Day 71 - Longest run yet & First Stitch!

Had to get off the bus in order to call work and sort out an issue on the phone so I decided it was time to start extending the run. So Ran an extra 400 metres prior to Mt Eden village and made it a little further a little longer.

However. Two major intersections means stopping twice for light changes and getting an accumulated 2 minutes and 51 seconds in pauses (minus 20 seconds to check my bag is not opening while running).

Also got my first stitch in my lower back in the last leg of the run. Stopped Twice on the second half of my run to tiredness and the stitch. Not bad after only 71 days of running...

Distance: 2.28 km
Time: 11:53
Average Speed: 11.5 kph
Soundtrack: A bunch of running mix music.

Day 70

Raining and miserable, stopped a few times and my bag keeps working it's way open while running which is a worry.

Stopped 3 times but each time I just plodded back into pace and the last 50 metres seemed to take forever.

Distance: 1.50 km (in the very wet)
Time: 7:34
Average Speed: 11.9
Soundtrack: Garbage - Only Happy When It Rains/Yes - Owner Of A Lonely Heart

Day 69 - working all weekend

I loaded up Google maps and looked for a course that was flat and took me just over 1.18 Ks so I could make my 100 km total this weekend.

Running from the office to Ponsonby Road and back gave me 1.4 ks and the goal!

I stopped at the halfway mark for 2 minutes to cross at the lights and then ran both legs unbroken (not my legs but the two halves)

Total Distance: 100.25 KM!!!!!!
Total Duration: 10 hours 16 minutes 10 seconds
Calories: 10,777

Today
Distance: 1.43
Time: 7:09
Average Speed: 12.0
Soundtrack: Ministry of Sound - Running Trax

Day 68 - stuck in the office

Been working since midnight last night so about 20 hours now and been in the office since midday due to some dickheads who think a DDoS is somehow a good idea.

So working on securing the site with the team and staying here until we are done.

So in the 20 minutes before Pizza arrived I went for a quick run. I thought to go round the block but that was only 400 metres (though possibly more as the GPS was struggling to keep up in the concrete jungle of buildings in K Road). So then I ran round again, taking the shorter route and then one more time and stopping 3/4 of the way around.

Distance: 1.09 km
Time: 7:09
Average Speed: 9.1 kph
Soundtrack: Running Mix.

Day 67 - Wet, Wet, Wet

Got soaked getting to the course from the city but magically the rain had stopped by the time I reached the Village.

Ran all the way to the lights but mis timed the lights changing but got a 2 minute pause waiting for them to change. Ran all the way home after that so apart from the intersection and traffic no stops and did an okay time (second fastest on this course).

Distance: 1.87 km (though further than 4 days ago when it was 1.91?)
Time: 9:44
Average Speed: 11.4 kph
Soundtrack: Audioslave: Cochise - first 3 or so tracks.

Day 66 - Struggled

Well I knew from them moment I started running that it would feel like forever, mentally and physically I was not in any shape to run well and I deliberately slowed my pace from the outset not wanting to push things.

My shins were screaming and my mind was holding me back but there was little to do but run, I had to get home anyway. That's better than the round the block course because I can always wimp out and cut through the park and do a half mile, but when running home I still need to get there so I may as well run as much as possible. I stopped briefly at every intersection and then well over halfway someone stopped me and told me my bag was open. I stopped, paused the app and checked that everything was still there and luckily it was.

Thank you random cyclist for stopping me - the two younger runners who overtook me earlier said nothing.

Distance: 1.86 km
Time: 10:16
Average Speed: 10.8 kph
Soundtrack: Arcade Fire - Neon Bible on Random.

Day 65 - first in the Rain

Slightly less than the usual (new usual) course because it was pelting with rain and I wanted to cross fewer streets where possible as visibility was low and the gutters overflowing.

No stops in the first leg as per, and three short stops on the second leg once I hit the last block or so.

Drenched and one shoe thoroughly submerged once, must have been flicking and splashing up gallons of water and any poor overtaken I passed.

Distance: 1.51
Time: 7:26
Average Speed: 12.1
Soundtrack: Gran Bel Fisher - Bound By Love/Dazey Day

Day 64

Almost 2 km and maybe 20-30 metres further than yesterday with a 24 second improvement on yesterday's time.

I quite like this 2 km course - mostly downhill and a couple of natural breaks for lights and intersections.

Stopped twice on the second leg, each time I was only walking maybe 10-20 metres and then kicking off again.

Distance: 1.91 km
Time: 9:35
Average Speed: 11.9 kph
Soundtrack: INXS - New Sensation/Suicide Blonde & Strawpeople - Trick With A Knife

Day 63 - Longer run again

Ran from the Village again, tried eating a few sugary biscuits 90 minutes before the run time to see if that gave me extra energy, but can't say I noticed it like I did on Pizza Day.

