| Location: Pittsfield,MA, Member Since: Jul 02, 2008 Gender: Male Goal Type: Boston Qualifier Running Accomplishments:
- 2006 Mohawk Hudson River Marathon (NY)
- 2007 Vermont City Marathon (VT)
- 2011 BPAC 6 Hour Run (NY)
- 2011 Mind the Ducks 12 Hour (NY)
- 2012 Maple Leaf Indoor Marathon #1 (IN)
- 2012 Maple Leaf Indoor Marathon #2 (IN)
- 2012 BPAC 6 Hour Run (NY)
- 2012 Mind the Ducks 12 Hour (NY)
- 2012 Memorial Day Marathon (MA)
- 2012 Around the Lake 12 Hour (MA)
- 2012 Hancock Shaker Village 50 (MA)
- 2012 Bay State Marathon (MA)
- 2012 First Descents Marathon (DE)
- 2013 Maple Leaf Indoor Marathon #1 (IN)
- 2013 Maple Leaf Indoor Marathon #2 (IN)
- 2013 Circular Logic Marathon (IN)
- 2013 Lake Waramaug 50M (CT)
- 2013 BPAC 6 Hour Run (NY)
- 2013 Ragnar Cape Cod Ultra Team (MA)
- 2013 Memorial Day Marathon (MA)
- 2013 Relay For Life No. Berkshire (MA)
- 2013 Ragnar Adirondack Ultra Team (MA)
- 2013 BayState Marathon (MA)
- 2013 One Day At the Fair Marathon (NJ)
- 2013 West Palm Beaches Marathon (FL)
- 2014 Arena Attack XL Center Marathon (CT)
- 2014 Maple City 6-Pack Marathon #1 (IN)
- 2014 Maple City 6-Pack Marathon #2 (IN)
- 2014 Maple City 6-Pack Marathon #3 (IN)
- 2014 Maple City 6-Pack Marathon #4 (IN)
- 2014 Maple City 6-Pack Marathon #5 (IN)
- 2014 Maple City 6-Pack Marathon #6 (IN)
- 2014 Circular Logic Marathon (IN)
Personal Bests:
- 400 - 1:01 (2004)
- 800 - 2:16 (2004)
- Mile - 5:12 (2004)
- 2Mile - 11:27 (2004)
- 5k - 19:44 (2005)
- 10k 40:46 (11/22/07)
- 15k - 1:07:40 (11/11/07)
- 13.11 Half - 1:38:31 (12/9/07)
- Marathon 3:59:18 (1/25/14)
- 50 miles 11:44 (5/14/11)
Eagle Scout with Bronze and Gold Palms (2002)
Biked from Ticonderoga, New York to Old Orchard Beach, Maine in August of 2005 (Total of about 290 miles Short-Term Running Goals: 200 miles @ 72 Hour Race in May
Under 200 #
Sub 4:00 Marathon
Long-Term Running Goals: QUALIFY AND RUN IN THE BOSTON MARATHON. Personal: I am 27. Have done 33 marathons and ultras. Really trying to get in shape to get back to running the miles I want to. I love to read and worked for four years in a bookstore. I like to keep track of the books I read. Currently I work as a 6th & 7th grade history teacher at the only charter school in Berkshire County, as well as serve as the coach for the cross country team! Been experimenting as a pescatarian (eating only fish) since August 10, 2011.
Just earned my Master's Degree in Adolescent Education for Social Studies. I have the most wonderful WIFE in the entire world.. EMMA! October 16, 2010
Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must. Just never give up! - Dean Karnazes -
We are all teachers and we are all students in this sport. - Dean Karnazes -
The simple act of putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward at an accelerated rate can be one of life's greatest - and simplest - pleasures. ~Dean Karnazes
"Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny." - MK Gandhi
"The marathon mercilessly rips off the outer layers of our defenses and leaves the raw human, vulnerable and naked. It is here you get an honest glimpse into the soul of an individual. Every insecurity and character flaw is open and on display for all the world to see. No communication is ever more real, no expression ever more honest. There is nothing left to hide behind. The marathon is the great equalizer. Ever movement, every word spoken and unspoken, is radiant truth. The veil has been obliterated. These are the profound moments of human interaction that I live for." - Dean Karnazes
Benn Griffin
Create Your Badge{C}
2014 Books I've Read:
Favorite Blogs: |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 191.19 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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| Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 82.25 | Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 60.42 | Altra Adams Miles: 2.00 | Merrell Road Glove Miles: 7.11 | Altra Instinct (grey) Miles: 28.20 | Vibram Bikilas (green) Miles: 11.21 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 26.50 | Nap Time: 3.00 | Total Sleep Time: 29.50 | Weight: 214.00 | |
| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Round 2, Day #35: 6 miles late @10pm tonight after having dinner and going on a movie date to the Beacon with Emma. Total time was 48:47, good for a total of 8:08/mile! Wow. Dare I say my fitness is improving? I shouldn't have eaten the popcorn! Legs felt pretty strong and not too tired. I need to get in a double digit day tomorrow though, no exceptions. Will be my 5th week of consecutively higher mileage if that's the case. Trying to get in shape is a tough gig but someone's got to do it. Don't want to embarrass myself at the indoor marathons in Goshen in February!
