Almost done with all the challenges (running challenges anyway!)

After enjoying a relatively mild winter, we got some pretty damn cold weather this weekend. The recent above freezing conditions meant that high's of 19, and mega wind-chill felt pretty crappy. 

However, before the deep freeze set in, I managed a couple decent outdoor runs. I definitely felt better than last week, but just find that it takes extra time to get moving in the winter. A couple sluggish miles, and then I hit my stride and feel just fine (at least, this week I did!) 

I'm almost done with the 202 winter miles challenge. I don't believe that I'm going to end up making the top 50, but I have finished ahead of my time goal. I thought I could easily do it in 7 weeks, so I aimed for 6, and it appears I am finishing on 5 weeks plus one day (I'm assuming that I'll finish tomorrow.)

In the Boston to Bar Harbor challenge I'm making headway. It seems like FOREVER ago that this one began! There was definitely a time in September when I questioned whether or not I would be able to make up ground, after falling way behind. I'm pleased to say that I have, and am going to finish ahead of the deadline for sure! It actually appears that I should be able to wrap it up in the next two weeks unless something weird happens. 

During these odd pandemic times, I have found these online challenges to be very motivating. I have run more consistently (if not nearly as fast!) then in many past years. 

Still no race goals. I doubt there will be much of a Spring season around these parts, and even if there were, I would probably pass. Boston still "tentative" for "Fall 2021" and there are a ton of question marks around that situation as well. 

So yeah, in the meantime I'll keep cranking out some junk miles, since that is what I do best. I don't seem to need actual in person competition to keep me moving, which has been an absolute bonus during the past year. I would be an actual sloth at this point! 

In a funny throwback moment- I re-read some of this blog from when I first began recording my running adventures. 

Bless me. What an innocent little soul I was! Terribly cheerful and quippy as well, haha! 

Of course, I chuckled at all the mistakes I made. (hey, it's how you learn!) And I was also impressed with how hardcore (to my detriment) that I was. I also kind of miss Daily Mile- I had forgotten about that! 

Anyway. I'm still here, 10 years later. I have figured out what works for me, and the biggest thing I always say is that I'm willing to change plans/shoes/whatever. Being flexible is what has kept me in this for this long, without ever taking a mega multi month break. Need to trail run? Go! Need to try different shoes/gear/fuel, do it. Want to quit marathons and only run 5K? Good, who cares, go for it. 

And that being said, the only way to be any good (goodish) at running is to actually get out there and do it. I bumped into a client while I was out running in the twilight this week and she said "I'm just so astonished that you go out and do this after work" and I was literally like "well..... If I don't do it, it doesn't get done, soooooooo....." I guess that's the moral of the story. 

Stats:

Miles run: 37.8

Warmest day: It was like, 40 on Monday. YEP. 

Coldest day: High of 20 on Saturday, On Sunday windchills felt like -25

Snow: Nothing. Well, like a dusting one night. 

Place in Challenge (s) on Sunday night: 

Boston to Bar Harbor: 119/573 Up three places. Currently at mile 715 of 750- so almost there

202 Winter miles: 61/1480- I dropped 4 places despite running decent mileage. Whatever. This one will be done tomorrow. 

More running in Pandemic times.

Another mostly mild winter week has come and gone.

We did get a crappy storm yesterday, but ALL WEEK was in the 30's. 

Gross snow slop. But pretty.....?

Bad news. WINTER IS COMING. CRAP......

I managed a decent amount of running this week, logging just over 33 miles. That being said, my early week runs were anything but inspired. To be honest, I find myself a bit depleted at the moment. the state the world has me feeling exhausted. The fact that we have been living our lives so differently for close to a year now, is really hitting home. Plus, I had a a variety of things I had to do that caused me great stress. PLUS THE WORLD IS LITERALLY INSANE. So, all in all, a challenging week. 

I continue to feel thankful that my family remains healthy, that my business remains busy, that my husband still has a good job. I count those blessings daily. But I recognize that something weird has happened. It is as if too many terrible things have happened in the past year, and I am almost beyond having the ability to register yet another horrible occurrence. I think this is called disaster fatigue, and I'm certainly on board with this being an actual thing....

*sigh* moving on. 

If I weren't for the fact that I know I'm going to wish to look back at this blog in a year or two to see "what was going on" I would probably just shut it down, because putting my cute little running goals out there really seems a bit twee at the moment. 

But I think that anyone who still reads this is most likely going through the same thing. 

(and probably understands that this is basically my running diary... If I was a "big" blogger (if that is still a thing?) I would really try to be even more thoughtful about the bullshit days that we are all living through. As in: I would probably have a more caring word than "bullshit days." 

SO. Running. More time on the treadmill than I would have liked, but whatever. Moved DOWN in the 202.0 challenge (like, 15 people have finished, and some of them just showed up with all miles completed. that's cool, but it makes for an unpredictable experience!)

In the Boston to Bar Harbor Challenge, I moved up one place, and am 90% done, with less than 100 miles to go. THIS HAS BEEN A LONG CHALLENGE. 

Stats:

Miles run: 

Running: 33.1

Warmest day: 39

Coldest day: BASICALLY SPRING. 32

Snow:Some huge mess on Saturday. 3" slop. Some rain. More slop. Gross. 

Place in Challenge (s) on Sunday night: 

Boston to Bar Harbor: 122/573 Up one place

202 Winter miles: 57/1462- A drop but not a serious one, considering 50 extra people showed up.... I think I have 45 miles to go in this one. I may get crazy and try to finish it up next week, which would put me ahead of my time completion goal by a decent amount. 

