This post has been a long time coming, what with recently-passed project deadlines at school. In fact, it seems it's been so long coming that I’ve been making a list of things to incorporate into it for the better part of two weeks.
Boston is next Monday. As in 4 days from now. I.e. I fly out tomorrow at 6:00 AM EST. And yes, I’m increasingly exuberant and a bit nervous. My number this year: 1173 (for further information on how to track me, via AT&T-provided texts and/or emails, simply visit the following link to sign up: http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/participant-information/att-athlete-alert.aspx). My number last year: 1890 (meaning I’m slotted a full 700 positions ahead of my placement last year, as the lower your number means the faster you are…at least in regards to the time you submitted). I’ll be in Wave 1 (of 3), corral 2 (right up near the Ryan Halls of the world, whom I’ll be sure to reach out and touch as they jog past on their way to the starting line, in the hope of some sort of osmosis-type process taking shape within me). Be sure to visit www.baa.org the day of the race for further tracking capabilities.
Goals (in order of “want” and not necessarily feasibility):
1.) Finish under 2:50:00 (my current best is 2:53:40). To do so, it would require me to run consistent 6:29 miles. My best half marathon was completed with 6:19 miles. Should be interesting.
2.) Finish under 2:53:40, thus setting a new PR. This would require consistent 6:38 miles. Yes, that’s only 9 seconds per mile different than my 2:50:00 goal. Yes, a marathon is long enough for that to make a big difference.
3.) Finish inside the top 500 (I finished 786th out of over 23,000 participants last year).
4.) Have fun and high-five at least as many people as I did last year (including any elderly, wheelchair-bound women).
5.) Give serious consideration to not using up a great deal of energy by bellowing at the top of my lungs whilst racing through the so-called Wellesley (an all-girls college) Scream Tunnel (located 13 miles into the race).
And now, because it’s late and I have things yet to do this evening, followed by an early-morning wake-up, I’ll venture further into list mode:
1.) A few weeks back, I attempted a 21-mile training run. It was going splendidly, until this happened without a hint of warning:
Because I was out running, I had to continue on in order to find shelter. By the time I was able to do so (within 10 minutes), the hailstorm (and the accompanying rain) had stopped, thus I continued on. Approximately 20 minutes later, the skies opened up and down came a torrential downpour, which is in no way an exaggeration. While I was, 18 miles in, sprinting (ankle-deep in water) across a golf course on my way to my Grandpa’s house (the closest place on my route to take shelter), every car on the road was pulled over, as it was near impossible to see. And here was some cooky, shirtless 30-year-old out running in the stuff. Oh, and it hailed a bit more then, too. Fun times.
2.) Enjoyed the making of this 2nd Grade-oriented project, for which I used a program called PhotoStory:
3.) My monthly mileage for March: 226.31 miles. This is what happens when you only take one day off all month. FYI, I’d never before hit 200 miles in a single month.
4.) Went in halfsies on a treadmill with my mom a week or two ago, therein allowing me to cancel my never-used membership to the YMCA. Actually, the total cost of the ‘mill was an odd number, so I paid the extra penny in order to be able to say that I was the majority owner. Of course, it resides at her house, so I don’t think I’ll ever make much headway with that assertion.
5.) Went to see Gogol Bordello last Wednesday (April 6) in Atlanta. Didn’t know much about the band, other than to describe their music as “Russian circus music” (though I now believe “Gypsie circus music” is a better descriptor). Very nice (and small) venue. Even better show.
6.) Hope you did your taxes—due tomorrow, after all.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Shamrock Race Recap and Other Musings
I don’t have much time (as I get off of work at 2:00 PM and need to go to the groceria directly after, so as to have time to sandwich a run in between readying some tuna casserole and attending school), so this will need to be short and sweet:
1.) I placed third overall in the March of Dimes Shamrock 5k, with a time of 16:19. It is becoming increasingly clear to me that this run is becoming a sort of destination race, and that it will take a gargantuan effort indeed for me to pull off the win I so covet. FYI, I once again bettered my time from the year prior, lowering it by 4 seconds.
My legs felt ok—not great (not super lively or springy), and somewhat lethargic, but not the worst. My breathing was pretty ragged, as I was parched from the get-go to about 1.5 miles in (despite my best pre-race hydration efforts). If I keep training like I am, and proclaim a need for more speedwork leading up to next year’s race, it should be interesting to see what I can accomplish.
Pledging allegiance to the flag, pots chock-full of gold, and Guiness (I'm the tall guy in the middle, in red).