Norwegian head hat And short shorts on Feb the 1st, Say it ain't so, bro?!
"When I’m out on a long run, the only thing that matters is finishing the run. For once, my brain isn’t going blehblehbleh all the time. Everything quiets down, and the only thing going on is pure flow. It’s just me and the movement and the motion. That’s what I love - just being a barbarian, running through woods." -Jenn Shelton
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| Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 6.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 6.25 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Round 2, Day #36: 6.25 miles in 47:23, good for 7:35/mile. Eased into the run at a relaxed pace then hit a 5k pretty hard, but the odd thing was my breathing was controlled and I felt like I could have kept that pace for another 5k at least. I ran the 5k in the middle in 22:26, 7:12 pace. Then cooled off. I am thinking about going to Taconic tomorrow in the morning for some loops to just clear my head and get in the zen zone before a day filled with school work. Tomorrow's indulgence will be homemade guacamole!
Forward progress toward previously far off dreams. This year will be mine!
“Being a runner means you are now "free" to win and lose and live life to its fullest.” - Bill Rodgers
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| Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 6.25 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 8.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Round 2, Day #37: 8 miles easy and relaxed in 1:10:12, good for 8:47/mile. What a difference :20 or :30 per mile makes. I felt like I could run forever, until my cheapo CVS brand nip guards fell off and chafing ensued. I swear the downfall of any profuse sweater is in the quality of the nip guards! Was nice to recharge the batteries. Trying to ramp up miles this week with a couple a.m. runs to toy with 60 mpw for this week. Then will take a couple weeks to relax before the marathons at Goshen, IN!
Don't reach. Don't push. Feel. Exodus from denial. Barefoot miles strengthen.
“I'm convinced that a lot of people run ultramarathons for the same reason they take mood-altering drugs. I don't mean to minimize the gifts of friendship, achievement, and closeness to nature that I've received in my running carer. But the longer and farther I ran, the more I realized that what I was often chasing was a state of mind - a place where worries that seemed monumental melted away, where the beauty and timelessness of the universe, of the present moment, came into sharp focus.” - Scott Jurek
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| Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 8.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Round 2, Day #38: 6 miles after going to the doctor for what I found out is an outer ear infection. 50:27, good for 8:25. My fitness is growing. I am a lean, mean Neanderthal machine. More steroid drops prescribed. Finally got them at 8pm from CVS, then hopped on the treadmill and put it into autopilot while I finished reading "Born to Run" for the umpteenth time. Yes, I'm a sap. Yes, I nearly cried reading the second to last chapter. Got to make a renewed effort to eat more fruits and veggies. I feel like I am slacking. This weight has to come off! The run overall was amazing and the only time during the entire day that I didn't dread swallowing, talking, chewing or anything. It's amazing how running is truly the cure for everything!
The doc's scale so lies, Fatty deposits convince scale to edge upward.
“I never really discussed this with anyone because it sounds pretentious, but I started running ultras to become a better person. I thought if you could run one hundred miles, you’d be in this Zen state. You’d be the fucking Buddha, bringing peace and a smile to the world. It didn’t work in my case - I’m the same old punk-ass as before - but there’s always that hope that it will turn you into the person you want to be, a better, more peaceful person. When I’m out on a long run, the only thing in life that matters is finishing the run. For once, m brain isn’t going blehblehbleh all the time. Everything quiets down, and the only thing going on is pure flow. It’s just me and the movement and the motion. That’s what I love - just being a barbarian, running through the woods.” - Jenn Shelton
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| Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 6.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Round 2, Day #39: 6 miles on the treadermill. Did 4 in 28:44 (7:11 pace! yeeeah buddy!) and then the next 2 in 15:19, 7:40 pace. Total 44:04, good for 7:21 average pace. Hm, I like this losing weight thing! Ear was painful today because I forgot my drops, but then I had Emma put some in when I got home today and it was a bit better, minus being 100% deaf in that ear! Made the queso mistake again before the run and nearly saw myself "run" right off the treadmill! Ugh! A trip to get Healthy Choice soups at Stop n Shop so diet is in full swing now. As Emm aptly stated, soup is the cure all for ear infections too! Now if I could only finish grading papers somehow.
