I'm back! I have been completely slacking on this blog haven't I!?!? Well I guess as long as I keep running that's what's important.
Last I left this blog was before I went Skiing (attempted to) up at Crystal Mt. That day was a struggle. drove all the way up there testing out my new ski rack and the weather took a turn for the worst and it was raining and windy as hell. We got there and the top half of the mt was on wind hold which meant there was really only one run and tickets were still selling for full price. This was way too much money to me for one run in the pouring rain. They had a big demo sale going on so I decided to shop and kill some time in case they decided to open up the mt or discount the lift tickets, of which they did neither. Ironically enough they had a pair of skis that I had checked out at REI and Sturtevants a few weeks before and they were brand new demo skis with bindings. And to me $65 for a lift ticket on a rainy day was too much money but I ended up spending $500 on new skis that day! Ended up just having a beer and heading home for the day but I was super stoked to get new skis and I was able to get home early and get my run in!
The past couple weeks I've had my fair share of challenges and remained committed to #run365. This past Friday was our annual work banquet which alot of coworkers call it our "prom". It's a fun night to dress up and attend the annual awards ceremony with partner and company hosted dinner and drinks. All of this sounds awesome but since I had to work early that day I forgot to set my alarm early enough to attempt a morning run. Not being prepared for such I didn't bring any clothes to run during my lunch break either. Leaving directly from work to the banquet gave me little time to do anything other than change into my formal attire and head out. Shout out to my man D Groll for getting the after party started! You'll have to give the new cats dance lessons in the yoga studio at work! haha After deciding to go out for drinks with the guys post banquet the only option I had was to run when I got home. Several drinks later I made it home for that late night run fueled with vodka tonics and Cab Sav, annnnnnd there might have been a shot or two of fireball in there as well.
So with an almost 2 week blogging hiatus, a new pair of skis and a drunken late night run in the books I'm as committed as ever to making this work. I've got my eyeball on my first event of the year for Feb 8th and it's something I've never done! Trail duathalon consisting of a 10k trail run and 15 mile trail bike ride. Sounds right up my alley! They've split the runs into two 5k's one being before the bike leg and one after. This will be a great time to break out that underused Mt bike I have sitting on it's rack and put it to use.
With that said I'm signing off. #run365
Monday, January 26, 2015
Thursday, January 15, 2015
It is absolutely pouring outside right now and the last thing I want to do is run outside in this weather yet all I can think about is reaching my goal and what jacket I should wear.
The upside to all this rain means that it's snowing in the mountains! I'm planning to make it up to Crystal on Saturday for my first trip to the mt this season. See if I can shake some of the rust off. That's going to be a tough day to get this run in. Guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
Looks like I'm off to get this run in before it gets any later. Hope all goes well. I had taco bell today..... Wish me luck!
The upside to all this rain means that it's snowing in the mountains! I'm planning to make it up to Crystal on Saturday for my first trip to the mt this season. See if I can shake some of the rust off. That's going to be a tough day to get this run in. Guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
Looks like I'm off to get this run in before it gets any later. Hope all goes well. I had taco bell today..... Wish me luck!
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Still at it like a one legged man in an ass kicking contest!
I'm back!!!! 13 days in and it feels great! Everyday that passes I feel stronger and I cant wait to work my way back up into the teens for my long runs. I've yet to have any long runs due to time constraints and other prior engagements. All that being said there is always time.... if you make time.
The past few days have definitely been a test. Saturday was a great short run. Got out on the road in the late morning and I think it was 1 of only 2 or so runs in daylight this year. I would have never thought I would get so much use out of a headlamp but damn that thing has come in handy! Now maybe I can actually use it for camping/hiking soon.
After the run Saturday my gf and I decided to clean up some post holiday/new year mess that was still sitting around before meeting some friends to see Tommy Davidson perform stand-up. We arrived at the show a little early to get in line and parking was of course difficult in downtown Seattle. I ended up parking in Westlake Center parking garage and heading to the show. The performers were funny and it was definitely a good time. Upon returning to my car the parking garage was completely locked with big steel gates! I had no clue this garage was not 24/7. At that point it was late, my gf and I were tired, and she was wearing heels while we were walking in the rain and not happy with me at all. (but wasn't it my car locked in a garage in downtown Seattle?) Thank God my brother lives about 2 miles away from Westlake so we just hopped in a cab and crashed there for the night and returned for my car in the morning. Thanks again bro!
