Day Seventy Five - Back From The Flip Side
Remember me?
So...can we skip all the apologies and explanations and just take my word for it that I would be updating more if I could? I mean, it's not like I just took all the money you guys have been donating to me and blew it on boats, booze and hookers or something, and if someone told you that, well that's just crazy talk.
Seriously, I didn't forget about the marathon. I've just been...preoccupied. If you've read Jen's blog at all you've heard her mention a pilot that she has been working on. It's actually something that I wrote and have been in the process of producing, as well as acting in. Well, this past weekend was the shoot - Saturday through Monday - and it went really well. I'm very happy with the project at this point and frankly shocked that it actually happened. Now I've just got to get to editing and then we'll see where we go from there. Anyway, for the past couple of weeks that is where most of my free time has been spent, rather than running hills with the rest of the Team folks. I know, it sorta sucks, but I made it through and I'm ready to get back on the horse. And it's not like I haven't been running at all either...I've just been way off the training pace. But here's what I did while I've been away:
Day Fifty Seven - So Lame It Doesn't Deserve A Title
One loop around Central Park. Wanted to go for two but half way through the first one I realized I was kidding myself. Not a great run by any stretch of the imagination.
DAY 57
TODAY'S MILEAGE - 6
TOTAL MILEAGE - 117.45
Day Sixty Five - The Staten Island Half Marathon
I was REALLY scared knowing this run was coming up especially because my training was not going so well. Woke up early and met up with G-Rocks. We took a cab to the Ferry and headed groggily towards the Island. When we got there I started to get this feeling that I really did NOT belong here. Everyone looked WAY more prepared and I just felt like this was a disaster waiting to happen. We were really early too, so there was a lot of time to sit around and think about the horrors ahead. We each made about 3 trips to the port-o-johns (over hydrated I guess) before it was time to line up. The race started about 15 minutes late and I realized while waiting around the 10 minute mile sign that I was going to have to pee again...soon. There were a few other TEAM folks there, but we were sort of doing our own thing. Finally the run started and the first mile was rough. We got to the first mile marker/water station and they had some more johns set up, but the line was way too long as I didn't want to lose time waiting to pee. I'm not exactly sure what the running protocol is, but I think dashing off to pee in the bushes is generally frowned upon (although I saw a few guys do it along the way). Honestly, if I was just running for me I would probably do it, but with the TEAM name attached to me I was thinking it was probably a bad idea. Another line at the second set of johns and I realized I was going to have to stop at the next one regardless of the line. It was around mile 4 and the line was longer than ever. I lost about 3 and a half minutes waiting and then peeing. While I waited the leader was already passing us on his way back to the start. Jiminy Christmas, that was insane. We were all cheering for him, and then the few guys behind him by a couple minutes. Man, if you ever want to feel slow run a half marathon course that doubles back on itself with some serious runners. After peeing I felt like a new man. I cruised all the way through to mile 7 or so and then hit a hill that I was able to handle really well. At some point I passed G-Rocks on my way back and was too tired to shout anything, but we had a moment that helped pump me up as we smiled and pointed at eachother. At mile 8 I started to feel like running another 5 miles was a really bad idea, but after that I just kind of let my legs take over. I missed the mile marker at mile 9 and started kind of freaking out, but realized pretty quickly thereafter what happened. 10 through 12 weren't GREAT, but they weren't torture either. Just sort of there. The last mile got rough because the way the course was set up you could see the finish line below you as you passed the 12 mile mark, but then had to run another half mile and then back. When I got to the 13 mile mark I figured I might feel a burst of adrenaline that might carry me through the last 10th of a mile at a quicker pace, but it was not to be. I finished as I started, but the important thing was I finished. And even with my 3 minute plus pee break I averaged under a ten minute mile...barely (my final time was 2:09:47 - which you're just going to have to trust me on because I didn't register and kept my time myself on my stopwatch from when I crossed the actual start to when I finished). Gatorade and a bagel never tasted so good. After stretching (well, in a manner of speaking as I was actually too tired to REALLY stretch) I went back to the finish line to cheer on Jen, who arrived shortly thereafter. Her sister had come out to join the festivities too. It was my longest distance to date and my first official half marathon and I was happy with my time and just the fact that I finished, but I'll be honest - I still can't wrap my head around the fact that I'll be running TWICE that far in a couple of months.
