Sunday, July 31 off to Detroit for the second divisional Gaelic Football game of the season. Temperature in the high 90s, with a feels like in the 100s, the men ran around for an hour in the sun and then on to the pitch we strolled. If we won we would win the Midwest Championship and not have to play a third game. The first half didn't look too promising; we never found our feet and at the whistle we were down by 3 points. In the first half I had one goal and one point, okay but I could do better.
Back on the pitch Detroit scored a goal right off the bat and then our girl got red-carded, leaving us down one man essentially for the entire second half. Then something miraculous happened - everything just clicked for us. We started winning every ball and we just seemed to have the positioning on every play. I discovered I had two marks on me - I assume their strategy was to preserve their lead and walk away with a win rather than continue to be aggressive up field and get more points. Turns out it was a bad strategy for them. Once we clicked on there was no turning us off. I scored 3 goals in the second half. And though I lost track of the score I knew it was getting close and sure enough with 3 minutes left the ref informed me we, the Banshees, were up by 2 points. Those last 3 minutes were a feat of great ball control and point scoring. At the final whistle we were up and we had won by 9 points! Final Score: 27-16.
A great "Cross training" day where I was in a position that allowed me to run free and at will but largely in 50 yard sprints. Unknown distance.
New Miles: Unknown
Total Miles: Same as before
Miles Remaining: Same as before
Weight: NA/141.0+ (the Thursday thru Saturday was a disastrous affair of eating large quantities of bad things)
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Me and U2
On Tuesday, July 26 Ryan and I headed down to Heinz Field in Pittsburgh for the U2 360 Tour. We parked in the North Side and walked there and back. Due to recent laziness and thus limited progress toward my goal I am counting the walking. Plus I say it counts because it is a distance I walked which is all part of this journey I am on.
And so there and back was over 1.5 miles (plus all the walking up and up and up and down and down and down to and from our seats at the tippity top).
Then on Wednesday, July 27 I did some "cross-training" where I cut the grass in the front yard. It was in desperate need of a trimming and I was in desparate need of an excuse to not run. My body felt so tired and sluggish so I cut the grass instead. Additionally, my right foot arch hurt so that was also helping nudge me to not run and rather walk around on soft grass. It took about 30 minutes.
On Thursday, July 28 I walked during lunch. On my half mile walk I saw a cute little hummingbird! This time I saw it for a few seconds and then it flitted behind a large branch. I stopped and then walked a little and found him again -- continungint o hover hear another branch and then he actually landing on the branch for a few seconds so I could get a good look at him. and then he was off again just like that! I feel like I have been in a hummingbird filled world my whole life but only recently my eyes have been opened to them. I think it amazing that I have seen two within a few days.
New Miles: 1.5 + 0.5 = 2.0
Total Miles: 352.0
Miles Remaining: 1148.0
Weight: 140ish
And so there and back was over 1.5 miles (plus all the walking up and up and up and down and down and down to and from our seats at the tippity top).
Then on Wednesday, July 27 I did some "cross-training" where I cut the grass in the front yard. It was in desperate need of a trimming and I was in desparate need of an excuse to not run. My body felt so tired and sluggish so I cut the grass instead. Additionally, my right foot arch hurt so that was also helping nudge me to not run and rather walk around on soft grass. It took about 30 minutes.
On Thursday, July 28 I walked during lunch. On my half mile walk I saw a cute little hummingbird! This time I saw it for a few seconds and then it flitted behind a large branch. I stopped and then walked a little and found him again -- continungint o hover hear another branch and then he actually landing on the branch for a few seconds so I could get a good look at him. and then he was off again just like that! I feel like I have been in a hummingbird filled world my whole life but only recently my eyes have been opened to them. I think it amazing that I have seen two within a few days.
New Miles: 1.5 + 0.5 = 2.0
Total Miles: 352.0
Miles Remaining: 1148.0
Weight: 140ish
Monday, July 25, 2011
350 Miles!
Comfortable weather, not to hot. So after a 2 hour soccer meeting, that I spent edgy and wanting to run, I went on a delightful evening run at 8pm. I did my 3 mile jaunt and actually did not stop once for walking (other than the downhill right by my house which would be too rough on the knees to run). Completing the 3 miles in 28:21.
Notable Moment: Running by one home I saw a hummingbird! He was so zippy I barely was able to process what it was before he flitted away. I was so excited and then disappointed that he flew away so quickly.