Ran from Village to Balmoral which is about 1 km, rested at lights for maybe 40 seconds. App has a problem with shutting or screen saving which is annoying as it wastes time getting the app open again to pause and/or restart.

Ran the second leg with two stops.

Still made the whole trip 9 seconds faster than the first time I ran the nearly 2 ks home.

Distance: 1.89 km
Time: 9:59
Average Speed: 11.3 kph
Soundtrack: David Gray - Mutineers.

Day 62 - Short run

So even before I set out I knew it would be a short run as it had been less than 20 minutes after I got out of bed.

My daughter kept me awake at around 3 a.m. with a cold and then at 7:30 a.m. there was a knock on the door from a security guard checking my alarm, turns out the had the wrong address. Then I had to make a cake for my in-laws birthday so I had very little sleep. Got a small nap and then Max woke me to do my run before it got too dark and cold.

So I made good time and stopped for maybe the 20 steepest meters or so of the half block and then ran through the dog madness in the park. The second fastest 1 km short circuit I have run.

Distance: 1.04 km
Time: 5:31
Average Speed: 11.3 kph
Soundtrack: Feeder - Feeling a Moment/P!ink - All We Are We Are.

Day 61 - App failure but a good mile

One mile round the block and one stop - at the steepest part of At Andrews and I think I stopped more out of habit than not. Ran from there before the bus shelter, all of Watling, all Mt Eden, All of St Leonards only to find the app had closed itself somehow on Watling - maybe I knocked a button.

So calculated the time using the songs - and how far through them I had got.

I took off about 20 seconds for the fiddling at the end so it may have been shorter but 8:20 is good.

Distance: 1.6 km
Time: 8:20
Average Speed: dunno - can't do math
Soundtrack:American Authors (3.14), Garbage (3.55), Underworld (1.11 ish)

Day 60 - Shorter run - worse performance

Since I have to be somewhere tonight I decided to run about 400 meters less but I felt worse doing it and stopped four times, once for the lights, then 3 times on the last half because i was mentally tired and not willing to push.

Pathetic.

Distance: 1.50 km
Time: 7:48
Average Speed: 11.5
Soundtrack: Audioslave - Cochise first 3 tracks

Day 59 - Almost 2 kms today

So given that one bus stop only added 150 meters to the run I stopped at the Village today and ran from there to the intersection, worst luck of all I arrived there as the lights were changing so my pause was maybe 10 seconds, then ran to GlenAlmond where I had to wait for Traffic to move off another twenty seconds of rest and then the rest of the way home.

Feeling pretty good with that even though I had nine days off sick I am getting back to it quite well, it's still all downhill, not looking forward to the uphill legs when they arrive.

I'm making better time over longer distances. it used to be I would take 11 minutes to run 1.6 ks with 4 or 5 stops, now a minutes less 300 meters further and barely stopping at all.

Distance: 1.91 kms
Time 10:08
Average Speed: 11.3
Soundtrack: Todd Terje - Its Album Time

Day 58 - Run a little further

So I decided to make a start one bus stop earlier and see how much further it was and at only 150 odd meters it's not much of a difference. Maybe I'll try from the Village tomorrow.

Mostly pretty good stopped for traffic twice once just a few dozen meters from home and so I got to catch my breath more than once.

Despite it being mostly down hill the last time I ran this distance I did it in 8:18 without the 90 second rest in the middle so this was not that good, I have some catching up and more recuperating to do after my flu.

Distance: 1.65
Time: 8:43
Average Speed: 11.4
Soundtrack: Running Mix - Yes, Fluke and Duran Duran

Day 57 - Back on the horse... minus the heroin

After what felt like forever but was only like 9 or 10 days I took a run again.

Lungs burning and legs feeling tired, pretty much exhausted and stopped 4 times (3 for traffic and once for tiredness).

90 second pause at the halfway mark for the lights and I still struggled but thats to be expected.

Distance: 1.49 km
Time: 7:40
Average Speed: 11.7
Soundtrack: Grouplove - Ways to Go, William Shatner/Henry Rollins - I Can't Get Behind That & INXS - New Sensation.

Day 56 - Still slightly sick

And it's raining - so instead of potentially extending my sick leave (from running) I did a stationary bike at resistance level 8 (/9) for 1 hour along with 90 Reps on the weights.

We'll see if It's not raining tomorrow and I am not coughing/phlegm-filled anymore.

Day 55 - nope

Hoping I've broken the back of it but after a week of working in and out of bed and a weekend resting as much as possible I may be in the last of it.

We'll see.

Day 54 - A week off

Well I thought I was getting better yesterday but apparently not - still sick as a dog and spent most of the day in bed.

This does little for my plan but you can't argue with a virus.

Day 53 - Last Day Not Running

Pretty sure I have broken the back of the cold and am only coughing up little chunky green bits now... good enough.

Try tomorrow but not expecting good times or long distances...

