Oh shit, I might lose to Jilane in a long run.

So, I know I haven't been updating very frequently, and again, this is a combination of I am still out of shape and I am still working like a banshee.  I have no idea how much banshee's work, but I hear it's a lot.  Anyways, first off, props to my blogs name sake, Jokin, who smoked the OKC marathon, and as such justified my naming of my blog after him.  Good work.  Nextly (is that a word?  Is now!) I have realized a couple of interesting running things. 

I am definitely getting into better shape then I was.  I've been able to run about 6-10 miles a day, depending on the day, but I cant seem to have enough time to run more then about 5 days a week.  As such I am trying to do the whole quality over quantity thing.  Of course, that was never really my style, so it is tough getting used to.  Also, since I am getting more into shape (note, I'm still not in any kind of shape, but I was in negative shape before.  So now I am back to ground zero.) I am regaining some enthusiasm for the whole running thing, and look forward to being able to race again.  So as of right now I have several races on my radar for the next year.  I plan on running the Utica boilermaker this July with some of my friends back in upstate, it should be fun, and I have no expectations, just to have fun.  Next I plan on running the Blue Ridge Relay race in september with a bunch of the guys.  That is, I guess, my actual goal.  To be back in shape so that I can run 6:15 pace or so for the approximately 16 miles.  Now, I would not be worried, minus the fact it is at elevation, and last time I ran at elevation, I got burned.  So we'll see.  The next race on my schedule is an 8k xc race at Deal's wedding.  He should have a pretty good top 5 if everyone shows up, and we are racing some decent college teams, so I hope to not get embarrassed.  This race is also at elevation.  I wish I had the opportunity to train at elevation at some point and time, but since I don't I'll just try to breath less from now on.  My last race, and this one is not as solid as the rest of them, is the Philly marathon.  I have been interested in running it since I paced Becky for the last half a few years back, but Owen said he would be interested and I would like to run it with a friend more then I would like to run it alone.  

Additional note, I am planning on running the Providence half marathon this weekend.  I am not racing, Ari and I are merely doing it as a hard long run.  If Jilane beats be, it doesn't count, because I'm not racing.  

So just to put my recent training in perspective, I've lost a few lb's and have been generally feeling better running.  Deal likes running with me now because I "Don't slow him down anymore."  Sweet.  Last week I did a 10 miler from my apartment over and under the GW bridge, out another few miles then back.  I went out in 34 and came back in 31 and change.  Plus the whole way back was uphill.  It was a hard as hell effort, but I felt good and wanted to really push myself.  A few days before, I had run about 9 miles with Deal in just under an hour.  So needless to say, every now and then I have a good run.  However, today I ran 5 miles and almost passed out at the end from the heat.  FML.  

Anyways, the rest of my week should be good for training.  I'm going to get up relatively early tomorrow and get my run out of the way.  I just want to do an hour to 70 mins.  I originally wanted to do it a bit faster, but after how hard the heat hit me today, I might just get in a quality 10 miles.  Thursday I'll be back in Prov, so hopefully I can get in a good run with some of the guys, that would be sweet.  Saturday Deal and I are working the race expo the whole day, so I might just try and get in an east half an hour before the half marathon run the next day.

All in all, I've been keeping busy and trying to live the dream, to some degree.  Hopefully by next September I'll be in decent enough shape not to let everyone on the relay down.  If not, I'll just buy the first round after the race.

Back in upstate.

So Mass was great.  It was awesome to see Becky, and go for runs with Ari and Graddy and spend time with all of my friends.  A very good couple of days all around.  

I don't remember what I had said about my running in my last post, but I'll see if I can't do some catching up.  Last week I got in about 30 miles in 5 days, as I felt kind of sick for a few days.  I would have taken 3 days off but Becky guilt tripped me into running with her one day, so that salvaged my week as far as days of running was concerned.  My last week was also capped off by a 10 mile run with Ari and Ryan.  We went out Saturday night, and things got a little sloppy, but Sunday we got up and went for a run from my hotel.  It was crazy how much fun it was to run with those guys.  Lots of making fun of Jacob ensued.   Monday night Ari came over and started my current week off on a good note as he hammered the pants off of me.  We did 8 miles in 51:58.  It wasn't a particularly hard effort at the time, but I felt like shit the next two days, and I will accredit that run and my weekend extra curricular activities with my legs deciding they didn't want to move.  

Tuesday Brian and I had to leave Boston, and drive to West Hartford Ct for work.  We got in kind of late, so I just hopped on the treadmill and ran a couple of miles before our delivery food got in.  Not exactly training, but I think I want to try and run all 7 days this week, even if it is just a couple of miles when I feel like shit.  Brian once told me, when I felt awful, that I just need to run through it.  Now that seems more feasible now that I am running with some consistency, then it did when I received that advice, 2 weeks into my "comeback."  Anyways, yesterday I got in a decent 5 miles with Deal up a good hill then around a cool old cemetery.  Like crazy old, we saw a grave from 1776, a good year, I've heard.  I think the plan for today is to go back through the cemetery and ink up with another park for a longer run.  We were going to double today, but both of us haven't slept past more then like 6 hours a night for a while now, so we didn't get up in time.  Oh well, I don't know if doubling is acceptable when you are trying to run like 45 miles a week.

Goals for this week, and maybe the next few.  This week, 6-7 days of running and 45 miles.  Next 2 weeks 6-7 days of running and 50 miles.  4th week, 7 days of running and 55 miles.  That would give me 200 miles in 4 weeks.  I forgot why I planned on doing that, but I talked to Ari about it, and he thought it was a great idea.  By the way, funny Ari story.  When he, Graddy and I were running we thought we were close to our hotel and Ari said "It should be just on our left, I think it's behind those buildings."  We run for a few more minutes and Graddy goes "Wait, isn't that it right their (pointing due right, out in the open)."  The answer was yes, the hotel was in the exact opposite direction that Ari described.  This coming after we ran an 8 mile run (It was 10).  Somethings never change.  Fucking Ari.

