Sleep the night before...

I couldn't even sleep last night I was so antsy. I had dreams about running and being late, even one where I was robbing people on the run... random. What makes me think I can go to sleep tonight when I know that in 12 hours i'll be finished? Wish me luck!

9-Miler and Some Thoughts

8.88 miles in 1:12:34.

I have now been running for almost five months since (August 1st). The first few weeks were difficult and I still didn't grasp the concept of running. Why do it? Why put yourself through it? These were questions I had before and even during my training. I pushed through it because I told myself I would. I saw my speed increase. I watched my distance climb. And when I finally looked at myself and the person I had become, I craved more.

It takes a lot of will power to go running... at first. I didn't train with anyone, nor did I have any commitments to run with people, so it was 90% just me. My mind has changed for the better. Running gives me the opportunity to free my mind. Running gives me the time I need to think thoughts. That may sound weird, but it's something I look forward to every time I'm putting my shoes on.

I love running now and am truly looking forward to my first 26.2 this weekend! My wife will be taking pictures. Wish me luck!

First Taper Run

15.1 miles in 2:03:57 @ 8:12 pace.

After Management class, I had a four hour break. On Tuesdays I usually do my econ homework and watch movies, but I thought i'd be a little more productive today. I started out with a four mile test run to see if my watch was synced or not. It was perfect!
Once again, my only source of nutrition was Supao and Peanut M&M's. I received my shirt and number for the marathon next week! I am #1243. This number coincidentally means a lot to me as it's the number of people my mission baptized in 2008. 有辦法！

More Runs - Approaching the 26.2

12/13/2011 - I ran almost 10 miles in 1:15:36 or so. My watch stopped and I had to reset it. I had an 8.53 mile run and a 1.1 mile run. It was pouring rain so I ran with rain gear on for the first 45 minutes. The track was empty and it was beautiful.

12/15/2011 - I got out of school a little early so I went for another long one. I ran 18.07 miles in 2:32:22. This was one of the most most enjoyable runs I've ever had. It wasn't too cold and definitely wasn't hot. From my apartment I ran towards Taiyuan train station, then went under the bridge towards the mountains. I ran along the river until I was deep in Taiping. I kept along the bike path until I was in Dali. Eventually, the path ended but I wanted to keep going straight so I crossed the highway, and ran in dirt under the new highway that is being built. Once that dead ended (around mile 7) I had to climb up and over a wall. It turns out that the road was another highway so I had to get off it quickly. The other side of the highway isn't finished yet so I had it all to myself. I turned around a mile 8.5 and headed back the way I came.

I have found my food for long runs. Peanut M&M's just do it right for me. I ran with only a Supao and medium sized bag of M&M's and I felt great. I am looking forward to the marathon next weekend and confident I'll be under 4:00. I'm also looking forward to next semester because I have Thursdays off and I'll be able to focus solely on training for Ironman.

Cold Runs

I ran a 5k on Wednesday night. I went faster than MP. I didn't have a lot of time and just wanted to get my heart rate up. 3.21 miles in 21:37.

I haven't done either of my two training runs for the week so knew I had to get one in today. I drank plenty of water throughout the day, made sure I ate right, and prepared myself mentally for a long one. I had accounting, then calculus tutoring, and 4 hours of free time. It was SUPER windy in Taizhong today. With one bottle of water, another of Supao, and a small bag of M&M's, I began my run. The track was not crowded as this weather is to Taiwanese people as a blizzard or snow storm is to Canadians. After mile 15, I looked and saw that my drinks were gone. I looked for only 20 seconds or so but didn't find them. I decided to run three more miles and then call it a night.
My run ended just short of 18 miles. 17.98 miles in 2:28:41. I wasn't too sore after, just hungry, thirsty, and cold.

Updates!

I've had some major runs since last time I updated my running journal blog diary. I'll keep it short because I am exhausted.

11/24/2011 - 16.63 miles. 2:22:36. I ran to school, did laps until I hit half-marathon distance, then ran home.