100 crunches and 20 push-ups
New Miles: 3.0
Total Miles: 350.0
Miles Remaining: 1150.0
Weight:139.6
Notable Moment: Running by one home I saw a hummingbird! He was so zippy I barely was able to process what it was before he flitted away. I was so excited and then disappointed that he flew away so quickly.
100 crunches and 20 push-ups
New Miles: 3.0
Total Miles: 350.0
Miles Remaining: 1150.0
Weight:139.6
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Feels Like a Workout
Did some yard work - wheeled 11 barrows of 7 shovelsworth of pebbles to the back yard; took 30 minutes. Then rested a little then got changed and went running. Clouds moved in and it felt a little cooler, though when I checked the weather when I got back it was 89 degrees with a "feels like" of 96 degrees. It was good. I think I was fine because the air was so humid every time I breathed in I hydrated. My motto was slow and steady. At mile 1 I smartly opted to cut off a half mile from my run and so I completed 2.5 miles today in 27:35.
The dirt on my legs from the yardwork slowly melted down to mud as my leg sweat built up. I loved it. I felt like I was an important athlete again and pretended like I was dirty from a hard fought soccer game. Speaking of which, I talked to the President of the local soccer club today and re-upped to assistant coach in the Fall with the same team. It will be fun to do soccer again in the Fall, there is just something about soccer and Autumn weather that I love.
New Miles: 2.5
Total Miles: 347.0
Miles Remaining: 1153.0
Weight: 138.0
The dirt on my legs from the yardwork slowly melted down to mud as my leg sweat built up. I loved it. I felt like I was an important athlete again and pretended like I was dirty from a hard fought soccer game. Speaking of which, I talked to the President of the local soccer club today and re-upped to assistant coach in the Fall with the same team. It will be fun to do soccer again in the Fall, there is just something about soccer and Autumn weather that I love.
New Miles: 2.5
Total Miles: 347.0
Miles Remaining: 1153.0
Weight: 138.0
Thursday, July 21, 2011
100+ degrees
3 miles in 32:46. Slow and steady. Brief walk each half mile after the first mile, final mile ran straight. To track, 2 miles at track, and home. Over 100 degrees.
New Miles: 3.0
Total Miles: 344.5
Miles Remaining:1155.5
Weight: 138.4
New Miles: 3.0
Total Miles: 344.5
Miles Remaining:1155.5
Weight: 138.4
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Lunch Walk
Overcast day but super sticky and hot; walked off some soreness in a my half mile loop at work. By the 10th minute I finally felt a little looser and not as tight and stiff and sore. Definitely a good half mile and worth the effort to try to get my body recovered.
New Miles: 0.5
Total Miles: 341.5
Miles Remaining: 1158.5
Weight: 138?
New Miles: 0.5
Total Miles: 341.5
Miles Remaining: 1158.5
Weight: 138?
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Quantifiable Distance
A typical July day found me scorching hot in the sunshine. Atypical for me in recent years is to find me out on a grassy field ready to run around at 1:00pm. But here I was, finally getting back to me, and all covered in "spfity"(SPF-fifty), cleats on, soccer socks pulled high, wide receiver gloves suctioned to my hands. I made my re-debut on the Gaelic Football field for the Pittsburgh Banshees, my team since 2003 that my ankle injury got me away from and where it felt like so long ago that I felt like me on the field.
But there I was. Geared up and ready to go. Assigned to the Corner Forward position I took the pitch and the game played on. I ran around in the heat, not feeling all that bad. Perhaps it was the training I have been doing, but more likely it was the fact that I was put in a position that requires minimal running - or at least "minimal" compared to the running that the Half Backs, Midfielders, and Half Forwards do -- all areas I used to happily trot along in. It was a great way to ease me in as I was unsure of my ankle, highly worried I would roll it, and scared. But once I was on the pitch and playing all that uncertainty and all my worries rolled away and I, finally, felt like me again.
I enjoyed making loads of runs, sometimes to midfield just for the fun of it and because my mark was tired and I was not. I enjoyed getting the ball, taking on my mark and other players and going to goal. I enjoyed scoring goals again - I some how netted 4 (and should have had more). I ran and kicked and cut and juked and played carefree and didn't once feel a pain in my ankle or stop to think I wasn't ready for this. It felt good!
And then the game ended and I stopped running and then sat and watched the men's team. And then I got sore. I tightened up some and later at night my ankle did some of its random "Oops I'm not aligned perfectly" shananigans, but mostly it was good. And most all resulting soreness was from my moving of muscles I have let sit and forget and not my little ol' ankle.
