I have some big physical goals for this year. The first one is a half-marathon in Portland on 3/31. To hold myself accountable, I’ll report my progress here every Friday. For accounting purposes, my week starts on Friday morning.
If you have goals too, report your progress in the comments! Also, if you know how to make running suck any less (it sucks tremendously right now), let me know that too!
Update #2 (1/12 – 1/18)
I was running the other day at the gym which is boring as hell. 11 long, arduous, boring laps gets you a mile:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10…
Keeping count sucks because I’m reminded of just how long I have to go. But if I don’t keep count, I don’t know how many I’ve done. Note that my GPS run tracker doesn’t work indoors.
After a while, I started to go insane, so I forgot about the count and let my mind wander. And wander it did.
My first thought was this:
Running sucks.
That was my second and third thought too.
Eventually, I stopped with the internal whining (And some of it was probably external too! Apologies to fellow runners if I was muttering expletives under my breath.) and another thought popped into my head:
The other folks that I’m running the half-marathon with are doing some crazy things. JD Roth is running as a friggin’ pink bunny:
Mr. WoW will be passing out signed copies of his new book as he runs:
What do I do to keep up?
Forrest Gumption
What sacrifice would I make? I thought about it for a long time and came up with nothing. I thought about it for a while longer and still nothing. And then it came to me. It was this:
I’ll go all Forrest Gump. I won’t cut my hair:
Weak. I know. Let me explain.
I hate hair (apologies to unhappy bald men everywhere). I really do. It’s just another thing to deal with.
I bought a Wahl shaver a decade ago and usually trim my hair with one of the shortest guards. It makes life easier. No combing. Less shampoo. No waste of time going to get my hair cut at a local shop. I don’t care how my hair looks because:
No style is my style.
My hair echoes my fashion choices. And by that, I mean that I just don’t care. I wake up, put on shorts (summer) or jeans (winter) and throw on a t-shirt. There is no thought involved. Yippee! Then, I can apply my brain to what really matters.
However, I don’t like to be cold either. A bald head is a cold head, so in the winter, I let my hair get a little crazy. And by crazy, I mean this:
My hair may not look long, but I can barely stand it. Or comb it apparently.
However, if JD can run in a bunny suit… If Mr. WoW can run towing a wagonload of books, I need to make a sacrifice too. And it will be my hair. I will not cut it until after the half marathon. I won’t look quite like Forrest Gump, but it will be really uncomfortable.
Bonus #1: I’ll look like a total derelict.
You’re welcome Mr. Pink Bunny and Mr. Waffle Pimp.
Bonus #2: Mrs. 1500 and I have a long-running feud over hair conditioner. Our shower has about 382 bottles of it and I maintain that it’s a waste of money. This argument spilled over into Monday’s post. One reader commented that I needed to have long hair to appreciate conditioner. I look forward to testing this.
So there it is. On 3/31, look for the crazy hair guy running very slowly.
Bonus #3: I lied. There is no bonus #3.
This Week
- Runs: 3
- Miles: 11
- Longest run this week: 4 miles
- Beers this week: 4
- Beers consumed this year: 16
Overall
- Days until half marathon: 71
- Total miles: 41.5 (goal is > 150)
- Weight: 158.5 (goal is < 150)
My advice would be to run outside. When you enjoy it more you’ll do it more and be into it more. You’ll see real bunnies, in real bunny suits.
Running inside sucks, as does cycling.
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Agree with Accidental!
Hit the pavement as often as you can, and you’ll likely find it better than a treadmill.
Great job so far on your training.
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Yeah, I just made it outside yesterday! Much better!
Couldn’t agree more. My immediate reaction to the indoor track picture was “Oh god, why would you do that to yourself!” Outside is way better, even if it’s terrible weather.
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Yep. It’s been bitter cold here lately, like 10 for a high. Anything above 40 and I’m outside.
I live in Florida. I would never leave the house if it’s a high of 10 degrees. I can’t begin to fathom how you deal with that, no less run in that.
Good luck with your training. It’s coming up pretty soon.
