Vacation Running

Well, I warned you about this at the beginning, it's time for a short vacation to the family place in New York.

Not from running, however.

I still have some pretty serious miles to run to hit my goal of 60 miles. When I get back on Sunday night I'll sync the iPod and we'll see if I was able to buckle down and get it done, or if I got distracted by beautiful women, cold drinks, and a stiff wind.

Trouble?

I've got 10 days to run more than 30 miles. Trouble.

I bet more of you wish you had taken me up on my offer.






Good news for you, it's still on the table! Post in the comment if you'd like to pledge to donate any amount if I meet my goal. If I fail, you get paid!

As for me, time to go for a run!

Sad...

Don't worry, I'm still here and still running.

I'll be honest, I needed a few days off after my 10 mile run. I then took a few extra days off, with hopes that some of my challengers would take the opportunity to catch up a little bit. A challenge isn't very motivating if you start way behind.

But as you can see, it looks like we only have three contenders. Oh well.

Think you'd be a better challenger? Get out there and get the Nike+ system!

Ooops Again...

So, it turns out I'm a pretty competitive person.

I think I took it a little too far today. Honestly, I set out hoping to do 4 or 5 miles. But when I got to 4 or 5 miles, all I could wonder about was how far my challengers might be running. So I kept going. When I got to 7 or 8 miles, I knew that just one more little push, and I could win the first challenge outright.

So, I did it.

Now, I feel like I want to die.

But not a hurtful death, just a mentally and physically exhausted sort of death. My body feels OK, so far. Just tired.

Sleep now.

[Edit - Woke up this morning, took a shower, and I'm feeling pretty normal!]

Challenges...

One of my favorite features of the Nike+ system is one that I haven't really talked about before, the ability to challenge other runners. The winners of these challenges get trophies that hang in each user's virtual trophy case. As a number of friends now use the Nike+ system, I've just set up some challenges for us:

[Edit- I've moved the challenges to the right hand column, underneath my running info. If you get a message that a challenge is not availible, just refresh as they are a little Take a look to see how we are doing!]

If you are having a problem viewing the challenges, or any of the Nike+ applets on the right hand side, you might need to download Adobe Flash. It is quick, easy, and useful. Get it here, be sure to unselect the Google Toolbar instalation, unless you want that as well:

http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash

I've promised a bottle of booze to anyone who can win all three. Keep checking back on this post to see our progress as the challenges update!

Also, as a quick yet cryptic reference, dan1007 is Beatty, saltk006 is Mikey, and you should be able to figure out the rest!

Going the distance...

I had another great run on Sunday, as I exceeded my mileage goal for the week.

Nike+ has some out with some great new ways to integrate their system with this website, make sure you take a look at the new applets to the right side of your screen. You'll be able to track my last five runs, and my overall running history.

You might also notice the new applet with my new goal, to run 60 miles in 4 weeks. I'll be honest, this might be a little bit harder for me. With the weekly 'challenges', I knew from the beginning that I better get out there, because Sunday was just around the corner. With the extended time frame and no one holding me accountable on a weekly basis, it is going to be a struggle to push myself early on. Think I can do it? Think I can't? The applet will track my progress, so stay tuned...

I want to keep you all involved, so I've got a few options:

1) Pledge donation per mile:
You could pledge $0.10 per mile, and if I complete the goal, you'd owe $6. From 1 penny to $100 per mile, chose whatever amount you like. Here is the kicker- If you make a pledge, and I fail to complete the goal, I'll pay you 5 to 1 on your pledge, on the mileage difference. So if you pledge $0.50 per mile, and I run only 50 miles, I'll pay you ((.50 x 5) x 10 miles) = $25. Make sense?

2) Exceeding the goal:
You could pledge a certain amount per mile OVER the goal. So if you pledged $1 per mile over 60, and I ran 70 miles total, you'd owe $10.

3) To fail, or not to fail:
If you don't think I'll make it, put a pledge where your mouth is. If I fail, I'll pay you even money on your pledged amount.

Now, these are all in good fun, but they do a great deal to keep me motivated, and hopefully some of you will want to get invested in my progress, literally. My running will be a lot more exciting if you've got an interest in the outcome! And of course, all of the money is going to a great place.

So if you're intersted in making a pledge, note it in the comments! Pledges are valid if made before June 20th. Also, bear in mind that I'll be away from a computer (and therfore unable to synch my runs, from July 3rd - July 8th) You won't know how much I've been running that week until I come back home and synch my runs on the 9th, exactally 4 weeks from today, and the last day of the challenge.

June 5th, 2007

Three pretty amazing things happened yesterday, so this is going to be a LONG post:

1) I got a birthday donation from my best friend in the world. A big one. He has been one of my biggest supporters on this endeavor, and I can't thank him enough for that. Little does he
know the role that he played in getting me started...

We were at his beach house in CT after we were graduated from High School. He and another friend decided to wake up early, be active, and go to the gym. I decided to sit around and be lazy. I picked up a book that he had left laying around, and read it cover to cover. It was The Body Sculpting Bible for Men, and just as I feared, it is wicked embarrassing to type that. But I sat there, and I read it, and I decided it was time for a change.

Six years later, here I am, just getting started! I've still got the book sitting on my bookshelf for inspiration. Over the years he has worked hard, changed his body, and changed his life. Soon, I'll be able to say the same. And maybe, just maybe, when I make him run a half marathon with me, I'll be able to beat him! (Doubtful, considering he can run 5 miles in the time it takes me to run 3!)

2) I ran a 10k.

3) I RAN A 10K! I don't believe it either. That's 6.2 miles, and I actually ran for 6.3! I got a great email from a slightly older and much wiser Aunt yesterday, that said among other helpful advice:

"You need to concentrate on the TIME you are running. Not how fast, not how far, but on how many minutes you are running."

She was right, of course. I went for a run yesterday, and rather than setting a goal for myself, I decided to put the Nike+ on Basic Mode, and just ran. I was running slow enough that I was enjoying myself, not worrying about my time or my pace, I was relaxed and focused. I ran, ran some more, and then when I felt like stopping, I turned around and went back for another loop. Some of the time I was dragging my feet, concentrating only 10 feet in front of me, other times I was running just as strong as when I had started, feeling like I could go on forever.

It was an amazing feeling. The first time I checked my distance, I saw 6.05 miles, and was shocked, as I was hoping to have made it to 5. I ran down the street and finished right in front of my house, tired, but knowing that I could have pushed myself even further.

The power of suggestion is a powerful thing. I 'created' a 10k event yesterday, but in the back of my head I was terrified. I 'knew' that I wasn't ready for it, and could only hope that in a month, I would be. But running yesterday, I realized that I'm ready for more than I could ever imagine.

My body has changed. It still needs a lot of work, but it has changed. I feel like a runner now, I am a runner now. It is now just a matter of getting my head in the game, and believing in myself.