Slip sliding around, Trit trot, Trit trot, Vibrams, SNOT! Can you hear me? No!
"If you really want to understand the Raramuri, you should have been there when this ninety-five-year-old man came hiking twenty-five miles over the mountain. Know why he could do it? Because no one every told him he couldn’t. No one ever told him he oughta be off dying somewhere in an old age home. You live up to your own expectations, man." - Micah True
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| Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 6.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 9.30 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Round 2, Day #40: 9.3 miles to celebrate 1/3 of the way through Round 2. Total Time was 1:17:15, good for 8:17/ mile. I feel relaxed and comfortable running at this pace. My fitness is improving, yay! Ear was throbbing today. Emma helped me put in ear drops. I spent most of the day resting and correcting midterms that need to be ready for Friday's PD. I wish I could just be sick and rest on my "sick days", but alas, the story of a charter school teacher! Ha! Enjoyed a couple episodes of Family Guy and am looking forward to just sleeping as comfortably as possible with the ear infection.
Cats on the table,
Children at the bar, What's this
world set out for??
"Dream barriers look very high until someone climbs them. They are not barriers anymore." - Lasse Viren
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| Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 7.30 | Altra Adams Miles: 2.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Round 2, Day #41: 6 miles in 49:35, first 3 in 25:35, second 3 in 24:00 flat. Total average was: 8:16/ mile. Felt relaxed. Am planning a nice big one fingered salute run tomorrow. Will be glorious! Indoor marathons are not far away. Two weeks from right now I will be on my way to Goshen, Indiana for what I hope will be a 2 day funfest. Day 1's goal is to set a marathon PR. Day 2's goal is to survive, chat with friends, and try to muscle through the pain! Yeah buddy!! Today I feel old. Harry turned 19. What the hell man. I feel like it was just yesterday that I turned 19!
Lydiard's the man, Aerobic training's the plan, Spinach by the can!
"Champions are everywhere, all you have to do is train them properly" - Arthur Lydiard
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| Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 6.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 9.11 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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Round 2, Day #42 (Part I): 4am treadmill workout, 3.11 miles in 26:58 @ 5% grade (8:40/mile). School or no school, not going to let my job dictate my life any more. Time to get lean and mean. I got races to prep for! Hoping for a longer Part II tonight, but at least I started the day on a good note.
Sweat in the eyes man,
Stings so friggin' bad. Fat down,
Shorts on the ground, just
White knuckle to the finish.
“I recall being in a training camp at Woodville, in northeast Texas, in 1970 when about thirty of us went for a 22-mile run on a hot, humid day. There were broad smiles when the American boys saw me changing into a pair of women’s cotton briefs. But at the end of the run I was the only one not chafed. The next day, about thirty runners traipsed into the local women’s clothing store and asked for female briefs. The woman attendant looked alarmed until it was explained why so many men wanted women’s underclothes. She did great business.” - Arthur Lydiard, Running the Lydiard Way Round 2, Day #42 (Part II): 6 miles total in 48:24, good for 8:04/ mile average pace. First two were a little slow and last two were a little quick, but not more than a :12 or :14 spread from the 8:04 pace. Happy with the effort. (Red Vibrams)
Run with ambition, Purity yields wisdom, go! Tell others! Conquer!
Today's quote comes from our very own Patrick Sweeney: "Went off for a short run through streets of Managua, got lost, saw a bunch of cool touristy stuff, stopped for a a couple of giant beers, played baseball with some local kids, heard my theme song playing as ran past a restaurant barefoot and got a ton of whistles from the local ladies ( well Tyler did that is) I just got chased by wild dogs but on the bright side none of them caught me. Life is good:-)"
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| Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 6.00 | Merrell Road Glove Miles: 3.11 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Round 2, Day #43: 6 miles total, 5 miles in 41:15, good for 8:15/mile (Am I getting too cocky if I am saying that this pace is feeling easier and easier?). Then did 1 more mile satellite style with Bob Nicol. Runners support each other, brother! Getting it done one day at a time. You're still a day ahead of me but I'll catch up to you one of these days! Finished "Running With Lydiard". I finally understand why he was so important to the second half of the 20th century in distance running. I wish I had had the chance to meet or write to him! So much still to learn as a youngin' in this sport.
