Good Intentions and all that...

I had intended to update a lot sooner than twelve days but you know how things can go. I am a new job, it is a temporary thing but the hours are demanding right now. I am singing to the tune of 65 hours a week right now. The good news is that I can put together a bank roll while I try to find something permanent.

I have been trying to keep up on my exercise, the point of this blog after all. I managed three runs and 3 martial arts workouts last week and and 2 runs and two martial arts workouts so far this week. As this is the last day of the month I will be going out to do at least enough to get me to 50 for the month or 4.08 miles. I think 4.12 sounds good.

It is cold out there and I have been retreating to the gym in the cold but it is closed. So I have no choice tonight. There is always an excuse if you look for one, always. I say don't give in. It is always easy to seek comfort and difficult to force yourself to choose pain. That is in fact what we all do us "exercise people" as one coworker labeled us. We choose pain over comfort. It is the right choice. Here is my nugget of wisdom of the day. We are all choosing pain all the time those who do and those who don't. If you choose the couch over the road, you will pay for it. It won't be today or even tomorrow but it will catch you and the payment when it does will have a good deal of accumulated interest to deal with. So I say run and exercise now the payment plan is much more reasonable today.

I Hate Injuries

Last night I was at mile 2.8 of my 5 mile run when I stepped on a tree branch on the sidewalk that I did not see and twisted my ankle. Of course I cried like a school girl. Well I really winced in pain and hobbled around for a couple of minutes before calling it quits for the night. I did a hobble run back home to R.I.C.E it up. On the way back I think my running looked similar to Cornelius in Planet of the Apes. I would have made a good extra with that funky gait.



I treated myself at home during the night and the ice seemed to help (last night and again this morning). I believe this is a minor thing and will not affect my half marathon coming up. Just a twist that will probably take 2 to 3 days to remedy itself. Injuries are a part of sport, it is true and there is no getting around it. If you exercise you will get hurt as some point. But I will take this little twist over the plantar injury that hounded me for 6 months any day of the week.



Oh well I get two to three days of rest. Things could be a lot worse. Everyone put in an extra mile for me.

In other news, I love this story from Muncie

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/15181455/detail.html

I love this story.

Jogging or Running?

I have to admit that I needed something to post about. So when Scott accused me of jogging on his blog, I felt that I had to post about that. I won't say I am offended at the characterization but I will say that I feel it is incorrect. From a gut perspective I know that I work to hard out there for it to considered simply jogging. I may be a recreational runner but I am still an endurance athlete. But being a law school graduate and an officer of the court within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (just a fancy way of saying lawyer) I do want to thoughtfully evaluate the situation. I would not want to dismiss it out of hand as much as that appeals to me.

What guidance can the dictionary give me in determining if I am a jogger, heaven forbid, or a runner. (definitions taken from dictionary.com)

Jog: to run at a leisurely, slow pace, esp. as an outdoor exercise

Run: to go quickly by moving the legs more rapidly than at a walk and in such a manner that for an instant in each step all or both feet are off the ground.

The definition of jog seems to indicate a reduced effort as I thought was the case.

1. Leisurely run
2. Slow Pace

The slow pace might be accusation that might be leveled against me but not for lack of trying. However, slow is a relative and subjective term much as leisurely. However, leisurely seems to be something that is best left to self definition rather than external definition. Whereas, it would seem that the exerciser is the only one in the position to determine if the effort is leisurely. As each persons level of fitness is different leisurely for one is not leisurely for another. For me leisurely these days might be a 13:30 minute pace. However, leisurely for Ryan Hall, U.S. half marathon record holder, I believe his leisurely pace would simply put me in the ground and would embarrass most recreational athletes. I think I can lay to rest, from a legal analysis, that I am not a jogger. As I have turned the definition into a test, I can see that the leisurely criteria fails as this is a self defined criteria where slow may or may not be externally evaluated.

