Running Crack and Kenpo

I have been playing with my Garmin 205 and it is a bit of gadget crack. It is addictive, you go through sensory overload with pace, pace breakdowns, distance, distance breakdowns, laps and so on. There is so much; I like it alot. I look at my wrist and the total pace and current pace and I am motivated to pick it up a notch. I am running much faster as a result. Well fast for me. When I am a bit tired I can drop back to a 14 minute pace, a crawl really. But when I see that number I can pick it up to 10.5 to 11.5 minute miles. Not fast but not crawling. I feel better after the runs but I am more tired. I think this will help. It was $200 but it was well worth it. I think some of the models before the 205 can be obtained for a more modest price. I dealt with Mega GPS and they were fine.

I have a belt test for Kenpo on the 30th of June and I have been practicing alot. So that is why my posts have been less frequent this last week. I was told the test would be about an hour. The nice thing about Counter Strike Kenpo, the American Kenpo school where I study, is that there are no testing fees until Black Belt. That is nice. As a life long practioner, I can tell you that belt tests are usually a hidden fee. They start low 30 to 40 dollars, but some schools see fees of about 300 for black belt. That can be a rude awakening. So I am happy with my school in that regard. Show up take the test, no costs ... it just feels better. I do have to work on my crispness before the test so I may not have much time to post before then.

That said, the Double Trouble 15k is on the 24th. I will post something on the results. Although I will be near the back. My goal as always in these early races is to:

1. Finish
2. Beat one person
3. Have a good time

The GPS will keep me in check and I will do much better than my sprained ankle experience during the Broad Street Run. I am guessing at the following:

Finish between: 111.5 minutes (1 hour 51 minutes and 30 seconds) and 125.5 minutes (2 hours 5 minutes and 30 seconds). Based on my current training this is my thumbnail goal. I do not get upset if I do worse but this is where I would like to be.

So here are my goals over the next two weeks:

1. Run the Double Trouble trail run on the 24th of June. (with required running - 5 miles Friday, 10 miles Saturday, 8 miles Sunday, 3 miles Monday, Kenpo Tuesday, 6 miles Wednesday, 2 miles Thursday, Friday off, Saturday Kenpo, Sunday Race)
2. Take my belt test on the 30th of June, which is also my sister's birthday. We don't talk much but Happy Birthday Sherry.

Keep running ... it really is good for you