Monday 13 miles Gaston MS Loops
Tuesday Rest
Wednesday 13.1 miles Gaston MS Loops
Thursday Rest
Friday 16 miles Gaston MS Loops
Saturday 20.1 miles WRL & Santa Fe
Sunday 17.9 miles Gaston MS Loops and Forest Hills
Total Weekly Miles 80.2
So this week has been a roller coaster to be honest. The week started off well, I usually take Monday's off but this week I felt good so decided to go for it. The next day ended up with right hip pain. When I touched my hip it hurt, the soreness was significant. I used the percussion massage machine but the soreness continued. On Weds. I could still feel the soreness even through the run was good, this freaked me out as I certainly didn't want it to get worse. So rested Thursday, which caused my next mileage to have to increase in order to get to the weekly mileage. The good news on Friday was that the hip on the pain had diminished. Not sure what caused the pain to begin with but sure glad it was getting better.
Then the weekend came, I'm not sure if it was the Sahara sand, the changing weather, or the pollen count; but the body was not taking it well. On Saturday the run felt good except the last few miles. Today it was tough, I was at mile 6 when I was having thoughts of cutting the run short. I kept telling myself just get to the next mile. At mile 12, I was just concerned at getting to the water fountain at Casa Linda Park, once there I had plenty of water and took in salt pills. Then I decided okay now that I have the electrolytes I can at least make it 3 more miles. So I headed to Forest Hills Neighborhood slowly, around 10 min. per mile. Once I made it to the end of the street I decided to go down a street to see if I could get close to 18 miles in order to get to the weekly mileage. I continued slowing down and just concentrated on my breathing. I decided that I was going to get to the weekly mileage as that was my original goal, and I wasn't hurt other than fatigue and some severe allergies. After doing another short loop around the neighborhood I looked at my watch and it looked like I was going to make it which I just stayed focused.
Even through my struggle in breathing and fatigue my mentality was just to keep moving forward. Running is not easy and it is a skill in which many times I need to have super focused in order to complete. Now that I'm writing about it I'm super excited that even though things did not go ideally, I was still able to stay with the weekly mileage.
Conditions
As many of you know Dallas summer is no joke. The conditions can be very difficult and as a person that struggle with allergies, the heat and the pollen count can compound to create a nasty concoction for anyone.
One thing I have changed is to do 100% of my breathing through my nose. I started this about 4 weeks ago due to the allergies and I think things have been positive. Nose breathing limits your oxygen, but I have found that it has made me more in tact with my body. I now slow down due to the nose breathing and like today slow down some more as fatigue sets in. I've also found that nose breathing improves my sleep, I am starting to feel more rested and can tell that my sleep patterns are improving, which is critical to recovery. Also from what I've read nose breathing provides a sort of filter effect which for someone with allergies decreases the symptoms. I will continue to run with nose breathing as it has been a positive change so far, will try and report any changes I notice in the future as well.
I also want to mention that with the conditions it's super important to take electrolytes. I take salt pills, in addition to sports drink. Many salt pills exist, I'll link the ones I use below if interested.
Finally, I have upped my medication of one a day allergy pill to every 12 hours. I'm not big on taking medications, but also don't see the need to needlessly suffer when I'm in a privileged position of having access to medication. The allergy medication seems to help a bit. I bought some HEPA filters for the house HVAC unit, so I hope that makes a difference as well.
Final Thoughts
Running is tough! It's not all going to be positive and sometimes you are going to hate it; I know I did today. But apart from that running is great and even the toughest moments I enjoy! It has helped me realize that even with the obstacles I can still be able to succeed, and it has provided much needed grit, especially with challenges going on in the world today. Thank you for reading and I hope that this information has been helpful.