Power shovelin' snow.... New England's cross training! Yet nothing beats a run!!
"If you can get a boy in his teens and encourage him to train and not race until he is matured, then you have laid the foundations of an Olympic champion." - Gösta Holmér, Swedish coach and inventer of the beloved fartlek workout, otherwise known as the "natural method".
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| Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 6.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 4.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Round 2, Day #44: 4 miles in 34:00, 8:30/mile. Started reading "Bunion Derby" by Kastner today. Enjoyed the day spent in Galway with Harry celebrating his 19th bday. Got to go on a road trip with him in the PriusC, watched my first ever episodes of Dr. Who, and enjoyed some birthday cake/birthday doughnut. Enjoyed procrastinating from work and it would be nice to not have school tomorrow. Come on ice day! (jk).
Light feet, think light feet Tread lightly, run swiftly then Hop, skip, jump away!
"In a wild grab for glory, a cast of nobodies saw hope in the dust: blacks who escaped the poverty and terror of the Old South; first-generation immigrants with their mother tongue thick on their lips; Midwest farm boys with leather-brown tans. These men were the 'shadow runners,' men without fame, wealth, or sponsors, who came to Los Angeles to face the world's greatest runners and race walkers. This was a formidable field of past Olympic champions and professional racers that should have discouraged sane men from thinking they could win a transcontinental race to New York. Yet they came, flouting the odds. Charley Pyle's offer of free food and lodging to anyone who would take up the challenge opened the race to men of limited means. For some, it was a cry from the psyche of no-longer-young men, seeking a last grasp at greatness or a summons to do the impossible. This pulled men on the wrong side of thirty from blue-collar jobs and families." - Charles B. Kastner
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| Merrell Road Glove Miles: 4.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Round 2, Day #45: 6 mile progression run. (48:32; 8:05/mile) Emma's credit card got stolen at work and some asshole charged $511 to it at a food store (guess he was friggin hungry, eh?). After nearly 1.5 hours on the phone and emailing about this, we finally got it sorted out and I was able to hop on the treadmill at nearly 10pm tonight. I am changing my name to the NSK, Negative Split King! Splits were: 8:24, 8:16, 8:08, 8:03, 7:56, 7:42. I wanted to keep going but it is so late and I did not get to any of the grading I need to have done before 8am tomorrow. Going to be a rough day with a 3am wake up call on 4 hours of sleep. Yikes! I think I could have pushed for another 2-3 miles of steady negative splits before my legs started to scream. Only one twinge of pain from the calf muscle that hurt from the elliptical. I think I'm good to go! No mas ellipticales para mi!
Light feet, svelte feet itty bitty sweaty feet. Kissy feet, stinky feet. All mine!
"Across the far flung nation, The bunion clan is sprinting, Toward that distant station, With energy unstinting, Though blistered dogs are aching, And tongues are dry like dust, The gang is bent on making the journey's end - or bust!" - Daily Oklahoman, April 13th, 1928
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| Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 6.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 7.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Round 2, Day #46: 7 miles total in 56:26, good for 8:04/mile. What a long strange day it has been. Barely survived work, kids are nuts and so disrespectful, and found out that the asshole that stole our credit card also stole at least two laptops and other things from Emma's work. So it is definitely a douchebag she works with. I hope they catch the bastard and he gets time for the felony robbery. Oddly enough went to see "Identity Theft" at the movies tonight. Then stopped at the grocery store so Emma could drop off a police report. Finally home and a cup of coffee and then a 10pm run. Felt good to relax and let the miles come.
Someone at work said I am looking thinner. There's some motivation, yo!
Williams: 'lo Andrew. I'm a newspaperman Payne: I knew you were. Williams: How, Andrew? Payne: They look alike, kind of worm eaten. Williams: How would you like to come over to my office tonight, and we'll go out and get a highball somewhere. Payne: Never touch it. At this point, Williams couldn't keep up, and stopped in the road, breathing hard, as Andy pulled away. Payne: Well, so long. I'll see you in the funny papers.
The sacrifices of the long-distance runner - no social life. Check and mate.
