A New Obsession

Last summer I was obsessed with four things: Animal Crossing New Leaf, Dirk Mannings book Write or Wrong, Deafheaven's Sunbather album and training for the Great Lakes Relay. Now the first three I kept my babblings relatively low but training for the GLR I went full bore.

The GLR is important, I talked about it here before, but for 6 weeks last year it was all consuming. The past few years of the race haven't been my best and I haven't really enjoyed the GLR like I did in the past. So last year I set out to make a change...or, just try and run more than I did the year before.

Which, at first, didn't seem hard because it wasn't like I ran a ton the previous year. But I took my talking about, planning and tracking my runs to a whole new level last year. At one point I could tell my wife had had enough but I just couldn't stop myself; I kept on babbling. The funniest thing about all this was when I found last year's mileage. I have no idea what I obsessed about, I still ran barely any miles. Yeah, all's I did was beat the previous year's nothing mileage with an almost unnoticeable improvement.

This year I'm doing something different,  yeah I'll plan and track my miles but instead of talking and obsessing I'm just going to run. And if I do babble I'll do it here.

Today's Playlist:

All We Love We Leave Behind = Converge

late race reports

The last 5k, my race of choice, was in April, a local race, and I did okay for how much training I was doing. I ran a 28:44, not great by any means for what I should be running but like I blogged before I am coming off some injuries that made my normal training difficult. My fastest 5k time this year was in March at the Hanson's 5k where I ran a 27:50, some great progress at the time. I'll get back to my 5k later.

Since my last 5k in April I still have been racing: I did a 8k in May, the NCTR was in June, and I did a duathlon and the GLR in July. So I have been doing a fare amount of training and racing. Mid summer is usually the drop off of my 5k racing when the relays and more endurance racing starts. But, now that all the relays are over I am going to concentrate on getting my 5k time down before winter starts and my training slows to maintenance training.

Here is a look back at the past few major races I've completed.

The first was NCTR a drunken weekend with the friends that starts summer off with some adult sodas, good friends and some good running. I've only had one really great NCTR relay three years ago the rest have been hard runs that kick my butt into gear and remind me that GLR is a month away and my training needs to improve. I died on the first leg which was a 7.2 miler trail run. I ran it in about an one hour and forty minutes. Just miserable. After that long run tripping through the woods my back was shot and in pain. I was down for a nap in one of the cars and after that I felt a bit better and finished the day with a 3.5 miler that was slow but not to bad. This was not a great start to my running for the summer.

The next big race was my first duathlon. A first annual local race that was a 5k run, 20k bike and then a 5k run to finish. I ran the first 5k easy and relaxed, I have never done such a race before so I didn't want to die. I ended up running a lady into the ground that was trying to race the first 5k. She kept attacking and because I was running easy it wasn't to hard to control the pace and keep ahead. My first 5k was run in 30:22. Then the bike came up. I rode strong and for such an insane ride with huge uphill climbs I didn't die or get beat down by the ride. I've realized that I am a strong rider just not a brave rider. I could have taken a few down hills with a bit more bravado than I did. But I finished the ride in 01:02:27, which is close to how long it takes me to ride around 14-16 miles with traffic stops so the hills didn't slow me down to bad. The last 5k was hard. I past a few people but the last mile was just me trying to maintain my pace. I was glad to finish the last 5k at 35:45 with a 02:08:34 overall time. I was proud of myself for accomplishing my first duathlon and finished in a realistic time. I am hoping to compete in more duathlons if I can find ones that use Mountain Bikes, not a big Road Biker yet.

The last race report is for the GLR our yearly three-day drunken running fest. Lots of memories and funny stories from this year. A great time. My first run of day one was a 5.2 mile trail run. Good trails and I ran it easy at 01:03. My second run of day one was horrible a 5 mile trail run on overgrown sandy horse trails. Took me 01:17 to suffer through that run. Day two was a bit better I ran my first run a 5.4 mile trail run in 01:04 so I was on the same pace as the day before and it was cool to run the same run again after running it for my first GLR first leg six year ago. Then the mess comes out. I started drinking after my first leg and didn't stop. Ran my second leg a 3.5 mile trail run in 50 minutes of drunken stumbling running through the woods. Don't recommend running distance runs wasted. Day three I only had one run which I killed. It was a 5.5 mile run on two tracks, dirt and country roads. I ran it at a ten-minute pace finished the leg in 57:20. This is when I really realized that trail running sucks for me. I can't stride out like I can on roads. I had a great year this year. Oh, and between five drinks and five little helpers we drank ten cases of beer. So, yea, we had some fun.

So, back to 5k's. After all this crazy running I am really looking forward to running a 5k this Saturday and hopefully setting a new PR (Personal Record) that I am proud of. Got a week of rest last week, new shoes this week and starting to hit some good running. Hopefully I will hit a low 26 min or a high 25 min time. That would make me happy.

running report: when I think I am back...my back

I have five weeks or actually six, but I am going to relax week six, before this years North Country Trail Relay (NCTR). This is my sixth year running the NCTR and my first that I can actually train for without being interrupted by college. But, my body has been revolting against me for the past year now.