Hotel room in Worcester. Or however you spell it.

So, my last week actually went pretty well.  None of the runs were too memorable after my venture to Green Lakes, but my week ended well.  6 runs and 40 miles.  I finally have bested the elusive 40 mile barrier.  Sweet.  My running was also more impressive when you consider the 2nd half of my week was in Providence, so needless to say, my motivation to run relative to my motivation to drink was down.  Anyways, my goal for this week is to run 6-7 days and get 40 miles in again (if I run 6), or 45 (if I run 7 days).  I hope it's doable.  I ran 4 miles monday, easy on a hotel treadmill in Danbury Ct, in 26:50 and then this morning I ran 3 miles in 21:03.  I planned on getting in another 5 this evening, but work and driving and dinner decided that wasn't going to happen, so I will start my week a little behind.  I'm going for an 8 mile run with Ari tomorrow, though, and I have the whole weekend off, so those three days should get me some good mileage.

On another note, being on the road all the time can get kinda boring.  I like Brian and all, but I am running out of stuff to make me not want to drive our truck off a bridge.  Other then the fear of hurting myself.  If anyone travels a lot and has any suggestions, let me know.  Anyways, at least I'll be in the Boston area for the next week or so.  I've always liked Boston.  When I was a kid my mom had to go see a specialist in Boston, and my parents told my brother and I that we were going on a vacation.  So Boston to me was what Florida was to everyone else, a sweet get away spot with cool stuff.  Just replace beaches and sun and sand, with an aquarium.   Emperor penguins rock.

Also, this may be both random, and surprising, or randomly surprising, but I've never done a fantasy baseball league before, but my friend Brian talked me into it, and it's really sweet.  I don't actually have a baseball team that I openly root for, being from Syracuse and all, but I think I like the mets because my team has Johan Santana, and Carlos Beltran.  Thats a good enough reason for me.  Burke (who am I kidding, there is no way in hell Burke reads this) I also have a bunch of Detroit players, but I just can't see myself rooting for the Tigers, I just remember like 5 years ago when they lost 120 games or whatever, and thats crazy.  

Anyways, if anyone is around Boston, and wants to grab a beer (or run), or other adult beverage this weekend, let me know.  Should be a good time, Becky is going to be in town, as are other 08's Lena and (adopted 08) Mad.  Not to mention the mainstays of Ari and Hannah.  

That got out of hand. I mean that really escalated quickly.

So I know I haven't posted in like a week.  It's not actually because I had a bad week of running, but because I had a crazy week of work where my schedule was made up wrong, so I had to work multiple events in one day, several times.  Then the transmission on our truck broke down.  And by that I mean, did you know if you don't screw the gas cap on tight enough you can create a vacuum in your engine?  And that said vacuum will turn all of the warning lights on your dashboard and prevent your car from shifting gears?

Me neither.

Anyways, what I'm getting at is that I was busy, and not necessarily in the mood to post.  My bad.  Anyways, other then working a ton last week I did manage to do some decent running.  I wasn't able to reach my goal of running 6/7 days, but I ran 4 and biked 20 miles another day.  All in all I got in about 30 miles, plus 20 miles of biking in 5 efforts, so I feel pretty happy about it.  I even ran one really hard run on a treadmill in Indiana.  

My goal for this week is again, to run 6 days and get in about 45 miles.  I am off to a good start as I have been in Syracuse for the past 2 days, and have taken my friend Brian to Green Lakes State Park.  The best running park I have been in during my travels.  So, GL (as we in the biz like to call it) is pretty tight.  You can do a solid 15 miler without repeating much and it has some awesome views.  One of the things I used to love most about it is how hilly it is.  Back in high school I ran hills every day because the only other alternative was run on the Erie Canal.  Needless to say, I was good at running hills.  Now, however, I suck.  Brian, my friend Fox (a mid 2:30's marathoner) and I went for a run Monday and I was soon deep in the hurt tank.  It was good, though, because I was so happy to be running back at GL that it was cool.  I died a bit on the hills, but ran the flats with them and finished up decently.  About 8 miles in about 58:40.  Not awful.  

Tuesday was a similar, but different, story.  Brian and I met up with my friend Luke to go for a jog.  We wanted to go a bit longer, and Luke was kind of pushing the pace.  Which was cool, except that i couldn't push back.  He and Brian went out and got in about 12 miles in 1:16.00.  Nice.  I got in a 10 miler in 1:12.58.  What I also got was a crazy conversation from a 52 year old man who saw me getting dropped by Brian and Luke.  After they pulled away I tried to loop back and find them.  I bump into this guy wearing a blue Fila track suit, whom we had passed before.

Me-"Have you seen the other two guys I was with running with?"

Him-"Yeah, they're long gone."

Me-"Oh, thanks."

Him-"Yeah, I thought you had a bit too much body mass to be running with those two.  They looked pretty serious."

Me-"Haha, yeah..."

Him-"I mean, it looked like you had a lot of heart, but just too much mass."

Burn.

Needless to say he then proceeded to talk to me for about 10 minutes about how I could lose some weight and maybe run with guys like that sometime.  Apparently you need to run consistently and eat healthy.  Crazy, I know.

So, that was my last run at GL for a while.  Today Brian and I are hitting up the Erie Canal, then driving to Providence.  Sweet.