striker1064
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2018
Have you ever thought about how weird it is to write an introduction like this? I've never been good at it. It seems like something substantive should go here, whereas I always just want to get into the meat of things. Instead, here I go with this stream-of-consciousness opening.
If you can't tell, I'm not a writer.
So, hi! I've been thinking of starting a training journal for a while. I've been running for a few years, but much more seriously the last 3ish years. I find that I learn and improve the most by asking questions and getting feedback, and that's what I'm hoping to accomplish here. This gives me a chance to do some analysis and poke around my head to get my thoughts out, which is something I've never been particularly good at. By all means, comment away!
I live in Washington DC with my wife and 2 cats. Why 2? One never seemed like quite enough, but 3 seemed like they could be taking over. You have to divide and conquer with these animals. One person to one feline gives you a hat-on-a-hat, as they say in football. Sometimes, we still lose the battle anyway.
I started running years ago as a way to lose weight and get in better shape. I'm not getting any younger, but from my days as a child I simply hated exercising. I kept trying "crash"-style workouts in the hopes of finding something that I would enjoy, but nothing stuck. Finally, I settled on running as a way of efficiently burning calories - that is, it allowed me to it output the maximum amount of effort in X time compared to other forms of exercise. Additionally, running was cheap - it didn't require any expensive exercise equipment, just a pair of shoes (Well, that has certainly changed, hasn't it?). I sort of plodded along aimlessly for a long while until I ran my first 5k. I couldn't even run the whole thing, and it wasn't a particularly enjoyable experience, either. I kept at it though, and improved slowly.
My first half marathon was the WDW Princess Half Marathon 2020. I followed a Hal Higdon plan and figured it would be a one-and-done. I was kind of under-trained and dealing with a new plantar fasciitis injury in my right foot, so I didn't have a ton of expectations... but then I crossed the finish line in 1:58:44 and was hooked. Now, I race. Thanks to the injury and COVID, I've not raced much since. I've run a few races but didn't actually race them. I followed a streamlined plan from @DopeyBadger for Princess HM 2022 and felt great about it - right up until I got injured on my left foot 2 weeks before the race. The injury and heat meant I crossed the finish line in 1:58:06, far off my goal of 1:53:45. And despite the PR, it's been on my mind.
Side note, I never knew what to tell people who asked me what helped my plantar fasciitis. I tried a lot - physical therapy, stretching, cortisone injections, shock therapy - all of it. 2+ years later and I still have some pain. But do you want to know the real secret of what made my PF feel better? The new injury! My PF is better than ever.
One thing I really love about living in DC is it makes running so easy. I love the numerous running paths and pedestrian-friendly streets. I love turning my brain off on a long run and discovering new neighborhoods. I never thought I'd love running, but here we are.
Here are my upcoming races - I'll try to remember to update these every so often. Please feel free to comment! My goal is to update this about once per week with the previous week's workouts.
If you can't tell, I'm not a writer.
So, hi! I've been thinking of starting a training journal for a while. I've been running for a few years, but much more seriously the last 3ish years. I find that I learn and improve the most by asking questions and getting feedback, and that's what I'm hoping to accomplish here. This gives me a chance to do some analysis and poke around my head to get my thoughts out, which is something I've never been particularly good at. By all means, comment away!
I live in Washington DC with my wife and 2 cats. Why 2? One never seemed like quite enough, but 3 seemed like they could be taking over. You have to divide and conquer with these animals. One person to one feline gives you a hat-on-a-hat, as they say in football. Sometimes, we still lose the battle anyway.
I started running years ago as a way to lose weight and get in better shape. I'm not getting any younger, but from my days as a child I simply hated exercising. I kept trying "crash"-style workouts in the hopes of finding something that I would enjoy, but nothing stuck. Finally, I settled on running as a way of efficiently burning calories - that is, it allowed me to it output the maximum amount of effort in X time compared to other forms of exercise. Additionally, running was cheap - it didn't require any expensive exercise equipment, just a pair of shoes (Well, that has certainly changed, hasn't it?). I sort of plodded along aimlessly for a long while until I ran my first 5k. I couldn't even run the whole thing, and it wasn't a particularly enjoyable experience, either. I kept at it though, and improved slowly.
My first half marathon was the WDW Princess Half Marathon 2020. I followed a Hal Higdon plan and figured it would be a one-and-done. I was kind of under-trained and dealing with a new plantar fasciitis injury in my right foot, so I didn't have a ton of expectations... but then I crossed the finish line in 1:58:44 and was hooked. Now, I race. Thanks to the injury and COVID, I've not raced much since. I've run a few races but didn't actually race them. I followed a streamlined plan from @DopeyBadger for Princess HM 2022 and felt great about it - right up until I got injured on my left foot 2 weeks before the race. The injury and heat meant I crossed the finish line in 1:58:06, far off my goal of 1:53:45. And despite the PR, it's been on my mind.
Side note, I never knew what to tell people who asked me what helped my plantar fasciitis. I tried a lot - physical therapy, stretching, cortisone injections, shock therapy - all of it. 2+ years later and I still have some pain. But do you want to know the real secret of what made my PF feel better? The new injury! My PF is better than ever.
One thing I really love about living in DC is it makes running so easy. I love the numerous running paths and pedestrian-friendly streets. I love turning my brain off on a long run and discovering new neighborhoods. I never thought I'd love running, but here we are.
Here are my upcoming races - I'll try to remember to update these every so often. Please feel free to comment! My goal is to update this about once per week with the previous week's workouts.
| Race Name | Date | Goal | Goal Met? | Finish Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capitol Hill Classic 10k | 05/15/2022 | PR (55:15) - haven't raced a 10k since 2020 | Yes! | 54:31 | |
| Anacostia Parkrun 5k | 06/18/2022 | PR - previous best 25:27 | Yes! | 23:37 | |
| DC Race the District Half Marathon | 09/18/2022 | 1:50:00-ish | Close enough! | 1:54:26 | |
| Philadelphia Marathon | 11/20/2022 | Sub-4 - first marathon! | Well, I finished! | 4:26:17 | |
| Rock n' Roll Washington DC Half Marathon | 03/18/2023 | PR - previous best 1:54:26 | SMASHED | 1:49:25 | |
| Cherry Blossom 10-Miler | 04/02/2023 | None - Recovery/training run | 1:27:45 | ||
| Broad Street Run (10-Miler) | 04/30/2023 |
| BAMBOOZLED | 1:20:09 | |
| 05/21/2023 | PR - previous best 54:31 | CRUSHED | 49:47 | |
| Marine Corps Marathon | 10/29/2023 | Sub-4 - second attempt! | MISSION ACCOMPLISHED | 3:59:46 |
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