Finishing strong. Mostly.
2.) My legs are decently tired and heavy, but not enough to cause me concern or stop me from running every day. I did have to cut a workout short late last week, to insure I still had the use of my legs for the week’s remaining workouts, but that is not altogether odd…or unforgivable (I hope). I’ve already got over 150 miles under my belt for the month, with another week and a half to go (reaching 200 miles, for the very first time, in the process).
3.) I’m currently working on a lengthy, numbers-based school project (which is due by the end of the week) wherein I have to make countless graphs and charts to help highlight the ethnic, social, and demographical diversity of two separate Georgia (I chose South Effingham and Treutlen) Elementary schools. I think I almost resorted to stabbing myself in the face with one of my old Pinewood Derby cars to bypass moving any further ahead with the process today.
4.) As I previously mentioned, Calli is currently being featured within the Best Looking category in South Magazine’s inaugural South Greatest Pets Contest. Please click on the link to see and vote for her (only one vote per IP address, so if you want to tally multiple votes, I shan’t stand in your way if you decide to vote from both your home and place of employment).
1.) I placed third overall in the March of Dimes Shamrock 5k, with a time of 16:19. It is becoming increasingly clear to me that this run is becoming a sort of destination race, and that it will take a gargantuan effort indeed for me to pull off the win I so covet. FYI, I once again bettered my time from the year prior, lowering it by 4 seconds.
My legs felt ok—not great (not super lively or springy), and somewhat lethargic, but not the worst. My breathing was pretty ragged, as I was parched from the get-go to about 1.5 miles in (despite my best pre-race hydration efforts). If I keep training like I am, and proclaim a need for more speedwork leading up to next year’s race, it should be interesting to see what I can accomplish.
Pledging allegiance to the flag, pots chock-full of gold, and Guiness (I'm the tall guy in the middle, in red).
Finishing strong. Mostly.
2.) My legs are decently tired and heavy, but not enough to cause me concern or stop me from running every day. I did have to cut a workout short late last week, to insure I still had the use of my legs for the week’s remaining workouts, but that is not altogether odd…or unforgivable (I hope). I’ve already got over 150 miles under my belt for the month, with another week and a half to go (reaching 200 miles, for the very first time, in the process).
3.) I’m currently working on a lengthy, numbers-based school project (which is due by the end of the week) wherein I have to make countless graphs and charts to help highlight the ethnic, social, and demographical diversity of two separate Georgia (I chose South Effingham and Treutlen) Elementary schools. I think I almost resorted to stabbing myself in the face with one of my old Pinewood Derby cars to bypass moving any further ahead with the process today.
4.) As I previously mentioned, Calli is currently being featured within the Best Looking category in South Magazine’s inaugural South Greatest Pets Contest. Please click on the link to see and vote for her (only one vote per IP address, so if you want to tally multiple votes, I shan’t stand in your way if you decide to vote from both your home and place of employment).
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
More Miles and Modeling Calli
My mileage total for February came in at 142.68 (click on the screenshot below to expand), while I’m slated for significantly more—as per my coach’s instructions—in March (through March 8, I’ve already tallied 52.78 miles—I’ve provided a screenshot for this as well).
In fact, Friday, March 4 is/was the only day I was slated to refrain from running all month (and if that doesn’t get your mileage up, nothing will). Because I’m registering faster and faster times while putting forth the same amount of effort, I know my legs are getting stronger, so I should be able to handle the extra mileage and lack of rest days (days wherein I’m actually taking the day off, as opposed to running just a few miles, slowly). And though I’m not used to running so often, including running the days directly prior to a race (this Friday’s March of Dimes Shamrock Run 5k), I’m buying into my coach’s philosophy (“a day off is usually followed by an off day”); as the old adage says, I’m in for a penny, in for a pound.
As for Friday’s race, I’ve finished in 2nd and 3rd places, respectively, the last two years—in a time of 16:28 in 2009 and 16:23 in 2010. And though I’ve not been doing much speedwork in preparation for the race, I’m going to stay on the shoulder of the race’s leader and just ride him into the ground, even if it means I have nothing left in the tank for the final straightaway; I’m sick and tired of getting gaped during mile two, only to find that I can rally in mile three (yet still fall short because of my lack of heart earlier). Let the chips fall where they may.
And now, a couple of non-running related things:
1.) I recently enjoyed a white chocolate encrusted Twinkie (below, pre-mastication). Let it be known that, whether it was the sweet shop’s tampering with the Twinkie’s natural chemistry or simply the natural chemistry itself, Twinkies do indeed go stale. So there goes that myth.
