Well, running streak is done. Bit of a catch up post to say how it went and where things are

So…I need to do some catching up – it has been a while since I updated the blog! Bad Ted!

There are a few things I need to cover and it will probably take a few blog posts to get through it all.

My to do list for the blog:

1. The end of the run streak – how it worked for me and the pros and cons and how I could have made it much more useful.
2. A trail run gone weird…gear and trail familiarization run that I ended up extending into a trail full – how did that happen and how did it go?
3. Upcoming races / race reports – where am I at and how will they go or how did they go. Run at the Ridge 2k today (report), WPS Half Marathon (tomorrow morning so this will probably be a race report), Spruce Woods Trail Ultramarathon 50k (next weekend), Fargo Marathon (2 weeks from the 50k)
4. Signing up for Goofy Challenge again (#6) – thoughts and planning
5. Other possible races for the summer and the fall

I will start off the list with #1 – the end o the run streak. Five hours of overtime on Wednesday night killed it finally.

So, some quick stats:

• 118 days total (New Years Eve plus 117 days in 2016) – average of 4.1 miles per day
• Total of 484.91 miles in the streak and 479.69 miles in 2016
• 298.78 miles on the treadmill (whoops, broke another one)
• 180.91 miles outside

This puts me about 33% higher than last year at this time for mileage but still probably 33% lower than the glorious running year that was 2014 (1971 miles that year including half marathon PR 1:46, full marathon PR 4:09:44 and my first ultra hitting 49.2785 miles in 12 hours).

The run streak was definitely an interesting experiment and if nothing else it accomplished the major thing I needed it to, which was to get me motivated to run again. Which was doubly impressive because I was fighting a fair bit of stress over the past few months that could easily have turned the treadmill miles to chips and beer instead.

I did find though that maintaining the streak ended up being more important that doing specific training or following a training plan. I played this streak by ear and I would go long or short depending on how I felt – it helped keep the streak alive but didn’t really help me train to do a faster half marathon, for example.

That is on me and not something bad about run streaking – if I run streak again, I will build a plan that still allows for flexibility but also has a set training schedule built in for any upcoming races that are in the future.

That being said I did re-build my endurance a fair bit (as I will discuss more when I talk about the planned 11 mile trail test run that I willfully (and stupidly) turned into a trail marathon on a whim). And I also rebuilt my ability to run on tired legs – an ability that has always helped me on endurance events such as the 12 hour Lemming Loops and the Goofy/Dopey Challenges I have done.

What’s next then? Uhh…I’m not sure yet.

The family ran a 2k at the kids’ school this morning (the kids did great and our son especially showed some major heart pushing through – very proud of how he did) and this was my first run since the streak ended on Wednesday. So I have taken a short break since the streak ended.

I guess that gives me a bit of a taper for the Winnipeg Police Service half marathon tomorrow morning? My wife and I are both running that one and the weather is supposed to be fantastic – sunny, little to no wind and a bit cool but not stupidly so – but I honestly have no idea how I will do. I have had some great runs on the treadmill that could indicate I could maybe to really well tomorrow…but most of my outdoor runs have me settling in to a much slower pace. So, I have no idea what is going to happen tomorrow, conditions will be perfect to fly but I might just end up out for a bit of a cruise instead.

I don’t really have a plan but I suspect that I will find the 2 hour pace bunny and tag along for a mile or 2 and see where I am – hopefully that will trigger the ignition and I will step it up, if not then I will hang on with the 2 hour group and see what I can do at the end.

Either way I am not going to beat myself up about it…the Spruce Woods 50k ultra will provide all the beating I need next Saturday.

And if there is room for further beatings, they will be delivered 2 weeks later by the Fargo Marathon.

After that it will be time to assess – 1 month after Fargo is the hometown Manitoba Marathon – I haven’t signed up for it yet and I will decide if I do or not depending on how much of a beating I receive.

Then there is the local fall race schedule – Treherne Marathon in early September, Fort Garry Rotary Half a couple weeks later, then the Lemming Loop 2 weeks after that (24 hours this time?) and then the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Services Half another 2 weeks later.

That is a lot of races and I have to keep in mind that I am signed up for the Goofy Challenge in January as well that I need to stay healthy for.

Lots of things to think about and I can’t make decisions on what I need to do until I get these next 3 races done.

Lots of moving parts!

Isn’t running fun?