wanted to be disappointed when I looked at those stats, but I re-framed my thinking. Sure, I completed the distance in twice the target time, but that’s not what’s important. The thing to focus on is the fact that my fat ass not only ran more than 3 miles, but also for a solid hour.
I kept my pace easy enough to stay “un-winded” for the most part, so I can knock some quick time off by pushing a little harder. I’ve got some work to do, but it’s gonna be cake … delicious delicious cake … mmm …
I did have three other things I was juggling today and had intended to finish them up after my run, but I’m gonna Nope right outta those responsibilities and read a book until my coma sets in. I think I’ve earned a little procrastination.
Like this:
Done and Done.
Some people might start off a post like this by saying something like, “Words can not describe … blah blah blah … random puffed up bullshit.” Well F a bunch of that!
Words can all kinds of describe how I feel right now. Two of them, in fact — “fucking fantastic.”
I might not be busting out 10-minute miles yet, but after nine weeks (14 if you count my first attempt) I have every reason to celebrate. I didn’t finish with my best time of the program either. That honor went to W9D1. But I did push the hell out of myself.
Way back in June when I tackled Day 1 for the first time I had two thoughts in my head: 1) “There’s now way I can finish this” (and I was only referring to that day), and 2) “This is how I’m going to die.” Thankfully I was wrong on both counts.
Almost not being able to run (slowly) for 60 seconds was extremely humbling, and that has stayed with me through this whole thing. I can’t run 5k in a half hour (yet), but I can run for a solid 30 minutes (probably longer). That’s a long way from my embarrassing performance on Day 1.
I think I’m going to program a new workout based on miles. If I set 3 intervals of one mile each, I can just run until they’re finished and check the time afterward. I want to think that it will be easier to get faster if I focus on distance rather than time.
Moving on to the music paragraph of the post, Girl Talk’s “All Day” was my playlist on Day 1, so it seemed only fitting to use it again on the final day. And again, if you haven’t downloaded it yet, stop hating yourself and do it.
There’s a great post on the Onnit Labs site (great supplements by the way) about being “fit enough to survive.” None of us like to think about how soft we’ve become as a species, but we have. One of the requirements mentions running a mile in terrain in under eight minutes. I learned the difference between running on flat ground versus hills back in September. Chances are, none us us will have to run down a deer tomorrow in order to eat, but keeping in mind how brutal things used to be can be helpful when you need a little motivation … at least for me … maybe you’re different.
So I’d like to encourage everyone out there to work toward your goals. Some days will be harder than others — physically harder, harder to get motivated, harder to just get started. But if you just keep going, it will get easier.
And if you’re a bit too much like me and need some extra motivation to silence the whiner/complainer in the back of your mind that begs you to stop when you’re working hard and tries his damnedest to get you you put things off until tomorrow, show him this picture … every morning.
Best Thing I’ve Seen This Week 032412
It’s been a slow week, or rather I’ve been busy. (Well … I guess “busy” can include getting reaquainted with my Nord character in Skyrim.)
I may not have spent as much time around the interwebs this week, but i did come across a mini-fridge mod that I’d make myself if It didn’t require me to find a mini Marshall stack and then cut it in half.
That mod is cool enough in my book to take this week’s top honor, (and it almost did) but I took a stroll through the local music store today.
They’ve been keeping show posters from the front window for a while now and have been slowing hanging some of them around the store. I was taking a look at an AC15 when I noticed something on the wall behind it.
The best thing I’ve seen this week is a poster I made for a show from a couple of years ago. It’s nice to see some of your own work pop up out in the real world (even if you did super-jack the main image from an old album cover.
Like this:
Just one more left: Darkest before the dawn
Today was rough.
I fixed the intervals in my workout, and I was set to make use of that fact to cut my time some more. It could have been my excessive slothfulness yesterday, but it think foolish pride is a more likely culprit.
I was moving briskly even in my warmup, and I overestimated how fast Monday’s pace was. I should have realized I needed to slow down when the first hill was trying to murder me. I was on a time high and trying to push through, so rather than slow down, my dumb ass made a second costly mistake. For the first time in almost nine weeks, I hit the pause button.
After pushing way to hard to get up the hill, I was convinced that I was so tired because it was Tuesday — my rest day. At that point I’d stopped all momentum to check the calendar and had to restart once I realize I was wrong. I was only four minutes into the run, and my mistakes caused me (and my time) to suffer the shame of the old-man-shuffle for most of the run’s remainder.
Around halfway I had my first bargaining session in a while. My legs were begging to stop, but I eventually decided I would feel worse if I cut my route short and let determination set in. It wasn’t until the last quarter of the run that I caught my stride (and my breath) again. I was able to finish “strong” (used loosely), but I didn’t have any reserve to add during my last minute.