Products (Don't benefit in any way from putting this on the blog, just want to share the information)
Medilyte Salt Tablets-Small easy to chew. On a warm day I like to take a packet at least every 45 minutes in order to help with body electrolytes.
https://www.amazon.com/Medique-03013-electrolyte-replacement-500-Tablets/dp/B0006GBED0
Massage Gun-Sometimes they go on sale so you can check with camelcamelcamel for price drop. The massage gun has been great, use it while sitting on the couch!
https://www.amazon.com/TOLOCO-Massage-Gun-Upgraded-Brushless/dp/B083LKVPJV/ref=sr_1_8?crid=8C0XLZJCNSBF&dchild=1&keywords=massage+gun+deep+tissue&qid=1593397878&sprefix=massage%2Caps%2C197&sr=8-8
Sunday, June 28, 2020
Sunday, June 21, 2020
June 15 through 21
This week was good as far as running goes. Felt for the most part well and actually held back some as I knew I just wanted to get to 80 without over doing it. Mileage for the week below:
Monday Rest
Tuesday 13.3 around Gaston MS
Wednesday 13.2 around Gaston MS
Thursday 13.2 around Gaston MS
Friday 13.3 around Gaston MS
Saturday 14.6 Norbuck 2 loops and back
Saturday 12.3 WR loop
Weekly Mileage 80.2
This week has made me think of my dad as today marks father day-Jose Juan Lopez Dominguez. My father is a hardworking man that came to Dallas when I was a baby. Originally from El Refugio, San Luis Potosi, Mexico he was one of 19 siblings from a family with little resources. El Refugio is 2 hours out from the nearest big city on dirt road. Difficult to get to with minimal resources, most families sustain themselves through ranching. Here is a google map of the location:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Villa+de+Ramos,+San+Luis+Potosi,+Mexico/@22.9047512,-102.1333741,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x85d6ebf9f5a333f5:0x360a18eccda3ce78!2sEl+Refugio,+San+Luis+Potosi,+Mexico!3b1!8m2!3d21.3347219!4d-98.758333!3m4!1s0x86819d0e45e3e9df:0x947548dc17e6eea!8m2!3d22.8274845!4d-101.9095276
Now the reason I bring the location up is because as a child living in such a rural place, you have to travel several KM to the Elementary school and that is what the majority of children got as far as education goes. My dad was fortunate enough to continue with school and despite all the obstacles such as living with a second aunt who was busy taking care of her own children and having to sell Chiclets to sustain, my dad was able to not only succeed academically but excel at it. Much like the story of slum dog millionaire my dad was able to graduate from Teacher's College in SLP and even pursued a Masters. He went on to teach English at the Secondary and Preparatory level. During the 80s Mexico's economy suffered great instability and the devaluation of the Peso. It was then that my dad made the difficult decision of coming to the United States in the era of the great migration.
He walked for 2 days in the desert from Piedras Negras through the Rio Grande and through the Desert until reaching there destination and from there being driven to Dallas. It was in Dallas, in which he began to work doing cement work on the roads and residential boom. When I was a child my brother, mom and myself made the journey up and we lived in what was then called 'little Mexico.'
As I grew up I didn't see my dad much as he spent most of the time working and I didn't really understand a lot of the social pressures to get ahead. Through the Amnesty of President Regan, my dad was able to apply for residency and through my dad's citizenship I became a US citizen as a teen.
As a teen at 13 I began working with my dad as he was a paint contractor and needed help cleaning, prepping and such. It was tough work but one of the things he taught me was that I could either stay in school or do hard manual labor.
As an adult and now as a dad myself I understand how much pressure immigrant families especially head of households have to provide for there family. As a counselor I also understand the issue that childhood trauma and coping with survival can have on molding a adult and how they parent and show affection.
On this day I just want to write about a complicated man, that even though he had all the odds against him he was able to persevere and succeed in a whole new country. This relates to running because it's an analogy to life and even with all the obstacles and different challenges running is a simple sport that one can succeed when hard work, consistency, and dedication are achieved. What seems like obstacles in my life I think are crumbs compared to some of the things my father has been through.
So on this fathers day I want to commemorate someone who continues to beat the odds and achieve great things even though there are many challenges that are both internal and external much like all complicated human beings, I want to share this post so that others can learn about a man I greatly admire and love-that man is my father. Happy father's day to all the wonderful fathers in the world :-).
