Stormy Monday
Wow! I wanted this run soooooooo bad! It seemed that all my genuine and sincere attempts at running this week for one reason or another fell short and I never got in a good run. Monday was rainy. Well not rainy more like torrential! It was coming down so hard at one point I couldn't really see the trail in front of me and the entire thing was quickly becoming a giant mud slip and slide. I did about 4mi on Monday but out of fear for water damage to my phone I shut it off when the rain really kicked in.
FAT TUESDAY
Tuesday morning came and went and I never got a chance to get out to the lake. When I got home and spoke to the family I asked if anyone wanted to go up to the lake to walk while I tried to get in my run. To my delight Justin, my youngest, declared that he was going to make his first attempt at running a mile! I was thrilled but then, Dad that I am, I reminded him that this would be his first attempt at running any real distance and that since he has asthma we should try a 1/2 mi. first just to get comfortable. He agreed and off we went. My wife came along too to walk with Justin when our short run was finished so that I could get in a longer run. Justin was a champ! He really kept at it and he only stopped for about 5 seconds to take off his headphones which were not cooperating. I was so happy to have taken both of my kids out for runs now! Justin was so pumped when he finished and his Mom was just so proud too. They set off on their walk as i got ready to "run." Why the quotes? Well did I mention that this was all transpiring about 25minutes after we ate dinner. Justins pace was alright for my near full belly but trying to run and breathe was darn near impossible! I had decided to head out on the 3 Meadows trail as it has its first steep decline about 1/8 of the way in. I wanted to have that downhill running feeling that I so enjoyed at the gorge. Let's just say this was a different feeling. I felt my guts tightening and thought for certain I was gonna heave. I felt my muscles start to burn like they did the first time I ran as they fought to make do with too little oxygen from lungs that weren't fully expanding. I felt like my feet were made out of lead. I decided that the end of the 3 Meadows was the end of my "run" and met the family to walk a little while. Lesson learned: NO RUNNING FOR 1HR AFTER EATING DINNER! Still the point of all of this...this ENTIRE EXTREME LIFESTYLE MAKEOVER was to motivate my kids to get healthy. To be the necessary and good example showing that fitness is an important, daily activity and that life is so much more enjoyable when you are fit, eating right and as a result, feeling good. IT'S WORKING!
WEDNESDAY GETS ME AGAIN!
Wednesday....Arrrgh! Wednesday is to me what Monday is to most everyone else. it just seems that no matter how hard I try I can never get a handle on the middle of the week. Lots of things happen on Wednesdays. Why? I have no idea. It happens all the time and it happened again. Justin was so excited about his first 1/2 mi. that he said he wanted to go back with me Wednesday nigh (before we ate!) to try to run a full mile. I of course was completely delighted and agreed immediately. I was chomping at the bit to go run having had to disappointing attempts already. I went to ask my wife to go along so we could repeat the night before...Justin and I run...they walk...I run...we meet for a nice closing recovery stroll in the beauty of Beaver Lakes woods....BZZZZZZZZZZZZ! WRONG! VBS meeting at the church....5:30-7pm....Aaaargh! Wednesday strikes again! There was NO WAY I was discouraging Justin from running this second day. Getting out there....getting motivated to get out there is a struggle for almost everyone and I want to see him build that routine of fitness that will make it a part of his life, not just this summer. There is also no way for me to, in good conscience, leave him in a county park while I go off and run. I decided that we would run his first mile on the Lake Loop trail. This made him very happy as he knows thats where I run everyday. We geared up and set off for the lake...dropping Mama off at the church on the way....and talked about the run the night before...about music....summer....nothing at all.....
When we arrived Justin leapt out and was ready to charge down the path. I reminded him that we needed to warm up a little by walking and we did. Then came the big moment we "lined up" at the start of the trail and with Justin in the lead to set the pace we were off. Bones In Motion carefully beeped at each 1/4 mi. and with every beep Justins determination increased and his pace quickened. At one or two points I asked if he was ok because his breathing was getting labored but he responded that he felt fine and that he was finishing the whole mile, no walking, no stopping, I smiled what had to be a huge smile and settled in to run beside him. We came to the plank section of the Lake Loop trail and we looked for signs of my snake friend but apparently we were too late to see him. Justin watched at every bend as I had told him that the 1mi. point occurred just after leaving the planks. We got to the end with just feet to go and he groaned, but surged to finish strong! 1 mile....no walking....no stopping...and one full minute faster in pace than his 1/2mi the night before....We walked the remaining 2 miles of the trail, talking and laughing....looking at the trees and the critters and dreaming out loud about future runs....future runs.......my son....imagining himself running...in the future....GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!
Here it is...
Justins 1st 1 mile Run
Pace (min/mile)
Splits
| Mile | Pace (min/mile) | Speed (mph) | Elevation Gain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| actual | +/- avg | actual | +/- avg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 14' 29 | -4' 38 | 4.1 | +1.0 | -10 ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | 22' 43 | +3' 36 | 2.6 | -0.5 | +17 ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| end | 20' 20 | +1' 13 | 3.0 | -0.2 | -6 ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Versus average of 19' 07 min/mile: Slower Faster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FINALLY
Thursday to the rescue! I got up reasonably early and headed out to the lake to finally blow off some of the energy I felt that I had pent up inside. Boy was I right cause the times were consistent, fast (for me) and I felt GREAT! Amazing in fact. I would have kept on running but I had to get Kayla, my oldest, to an allergy shot and as I hopped into the truck for the ride home I sighed a sigh of great relief. I knew that run was in there. I knew I could do that eventually. Now.....I WANT TO DO IT AGAIN...FASTER....AND FURTHER...
Route: | 3 Meadows + Lake Loop | Elev. Avg: | 446 ft |
| Location: | Plainville, NY, | Elev. Gain: | +3 ft |
| Date: | 07/01/10 | Up/Downhill: | [+203/-200] |
| Time: | 09:40 AM | Difficulty: | 2.2 / 5.0 |
| Weather: | Partly Cloudy | ||
| 62 F temp; 65% humidity | |||
| 62 F heat index; winds NNW 11 mph | |||
Plainville, New York
Elevation (ft)Pace (min/mile)
Splits
| Mile | Pace (min/mile) | Speed (mph) | Elevation Gain | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| actual | +/- avg | actual | +/- avg | ||||||||
| 1 | 10' 23 | +0' 03 | 5.8 | -0.0 | -4 ft | ||||||
| 2 | 10' 19 | -0' 01 | 5.8 | +0.0 | -20 ft | ||||||
| 3 | 10' 11 | -0' 09 | 5.9 | +0.1 | 0 ft | ||||||
| 4 | 10' 25 | +0' 05 | 5.8 | -0.0 | +26 ft | ||||||
| end | 9' 31 | -0' 49 | 6.3 | +0.5 | 0 ft | ||||||
| Versus average of 10' 20 min/mile: Slower Faster | |||||||||||
| Distance : | 4.07 miles |
Time:0:42:05Speed:5.8 mph
Pace:10' 20 /mi
Calories:569
Map
