Breaking the Wall

Today is a great day.

You might be wondering how that can be possible, seeing as I woke up at 0500 with a mild case of food poisoning after watching the Sox please drunken fans everywhere, thus denying me of any sleep.

Well, I'll tell you.

For the last year, I have been running on a plateau. I've peaked in terms of speed.

The army requires I run two miles in 15:54 or less. For the last year, I've hit 13:40-13:49.

Never faster.

Today, all that changed.

I woke up and felt as though someone had placed a sizeable chunk of uranium in my gut. It hurt to bend over and tie my shoes.

Still, I had to be at first formation, lest terrible things happen to me.

My push-ups and sit-ups suffered from the intestinal disorder, and for the first time in a year I did not hit the maximum number of push-ups (75 in two minutes) settling for an unimpressive 73.

When it came time to run, I was almost ready to quit. I wanted to puke, my stomach hurt so bad.

But I marched onto the track, stretched my legs, and prepared for my worst run in years.

And then the whistle sounded and I took off.

I mean, I took OFF.

I hit my stride and didn't feel any pain. Sure, the dry air in the building gave me a severe cough afterward, but for the moment I was flying.

One mile in and I felt OK, hitting a 6:40. Usually, this is where I would hit my wall and slow down.

But today, I brought a friggin' hammer.

I busted the second mile in 6:55, my first sub-7 for a second mile.

Overall time: 13:35, a personal best.

Not only that, it made up for my lackluster push-up score, so I remain a 290/300. If I can cut seconds from my run, this means the training is working.

This means 13:00 is well within reach.

This means that, come December, I will hit that two-mile run like no one's business and max the PT test.

Oh, and along the way I'll run 26.2 miles.

As I said, today is a good day.

Run fasterst, ya'll.

On the Road Again

It's so good to be running again.

After a few weeks of hitting small sprints and six milers, I finally got in a nice long run.

This Saturday, one the behest of the Army, I ran to Bunker Hill, a distance of about 11-12 miles.

I led the pack of 14 people, keeping an easy pace of 8:50 the whole time.

What made it all worth while was watching the sun come up over the Charles River while jogging my ninth mile and realizing how much I missed that feeling.

The endorphines alone rocked my world.

I would have gone on longer, but my body was recovering from some serious illness and needed rest.

But now I have motivation back. I remembered that great feeling I got from running, and the great fear of the marathon that looms over me.

Today, more than ever, I feel like I will make this marathon with a solid time.

For now, I'm going to heal up and get ready for a PT test in the morning.

Keep up your own programs, and remember...

Run fasterest.

In Limbo

Hey all.

I know it's been some time, and I know you're all very curious as to what has happened to me.

Well, not too much.

I've kept up with my running as best I can, given the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the last fwe weeks.

I met with the Colonel of my Battalion, but he has so far made no decision regarding my position.

This irks me.

I'm still active with ROTC and the National Guard, which means my time is always in flux, but I have been running moderate disatnces for the past few weeks and feel pretty good. My only complaint is that I have not been able to get in a good long run in some time.

I plan to hit at least five long runs before the marathon, with one 20 mile run. This will prepare me as best I can for the 26.2 that lay ahead.

One could say I have not been adhering to the plan as I set out originally, but I will get back on track. There are still weeks before the marathon, and I have every intention of hitting Vegas like its never seen before.

I want to thank all of you for the encouragement over the trying weeks. Your words of inspiration have made the stress a little less grating.

Thank you all, and remember:

Run fasterest.

Really Stepping In It

This has not been my month.

I've lost track of my training program, injured myself, overstressed feet constantly, and been run ragged by the army.

This morning I was made into an example.

I had my rank taken, my job removed, and my position as a future army officer questioned.

Overreaction? Yes.

I now have to plead my case in front the of the ROTC cadre in a few days time to decide if I get to stay in the program.

If I am kicked out of ROTC, I have to report for enlistment in no less than a month. Instead of becoming a leader I become a follower, a private, an E-1.

Needless to say, I am pissed.

And worse, I'm down.

I haven't been training properly, which would help alleviate the stress. I've run some pretty nice fivers and an easy six, but no long distances.

This isn't good for my goal in the marathon, but real life has decided to take a dirty ol' dump on me and it looks like it had milk the night before.