Monday Rest
Tuesday 13.3 around Gaston MS
Wednesday 13.2 around Gaston MS
Thursday 13.2 around Gaston MS
Friday 13.3 around Gaston MS
Saturday 14.6 Norbuck 2 loops and back
Saturday 12.3 WR loop
Weekly Mileage 80.2
This week has made me think of my dad as today marks father day-Jose Juan Lopez Dominguez. My father is a hardworking man that came to Dallas when I was a baby. Originally from El Refugio, San Luis Potosi, Mexico he was one of 19 siblings from a family with little resources. El Refugio is 2 hours out from the nearest big city on dirt road. Difficult to get to with minimal resources, most families sustain themselves through ranching. Here is a google map of the location:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Villa+de+Ramos,+San+Luis+Potosi,+Mexico/@22.9047512,-102.1333741,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x85d6ebf9f5a333f5:0x360a18eccda3ce78!2sEl+Refugio,+San+Luis+Potosi,+Mexico!3b1!8m2!3d21.3347219!4d-98.758333!3m4!1s0x86819d0e45e3e9df:0x947548dc17e6eea!8m2!3d22.8274845!4d-101.9095276
Now the reason I bring the location up is because as a child living in such a rural place, you have to travel several KM to the Elementary school and that is what the majority of children got as far as education goes. My dad was fortunate enough to continue with school and despite all the obstacles such as living with a second aunt who was busy taking care of her own children and having to sell Chiclets to sustain, my dad was able to not only succeed academically but excel at it. Much like the story of slum dog millionaire my dad was able to graduate from Teacher's College in SLP and even pursued a Masters. He went on to teach English at the Secondary and Preparatory level. During the 80s Mexico's economy suffered great instability and the devaluation of the Peso. It was then that my dad made the difficult decision of coming to the United States in the era of the great migration.
He walked for 2 days in the desert from Piedras Negras through the Rio Grande and through the Desert until reaching there destination and from there being driven to Dallas. It was in Dallas, in which he began to work doing cement work on the roads and residential boom. When I was a child my brother, mom and myself made the journey up and we lived in what was then called 'little Mexico.'
As I grew up I didn't see my dad much as he spent most of the time working and I didn't really understand a lot of the social pressures to get ahead. Through the Amnesty of President Regan, my dad was able to apply for residency and through my dad's citizenship I became a US citizen as a teen.
As a teen at 13 I began working with my dad as he was a paint contractor and needed help cleaning, prepping and such. It was tough work but one of the things he taught me was that I could either stay in school or do hard manual labor.
As an adult and now as a dad myself I understand how much pressure immigrant families especially head of households have to provide for there family. As a counselor I also understand the issue that childhood trauma and coping with survival can have on molding a adult and how they parent and show affection.
On this day I just want to write about a complicated man, that even though he had all the odds against him he was able to persevere and succeed in a whole new country. This relates to running because it's an analogy to life and even with all the obstacles and different challenges running is a simple sport that one can succeed when hard work, consistency, and dedication are achieved. What seems like obstacles in my life I think are crumbs compared to some of the things my father has been through.
So on this fathers day I want to commemorate someone who continues to beat the odds and achieve great things even though there are many challenges that are both internal and external much like all complicated human beings, I want to share this post so that others can learn about a man I greatly admire and love-that man is my father. Happy father's day to all the wonderful fathers in the world :-).
Monday, June 15, 2020
Audio Books I've Listened During Quarantined
Okay so now that I have more time, I can write about what I have been listening to while running. Since March I have run largely by myself and have discovered the great selection of audiobooks that the Dallas Public Library has available. For those that are interested I use my library card, which gives me access to free audio books. What I do is log in to the Libby app and also the Dallas public library app. From there you can search audio book and what is available. I like non fiction so that is what I mostly hear. Also since I'm running around 12 hours a day doing the 6X 2 hour routine, I can listen to a book about once a week depending on the length of the book.
Also another thing that I have learned is the use of different headphones. I started using my apple Airpods and I quickly learned that ear wax can build up if not careful. After some research I learned of 'running headphones.' One of the difference was that these go over your ears instead of in your ears. This is important because you can have a greater sense of your surrounding and it doesn't cause the wax build up. Also with the summer heat and sweat, water proof is super important.
The list of books:
Onward By Howard Schultz
Interesting book about the founder of Starbucks and how the company has grown over the years. Schultz mentions things like helping the coffee farmers, and providing employees with healthcare which was unheard of in the industry. Overall the book was interesting and was a good reminder of the importance of providing a good product and treating people correctly, the whole people over profit concept was reinforced.
