Secretly (But Now You Know)

Running regularly, consistently has been a challenge since I rebooted several years ago. Any reader of this blog knows I've stop-started too often.

So I am starting again. 100+ people already know. Following the basic 100 Day Challenge successfully accomplished in early 2014, I decided to begin a 50-day version. Same thing, only shorter.

I needed company. So I asked a few friends to join me. And they asked a few friends. 111 people have started. A few dropped off, but 107 are still at it. I only know 20% or so.

Today is day 12. I'll workout tonight. Ran a treadmill 5K yesterday in 28:28 (9:10/mile) as part of my run.

The general plan is 30+ minutes a day. I'm trying to add five minutes each day, per week. That is, each day of Week 1 I'll try to do 30 minutes. And each day of week two, I'll do at least 35 minutes. My true goal is the 30 minutes, and hope to well-exceed it as time goes by.

So far, mostly so good, but I'm getting there. Gained a little weight, but I'm not concerned. My mileage is still low, as it the intensity. Some of my workouts are walk-runs. It will accumulate.

To all of you who struggle to keep at it, you can do it. So can I.

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50 Days of Working Out (and more) into the 100 Days Challenge

51 days are behind me in the John "The Penguin" Bingham - 100 Days Challenge.

I have not skipped a day.

I did weigh myself. I said I wouldn't. But I did. It looks like I have lost 7-8 pounds. I could stand losing 10-15 more pounds.

I have run 79.20 miles, and walked 74.65 miles. That equals 153.67 miles.

101.391 miles were within the last 31 days. That includes walking.

I'm still having "walk days," meaning I do not run on that day, but walk usually around 15:00/mile.

7.25 miles run yesterday (Day 51) in 62:09 (8:34/mile)

5K in 24:17 (7:53/mile)

All on a treadmill, so all times are adjusted when I run outside. See this chart to convert treadmill times to outside running.

Given the treadmill factor, I have no idea how fast I can really run, but I am pleased with my progress. It is cold here in Chicago, and running during daylight is logistically not possible. I am anxious to try.

Running Inside (with regrets) - 1.5 Miles

1.25 miles run
0.25 miles walked

total: 1.5 miles
course: home treadmill

I wanted to run outside. As I reported on Twitter, it is a gorgeous day. But I can't. Well, I could, but the reality is, I knew I'd run more on my treadmill. Few beautiful days in Chicago remain this year, so I'm kicking myself.

Broke in a new pair of ASICS 2160s. Last year's model. Too early to review, but so far, so good. Barely a mile and a half into them. The real truth will show up in 50 miles.

My whole run has little to describe. What can I say about a run that, all said, last under 20 minutes? One important thing: I did it. No, I'm not proud. I know most runners reading this are consistent in their training. None of this on/off business. I wish I was there.

Catch me on Twitter. http://twitter.com/anthonytrendl

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What I Ain't Is Pretty - 1.0 Mile

1.0 miles

total: 1.0 miles
course: home treadmill

A Chubby's Lament
by Anthony Trendl

I looked in the mirror and what did I see?
But a blob, a chub, a fatter version of me.
I was me, I was certain you know,
this was my gut that started to grow.
Bigger today than ever before,
would my dear gut grow any more?
I decided to run, nay, I should walk.
I'm logging off, no time for talk.

There you go. I ran/walked a mile after a look in the mirror. Nothing about me looked good.

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Faster Than Not Slow (with Rice) - 3.1 Miles

3.108 miles run (28:45 - 9:15/mile)
0.500 miles walk

total: 3.608 miles
course: home treadmill

Did not have much time to run tonight, and was full of Chinese food. That, and I still have a five mile run in my legs -- and I'll be adding one more day of runs to my week. Too many miles too soon is a bad thing in general, so this was win-win. And, I like faster more than slower.

My weight has yet to show movement. In fact, before the run, I weighed myself at 1.5 lbs higher than yesterday. The big lunch and not small dinner did not help. The treadmill thinks I burned 400 calories. I'll take it. I'll get there if I stay consistent (and persistent).