Brown January

It was a zero weather week, and that makes me very happy. No snow. No ice. No rain. Brown (ish) January in full effect.

One might notice that I am somewhat consumed by the weather, but I work outside, so it is legit. 

Pretty normal week in the running department. After last week's "good bye 2020" week long Dopey Challenge, I went back to more sustainable mileage (about 35 miles) I am not yet sure how this impacted my standings in either challenge. Last week, upon investigation, I concluded that in both events I had landed in with runners/walkers who log weekly mileage that is not realistic for me. So, I imagine I will fins myself sitting a few places lower. 

The 202.0 winter challenge is totally being dominated by people in their 60's who literally walk ALL DAY! I'm pretty impressed. My parents are in their 70's and still walk everywhere, and are unreasonably active, so one would think that in 20 years I'll be the retiree dominating the mileage challenges.

After a short "break" at work around New Years (literally 3 days with limited lessons, so not a vacation) we are back to it in a big way this week. I managed to run outdoors, sometimes in the dark, every day but one. The roads are AMAZING right now- dry, zero ice, just super. So I'm getting out there whenever I can. I did take a rest day on Tuesday- the first one since October. I certainly realize that during this non competitive year, my running has been about quantity over quality, and that is fine for now. If I knew I had an event on the horizon, I would take a few days, then begin to regiment my workouts quite a bit more. But hey, for now junk miles 6 days a week are fine, and are doing the trick. 

Same plan for next week. Sticking in the 30-35 mile range and hopefully sticking to the totally decent weather. My mileage is right on track, minus the actual workouts, for Boston Training. Apparently old habits die hard. 

Stats:

Miles run: 

Running: 35.07

Warmest day: 36

Coldest day: 34, low of 18

Snow: NOOOO SNOWWWW or rain YAYYYYY

Place in Challenge (s) on Sunday night: 

Boston to Bar Harbor: 123/573 NO CHANGE. NONE! Weird. I figured I would drop- I'm definitely in with the people who hike around 50 mile weeks regularly. I literally refreshed the results a couple times to make sure this was legit

202 Winter miles: 42/1414- I dropped down 15 places this week, because I dropped my mileage. 3 people have finished. It is my goal to finish in the top 50- but since people keep joining weekly, with fully completed mileage, it is hard to know how the competition will shape up! B goal is top 100. 

FALL (and New Years 2021)

Yes, we have had all the seasons in the past few weeks.

It was a glorious fall this week, with a nice brown, 42 degree New Year's day (BYE 2020 ya fucker) And then, as is to be expected after fall, winter came back. 

It was a big mileage week, as I wished to complete enough miles for my own personal Dopey Challenge (48.6) A while back, Danielle and I thought we might complete it in its intended form (5k, 10k, 13.1, 26.2) to welcome in the New Year. However, we have both improved our adulting skills in the last 10 years, and each decided that it would be foolish to take on such a challenge. 

In the end, I concluded that I could probably tough out the distance over a weeks time, and I did, with a bonus mile added (I believe.) 

I had one of my better runs in a while, a 9 miles on New Years Eve. I ran an unusual route, kept a sup 9 pace, saw a trailer fall off a truck at 50MPH, and then went home to shuck oysters for Covid NYE. 

The one skill I perfected in 2020. Shucking. 

We got a 9 plus mile hike in on New Years Day, which was really refreshing. I had been almost a month without so much as a half day off (not winning at balance, at the moment) so it was extra great to get some time away from the grind. We had never done a Pierce to Eisenhower trek in the winter months, and it was a perfect day to hit two peaks. Eric and I are definitely hikers who really enjoy seeing old favorites. We are close to completing the New Hampshire 48, but are really in no rush. We like to hike where we want rather than live by a list, so that's what we do. 

And it was an amazing day. Temps in the 20's, sun, and only a tiny, gentle breeze on occasion. 

The whole family

I'm currently on day 63 of my run streak, and have very little intention to keep it up. 

This was a solid week for both the NEVERENDING Boston to Bar Harbor Challenge, with many bonus miles. I also held my own in the 202.0 challenge, which, as expected, is a fast and furious charge to the finish. Since I do not see many more 49 mile weeks in my future, I expect to fall in the standings rather than continue to climb. 

And, most importantly. 

2020 is over. 

Even the good times of the past year were overshadowed by a pervasive feeling of impending doom. It was a tough year in many ways. It was also a good year in many ways, but let's travel back in time one sentence to see why the good wasn't worth much fist pumping. 

2021 is not the magical cure for what is happening in the world. things are LEGIT bat shit crazy. But, I'm hopeful that we will begin to see the covid situation improving, as vaccines become available. 

Anyway. on to 2021 with much hope!

Stats:

Miles run: 

Running: 40.4

Hiking: 9.3

Total: 49.7

Warmest day: 42

Coldest day: 27, low of 16

Snow: 6" on the 2nd

Place in Challenge (s) on Sunday night: 

Boston to Bar Harbor: 123/573 A 7 place improvement. And, I will confess, the first time in a while that I have been surprised to see such a small jump. With almost a 50 mile week I figured it would be better (but I could be getting into the fringes of the runners who run 50 miles weekly, no problem. I have not been keeping close track to the "competition" because this challenge is SO LONG.) 

202 Winter miles: 26/1302 (the top 14 people are all well over 100 miles)