2.) A local magazine—South Magazine—is hosting the first annual “South Greatest Pets Contest,” into which I have entered Calli. Her headshots (which are likely repeats of those you've seen on this very blog before) are below.
In fact, Friday, March 4 is/was the only day I was slated to refrain from running all month (and if that doesn’t get your mileage up, nothing will). Because I’m registering faster and faster times while putting forth the same amount of effort, I know my legs are getting stronger, so I should be able to handle the extra mileage and lack of rest days (days wherein I’m actually taking the day off, as opposed to running just a few miles, slowly). And though I’m not used to running so often, including running the days directly prior to a race (this Friday’s March of Dimes Shamrock Run 5k), I’m buying into my coach’s philosophy (“a day off is usually followed by an off day”); as the old adage says, I’m in for a penny, in for a pound.
As for Friday’s race, I’ve finished in 2nd and 3rd places, respectively, the last two years—in a time of 16:28 in 2009 and 16:23 in 2010. And though I’ve not been doing much speedwork in preparation for the race, I’m going to stay on the shoulder of the race’s leader and just ride him into the ground, even if it means I have nothing left in the tank for the final straightaway; I’m sick and tired of getting gaped during mile two, only to find that I can rally in mile three (yet still fall short because of my lack of heart earlier). Let the chips fall where they may.
And now, a couple of non-running related things:
1.) I recently enjoyed a white chocolate encrusted Twinkie (below, pre-mastication). Let it be known that, whether it was the sweet shop’s tampering with the Twinkie’s natural chemistry or simply the natural chemistry itself, Twinkies do indeed go stale. So there goes that myth.
2.) A local magazine—South Magazine—is hosting the first annual “South Greatest Pets Contest,” into which I have entered Calli. Her headshots (which are likely repeats of those you've seen on this very blog before) are below.
Monday, February 28, 2011
EDUC 6100 Web 2.0 Assignment: Diigo Review
Directly below you'll find my most recent submission for my EDUC 6100 (Technology Applications for Teachers) course. Because this was a Web 2.0 (which Wikipedia defines as "web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web") assignment, I thought it pertinent to include it on my blog (which is, in and of itself, a Web 2.0 application). We'll return to our regularly scheduled programming with my next post.
As soon as the topic of “social bookmarking” was broached in class, I knew that was the Web 2.0 assignment I was going to investigate and (hopefully) apply. Because I oftentimes work off of 2-3 computers within a week’s span, there are countless occasions when I look to access a saved bookmark, only to find that I’ve saved it on another computer. Thus the idea that I could save all of my bookmarks in one easily accessible place was of great interest to me; I was optimistic that I could venture into the social bookmarking world as part of this school assignment, then continue that walk in my every day, mostly outside-of-school life.
Unfortunately, within my first day of using Diigo (http://www.Diigo.com), I found that the idea of social bookmarking far exceed the actual implementation of it; the website was clumsy and lacked basic features I believed would make it far more user friendly. Until updates are made (or another, more accessible site comes along), my experimentation with this site required by this assignment will likely be my last usage of it. In fact, I liked Diigo so little I followed a recommendation (found on a Diigo message board) to another social bookmarking website, called Chipmark (http://www.chipmark.com). And though Chipmark remedied at least one accessibility issue I’d previously had, it was chock-full of its own bevy of digital demons (visually worthless, awkward accessibility in other aspects, etc.) and is not widely used.
For my first point, I’ll readily admit that I’m fairly impatient and am probably lazy. That having been said, I was surprised by how “put out” I felt when having to log into a website each and every time I wanted to access a bookmark; toggling between a new tab or window, in addition to my already-existent window(s), can be cumbersome and time-consuming. Then there’s the issue of a semi-required taskbar. Semi-required in that it is not mandatory, but is nearly essential if you want to get the most out of your Diigo experience (i.e. establishing sorting and sharing parameters, etc.). Which brings me to what I believe to be the show-stopping issue at the crux of what I believe will inevitably be Diigo’s downfall (assuming they don’t correct it in the interim): the inability to sort your bookmarks in any sort of logical way. Sure, the site allows you the ability to ‘tag’ the bookmarks you add, and you can even place them under different list headings, but it does not have the drag-and-drop (folder) functionality that is the bread and butter of almost any other list-based program/site.