So all in all a victory for my right ankle and a mental victory. I let go of the fear and I ended up all right. Grant it, I can't be assured this day's experience will ever happen again. But I can rest assured that on this day my experience was more perfect than I allowed myself to imagine it could be and I am so grateful for that.
I ran today and though I did not cover any quantifiable distance for my journey, I closed such a mental distance between who I was and who I am; I brought myself many steps closer to me feeling like me again.
New Miles: Unknown
Total Miles: Same as before - 341.0
Miles Remaining: Same as before - 1159.0
Weight: 137.6 (pre-game); 140.2 (post-game and dinner)
But there I was. Geared up and ready to go. Assigned to the Corner Forward position I took the pitch and the game played on. I ran around in the heat, not feeling all that bad. Perhaps it was the training I have been doing, but more likely it was the fact that I was put in a position that requires minimal running - or at least "minimal" compared to the running that the Half Backs, Midfielders, and Half Forwards do -- all areas I used to happily trot along in. It was a great way to ease me in as I was unsure of my ankle, highly worried I would roll it, and scared. But once I was on the pitch and playing all that uncertainty and all my worries rolled away and I, finally, felt like me again.
I enjoyed making loads of runs, sometimes to midfield just for the fun of it and because my mark was tired and I was not. I enjoyed getting the ball, taking on my mark and other players and going to goal. I enjoyed scoring goals again - I some how netted 4 (and should have had more). I ran and kicked and cut and juked and played carefree and didn't once feel a pain in my ankle or stop to think I wasn't ready for this. It felt good!
And then the game ended and I stopped running and then sat and watched the men's team. And then I got sore. I tightened up some and later at night my ankle did some of its random "Oops I'm not aligned perfectly" shananigans, but mostly it was good. And most all resulting soreness was from my moving of muscles I have let sit and forget and not my little ol' ankle.
So all in all a victory for my right ankle and a mental victory. I let go of the fear and I ended up all right. Grant it, I can't be assured this day's experience will ever happen again. But I can rest assured that on this day my experience was more perfect than I allowed myself to imagine it could be and I am so grateful for that.
I ran today and though I did not cover any quantifiable distance for my journey, I closed such a mental distance between who I was and who I am; I brought myself many steps closer to me feeling like me again.
New Miles: Unknown
Total Miles: Same as before - 341.0
Miles Remaining: Same as before - 1159.0
Weight: 137.6 (pre-game); 140.2 (post-game and dinner)
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Ever changing goals
Time: 28:58
From minute 14 I aimed to get under 30 minutes. From minute 20:00 I wanted it to be well under 30 minutes (meaning less than 30 but likely more than 29. From the hill of my street I wanted to be done in 29:30. From the last down hill of my street closing in on the driveway I wanted it under 29. And so I pushed out the final 5 seconds to bring me home in 28:58.
One stretch break stop half a mile in and the clock kept running; about 20 seconds worth. No real wait for traffic today. Hot but not humid. Evening sun glare in face but I'll take the sun and warmth.
I also walked at lunch today - so +.5. Plus 100 crunches and 20 push-ups.
This is going to be a long 1500 mile journey if I can't think of anything good to write about. It's not a good sign when the summary of my workouts are already mundane and I'm less than 350 miles in.
New Miles: 3.0 + .5
Total Miles: 341.0
Miles Remaining: 1159.0
Weight: 138.0
From minute 14 I aimed to get under 30 minutes. From minute 20:00 I wanted it to be well under 30 minutes (meaning less than 30 but likely more than 29. From the hill of my street I wanted to be done in 29:30. From the last down hill of my street closing in on the driveway I wanted it under 29. And so I pushed out the final 5 seconds to bring me home in 28:58.
One stretch break stop half a mile in and the clock kept running; about 20 seconds worth. No real wait for traffic today. Hot but not humid. Evening sun glare in face but I'll take the sun and warmth.
I also walked at lunch today - so +.5. Plus 100 crunches and 20 push-ups.
This is going to be a long 1500 mile journey if I can't think of anything good to write about. It's not a good sign when the summary of my workouts are already mundane and I'm less than 350 miles in.
New Miles: 3.0 + .5
Total Miles: 341.0
Miles Remaining: 1159.0
Weight: 138.0
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Enough with excuses
During my half mile walk during lunch (which I am going to start tracking as part of my Journey) I reminded myself I haven't run in a while and I need to get going again. Enough with excuses -- severe cold, several day migraine, family get together -- I need to find time to run and walk.
