Saturday, February 26, 2011

You can go the distance---We'll find out in the long run

I would like to take a quick moment to say, "Thank you" to all the people who take a moment or two out of their lives to read my blog and to follow it...I noticed that I may have a couple few that I haven't sent e-mails to, and I feel kinda bad about it.  Also, I am following fewer blogs than I have followers, so that means if I am not following yours, let me know...I will make amends.

I was reading Danny's blog yesterday, and a thought struck me... Has anyone done a "tag you're it, meme" thing, that covers WHY you started blogging, and whether or not the reasons have changed?  So, I won't actually tag anyone, because, I'm slightly opposed to that practice, but if you DO decide on your own to publish one, let me know, I am growing fascinated by the different personalities that I am meeting via the different blogs I read.


I started this little blog a bit over a year ago as a ways and means for me to keep myself on task for getting back into running.  I had started the Couch to 5K program for the second time, the first was several years ago and was aborted due to a hernia.  The early posts are strictly for me, spelling out what I was doing and how I felt during the process.  I think there were all of two people reading back then, and they are family members, so I wouldn't consider that to be "public blogging."

Then I was at one of the local runs in my town and met a young lady wearing a sweatshirt that matched a t-shirt I owned.  We chatted for a bit and then she went back to her warm-ups.  I did not understand then why in the world anyone would want to run before a race.  Made no sense to me.  But from that random encounter, I was pointed to the Runner's World blog-space called the Loop.  I signed up with the name iPathfinder, and for three months posted more blogs than before, and "met" a lot of runners of varied experience.  It was fun to comment and tease these new friends.

Then came the Great Upheaval.  The software that runs the place was updated, and to say there were issues, would be putting it lightly.  Many of my early followers came out of that migration, as several of us left the Loop and struck back out into Wordpress or Blogspot.  Since I had "left" my blog to go there, I just reposted most of my blogs from the Loop, and locked my account.

Now I still post for the "tracking my progress" aspect, but I have added the additional purpose of asking for advise from my readers.  This was an effect that I was not expecting.  It had never occurred to me that people would interact with people they have never actually met.  That when you are injured and can't run or are rehabbing from an injury that these same strangers would offer honest condolences and well wishes.  It is proof that we are a tribal people.  Turns out this particular tribe all likes to run.

Speaking of run...I went for my long run this morning at 7:00 am.  It was a balmy 17*F (-8* C).  I had planned on 12 or so but due to a slight need to get home in time for the Mrs. to go to the beach with her friends, I cut the last mile+ short.  So my 11.75 miler at an average pace of 10:43 looked a little bit like this:

The splits according to my HIGHLY accurate iPod Nano are as follows: mile 1--10:46 pace, mile 2--10:47, mile 3--10:44, mile4--10:44, mile 5--10:44, mile 6--10:44, mile 7--10:45, mile 8--10:45, mile 9--10:44, mile 10--10:44, mile 11--10:44, and the last .75 miles---10:43.  So it looks like I can hold a pace.  It had warmed up by the time I got home.  It was 27*F (-3*C).  My legs feel much better today than they have, so the new kicks was what they were wanting.


Until next time...Cheers.

17 comments:

  1. You are the new Human Metronome ;-)

    And socks are a great place to tell your girls to put their 'stuff'...lol... no one sees it there and it'll get washed later.

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  2. Man, I wish my splits were that consistent!

    It was a beautiful June morning, wasn't it? I was only preping for my age group win to come...and trying to stay away from injury... Mostly, though, I ran before the race to get rid of my nerves in running my first 5k in 15 years!

    I started blogging on July 16, 2005 just to let out a bit of creativity and try to focus on the positive. I returned to it after the Loop Pluck up.

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  3. Those are great reasons to bloga nd It has kept you accountable...maybe even inspired a marathon?!

    Keep up the running and gald you did so well on your run. Hope the MRs. enjoys her visit to the beach in this weather!

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  4. @XLM---I will "suggest" that to them.

    @Grammie---Thank you, and I will be following you now as well.

    @jgf---that was a fun morning...I am looking forward to this June when they add the Pikermi.

    @STR(<--that will take some getting used to)--you, and several others have inspired TWO marathons this year...but mostly I can blame you because I can.

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  5. If you dye your hair green, make sure it's something permanent. If you start getting sweaty hair, the green will drip down your face turning you into the HULK!!

    I started blogging after reading a blog and realized, I CAN DO THAT!!

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  6. So glad you're run went well!
    I'm like you, started blogging to track my workouts, progress and to be able to look back and see how far I've come! The added bonus is that I get to 'meet' so many nice people and profit from the strengths, weaknesses and wisdom. =)

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  7. Very very nice run. I like charts - this one is no exception. I nearly never give advice - only encouragement. So, that part of my "well" is dry.

    Nice news about the new kicks

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  8. ugh...I can type about as well as I drive! see above ^.

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  9. @STR---I have FB "glasses" installed (not to mention a 16 year old niece that barely types whole words out) so it took me a few minutes to figure out what you were berating yourself about. I would say you type like you run, faster than a normal human is capable.

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  10. I didnt blog until the Loop, and im still not sure what sparked that initial post. Somehow interactions began and so i posted more. Though my personality does show through the subject matter largely pertains to running, as it is a running site. I dont think id do a public blog; that many random people dont need to know that much about my life.

    CaT

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  11. That software on The Loop is SO IRRITATING! Oh my gosh. They could go back to two updates ago and it would be an incredible improvement. And the ads!!!! ARrrrrrrrgggghhhh!
    Anyway.
    It was fun reading how you came into blogging. =)
    Very nice run too.

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  12. I'm gonna poke my eye out with one of the glass shards from my cell phone!!!!! I'm so frustrated with commenting systems right now!!

    I read your comment, and I only see one comment...yours! I don't know where the 9 comments are (and I don't think in the 5 minutes I posted there could be that many).

    I tried Intense Debate, and it never even shows a button to MAKE a comment. So back to Disqus it was.

    Can we say.....FRUSTRATED?!?!?!?!

    -Patch (well, now that I only have one eyeball)

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  13. I startled blogging because I love to talk! Okay, that's only 1/2 true. I just really love to write. I blogged for almost 2 years without any readers, but I didn't care. It just feels good to write and get things out of my system. Then I started running - and writing about it - and suddenly I am just shy of 100 readers. Quite a change my blog has taken, and I like it!

    I'm a C25K person, too! I honestly don't know that I could have become a runner if I didn't start that way!

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  14. Nat's just sad about the Shamrock, where the Mrs couldn't even keep up with the guy who woke up in an ambulance last fall.

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