Week 34

On the whole, I like working for Intel.  One of the things I enjoy is the extracurricular activities they encourage you to do.  They hosted a 5k and a 10k for Intel employees and their families.  There are some serious runners at Intel, both men and women that place very high in local running events.  I decided to do the 5k as it was a distance I've been running on a regular basis (weekly) all year.  I wanted to do better than better than 22:45 mins, which is about 7:20 per mile.

One of the top finance controllers at Intel is an avid runner and older brother of my boss.  I knew he'd be well under 7:00 per mile pace so when I started the race I looked for him and wanted to see how long I could stay with him.  I could only keep pace with him for about half of a mile.  My first mile pace was 6:45 and then I slowed down over the next 2 miles.  I finished strong with a sprint, passing 4 or 5 runners (hard to remember as I was so swift) in the last 40 yards (one in the last 5 yards).  My time was 22:35 with an average pace of about 7:16 per mile.  I finished 48th overall in a field of about 1,600--in the top 3%.  I met my pre-race goal so I should be happy with it, but I'm not.  I know I can do better than 7:00 per mile.  Next year, I want to be in the top 25.  Since I've been stuck at 240 pounds, I'm going to get two birds with one stone by getting back to using the treadmill at work.  I can do a quick 2 miles in 2-3 times per week and practice a 7:00 per mile pace.

Week 34 - My first 5k

Basketball Events: 1

Strength Training: 0

Softball Games: 0

Running Events: 2

Best Time:

• Course:  2012 Intel - Great Place to Run
• Distance: 3.10686 miles
• Time: 22:35
• Minutes per mile: 7:16

Weight: 240 - *No weight lost*

Week 33

So I had two contractor choices to remove the popcorn ceiling and put up new texture.  For $1.50/sqft a dude would remove, retexture, and paint.  But for only $1/sqft a different dude would remove and retexture but wouldn't paint.  Well my finance analyst brain said, "paint is only about $300, so save $700 because you're cash poor with this new house."

Mistake.  $700 just ain't that much, and painting is the worst.  Also my contractor was a little sloppy, so I have to do a lot of touch up.  So I was busy.  Not much time to run.  But I got really motivated on Saturday and finished the laundry room, family room, kitchen, and dining room.  And then I decided I needed to get at least one run in.  I want to have the ceilings done by the end of this week.  Let's see how that goes.

Week 33 - Prime and Paint

Basketball Events: 0

Strength Training: 0

Softball Games: 0

Running Events: 1

Best Time:

• Course:  Rosa Run
• Distance: 4.0 miles
• Time: 30:11
• Minutes per mile: 7:33

Weight: 240 - *No weight lost*

Week 32

I spent the week in Bloomington, Indiana at Indiana University for my Online MBA.  All the lectures will be delivered streaming over the Internet except for one week per year of in-residence work.  I was very impressed.  I can see why the Kelley School is a top 20 MBA and the best online MBA in the country.  It was an intense week.  7am to 2am almost everyday.  Somehow I found 30 minutes to go for a run around their beautiful campus.

They catered everything with really healthy meals, but kept a snack room with pop and candy and assorted treats.  I was lucky to make it out without extra weight.  When I got back I logged a miserable time on the Rosa Run, completely ran out of steam on the way back.

Week 32 - Indiana

Basketball Events: 0

Strength Training: 0

Softball Games: 0

Running Events: 2

Best Time:

• Course:  Rosa Run
• Distance: 4.0 miles
• Time: 30:43
• Minutes per mile: 7:41

Weight: 240 - *No weight lost*

Week 31

Well the time I turned last week, my first attempt on my new 4-mile course, might be the new freak time.  I wasn't even within a minute of that time this week.  But the good news is that I stretched two singles into two doubles because I'm fast.

Week 31 - More Extra Bases

Basketball Events: 0

Strength Training: 1

Softball Games: 2 (Game 1: 2-3, Double; Game 2: 3-4, Double)

Running Events: 1

Best Time:

• Course:  Rosa Run
• Distance: 4.0 miles
• Time: 30:26
• Minutes per mile: 7:37

Weight: 240 *No weight lost*

Week 30

I've lost 40 lbs this year.  40.  I can't believe I used to carry 40 lbs extra.  It turns out, if you take away that weight I'm pretty fast.  I stretched a single into a double and then a double into a triple in consecutive at bats on Thursday.  Getting a triple in softball is really hard.  This is because there are 4 outfielders, and the fences aren't MLB distance with a 400ft center field.  When I get up, people usually sit pretty far back (which makes it easy to make a double out of a single) but really hard to get a triple.  You have to hit it just right and think 3 out of the box.  But to stretch a double into a triple is really hard.  You just plain have to be fast.  Well I'm fast.  I'm fast.

We moved, so I had to find a new course.  I wanted it to be 4 miles.  So if I take a certain route to and through Rosa Park out to Butternut Park, it's 2 miles.  Then I just run back.  I'm going to call it the Rosa Run.  And my previous course (which I'll return to someday to beat my PR there) will from this point on be known as Triple Creek.  Well on the inagural run, I kept a pace that were you to clock me at 3.5 miles (Triple Creek distance) I'd have destroyed my personal best by 18 seconds.  I kept an average pace of a couple tenths of a second better than 7:20/mile.  It was so good I had to double check the distance on mapmyrun.com.  It's legit!

Week 30 - Extra Bases

Basketball Events: 1
Strength Training: 1
Softball Games: 2 (Game 1: 2-3, Double, Home Run; Game 2: 2-3, Double, Triple)
Running Events: 1

Best Time:

• Course:  Rosa Run
• Distance: 4.0 miles
• Time: 29:19 
• Minutes per mile: 7:20 (Best pace to date over at least 3 miles)

Weight: 240 - *LOST 1 POUND - 40 lbs to date!*