2020 Running Goal - Update #3

It snowed about 6 inches last night and is continuing this morning, so my running streak is up in the air. I finished my 17th day in a row yesterday. I'm feeling pretty good right now. I have a few little aches and pains in my knees but nothing I'm worried about at this point. Today would be day 18, but seeing on how slowly my road has been plowed in the past, I won't hold my breath. But I'm okay with it, I guess, if it happens. I can't lie. It would be nice to have a day off. My body would appreciate that. Physically, I'm holding up fine. But mentally, some recent days I didn't want to go outside, because of the cold and wind and horrible running surface. If this streak stops, I can always start another one. And I'm not in a bad spot with my mileage. Right now, even if I cannot run my 4.1 miles today, I would be about 1.76 miles behind.

Current yearly stats:

Runs: 17
Distance: 72.04 miles
Total Time: 11h 29m 19s
Avg Distance Per Run: 4.24 miles
Total Calories: 9,396
Avg Speed: 6.3 mph
Avg Pace: 9:34 min/mile

Days Left in Year: 348
Miles Left in Year: 1,427.96 miles (from 1,500)
Daily Average Needed: 4.10 miles

Running in a Winter Catch-22

Running on my gravel loop in winter with all its hard-packed snow and ice is tough. Each step alternates between sinking into a hidden snowy rut or slipping and sliding on slick ice. It forces me to run carefully and slowly which in turn takes a toll on my mental and physical health. I don't need to be an Olympic sprinter, but I definitely have a running stride and speed that I feel comfortable with. This mandatory slowness to prevent injuries forces me to be out in the weather for longer times (anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes extra per run) which obviously increases my chances of making a misstep and getting hurt. Knock on wood, I haven't fallen down yet. I haven't twisted an ankle or knee yet. But I've been close a few times, and that's enough to make me slow down even more. I'm stuck in a winter Catch-22.

Cold Running on January 12th

January 12th was really cold and windy, but I went outside to run and keep my streak alive. According to my Garmin watch, it was -2 degrees F outside. I don't know what the wind chill was. I mean, I know it wasn't good. My body kept on getting uncomfortable cold spots on it where my sweat started to freeze. At one point, I took off my gloves for a bit to adjust my clothing and facemask and when I looked at my wrists, all my exposed arm hairs were frosted over. Each one looked like a white delicate moth antenna. I tried to get a picture of it, but my phone kept shutting off when I tried to start the photo app. I guess it didn't like the cold weather either. Anyway, here's a cool picture of my frosted hat around mile 3 (I finally got the photo app to work by restarting my phone many times and screaming a few choice words).

2020 Running Goal - Update #2

Well, the streak still lives, but it is getting dicey. Yesterday's run wasn't fun. The ground was like a rough ice rink with ankle-twisting ruts and hidden holes. The wind ripped at my face, neck, arms, and legs. It was tough going even for a Wisconsin winter day. I just kept my head down and kept my legs churning, occasionally glancing through the narrow field of vision between my face mask and double hats. I am definitely looking forward to warmer days when I can actually enjoy being outside and run longer distances. Weekends should be my prime time where I have few obligations and lots of time to get ready and run. But nevertheless, day 11 was completed. Unfortunately, today's weather looks just as bad.

Current yearly stats:

Runs: 11
Distance: 47.43 miles
Total Time: 7h 30m 56s
Avg Distance Per Run: 4.31 miles
Total Calories: 6,180
Avg Speed: 6.3 mph
Avg Pace: 9:30 min/mile

Days Left in Year: 354
Miles Left in Year: 1,452.57 miles (from 1,500)
Daily Average Needed: 4.10 miles

2020 Running Goal - Update #1

Well, so far, I've been able to keep my running streak alive. I'm running in the afternoon immediately when I get home from work. The cold Wisconsin temperatures require me to wear 2 pairs of socks, 2 pants, 3 shirts, a facemask, gloves, and a hat. So, not my favorite running attire. Too bulky, too heavy, too yucky when I get sweaty. But whatever, short of leaving Wisconsin or running indoors, what can be done? When I think about running 1,500 miles this year, it feels daunting. But I've reread a bunch of my old running posts lately, and they have re-energized me. That reminds me, I still need to go out and run today yet. Gotta push that streak to 7 days.

Current yearly stats:

Runs: 6
Distance: 26.93 miles
Total Time: 4h 13m 29s
Avg Distance Per Run: 4.49 miles
Total Calories: 3,518
Avg Speed: 6.4 mph
Avg Pace: 9:25 min/mile

Days Left in Year: 359
Miles Left in Year: 1,473.07 miles (from 1,500)
Daily Average Needed: 4.10 miles

Running Goals for 2020

Well, I have no idea if I'll be able to accomplish this, but my main running goal for 2020 is to average 4.1 miles every day to accumulate 1,500 miles by the end of the year. I lucked out with a leap year, so I have 366 days to do this. I would love to get a 366-day running streak, but the odds (and weather gods) are stacked against me in Wisconsin, so I'll probably have to adjust the plan as needed.

My other goal is to finally run a marathon. To date, my farthest distance is 16.2 miles back in August 2018. Since then, I have run some half-marathons. I will be turning 40-years-old in April, so I would like to get the marathon done sometime before the end of the summer.

Here are my yearly totals so far:

Lake Superior Literacy Council - Great Young Authors Festival

I had a great time presenting to elementary-age students at the Young Authors Festival in Superior, Wisconsin, on Saturday, November 16. Thank you to everyone involved that made this happen. There was a great group of kids (and parents) that participated and shared their writing. We had lots of laughs and the kids provided wonderful and unique ideas during the writing activities.

Half-Marathons in 2019

Well, after a couple months hiatus, I finally finished another half-marathon in 2019 bringing my new total (and current annual record) to six.

This last one was pretty tough. My body wasn't ready for it (and I knew that going in), so I had to really gut it out and stay mentally focused for the entire race.

Some Fun Halloween Stories for Kids

With Halloween coming up, here are some fun stories for kids to enjoy:

Four Scary Stories for Kids and Granny Gruesome: Nursery Rhymes to Terrify Children

 

Summer of Half-Marathons

I finished my fifth half-marathon this summer. It was a beautiful day yesterday, so I went out for an early morning run and decided to keep running after going a few miles. I felt really good up until mile 9, and then my body started to slow down and malfunction. It was a hard push and mentally exhausting to keep going, but I was able to finish 13.1 miles in 2 hours and 8 minutes with an average pace of 9:48.

I have now finished 18 half-marathons in my life. Here's the breakdown by years:

2013 - 1
2014 - 0
2015 - 1
2016 - 3
2017 - 3
2018 - 5
2019 - 5

I really feel like I want to break that tie between 2018 and 2019. I still have about 4 months left in 2019, so I'll probably give it the old middle-aged try.

The End of Summer

Well, this summer went by quickly. I wrote down a few story ideas but didn't do much real book writing. So, basically, I took the whole summer off. School is starting soon. Maybe that will re-energize me and get me going again.