Am I a runner? This is a good question. My gut reaction is yes. Also, if I am not a jogger than wouldn't I necessarily become a runner? Perhaps. What does the definition require:

1. quick movement faster than a walk
2. for an instant both feet off the ground

As to the firs criteria, I think this would apply to what I do out there. I move faster than a walk. My fast walk is about a 15:00 mile and I run between 10:30 and 11:45 mile. I think this is not world record worthy, but I still think it is running by terms of the definition. The second part of the test I also satisfy, during my runs I do have both feet off the ground for an instant during my run. I do not think this should actually be required at all times and may actually be impossible during some hill work. But needless to say, over even or downhill slopes, I do in fact become airborne (for an instant).

May it please the Court, defense counsel respectfully submits that the definition of jogger does not apply as the leisurely component is necessarily self defined. Additionally, the slow portion of the definition is vague as to the definer of the slow component. Does it mean slow for me or objectively slow. This is unclear. As such, the jogger definition does not apply.

Rather, the definition of the term run is more applicable to the instant situation. Please refer to the above definition for your ready reference. Run requires speed in excess of a walk. This requirement is satisfied with the current pace of this practitioner. Finally, the movement taken place does leave the practitioner suspended in mid air for an instant. In short, this definition more closely defines the practitioner.

-- Just as I thought, I am a Runner!

Week of Running in Review

Here are my results for the week:

Week in Review 1/21/08 to 1/27/08
Date..... Time .....Miles .....Pace .....Calories
1/22/08 ..44:31 ......3.85 .........11:34 ......757
1/23/08 ..56:05..... 5.06......... 11:06...... 1005
1/24/08 ..44:03...... 3.75......... 11:45....... 718
1/26/08 ..59:19...... 5:06 .........11:44 ......970

Totals Days ...Time..... Miles ....Pace .....Calories
..............4 days ....3:23:59.. 17:71 ......11:31....... 3334

This was the scale back week. A couple of small notes about each run:

1/22 - runners trots - well enough said really. We all know what that means. I had to cut the run a little short.
1/23 - 3 miles at a sub-11:00 pace (10:58, 10:55, and 10:58). This was fast - well for me.
1/24 - I did this one at 6:00 am -- I haven't done mornings in a while and I was tired.
1/26 - This was the usual hill route with the exception that it was condensed in that I had to do each hill twice in a short period. It was tough, but I did it.

New Diet - How goes it?

When I started running back in March of last year I was tipping the scales at 293, today it is 245. I knew back then that I had to do this in a two part process. Trying to diet and exercise at the same time back then, when I had done neither was going to be too much for me, I knew that. So I took last year to make exercise a priority and this year diet. For the past week, I have been really watching and regulating what I have been eating.

This is the challenge for me. I have never really thought much about my diet until now. I always just grabbed something or cooked but didn't really think about it much. Just eat it and forget about it. Portions were what I felt like there really were no limits. Now I think about it, a lot. Here is the typical day now:

Breakfast: Yogurt, oatmeal, banana
Snack: carrots or broccoli - I tried the broc raw today, I won't do that again.
Lunch: half sandwich, cup of soup, celery, apple
Snack: pretzel or orange or other fruit
dinner: fruit, vegetables, small portioned meat
Snack: piece of fruit

I mix some things in and out but you get the general idea. On top of this I drink the recommended 8 glasses of water per day. If I run it is more like 10 or 11 glasses of water. I have noticed that I never feel over stuffed on this new system. I think that will take getting used to. I know portion control is my biggest challenge. The good news is that the reduced caloric intake has not affected my running at all.

On Wednesday, I did a 5 miler where I had three miles sub-11:00. I think the diet is helping. I also have been supplementing with vitamins. I will let everyone know how it is going on this. I will say that I am not miserable eating celery and I don't feel hungry.

How do you find motivation?

