December Running and Life in Review

December In Review

Total Miles:  61 down from 101 last month.

Total Time: 9:46:53 down from 16:19:26 

Total Runs: 

Highest weekly mileage:

 12/26/2011-1/1/2012 28 4:28:55  I've yet to get my run in for today, so it'll be a smidge higher than that, 

but it's January so that doesn't really count anyway.

Favorite run: The 2.22 miles that Kyle ran with me this week.  Collectively now... awwwww.  After saying he wanted to start running with me a couple of weeks ago, he finally did this week.  He said I was in a crummy mood so he thought it'd cheer me up.  What a guy.  We went the farthest he ever has with me (we usually do 1.75-2 miles) and I was pretty stinkin' proud of him.  Doing the run/walk thing he almost ran 2 miles in all.  **immediately scans the local running calendars for goal 5ks to run with him**

Most hardcore run:  My tempo run this week.  It wasn't really *that* hardcore because I hadn't really planned on doing it, thus not able to psych myself out about it prior to the run.  I had 6 miles to run and after my 2 mile warm up I wanted to pick up the pace for a bit.  Since I haven't done any speedwork outside of some striders, I thought it was be abysmal at best.  The first "tempo" mile was a 8:48 and it sucked.  But like it always does, it got so much easier after the first tempo mile.  I decided I'd shoot for my remaining miles to be in the 8:30s, 8:20s, and 8:10s.  8:48, 8:20, 8:09, 7:52

And my heart rate only started creeping to the upper levels of my tempo HR zone at the end of the 6th mile.  Maybe there's something to this heart rate training, eh?

Favorite race:  zero.

Bike Miles: 14.6!  I biked!  Look at me a-cross trainin'!  My achilles was being a turd and I needed some endorphins.

Favorite Jams: I've just been listening to my playlist from Philly.  Any new tunes out there I need to explore?

My subpar training in December can be explained by a) burnout b) possible injury on the horizon and c) too much fun stuff going on.

To recap my life, because I've really been slacking on the blog (which I'm sure no one is really concerned about):

• I finished my first semester of grad school.  And I knocked out a 4.0.  What's that, I already bragged about this?  Well now I've bragged about it twice.
• I got to spend some quality time with my lover Jenn.  We celebrated her loverboy's, little bro's (got that?) 21st birthday.  

For some reason, the only picture I have documenting the night is to show off the sweet shirt that she got me for my birthday. L-o-v-e.  For reals.

• And then I had the most delightful Christmas I can remember in a really long time.  I got spoiled, I got to do some spoiling, win win all around.  True story:  I wish i was richy rich and could just buy people gifts all the time, but I'm not so I look forward to the once a year that I set aside money to do that.  
• Followed swiftly by the best birthday ever.  I'd like to think that Jenn flew back to the states just to attend my 28th birthday.  Please don't tell me otherwise. More pics to come in a further post, I'm sure.

• I finally started to get some decent mileage in this past week, including an impromptu progression tempo run that ended with a sub-8 mile, and my first double digit run since Philly, with 12 miles knocked out yesterday.  I know I keep saying "I'm back" but perhaps I really am now.
• Last night I got to ring in the new year with some of my favorite people.  Many thanks to this guy who helped to make 2011 one of the best years yet!