Off my routine - another 16 miles - how's your "internal clock"

Wow, I never realized how much a change in your routine can throw you off. I'm writing this at 2:20 PM (weird time I know) because this morning I took my dogs to get groomed which took up the entire morning. So I'm starting my day off really late. I've been able to get really steady with the blogging thing by making it the first thing I do - so I'm much more use to do doing this at 7:30 AM - so this is like 6+ hours late.

Anyway, had a decent 16 mile run yesterday on a killer route loaded - and I mean loaded - with significant hills. The first part of the run started with a straight uphill climb for nearly 2 1/2 miles, levels off for just a little bit then starts a roller coaster again. So, by design, I appropriately started off slow (as you're supposed to do on these but I always struggle with it). So I ended up covering 16 though I had wanted to hit 18 to be right on track with the training schedule i'm following. Nevertheless, a good run. I did a very easy recovery on my treadmill this morning. I have to admit - as much as I hate to - I feel kind of wiped today and not sure if its due to not enough sleep or possibly just a little bit of fatigue. Either way, onwards we go...

Speaking of feeling off the routine, there are a few Seinfeld episodes where Kramer references his lack of need for a watch and his comfort with his "internal clock". Can you name them? I believe a mishap or two occurs as a result of that clocks inaccuracies - what were they?

day whatever---

so I gave all of you a break with no post yesterday - it was Sunday after all.

Anyway, I'm just going to keep going with this thing till whenever. I think my legs and lungs have a good second wind; I've been lightening up on daily miles and will stick with a more typical marathon training schedule now. Focus on long run plus one good tempo and one or two good easy one's on the other days. And at least a mile or two a few notches below race pace on the other days. Why not - right. Plus I have to have some reason to keep coming up with the trivia stuff....

Speaking of which I was watching the - let's call it "Marisa Tomei" episode this morning. I never realized that 1) it's actually a 40+ minute episode and 2) they pack three separate story lines into it - A) the one about George getting fixed up with Marisa Tomei B) Jerry buying his dad the Cadillac and the subsequent impeachment of his father who is forced to leave the Pine of (something) Gables in disgrace - very Nixon-like ending and C) Kramer's fued and standoff with the cable guy - by the way, if you've seen the movie "The Artist", perhaps you know about the controversy surrounding the use of the music from Vertigo (one of my all-time favorite movies) The chase scene where the Cable Guy is chasing Kramer also "borrows" from this classic - what is is it about that movie??

Anyway, watching Kramer run so fleetingly from the Cable Guy reminded me that in various episodes, Kramer has been characterized as somewhere between "lean" and fit to desperately out of share (hint: the Walk is tomorrow - you're never going to make it!). Name a few of the episodes where his physical fitness has been a factor. Some have involved Charity Walks, the ability to where jeans, and his agility as model. No right answers here - more of a thought provoker for a Monday morning where I'm at my office a bit early and can't get myself quite started..

Yes, on to Day 112 - this stuff is positively addictive - or addictive in a positive way

so I can see that this gets kind of addictive - the thought of having to write something like "today was the first day I didn't run" is not sitting well with me. I actually thought today would be that day. Even though yesterday, I ended up having a nice run by testing out the course that we used for today's Teens Run Yonkers 5k+, I hadn't planned on running today. While I love going on the runs - really my favorite part - today, I wanted to be at the start/finish line to give up medals and congratulate all our finishers. Which I did - so, no runners.

But by 5:30, 6:00 I was feeling like I wasn't ready to give it up. So I did a 6+ miles tempo run on the treadmill. I have noticed a bit of benefit between alternating between pavement and treadmill so definitely sticking with that. So we are now at Day 112 - we'll see what tomorrow brings..

On a slightly different note, I was challenged to find a friend willing to help me move around some furniture in our house - having some pieces redone. SO what Seinfeld comes to mind?? Keith Hernandez of course. By the way - must be a sign of age, demographics and other stuff that I couldn't find a friend either willing or that didn't have some issue (i.e. bad back, hernia) that could move the stuff! Anyway, how do George and Jerry first bump into Keith? Who were the Mets playing in the tall-tale that in the inspiration for Kramer and Newman's anti-Keith sentiment? And what's the deal breaker that drives the wedge between Elaine and Keith in their dating? And for the fun of it, what is Keith Hernandez doing these days?

110 DAYS - BY THE NUMBERS - AND DAY 111!

Well, as a former wall street guy, and a lover of stats -not the class, just seeing them, I was eager to see what my 110 Days of Running Looked Like.

MEASURABLE:

TOTAL MILES: 662.4
TOTAL HOURS 130.45 (THAT'S LIKE 5.44 DAYS TOTAL)
LONGEST RUN: 26.2 (the Miami Marathon was in there)
AVERAGE RUN PER DAY: 4.56
AVERAGE MILES PER WEEK: 38.96
AVERAGE MILES PER MONTH: 165.6


UNMEASUREABLE..

Pounds lost and gained on celebratory meals
Seinfeld Episodes Watched and Trivia Questions Asked and Answered
Gu Consumed
Water Consumed
Loads of Laundry
Occasional aches and pains
Songs listened to on ipod
Purchases of motivational music
Running shoes bought and sold on ebay in support of this

Kind of cool..So what are the lessons learned? Well, break days help - or I'd like to be reminded again soon that break days help as I haven't taken one. Most importantly, goals are pretty amazing things to challenge yourself with. Doing this gave me a really definitive purpose to my running and just proves that once something gets into your head that you've gotta do it, you do it. So, what now? Well, Day 111 of course! To be continued....