When I began running last year, I really needed to motivate myself to get out there. I was really out of shape, obese to be frank, and running hurt. My ankles, knees, and hips squealed on a regular basis. I really needed to mentally push myself to get out there. It wasn't easy. These days, I don't have to look for motivation on getting out there but rather on the finer points.

Back in November, I felt like I was stagnating a bit. I think I had crossed a threshold in my running and I needed to do more but I hadn't realized it. The injuries didn't really help much. When I pushed my base run from 3 to 4 miles I noticed big changes in my abilities. So how do I get motivated these days now that I have increased my work load?

Well it seems that I have been employing a tried and tested motivational method used for centuries. This technique originates in Ireland. Ireland you say, exactly I say. You see what I do is tie an angry Leprechaun on my shoulder before I set out on my run. The Leprechaun, or Mr. O'Toole, will berate me with profanities while hitting me with a stick (or shillelagh) when I don't run fast enough. This is quite similar to Luke Skywalker lugging around Yoda in the Empire Strikes Back (well without the sentence confusion). -- Run you will-- This seems to do the trick without much in the way of added weight.

No really that is how I do it, well not really these are my tried and trued motivational tricks.

1. Right now Dean Karnazes is in the middle of a 50 mile run, I can do 4 right?
2. the Mantra - small hill, small hill or I don't know how to quit, I don't know how to quit -- Well you get the idea.
3. I always feel better after a run than before no matter how bad I am feeling.
4. Set small and consistent goals: At the start of the week I try to set some goals for the week. This is beyond just 4 miles on Monday and 9 on Saturday. Rather, I like to set some time goals for certain runs. I don't always get there but pushing myself to get better keeps me at it.
5. Set big goals: for me this year the big one is the Philadelphia Marathon, 26.2. It is a big goal and I know I have to be very consistent to get there. This makes skipping on runs and giving in to fatigue during a run less likely. Rob if you are going to run 26 you need to be able to do 10 with no trouble, for example
6. Gifting: I am a big kid in many ways. I like a new toy and I usually make this result related. If can do x then I will get a new running top, pair of shoes, etc. This along with the angry leprechaun are usually enough motivation to meet my goals.
7. Responsibility - I will tell you folks the brutal truth of what I am doing. If I slack then I have to admit that. This keeps me going. Oh my what would ... Jason, Nancy, Dave and others think if I gave in now. I don't have much quit in me, but this keeps me more honest.
8. My Scale - I remind myself of my weight when I get out the door. Then I remind myself of how far I am away from my goal weight. Where am I am now -- where is my goal - one angry leprechaun saying things I can't repeat and this gets me running surer than anything.

So if you can't find an angry leprechaun or a sasquatch to help motivate you then these 8 things might help, or not. Maybe you have your own list.

A Sort of Long One...

I hit the roads this morning as promised. I hit my normal weekend hills and suffered as usual.



1:40:53, 8.30 miles, 12:10 pace, 1580 calories

Mile 1) 11:40
Mile 2) 12:29
Mile 3) 12:16
Mile 4) 12:05
Mile 5) 12:01
Mile 6) 12:02
Mile 7) 12:40
Mile 8) 12:15
last .3 ) 11:39 pace

I think it is fairly obvious where the hills where the really big hills were (miles 2 and 7). Beyond these two miles, I think I was pretty consistent. Given that I was running up a slope that I would be afraid to ride a skateboard down, I think I did ok.

I would have gone farther but I was a bit late for getting my daughter to her Saturday classes. So I had to wrap it up.

In terms of Energy - I started a little low but snapped out of it quickly. I got into a pace I could sustain at the end of mile 1 and worked through mile 2. Then I hit a stride at mile 3 and the hills didn't seem to bother me. Compared to last week I cut some serious time off my run time. Good news.

Make-up Run

I was not able to run last night due to the freezing rain. I like to think of myself as being pretty resiliant but freezing rain is just plain uncomfortable. It is my limit. So I had a make up to do on a Friday night, I have no life so I did it.