When you first log in to Diigo, you are immediately taken to something called “My Library”, which is nothing more than a comprehensive listing of all the bookmarks you’ve added to your account. These bookmarks are not separated by tags or the lists to which you’ve assigned them, so your eyes are assaulted by one, big list of bookmarks. You can then use your filters (“My Lists” or “My Tags”) and weed some of the unwanted sites out, but without the ability to drill down into ever-increasing specificity within a topic (divvy the bookmarks up into smaller and smaller groupings), there is still the very real possibility that a list you’ve created for a certain subject (we’ll use “School” as an example) will have fifty separate bookmarks in it…all of which you’ll have to wade through until you’ve found the one for which you’re looking.
Sure, the site has its advantages, especially in a school-related setting (allowing a Group—in this case, all of your students—access to the same catalog of bookmarks to use in research for reports, etc.), but due to the aforementioned disadvantages, I feel it would be foolhardy to use it for anything further; the likelihood of students getting confused by the lack of user-friendly functionality (and then mucking things up), especially were you to ask them to upload their own bookmarks and images to a Group, far outweighs the positives gleaned from their doing so. And I would be remiss in not mentioning the security issues the use of Diigo in a classroom setting might invite—the assured ease in which a single student’s account might be hacked, therein allowing for heinous bookmarks and images to be uploaded to all other students in an otherwise school-friendly Group.
Diigo, which has been around since 2006 and stands for “Digest of Internet Information, Groups and Other stuff,” is currently on its fifth version (5.0), and despite its lack of accessibility, looks like it will be sticking around for a good while longer; because it offers a service that people crave and lacks a real opponent in the social bookmarking arena, it can continue to be subpar without having to deal with any real consequences. I sincerely hope that, whenever Diigo Version 6.0 rolls out, it includes a more user-friendly interface and is something worthy of a teacher’s praise, because I feel that the current iteration of Diigo gets more wrong that it does right.
As soon as the topic of “social bookmarking” was broached in class, I knew that was the Web 2.0 assignment I was going to investigate and (hopefully) apply. Because I oftentimes work off of 2-3 computers within a week’s span, there are countless occasions when I look to access a saved bookmark, only to find that I’ve saved it on another computer. Thus the idea that I could save all of my bookmarks in one easily accessible place was of great interest to me; I was optimistic that I could venture into the social bookmarking world as part of this school assignment, then continue that walk in my every day, mostly outside-of-school life.
Unfortunately, within my first day of using Diigo (http://www.Diigo.com), I found that the idea of social bookmarking far exceed the actual implementation of it; the website was clumsy and lacked basic features I believed would make it far more user friendly. Until updates are made (or another, more accessible site comes along), my experimentation with this site required by this assignment will likely be my last usage of it. In fact, I liked Diigo so little I followed a recommendation (found on a Diigo message board) to another social bookmarking website, called Chipmark (http://www.chipmark.com). And though Chipmark remedied at least one accessibility issue I’d previously had, it was chock-full of its own bevy of digital demons (visually worthless, awkward accessibility in other aspects, etc.) and is not widely used.
For my first point, I’ll readily admit that I’m fairly impatient and am probably lazy. That having been said, I was surprised by how “put out” I felt when having to log into a website each and every time I wanted to access a bookmark; toggling between a new tab or window, in addition to my already-existent window(s), can be cumbersome and time-consuming. Then there’s the issue of a semi-required taskbar. Semi-required in that it is not mandatory, but is nearly essential if you want to get the most out of your Diigo experience (i.e. establishing sorting and sharing parameters, etc.). Which brings me to what I believe to be the show-stopping issue at the crux of what I believe will inevitably be Diigo’s downfall (assuming they don’t correct it in the interim): the inability to sort your bookmarks in any sort of logical way. Sure, the site allows you the ability to ‘tag’ the bookmarks you add, and you can even place them under different list headings, but it does not have the drag-and-drop (folder) functionality that is the bread and butter of almost any other list-based program/site.
When you first log in to Diigo, you are immediately taken to something called “My Library”, which is nothing more than a comprehensive listing of all the bookmarks you’ve added to your account. These bookmarks are not separated by tags or the lists to which you’ve assigned them, so your eyes are assaulted by one, big list of bookmarks. You can then use your filters (“My Lists” or “My Tags”) and weed some of the unwanted sites out, but without the ability to drill down into ever-increasing specificity within a topic (divvy the bookmarks up into smaller and smaller groupings), there is still the very real possibility that a list you’ve created for a certain subject (we’ll use “School” as an example) will have fifty separate bookmarks in it…all of which you’ll have to wade through until you’ve found the one for which you’re looking.