Oh, how could I forget, counting days is so reminiscent of "The Contest". I've tried to steer clear of that episode given it's content so I'll only focus on the cleaner aspects as opposed to the real content driven parts. Obvious question, what's the name of the actress from Frasier (maybe one of her first roles?) that cameos on that one? And what is her somewhat unusual occupation? Finally, who is the (at the time) world-class bachelor proves to be Elaine's Achilles heel? This too, to be continued...

DAY 110 - IT IS DONE!!! AND WITH A WONDERFUL LONG RUN!

AND SO IT IS DONE. Today, I hit day 110 of my goal of running for 110 days straight. And as opposed to yesterday (when I felt terrible) and did a lame one mile just for counting purposes, today was amazing. I did a 15.5 mile run that included the Westchester North Trail and 119 - if you know Westchester, all this may mean something. If you don't, well, it was a nice route with some flats, some hills and some traffic. Pretty cool. To motivate myself for this, I bought a new pair of running shoes which I think may become 2nd go tops. Brooks has a great new line of shoes which I think they can comfortably call minimalist - it's their "Pure" line and I bought the Pure Cadence. They had a great feel and, you know when certain shoes just make you want to run? These did! Definitely was digging them. Anyway, I was really happy to end this little campaign strong...It's a bit late and I still have to do another blog so I will do all kinds of commentary and analysis on this tomorrow and over the weekend.

On a totally unrelated - and you know I have to challenge myself to make these connections- I was at my Toastmasters Meeting today. If you're not familiar, let me do my little plug and tell you that if you want to develop public speaking skills, this is the place to do it. I've been doing TM now for over three years and it's a phenomenal program. There's one everywhere - seriously, it's International - they're in your backyard so check out a meeting. The website is www.toastmasters.org . Anyway, I'm thinking Seinfeld and Friars Club. Not exactly like Toastmaster but a club nonetheless. What's the name of the guy that gets Jerry in the door. What happens to the jacket that is an essential for any club member? All that was easy - now the harder one - what classic novel is mentioned in the course of the episode? Hmmmm....

Great Run - Not - Limping to the finish line?

I'm truly not saying any of this for dramatic flair - as we are at day 109 - but not a great run yesterday and not a better start this morning.

I actually had all kinds of clever ways I was going to start todays post - they included:

I've heard the term "fresh legs" used in sports - I don't have them!
As a big "Rocky" fan (and not afraid to admit it), I always like to feel like I've got that Eye of the Tiger - this morning I did not!
I woke up this morning feeling a way that I don't particularly like to - like a 47 year old guy that's run for 108 days straight without a break..

You get the point. Plain and simple, this morning I wimped out from my long run. Yesterday, after our Teens Run Yonkers session, I went for one of the - if not the - worst run - I've had in months. My legs felt like they had sandbags in them and I could barely push myself towards three miles. Joints ached, knees stung. Basically all the stuff I've heard other runners says but always considered myself lucky not to have experienced yet. Well, now I was experiencing it. Even as I sit here now, I can feel a slight irritation where my shin starts. Hate it...

Nevertheless, I woke up this morning mentally ready to run 16 miles. In fact, I was looking at it as a bit of a reward. Over the last few weeks, I've been working probably more than I ever have. Even though my day gets chopped up in little bits - admin, grants, training with the teens, etc. - after a bit of a rest in the late afternoon, I usually do another two or thee hours at night. So all in, lots of 10, 11, 12 hour days. So my little reward was going to be taking this morning off and doing my run then a bit of relaxation. Got up, did all my usual stuff - prepped the iPod, picked the good shorts, got the gu and was out the door...

And then I felt a drizzle - and the beginnings of the excuse. I usually have a ton of discipline and have run in the pouring rain. But the potential to pass on the run with even the lamest of excuses was too great. I felt slightly better because by the time I dropped my wife off at the train, went to Dunkin Donuts to get my coffee and got home, it was at least a borderline rain. Enough to get the street wet enough to shine as I look at it from the comfort of my window. Enough that I see a few cars using the wipers. Hey, it's raining and I can't risk slipping!!

So, am I done. No. Bottom line, I'm going to do an easy brick workout today - light run on the treadmill of no more than 20 minutes (enough to be respectable) and a light stationary bike ride. That will be day 109 and I'll post on it.

But tomorrow - Day 110 - we'll go out with a bang and a strong 16 mile run. Wait, I have to check the weather first....

Speaking of finish lines, what's is the name of Seinfeld's Arch Rival that challenges him to a rematch? And what the name of the gym teacher that starts (or sort of starts them off). And speaking of limping to the finish line, what are some of the obstacles Kramer faces while trying to complete the Aids Walk? See you at Day 110

a bit more to go -

just a quick one to confirm that I did in fact get in my run today. I was feeling my guilt pangs at having written my post before actually doing it. My wife thinks I'm a bit nuts with my approach to things that have to be done in order i.e. a great run before a good meal, finish all the work before the run, do the run before the post. Yes, it's true. I'm a little nuts that way. But flexible as you see

Anyway, did a quick two+ miles measuring out relay distances for our Teens Run Yonkers training today. Good easy pace which I ruined with my newfound passion for trying to max my shins on the treadmill - which I did. So, I'm taking it easy tomorrow. But all in about 5+ for the day in addition to my 12 miles on the the stationary bike.


To be continued...