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| Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 7.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Round 2, Day #47: 6 miles total. First 5 miles in 41:24, relaxed and then ran the 6th mile for my friend Ana's boyfriend who is in the hospital. Sending good vibes your way. Went for broke and hoped for a sub 8, and ended up with a 7:26!! 48:50 for the entire thing, good for 8:08/mile! Got through today with only about half a dozen kids getting angry with me> Guess that's the silver lining. Trying to survive until break. Two days. I can do this! Got to page 150 in Kastner's book. Multi tasking for the win! (Blue Vibrams)
Tense metatarsals breed awkward gaits; Instead relax And let the run come.
"Hark! Hark! Their dogs go bark! Pyle's cuckoos are comin' to town. With addled brains and aches and sprains and arches breakin' down!" The Cleveland Plain Dealer, by way of Charles Kastner's "Bunion Derby"
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| Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 6.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 5.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Round 2, Day #48: 5 miles, I'm a bad Valentine. Came home and had a nice dinner and sat down to watch a show with Emma only to pass out on the couch. I was smart enough to set an alarm, but dumb enough to hit snooze. Crashed from about 7:30 to 9:45, before getting up in a "sleep drunk" stupor and stumbled onto the treadmill. Survived, running 41:24, good for 8:17/mile. I am barely surviving. Hoping to hang on for tomorrow. Going to go pass out now and then wake up at 330 to lesson plan and figure out some masterpiece theatre monster to teach tomorrow.
Sleep running should be Revered, not an isolated crime! Just let me close my eyes one more time!
No one ever taught me and I can't teach anyone. If you can't explain it, how can you take credit for it? - Red Grange
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| Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 5.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 3.10 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Round 2, Day #49: 3.10 itty bitty miles. Came home and crashed. Body just gave out. I zonked on the couch for most of the night, then woke up at 10:30 and hopped on the treadmill. Took a mile to get things cooking, easing in about 8:30 pace, but then I picked it up and ran steady for the remainder. Total time was 23:58, good for 7:44/mile. I am looking at barely breaking 40 miles this week! Yikes!Hoping to get about 10 miles tomorrow, then easy 3's all the way up until next Saturday and Sunday!
Caffeinated run,
Fueled by adrenaline.
Run scared. Run fast. Mine!
The 1929 race was even tougher - over 3,600 miles, with six fewer days allowed. The route was more southern, so hotter and more humid. Gavuzzi describes going through the Texas oilfields - "the smell was terrible ; all you could see was these pumps going up and down, and every time they went up and down it was a dollar in someone's pocket. We were poor and they were rich." Having led almost all the way until the final stage around LA, Gavuzzi eventually lost ( after running for over 525 hours) by 2 minutes and 17 seconds.
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| Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 3.10 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 9.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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Round 2, Day #50: 7.5 miles total. 2.5 around the block exploring in the wind with Emma and then later tonight, after watching "Sherlock Holmes" I did 5 miles in 37:58!! Holy crap! (7:35/mile!). Dare I say it felt refreshingly easy? Last hard run before driving to Indiana to tackle marathons 1 and 2 for the year next weekend. Huzzah! Started reading Amy Snyder's "Hell on Two Wheels" about RAAM. (Altra Instincts)
Shin strengthen surprise! Surreal stealthy stupefied stinks, stunk, shocking STANK!
"Even today ProTour cyclists consider ultra distance racers to be a lesser breed - just a bunch of kooky outcasts who could never make it on the pro circuit." Amy Snyder
President John Adams liked to exercise. He was an excellent swimmer. Often, he would rise early in the morning, walk from the White House to the Potomac River, strip, and swim. On one occasion, someone stole his clothes, and the naked President had to ask a passing boy to run to the White House and fetch him some others! (Now that's one politician whose personal business was completely exposed!) 9PM; Extra 1.5 miles at 8:20 pace just now because I did the math wrong and needed to add a couple to get over 40 for the week. |
| Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 1.50 | Altra Instinct (grey) Miles: 7.50 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 7.50 | Nap Time: 3.00 | Total Sleep Time: 10.50 | Weight: 214.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 3.10 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Round 2, Day #51: 3.10 miles relaxed style in 25:45. And so it begins... taper week before the double indoor marathons. Must remember to keep the horsies watered and in check to give it a go and see how close to a PR I can come on the first day. Excited for tomorrow morning - we are going to go tubing at Bosquet and then enjoy hanging out with Momma Grifff, Harry, and Hayley. Will shoot to do a 5 or 6 mile shake out run tomorrow. Huzzah! (Blue Vibrams)
Have you ever thought
About jumping head first towards
greatness? Well I have...