4.37 miles, 50:08 minutes, 11:28 pace, 858 calories

Mile 1) 11:35
Mile 2) 11:30
Mile 3) 11:12
Mile 4) 11:36
last .37 - 11:31 pace

I started at 10:30 pm so I was a bit fatigued when I hit the road, I didn't want to be out there and it was tough to get going. To make matters worse, Jupiter is not the only gas giant around this evening. I think my nickname tonight should have been Broccoli Rob - well you get the idea. Thankfully the streets were empty.

Long run tomorrow, yikes.

Getting back at it

Tonight the Captain (my Garmin) and I hit the roads for a little more distance on this up effort week. Next week being a cut back week, I am trying to push it this week. Here is what happened:

1:15:01, 6.60 miles, 11:22 pace, 1310 calories

Mile 1: 11:11
Mile 2: 11:03
Mile 3: 11:16
Mile 4: 11:21
Mile 5: 11:53
Mile 6: 11:30
Last .6 - 11:22 pace

My legs were a bit rubbery from Monday, but I pushed through it. The Captain will not tolerate any slacking off. So even though I wanted to stop early for a cocktail, I pushed through to the end. I would not want to see the Captain when he is angry. I will admit that mile 5 was a tough one, there were some ups as they say. I had to push through the mile to get to some level ground. I have to say that I am happy with this. I do feel like I am becoming a better runner. I can remember a time not to long ago that I strived for a 13:30 mile. Now, I get upset if a post a 12:00 on any run that is not long or hilly.

Good and unusual news: I am not injured in any way. Most people take this for granted. However, I have been a member of the walking wounded for so long that I forgot what is was like to not be hurt in some way. I just figured that exercise meant some injuries. But today, I can now say that my right foot is 100%, my shoulder that I dinged falling is 100%, my chest congestion is gone, hamstring injury is gone, back twinge and hip twinge on long runs also gone, basically I am in the pink for a change. The only thing I have to deal with is a couple of old injuries, the nerve damage in the left elbow I received when I elbowed someone in the fist when I was 20 (it creaks and pops ... could be worse) and a broken right wrist from the military (it sounds like rice crispies on occasion).

Up and coming: I have contacted a couple of folks to guest post. I am not going on vacation or anything. But I thought it might be nice to mix things up.

Speeding Up... Sort of

I am trying to get back into the swing of things after my flu. I am still not 100%, maybe 85% is the best I can say. I am still a bit weak and my lungs complain a bit on the run. But tonight was a bit better than Saturday.

4.35 miles, 49:22 minutes, 11:21 pace, 846 calories

Mile 1: 11:00
Mile 2: 11:05
Mile 3: 11:39
Mile 4: 11:28
.35: 11:54 pace

I had to stop after mile 2 to walk a .2 and clear out my lungs, well you get the idea. When I started again I was a bit slower pace wise. I have to say I am happy with the run. Things are getting better.

Back in the Saddle

I am still not 100% over my flu but I was tired of being at home and resting. So today I went out and ran a little bit. I ran for 4 miles at scenic Pennypack Park. I did not run 4 miles in a row though. I ran a mile than walked a quarter then ran a mile walked a quarter and so on. Without being too graphic, I am surprised at the amount of mucus that the human body can create in such a short time.

Results:

4 miles, 12:13 average pace, 753 calories, 48:51 total time
Mile 1: 11:51
Mile 2: 12:24
Mile 3: 12:13
Mile 4: 12:22

I do feel much better post run and hope that I feel even better later. I just hope that the mucus calms down over the coming days. Keep running.

The Last Day of the Year

I have been a little under the weather since Christmas and haven't run in a week. Sometimes your body needs a week off even if you don't think it does. So this was a nice break to spend time with family and just relax a bit. I was sick with fever, chills and a head cold. I am glad that the sick is over (mostly over).

