Running Naked? Sure, why not?

Today, I ran naked through my neighborhood. Yep, true story. 

 
(Not me. Not my neighborhood.) 

Of course, by naked, I mean I ran without my music, my Garmin, or my iPhone. Just me and my RoadID for safety. 

And it felt good. I heard my own footsteps as they hit the pavement. I heard my own breathing. I heard the sounds of everything going on around me as I ran by. It was a different running experience, that's for sure. 

I mapped it out when I got home and I ran 2.85 miles in 27 minutes. That's 9:28 average pace. And interestingly enough, that's about my average pace for my entire Summer of Run Challenge. 

Turns out, even without a watch to pace myself, I still run about the same speed. 

So go me! 

Week 12 Recap - Summer of Run

Week twelve is now behind me and the summer heat seems to have really found its way to San Diego. Far from it being the end of the season, the days feel hotter than June and July. But still I run.

Saturday, September 8th, was the end of week 12 of my Summer of Run Challenge.

1. I ran all seven days.
2. I ran at least one 10-minute mile each day.
3. I ran  more than 15 miles for the week.

Here's how it happened:

And the challenge recap so far:

The heat continued through the week, with some of the hottest days of the summer so far. And I intended to finish the week with a single mile on Saturday, but as you may have already read here, I changed that to a three mile run, instead.

I had expected to feel totally "over it" by this point in the challenge, but I'm feeling a bit wound up, actually. I think it's a combination of three things. One, the attitude adjustment courtesy of Sgt Clemons. Two, the Ragnar Relay Napa that is coming up Friday and Saturday. And three, the excitement of actually seeing this challenge all the way through.

And the Summer of Run definitely continues!

Every F'ing Step.

Yep, it's a bit crude. Certainly not my normal language here. But sometimes, a lesson demands the exact truth.

Saturday morning, I woke up in a cranky mood. I had to get out and get my recovery day mile in, and I just didn't want to do it. Of course, I'm over 80 days into my Summer of Run Challenge, so I knew I was going to do it. I just didn't have to like it.

 Before heading out the door, I stopped to check Facebook. I saw that a friend had posted a message about a Marine funeral taking place just a few miles from my house. The family had made a request for volunteers to stand "guard" at the funeral, since the Westboro Baptist Church idiots had threatened to protest the funeral.

I saw the message just after 9:30am, so I had already missed my chance to go. But learning of this Marine's passing hit me hard. I shared this on my Facebook wall before I started running:

As I head out for my morning run, I'll be thinking of USMC Sgt Stephen E. "Zeb" Clemons, 2/4 Marines (Magnificent Bastards), Golf Co., being laid to rest just miles away from where I am. Stephen passed away at the age of 28 at Naval Medical Center, San Diego, due to complications of cancer. He is survived by his wife, Mother and Father. Stephen was an only child.

This morning, I won't complain or bitch about the heat, or the road, or the distance. I will rejoice with each step that I am alive and able to run. Today, I will not take my good health and able body for granted.

Reading about Sgt Clemons changed my perspective. Instead of just running my one mile recovery run, I decided to run the Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test distance of three miles. During the start of the last mile, as it was getting warmer and I was feeling out of breath, I reminded myself of my earlier promise. And I started saying, out loud, "Every. F*cking, Step. Every. F*cking. Step."

And in those moments, I ran a little faster and cried more than a few tears for a Marine I have never even met in person. But he was there pushing me and that made the difference today.

As I said, I realize the language is harsh. But those words are exactly what popped into my head as I was running. I choose to believe that a certain Marine Sergeant was running along with me to "gently encourage me" lest I think for a second about slowing down or stopping.

I have a body capable of doing great things. I pray for the mental strength to never forget that, to always remember that I have a responsibility to run for those who no longer can.

Semper Fi, Sgt Clemons. Godspeed, Devil Dawg.

 _________________

 And more about this Marine from a dear friend of his, Mariso...

 "That Boy loved his Country , defending it was his Pride & Joy. He was a deployed a few times, Iraq ( 2 times) and a MEU in 2009, and his last deployment to Afghanistan in Aug 2011, which sadly he couldn't complete, He had to come home in Oct because a Doctor diagnosed him with cancer. Steve or "Zeb" as he was referred to was a vibrant and joyful guy, like I said he loved his Country, his Country Music, his GUNS! and Dodge Trucks. Steve always had a big smile on his face, one of his favorite words to say was Awesome!

Nobody would believe how many times he volunteered to go to Afghanistan, even while on being on his last MEU he would talk about how he wanted to go and be in combat. He talked about it constantly. He loved it. He loved Scary movies, and loved Will Ferrell, Talladega Nights was one of his favorite movies, the redneck in him of course. He loved Mnt dew and Bud Light was his beer of choice. He was full of life , nothing would bring him down, nothing was ever too hard, no situation was ever too bad. 

He would take off the shirt on his back and would give it to anyone who might need it, because that was the way he was raised. He said Yes Ma'am and Yes Sir, he was a southern gentlemen, he opened doors, pulled chairs out, ect. His smile was contagious, he believed in being honest, no matter if it made people mad.