However, the adoption of this minimalist philosophy by the masses has not been without debate and controversy. While I consider the scientific evidence on barefoot running regarding injury prevention and performance enhancement to be largely inconclusive and lacking any significant causality, as with most things running-related, I view footwear as an experiment-of-one type situation that should be based on personal goals and individual preferences, not necessarily on a generalized theory. - Anton Krupicka
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| Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 3.10 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 5.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Round 2, Day #52: 5 miles easy in 41:24, good for 8:17/mile. I hope you're ready, Goshen, because this obese ultrarunner is ready to take on the Maple Leaf Indoor Double this weekend! Going tubing with the broski and famdam at Bosquet. Crap man! It's 7 degrees out. Better locate that single pair of jeans I know I have somewhere. Else it will be a really chilly two hours in my shorts!
Tragedy.... blisters!! Awkward ultrarunner turn on, Wait, who am I kidding!
“The reason we race isn't so much to beat each other,… but to be with each other.” ― Christopher McDougall
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| Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 5.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 5.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Round 2, Day #53: 5 miles in 40:47, good for 8:09/mile. Getting psyched about this weekend. Hoping I can finish both races with a smile on my face! What an amazingly awesome thing it is to be able to run every day! Enjoying an evening at home and then up early to do a full day of school work and Sea Shepherd organization for the Jolly Rogers!
Subconscious waiting, to strike and pounce - opportunity. Bask in the glory of the sweaty runner.
"Strasser summons his subconscious in peculiar ways. Back inthe desert, he used peppermint oil to trick his brain into thinking he was cool. He rubbed the oil on his skin a lot during his pre-RAAM training rides, and each time he told himself, "Oh, this feels so cold," programming his subconscious to associate the peppermint scent with cooling. And when something hurt - his knees, his wrists, the balls of his feet - Strasser diverted attention away from the pain by focusing on, say tapping his fingers on his handlebars, or wiggling his little toe in his shoe." - p.95-6, "Hell on Two Wheels", by Amy Snyder.
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| Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 5.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 5.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Round 2, Day #54: 5 miles in 41:07; good for average of 8:13/mile. Easy peasy recovery run. Time to finalize my packing list tonight! I'm excited! It's never too early to carbo load is it? Ha! (Vibrams Green)
If Jesus were a runner
Would he be a minimalist?
Vibrams or Zero Drop? I wonder.
"My muscles are angry, that's all. I'm walking like a pregnant midget." - Erin Hattaway
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| Vibram Bikilas (green) Miles: 5.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 3.10 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Round 2, Day #55: 3.10 miles in 25:43, good for 8:18/mile. Second to last run before the big day. Time to pack I suppose! Up early at 5am to begin the trek. Stopping in Rochester for breakfast with Su and Rocco and then on to the next 8 hour segment to get to Goshen, IN! Maple Leaf Marathons here I come!
Vibram connection Grounding you to the present. Sieze and conquer!
"To move swiftly, strike vigorously, and secure all fruits of victory is the secret of a successful war." - Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, 1863
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| Vibram Bikilas (green) Miles: 3.10 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 1.10 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Round 2, Day #56: 1.10 miles only in Vibrams to keep the streak alive. Got up at 5 and drove 12 hours to Goshen, IN. Stopped on the way to see Su and Rocco and wish them good luck. Rocc got a new job in Boca Raton so they are moving back to Florida! Su said I should find a race near them so that I can stay with them and get my Florida one in! We'll see! Emm would probably like staying somewhere warm too. Hopped on the hotel treadmill at about 10pm and got an easy 10 minutes in. Tomorrow's the big day!
Butterflies bring fear,
Training miles translation
to personal gains.
"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions." - Michael Wardian |
| Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 1.10 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Race: |
Maple Leaf Indoor Marathon #1 (26.316 Miles) 04:07:10, Place overall: 12, Place in age division: 8 | | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 26.32 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 8AM Race Start:
PRE-RACE: Got up early around 6am. Got dressed in my HSV50 shirt, matching shorts and red Bikilas. Grabbed a cup of coffee and two mini-muffins while I headed out the door around 7:20 or so. What I love about being only 2 miles from the Rec Center is that it is the only marathon (maybe besides the HSV50) that you can roll out of bed 40 mins before the race and still make it to the starting line with time to spare. Got there and saw Jen and got a hug, then checked in and changed. There were about 12 Marathon Maniacs there for today's race. I was hoping for a big day, but didn't know how I was going to do, with only two days of runs since Jan 1st that totaled more than 10 miles. Set up in the far corner of the track and went to the pre-race briefing.