Sure, the site has its advantages, especially in a school-related setting (allowing a Group—in this case, all of your students—access to the same catalog of bookmarks to use in research for reports, etc.), but due to the aforementioned disadvantages, I feel it would be foolhardy to use it for anything further; the likelihood of students getting confused by the lack of user-friendly functionality (and then mucking things up), especially were you to ask them to upload their own bookmarks and images to a Group, far outweighs the positives gleaned from their doing so. And I would be remiss in not mentioning the security issues the use of Diigo in a classroom setting might invite—the assured ease in which a single student’s account might be hacked, therein allowing for heinous bookmarks and images to be uploaded to all other students in an otherwise school-friendly Group.
Diigo, which has been around since 2006 and stands for “Digest of Internet Information, Groups and Other stuff,” is currently on its fifth version (5.0), and despite its lack of accessibility, looks like it will be sticking around for a good while longer; because it offers a service that people crave and lacks a real opponent in the social bookmarking arena, it can continue to be subpar without having to deal with any real consequences. I sincerely hope that, whenever Diigo Version 6.0 rolls out, it includes a more user-friendly interface and is something worthy of a teacher’s praise, because I feel that the current iteration of Diigo gets more wrong that it does right.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Tybee Race Recap
This post is long overdue. I have plenty of excuses (I could reuse “homework” or “I don’t have much in the way of running-related news to share”), and though they may be somewhat accurate (especially the homework one—I’m happy to report that I’m a week or more ahead in most of my classes at this juncture), I definitely could/should have found time to post (and at least provide an update about the Critz Tybee Half Marathon). So, for my slackness, I apologize…though to whom, I’m not sure—I don’t think anyone reads this anymore, after all.
The Tybee half went swimmingly…for reasons numbering more than one:
1.) I wanted to run a new PR (1:23:28 was my standard) and stay injury-free. I did both, finishing with a comfortable time of 1:22:44, under less-than-ideal conditions.
2.) It was steadily raining throughout (minus the last mile or two, perhaps), with the occasional deluge interspersed. Gusts of wind, which are pretty much a typical Tybee Island occurrence, were also offered up by the running gods. But at least the temperatures were agreeable enough.
3.) Julia, competing in her very first half marathon, finished well under her proposed 2:00:00 time limit, breaking the tape in 1:57:21. I’m setting the over/under for when she runs her inaugural marathon at 11 months.
I missed a lesser goal (running the half in less than 1:20:00), but feel it is definitely in reach, especially were I to train for such an endeavor (rather than using the race itself as training).
Training is going well—10 miles tonight—and I should get into some more intensive (speedwork, hills, repeats, etc.) training next month, as I ramp up for Boston (next month also features a Savannah institution: the March of Dimes 5k Shamrock Run).
Everyone stands at attention during the National Anthem (I'm at the far left, in the second row)...including what appears to be a ninja:
Me, nearly 12 miles in:
Me, pacing Julia down the final straightaway:
The Tybee half went swimmingly…for reasons numbering more than one:
1.) I wanted to run a new PR (1:23:28 was my standard) and stay injury-free. I did both, finishing with a comfortable time of 1:22:44, under less-than-ideal conditions.
2.) It was steadily raining throughout (minus the last mile or two, perhaps), with the occasional deluge interspersed. Gusts of wind, which are pretty much a typical Tybee Island occurrence, were also offered up by the running gods. But at least the temperatures were agreeable enough.
3.) Julia, competing in her very first half marathon, finished well under her proposed 2:00:00 time limit, breaking the tape in 1:57:21. I’m setting the over/under for when she runs her inaugural marathon at 11 months.
I missed a lesser goal (running the half in less than 1:20:00), but feel it is definitely in reach, especially were I to train for such an endeavor (rather than using the race itself as training).
Training is going well—10 miles tonight—and I should get into some more intensive (speedwork, hills, repeats, etc.) training next month, as I ramp up for Boston (next month also features a Savannah institution: the March of Dimes 5k Shamrock Run).
Everyone stands at attention during the National Anthem (I'm at the far left, in the second row)...including what appears to be a ninja:
Me, nearly 12 miles in:
Me, pacing Julia down the final straightaway:
Monday, January 31, 2011
Being Lighter in the Wallet Makes Me Faster
As of today, I’m officially being coached (or so says the check in the mail). I’m very excited to see where my new coach, Howard Nippert (whom has coached many other notable names in the world of distance running), can take me; I know I’m faster than the level at which I’ve been training and competing, and will look for him to maximize my abilities (through proper training for each race, a good diet and general running knowhow). The races we’ll be focusing on improving upon are the Boston Marathon and Burning River, but I’ve already informed him that I’d like to try and better myself in each discipline (race distance), which I think altogether feasible as a natural byproduct of my retooled preparation. I also let him know that it was my hope to come upon a sponsorship or two along the way…which I also hope will be a natural byproduct of my being faster and getting noticed.