Meet the Frugalwoods By Elizabeth Thames
If there is one book that I looked forward to this was one of them. Frugalwoods is a couple that blogs and it deals with there journey to financial independence. The book was super helpful in understanding the importance of saving and being efficient with finance. Also it introduced the concept of financial independence retire early, and how a couple with middle class income can build wealth.
The Hiltons By Randy Taraborrelli
Really interesting book about the family that started the Hilton Hotels and the legacy. It was interesting to read about how the founder was able to take advantage of the low prices of the great depression and could foreshadow the recovery of the economy and the hotel industry could grow so much after the depression. The book also was a good reminder of how 2 and 3 generations who are left large sums of money can actually be detrimental to their lives.
White Trash By Nancy Isenberg
This book was very eye opening and a reminder that the large majority of White's in America have by and large been poor. While listening to the book I learned that poor White's have been taught that although they struggle and have minimal assets at least they are not people of color. It was interesting to read about the Little Rock integrations of schools and how it was the poor whites that were integrated while, 'Cadillac HS' remained the same. The book was a great reminder of how race has been used by the elite to divide the different groups in America.
Psychopath Free Jackson MacKenzie
The book was about what the author referred to 'Psychopath's' and the toll that they take when people interact with them. The book goes over for example the different personality disorders or Axis 2 in the DSM. As a counselor the book was interesting although a little vague, but that was understandable as it is meant for the general audience. It was also a good reminder on how much damage a person with such traits can do to your mental health.
Superfreakonomics and Think Like a Freak By Steven Levitt & Stephen Dudner
I lumped these two books together as they were by the same author and series. The books are great and would also recommend the podcast. The examples that they give are fantastic and really make you think about different social aspects. One thing that stood out was how inefficient some government interventions have been and have actually caused complete opposite effects from what they were intended. From Ignaz Semmelweis mission to wash his hands to the bystander effect on crime this series are great to listen and see how things are not always what they appear.
Every Tool's a Hammer by Adam Savage
As a fan of Myth Buster's this was a interesting read. First I got to see listen to about about Adam's life and how he ended up working with Jamie. Also the book reinforced the importance of working with your hands and the demand for trade jobs. Even in the current recession many jobs are still in demand for the trades. Also it was a good reminder as a parent of building with a child and letting them use there hands.
The Index Card by Helaine Olen
This is a good finance book. I would say if you are just going to read one book on finance this might be it. It goes into index investment, the importance of compound interest, low fees, and saving rate among other things. The book is simple to implement and was a good reminder of the different things that I needed to look at in order to have more peace of mind. Money is not everything in life, but it can provide a lot more stability and can allow more options as to your use of time.
The Great Journey By David McCullough
I had read the John Adams by David McCullough, so this book caught my eye. The book goes into great detail about the journey of Americans that went to Paris during the 1800s. From Medical students to artist, the book goes into the reasons for there month long journey on boat and why they would go. It also went into the different famines and social unrest that occurred during the time. The book was interesting and insightful into why Americans would travel to Paris and how the two countries influenced one another.
Heads in Beds By Jacob Tomsky
This memoir about a worker in the hotel industry was a interesting listen. Hearing about the hotel industry and how different workers and their lives had mixed emotions. The author goes into detail about how cut throat the industry is and how it affects the workers from the house keepers to the managers. It also has a great deal of humor from the worker that they nicknames 'el salvaje' to how the author was fired and later reinstated thanks to the unions this book kept me interested in the life story and all the mixed emotions of the author.
In Defense of Food By Michael Pollan
Eat food, Not too much, Mostly Plants. This was the advice of the book and it went into detail about the different aspects of food. From the workers who pick the food, to how it is processed. The book goes into detail on the treads of America. For example the high use of sugars and carbohydrates. It was also a good reminder of past trends and how the 'American diet' is a fairly recent invention that has caused a great deal of chronic illnesses.
The social distancing has definitely opened my eyes to all the great audio books. As I finish more books I'll provide a summary, I hope they are helpful. Thanks for reading!
