Final Day of JuneAthon

So I made it, the weekend of the Grad Party. What a awesome, yet exhausting weekend. Started on Friday @ 7am, and didn’t stop until midday today.

Up early Friday, pick up the Bounce house and Double Slide AWESOME. Then yard work, clean up Garage, make Pool look clean. Wait for the lawn company to come and cut the grass. a HOT long day – then as every Friday night. DATE Night. We went to the deli near our house, had some great sandwiches.

Saturday, up at 8:00, outside setup up bounce house and double slide (800 lbs) then Tents go up. Then pick up the chairs and tables. Jump in the pool. Then we had Softball, Playoffs, win or go home, thinking we might win 1 game. We end up winning the first 3, then finally after back to back to back to back games, we lose and take 2nd place. 

Sunday. PARTY day, up at 8:00, set up tables and chairs, wrap table clothes, hang decorations, get ice, get cake, get balloons, get food, get get get….. 12:50 – POP goes the fuse box, 2 slides, pool filter, entire garage lights, and slow cookers in Garage, fuse didn’t like that. But we fix that and 1:00 party time, 1:15 DOWN POUR rain rain go away. but it didn’t for at least an hour. BUT the kids thought it was awesome on the double bounce slide. overall it was a great day, able to hang with tons of friends and family. 

Monday, time to take it all down and take it back. THEN power goes out! Well, I know what to do when the power goes out. RUN I went out on a run, did 5 miles, it was only about 90 degrees out. But I’ll tell you what that pool felt great after I got done. Powers back and I’m blogging before I pass out for the night. 

Until next time… Chow.

 

As for the monthly Totals.

June FINAL totals:

72 miles running
17 softball games
4.5 miles walking
40 miles cycling
10 mile Mt. Biking
7 Graduation Party + the party we threw!!!

Run Sucked – Rough couple days – JuneAthon Day 26

So where to begin, Let’s go with my Run sucked today, I ended up with 7 miles in 1:06 but it hurt like hell, I could have stopped at a mile, but kept pushing. Back was killing, calf hurt, my hip was even hurting. But I sucked it up, and kept going. finished off my last mile in my fastest pace, but still a slower run than my normal days. We are allowed to have rough days when running.

Mood swings… OH how I love my bipolar, you never know what the next day might bring. Yesterday (Wednesday) had a big company party, 1,000 people one room, I know a lot of people, I think I’m friends with a lot of people, but I felt so alone. I almost didn’t go, but I did go and won a raffle prize, then all of the sudden, I had friends again. They were everyone I knew, but carrying around my prize, people wanted to chat a little more. It was most likely just me thinking that I was “alone” but again that’s what my bipolar does to me. Even today we had another outing, and sitting there I felt alone, then I got up and started talking to people and started to feel better. Sometimes, I have to break that barrier and tell my disease to leave me the F alone. It appears to have worked, I’m feeling better, not sure if it was the run, or just hanging out with people, but I’m feeling good. 

 

As for the monthly Totals.

June totals:

67 miles running
13 softball games
4.5 miles walking
40 miles cycling
10 mile Mt. Biking
7 Graduation Party

Softball Tuesday – JuneAthon day 24

Tuesday is softball night, I subbed for my old work team, we won 15-2, co-ed and the other team was terrible. Had fun, but could have been a bit more competitive. Well, I got that in my second game. On to my Normal Tuesday team, sitting at 3-4 W/L, playing a team that had beat us pretty bad last time we played them. We scored 7 runs in the second inning, and that was it until the top of the 7th. Trailing 11-7, we scored 6 runs to take a 13-11 lead into the bottom of the 7th. We got out of the inning/game with only giving up 1 run, Final score 13-12, we made it back to .500  4-4 and sitting in 3rd place in the standings.

No running today, unless you count the outfield and around the bases. I have a big work outing tomorrow after work til late, so I’m going for something that I typically don’t do, and that is get up early and go for a run. I dislike morning runs, but what the hell, I can man up and do it. Thinking 4 miles but maybe 5, depending on what time I get my lazy, sleepy, butt out of bed.  

As for the monthly Totals.

June totals:

60 miles running
13 softball games
2.5 miles walking
40 miles cycling
10 mile Mt. Biking
7 Graduation Party (only 3 more to go)

JuneAthon Day 23

It’s Monday, but I made the best of it, I got to spend my afternoon volunteering at at food distributor. The plan was cycling, but it rained, and looks pretty ugly out, so I stay off the bike. #NOT HARD CORE. only because people drive cars like idiots when it’s not raining, no need to make it more dangerous. So last Monday was Track day, so today, I figured, lets go for a fast 5k.

