8 mi @ the beach

Ran up HB yesterday morning. 84.5 min / 8 mi = 10.6 min/mi. Our goal was "10 min/mi" so I think we hit it no problem. This was in spite of a very slow upset-stomach start. Temps were good until the last half mile when the sun came out and it got muggy.

WED HILL WORKOUT

Yesterday, I went to my first ever hill workout with TNT. It was the first time for my YouTube crush too... more on that later.

Anyways, I showed up at 7am all ready to do the workout-- but then found out that the practices were held at night... WHOOPS! I had even written 7PM on my schedule. I'm dumb.

12 hours later, I was ready and nervous. Nervous cuz I was going to ask out my YouTube crush while running. It was a tough series of going back up and down and doing squats and pushups at the bottom each time. I forgot to pause my workout a couple times when I went down and did my squats and pushups... whoops again.

Also, before asking her out I was NERVOUS... so nervous that it was hard for me to speak to her... there was some silences during our run, but then I asked her if she wanted to see Batman. She seemed interested but said something about her roommate wanting to see it too, so I took it as a rejection and didn't really run with her or talk to her until the end of the night when we said goodbye. Everyone's been telling me that I overreacted so yeah, my bad. Whoops a third time.

Anyways, the hill workout was good but I hope to redeem myself in the female dept on Sunday. I've been wasting too much time dwelling in it... grrrr!!!

---Andrew

Alright-- running is going very well. I ran today and also last Sunday (didn't get a chance to post last Sunday's until now)...

LAST SUNDAY...




TODAY...




Things are going pretty well with me and YouTube girl but there might be a couple of roadblocks. I'm probably going to go ask her out tomorrow so I'll keep you both posted on that schtuff.

In terms of running, I'm just getting better. I tried out my first Gu gel ("chocolate outrage" flavor) at about 50 minutes of working out and it definitely gave me a boost. Running was easy after that point. I finished first today amongst my huge group (finished with 2 top runners today as a group) and I wasn't even that tired after finishing.

In less than 2 weeks we'll be doing a practice (but official-like, with bibs and gunshots etc) 1/2 marathon at the Rose Bowl with the other TNT groups from different parts of LA. I know it's not a competition, but it would be awesome to whoop the other teams. It would also be awesome to finish first out of my whole running group, or dare I say-- out of all the other LA TNT chapters???

---Andrew =)

51 min / 5.2 mi = 9.8 min/mi
I had some terribly greasy tacos for lunch and was feeling extra jiggly. I needed to run to at least recoup some of the damage from those tacos. I read recently that 1 mi running is the same caloric burn as 1 mi walking. So I'm going to concentrate less on the pace and more on the distance. I think that will benefit me more, and probably it will be easier on my legs/ankles if I incorporate a bit more walking here and there. I'm going to try to keep my heart rate up though - I think it has to be in a certain range to do the fat burning, but I don't really know. :P

HAHA yeah I'm doing the full 26.2 miles. I had originally signed up for the 1/2, but then training's been going well so I decided to "push the envelope" yet again.

Oh and the Facebook thing sounds cool. Since we're doing a good job, maybe the next run we'll post it on there. Although... my Nike+ is always inaccurate and short-changes me. Maybe that's why I haven't posted anything yet.

So I Sunday's practice, I accidentally ran with the fastest group! We didn't slow down to walk or anything. I had originally started with Group "O" (the 2nd group), but then somehow thought that "G" (the fastest group) was the faster 1/2 of "O". My YouTube crush followed me into the fast group too, muahahaha. I know that she at least likes me on a friendly level and feels comfortable with that... just gotta work on the flirting and game-playing! (I hope she doesn't have a bf).

So we ran supposedly 11.5 miles on Sunday... I accidentally ended my workout during the run, but then re-did it again.

Going a bit further

41.1 min / 4.6 mi = 8.9 min/mi
Decided to stretch the distance this time - was feeling good going out, and mid way through wasn't too achy. Ran at dusk like usual. Lots of dragonflies eating the gnats, and some waterfowl were flying around sort of chasing each other - it was interesting to watch. No iPod this time or anytime recently - running without the electronics is nice, especially when I spend a lot of my day listening to music or watching video on the iPod.

Wait, you're running a marathon? Nice - I thought it was a half for some reason. Will be interesting to watch your training through October!

Hey, should we be linking this thing into FB somehow? Just an idea. I don't want to be bragging or anything on FB, but seems like just about everything is linking in with FB these days.

One more thing...

Oh and it was also the fastest mile pace that I've recorded with the Nike+. A recording from Tiger Woods told me so after the run!

---Andrew =)

5K+ Before Work

Hey hey!

So today before work, I went to Drake Stadium and ran a 5K (technically... a little more than that). It was a really good run and I didn't think I'd do a 5K before work haha.

Anyways... we all know that my Nike+ is inaccurate (it always short-changes me with distance) but it also gave me a different time than my cellphone. Either my Nike+ is wrong or my cellphone or both. My cellie gave me a time of about 24:54 and the Nike+ said it was 24:47... not a big difference but still a difference.

Here are my stats...
12 laps in Lane 6 (although I did have to go out of the lane a couple times towards the end... not a big difference though)... = 5748 yd = 3.27 miles in 24:54 min.

It's interesting to note the lap times though...
LAP 1: 2:05
LAP 2: 2:07
LAP 3: 2:04
LAP 4: 2:04
LAP 5: 2:06
LAP 6: 2:04
LAP 7: 2:06
LAP 8: 2:07
LAP 9: 2:05
LAP 10: 2:08
LAP 11: 2:08
LAP 12: 1:50

With the exception of the last lap (which I hauled ass towards the last maybe 1/4 lap of it), my lap times were really consistent. I mean like REALLY CONSISTENT! I don't think it's ever been like that. I think this marathon training is really helping out. Also, I should say that I was pumping my arms more efficiently today and I could feel it helping during the run-- took less work off my legs.