I like super short hair too. It is so much easier than long hair. At this point, nobody care what my hair looks like.
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You can do it! My shower has approximately 9 more bottles of stuff than my boyfriends- and I don’t even use fancy soaps! Multiple types of shampoo and conditioner are a must!
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!!!!!
Love it, Carl!! When I (used to) run marathons & half-marathons, I found it easier to just run by time. Don’t count those laps, that’ll make you CRAZY! And….get outside. Regardless of the weather. I ran all winter in Cleveland, OH for my marathon! Every Saturday. Outdoors. It’s good for the soul.
Just don’t get any fantasies about killing pink rabbits, or cutting your hair! (BTW, LOL about the WoW book cover!!)
Yes to running for time. I was a half marathon coach and we only ran for distance on our long run once a week. Every other run was done by time. Counting is awful even on a 1/4 mile track.
Run by time! Got it!
Fritz, want to do this one with us? I understand that JD has a matching yellow bunny outfit!
I’ll second this… you know you run about 10 minute miles, just set your watch for 40 minutes and go to it. Counting laps will drive you nuts.
MrWow recently posted…Becoming My Own Boss
I could never do a long run on a treadmill. Good for you. I prefer to brave the weather and go outside!
I ran twice last weekend. They were runs 3 and 4 in the past four years. It hurt. But felt wonderful. Half marathon in the fall…here I come!
Another half-marathoner! Good luck!
Run for beer…
Have someone drive you eleven miles from refreshment.
Run (?walk/trot/crawl) back to enjoy waiting bruskies.
I did something like this for each new long-run mile marker. For example, the first time I ran 5 miles without stopping, I planned my route to end at Dunkin’ Donuts. A chocolate cake donut has never tasted sooo good. First time I ran 6 miles, I ended at a new French bakery in town. Etc. etc. It made me much more excited about reaching the next milestone!
“Run (?walk/trot/crawl) back to enjoy waiting bruskies.”
I like the way you think!
My coworker runs for beer but slightly differently. 1 mile = 1 beer for him, but any formula can work.
I agree with all the comment above: run outside! (and I second the run towards beer as well!)
the gym is for weights and shit that rusts.
Plus, we’ve been having the perfect running weather here in CO lately!
Also, while running to keep my mind occupied I: focus on breathing (breath in 2 steps, out 2 steps), then focus on arms (they should be at right angles and your hands should be loose, but not floppy – you should be able to touch your thumb to each of your fingers while running – run through those a couple of times), try changing your arm’s swing and see how your pace changes….when you run with someone, the easiest way to keep pace is to match their arms. Match their arms and the feet will follow automatically. And I rotate through: watch my breathing, watch my arms, watch my step. (I also do NOT listen to music while running outside – you need to be hyper aware of your surroundings…and it’s definitely a great time to talk to yourself or get some quiet time of yourself!)
and from a life long – sucky runner (I do more of a scooch than a run, but dammit I’m consistent; all 3 of my 1/2 marathons are within 7 seconds of each other, and more than a year apart; about equal amounts of training): running sucks! I have never achieved that fabled “runner’s high”, and it takes all my inner strength to get our there and train Every Single Time, and even during the run, it mostly sucks)….but after that run…oh, after that run, that’s where the real magic happens! (especially if you’re running towards that brewery!)
Thanks for the detailed suggestions! And yeah, the weather here in Colorado has been spectacular (especially applies to today).
“especially if you’re running towards that brewery!”
Haha, this gives me an idea for a training apparatus. Tune in next week…
Takes a special kind of idiot. Let’s see what should I do now that I have all the time in the world. Hmmm maybe something I dislike indoors, for some made up goal I made for myself. Then one day I will be able to pay money to run outside.
We shouldn’t do anything that makes us uncomfortable?
So, I used to have hypertension. Then I started eating better and exercising. A couple months later, I was down 20 pounds and my 130/80 was now 116/70. I’ve increased my cardiovascular health. I probably won’t have a heart attack when I’m 50 or a stroke. You call me rude names, but health is priceless. I’ll take a run that I don’t like over a heart attack any day.