Plan is now a fast 5k. Lets define fast: my PR (just set a month ago) is 23:10, to some that is slow to many others that is blazing fast. So here I go, not planning on PR-ing or anything, but still need to push myself. I start off strong, half mile in, nice 7:10 pace, (or so I think) then I pick it up, drop pace on Nike GPS watch to 6:50. At the first mile mark; TIME: 7:22. (stupid pace on watch isn’t that great) but maybe I started slower than I thought. So during the second mile, I’m watching the pace sub 7:00, mid 6:50s. Watching the lap time, here comes 7:00, then 7:05, then 7:10. WTF…. mile 2 time: 7:24. Now I’m thinking this really hurts and the pace is totally screwing with me. so I turn the pace off, and watch the distance. 2.25 lap time is 2:00 (that’s an 8min pace) but I feel like I’m going fast, but hurting. Then 2.50 miles, lap time 3:55, ok times coming down a little, 2.75 lap 5:50, getting a little faster. NOW decision time, 3.0 (do I stop and take a 3 mile time: 22:25, or push that last .1) I said I was doing a 5k, for I’m doing a freaking 5k, 3.1 miles. 23:15. Not my PR for a 5k, but still dang fast.

 

As for the monthly Totals.

June totals:

60.1 miles running (yes I’m putting that freaking .1 on there) 
11 softball games
2.5 miles walking
40 miles cycling
10 mile Mt. Biking
7 Graduation Party (only 3 more to go)

JuneAthon 22

I’ve skipped a couple days of posting, so here goes the weekend recap.

Friday night, Date night (as always) this time we actually took our daughter with us to dinner (didn’t let her fend for herself). Good night out, then fell asleep on the couch watching one of our DVRed shows.

Saturday, up and at it early, Finally got the pool parts in the mail on Friday, so first thing I had to do was fix the pool and finish filling it up. Then Weeds, weeds, weeds, they are a pain, but one week to go before Grad Party and they have to be cleared. After that 3 grad parties. Then Softball, We were moved up in a division for playoffs, lost first game 15-17, second team didn’t show. So that means this coming Saturday 5:00 to play thru the losers bracket to get back to championship game. 

Sunday morning up early for a 9 miler, 1:21 held a pretty stead 9 min/mile pace. Then off to Church, now blogging. Before I take on vacuuming the pool, then back to the weeds. I hate weeds. 

As for the monthly Totals.

June totals:

57 miles running
11 softball games
2.5 miles walking
40 miles cycling
10 mile Mt. Biking
7 Graduation Party (only 3 more to go)

JuneAthon Day 19

Thursday, ran a quick 7.5 miles after work just over an hour, had to be home, had friend coming over to help fix my garage lighting. I put in new light fixtures, but the power was working properly. Well I am not electrician and he well, he worked on this kind of stuff in the past, well 2 hours later we hadn’t figured it out, and actually made it a little worse. So Ring Ring, “hey, Dad, can you come over and help?” So soon after the call my Dad shows up and then we spend another 2 hours. Final the lights are working, switch isn’t working as it should, but still doing the job.

So after working all day, running 7.5 miles @ 8:20 pace, and standing around, bending over, flipping breaker switches my back is on FIRE, and I still need a shower then get to bed. BUT where am I???? on the computer checking up on my twitter following and blogging to my followers.

 

As for the monthly Totals.

June totals:

48 miles running
10 softball games
2.5 miles walking
40 miles cycling
10 mile Mt. Biking
4 Graduation Party (only 6 more to go)

Softball – Juneathon Day 17

Tuesday night is Softball night. Double header tonight, (rain make-up game) back and forth first game, top of last inning, losing by 2, we score 6, Bottom of the inning, we get out of it with no runs given up. Second win of the season. Trek to the other field to play the rain make-up game. Surprise Surprise, it’s the same team. This time we don’t mess around we take a huge lead, and mercy them in 6 innings.

First game couldn’t make an out, 5 for 5 scored 4 runs. Second game I started off with 0-2, but finished 3-5 with 3 runs scored. It was a great night for Softball, Tuesday night team is now 3-4 on the season, making a good comeback.

 

As for the monthly Totals.

June totals:

40.5 miles running
10 softball games
2.5 miles walking
40 miles cycling
10 mile Mt. Biking
4 Graduation Party (only 6 more to go)

Track Day – JuneAthon Day 16

Monday, we will call you Track-day. The local high School track is just over a mile from my house, so a little warm up there. Then started the 6×400 intervals. First lap of course was the fastest 1:28 (a long cry from my 0:53 400m in High School) but still a 6:28 min/mile pace, relax a lap, run a lap, repeat for 6 fast laps. Final 400m lap was 1:46 an 18 second decrease, but still a 7:04 min/mile pace.

