Varn's Running Blog

[Varn]

So since this is my first time ever training for something even remotely official like a sanctioned running race, i thought i would document a few things going on with it. i don't know if anybody cares or wants to read something like this but i thought it would be good to get these things out of my head and on paper (so to speak). And maybe inspire someone else to go out there and set some goals for themselves. You can do anything you set you mind to. Just keep setting small goals and build up to complete the bigger ones. Patience is always the key in life.

Today is Dec. 3 and so far my longest run has been 1 hour and 15 minutes. i ran about 6 miles or so. i try to concentrate mainly on the time rather than the mileage. my usual run only goes about 30 to 40 minutes. i have been offically training for this half marathon since Sept. But before that i lost 30 lbs over a 4-6 month period in preperation for a full marathon that i chickened out of before i even signed up for it. it did help me loose the weight that i never knew i had on me. its still crazy to think i was that over weight. i have always been a person that loved his body and never thought of myself as being fat. i was 276 lbs and now i am maintaining a weight under 250 lbs. (btw i'm 6'3'') So when i say i lost 30 lbs i still don't believe it.

anyways to get back to my running...i am going for my longest run EVER, tomorrow. there is a lake about 30 minutes away from me and it has a 5 mile road that goes around it. i plan on running around it twice in about 1 hour 45 minutes but we'll see how it goes. i hope not to walk at all but run the whole thing. i'll be getting to bed now so hopefull i come back tomorrow with another installment.

[Bre'Cheye]

Good going! I was wondering how you were doing on that. I think that running is something I'd like to try, but doubt if I'd ever be able to. (old ankle injury)

Keep it up and keep everyone updated!!

[Varn]

Today was a good day for me in my running history. i went to the lake and ran around it just like i planned to do and i got the time almost right. i ran around it twice, 10 miles, in 1 hour 45 minutes. it took a whole lot of effort but it was well worth it. it was the longest i have ever run in time and distance. for my official race i need to run 13.1 miles so i don't need to go much further for it. Mile 7 was my hardest mile i feel. i hit a wall during it but had to keep telling myself i could do it and push on.

old ankle injury huh? you've peeked my interest now, what happened? when i started my trianing for my race i hadn't really gone past 20 minutes so when i started to go longer i suffered a small injury. the left side of my right calf hurt real bad. i had to ice it 20 minutes as much as i could in a day and also i soaked it in epsom salt a few times a week. Now i am all good but i am still cautious about it all.

Anyways it was a good day all around for me and i hope it was the same for everyone else.

[Varn]

My race is coming up fast for me. it is on Jan. 23 so i have 6 1/2 weeks left to train and to get myself ready for it. since the run on Sat. my soreness has gone away (finally!!!) and i have definitely gained more confidence on making it thru the whole race. running the whole race and not walking that is. My goal was to finish the half marathon by 2:45 but since Sat when i ran so well i think i can drop my goal down to a 2:15-2:30 time of finishing. hopefully i don't get hurt with training and all will go well for me. i want to do another 10 miles around that lake before my race and of course keep up with my 3 day a week schedule.

i'm doing an easy run today after work. it should only be about 45 minutes or so. it all depends on how cold it gets and how i feel. right now the nights are getting into the low 40s or so, so its hard to motivate myself to get out there and run. but once i get out there it seems to be alright and i get back into my groove and all is well in the world.

[Bre'Cheye]

So it happens on Jan 23. Will it be televised? And while you are running, is your mind thinking of things or just a peaceful clean slate?

[Varn]

i don't really know if it will be televised. i sure hope not, i'm not that good looking to be put on camera. i don't think so though. Probably just the local news and stuff like that. its not that big of a thing, nothing like the NYC Marathon.

Um...to answer your other question. i usually wear an ipod while i run with some up tempo songs. But running does clear my mind a lot. i don't have any real awesome ideas or anything but when i get lost in thought it definitely goes faster. time always passes more the more you don't think about it. so the run feels shorter than it really was. Most of my thoughts just go to where and what i'm going to do next.

i wasn't able to run on tuesday unfortunately. i got off work late and had to do a grocery run (in a car) but i should get off normal time today (thursday) and go for a run.

[Varn]

i was able to make my run last night. i did a 30 minute run but tried to change it up a little bit. i added some speed work and hills in it. i tried running at a faster pace for two straight aways and went up a hill i have been avoiding for sometime. its pretty steep and hard to get up even in a car. ok so its not that big but in running terms it is and to me it is as well.

i decided to go with out an ipod and just wanted to enjoy the sounds of the city and concentrate on my breathing more. it wasn't as bad as i thought it was going to be. i felt really fast though last night. it might have been i had no ipod though so i was more aware of my speed and area that i was in. i think it was all in my head though.