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Three Accomplishments - 5.0 Miles

5.00 miles run 0.50 miles walk
total: 5.50 miles
course: home treadmill

A solid first run of the year. Much better start than last year. Then, not only did I run just a mile on New's Year's Day, I had run only one mile in all of the previous December. This last December, I ran 26.24 miles over 11 runs.

As I ran, I wondered about some stories I'm working on. A few are stuck, with problems I need to resolve. A few ideas were loosed up around mile three.

Accomplishment #1
Today, this first day of the year, finishes a rolling week with 15.373 miles run. I've not cleared 15 miles in a week (just counting running) since mid-November, 2010.
Accomplishment #2
With 5.0 miles today, I'm again, digging back to November 2010.

Accomplishment #3

I stuck at 10:00/mile the entire way. Slow? Hard to say. Two days ago, everything felt fast. The important thing is I kept it slow. My body is still getting into the most basic of shape. Just because a couple kinks are out does not mean I cannot be dreadfully foolish.

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Unsatisfying Last Run of the Year - 2.1 miles

2.101 miles run
0.25 miles walk
total: 2.351 miles
course: home treadmill

Why so little? Very slow too.

Not enough sleep (all week). Didn't hydrate or eat well. Stress. And residual tiredness from the previous run. Not that complicated. It adds up. 

However, as the last run of 2011, this is still good. I didn't skip it when I didn't feel like it.
Catch me on Twitter. http://twitter.com/anthonytrendl

See you in 2012!

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Canonized and Funky - 4.727 Miles

4.272 miles run (40:15 - 9:25/mile)
0.500 miles walk

total: 4.772 miles
course: home treadmill

I was not as tight as I expected from the previous run, and, in fact, felt very good. Why? I don't really know, but I'm willing to believe it could be because my overall mileage is still low, my recovery time is two days, and my longest run wasn't especially long.

All of this will accrue, and aching, tired days are ahead if all goes well. Strange to say that but it is true. Stranger still is that I look forward to this. It means I'm still at it. Consistency. I thought about my tea drinking friend. His recent post about preaching tea to the choir has flavors of consistency as well. He sticks at it, keeps trying.

In the meanwhile, regarding tonight, things went well. Spotify was treating me well as I sent songs from iTunes to Spotify (iTunes is not available on my phone, and I'm learning to prefer Spotify). Used an old playlist, and got down to Wild Cherry, finished with a walk to Pachelbel's Canon.

A few videos. The last is a funny look at a famous classical piece.

Wild Cherry - Play that Funky Music


Johann Pachelbel - Canon in D Major


Comedian/musician Rob Paravonian - Pachelbel Rant

6.4 Kilometers (I looked it up) - 4 Miles

4.00 miles run (38:43 - 9:41/mile)
0.25 miles walk

total: 4.25 miles
course: home treadmill

I missed yesterday. The goal is to run every other day through New Year's, then evaluate if slipping another day in every seven is a good idea. But yesterday was Christmas. A busy schedule dominated the day. I slow cooked ribs and chicken, with a myriad of Hungarian dishes as well. Celebrating my Lord's birth is more important to me than running. Was a beautiful day for those of you who managed running.

Today, I added 0.90 miles to my longest run. My legs are still getting used to this, and four miles is a genuine workout.

I'll be tight tomorrow. These days between are precious.

Ran a 5K an Hour Ago. You? 3.108 Basement Miles

3.108 miles run (29:14 - 9:24/mile)
0.392 miles walk

total: 3.50 miles
course: home treadmill

I sort of ran a 5K today. In my basement, dim lights and laundry piled next to me. Not really, of course. I have no delusions treadmill running is the same as outside running, but it is cold, I wanted to tune out and just get it done. Which I did.

If it were a 5K, I would have not come in last. I'm looking forward to knocking out miles at 8:30/mile and longer, and this, though a minute off, is encouraging. I felt OK on this even of Christmas Eve.

All said, I'm up to just over 17 miles for the month, on pace to finish with 31. I'm satisfied with that even though I can name a few friends with 30 milers as their Saturday run. I can name 100 more who never do squat and are suffering from inactivity. That was me last month. I'm one skipped run due to laziness away from this status.

