One More Goal - Going for 1,000 Miles in 2017

Okay, well, with my running streak over, I've decided to concentrate on hitting another milestone. I currently have 687.58 miles in 2017. I have decided to set a new goal and try for 1,000 miles total this year.

So, with 312.42 miles to go and exactly 4 months left (starting tomorrow, Sept 1st), I need to average 78.11 miles per month to get to 1,000.

In other words, I have 122 days left. I need to average 2.56 miles per day. On the surface, this seems pretty simple and straightforward. However, this is rural Wisconsin. This is fall and winter time. This is not ideal. Unless we have an abundance of abnormally warm days and little snow, I will be forced to get my mileage by running in the frozen tundra. We'll see how it goes.

88 Days - Final Running Stats

Here are my totals for the 88 days in a row that I went outside and ran in northwestern Wisconsin between May 30 and August 25. I'm sad but relieved that my streak is over. I am also proud of what I accomplished. It was only a matter of time for it to end, though. We are already in late August, and the days are shorter, colder, and wetter. I will take this opportunity to let my hips, knees, and feet heal up. I still have some yearly running goals that I want to go get yet.

Final Running Streak Stats:

Runs: 88
Distance: 414.77 mi
Total Time: 59h 33m 23s
Avg Distance: 4.71 miles
Total Calories: 56,986
Avg Speed: 7.0 mph
Avg Pace: 8:37 min/mile

88 Days and the Streak is Done

Mother Nature won out. After 24 hours of straight rain, my running loop is a mud hole. It is cold and windy and I cried Uncle. My running streak is over at 88 days in a row. Started back on May 30th. Officially done on August 25th. One of my favorite movies is Back to the Future and the number 88 plays an integral role:

Marty McFly: Hey, Doc, we better back up. We don't have enough road to get up to 88.
Dr. Emmett Brown: Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads.

But, unfortunately, I do need roads to run. I needed a runnable road today to get to 89. It didn't happen. So, 88 it shall be.

83 Days and Counting

I ran a 10K this morning. It is my 83rd day in a row of running some kind of distance. My streak started on May 30th, and I've accumulated 397.21 miles, averaging 4.79 miles per day, since then. I am shooting for at least 100 days in a row. This year will be my biggest running year ever, by far. I feel like I've been making good positive progress as these days pile up, although recently I've been injured more than I care to think about. And the parts that are injured are the parts I need to run. If it was a paper cut on my finger or eyelash stuck in my eye or mosquito bite on my nose, I could probably deal with the annoyance easier. But, alas, it is random, sharp pain in my hamstrings and groin tendon area and hip joints that usually settles into a perpetual dull ache in the respective region. Nevertheless, I plan to keep running daily as long as I can. Only 17 more days to 100.

Body Held Together with Duct Tape

I've been running a lot this year. Most of the mileage is from his summer, since I need to make hay while the sun shines. Since January 1st, I've went outside and ran 150 times for a current total of 640.93 miles. Over 92.5 hours and 88,000 calories used up. I'm on a current streak of 79 days in a row. My body is used and abused and needs to take a long snooze. Parts of my body cry out in pain when I move around, but everything mostly still works. I've gotten used to the feeling of sore groin tendons and unhappy hamstrings. I don't like them. I wish they were all healed up, but it is too tough to just stop running and break my streak. I think I'll try to do some slower, easier recovery runs for a few days. That reminds me, I need to go out today and run to keep the streak alive. See ya!

Have a Happy "Happy Day"

When you see a family member, give them a hug and tell them you love them. When you see a stranger, smile and say hello. Give a little happy today and get some happy in return. Spread the happiness. Spread the love. Life is too short for anything but.

New 5K PR

Hmm, well, that did not take long. One day later. One run later. New 5K PR. I wasn't trying to do anything other than just run fast for the first third of the first mile. I looked at my watch and unbelievably my mile pace was 6:47, so I figured this might be a good chance to set a new PR. I kept my arms pumping and kept breathing in and out the best I could. However, I slowed down as the miles dragged on. My breathing got all jumbled up, and I probably sounded like a hundred year old chain smoker at the end of the run. These tribulations were inevitable, though, and at points during the second and third mile, I was really, really wishing it was all over. I really wanted to be done. But I was mentally prepared for those doubts. I was prepared to keep going even though running at that pace was uncomfortable and hard. I was able to hang on, and I'm happy to shout out that I destroyed my old record. Just crushed it by 53 seconds. That feels good.

New 5K PR set on August 10, 2017:

Total Distance: 3.10 miles
Total Time: 21m 44s
Avg Pace: 7:01 min/mile
1st mile: 6:54.3
2nd mile: 7:00.1
3rd mile: 7:08.9
Last .10: 0:40.5

Trying for 5K PR in August 2017

This month is almost a third done already, but I've decided to try to beat my 5K PR. I don't have a specific date in mind. I'm just going to run for 30 minutes every day, and if I start out good and feel lucky, I'm going to go for it. The 5K run is challenging. And setting a new PR is difficult and exhausting, because every part of the race needs to be just about perfect. I can't mess up the first mile and hope to bring it back to good, because there just isn't enough mileage to make up for mistakes. In a longer run, I can make a mistake and have a slow mile, and probably make it up somewhere later. But in the 5K, I need to burst out of the gate from the get-go. We'll see how this goes. I'm still nursing my on-going left groin tendon injury and my new left torso soreness, so most of my runs so far this month have been slower to aid in recovery.

Current 5K PR set on August 31, 2016:

Total Distance: 3.10 miles
Total Time: 22m 37s
Avg Pace: 7:18 min/mile
1st mile: 7:09.1
2nd mile: 7:21.4
3rd mile: 7:28.2
Last .10: 0:38.6

Do You Like Instant Running Injuries?

Have you ever had an instant injury in the middle of your back just from running? You haven't? Well, what are you waiting for? I got one! It is exciting. And fun. It really makes you smile. It happened two days ago. I was running around my loop, and at exactly 1.92 miles, the left side of my middle back exploded in agony. Every step I took sent lightning strikes up and down my left side. I immediately stopped and walked for a bit. Walking is okay, but I could not shake off the injury. Sitting down is fine, but any kind of trunk rotation to the left or right brings the pain. Now, a few days later, the soreness and pain is still there. I either tweaked a band of back muscle around my left ribs or one of those invisible Loop Trolls hit me with its +6 pain hammer. You know, standard fantasy character stuff. Well, whatever, I'm hobbled for a bit. Have I stopped running? Um, no. The very next day I was able to run 4.72 miles without aggravating my back any worse, but I had to walk the last .28 to get 5 miles. I haven't gone out yet today, but we'll see. But I should, right? Maybe one of those invisible Loop Elf Clerics will hit me a +27 pain reducer spell today.

Max Mallory, I Will Run for You

I have never met Max Mallory. I found out today that I never will. He died from cancer at 22 in 2016. His father Chuck has written some beautiful memories here (Hired Before Graduation) and here (Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams). These memories of complete strangers made me cry. That is the raw power of words. The awesome power of the human condition. As I sat with my head in my hands and tears dripping down my forearms at 6:00 AM, I could feel this father's grief to my core. I could do nothing to ease his pain, but I could easily empathize with him. I could easily imagine Chuck's emotional turmoil oscillate between disbelief, anger, pain, strength, and finally, acceptance of his son's unfair death. I cannot do anything to bring Max back. But, Max, I will run for you today. I will run for you because you cannot. Hop on my back. I will carry you forward. You are remembered.

Completed: 30 Minutes, 3.5 miles, 8:34 pace