Sunday funday #254 5k run

Decided to get my 5K run out of the way early today. After work, I took to the trail of one of my favorite run places Lake Baldwin Park.  Lake Baldwin Park has almost a 5K loop which is perfect for what I’m doing.

I love the energy, activity and vibe if this place. I find comfort in seeing other runners, cyclist and walkers out here with me.  I’m not alone missing out on sleep and television.  I stop way too much to take pics, and the views are awesome.

Although it didn’t feel like I was going that fast, but according to Strava I ran my fastest loop at the park. https://www.strava.com/activities/516260740/embed/1a897234671d83fdcae9f59cbed7e4fec9d69dbd

This duck made me go around him #nofear

 

Needs no words

 

Why can’t all of life be this beautiful?

 

 

Consecutive 5K Day 213 back on the open road

Back to the pavement

This look says it all.

 

https://www.strava.com/activities/483711765/embed/35c2a817e35b15047e688d4bb9297d2327859f6b

The treadmill sure can spoil you! Now that the ground doesn’t move for me anymore, I’m appreciating the true grit it takes of running on pavement for 200 plus days straight.

This picture captures the exhaustion I feel getting used to running on an immovable ground again.

 

 

 

A new beginning, new Website coming

https://www.strava.com/activities/484018019/embed/1a19d49397d593bd6c2d6742a8e786a4a0b7c26e

Today was a very long day. I worked from 11pm last night until 4pm today. I did get an hour for lunch which I used to run my 5K (consectutive 5K run day #212).

I picked a beautiful route through downtown Winter Park and Rollins College. Since I’ve spent the last 10 days running on a treadmill, running on the pavement seems much harder now.  But I did miss the changing of scenery, the fresh air, the changes in surfaces and the freedom of the open road.

I think I have come to realize that there is a good purpose for both.  Just like running with headphones and without headphones.  The treadmill is great for working on your form, picking up your pace and really being able to push yourself in a controlled environment. No worries about uneven pavement, cars, stop lights, wild animals, slippery surfaces and the like.

I’ve also launched my new website WWW.IRONMANCOACH.COM which I will be transisitoning to.  I will now be able to offer videos, more content and appeal to a wider audience.

 

Halfway to my goal of running a 5K daily for one year

https://www.strava.com/activities/461468039/embed/1f8e19ece72d52e56a9f19e30c46875ea97192db

My day started like a lot of my days with a lake swim at Lucky’s Lake.

A bit chilly out this morning.

I love this sign!

After my two lake crossing this morning, I reached a running milestone. Day 183, which means I’m officially half way to my goal of running a 5K a day for one year. 183/365=50%.

https://www.strava.com/activities/461465431/embed/ff4a78417696eb6b3a3d6feaf556f44ba755396c

I’m amazed that I’ve made it this far considering the nagging injuries I’ve incurred.  The journey has had many twist and turns that’s for sure.  Like right now I’m currently struggling with some nagging right glute and hamstring issues.  These issues have really slowed down my running.  I dare not push the pace, for fear of being derailed for a longer period of time.  I have to somehow keep running while at the same time allowing my body to get some rest and heal.

You’ve heard of the term “dog days of the summer”?  That’s what my quest currently feels like.  Each day it seems to be a grind to complete my 5k run.  A part of me longs to do other activities that I have put aside for fear of injuring myself.  Activities such as basketball, weightlifting and cycling have not been part of my routine for awhile now.  This has been the longest time I haven’t cycled in three years time.

I do plan on adding some light weightlifting to beef up my physique and make my body more resistant to injuries going forward.  The problem is that I can’t push too hard as building muscle requires rest and recovery.  Is it possible to build muscle on minimal rest and recovery?  We shall find out, as I’m going to take a before and after picture to track my weightlifting journey.

I wanted to capture the halfway point of my 5K/Day journey with a nice photo

I love bamboo

I’ve really become dependent on running with music.  I’m finding motivation by running with a different playlist everyday.  Before I started this running quest, I loathed running with music and just enjoyed the sound of my breath and feet hitting the pavement.  I would like to get back to running without music, but for now the music is a good motivator for me to continue the streak.  Also running in different locations that I’ve never run before adds motivation and “childlike” intrigue.