DAY 65
TODAY'S MILEAGE: 13.1
TOTAL MILEAGE: 130.55
Which brings us to last night. That's right...it had been 10 days since I had run - the longest stretch between runs since I started this whole thing. Another night of hill training, although I feel like I pussed out on most of the tough stuff with hills as I have missed 3 of the 5 sessions. I'm hoping that this doesn't set me too far behind the pace, but seeing as our coaches told us how much the hills would help us, and that they've been dead on with everything thus far, I can't help but think I picked the wrong 3 weeks to be busy on Wednesdays. Because of the long hiatus since the half marathon I took it a little easy on myself last night, going at a little bit of a slower pace for the first 3/4 of practice. We were learning how to run downhill, which is actually very taxing on your joints and muscles. Who knew there was a proper way to run downhill? Trained runners, that's who. And now I do too. So we were to push ourselves going down the hill, then recover heading back up. I'm gonna take G-Rocks' estimate on distance - .25 down the hill, .25 back up...wash, rinse, repeat. I ran the first 5 with Jen and then did three on my own at a little bit of a quicker pace (funny, it seemed so much longer when I was on my own with no one to chat with). 8 total which gives me 4 miles, plus a .75 warm up and cool down for a total of 5.5 miles. All in all it felt good, but let's not kid ourselves - I was taking it easy and happened to come back on the downhill night. My right knee is a little sore today, which has been my one minor ache through this whole thing, but I know the hills put a lot of pressure on it, so I'm not too worried about it. More than anything, I'm just glad I went and hope that I can force myself back into the habit. I don't think it'll be impossible, but I'd be lying if I said I was looking forward to hitting 6 miles on the treadmill at some point today.
Oh yeah, and I need some warmer running clothes, STAT.
So yeah, there's your update. They'll be coming at you much more frequently now that my life is a little less consumed with other things. Thanks for hanging in there. Don't count me out yet - I'm in this thing all the way to Phoenix. Hope things are good with you. More soon...
DAY 75
TODAY'S MILEAGE - 5.5
TOTAL MILEAGE - 136.05
So...can we skip all the apologies and explanations and just take my word for it that I would be updating more if I could? I mean, it's not like I just took all the money you guys have been donating to me and blew it on boats, booze and hookers or something, and if someone told you that, well that's just crazy talk.
Seriously, I didn't forget about the marathon. I've just been...preoccupied. If you've read Jen's blog at all you've heard her mention a pilot that she has been working on. It's actually something that I wrote and have been in the process of producing, as well as acting in. Well, this past weekend was the shoot - Saturday through Monday - and it went really well. I'm very happy with the project at this point and frankly shocked that it actually happened. Now I've just got to get to editing and then we'll see where we go from there. Anyway, for the past couple of weeks that is where most of my free time has been spent, rather than running hills with the rest of the Team folks. I know, it sorta sucks, but I made it through and I'm ready to get back on the horse. And it's not like I haven't been running at all either...I've just been way off the training pace. But here's what I did while I've been away:
Day Fifty Seven - So Lame It Doesn't Deserve A Title
One loop around Central Park. Wanted to go for two but half way through the first one I realized I was kidding myself. Not a great run by any stretch of the imagination.