Ha, ha. I wish people left comments like that on my blog! I can see Tim’s point though. Ideally you’d find some kind of exercise that you enjoy to give you the health benefits.
I discovered kettlebells recently (Pavel’s Simple and Sinister book is great) and am loving them so far.
Instead of counting laps from 1 to 11, count backwards from 11 to 1.
I know it doesn’t sound any different. But psychologically it seems to make a big difference.
For me, it seems to shift the focus from being anxious to finish the training to being happy to hit the goal by watching the numbers go down.
If it doesn’t help, you can always go back to counting the traditional way.
Whoah, great suggestion. I’m totally trying this for my next run!
Why put yourself thru this, just update the beer count!:)
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I like the way you think!
here’s how it worked for me: when i was starting out as a runner it was hard to run 3 miles even. the leap from 3 to 6 miles was pretty tough, adding time/distance incrementally as the body would allow. once 6 miles was not so taxing adding miles and time was pretty easy (for me, at the time). in other words, once you can get to that point where your body and breathing can go on autopilot a little you can “decide” to add pretty easily, like today i’ll go 15 minutes longer when before it wasn’t your choice because your body was only going to “let” you do so much. like the others said, outdoors is good and so is a running partner.
good luck.
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“the leap from 3 to 6 miles was pretty tough”
That’s good to know because that’s what I’m struggling with right now. I look forward to the day when I can do 6 miles and it not be painful.
And here’s my update: This week, Carl sabotaged me in two ways.
First, he sent me a box of Hostess snacks. This is not a joke. He really did this, along with a “training program” giving me instructions on how many ding dongs to eat and how many beers to drink each day. The sad part? It worked. I mean, free Twinkies? The frugal thing to do is to eat them, right? (Every thing in this paragraph is true. No kidding.)
Second, he gave me pneumonia. During the first week of Camp FI in Florida, he was notably scared by my daily runs. I’m not sure how he did it, but he managed to plant the bug in me before he skipped town. I returned home from Portland this week with a high fever and the inability to breathe like a normal person. Yesterday, the doctor diagnosed me with with pneumonia and told me not to run for TEN days minimum. (Not everything in this paragraph is true. The pneumonia part is, but I can’t say for certainty that Carl was the culprit.)
Anyhow, I’m still gunning for Mr. 1500. But my aim may miss the mark.
If by “sabotaged,” you mean “helped,” yes I did help you. Broccoli and lean protein is out. Twinkies and Ding Dongs are in. You’ll see when you read my new book: “The Sugar and Lard Miracle Diet*” due out later this year.
I’m damn sorry about the pneumonia. If it’s any consolation, I’m STILL not recovered from Florida either. I hack up green and yellow crap every hour. It had definitely set me back.
Anyway, I’ll get a free copy of my book to you ASAP.
*Cowritten with the Hostess Corporation
It’s like we are twins in our thought process. So I am actually growing a beard as I work to reach my physical goals. It’s a great reminder at my progress along the way, taking pictures should also be funny. I’m not much of a runner but have run a half marathon. Suggestion “Don’t run inside”, I trained for mine during the winter months in Chicago and ran it in South Florida(jungle of hotness). It’s all about the challenge my friend, enjoy!
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FWIW, it is decidedly NOT the jungle of hotness down here these days. It was 35 degrees yesterday and 42 this morning! I expect better from climate zone 10!
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I always laugh a little when warm weather states compare temperatures, your low is our high! I still remember the swamp they made me trudge through in miles 5-9 and I assure it was a jungle of hotness! Hope it gets better for the Pops!
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I assume you are using a beginner half marathon training schedule to follow?
halhigdon.com has some
I would recommend alternating 4 runs and 5 runs per week. Your addition may just be an “easy” run, but you need to build up your mileage and frequency or it will be painful.
Mix these runs: Easy, Tempo (shorter/faster), Long and slow and a Mid length run. If you run 8 as your long run, you should do a 4-5 mile mid run.