Anyways, this may have been the best run I've ever had at Drake-- actually, I just checked my records and it is the best run I've ever had there. It's the first time I've done 12 laps there (my previous best there was 11 laps)... the laps, the consistency, the arm pumping, the fact that I did it before work, etc.

Yay,
---Andrew =)

6th TNT Run/Walk (Griffith Park)

Hey hey,

On Sunday, we all went to Griffith Park to run (the ground was hilly). I forgot to pause my workout at the first water stop and I think that was the only flub on the results.

---Andrew =)

TNT Practice

Hey hey...

Today we ran/walked for 10.5 miles, although my Nike+ short-changed me yet again... GRRRRR!!!

Here are the results...

Longish solo run

3.2 mi in 27.75 min = 8.7 min/mi

4th TNT Run (Sunday)

Hey hey,

So I did my 4th TNT run practice this Sunday. A significant amount of people were absent due to the Holiday weekend. My YouTube crush wasn't there... =(

Anyways, we did an easier run instead of upping the mileage. Also, the group I was in didn't walk at all (if I'm remembering it correctly), but we did do a couple stops for water of course. By the way, going up the steps near the beach is just killer.

---Andrew =)

Tues Morning Run

Hey hey,

I didn't get a chance to post this until now but I ran on Tuesday morning... I also filmed it too for my YouTube channel, though the video won't be ready on my site until probably this weekend.

Anyways, it was a pretty good run. I think my body is getting more and more in shape with TNT, cuz I lasted a lot longer than I though I would with this morning run. I also went up the steps of Drake at the end, a la Rocky... I didn't pause my workout at 3 different times... one was when, in the middle of the run, I ran to my camera and picked it up (there was some time that passed), the other was when I made it up the steps of Drake and caught my breath, and the other was at the very end when I finished (I didn't end the workout right away).

---Andrew =)

INTERESTING RUN! (3rd practice)

Hey hey hey...

Guess what!? I met my YouTube crush today!!!...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JadjTiutKw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_tU3V38JWY

Turns out that she runs with my Greater LA TNT group and missed the last two practices! (which were my 1st and 2nd). She also joined my running group (Group O)... dang, it was interesting and I got to talk to her for a bit whilst running next to her.

Anywho, the run was good and beautiful. We did a run/walk and when up and down some steps and even ran on the sand which was tough. I was trying to get rid of my farmer's tan.

I forgot to pause my workout yet again at one point, but it was all good. I'm going to start running during the week this week to become one with my body (haha). Check out the YouTube channel for video updates!

---Andrew =)

Avoid Injury Run

2.7 mi, 24.5 min. Was feelin' gimpy, but wanted to get out there at least for a bit. Keep up the schedule.

2nd TEAM IN TRAINING RUN/WALK

So yesterday, I had my 2nd TNT run/walk practice. It was blazin' outside in the morning... I moved up to the next level group which was supposedly faster, but they weren't so I ditched that group for a faster group (the 2nd fastest in the TNT group) and it was much better. I got some feedback from the coaches on my running form... two things I need to work on: a little more knee lift and tilting my head down to reduce my neck/shoulder tension.

I should mention that these practices are run/walks... we don't run full straight through the whole time. The first practice was really easy... this practice I upped it a notch and though we did do some walks in between runs, I took fewer than last week (I ended up ditching that 2nd faster group with another guy closer to the middle-end cuz they stopped to walk and we didn't).

Oh yeah, and my pace time and time of the workout is a little off since I forgot to pause the workout on my iPod during our first waterstop... so there are a few minutes on there when I'm not really doing anything. Ah wellz.

---Andrew =)

Toasty Run

It was well past sunset today when we ran, but it was still hot. I'll be glad to move closer to the beach to avoid these scorchers. Did alright anyway, 23 minutes flat, probably 2.5 miles or so, not sure exactly.

Running with the laday

Ran with ES today, 29:54 over 2.9 mi.

1st Team In Training Run

Hey hey,

So yesterday morning (Sunday morning) I went to my first practice for TNT. We split up into groups and ran/walked in Santa Monica outside. The coaches wanted me to keep it easy on the first practice, so I was with a relatively easy paced group. I might try out a faster paced group (maybe) next weekend or keep being in this one.

I kept my iPod on even during the walks, but if we stopped at a light or water station or something I paused it. Thus, my average is worse, but that includes required walking. At some point during the run, my iPod wouldn't let me pause it again so it started a whole new workout. I thought it was an error and that it erased everything I had done up to that point (but it didn't which was good). So here are 2 results from yesterday...







---Andrew =)

Strange Occurance Run

Ran ~2.8 in 24 min or so. Just was feeling jiggly again.... I think I'm converting muscle weight into fatty weight (despite my overall weight not changing). I feel more rotund. So at the last possible minute, I decided to go run (at dusk).

BUT as I'm running, first, there's a fire truck and ambulance responding to some emergency at the park that's along my route. Looks like a kid got hurt on the playground, but didn't want to rubberneck too hard.

THEN as I'm running back, 3 sherrif cars are zooming down the road (it's a back road that they use to move around quickly due to low traffic), one was hilariously blasting some girly pop music over the PA system.

AND THEN I'm just about home and I see some kittens in the grass between the sidewalk and the street. They were black cats with a white stripe down their backs.... with fluffy tails... and it hit me that they were actually baby skunks! 4 of them foraging for something in the grass - food or something. Sort of cute. I got some photos (see facebook). Whenever I got close to them to take the picture, they'd turn around and point their stink canons at me, so I gave them their distance =P