So at 7pm with sun shining in the hot and humid evening I went out on my normal 3.0 mile loop. Surprisingly once I got going I felt decent and had no need to stop and walk - other than for cars when crossing streets and one brief time when I needed to stretch when my left lower back started hurting and one brief minute when I stopped and talked to my friend's dad who I saw out in front of the house and just had to say "Hi" to. I finished my run in 30:28.
Then for a cool down I cleaned up the back yard which took about 30 minutes since it was a post-party clean-up.
New Miles: 3.0 + .5
Total Miles: 337.5
Miles Remaining: 1162.5
Weight: 139.2
So at 7pm with sun shining in the hot and humid evening I went out on my normal 3.0 mile loop. Surprisingly once I got going I felt decent and had no need to stop and walk - other than for cars when crossing streets and one brief time when I needed to stretch when my left lower back started hurting and one brief minute when I stopped and talked to my friend's dad who I saw out in front of the house and just had to say "Hi" to. I finished my run in 30:28.
Then for a cool down I cleaned up the back yard which took about 30 minutes since it was a post-party clean-up.
New Miles: 3.0 + .5
Total Miles: 337.5
Miles Remaining: 1162.5
Weight: 139.2
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Anchors Aweigh
Seeing the sun after work was motivating to run, but it was hot and I dilly-dallied and then I walked up 75% of the hill and turned around and headed to the treadmill. Not feeling it and worried I wouldn't get far I opted for an indoor run.
I managed 2.25 miles; stretch after .25 then various paces for the next .5, quick break then ran the next 1.0 mile at various paces too (max 6.5mph). Then jogged it out and walked the last .15. Total Workout: 2.25 miles in 23:30 361cals.
Then I finally remembered to lift weights too - Did 10 reps of the 15lb kettlebells with each arm, then several other arms lifts at 10 reps or 15 reps each arm. Then onto the yoga mat with some HGTV for 150 crunches. And then some stretching of my super tight and sore muscles. Lots of coughing was involved as my cold was agitated; rough times.
Most motivating song: John Philip Sousa "Anchors Aweigh"
New Miles: 2.25
Total Miles: 334.0
Miles Remaining: 1166.0
Weight: 138.4
I managed 2.25 miles; stretch after .25 then various paces for the next .5, quick break then ran the next 1.0 mile at various paces too (max 6.5mph). Then jogged it out and walked the last .15. Total Workout: 2.25 miles in 23:30 361cals.
Then I finally remembered to lift weights too - Did 10 reps of the 15lb kettlebells with each arm, then several other arms lifts at 10 reps or 15 reps each arm. Then onto the yoga mat with some HGTV for 150 crunches. And then some stretching of my super tight and sore muscles. Lots of coughing was involved as my cold was agitated; rough times.
Most motivating song: John Philip Sousa "Anchors Aweigh"
New Miles: 2.25
Total Miles: 334.0
Miles Remaining: 1166.0
Weight: 138.4
Monday, July 4, 2011
Independence 5K
After a week with a severe cold, where I couldn't do anything but rest, I woke up at 7:00am and went .3 miles away with Bridgette and at 8:30am we ran a 5K.
There were a number of serious runners, one we called Mr. America due to his America-themed shorts, and then a bunch of people like us. Mr. America ran it in just over 16 minutes! I wore my LiveStrong yellow shirt and black shorts and bib #27.
Bridgette ran it in 26:25 and I ran I in 26:27! The pace out of the starting line was intense, we got swept up into the serious runner crowd til they all got around us in about 30 seconds. It was super speed racing followed up by a pretty quick personal pace but it felt so much better than the starting pace.
Overall pace: 8:32 minutes per mile!! This is the first time I have run consecutive miles at fast pace.
New Miles: 3.1 (5K)
Total Miles: 331.75
Miles Remaining: 1168.25
Weight: 137.4
There were a number of serious runners, one we called Mr. America due to his America-themed shorts, and then a bunch of people like us. Mr. America ran it in just over 16 minutes! I wore my LiveStrong yellow shirt and black shorts and bib #27.
Bridgette ran it in 26:25 and I ran I in 26:27! The pace out of the starting line was intense, we got swept up into the serious runner crowd til they all got around us in about 30 seconds. It was super speed racing followed up by a pretty quick personal pace but it felt so much better than the starting pace.
Overall pace: 8:32 minutes per mile!! This is the first time I have run consecutive miles at fast pace.
New Miles: 3.1 (5K)
Total Miles: 331.75
Miles Remaining: 1168.25
Weight: 137.4
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