Work up to 12 as your longest run 2 weeks before the race. That would mean you do a 12 and a 6-7 mile run in that “peak” week.
You don’t have to run 6 or 7 days a week, but 4/5 will really help you. I feel for you. running a short loop is painful and very hard on your joints, constant turning. Treadmill or get outside if at all possible. Nothing but running outside can really prepare you for running outside.
Start with a sample training plan. Put it in Excel. Adapt the runs to your days/schedule/times. Back date from the race day. Peak week being 2 weeks or so before. Tapering down the last week some.
I was never fast (1:39 is my fastest half) but, you can be well prepared with enough miles under your belt to not flop on race day.
Good luck!!
Yep, I’m following a schedule.
And yeah, I need to up my running. At most, I’m doing 3 per week. The issue is that it takes me a while to recover. Hopefully, I start recovering quicker…
A few things:
1 – Audiobooks, especially for long runs. Get a good story that you only listen to when running and you aren’t bored and actually want to run to find out more of the story! (Steven King has some long ones and aren’t you a fan?)
2 – How much water are you drinking and how are you drinking it? When I first started aiming for a half marathon, this was one of the big battles – my wrist and arm would tire from gripping a water bottle. Once I got one with a wrist strap my running improved!
3 – If it all goes to crap on race day, find something besides your training to blame it on. Weather, wind resistance from your flowing mane of hair… anything! =)
But… A couple of months of hair growth probably won’t be enough that you appreciate conditioner. Grow it out to your waist where mine was until recently and THEN you really appreciate conditioner!
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Yep, based on our last conversation, I’m forcing more water down. I pee like 498 times per day, but so be it.
I hope it doesn’t go to crap on race day. I’m really looking forward to it. If it does go to crap, I have the Berkshire 5K to look forward to as well…
I’ve always loved running, and did hurdles in high school and college. Transitioning to long distance races has been difficult, but what helps me the most is running to music, training by myself, and running outside on nature pathways- not on roads! These things might be specific to just me, but running has become sort of a therapeutic thing for me, time to unwind, spark some new ideas, and get the runners high. I usually don’t track my time, just the number of miles, because I want to do it because I like it, not because I’m trying to be super fast.
One more thought… If you are having a hard time with enjoying it maybe it would help to break up the run into smaller segments. For example every half mile you do so push ups, sit ups, stretch or play with a toy dinosaur. That way, instead of thinking about the end destination which is far away, you’ll just be focused on getting to each half mile checkpoint.
Dinosaurs! Ha! Maybe I’ll bring one for the half-marathon?
Aren’t you running in a dinosaur suit!?
Oooh, maybe!
I run along the river for a nice view. It’s nice to run half the distance then run home. The problem is there’s a nice coffee shop along the way and sometimes I’ll just stop for a while and chill along with water….
In 2016 I signed up for a half-marathon…. 2 friends and I didn’t train but wanted to show up to kinda run/walk the whole way. Because at least we’d finish right? Well it started pouring the night before and so we skipped it… I should probably run a marathon again as a New Year’s resolution.
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“I should probably run a marathon again as a New Year’s resolution.” Portland! 3/31!!
Maybe next year haha? My ability to try and train for a marathon in 2 months is crazy limited lolol. Aiming for the NY marathon in 2019 :D.
Olivia @ birds of a fire recently posted…Hedging Your FI Equities Portfolio
Alright I’ll update as well… So as of tuesday, we hopped on a plane and flew to the other side of the planet. Before we hopped on the plane we ran about 2 miles. Wednesday didn’t exist for us… strange, but true.
Yesterday we actually went for a run on a treadmill, I ran a 5k, MrsWow ran a 3k and did some weights.
We’re not really sure where the next week will leave us with our training.
So this week we ran ~6 miles (3 on sunday, 2 on tuesday, 2 average on Friday).
Toilet time is pretty good so far. Fingers crossed it keeps that way…
Next week we’ll be on our feet running around like wild people, so that might have to suffice for training.
Until next time!!