[Varn]

today is tuesday so that means a running day for me. i did run on Saturday but didn't post about it yet. i ran for about 1 hour 20 minutes. it was a pretty hard run b/c it was hot out and i'm used to running in the morning or at night. i also took a route that i've never taken before with lots of hills. i kinda strained my left achilles heel but its seems to be better now. i don't think it was ready for that many hills.
tonight i'm making into a real easy run. i was just going to run to the newspaper hq and pick a paper. it should take that long and its only about 2 miles away so round trip should be 4 miles. it has a hill or two but their not that big.

hope everyone ones day is going well for them.

[Varn]

Yesterday it was overcast the whole day so it made for a cold night. so i decided to just go to the gym and run on the treadmill for a little bit. i was short on time so i only ran for 30 minutes or so. i tried out a running method i read in a magazine where you run 30 seconds and walk 30 seconds. but everytime you run you increase the speed a little bit. it works pretty well. its supposed to help you increase your pace when you run normally outside.

[torra]

AHA, so this is how you managed to escape theAnt and a return to prison!

How can she possible catch you...LOL

Great job on training, Varn, and thanks for taking the time to keep this blog. It's great fun to be able to follow your progress. Perhaps you could post a link to it at the Gryffindor Pub. That way, we slackers can get some inspiration and perhaps get off our tushes for the New Year!!

We're rooting for you, Varn! ;D

[Varn]

thanks Torra, i have been thinking about posting this some other places but don't know if it would work the way i want it to. i will think of something though.

sorry i haven't posted on here in awhile. since it started raining here it has been hard to get myself out of the house and into the gym. i don't particularly like the treadmill for runs over 20 minutes. but either way i got to train and get my legs moving anyway i can. so last week i made it to the gym a few times and i did go out on friday when i had the day off. the weather was perfect, a cool 70 with not a cloud in the sky. i went the lake again where i went to before. it has the 5 mile loop so i did it twice like last time. i beat my old time by a minute or so. i kinda hurt myself though because i didn't grab a drink of water or anything at the half way point so i was hurting the last 3 miles. i think my time would have been better if i just drank some water. oh well. i want to do that run one more time before my race on the 23 so we will see how i do.

[Varn]

today is the last day of the year and i did get to fit a run in the morning. i ran around my parents block which is a little under 5 miles. (they live out in the "country") i kept to my usual pace of about 5-6 miles per hour. i have been putting off this run for a while now b/c i have always been intimidated by it. i have done it plenty of times when i was younger with a bike or ran it partial ways and come back. but i have always been scared to go that extra mile and run around the whole thing. it consists of 3 hills in which 2 of them are pretty killer. my calves are still hurting from them. i did the run with my older brother, who is a much better runner than i am.
Anyways i am glad to have gotten that off my chest and especially before the new year. now i can start a new and make new goals for 2011 and push to reach all of them and you should to. ;D

[Varn]

it has been a week since i ran. work was tough this week with inventory and getting that all sorted out. i really didn't want to run this week or ever. i just was not motivated at all this week. i didn't want to go to the race or the gym or do anything once i got home during the week. so i seriously needed to get my legs out on the road. i was let off work early on friday so i got home before the sun went down.
it was glorious. my run was glorious. i ran at a faster pace than i usually do and it went good. i trusted in my legs and kept thinking i was only going to run for 30 minutes. i pushed myself harder than i have in awhile. i ran a 5k in about 33 minutes.
it helped so much just keeping in mind that i was only going for 30 minutes. thats what you got to do to get thru things you don't want to do or have been putting off. just do a small thing again and again till you fully accomplish the big goal your after. ya it was only 30 minutes but i still got out and ran. plus i had a good run and improved my mood greatly. and you can do the same. ;D

[Bre'Cheye]

The race is getting closer! 12 days maybe? Will you have a new running set of clothes for the event? Sorry I haven't checked this more often, someone's been keeping me busy which you know who that is. PM to follow.

[Varn]

ya don't remind me. i have been feeling a lot of anxiety towards the race. i know i can do it but my nerves are on over drive. i have never done anything like this before. i just want to finish.

with the regards to the clothes. i have bought new shorts for it but they didn't feel right so i took them back. i was looking to invest in a long sleeve running shirt though since the race is in the morning and its been really cold in the mornings here. i just have to get out there and get it.

