7/1/2008

Unfortunately, I have neglected my blog only slightly more than my running the last three months. I made it through March 2008running every day--456 straight days if my math is right.

Sickness wasthe official reason the streak ended but i was getting close. The pressure to keep the streak alive was building too. It stated to be more of a grind than anything. I couldn't stop because I didn't want to kill the streak but it become only about the streak--I bet I did dreadmiles 9 out 10 days for the first quarter of the year.

As predicted, as soon as the streak ended, my training went kaput. Actually it had already gone kaput--the dreadmiles weren't really doing anything for me anyhow. I've decompressed for the most part now, the problems are that I don't have time--my wife is away for 6 weeks so I work during the day and watch the kids the rest of the time--and I don't really like where I live for running. Not sure why.

Our house is in a newer subdivision in the middle of farmland. I think it is a combination of feeling conspicous and the lack of variety in routes--pretty much have a 1 mile by 1 mile road grid to run, so to do a 2 miler, I've only got 4 different routes. The other challange is I don't see getting any more free time anytime soon, so I feel like any effort I put into running is for naught.

Think I ran once in both April and May and a few times in June. I've done a 5.75 miler so far. So I'm inching my way back slowly.

Consistancy

My streak of running everyday is still going but I've obviously not been consistent with the blogging.

The main reason is laziness, or as I like to call it, priorities. Truth is, family, work, the house, running & the Green Bay Packers are take priority over blogging. While I often think about blogging, or writing in general, I seldom ever do it.

Another reason, though, is that I feel like I need to have a good complete post for the blog instead of a partial, incomplete ramble. Pretty similar to why I have had problems with constancy with my running--when I feel like my training is suffering, not getting as much attention as I wish I could give it, I lose interest. An all-or-nothing approach.

The result is huge peaks and valleys.

My November training--30 runs but under 50 miles total--probably provided me with just the bare amount of maintenance possible, but it was something. Fifty miles a month adds up to 600 a year. I have gone many years below that total.

The question that needs to be asked is "Should I Commit to blogging every day, like i did with running?" The answer is No. Blogging is far down in importance to me. If I never do it, I'll just have a nagging little voice inside of me--it isn't like not running, which leaves me incomplete.

Streaking...

Not that I am, but I knew that if I wanted to keep my chance for a perfect 365, I would either need to get up early or run late. Either way, I was gonna be stuck running with my enemy. A shame, too, because it was a balmy 36 degrees out today.

I repeated my work out from yesterday, only doing a second mile.

Stats:
2.25 miles in 10:45 (8:47 pace)
Quarter paces:
(10:09)
(9:36)
(9:20)
(7:08) 9:03 mile
(8:13)
(9:43)
(9:32)
(7:09) 8:39 mile
(7:56)

Streaking

As a Packer fan, I cann't, in good faith, be thinking about attempting a 365 day streak without at least mentioning one Brett Lorenzo Favre. Favre is the Packers' Ironman who has started 237 straight games at quarterback. Just in case you don't know, that is just under 15 years of playing football--having 11 professional players who want to hurt you on every play.

My measily 4 day streak is probably like Brett playing one play in his first game--nothing. Actually, let's figure it out. To tie Brett, lets say I streak for 15 years. Each year of running would equal 16 games. 365 days divided by 16 is about 22 days--lets round off to 21 days. So I'm 1/3 of the way through my first game.

I guess every streak starts with 1.

Favre Records

Stats:
3.2 miles in 28:55 (8:38 pace)
Splits:
8:27
9:13
8:05