Even after that exhausting Saturday night Sunday turned out to be an amazing day. I got to spend some time with my dad, brother and his gf and watch some football. We ended up having brunch together and just goofed around most of the day. All this led to me taking another late night run on Sunday and putting that headlamp to good use!
Tonight as I'm laying in bed writing and reflecting on this evenings run in the brisk cold dry weather on this amazingly clear night, I cant help but think about how amazing the stars looked and how tiny we really are in comparison. There is an entire world out there waiting to be explored. This reminded me of something I've always thought of when setting goals. As lofty as your goals may be it's important to always shoot for the moon, for even if you miss you'll still land amongst the stars.
The past few days have definitely been a test. Saturday was a great short run. Got out on the road in the late morning and I think it was 1 of only 2 or so runs in daylight this year. I would have never thought I would get so much use out of a headlamp but damn that thing has come in handy! Now maybe I can actually use it for camping/hiking soon.
After the run Saturday my gf and I decided to clean up some post holiday/new year mess that was still sitting around before meeting some friends to see Tommy Davidson perform stand-up. We arrived at the show a little early to get in line and parking was of course difficult in downtown Seattle. I ended up parking in Westlake Center parking garage and heading to the show. The performers were funny and it was definitely a good time. Upon returning to my car the parking garage was completely locked with big steel gates! I had no clue this garage was not 24/7. At that point it was late, my gf and I were tired, and she was wearing heels while we were walking in the rain and not happy with me at all. (but wasn't it my car locked in a garage in downtown Seattle?) Thank God my brother lives about 2 miles away from Westlake so we just hopped in a cab and crashed there for the night and returned for my car in the morning. Thanks again bro!
Even after that exhausting Saturday night Sunday turned out to be an amazing day. I got to spend some time with my dad, brother and his gf and watch some football. We ended up having brunch together and just goofed around most of the day. All this led to me taking another late night run on Sunday and putting that headlamp to good use!
Tonight as I'm laying in bed writing and reflecting on this evenings run in the brisk cold dry weather on this amazingly clear night, I cant help but think about how amazing the stars looked and how tiny we really are in comparison. There is an entire world out there waiting to be explored. This reminded me of something I've always thought of when setting goals. As lofty as your goals may be it's important to always shoot for the moon, for even if you miss you'll still land amongst the stars.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Good morning and welcome back! Been a busy few days and I've started to feel that making time for a quick run everyday has almost become an obsession! I can't even focus on my day unless I know when I can squeeze in time for a run. I should probably start thinking the same thing about this blog......
I've been blessed with the amazing company of my beautiful lady on my runs the last few days. Thursday was a nice night run after work from my house to the apple orchard and back as this has been my go to route since beginning this journey. Friday was a little more difficult.
Friday I had to go in to work an hour early and had plans for date night and I didn't want that to postpone or delay my plans for the evening. That being said I decided to get up a bit early and get my run in before work. Good and bad idea all at the same time! It was so damn cold outside I couldn't feel my face! It was nice to get it done early and not have to worry about it after work.
I was again accompanied by my gf on that cold Friday morning. I'm so impressed at her progression in such a short time with running. She hasn't decided to attempt a streak in any matter but she enjoys coming out and running with me and supporting this journey of mine. It seems every day she runs with me she sees improvement and loves it! The joy in a new runners eyes and voice as they see themselves make strides towards better pace times and fitness levels is awesome to see! She doesn't even know it yet but her elation with the progress that she has made is truly inspiring to me and makes me want to push even harder to reach my goals.
I guess that's my post for the weekend. Off to get in this Saturday run and start my day! I guess it's time to start looking at some events to run in....