Day 52 - still sick

Not much else to say, my lungs are full of green chunky goodness and I could not even get the energy to run for the bus today, I just walked slowly and waited for the next one.

Day 51 - still not running

A longer break than I want but still common sense prevails when I am having trouble breathing and even walking is exhausting, I only managed 3/4 of my day the office before it put me back to bed.

Maybe tomorrow, maybe the weekend.

Day 50 - 3rd day off in a row

Feel like this should be over pretty soon but most of the last few days I have either been coughing up a lung or sleeping it off.

Back soon with any luck.

Day 49 - no run again

Well I might be a few days short of the 50 days but not getting any closer.

Have a full blown head cold and chest infection with chunky green phlegmy goodness (mmm hmmm) so running, while possible, is not going to work.

Hopefully over soon.

Day 48 - First no run day. :(

I have a fairly nasty head cold and it's raining.

Pathetic, but I'm not sure I'd even make it to the corner without my head exploding or my lungs collapsing.

So 48 days in and my resolve is still strong, but day 48 will have to be tomorrow instead.

Day 47 - So not feeling it

Well it was a struggle and the GPS failed for about the first quarter of the course, can't be helped.
but it was a struggle and I stopped once even though I was technically only running just over a kilometer.

I suspect it has something to do with the junk I have been eating most of the morning. Eating habits are much better during the week and I can cope with it better in the evening  after a decent lunch and not trash calories like I ate this morning. 6x chocoade biscuits, I'm looking at you!

Still it's a small amount but still a run and closing on 50 days continuously.

Distance: 0.93 km (probably 1.1/2)
Time: 5:56
Average Speed: 9.4 (not far off as I felt like I was plodding.
Soundtrack: Running Mix, Trick w/Knife, When I Grow Up, Born Slippy

Day 46

Bus stopped at the right place today but the GPS puts it 30 metres off the same spot from two days ago. Either way, I ran from 5 bus stops to home with a 2 minute rest as I had to wait for the lights to change. It is all downhill which I am liking but it has a number of roads to cross including this one very busy one of Balmoral and Mt Eden.

I could have run for it and crossed with the lights but as I hit the corner the cars were turning in front of me so I kind of had to stop there.

Distance: 1.47 km
Time: 7:09
Average Speed: 12.4 kph
Soundtrack: Garbage, P!nk & INXS

Day 45 - The bus overshoot.

I tried to run the same course as yesterday but the bus driver missed our stop and only stopped when the passengers yelled out so it carved 100 metres or so off the length of the run, so what should have been 1.5 km was 1.4.

But nevertheless running downhill for that length of road is much more satisfying and again I waited a minute or so for the lights to change at the big intersection where I paused the timer.

Distance: 1.39 km
Time: 6:52
Average Speed: 12.1
Soundtrack: Duran Duran - Planet Earth and George Michael - Freedom 90.

Day 44 - part way home in record time

Ok I finally make good on my plan to run part way home.

I got off by Fairview and ran the rest of the way and made my mile in the best time yet ... kind of.

Two caveats.

1) it's almost entirely all downhill after the first 200 metres or so.
2) there's a set of lights and a major crossing where I had to pause for 54 seconds while the lights changed in my favour.

But apart from that, pretty happy with myself.

Distance: 1.49 km
Time: 7:18
Average Speed: 12.3
Soundtrack: Owner of a Lonely Heart and Planet Earth. I actually made it inside of two songs today!

Day 43 - Surprise Run!

I had a plan for today to put on my running gear and stop a mile or more up Mt Eden Road and run home.

However an unexpected change in my calendar saw me running to catch a bus then running from the bus stop to the school to catch a school appointment.

42 Days ago I would not have made the run in one go and I would have been a sweating, palpitating mess.

Today though I managed it in one go, faster than my usual running speed and only a little out of breath, and only a minute or two to recover. Plus ran in Jack Purcell's and Jeans with a full backpack.

Distance: 0.46 km
Time: 1:59 (would normally take me over 5 minutes to walk)
Average Speed: 13.8 kph (woot!)
Soundtrack: Nothing

Day 42 - new best time

Running later after a full and hearty midday meal makes quite the difference. I'm still shattered and out of breath after each run but I do better and last longer before the mental/physical barrier hits home.

Stopped on the steep part of St A's but felt like I could have made it up there, but stopped out of habit and out of being afraid of wearing myself out too early. Part physical, part mental. Ran to the end of Watling and then from the first bus stop on Mt Eden all the way home.

Knew I was making good time so I pushed through the pain in my lungs and kept going.

Best time by one second, though the previous best time was aided by a 21 second pause to tie my shoelace so, probably much better in real terms.

Distance: 1.65 km (yet it's the same every time I run the block)
Time: 8:19
Average Speed: 11.9
Soundtrack: Fluke - Atom Bomb/P!nk - Blow Me/INXS - Suicide Blonde