pavementrunner-nike

 

I made a run for 200 miles, literally. But I’m going to fall just short. The last couple weeks have been tough (as you can see in the map above) and I’ve been feeling it mentally, quickly followed by feeling it physically. The mental part, I can over come. The physical part, I need to pay close attention to with a busy fall schedule. The runs have felt pretty strong, but when I’m done, I can start to feel the need to immediately stretch and foam roll. Unfortunately, it’s something I have lacked in accomplishing.

Why not run the next four days and hit 200? I was planning on running Wednesday, but am deciding to take a rest day. Thursday is a travel day and Friday I’ll be in LA for the Disney Dumbo Double Dare weekend. Saturday, I’m running a 10k. Trust me, I thought about making it happen, but I have a big fall schedule and wrecking my body NOW would be a terrible idea.

Half empty or half full?

 

July: 97.67 miles
August: 157.57 (includes Saturday’s 10k)

Half empty?
I obviously fell short of my 200 mile goal. I came close, but 43 miles is an extra 10 miles a week and that’s a lot of ground to cover. This pass weekend, I had back-to-back 20 milers planned and that would have put me within 20 miles of my goal. According to my original plan, if I had followed up my Saturday long runs with a 10 miler, I would have hit 200 with ease… those just never happened.

Half full?
I increased my monthly milage by 60 miles compared to July… that’s kind of a big deal. I also logged a half marathon, a 17, 20, and 21 miler with no marathon plans in the next 2 months. I was really just running those because I was capable of hitting the distances. My real goal is to get extremely comfortable at the 20 mile distance. As crazy as that sounds. Either way, this was a step in the right direction.

Next steps:
I need to get better at taking care of myself post-run. If I’m going to be hitting higher miles with less recovery time, I need to get better at stretching and dedicating time on the foam roller. I know it, you know it, my legs know it. I just need to get it done.

end-of-summer-200

#EndOfSummer200

Who’s up for doing it again in the month of September? As you can see, I enjoy setting a challenging goal. The point, for me, is to set a goal that is within reach, but will need some extra effort and dedication. I’ll be using the hash #endofsummer200 in some of my tweets and encourage you to join in on the fun. Summer ends September 22, so let’s run THROUGH the end of Summer.

Nike+ Challenge:

Updated: the invite has already been sent out and reached the max of 99 participants.

You can still join in on the phone on social media using the hash #EndOfSummer200

If you are keeping track of your miles on the Nike App, let me know if you want to join in on the challenge. I’ll create one tonight called End of Summer 200 and invite you to join in on the fun. Nike+ will only allow me to invite 99 people, so if you want in:

  1. Leave your Nike+ name in the comments with the words: I’m in!
  2. Add me if we are not friends. Username: PAVEMENT RUNNER
  3. I’ll send you an invite through the app. Accept it, and you’re in.
  4. This must be done BEFORE Friday, Sept. 30 as it takes 24 hrs for the contest to begin.
  5. This is limited to 99 people. You in?

If you are not on the Nike+ app, no worries. You can still track your miles and join in on the conversation with me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram using the hash #EndOfSummer200.

Looking for an upcoming race in the Bay Area (or LA)?

 

What does your fall schedule look like?
Are you in for 200?

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