I've been blessed with the amazing company of my beautiful lady on my runs the last few days. Thursday was a nice night run after work from my house to the apple orchard and back as this has been my go to route since beginning this journey. Friday was a little more difficult.
Friday I had to go in to work an hour early and had plans for date night and I didn't want that to postpone or delay my plans for the evening. That being said I decided to get up a bit early and get my run in before work. Good and bad idea all at the same time! It was so damn cold outside I couldn't feel my face! It was nice to get it done early and not have to worry about it after work.
I was again accompanied by my gf on that cold Friday morning. I'm so impressed at her progression in such a short time with running. She hasn't decided to attempt a streak in any matter but she enjoys coming out and running with me and supporting this journey of mine. It seems every day she runs with me she sees improvement and loves it! The joy in a new runners eyes and voice as they see themselves make strides towards better pace times and fitness levels is awesome to see! She doesn't even know it yet but her elation with the progress that she has made is truly inspiring to me and makes me want to push even harder to reach my goals.
I guess that's my post for the weekend. Off to get in this Saturday run and start my day! I guess it's time to start looking at some events to run in....
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
ooooh wee! The last thing I wanted to do after getting home from work tonight was run. After driving to the Lakers game and going for the midnight run last night coupled with a crazy day at the office all I wanted to do was get some sleep. I could not have been happier after I finished. I decided I'd take the run tonight nice and easy and use it as sort of a rest day run with very low expectations. I opted to wear compression socks today primarily for warmth and they were absolutely a huge help. I have never really ran with them and opted to wear them more for recovery during training for longer runs. Now I feel like I need to invest in more!. When I got out there everything changed. Attitude immediately took a positive turn. Began to feel again like I could conquer anything!
All in all it was an easy run and I have yet to run more than about 1.25 miles a day but if I've learned anything from this it's perseverance. Everyday that I run, the light at the end of the tunnel gets that much brighter and the goal seems that much closer and attainable. So here's to 359 more days of running and getting a few more bibs and medals under my belt!
Just call him butter 'cause he's on a roll!
I made it! So I might have missed a blog post but hey, the goal was Run365 not blog365. Today was definitely a tough one.
Yesterday I passed up dinner with friends for the run as the days activities ran longer than expected. I told them I'd give a call once I was finished and I was able to knock out my run for the day and get cleaned up in time to make it for dinner before everyone wrapped up. The weather was terrible. cold rainy and windy. Typical NW winter I suppose but that doesn't mean I have to like running in it!
Today started out as a typical post holiday Monday. Tired and dragging on a bit while trying to catch up with what I missed. I couldn't wait to get home go for my run, take a nice hot shower make some dinner and relax. When out of nowhere while in a meeting at work I get a last minute invite to the Lakers game against the Blazers! Now, I'm a huge Lakers fan and I've gone to one of their games in PDX for the last several years in a row. This was simply an opportunity I could not turn down! (Thanks again Kevin!)
Right after work we head down to Portland straight from the office (just south of Seattle) for the game. I had already known earlier that day that Kobe was sitting out and would not be playing after his night against the Pacers and hitting the game winning shot. This was a little disappointing not being able to see Kobe again but none the less I'm diehard Lakeshow so I was in! Gave my keys to my roommate whom I had carpooled with today and was off to PDX. The Lakers played well primarily carried by Jordan Hills performance. They were able to hang in there with the Blazers and even led most of the second half and had a double digit lead in the 4th qtr before Damien Lillard absolutely torched us! Hitting 3 after 3, contested shot after contested shot, driving to the lane for easy buckets. We had no answer for him and ultimately lost by 4 pts. All in all it was a great game and I definitely enjoyed it.
As if working all day and driving to Portland and back for a Lakers game wasn't a busy enough day I also had to fit in my run. Now had I known I was going to a basketball game in Portland before 330PM I could have planned this better and ran before work or even on my lunch break. Since I did neither of those I was forced to grit it out once I made it back home around a quarter to midnight and hit the streets. Here I am now showered and ready to lay my head down to wake up and do it all over again. After a day like today I feel like nothing can stop me as I remain stalwart in reaching my goal of Run365. As Stuart Scott would say "just call him butter, 'cause he's on a roll!"