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PS – shut up about the hair… the grass is always greener…
MrWow recently posted…Becoming My Own Boss
Haha, after the half, we’ll have matching hair. Or matching non-hair.
Wild man!
You should really stop shaving your face, too, if you want to go full Gump.
I didn’t start my healthy living project until after Camp FI, but I’m happy to report I’ve done at least 25 pullups a day (in sets of 5) and have run 16 miles in the last 10 days, while having exactly 8.2 servings of beer in total (one serving = to 12 ounces at 5% ). Maybe the goal should be more miles run than beers consumed. Yeah, I think I like that.
Cheers!
-PoF
More miles than beer consumed is a good one and I think I’ll go with it too. I think I’ll do a ratio though. I want to run 150 in the next 3 months, so I’m going to commit to 3 miles per beer.
Not shaving the face! Sure, I’ll take it. This will probably help me fit in when I get to Portlandia as well.
3 miles per beer, dang!
Can’t wait to see what your scruffy face looks like in a couple months. Will help you fit in with the hipster crowd, as you point out.
I love the beer-o-meter!
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My spouse stopped cutting his hair basically when we got together almost 8 years ago (I now cut it for him occasionally, but he keeps it long, i.e. about shoulder length) and as it grew out I had to teach him the merits of conditioner and how to use it. It was quite entertaining, to be honest. I don’t know that you will truly appreciate it after the hair growth you’ll get in only three months, though.
Good luck with the marathon training! I work out a decent amount and am in pretty good shape, but I hate running and can’t imagine doing a marathon. Kudos to you for pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.
Thanks!
Carl, if you want to enjoy running more, you gotta get outside. Running on a treadmill or indoors in circles is LAME. The outside stuff is 100% more enjoyable, almost regardless the weather. That’s been my experience anyhow.
I can appreciate the hairdo philosophy. Granted, I have a few less follicles to worry about. Conditioner? Heck, I’m almost to the point where hair gel isn’t necessary anymore.
– Cue Ball McCubert
Cue Ball! Hilarious!
Congratulations on your Half Marathon goal! Running is fun!
You’re in the Longmont area, right? Not sure if you know already, but Shoes and Brews hosts group runs where they drink after. The store actually has a full bar in the back – it’s the craziest running store I’ve ever seen! I think running is at its best when it’s social, and you can be in a group, complaining about the distance and the weather together.
I haven’t picked my 2018 races yet, but it’s still cold here in New York so my main goal is to avoid getting sick. My progress last week was figuring out how to add an Indoor Duathlon mode to my Garmin.
Running ain’t fun for me now! Hopefully that changes! 🙂
Ha, we were at Shoes and Brews last night! Fun place with a great beer selection. I haven’t done a run yet. Great idea though!
Update from the slow turtle:
Couch to 5K, finished Week#3 (9 total sessions so far)
Total miles: 15.9
Total hours: 4.27 hours
No weird bathroom or dinosaur moments
1. Run outside. For your sanity’s sake. Preferably somewhere with few cars and some views.
2. Check out Chi Running. It really helped make running joyful for me.
Make playlists of tunes to match your run time.. If you run for an hour make an hour long play list. Make a couple so you are not listening to the same tunes all the time. I have 5 bike lists 4 run lists and well I can’t listen while I swim so that part sucks. You can gauge your distance by the playlist.
Good idea!
I am training for another half marathon in April. Here are my tips:
1) Listen to Podcasts – when my mind is listening to something that is intriguing it makes the time pass and I relax into the run (I used to listen to running related ones on the run which motivated me to run and enjoy the run more)
2) Use your Phone and hit “lap” on the stopwatch or on any other stopwatch, this way you can keep an eye on how many laps you’ve done to get to your 11
And to Mrs. 1500 – conditioner is a must. I have long and curly hair, there is no way I could survive without it (though I use castile soap now for shampoo and lemon juice as a conditioning rinse). I do tend to have several bottles floating around, but they make good use for shaving cream in the shower, too.