One of his favorite songs was Chicken Fried, by a country group called Zac Brown, " Salute the ones who die the ones who give their lives so we don't have to sacrifice all the things we love, like our chicken fried, cold beer on a Friday night a pair of jeans that fit just right and the radio on " was his favorite verse . Lets not get started on his love for Walmart.. he loved it , He proudly would wear his cut off shirts and his infamous RealTree cap with a Fish hook on it (that was his trade mark)."

Stephen was from Radcliff, Ky but was actually born in Germany on a military base, as his Dad was active duty at the time.

Week 11 Recap - Summer of Run

Week eleven was my toughest week, yet. More on why later, but first, the recap.

Saturday, September 1st, was the end of week 11 of my Summer of Run Challenge.

1. I ran all seven days.
2. I ran at least one 10-minute mile each day.
3. I ran more than 15 miles for the week.

Here's how it happened:

And the challenge recap so far:

This was the first week of the entire summer that I haven't had a real long run. That meant the distance was more spread out, though, to make sure I ran at least fifteen miles. I have also been running much more outdoors and off the treadmill, which has slowed my times down a bit but improved my overall running.

So I made it to Labor Day Weekend, which normally signals the end of summer. But for me, I still have a lot of running to do.

And the Summer of Run continues!

Week 10 Recap - Summer of Run

And another week comes to an end.

Saturday, August 25th, was the end of week 10 of my Summer of Run Challenge.

1. I ran all seven days.
2. I ran at least one 10-minute mile each day.
3. I ran more than 15 miles for the week.

Here's how it happened:

And the challenge recap so far:

This was a good week, but it started with a tough half marathon. More details on that separately, but I'm glad to have that one behind me. I feel like I struggled through the whole week with short distance, too. The beating I took Sunday really slowed me down all week.

Unfortunately, it was the first week that my overall pace came in higher than ten minutes per mile. I'm not beating myself up over it, just noting that I was slower this week than I have been so far this challenge.

And the Summer of Run continues!

Week 9 Recap - Summer of Run

Wow, where are the days going? It seems like I just wrote a recap and yet, amazingly, two weeks have gone by. Time for me to get caught up!

Saturday, August 18th, was the end of week 9 of my Summer of Run Challenge.

1. I ran all seven days.
2. I ran at least one 10-minute mile each day.
3. I ran more than 15 miles for the week.

Here's how the week happened:

And the challenge recap so far:

My mileage count was low, but I still managed to hit my marks. I chose to end the week with short runs in preparation for my half marathon on Sunday, and I also made it a point to get more outside miles and avoid the treadmill. 

The Summer of Run continues!

Week 8 Recap - Summer of Run

Saturday was the end of week 8 of my Summer of Run Challenge.

1. I ran all seven days.
2. I ran at least one 10-minute mile each day.
3. I ran more than 15 miles for the week.

This was not a long-distance week for me, but I still managed to run 16.57 miles.

Here's how the week happened:

And the challenge recap so far:

It wasn't a great week, at least at the start. I felt sluggish and heavy on  most of the runs, like it was an effort just to be out there. Midweek, in fact, I was really struggling. But while I was out on one of my earlier runs, one of my SparkBuddies and real life friends, Jerome, reminded me that I just needed to focus on the one run I was doing, as I was doing, and let the rest of the week sort itself out.

Made a total difference. The rest of the week was good and I felt back in control of my challenge miles.

And the Summer of Run continues.

Week 7 Recap - Summer of Run

Saturday was the end of week 7 of my Summer of Run Challenge.

1. I ran all seven days.
2. I ran at least one 10-minute mile each day.
3. I ran more than 15 miles for the week.

At nearly 25 miles, this was my highest mileage week so far this summer. Starting the week off with a half marathon definitely helped that!

Here's how the week happened:

And the challenge recap so far:

It was a good week, and I allowed myself time to recover from the half marathon. But the single mile days still have me feeling like I'm slacking off. I know it's all in my head, but it is what it is.

No. Let me correct that. It is what I make it. And I need to keep reminding myself that my recovery miles are an essential part of successfully completing this challenge.

And on it goes...

Halfway? Yeah, I can do this.

I may not feel like every day is the greatest run ever, but I keep going. And I will complete this challenge.

Week 6 Recap - Summer of Run

Saturday was the end of week 6 of my Summer of Run Challenge.

1. I ran all seven days.
2. I ran at least one 10-minute mile each day.
3. I ran more than 15 miles for the week.

At just over fifteen miles, this was my lowest mileage week so far this summer. But I still feel good about it. I purposely chose to limit my miles later in the week so I would be ready to run my half marathon Sunday. More about that to come later.

Here's how it happened:

And the challenge recap so far:

I'm really into this routine at this point. Running first thing in the morning has become a habit, and I feel a bit off if I don't get to it. And that's a good thing. And who knows what other good habits I may develop by the time this challenge is complete?

Facing A Runner's Dilemma.