2007 was a good year for running. I started running back in March and struggled to get going but I have really made a lot of progress. My times were 14 to 15 minute miles early in the year and now in late December my pace is generally down to 11:00 to 11:30 ish. So that is nice progress. I ran my first half marathon (well I ran my first races ever really) and finished, I did a few 5k's, a ten miler, a few 5 milers, an 8.4 miler and a 15k. I did a lot of racing mostly because it was fun once I got into it. I never won, big surprise but I did come in 3rd in my age group for one race. I think there were 4 men in my age group for that race. I like the medal so I am happy about my 3rd place win. Overall it was a good time on the roads.

2007 was a good year for losing weight - This year I lost 45 pounds. That is not a huge number but I started in earnest in March so it is really 9 months of work and for a few months I stagnated due to injury. I made life changing adjustments to my diet. I did this a little at at time and then added on to it slowly. Now I am eating well and I feel so much better than I did in January of 2007. I will still have junk food now and again but it is now the exception instead of the rule. So this is good progress. I hope to lose another 45 in 2008.

2007 was a bad year for injuries - I had some problems in 2007 with injuries. Mostly this was one bad plantar injury. It has nagged me for months and months. It just wouldn't heal. Mostly it was that I didn't want to back off the running. It wasn't until late November that I really felt better and I was injured back in June/ July. Besides this I have pulled some muscles in my calves in the cold weather and a couple of spills on uneven ground. But the plantar was my problem for the year. I feel much stronger now and I feel like I know how to avoid some of these injuries. Also being lighter will help me avoid injury.

2007 was a good year for martial arts training. I started training in martial arts again this year and I am glad that I did. As one of my co-workers would say, "I got my mind right." The exercise is excellent and I like the atmosphere in the training hall. The learning atmosphere is great.

2007 was a good year professionally- Not that this journal has anything to do with my work. But I made good advancement in my career this year as well. I was able to exceed a couple of milestones and I am quite happy with how my work has gone this year.

Weekend Run

With Christmas coming it has been a crazy time for trying to keep consistent with my running. I think we can all say that the holiday season can create a lot of stress on both your weight and exercise routines. So on a Saturday night I was out running at 10:00 p.m. (What kind of nut job am I???). But that being said I did crack the 20 mile barrier I have been struggling with through this winter running series.

Here is how tonight went down:

7 miles, 1:22:32 time, 11:48 pace, 1337 calories

Mile 1: 11:52
Mile 2: 11:34
Mile 3: 11:33
Mile 4: 11:39
Mile 5: 12:02
Mile 6: 11:52
Mile 7: 12:00

I have run during the evenings during the week when things are crazy with my schedule but during the weekend I try to avoid that crazy behavior. I couldn't get around it tonight. But I am really glad that I did run tonight. It was a great overall time for me. I feel like I am really recovering from this plantar injury. I am getting a good deal more speed and my endurance has never been better. I could have gone another 3 miles with no difficulty. The average time was less than 12:00 for 7 miles, this is the best I have run since the half marathon I ran in September. It is nice when things come together.

Here is the week so far:
22.5 miles, 12:02 average pace, 4:30:50 time running, 3271 calories burned.

This is my best week in a long time. To top it off the usual sore feet and ankles are subdued this week. So it is all good, everything is coming up Rob this week. Merry Christmas All.

Running Therapy

Tonight was a bit crazy between laundry, cooking dinner, washing dishes and cooking brownies for my daughter's holiday party tomorrow... all after putting in a 10 hour day. I was a bit tired and it would have been very easy to just blow it all off and go to bed. But I didn't. I went out and ran and I am glad I did. Each mile felt better as I went on and the stress of the day went with each mile. Sometimes I get caught up in the numbers of running that I forget the benefits of what I am doing. For an hour of so I can forget the rest of my life and just concentrate on running. There is something magical about that escape and the value can't be calculated.

