Motivated to Succeed

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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


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2014 Books I've Read: 

 

 

 

 

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Vibram Five Fingers KSO Lifetime Miles: 367.52
Vibram Komodo Sports (yellow) Lifetime Miles: 570.38
Vibram Bikilas (red) Lifetime Miles: 655.87
Vibram Bikilas (blue) Lifetime Miles: 414.89
Altra Lone Peak Lifetime Miles: 155.19
Lizzy Miles 2012 Lifetime Miles: 58.60
Vibram Komodo Sport (black) Lifetime Miles: 195.60
NB Trail Minimus (orange) Lifetime Miles: 101.74
Altra Instinct (grey) Lifetime Miles: 389.78
Vibram Bikilas (red #2) Lifetime Miles: 10.60
Vibram Bikilas (green) Lifetime Miles: 230.05
Altra Adams Lifetime Miles: 2.00
Merrell Road Glove Lifetime Miles: 46.11
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
40.100.000.00
Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 20.10Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 6.00Altra Instinct (grey) Miles: 5.00Altra Lone Peak Miles: 4.00Merrell Road Glove Miles: 5.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
7.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #65: 7 miles total in 53:07; good for 7:35/mile. Did the last 4 in 29:37 (7:24 pace). Had a great weekend going to Worcester and seeing Kara, Liz, and then going with Emm to the first hour of Whiskered Wonderland. Saw some epic beards and mustaches, but we both realized we aren't the "stay out late" type. Got home this afternoon by way of Northampton where we stopped at Noodles. It was funny because one of the homeless ladies asked me about my shoes and that I was a bit ambitious for wearing shorts. Then at Noodles our waiter, Winn, asked me about them and then actually asked me to jot down the name of them and where to get them. Maybe next time we go in Emm said he might be wearing them! Hehe. Resting up tonight and then up early to get all the junk I didn't do this weekend done. Felt good to be home. Kind of crazy this time last week I had just finished my 15th marathon and was driving into Buffalo for the night. Dare I say I am getting more fit? Now to lose some more weight. Back up to 215#. Doh!

Full beard, fake stache, Tweed's
fish n chips, beer, cold ass room!!
Foreign guys at breakfast!
Home.

"Did you see that house? It's like lightning bug glow butt colored. I should be a name painter! No wait.. a paint namer!" - Emily Griffin

Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 7.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Comments(1)
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
5.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #66: 5 miles in 40:46, good for 8:09/mile. Easy relaxing run. Waiting until about 9:40 to start, so that was my bad. Must get in a couple early a.m. miles tomorrow and a solid evening run to balance it all out!

Cagey warrior
Social Svelte Swede swimming soon
He runs from fear inside.

"Twenty-seven years after the inaugural Spartathlon, no one has come within 90 minutes of Yannis Kouros's time of 20 hours and 25 minutes, set in 1984. When he won the inaugural race in 21:53:00, no one had ever heard of him and suspicions were raised that he had cheated by cadging a lift on the back of a motorcycle. He shrugged his shoulders and returned the following year to better his time, before turning around and running back to Athens [152 miles away]."* - Robin Harvie 

*So basically, Yannis Kouros is a certified BADASS!

Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 5.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
5.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #67: 5 miles in 40:50; 8:10/mile including 1 mile @ 6% grade. Felt strong throughout, but I need to get the motivation to run earlier. Hoping for a double tomorrow. Thinking 55 miles for the week is a bit ambitious. Is it the weekend yet? Feeling the stress of annoying end of trimester kiddos who are anxious to be sprung to their next classes, grading 70 final papers, AND report card comments this weekend. I have half a mind to just b.s. the comments and save some time for me. Looking forward to Friday's planning day! Ultrarunners unite!! Living for the weekend!

Mid-stride sneeze fest whilst
pounding up an incline. Man,
keeping your eyes open is too damn hard!
Well, I tried!

"Aggression unopposed becomes a contagious disease." - Jimmy Carter (1980)

Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 5.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
6.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #68: 6 miles in 49:18. First 3 miles at 3%, 4%, and 5% incline. Second set of 3 in 23:17 (7:46 pace). Felt good to run. Enjoyed it very much. Happy that running is so cheap and easy to do. Wish more people did it! Not long now until my second trip to Indiana in hopes of coming close to a sub4 and hopefully a PR at Circular Logic. Not looking forward to the clusterfuck that this weekend shall bring with trying to read and grade final papers (68 of them), then writing report card comments and final grades, and prepping 2 new classes to start on day 1 of trimester 3 on Monday. It's really rotten to use a sick day, but I will probably use another sick day as a work catch up day once again. *coughcough*. In the midst of reading Ryan Hall's book. It's not bad but way too preachy and more of a low-level running log than anything else. Good thing I got it for like 3.00 on amazon. Oh well. He's still a great runner. Just not a great writer. Can't have it all!

F*ck the police, son!
You ain't my corporate boss!!
Back the hell up dude.

“An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.” - Mohandis K Gandhi

Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 6.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
3.100.000.00

Day #69: 3.10 miles in 26:00, good for 8:23/mile. Read some of Ryan Hall's book as I ran. Really long stressful day at work and had a rough time adjusting and sitting down. Graded papers until 12:30am (Friday) before going to bed for a few hours, and then off again to the races for one more day. I am thoroughly exhausted this week!

Snow showers and sunshine,
Winter's almost gone, hooray!
That means it's summer!!

"You kind of just have to go with the flow." - Ryan Hall

Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 3.10
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
5.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #70: 5 miles in 36:50. Did I just say that? It's been a while since I ran this fast! 7:22/mile. Finished Ryan Hall's book and grabbed a quick shower before going to see Michael and Ana to talk about setting up the WMURC!! So excited! Then home at 8pm for a movie date with Emma. What a long strange week it's been. Trying not to think about the endless amounts of crummy work I have to do this weekend. Tonight I will forget it, at least for now!

Fortitudine
Vincimus - By endurance
we conquer.

"Success isn't how far you got, but the distance you traveled from where you started." - Steve Prefontaine

Altra Instinct (grey) Miles: 5.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
9.000.000.00

Round 2, Day #71: 9 miles total. 4 this a.m. at Kirvin Park with Emma. Nearly 50 degrees and sunny. Not a cloud in the sky. Gorgeous weather. Lots of friendly dogs out there! Loved it! Then 5 this evening in 40:50 (8:10/mile). Left ankle has been hurting since a trial run on an elliptical machine, but thankfully it did not hurt while running. Ran in my Merrells today which was awesome! Had a mid-run sneeze at mile 2 and I swear I nearly died as I was already in the middle of exhaling and managed to exhale almost all the air from my lungs. So weird!

Somewhere there's a kid
Smiling because a fat guy
Sneezed and his shorts fell down!

"Running - Cheaper than therapy.. Sometimes." - me

Altra Lone Peak Miles: 4.00Merrell Road Glove Miles: 5.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
40.100.000.00
Vibram Bikilas (red) Miles: 20.10Vibram Bikilas (blue) Miles: 6.00Altra Instinct (grey) Miles: 5.00Altra Lone Peak Miles: 4.00Merrell Road Glove Miles: 5.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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