Instead of my normal what have I learned list, I’m going to talk about what has been the easiest part of my journey and what has been the hardest.

The easiest part surprisingly has been the actual running itself.  I’ve got the 5K run down to such a routine, it’s just a matter of doing it.

The hardest part has been documenting my journey.  It seems that I’m having trouble keeping up with recording my runs, how I’m feeling that day, challenges, blogging etc.  A close second would be taking the time to address my injuries properly.  Getting more massages, acupuncture visits, roller therapy to really address my injuries.

I’m looking forward to learning more about myself on the second half of this journey to a year’s worth of daily 5Ks.

 

 

 

 

A run with my son #163 consecutive 5K

https://www.strava.com/activities/449713440/embed/f3c1501735785ce0eb4552c4b23b48282320554d

5K run #163 was all about getting my son some exercise.  My son was in a “deep chill” status after a pretty hectic Saturday and wanted to lounge around all day and play video games.  I don’t mind him playing games, but I always tell him to break it up with some exercise and other things.

I gave him the option of going for a bike ride or a run with me.  He chose to run with me as for some reason, he’s not really into biking as of yet.  I’m still suffering from some glute issues, so I have to be careful.

 

 

 

Instead of spending a lot of money on a fancy roller to help work out the muscles, I went “old school” and bought a rolling pin from Goodwill.  Instead of spending $35, I only spend $1.99 and it works wonderfully well.

good old fashioned rolling pin

 

 

A very long Saturday

 

a well deserved second place trophy

 

team photo

 

Amaya got to play where the Orlando Magic play

My Saturday actually started Friday night at 11pm as I had to work all night.  After work, I had to dash home, make breakfast and coach my son’s basketball YMCA team.  No Saturday morning Lucky’s Lake swim for me 😞.

After the game we did some running around, lunch etc.  Then I got to run my 162 consecutive 5K.  I have developed some sort of glute issue that is quite sore at the moment.  I must really concentrate on form as to not aggravate the muscle further.  Other than the glutes, I felt pretty good during my 5K run.  What I’ve learned when I’m tired or needing an extra boost, I choose a new route with new sights and sounds and things to distract me from running.

After my 5K run, it was time to get my daughter to her 4pm basketball game.  Her team won their first playoff game, so we got to stick around for the championship game at 7pm.

By the time I got home from all the days activities it was 8:30pm.  Just in time for an hour and a half sleep before heading into work at 11pm.  I’m really going to start focusing on my sleep.  I just don’t know what to cut out?  Sleep is one of the most important activities you can do for your health and longevity.

Although I was sleep deprived, it ended up being a great Saturday.

 

 

#160th 5K and a lake swim

 

A beautiful morning swim

 

Tis the season

 

Enter a caption

 

Nature in all its splendor

 

ducks hanging out on the dock

 

Taking in the sunrise

My morning started with a 1K swim across Lucky’s Lake. An absolutely beautiful morning for a swim. The water temp was 70.5 degrees. While chilly upon first entry, the water felt perfect after getting into a swim.
After getting the kiddies off to school, it was onwards to my 160th 5K!  It is amazing what a “good nights” sleep does for my energy levels. I felt a pep in my step and actually ran an additional mile. I also manage to post some respectable times on Strava. https://www.strava.com/activities/447810922

 

An appropriate shirt for my 160th 5K

 

 

Day #150 of consecutive 5K run (a late post)

I love running paths and running someplace new.

A unique view, doing my post run stretches on my back.

A beautiful duck, who is quite comfy around people. It had zero fear of me, even running by him.

My first run at Gaston Edwards Park

Shameless selfie

My app that keeps track of all my runs

 

Has it really been 3 months since I’ve blogged?  You’ve got to be freaking kidding me!  You know what has distracted me is posting quite a bit?  The answer is posting on Facebook/Instagram and not porting my activities over to this blog.  To be totally honest, I don’t have time to post to all three everyday.