11/28/2011 - 9.99 miles. 1:21:32. I was a little sore from the run 11/24, so I ran to the school track, ran four miles, then ran back.

11/30/2011 - 3.25 miles. 31:55. Lauren met me up and we ran a 5k at her pace. This was only her 4th run. She will no doubt run a sub-30 minute 5k on her race 12/31. I'm proud of you love!

12/2/2011 - 23.01 miles. 3:10:49. I woke up at 4am, chomped on a bagel with a little jam, and set out. It was really cold when I left at 5am and really windy. The beginning of the run was pretty miserable. When I got to the track it was still pitch black. There were 20 or 30 seniors already there walking around talking about politics. I ran the track according to lane numbers. One in one, two laps in two, three laps in three, etc. The last three miles were pretty difficult. I ended my run because I had to go home, shower, and immediately ride to school. Needless to say, I was a bit tired in Calculus.

It's been four months since I began running and I still have one more until my first 26.2. After my run today, I am confident that I can hold my pace and get a sub-4 hour marathon.

Post HM Recovery Run

Ran a slow 5.4 miles to recover from my HM last Saturday. I need to get back on the wagon quick because my first 26.2 is coming up in just over a month. I'm not setting a time goal, I'm just setting out to finish.

Miaoli International Marathon (My first 13.1)

Saturday, November 19 was my first HM. I entered the Miaoli International Marathon and signed up for 13.1. The weather forecast predicted rainstorms all weekend but as is Taiwan, it was hot with high humidity. 

Here's the pre-run photo.

Thousands of people with a stadium start means it takes a long time to get out the gate. 

I wanted to run a faster time but 1:48:05 still makes me happy. 

Last Run Before 13.1!

I ran a race pace for 20 mins. I had some nasty greasy lasagna for dinner and wasn't feeling too hot. 2.71 miles in 20:28. I plan on resting tomorrow, eating tons of macaroni tomorrow, then trying my best to get as much sleep as I can Friday night.
Rain storms arriving just in time for Saturday!

Quick 4-miler with friends....

My wife and Elias joined me for a run on the Feng Chia University track. I needed to see if my Nike Sportband was synced correctly. I ran 4 miles and it said I ran 3.96. Close enough! Time was 28:04.
One more run until my first HM! Stay tuned!

Short Sync Rum

I needed to calibrate my Nike Sportband before my HM so I ran a quick 3 miles on the Feng Chia track. My watch is a little off so I'm glad I did it. One more run before the 13.1!

8 Days to go!

I'm still a little sore from my track and field event but needed to go enjoy this weather for a nice run. I ran 4.68 miles in 30'06" with a pace of 6'26"which is a little faster than race pace, but I felt too good to run slow. It finally stopped raining after three solid days.

HAH! It just started pouring outside. Perfect.

Feng Chia University 50th Year Anniversary Track & Field Event

I have been running sprints for a few weeks now. By a few weeks I mean I ran sprints two times in the last two weeks. I've always been a fast runner but haven't sprinted since freshman year of high school. Without really knowing what to expect I entered into the race for the 200, 400, and 1500. It's been raining for 3 solid days so the track is slippery, especially without spikes.
First up was the 200. People were slipping in the first three lanes. Those with spikes were fine. I was lucky enough to be in the 5th lane for the race. They split us up into three groups because too many people were competing. My group went up first. Around the first corner I was fine, no slipping and passing people in the outside three lanes. The last 100m I was all alone and really felt I was giving it my all. Seeing an open eight lanes and the finish line with no one in front is an exhilarating feeling. The sound of foot-steppes and heavy breathing pushed me even harder. I won! After the second and third groups ran I got 2nd place overall with a time of 25.73 seconds.
For the 400m there were also three groups. I was in the first group again but this time in the 3rd lane. My left leg slipped on the last half of the last curve and I barely caught myself. On the last 100m, I was really digging deep. I stayed ahead and won first in my group again and 2nd overall with a time of 57.32.

