Monthly Archives: January 2013
13 goals: January check-in
January hasn’t been the best month when it comes to overall health and how I feel with my fitness, but I can’t complain either. I finished the Disney Marathon, far and away the best non-racing race experience of my life. When something like that happens, I have no reason to look at anything negative from the first 31 days of the year.
As promised, I’m going to check in at the end of each month with my 13 goals for 2013, giving updates where necessary and giving additional thoughts when they come up. Here’s a look at how things stand after 31 days:
1. 5k PR – official or unofficial
I won’t focus on this until late spring early/early summer.
2. Run at least 2 races I’ve never done before
One down with Disney! There’s nothing on tap yet to cross this off anytime soon, but I hope to tackle a new race this summer besides being signed up for the Richmond Half in November.
3. Run a 5k – official or unofficial – with my friend Brandon
I’m trying to make plans to visit him this spring. He better be ready to run.
4. 50 consecutive push-ups
I’ve done quite a few push-ups this month, but only attempted a max once, hitting 22. As long as I continue to do push-ups and other strength training, I think I can get to this mid-year.
5. Ride at least 200 miles
So far a good 0 miles. My bike is still not with me in Richmond yet.
6. Weigh in at less than 180
This is something that’ll take some work. I’ve had better moments with eating this month, so I hope this starts to pay off in February.
7. Do a plank at least once a week
Right on target.
8. Run a race without a watch
I ran Disney watchless, but I did have my phone that had text alerts on 3 timing mats. It wasn’t a race for pace or time though, so this is kind of sort of marked off. I will say that going 26.2 miles without a watch was much easier than I thought it would be.
9. Run with my sister Heather
This should happen very soon.
10. Do an exercise at least once per month that I haven’t done the rest of the year
This doesn’t really start until February, but I’m excited to try new things.
11. Eat at least one salad per week
Easily on track for this.
12. Limit myself to one soft drink a month
I had a Coke on Jan. 1 at a stop on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. I’ve had no cravings at all since then, but I’ll admit that I’m plotting out the best day in February to have something.
13. Run ON the beach
Whether this is Shamrock weekend or this summer, I’m really looking forward to this one.
Circle of (not) sickness
I’m not sick. I’m just not 100 percent.
Since my Disney trip, I’ve probably gone through a box of tissues myself and woken myself nightly with the post-flu cough.
My son has gone through much of the same thing, although he never had the flu.
My wife’s had a bit of a lingering cough as well.
Cough, cough.
We’re not sick, I promise.
On a running note, I was talking with my friend Travis tonight about the Shamrock Half Marathon. He’s planning the full that day and he, too, had the flu about a month ago.
He has a way of motivating me and reminding me of my own training. I’ve got the base miles for this race, I just have to get healthy.
That conversation has led me to a self-imposed get-healthy deadline. If I’m back to 100 percent by Feb. 1, I’ll set a sub 1:40 as my goal again; if I’m not, I’ll run for fun and find a different “A” race this spring.
It’s great to have friends who help keep things in perspective. Now I have get over whatever is lingering in our household.
2 months ’til Shamrock
The path to my 6th Shamrock Half Marathon started in a heavy snow tonight. The run wasn’t anything special — just 2 miles as a recovery from Sunday’s Disney Marathon - but it’s very strange to go from running in uncomfortable heat to low 30s and snow within a 5-day span.
It’s also been an extremely bizarre week with my soreness. The way I felt Monday morning was like nothing I had experienced. I could barely walk. Today I feel surprisingly refreshed. If it wasn’t snowing and if the roads weren’t a disaster with slush, I would have run farther.
The Shamrock countdown and training is now under way for me, both physically and mentally. Sunday got me excited about running again and I can’t wait to see how the next 2 months go. …
Doing Disney again … one day
I could go on and on and on about how great of a weekend Disney was and how much I enjoyed the Walt Disney World Marathon, but sometimes those memories are better just kept to myself and my family. (To address a point I brought up last week, yes my son had fun on the rides even taking on Space Mountain after just barely meeting the height requirements.)
It was a special weekend that I would have liked to have extended by another day, and I’d love to make going back — both for a vacation and for running — a reality. How that all happens isn’t something I’m going to lay out here. (The Disney Marathon will be 25 in 5 years, the year that I’ll turn 40 …)
After such a quiet end to 2012 and then kicking off 2013 in this awesome way, I’ve got to figure out what I want to do next with running. Lots of questions with no answers, but I’m very much at peace with that for at least a few more days.
For now, I’m still obsessed about this awesome medal. Here it is at work with me on Tuesday …
Disney’s magic
There are no words to explain what participating in the Walt Disney World Marathon was like. I left my watch behind, I left any crazy thoughts about running hard behind and I went out there and had a blast.
In a way, yesterday felt like a celebration of running. It was the absolute perfect way to kick off 2013 without any stress involved.
I’ve admittedly taken running too serious lately and I let that get me down a bit after the Richmond Marathon. While I have some big goals for this year, I had none yesterday except to have fun.
And 6 hours (yes, 6!) of fun (well, except for some middle miles that were a bit boring and hot) is what I had.
I can’t thank Comfort Zone Camp enough for letting me a part of their Grief Relief Team. Find out here how you can help make a difference in the life of a child.
I’m sure that I’ll have more to say in the coming days about this past weekend, but I’ll let the pictures tell the story.
3 things Thursday: Disney edition
1. Even though the Disney Marathon is purely for fun, my wife and I have tentatively plotted out the weekend to avoid being on my feet all day Saturday and instead make Sunday the longest day of my life.
It’s a battle of stay on my feet and walk around all day Saturday vs. running then going to a park Sunday. It’ll be an interesting weekend for sure.
2. I’d be so mad if I had trained in cooler weather only to have spring-like, almost summer-like, conditions for this race. Instead I’m kind of looking forward to race temps in the 60s at the start.
Sure it’ll be hot a few hours later, but with my approach this weekend I’d rather be hot than cold or something in between.
3. One of the biggest questions headed into the weekend is not about my running, but whether or not my son will hop on the rides or get close enough to any of the characters to take a picture.
I’m running the Disney Marathon with Comfort Zone Camp’s Grief Relief Team. Find out how you can help make a difference in the life of a child.
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