Here are the results:

1:02:20, 5:15 miles, 950 calories, 12:06 pace

Mile 1: 12:21
Mile 2: 12:17
Mile 3: 12:13
Mile 4: 11:50
Mile 5: 11:51
.15 mile: 12:04 pace

I just felt better each mile and by the end of it I had left all my stress behind. The therapy of running, it cannot be overstated.

Is it Tuesday Already

Usually on Tuesday, I do my 10k Tuesday run but I did that last night. So what to do today? I did a little recovery run. Yesterday was a great time on the 10k so I backed off on the pace and distance.

4.15 miles, 12:31 pace, 726 Calories, 51:52

Mile 1: 12:19
Mile 2: 12:34
Mile 3: 12:36
Mile 4: 12:33
Last .15: 12:31 pace

So this wasn't a stand up and cheer run. This was just a keep things going sort of run. It was a bit chilly out there and I had some, dare I say, nipple chaffing. (I am sure I will come on some strange web searches with that one I am sure). This stings a bit after a long run as you might imagine. Usually, I use some band-aids before a run in the cold due to this "injury", but it looks like I might have to invest in some body glide to be on the safe side. The odd injuries of the winter runner, mmmm. I wonder what else I have to look forward to as I enter my first winter running season. So far I have encountered:

1. More frequent small muscle pulls in the lower legs
2. the aforementioned nipple chaffing
3. Red Belly
4. Excessive Mucus
5. Wind Sheer

That is all I can think of right now, but it is a good start. Tonight I had some red belly in addition to the other injury. After a warm shower I was fine.

Everyone have fun out there, weather permitting.

Thursday Night Run

After a successful Monday and Tuesday, tonight seemed to be a good night to sneak in a quick run. It rained all day and the roads were still wet but the storm was gone and the temps were fine. So at 10:30 I went out for a quick run.

4.2 miles, 802 calories, 11:51 average pace
Mile 1: 11:54
Mile 2: 11:44
Mile 3: 11:59
Mile 4: 11:44
.2: 11:51 pace

This is was a fast run for me as of late. I have been running steadily in the 12:00 range but this was under the whole way, this is getting back on track for me.

This is my best week in a long time, I am at 14.71 miles with the weekend still to come. This is a low mile week in terms of long run so I think I am planning 6 miles on one day and maybe another 4 on the other. This will put me at a minimum of 20.71 miles for the week. That is a great week for me. With all the injuries I have been fighting I am very happy with this result.

Happy Running.

You Know What Day It Is...

Today is that special time of week in my training routine .... it is 10k Tuesday. My run could not have come soon enough. I have been eating far less snacks and sweets as of late; however, today I caved in and then that led to a nutritional disaster. The extra junk calories were legion it seemed to me: the damage 1 mountain dew (12 oz), 1 small bag of chips, 1 payday candy bar and 1 cup cake. I don't know exactly how many extra calories it was but it felt like a lot. So tonight I was looking forward to the 10k just to feel normal after the massive sugar crash I experienced this afternoon. Wow, what an experience that was. I feel much better munching on carrots these days, because the sugar crash I get off of what I used to eat is enough to keep me off the junk. Plus, once I start it seems that I am in for more than I bargained for.

Well on to the results of tonight's jaunt:

6.36 miles, 1:20:32, 12:40 pace, 1057 calories

(10k portion was at 1:18 total time)

Mile1: 12:28
Mile 2: 12:47
Mile 3: 12:48
Mile 4: 12:35
Mile 5: 12:41
Mile 6: 12:30
Last .36 : 13:11 pace

Conditions: It was windy tonight and that really seemed to throw my pace off. I took a new path tonight and that took me up a pretty good incline early on. I felt I did better with the hills tonight that I normally do. So that is improvement. The pace wasn't exactly what I wanted but it will do for now. The miles are what count for me right now.