RACE: (204 laps of a newly renovated 208m track) I started off in the back of the pack and just tried to run easy miles. I broke the race down into 26 mini-races of 7.5 laps each. One of the things that I like about this race is that you always have people to run with and you get to watch the front runners duke it out. Was fun to watch Jake and Laura Gilette leading their respective races and to see some of the folks from last year! Most of my first 17 miles were sub 9. I knew the last 9 would hurt, because I hadn't done any long runs since December. But I don't think I faded too badly, maybe a couple in the 9:30 range. When I hit 10 laps to go, I charged home. Everyone was great and cheering me on. Finishing time was 4:07:10. POST-RACE: Cheered in a couple of friends, then went back to the hotel to shower and relax. Headed out to get "refueled" with Garlic hummus, Triscuits, and more GUs for tomorrow. Got into bed but there were young wannabe marathoners everywhere, sprinting down the hall, and up above the rooms. Another racer was next to me in the room over and thankfully he had the guts to yell out into the hallway at about 9:30. Finally things started to work out and I fell asleep around 10pm, just in time for my 5am wake up call the next morning.
Old Marathon PERSONAL RECORD: 4:26:50, set in 10/12 at BayState Marathon. NEW** PERSONAL RECORD** : 4:07:10, set 2/2/13 @ Maple Leaf Indoor Marathon. Total Time: 4:07:10 Total Distance: 26.316 Average Pace: 9:22.5/mile |
| Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 26.32 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Race: |
Maple Leaf Indoor Marathon #2 (26.316 Miles) 04:51:54, Place overall: 17, Place in age division: 13 | | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 26.60 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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7AM Race Start:
PRE-RACE: Woke up at about 5:40. Got dressed quickly and checked out of the hotel about 6:15. Fueled up the car at a Marathon gas station and bought an apple danish to scarf down to get some carbs in me. The hotel didn't have breakfast out until 7ish. Lame. Drank a little Gatorade. Wasn't as sore as I thought I would be given yesterday's PR. Maybe this bodes well for my fitness?
RACE: (204 laps of a newly renovated 208m track) - Laps 209-408. Started off in the back of the pack and ran most of the first 13 miles with Stan, whose son runs xc and who has also run some marathons/ultras. We chatted about various articles and books we liked and just clicked off 10 minute miles. I really enjoyed this! I got to chat a little more than yesterday with my friend Jen who was back running what I think was her 78th or 79th marathon. She's a tank! So happy to see her. She gets the most consistent award, running nearly identical times to the second! Also got to chat with Greg Bealieu, whom I remember from last year and is from Ohio. He's an actuary and we chatted a bit. He was telling me about how he scouted out a .5 mile loop from his house and sought out to do 100miles during the summer. It took him 42 hours with rest breaks, sleeping, etc. But a really fun idea I think! Maybe I could do something like this and raise money for Sea Shepherd!
At mile 16, I had to switch shoes. My feet killed. The blue Vibrams wreaked havoc and I ended up with about a dozen blisters. I switched into Altras and had a blast, running like I was on a cloud. Finished strong and saved stuff for the last lap, where I ended up running the 208 meters in :57 seconds! Too bad joke was on me because since Doug wasn't there to count down the laps, I had actually done 205 laps, instead of 204. Doh! Still ran my 4th fastest time EVER! I am getting in shape and loving it! POST-RACE: Said goodbye to Stan, Greg, and Jenn, and then hopped in the car and drove to Buffalo (7 hour drive). Got there around 8:30 after a near death experience running out of gas. Somehow made it to a station on fumes after getting lost on Exit 60 of the NYS thruway. In addition, the automatic replenishment on EZPass wasn't working because of the douche that stole our credit card. I never thought to update the information after that fiasco last week. Got to Buffalo and checked in. Best 38 bucks I ever spent! Hot water, two beds, a/c, wifi, coffee pot, free breakfast in the a.m. TV clicked on but I was too sore and tired to get up and change it so I fell asleep listening to the Oscar/AAs. Kristin Stewart is such an apathetic toolbag! Yesterday: 12th place, 8th in men's division
Today: 17th place, 13th in men's division Total Time: 4:51:54 Total Distance: 26.316 Average Pace: 11:06/mile
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| Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 16.00 | Altra Instinct (grey) Miles: 10.60 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 3.11 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Round 2, Day #59: 3.11 in 29:56."Anvil Run" Recovery 5k. The first mile hurt and I briefly contemplated bailing, but lo and behold, the mile mark was the magic number. After I hit it, things got a little better. Finished "Hell on Two Wheels", and I hated the fact that it ended so sadly for Robíc. Ugh! So much for a pick me up. Felt like I had anvils on my feet today. All seems to be in working order though. Drained my blisters. Ready to start building again!