Libby App Link
https://www.overdrive.com/apps/libby/
After shokz headphone they make various model but these were the most economical
https://www.amazon.com/Auriculaers-descubiertas-titanium-bluetooth-AfterShokz/dp/B018XNGO5A/ref=asc_df_B018XNGO5A/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=241970631835&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6218080902229612630&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9026919&hvtargid=pla-404032791506&psc=1
Dallas Public Library you can search all the books available
https://dallaslibrary.overdrive.com/
Also another thing that I have learned is the use of different headphones. I started using my apple Airpods and I quickly learned that ear wax can build up if not careful. After some research I learned of 'running headphones.' One of the difference was that these go over your ears instead of in your ears. This is important because you can have a greater sense of your surrounding and it doesn't cause the wax build up. Also with the summer heat and sweat, water proof is super important.
The list of books:
Onward By Howard Schultz
Interesting book about the founder of Starbucks and how the company has grown over the years. Schultz mentions things like helping the coffee farmers, and providing employees with healthcare which was unheard of in the industry. Overall the book was interesting and was a good reminder of the importance of providing a good product and treating people correctly, the whole people over profit concept was reinforced.
Meet the Frugalwoods By Elizabeth Thames
If there is one book that I looked forward to this was one of them. Frugalwoods is a couple that blogs and it deals with there journey to financial independence. The book was super helpful in understanding the importance of saving and being efficient with finance. Also it introduced the concept of financial independence retire early, and how a couple with middle class income can build wealth.
The Hiltons By Randy Taraborrelli
Really interesting book about the family that started the Hilton Hotels and the legacy. It was interesting to read about how the founder was able to take advantage of the low prices of the great depression and could foreshadow the recovery of the economy and the hotel industry could grow so much after the depression. The book also was a good reminder of how 2 and 3 generations who are left large sums of money can actually be detrimental to their lives.
White Trash By Nancy Isenberg
This book was very eye opening and a reminder that the large majority of White's in America have by and large been poor. While listening to the book I learned that poor White's have been taught that although they struggle and have minimal assets at least they are not people of color. It was interesting to read about the Little Rock integrations of schools and how it was the poor whites that were integrated while, 'Cadillac HS' remained the same. The book was a great reminder of how race has been used by the elite to divide the different groups in America.
Psychopath Free Jackson MacKenzie
The book was about what the author referred to 'Psychopath's' and the toll that they take when people interact with them. The book goes over for example the different personality disorders or Axis 2 in the DSM. As a counselor the book was interesting although a little vague, but that was understandable as it is meant for the general audience. It was also a good reminder on how much damage a person with such traits can do to your mental health.
Superfreakonomics and Think Like a Freak By Steven Levitt & Stephen Dudner
I lumped these two books together as they were by the same author and series. The books are great and would also recommend the podcast. The examples that they give are fantastic and really make you think about different social aspects. One thing that stood out was how inefficient some government interventions have been and have actually caused complete opposite effects from what they were intended. From Ignaz Semmelweis mission to wash his hands to the bystander effect on crime this series are great to listen and see how things are not always what they appear.
Every Tool's a Hammer by Adam Savage
As a fan of Myth Buster's this was a interesting read. First I got to see listen to about about Adam's life and how he ended up working with Jamie. Also the book reinforced the importance of working with your hands and the demand for trade jobs. Even in the current recession many jobs are still in demand for the trades. Also it was a good reminder as a parent of building with a child and letting them use there hands.
The Index Card by Helaine Olen
This is a good finance book. I would say if you are just going to read one book on finance this might be it. It goes into index investment, the importance of compound interest, low fees, and saving rate among other things. The book is simple to implement and was a good reminder of the different things that I needed to look at in order to have more peace of mind. Money is not everything in life, but it can provide a lot more stability and can allow more options as to your use of time.
The Great Journey By David McCullough
I had read the John Adams by David McCullough, so this book caught my eye. The book goes into great detail about the journey of Americans that went to Paris during the 1800s. From Medical students to artist, the book goes into the reasons for there month long journey on boat and why they would go. It also went into the different famines and social unrest that occurred during the time. The book was interesting and insightful into why Americans would travel to Paris and how the two countries influenced one another.