Machinery? Bah! 2.75 Miles

2.752 miles run
0.248 miles walk

total: 3.00 miles
course: home treadmill
I'm sitting here eating Raisin Bran, feeling the warmth of a workout slide through my body. It is a good feeling.
I have a nice treadmill, and have a comfortable home. There are nicer treadmills in nicer homes, with fitness coaches, massage therapists and all the rest that some people might enjoy. OK, everyone would enjoy. But, not everyone has. My point -- all that doth not fitness make. A good run is not complicated. Better devices, even better shoes won't get it done. Those things can limit injury, or help the run be more enjoyable, or a faster recovery time for hard workouts, but nothing replaces sweat.

I don't begrudge the guy with all that. I too, compared to many, just by merit of having good shoes and the treadmill, have more than so many runners. Just look at the Ethiopians. Or Kenyans? Look how the lack of technical running has impeded their efforts. ;)

I wanted to run longer. That's a good temptation. It means progress, But it is a dangerous temptation. Run too far now, and next month I'm back where I started.

Just Under 30 Minutes - 2.5 Miles

2.506 miles run @ 9:42/mile 0.300 miles walk

total: 2.806 miles
course: home treadmill

Today, I actually broke a sweat. I did other days too, but those were over so fast I hardly knew it began.

Sped it up a skosh after the first mile after starting at 10:00/mile. I decided on a new self-rule. If it ever gets so fast from nudging it faster that I must turn the speed down in order to finish, the next run I stay at the intended speed. Not an issue today, but it was close.

My goal needs to remain just getting on the treadmill every other day. After the new year, I reserve the option to add days, but I still have almost two weeks for that. Six more runs until 2012.

Warmup vs Progress - 2 Miles

2.0  miles run
0.25 miles walked

total: 2.0 miles
course: home treadmill
Some might look at my mileage here and see "warmup." I see it and see "progress." As you expect, my speed matched my distance. Something just under 10:00/mile.

Progress? Yes. I ran a mile December 9. Today I did twice that slightly faster, with another quarter mile to ease things down. I have run five times. Today finishes off just over 815 miles. That might be 890 calories, or over a quarter pound lost.

No, no, not a lot, but I ask all of you fatties out there if you did the same thing for a year, what would happen? You'd be thinner, feel better, and smile more often. That's what I'm hoping for.

• See my personal blog http://anthonytrendl.blogspot.com and my popular YouTube video blog: http://popularyoutubevideos.blogspot.com 
• For you folks on Twitter, follow me: http://twitter.com/anthonytrendl

Fitness Reality Brought Me 1.75(1) Miles

1.751 miles run
0.251 miles walked

total: 2.002 miles
course: home treadmill

There I go again, including minutia. Why? Easy: It is more than I ran all last month. That .001. Will it make a difference? Of course not, but I do wish I had run that 1/1000 mile last month.

I have run four times this week. 5.5 miles run. Strange to know that's the total for the week. Add in the .05/mile walked and I'm still under 6 miles. That's just a reality I gotta face until it is safe to increase.

What's your fitness reality?

• See my personal blog http://anthonytrendl.blogspot.com and my popular Youtube video blog: http://popularyoutubevideos.blogspot.com 
• For you folks on Twitter, follow me: http://twitter.com/anthonytrendl

Why I Keep a Running Blog - 1.25 Miles

1.25 miles run
0.15 miles walked

total: 1.40 miles
course: home treadmill

Yeah, yeah. Why am I including such an insignificant detail -- that I walked 14% of one mile?

Because, simply, this is my blog. Mere self-indulgence isn't the point. I would tell it better then. Pride? I hope not. Kind of embarrassing, if you think about it. Can't brag about running a buck and a quarter.

And that's the point. No, no, not the embarrassing part. I mean the part in which I put it out there. I'm vulnerable. I do keep a private spreadsheet of all of this, but in being out there, two things happen:

1) My pride remains in check.
Instead of my little secret, good or bad, I have things nicely digital. The ups and the downs.