Anvil runner legs, Active recovery champ! Do I have to work tomorrow?
"RAAM contestants are a modern-day equivalent of the adventurers and seekers in this archetypal myth. Each racer has his own reason for undertaking his mythic journey across the continent, but all are drawn by an irresistible call to adventure. Through their experiences, they develop insights into their own psyches and gain new powers that can benefit us if we are willing and open." - Amy Snyder
"Pain is self-revelatory... There's a point in every race when a rider encounters his real opponent and understands that it's himself. In my most painful moments on the bike, I am at my most curious and I wonder each time how I will respond. Will I discover my innermost weakness or will I seek out my innermost strength?" - Lance Armstrong
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| Vibram Bikilas (green) Miles: 3.11 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 2.10 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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Round 2, Day #60: 2.10 miles in 20:12. Legs can bend today, but still sore. Hoping tomorrow for ~4 easy slow miles at this pace. We'll see. Started reading Robin Harvie's "The Lure of Long Distances". Love it already.
Just a stiff legged
runner trying to loosen
things up. Come on dudes!
"Running to my mind, was little more than a way of getting away from it all, a feeling that is familiar to all of us. The runners I knew understood this emotional illiteracy and we did not have to explain ourselves to each other. When trying to articulate this feeling more fully to those who didn't get the point of running at all, i could only offer a dumb sign of indescribable happiness. I loved it. None of this came close, though, to describing the draw of the intoxicating freedom and self-empowerment that I would later discover to be at the heart of the richness of the running experience." - Robin Harvie
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| Altra Instinct (grey) Miles: 2.10 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 4.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Round 2, Day #61: 4 miles relaxed in 36:29, good for 9:07/mile. Soreness is retreating, the blisters are starting to heal, though the stubborn ones under my toenails keep reappearing (the gifts that keep on giving!). Starting to recover and set my sights on the next race. Highlight of the run was sneezing mid-stride.. truly a weird experience.
Mid-stride surprise! SNEEZE!!
Brief moment of euphoric
happiness. Slog on!
"They understood that running was a primeval action so uncomplicated that it should be celebrated for its purity. It provided a chance to be in concert with nature, offering an experience that was open to all." - Robin Harvie
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| Altra Instinct (grey) Miles: 4.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 4.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Round 2, Day #62: 4 miles easy in 35:23, good for 8:51/mile. Legs are rehabbing nicely thanks to the Vitalsox. Only pain is under each of my second toe's nail... subnail blisters that I keep lancing. Painful and I think I am going to end up losing them in the long run. As long as I can keep running though. Big decisions to make about Circular Logic Marathon next month. Emma and I were talking about it and I think it is going to be a go , but I don't think I am driving the 12 hours each way this time due to no more time off. Looking to get a flight into Indiana on Friday night, hopefully a rental car, and drive the hour to the starting line and sleep in the car! Then race, celebrate, and back to get on the plane to fly home. I can do this, right?
Locomotive shines,
Warning lights, go lights time to
make the decision.
"For runners the task is simple: we need to rid ourselves of all the symbolism and metaphor in order to become pure kinetic energy. We must unharness ourselves form the baggage that we drag around with us, free ourselves from imagination, and learn, as we did as children, what it is to run with our feet alone." - Robin Harvie
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| Altra Instinct (grey) Miles: 4.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 |
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| | Running Miles | Swimming Yards | Bike Miles | | 191.19 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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| Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 82.25 | Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 60.42 | Altra Adams Miles: 2.00 | Merrell Road Glove Miles: 7.11 | Altra Instinct (grey) Miles: 28.20 | Vibram Bikilas (green) Miles: 11.21 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 26.50 | Nap Time: 3.00 | Total Sleep Time: 29.50 | Weight: 214.00 | |
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