Heads in Beds By Jacob Tomsky
This memoir about a worker in the hotel industry was a interesting listen. Hearing about the hotel industry and how different workers and their lives had mixed emotions. The author goes into detail about how cut throat the industry is and how it affects the workers from the house keepers to the managers. It also has a great deal of humor from the worker that they nicknames 'el salvaje' to how the author was fired and later reinstated thanks to the unions this book kept me interested in the life story and all the mixed emotions of the author.
In Defense of Food By Michael Pollan
Eat food, Not too much, Mostly Plants. This was the advice of the book and it went into detail about the different aspects of food. From the workers who pick the food, to how it is processed. The book goes into detail on the treads of America. For example the high use of sugars and carbohydrates. It was also a good reminder of past trends and how the 'American diet' is a fairly recent invention that has caused a great deal of chronic illnesses.
The social distancing has definitely opened my eyes to all the great audio books. As I finish more books I'll provide a summary, I hope they are helpful. Thanks for reading!
Libby App Link
https://www.overdrive.com/apps/libby/
After shokz headphone they make various model but these were the most economical
https://www.amazon.com/Auriculaers-descubiertas-titanium-bluetooth-AfterShokz/dp/B018XNGO5A/ref=asc_df_B018XNGO5A/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=241970631835&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6218080902229612630&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9026919&hvtargid=pla-404032791506&psc=1
Dallas Public Library you can search all the books available
https://dallaslibrary.overdrive.com/
Sunday, June 14, 2020
Update since 2015 to 2020
Wow so I just realized I hadn't written since January 2015. I was 30 then and now I'm 35 as it is June of 2020. In the last five year I have continued training and running and have increased my mileage significantly. In 2019 for example my mileage was 3900 for the year and this 2020 my goal is to attempt and reach 4000 miles. As of June 14 my Strava is telling me I have run 1,768 miles which if I want to reach 4k I would have to be around 2k at the end of the month.
Also looking at my Garmin connect I have done racing wise quite well the last five years. Here are the personal records from the last year which I think have been some of my peak performance.
12/7/2019 Irving Frost 5k 16:47
11/28/2019 Turkey Trot 8 miles 45:36
2/1/2020 SAGU half Marathon 1:15:27
1/19/2020 Houston Marathon 2:42:54
Some of the things that have really helped was slow long running. The Corona Virus Epidemic since March has also helped me be consistent and not racing for the moment.
Other highlights that I can remember from the last 5 years has been the most significant which is the birth of my daughter Ruby who was born 1/22/15 and has been the catalyst to continue to run. When she was first born that summer I remember being stressed and cutting my mileage drastically. I gained about 20 pounds, but then realized that I needed to regain the mileage. I slowly went back to the mileage routine and really since 2016 I have been consistent with mileage.
For me the magic weekly mileage has been around 80 miles. I came to this number through sheer experimentation. When I was doing around 50 miles a week that was when I gained 20 lbs. This made me realize that the routine wasn't working. I then bumped it up gradually and even tried 90 plus miles as week. I quickly realized that 90+ was too high and my fatigue was too much. I was constantly tired and felt like I had to lay down all the time. Then I stepped back and went to 80 mpw and this has helped me address some of that fatigue. I still get fatigued especially with allergies, but have now find that I am able to be consistent which is what I want.
I want to be a example for my daughter and my family, as I get older now mid 30s I realize how it is much more important to have an activity that keeps momentum going.
This 2020 has been quite different from the rest. First the pandemic has caused the races to be canceled. Boston 2020 would have been my 8th Boston marathon but it was canceled after being postponed. In 2018 it was in the 30s with strong wind and rain and I ran a personal record on that course with 2:53 time. In 2019 after the wonderful pacing and help from good friend Tatsuya, we ran a 2:50 mere seconds from one another. This 2020 I was reading to run even faster, but the pandemic has halted those plans.
Also at the end of June I was planning to go to Tangamanga Marathon in SLP Mexico. Last year I had run a 3:04 and placed 22. I didn't know how to run it as it was 6k in altitude and ran it evenly paced and under my marathon heart rate. Plus the same day my mom was to celebrate her 60th birthday and I didn't want to be worn out from the race. This year would have been different as I knew the course now and was ready to run. They postponed the race till November but I'm not sure if I will be able to travel at the time and how the pandemic will play out.