I had one person once tell me to cool it regarding how much I blog about running. That hurt, because they had the impression this was "Look at me, I'm doing well." To the contrary. Look at my last few posts: under 5K. I used to warm up longer than that.

2) It keeps reality in check.

There are a few realities. By logging things publicly, there is a sort of accountability. If, say, I decide to go ultra, what's the cost? Let's say my knees and all survive. Those hours of training whither away at things more important to me, like reading to my boy.

• Age, knocks and bruises through the years, paying the consequences of bronchitis a few times -- the physical stuff.
• Time: faith, work, family -- the stuff that isn't running.

Running is a good thing for me, but it needs to be the right amount. I don't buy into the "all things in moderation" myth. The right amount, whatever that is. Not more. Not less. If nothing, then that's the right amount.

Sure, it is good to track progress, or to backtrack a log to analyze an injury. But there's more to life than a PR, isn't there?

If you run, know why. If you invest your time in it, know what's not getting invested in. Simple displacement. Every hour run is not tossing a ball with your boy, or having dinner with your spouse.

Don't lie to yourself and say, "I'm healthier at 80 miles a week." Are you? If you are running quick 6:30 miles, not counting prep and warmdown, you are looking at over 8.5 hours each week. Add in shoe shopping, showers, drinking Gatorade. Nothing wrong with that if the rest of life is in check.

I've been down the road of investing too much. I don't want that to happen again. Yeah, I'm a long way from too much, but it all starts with one mile, doesn't it?

Do the math.

150% More Than My Last Run - 1.5 Miles

1.50 miles run
total: 1.50 miles
course: home treadmill

Starting is somewhat easy. It really isn't easy, but it is easier than continuing, don't you think? I'm still starting, so I can't say it has become particularly difficult, but it wasn't easy either.

My face is red. My thighs ache a little from the last run, and standing for three hours at an art gallery last night. Standing is easier than running, unless you've just been running. Or, in my case, hadn't been running much at all.

All I can say is I ran. Not fast. Slow, if you think about fast and slow in terms of running. Not far, if you think about short and far in terms of running. Just ran.

One Mile Equals One Mile

1.002 miles run

total: 1.002 miles
course: home treadmill

That's it. A mile. See yesterday's post for context. Basically, trying to do something. Anything. Before New Year's Day.

It hurt. I went slow. Exhausted. Add more out of shape type words.

So Far, So --- 2.25 Miles

2.25 miles run

total: 2.25 miles
course: Home treadmill

Before I ran today, I wondered how long I will stick at it before my knees or other body part shouts back in defense of my couch.

Say no to your couch.

I set my iPod with a 38 minute playlist. I knew, really, I would only do a little over two miles. That's all I should do. More, as short as two miles is, is too much. I want to do more. I need to do more. I looked back at the last two months and fought discouragement.

So what?

Life's like that, isn't it? Looking back has its place, but looking forward is necessary. And forward is October 9, 2011.

Two Point One (Oh) One - 2.1010 miles

2.101 miles run 

total: 2.101 miles
course: home treadmill

Blisters, flu, and knees, oh my. Hopefully, the winter blues and flu are behind me. Having signed up for the Chicago Marathon, I need to build aerobic fitness so I can endure the actual training (starting either in May or June, depending which plan I ultimately follow).

All I gotta do is stay the course.

A Thirsty Four Miles

4.0 miles run (36:52 - 9:13/mile)
0.25 miles walked (15:00/mile)

total: 4.25 miles
course: home treadmill

Coach Jim Spivey offered this advice when I asked him how to transition from getting in shape to maintaining fitness, but without speedwork and all that: Change my distance and pace. Simple? Sure. Obvious? Well, yeah. Was I doing it? Not intentionally, but falling into a rut is easy.

So I ran four miles about 45 seconds per mile slower than I had been running five miles. Different muscles, different strides length, different arm motion. The cadence is all different. It is tiring.

Now, a late dinner which will include a cold Bass Ale.

Bass Ale 16oz Viking Pint Glass - Set of 4 * Bass Ale Black Hat