On the bright side, the rain gave itself a short break this morning that was just long enough to keep me dry (other than sweat) during the run. The storm was so strong yesterday, that my laziness was in overdrive. I didn’t even workout, but I did say hello to a friend I haven’t played with in a while. And my Xbox was happy to see me again too.
I played Skyrim, and I’d call it a waste of time if I didn’t learn something that applies to this morning’s run. When you’re picking a lock, I’ve always assumed that you only gain XP if you successfully pick the lock. Yesterday I noticed that even if I broke a pick, My XP meter would get a slight bump. It’s the same point I (and many others) have made before. If you do something, you get better. In other words, Just Keep Going.
I’ve got one more run in this program. I’m going to rest up, start smart and finish strong. I’ll worry about times after that. It’s hard to believe that I’m able to perform even at the level I did today, but I’ll save those thoughts until next time.
This is the song that was on when I caught my second wind.
Like this:
Gonna be a good week
Man, seeing those numbers drop off that average time sure feels good. If only hadn’t screwed up when I programed this week’s workouts.
I wasn’t aware of it until my second interval was announced — 14.1 miles. WTF?
I’m running straight through the whole way, but I’ve been setting up the intervals to mark the halfway and 1-minute-left points. I forgot to switch over to time from distance when I was creating the second one (and possible the third. I didn’t wait to find out).
After the announcement I put my mild disappointment aside and pushed on. I’d been making great time and wasn’t feeling all that tired either. I knew I was faster, but didn’t realize just how fast until the halfway announcement came way after my usual landmark. Since I was making such good time I just kept pushing until I was past the point where last week’s runs would end. A quick look at the phone told me I still had just under 4 minutes left. I was beginning to slow down, but I kept going, taking a glance at my timer every 20 yards or so. I had about 20 seconds left when I topped my last hill, so I literally ran out the clock, and then let the timer run another five minutes for my cooldown.
I might have been able to get my average down to 15:40 or add another tenth of a mile if I’d have programmed the workout correctly and not had to share focus with the clock for the second half of the run. No complaints though. I felt great this morning. Still do.
Enjoy one of my favorite songs.
Like this:
Best Thing I’ve Seen This Week 031712
It’s Saint Patrick’s Day, and it’s my 100th post — so go out and get real drunk.
The first contender this week was a trailer for a documentary that may or may not be out yet (I haven’t found it). “King of one String” tells the story of Jamaican Living legend Brushy One String. It’s probably only a download away, so it’s gonna get watched up soon.
This next this clip caught my eye while on Reddit. All I’ve been able to find out about it is that these folks are from Japan and are called “Wrecking Orchestra.” It’s not the best thing I’ve seen this week, but it’s definitely the best use of EL wire.
The winner of the top spot this week goes to some footage I came across of 1989 skate contest in Seatlle. Not only do you get to see the three winning runs by Christian Hosoi, Lance Mountain and Tony Hawk, but during Hosoi’s run you get to hear some pre-90s Sounds Garden that I didn’t know existed. The track is called “Head Injury,” and it’s so pre-90s that it predates the band’s 1989 album, “Louder than Love.” I always thought that was their first record, but I’ve recently learned that their debut was actually in ’88 with the album “Ultramega OK.” They also released a 3-song EP in ’89 called “Flower,” containing one song, “Toy Box,” that isn’t featured on “Ultramega OK.”
Now that some of you have a new record to download, enjoy the best thing I’ve seen this week.
One more week
In the first half of my run this morning, I kept thinking that I was moving noticeably slower than usual. A quick look at my post-run stats let me know I wasn’t. I guess I just hadn’t settled in to the run yet. Also, I made a conscious decision to stop thinking about the stats. Just knowing that my stats were being recorded has been enough for me to run too fast, push too hard and end up being too tired. I’ve been fine after a cooldown and a shower, but the past few days, it’s been like my pillows have been dipped in chloroform. Once my head hits them, I’m out … for a while. (I think I was out for almost 12 hours today.)
So three more minutes next week. No problem. I’m probably going to head to the track after that for at least one run. I’m curious to see how I’ll do on flat ground again.
I finally got around to watching Talahina Sky, and that help form some of this morning’s playlist. Here’s a track from it.
Not much to report
Part of me wants to think a lack of things to talk about in a running post is a bad thing, but the majority of me feels that having a half hour run seem like a normal, every-day occurrence is really the main goal I set out to achieve. I’m still not at 3.1 miles, but that can just be the next goal.
My has been plan to finish out next week, and then move on to Bridge to 10K. However, I think I’m going to spend a few more weeks trying to squeeze a full 5K into the half hour.
I’ve still got one more day at 28 and then Week9 is the full 30. If anything significant pops up, I’ll be sure to mention it, but these last few C25K posts may end up just being routine. I have been a bit overzealous with my pace this week, but I’m set for my next four runs.