I have to make some decisions about what is the best way to communicate with the largest audience.  Facebook seems to be the easiest to use via my cell phone.  Posting to this blog seems to require me sitting down at my laptop.  Whereas, I can post to Facebook while I’m pretty much anywhere with a few minutes to spare.  Look me up on Facebook for the latest on my activities.  I will be revamping this blog soon, so more to come.

What have I been up to?  I guess the best way to start is the latest adventure and work my way backwards.  As you can tell from the title, I’m still pursuing my quest for a complete year of running at least a 5K a day.  I’ve just completed day #150 https://www.strava.com/activities/442060722/embed/c43d5137463c147c8fd07f5f398f5a148c6e2918  As a matter of fact, you can add me as a friend on Strava to see all of my 5K runs and times.

So what have I learned so far in regards to running everyday for 150 days straight?

1. Forces you to spend some time on you everyday
2. anything you work on everyday will improve
3. after reaching a certain point, momentum begins to assist you
4. You can still perform with injuries, I’ve suffered a sprained ankle, shoulder, muscle spasms that cut off my breathing, hip flexors, knee soreness and of course ye ole hammy.
5. I choose very carefully the things I do as to not injure myself or put myself at risk of not completing my 5K
6. My mind is now asking the question, “where else can employ this consistency in my life”
7. Never put yourself last, or your goals will be last too
8. you can’t outrun a poor diet.  No matter how many miles I run, it can not compensate for my poor food choices.  I shudder to think of how much better I’d look with a cleaner diet.  God please give me more strength.  LOL
9. My goals have to be high to motivate me to achieve them
10. Sometimes you just need a little music to get you through
11. Equipment is critical
12. Stretching and warming up are keys to avoiding injuries
13. My body can heal and still continue to keep going
14. Whenever you need a little motivation, just run somewhere new.  The freshness of the new sights and sounds will keep you engaged and entertained

That is the good news, my running continues to get stronger and stronger.  The bad news is my swimming and biking have been taking a back seat to keep this streak alive.  On days where I have only enough time to swim, bike or run, I have to choose running.

In addition, I’ve started coaching my son’s basketball team.  Coaching has taken up any remaining time I might have left.  I’ve been studying plays, drills and how to get the best out of 4th and 5th grade kids.  It’s not as easy as I would have thought.  It is a rewarding experience as the kids keep asking me to coach the next league when it starts.  Basketball has changed quite a bit since I played back in the 80’s.  LOL

 

 

 

 

Morning run with my daughter Amaya (aka The Female Flash)

Me and the Female Flash couldn’t keep the sweat out of my eyes.

https://www.strava.com/activities/375667219/embed/fc166d78b24dab73d439b0533f04817b8374abfd

Today was a chilled run day today.  No biking or swimming on the agenda as my body is tired.  My daughter Amaya decided she wants to come running with me.  Now Amaya is not a long distance runner, she is a sprinter.  But she wanted to get a decent run in and hang out with Dad.  We had a good run, good conversation and she made the run so much more enjoyable.  I see Amaya doing big things this year in track.

Today was also day 51 of my 365 consecutive days of 5Ks quest.

 

Day 40 of 365 5Ks and a 2 mile swim

https://connect.garmin.com/activity/embed/863322372

What a way to start the day! Nature is truly amazing. Did a 2 mile swim, followed by my 40th consecutive 5K run.  My first crossing was a little rough as my goggles fogged up making it really difficult to sight.  I’m also only three crossings away from reaching my 300th crossing at Lucky’s Lake!  There is no badge or award for 300 crossings, but I think I will celebrate in my own way!

https://connect.garmin.com/activity/embed/863192465

My goal is to run 365 straight 5K runs.  Over the past 40 days, I’ve suffered through hip flexor pain, muscle soreness, hamstring tweak, back spasms, and rolled ankle.  The rolled ankle was from playing my kids one on one basketball after training, not a good idea.

All in all I feel really good when I run.  I realize that it’s going to be key to monitor my effort level as to not sprain or over do it on any particular day.

My new Altra shoes have been a big help to keep me running strong. When you start to get some nagging injuries, sometimes it’s good to look at the wear and tear on your shoes.