DAY 57
TODAY'S MILEAGE - 6
TOTAL MILEAGE - 117.45
Day Sixty Five - The Staten Island Half Marathon
I was REALLY scared knowing this run was coming up especially because my training was not going so well. Woke up early and met up with G-Rocks. We took a cab to the Ferry and headed groggily towards the Island. When we got there I started to get this feeling that I really did NOT belong here. Everyone looked WAY more prepared and I just felt like this was a disaster waiting to happen. We were really early too, so there was a lot of time to sit around and think about the horrors ahead. We each made about 3 trips to the port-o-johns (over hydrated I guess) before it was time to line up. The race started about 15 minutes late and I realized while waiting around the 10 minute mile sign that I was going to have to pee again...soon. There were a few other TEAM folks there, but we were sort of doing our own thing. Finally the run started and the first mile was rough. We got to the first mile marker/water station and they had some more johns set up, but the line was way too long as I didn't want to lose time waiting to pee. I'm not exactly sure what the running protocol is, but I think dashing off to pee in the bushes is generally frowned upon (although I saw a few guys do it along the way). Honestly, if I was just running for me I would probably do it, but with the TEAM name attached to me I was thinking it was probably a bad idea. Another line at the second set of johns and I realized I was going to have to stop at the next one regardless of the line. It was around mile 4 and the line was longer than ever. I lost about 3 and a half minutes waiting and then peeing. While I waited the leader was already passing us on his way back to the start. Jiminy Christmas, that was insane. We were all cheering for him, and then the few guys behind him by a couple minutes. Man, if you ever want to feel slow run a half marathon course that doubles back on itself with some serious runners. After peeing I felt like a new man. I cruised all the way through to mile 7 or so and then hit a hill that I was able to handle really well. At some point I passed G-Rocks on my way back and was too tired to shout anything, but we had a moment that helped pump me up as we smiled and pointed at eachother. At mile 8 I started to feel like running another 5 miles was a really bad idea, but after that I just kind of let my legs take over. I missed the mile marker at mile 9 and started kind of freaking out, but realized pretty quickly thereafter what happened. 10 through 12 weren't GREAT, but they weren't torture either. Just sort of there. The last mile got rough because the way the course was set up you could see the finish line below you as you passed the 12 mile mark, but then had to run another half mile and then back. When I got to the 13 mile mark I figured I might feel a burst of adrenaline that might carry me through the last 10th of a mile at a quicker pace, but it was not to be. I finished as I started, but the important thing was I finished. And even with my 3 minute plus pee break I averaged under a ten minute mile...barely (my final time was 2:09:47 - which you're just going to have to trust me on because I didn't register and kept my time myself on my stopwatch from when I crossed the actual start to when I finished). Gatorade and a bagel never tasted so good. After stretching (well, in a manner of speaking as I was actually too tired to REALLY stretch) I went back to the finish line to cheer on Jen, who arrived shortly thereafter. Her sister had come out to join the festivities too. It was my longest distance to date and my first official half marathon and I was happy with my time and just the fact that I finished, but I'll be honest - I still can't wrap my head around the fact that I'll be running TWICE that far in a couple of months.
DAY 65
TODAY'S MILEAGE: 13.1
TOTAL MILEAGE: 130.55
Which brings us to last night. That's right...it had been 10 days since I had run - the longest stretch between runs since I started this whole thing. Another night of hill training, although I feel like I pussed out on most of the tough stuff with hills as I have missed 3 of the 5 sessions. I'm hoping that this doesn't set me too far behind the pace, but seeing as our coaches told us how much the hills would help us, and that they've been dead on with everything thus far, I can't help but think I picked the wrong 3 weeks to be busy on Wednesdays. Because of the long hiatus since the half marathon I took it a little easy on myself last night, going at a little bit of a slower pace for the first 3/4 of practice. We were learning how to run downhill, which is actually very taxing on your joints and muscles. Who knew there was a proper way to run downhill? Trained runners, that's who. And now I do too. So we were to push ourselves going down the hill, then recover heading back up. I'm gonna take G-Rocks' estimate on distance - .25 down the hill, .25 back up...wash, rinse, repeat. I ran the first 5 with Jen and then did three on my own at a little bit of a quicker pace (funny, it seemed so much longer when I was on my own with no one to chat with). 8 total which gives me 4 miles, plus a .75 warm up and cool down for a total of 5.5 miles. All in all it felt good, but let's not kid ourselves - I was taking it easy and happened to come back on the downhill night. My right knee is a little sore today, which has been my one minor ache through this whole thing, but I know the hills put a lot of pressure on it, so I'm not too worried about it. More than anything, I'm just glad I went and hope that I can force myself back into the habit. I don't think it'll be impossible, but I'd be lying if I said I was looking forward to hitting 6 miles on the treadmill at some point today.
Oh yeah, and I need some warmer running clothes, STAT.
So yeah, there's your update. They'll be coming at you much more frequently now that my life is a little less consumed with other things. Thanks for hanging in there. Don't count me out yet - I'm in this thing all the way to Phoenix. Hope things are good with you. More soon...
DAY 75
TODAY'S MILEAGE - 5.5
TOTAL MILEAGE - 136.05
posted by Demps at 7:46 AM
1 Comments:
i'm not gonna lie, it's good to have you back!
but the pilot rocked and you should be really damn proud. nice work demps.
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