Motivated to Succeed

Week starting Oct 19, 2008

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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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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
32.120.000.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
7.020.000.00

4:20 PM - Sunny, blue skies and temp about 50. I went to the track to go for a run and did 1 mile and stretched and then a couple miles on the track, went out onto the road and then finished with a loop on the nature trail and a cool down mile on the track. Felt really great today :). No pain in my achilles, which is good, but rest of week will be easy miles as today I pushed the pace. Ended up with all negative splits! (except for the cooldown mile that is). Hit fastest pace run since last November! (5:48 a mile - sustained for :40 or so!)

  • Mile 1: 9:26
  • Mile 2: 9:19
  • Mile 3: 9:04
  • Mile 4: 8:57
  • Mile 5: 8:11
  • Mile 6: 8:07
  • Mile 7: 9:22

Also, after work today, my family met me and we went to one of the hotels in Saratoga where they had a special exhibit of Jerry Garcia artwork! It was free to the public and we had a fun time. I never realized that Jerry could draw in so many different styles! I was expecting the John Lennon style drawings but he was actually really diversely talented! Today was a good day!

Total Time: 1:02:39 Total Distance: 7.02 mi Average Pace: 8:55

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Comments(4)
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
4.150.000.00

7:00 PM - Dark, Cold. Temp about 48 degrees. Couldn't run this morning or afternoon because the local high school was using the track to do their mile run for gym class. Then this afternoon there was a girls soccer game going on at the field on the inside of the track. So I went jogging after I dropped Jonn off for his Boy Scout meeting at the elementary school. Felt pretty good. Stretched after 1 mile and then after the end of the run. Goal was for 40:00 minutes. A little soreness, but no pain. Made sure to stretch the calf muscle well.

  • Mile 1: 9:42
  • Mile 2: 9:49
  • Mile 3: 9:43
  • Mile 4: 9:31
  • .15: 1:21 (9:13)

Total Time: 40:08 Total Distance: 4.15 mi Average Pace: 9:40

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Comments(5)
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
4.350.000.00

8:00 AM - Cloudy, rain and temperature of 43 degrees. Perfect! (for me anyways :D). I got my pair of running pants from last winter out only to find they were a full inch or two short! I guess I really AM still growing! Haha! I suited up and drove to the track, parked my car and decided to jog on the backroads. Did about 1.2 mile warmup to the next side road and stretched, and then again after my run for another ten or fifteen minutes. Felt good during the run. A little soreness in my left knee, not a pain but more of a tired feeling. I don't know what it was, but perhaps because I went in knowing my goal was 38:00, or maybe since there is no run plan for tomorrow, but I went faster than I thought I would go. I had originally planned on shooting for 9:30s, but I didn't even get my splits because I missed the beeps on my GARMIN. Negative splits again! Thursdays run will most certainly be in the 9:30 to 10:00 range.

  • Mile 1: 8:58
  • Mile 2: 8:58
  • Mile 3: 8:43
  • Mile 4: 8:30
  • .35 : 2:49 (8:01)

Total Time: 38:01 Total Distance: 4.35 mi Average Pace: 8:44

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Comments(5)
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
3.500.000.00

8:00 AM - Cloudy temps slightly warmer than yesterday, around 45 degrees. Went to the track and stretched and then headed out on the back roads down Parkis Mills Rd to Crane Rd and back. I felt really good again, and I honestly didn't think I was pushing it. Realized when I uploaded the splits when I got home that I went a tad fast though. Today was a 30:00 run. I thought today was day off but it's tomorrow. I might have to plan to do my "long" run on Saturday since Sunday looks kind of nasty so Friday will probably be day off as well. Don't worry I will take it easy. Don't want to ruin my good fortune! Best of luck in getting out there on a blustery cold October day! Halloween is just around the corner!

  • Mile 1: 8:57
  • Mile 2: 8:45
  • Mile 3: 8:28
  • .5: 3:54 (7:49)

Total Time: 30:06 Total Distance: 3.5 mi Average Pace: 8:36

Don't laugh....

No seriously.. haha!

From left to right are my brother Jonny (16), Rocco my sister's boyfriend (21), Su my sister (20), Harry my other brother (14), Me in all my charming glory (22) and Emmy (22). We are posing in my front yard by the driveway behind my dad's project from this summer, a vintage hayrake he bought from the junkyard and painted up all pretty. You can just start to see some of the colors of the trees halfway down my driveway starting to "pop". We do have a nicer more presentable picture, but we all got a laugh out of this one. We truly are "something", eh? haha

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Comments(5)
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
4.020.000.00

1:00 PM - Got all my homework for today done. Been up since like 5am though. Blah. Gorgeous today. Sunny, blue skies. Temp about 45. I'm sorry but I couldn't resist a jog! Felt really great and didn't check splits until towards the end, but I was flying! Good thing I'm not running again until about the same time Saturday - will give me 48 hours recovery :) Man this week is awesome! I think I will meet my short term goal again of 25+ miles of jogging!

  • Mile 1: 8:30
  • Mile 2: 8:14
  • Mile 3: 7:55
  • Mile 4: 8:14

Total Time: 33:06 Total Distance: 4.02 mi Average Pace: 8:13

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Comments(5)
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
9.080.000.00

1:20 PM - Rainy, wet, blustery. Temp around 56 or so, but it was really windy. They are predicting gusts up to 55mph! I am in Pittsfield this weekend. I had a workshop in Albany and hen drove over to Emmy's to do some homework while she's at work. I went to the Ashwillticook Trail and went running on the bike path. Soon turned intoa  wet mess. But man was it fun! I felt pretty good. Stretched after 4 miles and then again after 8 before my cool down.

  • Mile 1: 8:59
  • Mile 2: 8:47
  • Mile 3: 8:45
  • Mile 4: 8:40
  • Mile 5: 8:35
  • Mile 6: 8:27
  • Mile 7: 8:02
  • Mile 8: 7:37
  • Mile 9: 9:00

Total Time: 1:17:25 Total Distance: 9.08 mi Average Pace: 8:31

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Comments(3)
Running MilesSwimming YardsBike Miles
32.120.000.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
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