Yesterday I passed up dinner with friends for the run as the days activities ran longer than expected. I told them I'd give a call once I was finished and I was able to knock out my run for the day and get cleaned up in time to make it for dinner before everyone wrapped up. The weather was terrible. cold rainy and windy. Typical NW winter I suppose but that doesn't mean I have to like running in it!
Today started out as a typical post holiday Monday. Tired and dragging on a bit while trying to catch up with what I missed. I couldn't wait to get home go for my run, take a nice hot shower make some dinner and relax. When out of nowhere while in a meeting at work I get a last minute invite to the Lakers game against the Blazers! Now, I'm a huge Lakers fan and I've gone to one of their games in PDX for the last several years in a row. This was simply an opportunity I could not turn down! (Thanks again Kevin!)
Right after work we head down to Portland straight from the office (just south of Seattle) for the game. I had already known earlier that day that Kobe was sitting out and would not be playing after his night against the Pacers and hitting the game winning shot. This was a little disappointing not being able to see Kobe again but none the less I'm diehard Lakeshow so I was in! Gave my keys to my roommate whom I had carpooled with today and was off to PDX. The Lakers played well primarily carried by Jordan Hills performance. They were able to hang in there with the Blazers and even led most of the second half and had a double digit lead in the 4th qtr before Damien Lillard absolutely torched us! Hitting 3 after 3, contested shot after contested shot, driving to the lane for easy buckets. We had no answer for him and ultimately lost by 4 pts. All in all it was a great game and I definitely enjoyed it.
As if working all day and driving to Portland and back for a Lakers game wasn't a busy enough day I also had to fit in my run. Now had I known I was going to a basketball game in Portland before 330PM I could have planned this better and ran before work or even on my lunch break. Since I did neither of those I was forced to grit it out once I made it back home around a quarter to midnight and hit the streets. Here I am now showered and ready to lay my head down to wake up and do it all over again. After a day like today I feel like nothing can stop me as I remain stalwart in reaching my goal of Run365. As Stuart Scott would say "just call him butter, 'cause he's on a roll!"
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Day 3
Day 3 in the books! Got the run in with my lady again today and it was damn cold again. No rain but the roads were a bit wet. I rarely ever run with a beanie on since I tend to get too hot but today I'm glad I had one!
I figured since I plan to put in quite a bit of miles this year I would need to rotate shoes to prevent wear. Yesterday and today I ran in my Mizunos. I haven't worn them in a while and they're pretty comfy. Great cushion and responsiveness but there's something weird about how they hold my heel in. Other than that from heel strike to toe-off they feel great. I think I still prefer my flyknit lunars for race days but they'll make a great training shoe and I'd recommend taking a look at them.
As I'm wondering how boring and mundane this would be to read from a strangers point of view I'm also telling myself a few things. This is my blog and it's sole purpose for me is not to be popular or get millions of views but to track my progress and hold me accountable. So if you're reading this wondering when it will get interesting.... I don't know what to tell you. Maybe I'll add a few crazy stories when I get tired of talking about my runs, or add some product reviews at some point. Until then I'll keep waking up with the desire to run another mile and make another post about it.
I figured since I plan to put in quite a bit of miles this year I would need to rotate shoes to prevent wear. Yesterday and today I ran in my Mizunos. I haven't worn them in a while and they're pretty comfy. Great cushion and responsiveness but there's something weird about how they hold my heel in. Other than that from heel strike to toe-off they feel great. I think I still prefer my flyknit lunars for race days but they'll make a great training shoe and I'd recommend taking a look at them.
As I'm wondering how boring and mundane this would be to read from a strangers point of view I'm also telling myself a few things. This is my blog and it's sole purpose for me is not to be popular or get millions of views but to track my progress and hold me accountable. So if you're reading this wondering when it will get interesting.... I don't know what to tell you. Maybe I'll add a few crazy stories when I get tired of talking about my runs, or add some product reviews at some point. Until then I'll keep waking up with the desire to run another mile and make another post about it.