I didn't mean for this blog to become something of a livejournal, but sometimes you need to get this stuff off your chest.

Anyway, stay sharp out there.

Run fasterest.

Pee Cubed

Poor Planning=Piss Poor Performance

Today was supposed to be my long run, long overdue since my injury.

I didn't plan out my route the night before, mainly because I spent my time writing up timelines and packing lists for field exercises for ROTC, but also because I don't manage time very effectively.

So this morning comes, I get dressed in my IPFU (the Army physical fitness uniform) and head out to the Esplanade to train the company.

We do an easy four mile run, which warms my legs and makes me feel all sorts of speedy.

Then, after all that, I decide there is only one way to get in a proper 16 mile run without blowing my pace.

I will go to the Fitness Recreation Center and jog on a treadmill.

Another mile later, I'm at the FitRec stretching out. I notice my stomach is a little rumbly, but I figure it's just eagerness.

I forget that I ate a half-a-pizza last night.

About two miles in, running at an 8:40 pace (6 seconds faster than my marathon pace) I run into a hurdle: IBS.

I don't suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrom (which is the most aptly named malady ever), but rather my own special brand of intestinal discomfort I like to call Inopportune Big Shits.

I rush to the bathroom and drop off my excess baggage, swearing at myself for missing the key step in a long run: the pre-run download.

At this time, I'd like to ask a question: When you spend twenty million dollars on a sports facility, why do you spend forty cents a roll on tissue paper for the toilets?

After running six cumulative miles, one can only assume my "regions" will be moist, and any fool can understand the problems this creates when tissue-thin TP is applied to the mix.

Anyway, I get back on the treadmill, but my legs are now cramping something awful and my stomach is giving me warning shots. I figure I've blown the long run, so I can at least get my cross-training in.

I hit the weights, working arms and back, chest and biceps. After a half hour, I bike until sweat drips down my collar and forms a fine half-moon. Basically a fifteen minute burnout.

Then I jog the 3/4 miles home and shower. And stretch.

Oh did I stretch.

I think I invented a new one called the "Oh wow, that hurts more than I intended."

I'm going to use Google Earth to map out my route on the Esplanade, and tomorrow I will go out and run a decent milage. There are no excuses anymore.

As always, Run fasterest.

The Need for Speed

My training schedule has been thrown off a bit, due mainly to my ROTC obligations.

This doesn't mean I haven't been training.

On Friday, for a bit of sport I led the Alpha ability group in a four mile run.

In the Army, we divide soldiers into groups based on ability for physical training. The fastest group, Alpha, usually runs a two mile course in 13 minutes or less.

Most of my guys ran the two mile in 12 or less.

For those of you who missed my last post, I only ran in 13:49.

Needless to say, these guys were booking it.

We maintained a pace of 6:50 for all four miles, which for me meant a solid run at 80% speed for nearly a half hour. When we finished, I felt great, despite the pain in my chest and legs.

My ankle still works, which is even better.

Tomorrow I will strap water to my back and tape to my nips and run 16 miles at a pace of 9 minutes per mile. This will get me back into the workout proper, though I have some catching up to do.

Until then...

Run fasterest.

Fitness Time

The Army Physical Fitness test is a combination of three events employed to evaluate the general physical strength and endurance of a soldier.

The three events are:

The push-up event.

The sit-up event.

The two-mile run.

For the first two events, each soldier has two minutes to complete the workout and must maintain good form throughout.

The third event is excatly what it sounds like.

The maximum score you can reach is 300, with 100 in each event. For three years I have been trying to get there, but my run has always held me back.

This year will be different.

I say "will" because today's PT test did not go so differently. That isn't to say I didn't do well.

I scored 100% in the push-up event with a score of 79, 100% in the sit-up event with a score of 89, and my overall run time was 13:49, 88%.

A score of 288/300 ain't too shabby, considering I haven't been practicing for real speed with my workouts.

What this test taught me is a change I will employ in my own training.

My target pace for the speed workouts has been 3:33 per 800m, or about a 7:06 mile.

From now on, I shoot for a 6:20 mile or faster.

School calls, and I have sushi waiting for me to eat it.

Run fasterest.