My first track and field event ever with almost zero practice and I ended up with two silver medals!

Short Two-miler

I ran with my wife. 2 miles in 15:10. It was really humid but a nice night overall.

I have three trial runs tomorrow for the Feng Chia University 50th Anniversary Track Meet. I'm running the 200, 400, and 1500. Wish me luck.

Miaoli 13.1+ Practice Run

About a month ago, I made plans to run the Miaoli Half-Marathon. I set a goal to finish sub-1:40 and put myself on my own training schedule with some suggestions from people on RunnersWorld.com. Many told me it was too soon or that my shoes weren't enough for the amount of training I've done. I'm the type of person that hears that and wants to go HARDER!
I took the train to Miaoli last night and stayed at the wonderful Jessica Chen's house. She teaches 30 or so kids every night so when I arrived, her house was still a little crazy. I had fun talking to the kids and even played Bomber-Man with a few of them. One of the kids fathers was preparing for the 26.2 in Miaoli on the same day. He told me about the course and drew me a quick map.
Waking up early has never really been a problem for me. Today was no exception. I woke up at 5:15, ate some granola, and set out. Running in Miaoli is 10x better than running in Taichung. The air is better, the scenery is more rural and beautiful, and there's actually places to run! I took Jing Guo Road past the Miaoli Sports Complex and ran about 7 miles alongside the river until I hit the High-Speed Rail bridge. I met a fellow runner preparing for his first 26.2. We jogged together for a few minutes, but his pace was a little slow, so I said goodbye.

I ran 15.76 miles in 1:51:26 with an average pace of 7'04". My 13 mile time was 1:31:53, so I think it's safe to say that my 13.1 time was sub-1:40. T-minus 2 weeks until my first 13.1 with my sights still set on running Ironman Fall 2013.

MILE	TIME	AVG.PACE
1	7:15	7'15"/mi
2	14:11	6'56"/mi
3	21:20	7'09"/mi
4	28:23	7'03"/mi
5	35:26	7'03"/mi
6	42:19	6'53"/mi
7	49:27	7'08"/mi
8	56:26	6'59"/mi
9	1:03:26	7'00"/mi
10	1:10:27	7'01"/mi
11	1:17:34	7'07"/mi
12	1:24:44	7'10"/mi
13	1:31:43	6'59"/mi
14	1:38:50	7'07"/mi
15	1:46:06	7'16"/mi

Update with 2 weeks until the 13.1.

10/31 - Quick 5 mile. I ran on an entertaining road called Taiyuan Road. 你們知道台中的太原路嗎？My legs felt a little heavy through the first mile but after that I started flying. Average pace was 6'37" per mile. Total was 5.11 miles in 33'48". I like this road because there are constant obstacles that really force me to focus on my stride and foot placement. There's also great scenery.

11/1 - After class I decided to run a few 400's. I went to the track and ran 5- 400's at 1500m pace with a nice resting 400 in between each. Total was 2.53 miles in 16'15".

11/2 - Lauren wanted to run tonight to prepare for her first 5k coming up on 12/31. I won't lie, I was expecting a nice breezy slow jog for a mile point five. Lauren kept going, and on a nice pace too. We ran 2.24 miles in 17'54" with a pace of 7'57" per mile.

11/3 - After my two midterms, I put on my shoes and wanted to run some sprints. I asked my buddy from Paraguay to take a break from studying from his midterms to time me. I'm running the 1500, 400, and 200 next Saturday at my schools 50th Anniversary. Sometimes I hate the track. I don't know what it is, but people think they can walk in the fast lane. Many people are walking on the left side in jeans and sandals, just chatting with their friends. I finally found a gap so I could run a 200m at full. My first went great, but halfway through number two, some idiot walked right in front of me without looking and we collided hard. I said some things I shouldn't have. My chest hurt after that so I went home.

Tomorrow, I'm heading to Miaoli to run a 13.1+ on the course for my 11/19 Miaoli Half-Marathon.