Training continues to go well, though like last year I’m using this weekend’s Critz Tybee Half Marathon as little more than a good, fast distance run to assist in readying me for Boston (though, that having been said, I’d still like to go under my previous best—1:23:28--and give 1:20:00 a shot). So I’ll taper a bit this week, and give it the old college try on Saturday, knowing full well I could have trained more/better for it, but without regret all the same; I’ll live with my preparation decisions and make the most of where I’m currently at.
Training continues to go well, though like last year I’m using this weekend’s Critz Tybee Half Marathon as little more than a good, fast distance run to assist in readying me for Boston (though, that having been said, I’d still like to go under my previous best—1:23:28--and give 1:20:00 a shot). So I’ll taper a bit this week, and give it the old college try on Saturday, knowing full well I could have trained more/better for it, but without regret all the same; I’ll live with my preparation decisions and make the most of where I’m currently at.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Not Yet Race Ready, But Hopeful All The Same
As most reading this likely already know, I didn’t participate in the Harbison 50k due to last-minute time constraints. But I was able to push my registration fee to next year’s race and recouped my hotel fees, so I’m not out a single cent. And not knowing if I was truly in good enough shape to actually be racing the course, my no-show is probably a very wise decision indeed.
School began last week, therein lying the reason this posting has been so long coming, as the time I’ve spent on it in the past (during the slow moments at work) is now occupied by schooling (and wanting to keep all “free time” at home actual “free time”). School is going fine/well thus far. And with that I'll end the talk of school.
My legs are still feeling good, though I’m starting to wonder about my ability to put fast miles on them (which will be necessary for the impending—February 5—Critz Tybee Half Marathon); I’ve been focusing so much on long, slow distance that I’ve not spent the necessary prep time on speed training. Having been able to run 6:15 miles for 13.1 miles is a very different thing than being able to run 6:15 miles for 13.1 miles, especially when you’ve been targeting 7:00+-minute miles in your training (that’s my long way of saying that my legs haven’t been responding as well as I’d hoped in the last week or so of speed work). Unbeknownst to many of you (because I still haven’t tallied all my 2011 goals on here), one of my running-related goals for this year was to better my times for each of the distances in which I participate. With 1:23:28 being my fastest half marathon to date (which averages out to 6:22 per-mile), I just don’t know if my legs are ready for that kind of terrorizing. But, I’ll give it the old college try and see (but not at the risk of a setback to my Boston preparation)—despite not training for the 2010 Trick or Trot 10k, I still put down my fastest time, after all. I’ve still got a couple of weeks in between now and then to “get my fast on,” anyways. Not optimal, but perhaps still time enough to ready my legs for a sub-1:20 result.
School began last week, therein lying the reason this posting has been so long coming, as the time I’ve spent on it in the past (during the slow moments at work) is now occupied by schooling (and wanting to keep all “free time” at home actual “free time”). School is going fine/well thus far. And with that I'll end the talk of school.
My legs are still feeling good, though I’m starting to wonder about my ability to put fast miles on them (which will be necessary for the impending—February 5—Critz Tybee Half Marathon); I’ve been focusing so much on long, slow distance that I’ve not spent the necessary prep time on speed training. Having been able to run 6:15 miles for 13.1 miles is a very different thing than being able to run 6:15 miles for 13.1 miles, especially when you’ve been targeting 7:00+-minute miles in your training (that’s my long way of saying that my legs haven’t been responding as well as I’d hoped in the last week or so of speed work). Unbeknownst to many of you (because I still haven’t tallied all my 2011 goals on here), one of my running-related goals for this year was to better my times for each of the distances in which I participate. With 1:23:28 being my fastest half marathon to date (which averages out to 6:22 per-mile), I just don’t know if my legs are ready for that kind of terrorizing. But, I’ll give it the old college try and see (but not at the risk of a setback to my Boston preparation)—despite not training for the 2010 Trick or Trot 10k, I still put down my fastest time, after all. I’ve still got a couple of weeks in between now and then to “get my fast on,” anyways. Not optimal, but perhaps still time enough to ready my legs for a sub-1:20 result.
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