As an aside, as I write this the new Dawn of the Dead is on cable. Although, this is not as good as the 28 Days movies, funny the English do make a superior Zombie movie (Shaun of the Dead, 28 DaysLater, 28 Weeks Later). But this version is still prettygood. The Romero cameo is a nice touch. The tension in the survior group is really good. I am a fan of the genre.

Quick Out and Back

I gave myself a serious muscle pull on Saturday during my 9 mile jaunt. As a result, the rest of Saturday it hurt to walk and up down stairs. When Sunday came around I felt a bit better, today a bit better again. So when work ended tonight I decided that 4 miles was in my future. Well it turned into 4.15 miles.



4.15 miles, 769 calories, 12:14 average pace



Mile 1: 12:29
Mile 2: 12:12
Mile 3: 12:12
Mile 4: 11:57
Last .15 12:48 pace



Weather: nice temp. with some light rain. It really did feel good. I also did something I liked I put two miles back to back at the exact same pace. That was great. Huzzah. I have also learned that on these training runs that I can't really run three miles any longer the least I can do these days is 4 miles. I am sure I will do shorter distances when I get back to more dedicated speed training in the spring when the roads are less... treacherous. But for now I am going to just focus on base miles for the winter.



Good news: Down 5 pounds since Thanksgiving. Very nice! I was getting a bit frustrated with the weight loss thing. Tough to be the run to lose guy when you aren't really doing any losing. But I have gotten over the hump. So as you can see I am all smiles.

8 on the 8th

Today was Nancy's virtual race of 8 on the 8th. The idea was for all of us blogger types to do our bit and report the results. My run was a bit tough on me. I have been fighting a cold but have still run as this seems to break up the congestion a bit. Then this morning I hyper extended my right calf about 500 meters (I slipped on some leaves) into the thing but I finished it and here are the results:

Mile 1: 12:02

Mile 2: 12:37

Mile 3: 12:39

Mile 4: 12:56

Mile 5: 12:53

Mile 6: 12:20

Mile 7: 12:59

Mile 8: 13:15

Total Time: 1:41:41 or a 12:42 pace.

It was not a good run for me. But we all have those. I ran an extra mile at the end at a 13:21 pace. Then I walked the last mile home, I could hardly walk but I made it home where I am now icing my calf. Owwww.

The end result was a 1532 calorie effort, not including the last mile walking. I hope I can stretch my calf out and get back on my feet. Congrats to Nancy on putting this together.

I hope everyone had fun out there.

The Night of No Excuses

I had intended to come home and go for a run while my daughter was at her swim class. I thought that would be a great use of time. But alas when I came home my daughter did not feel up to class so I did not get to run at that time. Needless to say I was a bit disappointed. But things like this can happen.

Bear in mind that reasons for not doing something is merely an excuse in another wrapper. It is the same. We make time for the things that are important, period. This may sound harsh but a man of my ... expansive girth ... does not get that way in one day. That being said, I know what an excuse is because I have used plenty in my life.

Fast forward to 10 pm. I head out for the run (wearing my trail shoes for the heavier shoe, plus they are like 4 wheel drive so I figured they are better for the snow - who said I always had great logic anyway). I wanted to do this run yesterday but felt too sick and fatigued to do so. To make matters worse, it snowed today. Not much but enough to make the roads and sidewalks a bit crunchy. (frozen snow) This is not too bad in terms of footing but I had to be a little careful so I had to slow down.

Here is how it all played out:

10k, 1006 calories, 12:48 pace

Mile 1: 11:34

Mile 2: 12:27

Mile 3: 12:38

Mile 4: 13:07

Mile 5: 13:15

Mile 6: 13:33

.2 - 13:20 pace

The last few miles were a bit more icy than the first three. I felt I had to slow down to make sure that I had good footing. This was a tough run. The frozen snow really put an extra strain on my ankles and feet. When I got home I had a case of red belly and as I said already some sore ankles and feet. But it was worth it.

Rob's first rule of running: you will always feel better after a run than before. For me this is always true.