5k PR

Ran 5k on the track in 20:24. I hate when people walk in the left lane. It's the same principle as traffic in LA, slow people to the right, fast on the left.

Easy 5k

I ran an easy 5k. People on Runner's World say I should do recovery runs at a 9'/mile pace. I tried that tonight and it was WAY too slow. It feels ridiculous.
Tomorrow is some speed training for the 1500m I'm racing in. The plan is 10x400 at an 800m pace. Then Wednesday is my 1 mile record attempt.

Another 13.1 run for the books...

The weather this week has been cool and nice, which is unseasonable this early in Fall for Taiwan. I expected this Saturday morning to be the same as last night the air was still cool enough to push a hard 20 min bike sprint on my way home. I set out at 6:15am or so and knew that no matter what, I was going to hit 13.1 today. I ran out of water at mile 9 and had to ask a tea shop for a refill. The heat was killing me by 7:30am! I ran along the new and unopened highway along the river in Taiping, hugging the wall for the limited shade it provided.
I ran 13.18 miles in 1:41:21 with an average pace of 7:41/mile. I need to bring that down to 7:36 in order to hit my goal of a sub-1:40 half marathon. Two surprises happened on this run. One, I got a huge second wind just after the 10 mile mark and held a solid race pace the last 2 miles. Second, I got a blister in a spot where I've never even had a hot spot. By mile 9 I started feeling loose skin but pushed on. Surprisingly, I still had some juice at the end, so next week I think I'll do a 14+ at a slower pace.
When I got home, I opted for a nice cold soak in the bath. No ice, just cold water. I was really hoping for a long nap and some old X-Files with my wife, but we have to go to Taipei for an 8-hour commercial shoot. It sure beats teaching English!
3.5 weeks until my first 13.1.

MILE	TIME	AVG.PACE
1	7:56	7'56"/mi
2	15:30	7'34"/mi
3	23:07	7'37"/mi
4	30:37	7'30"/mi
5	38:16	7'39"/mi
6	45:56	7'40"/mi
7	53:46	7'50"/mi
8	1:01:49	8'03"/mi
9	1:09:35	7'46"/mi
10	1:17:31	7'56"/mi
11	1:25:15	7'44"/mi
12	1:32:49	7'34"/mi
13	1:40:05	7'16"/mi

Recovery Run

After my terrible 18km run Sunday night, I felt some soreness in my knee that I haven't felt before. Monday morning felt fine as did the afternoon, but when my wife and I went to Taipei, we walked a lot and did a lot of stairs. My knee felt fine walking up stairs and walking on flat ground for the most part. Walking downstairs however was a little difficult. I gave myself 48 hours to rest and was debating going for a short 5km run but decided I didn't want to hurt anything.
Today (Wednesday morning) I woke up early and enjoyed my first sub-25 Celsius morning run. It was amazing. I can't believe I started running during the 30+ C weather. It's no wonder I hated it so much!

I ran 5.21 km in 23:42. That's about 4'33" per km.

Wanted 14 miles... but...

I had a high carb dinner and was really excited to go out and hit 14 miles. More than two hours passed but no number 2 came. My runs usually follow a good poop. Going out and hitting 5-10km is not a big deal to me anymore.
I ran 18.15 km in 1:31:58. I am aware that this is only 11 miles or so. After running up the mountain and turning around at 5.58 miles, I still felt great. Mile 8 hit and things were not going so well. I had to walk every quarter mile or so so clench me cheeks. I don't know if anyone else has had experiences like this. Mile 10 came and I could not wait any longer. One short Chinese squat later, I was back on the road only to head home and immediately shower.

Recovery Run

I ran 5.06 km in 26:10. I was super sore out the gate, but warmed up after about a half-mile or so. I'm not a huge fan of recovery runs, but today I feel way better than I did yesterday. Recovery runs help so much!