The main goals are 1) finish W9D3. 2) hit a 12 minute mile. and 3) run 5K in 30 minutes.
I’ll be on to 10K after that.
Musically, please enjoy one of my favorite songs, from one one of my favorite albums.
Hello old friend
I’ve had a bike for as long as I can remember. There’s been a few times when I haven’t owned one, but they’ve been few and far between. Of course, there have been way more times in my later years that I have owned one, but not used it.
In the late ’90s, I had moved to Fort Worth and was working at Fort Worth Cycling and Fitness Center. It was shortly after leaving that awesome job for a full time sound engineer gig that I sold my Trek. (I think it was an 870, but maybe it was a 920. The frame was that mid-90′s burgundy/orange color).
It wasn’t until 2005 that I really got the itch again. I found whatever dual suspension model Schwinn Walmart was selling back then. I’ve always been more partial to rigid frames, but it was marked almost $150 less than it should have been, so … deal taken. After seven years or so of gradually becoming more sedentary, but still eating like I was riding 20 miles a day, riding was not as comfortable or fun as I remembered. I pulled it out a few more times, but ultimately the bike got left in Las Vegas when I was having to make decisions about what would and wouldn’t fit in my U-haul.
A couple of years ago, I had some cash saved up and was feeling the itch again. I was thinking about getting what amounted to a “grown up” BMX bike — 26 inch wheel mountain bike with front shocks and a single gear up front. I didn’t feel like paying the $1200 that bike was marked at, so I ended up getting a Trek Marlin 29er from the Gary Fisher collection. My first few rides were reminiscent of the ones on my Schwinn, and unfortunately, it’s ended up sitting around in the garage more than I would like. This morning though, I opted for a ride rather than squats and ab work.
I feel like all the running I’ve been doing has really gotten me back to a place where riding is comfortable again, but I remember why I never ran back when I was riding a lot. They are two different beasts. I cut the ride shorter that I’d planned and I had to dismount for a couple of hills, but I still managed to get in 3 miles.
The only real bummer was how much the lights I got sucked. I bought a set of Nite Ize Twisted Lights because they attach easily and are a simple design. If you ride in the city and mainly need something to make you more visible to cars, these are great, but they don’t really work as headlights (especially once streetlights aren’t around).
Luckily I’d also picked up a set of Kikkerland lights, but even with those I could only see about six feet in front of me. With my limited vision I couldn’t really go as fast as I would have liked. Another flaw in the design of both lights is that the LED is in your field of vision. Whenever I would cover the top of them with one hand, my vision seemed to improve. Still, an actual headlight is now at the top of my “to be purchased” list (along with a different saddle).
My spirit animal is a Hotwheels car
Every little bit helps, and while small, those numbers are still an improvement. After last week’s debacle with the Felt Tip C25K app, I abandoned it all together. I dug into the Runkeeper app (it’s free by the way), and hidden away in the “coaching” section is the ability to create your own workouts. You can set up each section by time or distance, and even set the pace for each one — slow, steady or fast. Turn on both the 5-minute warmup and cooldown, and now you’re set. YOu can even access you iTunes playlist from the app, but I don’t ever use that function on any pf my apps. It can tie-in to your online account as well and instantly update your workouts so you can track your progress. I’m sure I’ll figure out better way to use it as I move along, and this might not end up being the best solution. But it keeps me from having to download another app for B210K and it also works with the Wahoo BTLE heartrate monitor, so that’s the one I’m probably going to purchase.
In other news, I haven’t had a side stitch since middle school, but I got one at the 20-minute mark tonight. I just slowed down and put my hands behind my head for a few yards and that seemed to tame the beast. I’m sure that I started out at too fast a pace, becuse even though I added 3 minutes to my total time, I was “feeling it” way before I normally would have. For the most part, Hotwheels only roll downhill, and tonight is one of those nights when I’m feeling like I’d be more than fine with never seeing an uphill section of track again. But, that’ll never happen, and I’ll won’t feel this tired tomorrow or the day after that.
I forgot I’d put my iTunes on repeat, and I’m OCD enough that I don’t like pausing or restarting the app. So I soldiered on and settle in for a half hour listen to the last track on my group’s new EP. Working on one song for hours in the studio can make you lose track of time, and the say kind of holds true with listening to one thing on repeat over and over again. Try it in the car next time you have to drive for an hour or so. But find me and trade me $10 for a copy of the EP first.
Speaking of … I’ve been talking about this music for the past few posts, and it’s finally released. It’s not on iTunes yet, but send me an email (adam@thesilentsounds.com) and we can work out a snail mail trade. For the moment, enjoy my playlist for the past couple of weeks.