Friday, January 2, 2015
Day 2 and I'm 2 runs in. Yesterday was an absolutely beautiful and clear winter day here in the northwest. Colder than a well diggers boot but absolutely beautiful day to open up 2015 for a run. Little bit of soreness due to inactivity but other than that felt pretty good. Just over a 9 min pace to get back into the swing of things and it was great.
Today marked my first night run of the year and the legs were feeling great! Tonight I was accompanied by my amazing girlfriend that is a bit new to running. She recently completed her first organized run last year during a trip to San Diego and I couldn't have been more proud of her. Although, I'm not sure she enjoyed tonights run in the cold dark drizzly weather quite as much as I did.
All in all it's been a good first two days with really no distractions at all. Looking forward to everyday and I find myself planning my day around my running. Lets hope I can keep this motivation all year long!
Today marked my first night run of the year and the legs were feeling great! Tonight I was accompanied by my amazing girlfriend that is a bit new to running. She recently completed her first organized run last year during a trip to San Diego and I couldn't have been more proud of her. Although, I'm not sure she enjoyed tonights run in the cold dark drizzly weather quite as much as I did.
All in all it's been a good first two days with really no distractions at all. Looking forward to everyday and I find myself planning my day around my running. Lets hope I can keep this motivation all year long!
Thursday, January 1, 2015
The beginning....
Today marks not only a new year but also the beginning of two things completely foreign to me. The first being this blog. I'm not sure I even know what to do with a blog or what it's sole purpose should be. I'm hoping that it's nothing more than some informative unstructured writing that should be at least mildly entertaining. If that's the case I'm sure I can accomplish at least one of those things! I've never been much of a writer and I don't fancy myself to be the creative type but I figured what the hell. If this thing can help keep me accountable and accomplish one of my goals in life and for 2015 then I'm all for it.
The second thing that today marks is the beginning of my 365 day journey with run streaking. (My entire purpose for this blog) Now, unless you're a runner you may be asking " Kyle, wth is run streaking?" When I heard of the concept that was definitely my first thought. The streaking part? Now that's something maybe I've done before after a few too many adult beverages I've got that down! And running? I've definitely done that! But run streaking? I never even considered it was "a thing". To me the idea of Run365 seemed crazy. To run at least 1 mile or more every day for 365 consecutive days. To me this seemed too time consuming, too risky, too difficult and something that I considered impossible for my self to accomplish. All this sounds a little crazy considering I was introduced to the idea by a close friend while training for my very first full marathon (which is another story in itself). So all that being said, here's to a new year. Here's to putting plenty of miles on my old knees and wearing out a few more pairs of Nikes (If you know me you know I have plenty!). More importantly here's to taking advantage of the amazing ability God has granted me to put one foot in front of the other and run. With so much of the world to see and so many others without the freedom to see it I'd be doing myself and others a disservice if I sat around and watched TV or played video games all day. I may not be the fastest, and I might not be able to run the farthest but I can run damnit. And this is my journey....
The second thing that today marks is the beginning of my 365 day journey with run streaking. (My entire purpose for this blog) Now, unless you're a runner you may be asking " Kyle, wth is run streaking?" When I heard of the concept that was definitely my first thought. The streaking part? Now that's something maybe I've done before after a few too many adult beverages I've got that down! And running? I've definitely done that! But run streaking? I never even considered it was "a thing". To me the idea of Run365 seemed crazy. To run at least 1 mile or more every day for 365 consecutive days. To me this seemed too time consuming, too risky, too difficult and something that I considered impossible for my self to accomplish. All this sounds a little crazy considering I was introduced to the idea by a close friend while training for my very first full marathon (which is another story in itself). So all that being said, here's to a new year. Here's to putting plenty of miles on my old knees and wearing out a few more pairs of Nikes (If you know me you know I have plenty!). More importantly here's to taking advantage of the amazing ability God has granted me to put one foot in front of the other and run. With so much of the world to see and so many others without the freedom to see it I'd be doing myself and others a disservice if I sat around and watched TV or played video games all day. I may not be the fastest, and I might not be able to run the farthest but I can run damnit. And this is my journey....
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