[Varn]

i got my bib number the other day in my email. i am official # 10281. that means there is whole lot of people going to be racing next to me in a week or so. Eek! Anyways i went for a little run yesterday after work. i got run a small section of the course i will be running for the race. i thought i would familarize myself with it a little. that way its not such a shock for me to do it the first time.
it all went very well. i ran faster than i usually do and it felt good. i think when the race comes up the first and really only hill (within the first 1-2 miles of the race) is going to give me some trouble but after that i should be fine.
i also got to try out some new things i bought the day before. i got a new long sleeve shirt and new athletic socks. both of the things worked out very well. i was neither warm or cold. it was just right with the long sleeve on. it should work out real well for me with my race being at 7:30 AM in the morning.

[Bre'Cheye]

It's kinda like a Christmas or Wedding or Birthday count-down

I'm sure that you'll do just fine! And it's good that you got to try the course out, and with the shirt to see how that would work. I wish you the best of luck!!!!

[Varn]

thanks Bre. i am getting really really nervous now in how its going to go. i ran yesterday and got all this anxiety from thinking about the race to much. it starts at 7:30 am. so i am worried i will be late or not find parking. i want to do good but i also got to keep telling myself i just want to finish it.

[Bre'Cheye]

How did it go?

[Varn]

i was a little busy to post this so i had to wait till i got home. Lets just say i finished it and i am very very sore in the legs today. Oh ya and i did awesome!!! i made it in 2 hours 23 minutes 3 seconds. i hit a wall around mile 7 and it never seemed to leave me. i had to walk for about 100 feet before mile 10 but it hurt to much to walk so i just kept on jogging along. i did end up walking just for a maybe 50 feet after mile 12. i wanted some more energy for the last bit of the race. So the last .1 miles i ran my fastest and burned passed everyone that were struggling to finish. it felt great to pass like 50 people before the finish line.
i did walk of course when i got water at the checkpoints but that was necessary to get all the fluids down. there were a few more hills than i anticipated but i ran up everyone of them.

i already signed up for the next half-marathon. i did it right when i got home. ;D if i complete this one and one more in the area this year then i will get a special award. its called the triple crown award. i get a medal and bragging rights. anyways more details to come about that.

[Bre'Cheye]

Wow!! Congratulations! I think you did marvously. And I think you should tell everyone over at W&W. that is quite the accomplishment

[Varn]

i actually did another race, a half marathon, in April. it was much more hilly than the last. but i kept a very good pace and finished in 2:30:04. which is pretty amazing granted that there was a 1 mile really steep hill. it was a 420 feet climb i believe. fortunately the sun never came out till the end of the race so it was a perfect temp for racing.
it really sucked though because right when i started the race i had to go to the bathroom (FYI, number 1) so i ran 4 miles with the feeling before i finally found a bathroom. so that took about 10 minutes of my time since there was a line.
i have another race coming up in august that i already signed up for. hope it goes alright. my training has slowed so i got to pick up the pace.

[Bre'Cheye]

Well you know what they say, "Don't forget to go to the bathroom before leaving home"

I'm so proud of you and all you've accomplished. It's great when people set a goal, no matter what it be, and they are able to not only achieve it but continue to do so.

You've inspired me to have a goal, in DC. After I level, I'm going to kill the dragon until I reach 1000... then I will make a list (at my place) of every weapon in DC and try to collect it. Of course, I couldn't be as patience like you... I'll probably identify everything!

[Varn]

hehe LOL. well it is a patience thing but the key is send it all to an alt you don't use very much. that way you don't see it ever and are never tempted to ID them.

thanks for the kind words and a saying i am going to live by for now on.

[theant]

woww!! You just keep going don't u, varn?

It's looking great!

You must be looking pretty fit by now keep up the running! I've just recovered from my hamstring injury and trying to get back in shape. hoping to do gym, intervals and plyometrics each week.

do u gym? u should build up ur muscles so they can withstand all that impact (:

[Varn]

thanks ant. ya i go to the as much as i can. which is not much right now. i used to go 3 times a week so i got to get back to it. i'm glad to hear your getting better. Frisbee anyone!

[Bre'Cheye]

Ant must have kicked too many people to get that injury

[Varn]

i have been trying to train more before my race coming up in 2 weeks. i haven't trained as hard as i have for the other ones because i have been working way too much. i started to do a tempo run where i run sprints for about a minute at a time. 4 times every half mile. its been working pretty good so we will see if i can make this race faster than the other ones.

[Varn]

so tomorrow is the big day. i got my last race of the triple crown series. unfortunately i am feeling kind of sick so i don't know how that will effect my performance. i got a sore throat as of now but we will see. i will be pumping vitamin C in to me all day. i'm trying to be my PR right now which stands at 2:23 but we will see about that also.

[Bre'Cheye]

How did that race turn out? Any pictures?