 

Had a younger kid out there, he was very talkative, he would run past me then slow down, then I would pass him, and this was for about 3 of my laps. Older guy out there doing some track workouts with 100m sprints. Plenty of teenagers practicing some soccer. Beautiful Michigan June Summer day 92 degrees. Brought a water bottle, Gatorade bottle, and a towel.

MUSIC – so I ran with my today’s country hits on Pandora on the way there. Had to keep it mellow. But once there I had to put on my new power playlist that I used for the first time I PRed my 5k a month ago. What a great switch helped with the pace.

Songs include:

• I am the Champion – B.o.B.
• Lose Yourself – Eminem
• Not Afraid – Eminem
• Rabbit Run – Eminem
• The Champ – Nelly
• Till I Collapse – Eminem
• Welcome to Detroit – Eminem

After I finished my laps, I had put a book on hold at the Library, so I did my cool down 1.5 miles to the Library and home. Picked up “Improving Endurance” by Paul Mason. I’ll let you know how it goes. While there I was asked by another library goer where I got my GU water bottle holder called the Grip. https://guenergy.com/store/gear/the-grip.html I love this thing, great pocket will hold 2-3 GUs, plus if needed my car key. backside pocket also has a little spot where I have $$ in there, but also doubles as a great holder for your used GU wrappers until you find a garbage can.

She had never heard of GU before, said she was going home to run. I mention I love GU and swear by them for my Half and Full marathon plus for my Triathlon. She goes “Oh I’m not into anything like that, I’m just training for a 10k.” I told her GUs are still great for a 10k, most people take an hour or longer to complete one, and GUs are great at about the 45 min part of your workout. If you’ve never tried a GU, I suggest you pick one up, they have them at most running stores. I told her it was a great day for a run and to enjoy it.

 

As for the monthly Totals.

June totals:

40.5 miles running
8 softball games
2.5 miles walking
40 miles cycling
10 mile Mt. Biking
4 Graduation Party (only 6 more to go)

 

 

Juneathon Day 15

Well, welcome back, it’s been a few days since I’ve posted and I have a lot going on. We can start with the mood, doing great, seem to have a lot of extra energy, you’ll see what I mean when I tell you what I’ve done this weekend.

Friday – Date night, had to visit a friend at a funeral home, he lost his uncle. It was sad, but in a better place now, lots of pain he has been going thru. After that out to dinner with my beautiful wife. Fridays are typically my rest days, so no running or biking.

Saturday – Pool time, My son wants the pool up for his grad party, so Saturday was the day. Wasn’t too bad, I was able to get him and my wife to help with putting it up. So it went up much easier than the typically me doing it all by myself. O-rings ARUGH! they were dry rot and I have to buy new ones. But none of the stores carry this brand, so I have to wait for my online order to be delivered, got a little bit of a leak right now, because of the seals not being good.

Saturday – Part 2. Softball time, told a guy I would sub for him, did that for my first game, then I had my own 2 games. Finished up around midnight on Saturday. But we did win all 3 games, so that makes a long day worth it.

Sunday – Fathers day, Beautiful weather up, early for church, back home for a couple hours, then off to the Trail. I love this trail, it’s about 35 minutes from my house, a 10 mile trail it’s beautiful. So off I went on my Mt. Bike. rode a great time, it was about 52 mins for the 10 mile trail, I did skip two of the difficult sections, but still felt great. Then back to car, pack up the bike, change my shoes, get a cliff bar, a GU, grab my hand held water bottle, and off I was running. 4 miles, about 40 minutes, not a blazing speed, but after 10 miles on the bike I’m not expecting much.

Few things I wanted to Note while I was running and riding.

1. If a bug flies into your helmet. STOP, take off the helmet and get that freaking bee out of there. Yea, that was early on the ride, glad I stopped, didn’t want to deal with a bee stinger in my head.
2. If the trail in a single track with one way posted, DON’T go the wrong way while riding. And if you are riding the wrong way, maybe you should wear your helmet. Yup had that happen to me, luckily I always have my head up looking, and I was able to avoid a head on collision.
3. Running on Mt. Bike trails. PLEASE Go against the flow of the bikers. Nothing bad happened today, but just wanted to point out that I always do this, it makes for a more enjoyable run and it’s way safer. You can see the bikers coming, you are able to get out of the way and wait for them to pass. Most of them are polite and say Hi and thanks. Enjoy it, because when you are riding, you want the same from the runners.

 

As for the monthly Totals.

June totals:

35 miles running
8 softball games
2.5 miles walking
40 miles cycling
10 mile Mt. Biking
4 Graduation Party (only 6 more to go)