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I ran a 10K once with a friend and came to a conclusion I’ve stuck to – running sucks, There is no reason for me to run this far again. So my advice…suck it up buttercup; you made it in an cubicle for over a decade, you can be a runner for a few months. Then, don’t put yourself in another position to run more than a mile without some kind of ball or obstacle or bike or SOMETHING involved! And to help with the mundane gym laps, take those shoes outside! I’m sure it’s cold and a little snowy, but if you need help I think MMM gives punches in the face to people who want to whine about being outdoors in the cold 🙂
*I realize I am in no position to give such advice as I stopped my running career after my first 10K and I keep my happy butt indoors in anything under 40 degrees (though I did pull the bike out 5 times this month so far for a chilly morning commute!) However, I do feel my advice for “get it done and don’t ever sign up for something so ridiculous again” is the best you can get.
“So my advice…suck it up buttercup; you made it in an cubicle for over a decade, you can be a runner for a few months.”
Haha, that’s a helluva way to put it in perspective! I’ll take running over the cube any day of the week!
I ran my first half marathon in September, and the training was easier than I expected (I’m not a natural runner). I always ran outdoors (like others have suggested), and two runs in the rain might have been my favorite. I always had an audiobook or podcast to listen to. Three of my favorites were Born to Run, Meditation for Optimum Health, and Chi Running. Music works for some people but I like to learn while I’m running, It lets me focus on something other than minor aches or fatigue. I had a set running schedule and trained in 9 weeks for a race on my birthday (having never run a 5k or anything). One thing that made it not suck for me was not worrying about how fast I finished, I just wanted to train and finish the race with no injuries. Good luck with your training!
p.s. good running socks were a game changer regarding keeping blisters to a minimum.
Run Forest Run!!!!
+ For running outside!!!!
I’ve had to run inside a few times over Christmas/New Years when it was in the negatives outside for 1-2 weeks. I felt like a gerbil on one of those wheels… HATED IT!!!
There’s nothing like being outside whenever you can manage it – having fresh[er] air, change of scenery, changes in the wind/sun direction, picking a different route, etc… [Running in a little light snow is probably one of my favorites.] Plus being outside also helps you get used to actual run conditions you’ll experience during the race which those laps around the gym won’t help with – hills/dips, varying road conditions, varying weather conditions, the colder weather outside will make it easier to dump heat and sustain higher pace, etc…
I picked up running about 1 3/4 years ago now. I got the bug (started running daily) about 6 months into it. I was running for health and weight loss – not planning for any races. 1 year in I ran my first 1/2 marathon – only 3rd time I’d run that distance! Now I run that distance once a week as my “long run day” and my normal time/distance for all the other days. Sometimes I don’t know why I’m doing it but I always feel better in the end… (plus I dropped 50 lbs and never felt like I was dieting).
Like FI (and most things that are worth it) you won’t see the differences day by day but keep at it and when you look back you’ll see how far you’ve come.
Don’t worry about your speed (or where you’ll finish in the race) – find your pace, listen to music or podcasts, and your body will start going into autopilot…
Run for time as others have suggested. Add 5 minutes to every run (what’s one more song right?) – 10-15 for your “long runs” and you’ll hit your distance or be close for the race. Don’t worry if you haven’t quite reached the 1/2 marathon distance come race day – you’ll get a bump in adrenaline from the race environment which will push you over.
Whoah, this is really inspiring! Thanks so much for the tips.
On some days, I feel like the bug is starting to get me too. I feel like I can run forever. However, those days are few and far between. The thing that makes me wonder is this: On those rare days, I feel sooooo good! But on most days, I don’t. How can there be such a difference?
I hope that as I continue to run consistently, it gets easier and more consistent.
I’m also a Colorado resident who thinks running sucks.
I decided a few years ago not to run anymore. I hike instead. It gets my heart going just as good but somehow doesn’t suck. I also don’t have to pay money to run in races that give me dumb participation medals and T-shirts I never wear. Beer sounds alright though!
(I have WALKED in precisely 9k since making this resolution, at the request of a pregnant friend pushing a 2-year old in a stroller who wanted a safety buddy/helper.)