I hit the point last year when my body started to break down because I wasn't training correctly. I have had a few injuries that have set me back over the past three years, non of them major, but all have sidelined my training. Last year I was up and down with my running and would rest one or two weeks and then kill myself at relays or other races. Around August I started to try and drop my times but with poor training and tendinitis in my shins my body had had enough. Most of the winter I ran just to maintain some running ability but never really trained. But, sense the beginning of this year I really started to get my running and my body put back together and be smart about it.

My tendinitis seems to be getting better and I am feeling better while I run but then a month ago my back went out. Great. So I've been dealing with that for the past few weeks now. A minor set back but it's just a reminder that I am not out of woods yet when it comes to putting myself back together and a reminder that I need more core training.

Training for NCTR:

Running
I am just trying to run maintenance mileage right now and run low but consistent mileage each week. I fallow the 10% rule (don't raise your weekly mileage more than 10% per week) and I keep my mileage in a range. So I am going to run between 14 and 16 miles per week for the next four weeks and then raise my mileage between 15 and 17 the week before the relay and then rest the week of the relay because I'll be running over 10 miles that weekend. My main goal is to run more than double the mileage I ran last year before this relay.

I am also happy that I am now ahead of my weekly mileage from last year. I've been keeping track of my year to year running and I am 1 mile ahead of last years mileage.

Cross Training
Cycling was the only reason last year that I was half way decent at running. I rode just under 400 miles last year and cross training is something that all serious runner should do. I rode 109 miles last year before the NCTR and I hope to ride 164 this year (around 1.5 times as much as last year). I rode 10 last week so I am having a slow start but a start non the less.

Core Training
Weights, abs and yoga. I am still working on this but I have had about two days a week of good core training. Hope to add some more to that.

This seems like rambling but I am trying to keep it straight in my head. My encompassing goal is to do more or double than what I did last year. Double the mileage, more cycling and more core training. Then I should be physically and mentally ready. Because just about five weeks after the North Country Trail Relay I have the Great Lakes Relay which is three days long.

back in the black or red...which ever is good.

I am back in the black or red...which ever is good when it comes to my weekly mileage for this year. It's the end of week seven and I hit my highest weekly total mileage of 14 miles and doubled my mileage from last year. I've been injured on and off for the past few years and went from a runner and became a jogger. Or, that's at least how I feel. So I've been really pushing myself to get back into racing shape where I used to be and have a great summer of running and racing. My first big event is the North Country Trail Relay. Every past year I was finishing my winter semester of school and never had time to get into the shape I needed to be in. So I hope to have a great relay this year and finish strong and healthy. My goal for next week will be to hit three days of running and no less than ten miles. It will be hard after hitting a good week to fallow it up but I hope to get at least ten miles.

I had a wonderful Valentine's Day with my wonderful girl friend. We had a relaxed dinner at home where I used my Asian abilities that I learned from years at the Chinese Restaurant and made a shrimp stir-fry and my girlfriend made some great steaks. We had a fabulous evening.

I also up'ed my TBR (to be read) list. My girlfriend and I love the Showtime series Dexter and after this last season I had mentioned reading the books that are the source material for the show. So for Valentine's Day my awesome girlfriend got me the Dexter books amongst other things (The Kings of Kong movie, a must see documentary). I've been really getting into crime and hard boiled stories of late and these books will make a great addition to my collection.

On the art front I've been making a weekly goal list of five projects to complete throughout the week. I've managed to complete about two a week and am make progress with all my projects. I hope to have some more arty pics on the blog this week. My camera is still broken but I can manage.

One last thing: See the new Friday the 13th; awesome movie.

busy times: a look at what I've been up to

I've had a crazy and also wonderful holiday. I haven't been able to finish a lot of my project lately, been having to much fun this holiday, so I am looking forward to working over the next few weeks.

Here is an image of an illustration I was commissioned to do for a Christmas gift. I kept it off the blog till after the holidays just in case the intended recipient saw it. Far fetched but still a possibility.




I took some of the money I got from the job and invested it into some new art supplies. I've been checking out KRINK ink markers for a awhile now and I was excited to receive my first shipment of them.



This (the pic above) is also the last shot I took with my digi camera. I now have a fixed frame Canon Power Shot SD500. I've had this camera for a little under 5 years now and have loved it as a fun fast little digital camera that I take all my vacation, running, and drunken party pics with. This was my main digital camera and I am hoping the elitists at the camera shop don't tell me I am better off buying a new camera. Five years just seems too short but in technology standards it's a millennia. I have been shooting a lot lately with film using a HOLGA, trying to get better, and still use a FUJIFILM camera with Advantix film every now and again. But I could talk about cameras and what I think about digital and film for a while so I will end it here.

The last update is about this years New Years Resolution 5K that me and my friends run every year in our home town. We strive to run in the most ridiculous and amazing outfits we can find and have done so for the past six years. This year we reach a new height of insanity with Lucha Libre masks. This will be hard to top next year.