So far this week, I have run 10.78 miles. That means that I need a combined 4.22 miles over the next three days. No problem. Normally, I'd run five miles tomorrow to get to my weekly minimum and then do whatever I felt like the last two days.

But this isn't a normal week. On Sunday, I am running the Dolphin Dash Half Marathon in Long Beach. And starting my week off with a thirteen mile run is great, but that means I need to get a few rest days before then.

I SHOULD run 2.25 miles tomorrow, 1 mile Friday, and 1 mile Saturday. That's what I should do. But I know me. And I'm going to want to run more. Thus, the dilemma. Do I run more now and risk being tired and over-trained for Sunday, or do I just go for it this week and let the chips fall where they may at the half-marathon?

I'm going to take the long view here. I still have a lot of summer running to do, and it's better for me to stay within my planned distances. So tomorrow, I'll do the 2.25 and then the next two days will be one-mile recovery days.

Half Marathon, here I come!

Week 5 Recap - Summer of Run

Saturday was the end of week 5 of my Summer of Run Challenge.

1. I ran all seven days.
2. I ran at least one 10-minute mile each day.
3. I ran more than 15 miles for the week.

One thing I did not do was stick with my plan of running low mileage. Despite recovering from bronchitis, I still ran my second highest mileage week so far this challenge. I'm feeling pretty good about that.

Here's how it happened:

And the challenge recap so far:

The running felt really good all week. I was surprised that I was able to run two different 10k distances without coughing. After each day's run, I coughed a bit, but for the most part, I'm good to go.

And that makes me very happy, especially since I have a half marathon to run on Sunday, July 29th, in Long Beach, California.

This week, I'll be running much closer to my 15 mile weekly minimum, mostly to rest up for Sunday's half. Still, it's going to be another great week of running!

And the Summer of Run continues!

Week 4 Recap - Summer of Run

Saturday was the end of week 4 of my Summer of Run Challenge.

1. I ran all seven days.
2. I ran at least one 10-minute mile each day.
3. I ran more than 15 miles for the week.

Here's how it happened:

And the challenge recap so far:

The running was good this week, for the most part. My plan to run 6-1-3-1-6-1-1 was good, and it gave me  a chance to rest while still hitting the daily minimum. But by late in the week, it was clear that my health was going to be an issue.

I coughed a lot all week, to the point that I had to see the doctor. No surprise, I have bronchitis. I was candid with the doc about my intention to keep running each day, and we worked out a plan. I was given the go-ahead to run provided I don't over-exert myself.

I have decided to switch my schedule, starting with a couple of 1 mile days this week and running farther later in the week. This will allow me more time to recover from the cough.

For week 5, I am planning this:

• Sun - 1 miles
• Mon - 1 mile
• Tue - 4 miles
• Wed - 1 mile
• Thu - 3 miles
• Fri - 1 mile
• Sat - 4 mile

This will give me the bare minimum for the week, and I'm fine with it. Continuing to run with bronchitis is a tricky business, and I'm balancing the importance of completing the challenge with the need to slow down and heal.

And the Summer of Run continues!

Week 3 Recap - Summer of Run

Saturday was the end of week 3 of my Summer of Run Challenge.

1. I ran all seven days.
2. I ran at least one 10-minute mile each day.
3. I ran more than 15 miles for the week.

Here's how it happened:

And the challenge recap so far:

This was a tough week for me. Running every day isn't as easy as I thought it would be. Without a full off day to recover, I am finding that even some of the shorter runs feel slow and awkward. My Friday run was the worst. It was the first time that I wondered if I might have taken on too big a challenge. By the time I got home, my shins hurt so bad that I was limping and I thought, "damn it, what if I can't do this?"

Fortunately, my Saturday run was better and I knocked out my mile with no problem. But the bad run made me realize how big this challenge is. I need to put some real thought into it and not just dash out the door each morning to run.

For week 4, I am planning this:

• Sun - 6 miles
• Mon - 1 mile
• Tue - 3 miles
• Wed - 1 mile
• Thu - 6 miles
• Fri - 1 mile
• Sat - 1 mile

That will give me nearly 20 miles for the week, and that is well above my challenge minimum. It will also ensure that I am getting down time between my longer runs. Hopefully, I will feel strong and remain injury-free all week.

And the Summer of Run continues!

Week 2 Recap - Summer of Run

Saturday was the end of my first full week of the Summer of Run Challenge.

1. I ran all seven days.
2. I ran at least one 10-minute mile each day.
3. And I definitely ran more than 15 miles this week.

Here's how it how happened:

And here's the challenge recap so far:

So far, so good. It's working. And I find that each day, it's actually getting easier. This running routine is making a difference.

Week 1 Recap - Summer of Run

Today marks the end of the first (abbreviated) week of my 2012 Summer of Run Challenge. Even with the four day week, I managed to hit all the marks.

1. I ran each of the four days.
2. I ran at least one mile each day at a less than ten minute pace.
3. And I ran more than fifteen miles this week.

Here's how it happened:

And here's the challenge recap so far:

My plan for tomorrow is to run just one mile, to give myself a recovery day. And then on Monday, I'll be back for more.

I can totally do this.