I am more than two months in now and I must say that my whole outlook on running has changed. Pushing past the point where you want to walk is more mental for me than physical. Running a paced 13.1 miles two nights ago did not get my heart pumping as much as my fast 5k's. However, knowing that my 5k will be over in 20 mins makes it easier. I prefer running in a Point A to Point B, then back to A type of fashion. I set out with the determination to hit a distance. As I approach the halfway point, I know in my head that I must run all the way back. Knowing my ending distance gives me a huge boost. When I turned around at 6.58 miles, I knew that when I returned home I would pass the half-marathon distance. It was an amazing feeling.

Half-Marathon Practice

21.92km in 1:51:58. I ate crap all day and didn't drink enough water, so the run was really tough. I pushed through it and finished the distance. My first half-marathon is November 19, just 5+ weeks away.

6am run...

Woke up at 5:45, sipped some water, ate a banana, put on my shoes, and ran.
5.56km in 25:39. I wasn't tired, but have to get ready for work. Long run on Monday...?

Short 5-miler

I was too busy tonight to run before 11, so at midnight I forced myself out the door and ran. My first 2 miles were quicker as I was feeling really good. The first half of my run was at a 4:15/km pace and that was going uphill. There were two people riding bikes (abnormally slow) and I made it a goal to keep them within a short distance from me. Every red light was an opportunity for me to pass them.
The way back was downhill, but I took it slow to give my joints a break at about 4:50/km. I had a lot of juice left on the last km so I pushed hard and sprinted the last 150m.
Total distance was 8.45km or 5.2 miles with a time of 38:26.

One Mile Short of Half Mara

After a long day at school and a nice big dinner, I rode my bike home and relaxed for about 2 hours waiting for my wife to come home. I new I had to go for a longer run so I set out at around 10pm. After deciding to head for the mountains, I picked a nice slow pace that I could carry for an hour+. My average pace was 5:03/km.
Wenxin Road was crowded as always and I couldn't wait to get out of the city. Wenxin Road turns into Dongshan Road and crosses the Caohu River six times. It was a beautiful evening and I left my mind go a I held the pace and enjoyed the scenery. 2.5 miles in is when the scenery changes, the cars disappear, and slowly but surely, you are surrounded by mountains. The elevation climb is pretty steep in some areas but I was feeling great so I pushed on. Both sides of the street leading up to Daken Mountain are full of think green trees and the occasional rice field. Wild dogs only looked up when they heard my foot steps but would immediately rest their heads again as I passed. The river didn't smell like feces (like it does in the city) and the sky was really clear, the moonlight giving me more than what I need to see. I turned around at 5.08 miles and headed back down. My pace quickened for the first few km but going downhill is still pretty hard on my knees so I slowed it down.
After reaching the city again, my legs felt like they weighed 40lbs each. Going down and back up the stairs that go under the train tracks was a killer. I took a detour to add a little extra distance to my night's run and ended up with...

19.69km in 1:39:26. With my half marathon three months away, I'm pretty sure i'll be able to hit my goal of a sub-1:40 half. Perhaps i'll even set my goal to sub-1:30....

5k PR

I set out to break my 5k record. It wasn't an official race, but I ran 5km nonetheless. My 5k point was 20:42 and I ended up running 5.24km in 21:43. I've now been running for two months and although I've already see a lot of progress, I'd like to see more.
I have just under 3 months left to prepare for my half-marathon. My goal as of now is to run a sub-two hour. I'm pretty sure I can do it. I'm off for a longer run in an hour!

Bike and Run

Last night I got off late, which meant I had to go to Taichung Train Station instead of Taiyuan Station. I rode my bike down there during the afternoon and brought my running gear along. After work, I changed into my running clothes/shoes on the train and prepared for my 7 km bike sprint home and then for a 5k run immediately after. I wanted to see how it felt to run right after a bike sprint. My legs burned and felt SUPER heavy for the first km or so, but they eventually adjusted.
I ran 5.52km in 26:25. My run ended at McD's where my wife and I shared a delicious and well-deserved meal.