Moving forward my plan in to continue to remain consistent and just try to enjoy running. A couple of weeks ago I was running with Licho and Kankis and one of our discussion was training. Kankis made the comment of why should one train if all the races were canceled? I responded that I didn't run for races but more for the love of the sport. Since I started running around 15 which was 20 years ago it has taken me to multiple cities, countries, and I've met many people through running. Regardless of races I enjoy running for running sake. If someone were to tell me that all races will forever be canceled would I stop running? Likely not as that is a time that I meditate, think about my plans, clear my head and it has inspired me to do countless things. I will try and keep an update more frequently now that we are in the summer and there is more time to train. Thank you for reading!
June 8-June 14
M-12 miles
T-15 miles
W-rest
TH-16.5 miles
F-16.6 miles
S-10.2 miles in Menard weekend trip
S-10.1 miles in Menard weekend trip
80.5 week miles
Also looking at my Garmin connect I have done racing wise quite well the last five years. Here are the personal records from the last year which I think have been some of my peak performance.
12/7/2019 Irving Frost 5k 16:47
11/28/2019 Turkey Trot 8 miles 45:36
2/1/2020 SAGU half Marathon 1:15:27
1/19/2020 Houston Marathon 2:42:54
Some of the things that have really helped was slow long running. The Corona Virus Epidemic since March has also helped me be consistent and not racing for the moment.
Other highlights that I can remember from the last 5 years has been the most significant which is the birth of my daughter Ruby who was born 1/22/15 and has been the catalyst to continue to run. When she was first born that summer I remember being stressed and cutting my mileage drastically. I gained about 20 pounds, but then realized that I needed to regain the mileage. I slowly went back to the mileage routine and really since 2016 I have been consistent with mileage.
For me the magic weekly mileage has been around 80 miles. I came to this number through sheer experimentation. When I was doing around 50 miles a week that was when I gained 20 lbs. This made me realize that the routine wasn't working. I then bumped it up gradually and even tried 90 plus miles as week. I quickly realized that 90+ was too high and my fatigue was too much. I was constantly tired and felt like I had to lay down all the time. Then I stepped back and went to 80 mpw and this has helped me address some of that fatigue. I still get fatigued especially with allergies, but have now find that I am able to be consistent which is what I want.
I want to be a example for my daughter and my family, as I get older now mid 30s I realize how it is much more important to have an activity that keeps momentum going.
This 2020 has been quite different from the rest. First the pandemic has caused the races to be canceled. Boston 2020 would have been my 8th Boston marathon but it was canceled after being postponed. In 2018 it was in the 30s with strong wind and rain and I ran a personal record on that course with 2:53 time. In 2019 after the wonderful pacing and help from good friend Tatsuya, we ran a 2:50 mere seconds from one another. This 2020 I was reading to run even faster, but the pandemic has halted those plans.
Also at the end of June I was planning to go to Tangamanga Marathon in SLP Mexico. Last year I had run a 3:04 and placed 22. I didn't know how to run it as it was 6k in altitude and ran it evenly paced and under my marathon heart rate. Plus the same day my mom was to celebrate her 60th birthday and I didn't want to be worn out from the race. This year would have been different as I knew the course now and was ready to run. They postponed the race till November but I'm not sure if I will be able to travel at the time and how the pandemic will play out.
Moving forward my plan in to continue to remain consistent and just try to enjoy running. A couple of weeks ago I was running with Licho and Kankis and one of our discussion was training. Kankis made the comment of why should one train if all the races were canceled? I responded that I didn't run for races but more for the love of the sport. Since I started running around 15 which was 20 years ago it has taken me to multiple cities, countries, and I've met many people through running. Regardless of races I enjoy running for running sake. If someone were to tell me that all races will forever be canceled would I stop running? Likely not as that is a time that I meditate, think about my plans, clear my head and it has inspired me to do countless things. I will try and keep an update more frequently now that we are in the summer and there is more time to train. Thank you for reading!
June 8-June 14
M-12 miles
T-15 miles
W-rest
TH-16.5 miles
F-16.6 miles
S-10.2 miles in Menard weekend trip
S-10.1 miles in Menard weekend trip
80.5 week miles
"Keep your face always toward the sunshine—and shadows will fall behind you.” —Walt Whitman
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